Stevens kills rumors
Says he’s not leaving for IU
BROOKLYN — Indiana is looking for a new men’s basketball coach, and naturally Brad Stevens is going to hear from all of those IU fans who want the Celtics coach to come home.
But once again, he’s not going anywhere.
“I don’t speak to the rumor mill or anything else, but I’ve made it pretty clear I’m going to be here. I’ve been asked about that quite a bit and my answer will be the same — I’m going to be here until the Celtics decide they want to move in another direction,” he said before last night’s game against Brooklyn.
“Maybe a little bit,” he said of whether he hears from people back home at a time like this. “One thing about it — I grew up in that state and spend a lot of time down there. I certainly love the state of Indiana and what basketball means in that state. IU means a lot to the people in that state. I was no different as a kid, but again, I’ll be here. Doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of the teams in the state — I root for one a heck of a lot more than the rest.”
Needed rest
The Celtics weren’t just being cautious with Isaiah Thomas when they left him home this weekend for treatment on his bruised right knee.
Though their goal is to bring him back for Monday’s important game against Washington in the Garden — a Celtics win would tie the season series at two apiece — there’s no guarantee.
“We’re not in that position,” Stevens said of whether the team was simply being cautious in holding Thomas out of last night’s game in Brooklyn and tomorrow’s in Philadelphia. “We want to play our guys together. We just haven’t had a chance to do it. The more we can play the guys we need together, the better. Not this weekend with him, but it will be an opportunity for other guys to step up.
“We’re hopeful to have him back after the trip but I’m not sure,” Stevens added. “He’ll be evaluated day to day and go through as much treatment as possible.”
All smoothed out
Even by the standards of Jaylen Brown, whose playing time has been meaningful as a rookie, this was an eventful week.
From a pair of prank-happy teammates stuffing his truck to the top of the windows with popcorn following Wednesday’s win over Minnesota, to an argument with Marcus Smart during a huddle on the same night, Brown has had his emotions tested.
By yesterday both players had moved on. Brown, in fact, was somewhat happy for the experience of going nose-to-nose with the famously excitable Smart.
“I let it go. I’m passionate about the game, I want to win, too,” said Brown. “We’re headed into the playoffs, and there’s stuff we have to clean up as a team. Confrontation and arguments are going to happen. Moving forward it’s a good thing and we should be better for it.”
Asked if he’s discovered the Celtics are a team that likes to air its grievances in this way, Brown said, “Kind of, kind of not. We probably should a little bit more, but I think we’ll be fine.”
Smart, irritated that Brown had broken a play, approached the rookie as they walked off the floor. After pointing a finger at Brown’s chest, Smart had to be pulled away by Jae Crowder. But it’s all good, according to Smart.
“It shows passion for the game. I’ve been around guys who have no love for it, and that’s the worst,” Smart said of Brown’s willingness to talk back. “We talked and everything is cool. Everyone was trying to make more of it than what it is, but that’s life, and that’s the world we live in. You say one thing and people take it and try to make it into something else.
“We’re not worried about what’s going on on the outside.”
Asked if the Celtics, as a practice, hold each other accountable, Smart said, “Definitely, and that’s how it should be. Everybody on this team, if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do, we’re going to let you know. We’re trying to get better, and we need guys like that, who can take that criticism. That’s from everybody, from Brad to Al ( Horford) to me to Jaylen. This team does a really good job of addressing that.”
Stevens, who kept the locker room closed longer than normal following the Minnesota game, is fine with these arguments as long as the players involved move on afterwards.
“We talked about moving forward from it, but you spend 82 games together, six months together, there’s going to be some of that,” he said. “That’s usually better for a team than worse. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Happens almost every day. The deal is moving on from it. If you have a shared purpose, you can move on from it.”
It’s in the detail
Brown said the estimated cost of cleaning his SUV — he believes the mountain of popcorn was buttered — ran anywhere from $200 to $250. Not to mention the cost of cleaning the clothes of the five relatives, his mother Mechalle included, who then had to climb in for the ride home.
“My mother didn’t give me her opinion on it, but she was probably pretty upset,” he said. “She doesn’t like people messing with her baby. She’ll probably voice that to some of the vets.”
Brown inferred that Thomas was one of the pranksters, and wouldn’t name the other, but there will apparently be payback.
“It was a good one, I know who did it, I might have to get them back — we’ll see,” he said. “Definitely they should feel some form of retaliation. Friendly fire.”