During the 2023 offseason, Brad Stevens made some tough decisions as he looked to re-tool the Boston Celtics roster following an Eastern Conference loss to the Miami Heat. Out went Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Grant Williams and Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. And in came Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Oshae Brissett.
Losing Smart was undoubtedly the hardest move for Celtics fans. He had become the leader of the franchise and was the longest-tenured member of the team. Nevertheless, Stevens’ moves were designed to empower Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown while giving them a roster capable of pushing for an NBA Championship.
Joe Mazzulla led the team to the best record in the NBA, earning them the first overall seed. Then, Boston dispatched every team in their way en route to winning Banner 18. In a recent episode of WEEI’s “Jones & Mego,” the hosts praised Stevens for having the guile to make those tough decisions and for how they paid off in the biggest way possible.
You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded link above.
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