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BOSTON — Brad Stevens spoke to reporters for the primary time for the reason that NBA season started, taking questions on a slew of matters at Celtics apply on Wednesday afternoon. Steven weighed in on the probability of Jayson Tatum’s potential return this yr and make clear what the workforce would possibly do forward of the February midseason commerce deadline.
Total, the Celtics normal supervisor has been happy with the Celtics’ progress by way of the primary 26 video games of the season, which presently has them with the Japanese Convention’s third seed and a 15-11 file.
“I’m actually inspired by each the work and the progress,” Stevens mentioned. “I feel that we’re making strides.”
Right here’s what Brad Stevens needed to say in a prolonged media availability on Wednesday afternoon. (That is the primary a part of a two-part collection on CelticsBlog — the opposite half addresses Stevens’ early ideas on the workforce’s early-season success and breakout gamers.)
Will Jayson Tatum be again this season?
That’s the million-dollar query (or, on this case, the $54.1 million query).
For the reason that first time Stevens addressed Tatum’s potential return final Spring, he made clear that there was no restoration timeline, but additionally that Tatum wouldn’t return except he was completely wholesome. That outlook didn’t change on Wednesday.
“We’re not placing a timeline on it — as we haven’t the entire time,” Stevens mentioned.
Stevens did element that there are a selection of markers the Celtics celebrity has to fulfill forward of a possible return.
“There’s a energy threshold he has to fulfill, after which after that, a number of weeks of progressions, proper from the standpoints of scripted in opposition to small teams, scripted in opposition to larger teams, scripted in five-on-five, unscripted, random, all the way in which up by way of these,” Stevens mentioned. “But it surely’s a protracted development, and it’s nearly like, when you hit the energy, you then do your thresholds of a development of play, and you then’re additionally reconditioning to play actual minutes, no matter that appears like. He’s clearly made nice strides. Proper now, we’re nonetheless centered on the full-strength recreation.”
Stevens additionally famous that the Celtics didn’t apply for the Disabled Participant Exception, not like a number of different NBA groups which have dominated a participant out for the season. (The Chicago Bulls, for instance, had been just lately granted a disabled participant exception for Noa Essengue after the rookie suffered a season-ending harm).
The DPE permits groups to signal free brokers to a one-year deal, commerce for a participant within the remaining yr of their contract, or declare a participant off waivers.
“One of many issues that everyone can see is we didn’t apply for a DPE this yr, which was a acutely aware choice on a number of fronts, for lots of causes,” he mentioned. “However the actuality is — he’s not going to be again till he’s 110% wholesome, and he feels good about it, and that’s a giant a part of it, proper? Clearly, he’s itching to play. Clearly, he hates watching, however he’s additionally — I don’t wish to converse for him — however very cognizant of the necessity to meet each threshold, and why there are these issues which are put in place. We’ve had a number of nice talks about it.”
Will the Celtics make a transfer forward of the commerce deadline?
Stevens identified that the distinction between the third and ninth seed within the East proper now’s slim — simply 1.5 video games within the standings — and that the Celtics, like many groups, are a piece in progress.
However, it doesn’t sound just like the entrance workplace has dominated out making a transfer that might enhance the Celtics within the short-term, whereas conserving the long-term purpose of sustainable championship competition on the forefront.
“I feel that we’re all nonetheless attempting to determine who we’re and what we could be,” Stevens mentioned. “We is not going to put a ceiling on this group. If it is smart for us to search for issues that may assist us, we definitely will. But it surely all needs to be inside good offers. And all of it needs to be inside the final purpose, which is the North Star of retooling so we’re in place to compete.”
Stevens acknowledged that multi-team trades have gotten extra frequent, which implies it’ll in all probability take longer for any trades to materialize. The NBA midseason commerce deadline is February fifth at 3pm ET.
“It’s all the time been tough whenever you begin together with third, fourth groups, proper?” he mentioned. “So I feel that’s an actual factor, and it’s in all probability why, possibly there might be a deal or two which are early, who is aware of, throughout the league — however would additionally not shock me if it takes some time.”
Nonetheless, regardless of the unsure nature of thi sseason, the Celtics normal supervisor is open to discussing potential midseason trades: “If I really feel like we will do one thing to succeed in these issues, and it is smart with one other workforce that’s keen to do one thing, which could be very difficult, then we all the time pay attention, and we all the time look, and we’re all the time pursuing that. There’s nothing holding us again, essentially, from that.”
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