The Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks are in a series that looks like it might just go seven games. The games haven't all been very exciting, but the two teams have each won all of their home games so far, so a game seven looks very possible.
The Celtics have a few of their key players either out or dealing with some sort of injury that is limiting them. Despite the injuries the Celtics are still in the series and have a chance to move on to the next round, and a lot of that could be credited to head coach Brad Stevens.
Stevens has done a tremendous job with this Celtics team this year. It's a team that has a lot of depth but no truly great players. Stevens is great at getting guys to play their best basketball, and he is also very good at developing players. Isaiah Thomas is a great example of that as he became an All-Star for the first time ever this season with the Celtics.
Thomas injured his ankle toward the end of a game five loss to the Hawks, but he doesn't think it's serious. Thomas said after the game that he is positive he would play in game six, and Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has backed that up as he also expects Thomas to play.
Before the game, though, Thomas was talking about his head coach and had some pretty great things to say about him and his potential legacy.
"It sounds crazy,'' Thomas said, "but Brad has the potential to be one of the greatest coaches who ever lived."
At least Thomas acknowledged that his statement sounded crazy, but he was just speaking on how good of a coach Stevens can become. Let's not forget that Stevens is just 39 years old, and he is already one of the most respected coaches in the league. He coaches a team with no superstars, so he is the team's superstar as he often outmaneuvers opposing coaches.
It is definitely way too early to anoint Stevens as an all-time great coach, especially considering he hasn't won a playoff series yet, but it's clear he will be in the NBA for a long time. You likely wouldn't get an argument from anyone if you said Stevens is a top five coach in the league right now, and considering how young he is that will only go up. Stevens went to two consecutive national championships with mid-major Butler in his college coaching days, so it seems likely he will get the Celtics to the Promised Land someday soon. If he is surrounded by the right players, who knows what his legacy might end up being, but his best player obviously thinks very highly of him.
