Tag: Brady Stevens

Report: Celtics sign Anton Watson to two-way contract

The Boston Celtics have reportedly signed Anton Watson to a two-way contract.

The Boston Celtics have reportedly signed Anton Watson to a two-way contract. Brad Stevens selected the Gonzaga product with the 54th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Watson showcased his polished offensive and defensive game during Boston’s Las Vegas Summer League participation.

Watson played in all five Summer League games for Boston, averaging 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per outing. He will now have the opportunity to continue developing under the watchful eye of the Celtics’ coaching staff. Nevertheless, he will likely spend the majority of the upcoming season in the G-League, suiting up for the Maine Celtics.

Boston has found success in developing talent through the G-League in recent years. Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet all spent time in Maine before landing full-scale deals. As such, Watson should feel confident that he will have an opportunity to develop and fight for a spot in the main rotation. Boston currently has an open roster spot, which they’re not expected to fill heading into the regular season.

Watson will likely be looking to prove himself in the hope of filling out Boston’s roster for the second half of the regular season. But, to do that, he must first impress in the G-League.

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Brad Stevens isn’t taking the Celtics success for granted

Brad Stevens understands how quickly a team’s championship window can close in the NBA.

During the summer, Brad Stevens took two big swings in the trade market. He added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday while parting with Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams. Grant Williams was also allowed to leave via a sign-and-trade. Those moves have positioned the Boston Celtics as championship favorites.

However, Boston’s President of Basketball Operations understands how quickly things can change in the NBA. During a recent interview with Steve Bulpett of Heavy on Sports, Stevens shared his thought process during the summer. That thought process is likely driving him to continue looking for ways to improve the roster.

“Being good is really fragile,” Stevens said. “Being good is really hard. And nothing is guaranteed, so you just, again, have to be on the lookout for ways to improve. Most of the time, that’s just within the walls — tweak the offense, tweak the defense, whatever the case may be. But sometimes opportunities present themselves, and you just have to be ready.”

The new collective bargaining agreement is designed to limit a team’s ability to form and maintain a super team. The hope is that championship windows open and close far quicker than we’ve seen in recent years. As such, Stevens has to consistently look at ways to improve the team while keeping the ownership group happy.

Nevertheless, Boston’s window is currently wide open. It will likely remain that way for at least two years. However, as Stevens noted, being a contender is fragile. That’s why the fanbase is eager to see the team bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season.

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Brad Stevens’ son Brady commits to Notre Dame for 2024

Another future get for the Irish.

The [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] era at Notre Dame seems to be defined early by luring the offspring of established basketball minds. Shrewsberry’s son, Braeden and Calvin Booth’s son, Carey, will make their Irish debuts this coming season. Recently, Nazr Mohammed’s son, Sir, committed for 2024. Now, the Irish can add Brad Stevens’ son, Brady, to the mix in 2024 after the following Instagram post was made:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwIx4yvpCpO/?img_index=1

Not much seems to be known about the younger Stevens other than he plays for the high school in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He doesn’t even have a 247Sports profile, suggesting he was only lightly recruited if at all. However, Shrewsberry was an assistant for the elder Stevens with Butler and then, the Boston Celtics. That alone might have made Notre Dame the best college option for someone who clearly will be walking on.

While the 2023-24 Irish will struggle, there is hope that the 2024-25 Irish  will allow Shrewsberry to do more than try to patch something together with a makeshift roster. Do you have the patience for that? Well, you won’t have a choice regardless. After all, good things come to those who wait.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Brad Stevens says Blake Griffin’s performance as Celtics reserve last year was “as good as it gets”

Brad Stevens called Blake Griffin’s ’22-23 stint with the Celtics “as good as it gets both on and off the court.”

Will Blake Griffin sign with the Boston Celtics for the 2023-24 season? That question is still without an answer. But we do know there is mutual love and respect on both sides of the aisle, even if a deal doesn’t ever materialize.

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens recently confirmed that shared respect. During a recent visit to WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” show part of the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund radio telethon to raise money for cancer research, Stevens spoke about Boston’s past and future. Specifically, he offered praise for Griffin, who served a key role as a veteran reserve for the Celtics last year.

“Our bigs were pretty thin,” Stevens said. “When (Robert Williams III) was out at the start of the year, those guys that played in his place did an amazing job of keeping us afloat. Blake was as good as it gets both on and off the court.”

Celtics president Brad Stevens says Kristaps Porzingis’ plantar fasciitis ‘isn’t what I would call a significant injury’

“This is something that we should be able to navigate and manage in the next few weeks and be ready for training camp,” said Stevens.

After being ruled out of the 2023 FIBA World Cup for the Latvian National Team due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot, star Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has sparked concern among Celtics fans given his past injury history. Team President Brad Stevens made an appearance on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” show to talk about why he believes that injury is not a major concern for Boston despite Porzingis’ past.

“I’m not concerned about that,” said Stevens via Boston Dot Com‘s Conor Ryan. “He’s at the FIBA Tournament with the team, so he’s doing his rehab there.”

“Our training staff was with him as he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis,” said the Celtics President. “He went through all the progressions and he really tried to ramp up and play. He just determined he didn’t want to deal with lingering effects down the road.”

“This is something that we should be able to navigate and manage in the next few weeks and be ready for training camp. We’re planning on having him for Day 1 of training camp. He really wanted to try the ramp-up because it really mattered to be there (with his national team).”

“If you manage it, if you treat it correctly and you ramp back up at the right rate, it has a lot less chance of being a lingering issue. This isn’t what I would call a significant injury that you are concerned about the big picture.”

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Celtics president Brad Stevens’ son Brady to play for Notre Dame, Micah Shrewsberry

Basketball really is the Stevens family business.

Basketball really is the Stevens family business. Not only is patriarch Brad Stevens the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, the most storied franchise in the history of the game, but Stevens also coached the Celtics and Butler before that.

Now, a new chapter is being written in that book. Stevens’ son Brady announced his commitment to the Notre Dame men’s basketball program on his Instagram. The Athletic’s Jay King was the first to report the decision. Per The Athletic reporter, Brady Stevens, a 6-foot-4 combo guard, will play for another familiar face, Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry.

Shrewsberry is best known to Boston fans for his time under Stevens as an assistant coach on the Celtics, but also served in a similar role when both were at Butler.

Fellow Celtics alum and former assistant Evan Turner congratulated the younger Stevens in the post’s comments.

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