Brad Stevens

Danny Ainge, the long-time director of basketball operations, is out. Brad Stevens' reign as head coach is over too, though he has switched from orchestrating plays on the sideline to making deals in the front office. His replacement on the bench, Ime Udoka, is an experienced member of supporting casts who finally gets a chance to take on a lead role.

The revamp was not just restricted to team staff, either.

Kemba Walker – seen as a major addition in 2019 – was deemed expendable amid concerns over both his long-term health and salary number. The deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder came at a cost – Boston had to give up their first-round pick in this year's draft as a sweetener – but it may not be the final move for a franchise aiming to regain momentum.

For so long, the Celtics were viewed as a team on the rise. A plethora of burgeoning talents were allowed to develop under the highly rated Stevens, a graduate from the college system who steered them to the Eastern Conference Finals on three occasions between 2017 and 2020.

However, 2020-21 was undoubtedly a step back. A 36-36 record in the regular season, albeit amid the backdrop of a global pandemic, was a surprise. Losing to the Brooklyn Nets in five, however, was not. In fact, the only shock was that they managed to avoid being swept.

So what happens in the next chapter of the Celtics story? Stevens must work out the path for a team that, after playing the long game, has quickly been left behind by its rivals

Boston's double act offers hope

Capitalising on a plethora of draft picks stockpiled over time, the Celtics had sculpted a roster that appeared a step away from moving onto the next level. Major moves were made to try and tip the balance: Kyrie Irving appeared the perfect marriage only for the relationship to flame out, while Gordon Hayward endured a hugely unfortunate start and never completely recovered.

Walker has gone now too, leaving Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the two fundamental pillars in place for Boston to build around.

Brown finished with a career-high 24.7 points per game at the end of the regular season, a figure aided by shooting 39.7 per cent from deep when averaging 7.1 three-pointers an outing. He attempted more shots in general, with his 19.2 field goals up from 15.6 in the previous campaign. There was also an upturn in assists as well.

However, a wrist injury meant he missed the series against the Nets. Tatum fought a lone hand, including a 50-point performance in Game 3. He became the third Celtic to reach a half-century in a regulation playoff game, joining a select group that also includes John Havlicek and Sam Jones.

Yet that stunning performance merely delayed the inevitable. In putting together a big three, the Nets had jumped the queue in the East. Boston were one of only two teams to have a pair of players finish in the top 20 for points per game in the regular season. The other? Brooklyn, of course.

Tatum averaged an impressive 26.8 points per 75 possessions to continue on an upward curve. Kevin Durant described the third overall pick in the 2017 draft as a "tough, tough cover" after trying to keep him quiet during the first-round matchup. Like Brown, the 23-year-old showed his all-round capabilities by setting career-high averages for points, rebounds and assists.

His usage rate of 30.8 per cent for every 75 possessions was both a sign of his growing status and also a by-product of an ever-changing cast around him. The Celtics used 37 different line-ups – only three teams topped that figure – as injuries and the added wrinkle of the NBA's COVID-19 protocols left Stevens consistently shuffling the deck on a nightly basis.

However, the absences should not paper over the cracks: Brown and Tatum - whose absence from an All-NBA team cost him $33million in his rookie extension – need help.

Moving on from Walker

Boston hoped Walker would be a multi-dimensional scoring guard who could also facilitate for others. The issue was he did not play nearly enough to merit holding on to that ideal any longer.

Walker was restricted to 43 appearances in the regular season, during which he averaged 19.3 points per game – his lowest total since 2014-15. The team was marginally better with him on the court – they scored at 113.2 points per 100 possessions, compared to 109.6 without – though played at a slightly higher pace when the former Charlotte Hornet was absent.

Taking into consideration the likelihood of the four-time All-Star utilising his player option for the 2022-23 season, there was over $73m left on his deal. Boston did get something in return from the Thunder, as a familiar face returned for a second spell (more on that later).

Walker's departure provides some cap relief, of course, but it also leaves a sizable hole in the roster. Marcus Smart appears the in-house option to start at point guard, yet he is heading into a contract year and is still yet to demonstrate how he can be relied upon for consistent offensive production.

His 14.2 points per 75 possessions ranked him 222nd in the league, although a player with a reputation for being a pest to opposing teams posted a defensive rating of 112.8, the highest of his NBA career. As he heads into his eighth season, Smart is a solid contributor capable of making plays without the ball, yet also someone opposing teams do not fear having possession in crunch time.

The same may well be said for Al Horford, even if the Celtics are not quite getting the same player who said farewell to Boston in 2019.

You can call me, Al

Life in Philadelphia did not pan out for Horford following his move in free agency two years ago, with him stuck as the odd man out in a crowded front court where Joel Embiid rules the roost. His time in Oklahoma was short-lived, but now he is back in familiar surroundings.

The 14-year veteran returns having become a more frequent three-point shooter since his first stint – his average of 5.4 attempts in 20 games for the Thunder was a career high, a stark contrast to the player who tried 18 shots from beyond the arc across his first six years in the league.

His playmaking abilities will help lighten the load on Brown and Tatum, while his experience should be invaluable to promising big Robert Williams, whose effective field goal percentage of 72.1 left him behind only DeAndre Jordan in the entire NBA.

Williams also showed he can be a presence on defense, with only five players averaging more blocked shots per game. The third-year center is a low usage, high-value finisher when close to the rim who is primed to take on a starting role.

In general, however, Boston's defensive numbers suffered a dip. Having ranked second in the category in 2019-20, giving up 107.3 points per outing, they fell outside the top 10 this term, their points against number finishing up at 111.2

The Celtics also have a decision to make over Evan Fournier, the trade-deadline addition who is now a free agent. Outside shooting is a must in the league, and the Frenchman was successful with 46.3 per cent of his three-point attempts in the regular season following his arrival from the Orlando Magic.

Last year's first-round selection Payton Pritchard, who shot 46.7 per cent when averaging 2.5 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts, showed signs of promise, but Boston still needs more shooting depth.

Verdict: Evolution

The revolution may have already occurred in Boston. After over 600 games as the head coach, Stevens wasted no time in making an impact following his change of roles.

However, a full re-shaping of the team would require trading away one of the core pieces he has worked so closely with over recent years. Smart, who makes just over $14m on an expiring deal, appears the most trade-friendly asset: the Celtics know the clock is ticking.

Whether Smart sticks around or not, Boston needs more to aid their dynamic duo in Brown and Tatum. The cap situation suggests dipping a toe into the free agency waters, rather than diving right in. There is no point pinning too much faith on the draft process for help either, as their first-round selection is now sitting in the Thunder's treasure chest of picks.

Stevens will survey the landscape and acknowledge standing still is a risk. Brooklyn have their big three, Giannis Antetokounmpo is ensconced in the East with Milwaukee and the Atlanta Hawks have suddenly found their wings to make a run to the Conference Finals.

His final year saw Boston average 1.18 points per possession, behind only the Sacramento Kings, while their effective field goal percentage of 63.3 ranked fourth. There is much to like about this group, yet also a feeling that standing pat is a risk with few potential rewards.

If there is a shortcut to potentially becoming a title candidate, it could be in the form of a frustrated superstar ripe for picking off in a blockbuster trade. That, however, would require a change of mindset when it comes to how they have gone about team building in recent years.

Moving Walker was a fine start, but Stevens the GM has to get creative if Boston are to get back involved in the title race again, rather than just making up the playoff numbers.

Already up against a 3-1 deficit, it could be curtains for the Celtics' season on Friday when Game 5 comes around.

A regular-season record of 48-24, to Miami's 44-29, had indicated the Celtics should be competitive, while Boston also came out on top in two of their three previous clashes with the Heat in 2019-20.

Yet a 112-109 loss in Game 4 dealt a blow to hopes of reaching the championship series, with 20-year-old rookie Tyler Herro draining a career-high 37 points for Miami who are just a win away now from the NBA Finals.

"It's hard to win a playoff game, right?" head coach Stevens said.

"We're just looking at how can we play better on Friday night. That's the most important game of the season. We need to play our best game yet. That's it."

Coming from 3-1 down to win a best-of-seven series is a daunting challenge, but Stevens is not looking at the prospect of having to win three straight games.

The clear message from the coach is: one game at a time.

"I don't know what the historical odds are," he said. "It doesn't really matter. The situation we're in, we've got to play well Friday. We don't have to win three games on Friday; we have to win one.

"That's going to be our focus. That's going to be our attention. We'll get after it."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Celtics, who hired former Butler University coach Stevens in July 2013.

Stevens has a 318-245 win-loss record since taking charge of the Celtics, with the 43-year-old's wins the fourth-most by any Boston coach in franchise history.

The Celtics will make their sixth successive playoff appearance in 2019-20, while Stevens guided the storied team to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals between 2017 and 2018.

"Brad is an accomplished coach and an outstanding person," said Celtics lead owner and governor Wyc Grousbeck. "We are proud to have him lead our team forward in our quest for Banner 18."

"We are thrilled that Brad Stevens will continue to be our coach," said Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca. "He has become one of the best coaches in the NBA, and is a real leader on and off the court. This is a great day for the Boston Celtics."

The Celtics (48-23) are third in the Eastern Conference this season, behind the high-flying Milwaukee Bucks and defending champions the Toronto Raptors.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge added: "Brad is one of the most intelligent and hard-working coaches in the game today.

"More importantly, his character and integrity have contributed to a culture that we all highly value here. Brad is a great team-mate, and a leader people want to follow. We are honoured to have him with us as we continue to pursue our next championship."

Floyd – an African-American man – died in Minneapolis after a police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck during an arrest last week.

Violent protests have broken out across the United States since Floyd's death, during which he was filmed crying out for help as he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground.

"I wrote a letter to our guys this weekend and it took me a while to put down exactly what I wanted to say," Stevens told reporters in a video conference call on Tuesday.

"But I think the thing I wanted them to know, is every decent person is hurting. Every decent person feels the pain of the African-American community. But I also don't want to pretend that I know the exact, distinct pain.

"What I wanted them to know is that I'm with them. I thought that was really important. It's so, so great to see so many of the guys so active... I've talked to a lot of guys. Everybody's hurting. Let's put it that way.

"The leadership they've shown is terrific. And hopefully the most important thing is we can have short-term healing, and we can have near-term gains, and we can have long-term sustainable action that creates change."

Celtics star Jaylen Brown led a peaceful protest in Atlanta last week after driving 15 hours from Boston to his home state of Georgia following Floyd's death.

Brown, who streamed part of the protest live via his Instagram account, marched with a megaphone while holding a sign that said, "I Can't Breathe", a reference to Floyd.

"Jaylen's greatest impact, as good as he is in basketball, won't be in basketball. He's a special guy," Stevens said. "He's a special leader. He's smart, but he has courage. He's got a lot of great stuff to him. I think we recognised that when we drafted him, but he has been even more unbelievable every day, every year.

"I've always personally really enjoyed listening to him and talking to him about things outside of basketball. He told me he was going down there on Thursday and I obviously knew... I'm certainly not surprised by him taking a leadership role. That's who he is."

Danny Ainge has announced he is retiring as president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, with head coach Brad Stevens promoted to the role.

Ainge is the only person to win NBA championships as both a player and general manager with the Celtics, who confirmed his departure on Wednesday.

The 62-year-old was at the helm of Boston's last title-winning team, back in 2008, and hired Stevens from Butler University to replace Doc Rivers.

However, after a tough season for the Celtics came to an end with a 4-1 series defeat to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs, Ainge has decided to leave his post.

Stevens, who has been the coach for the past eight seasons, will move up to take over from Ainge in the front office, meaning he will oversee hiring his own replacement to lead the team on the bench.

"Helping guide this organisation has been the thrill of a lifetime, and having worked side-by-side with him since he's been here, I know we couldn't be in better hands than with Brad guiding the team going forward," said Ainge in a statement released by the Celtics.

"I'm grateful to ownership, all of my Celtics colleagues, and the best fans in basketball for being part of the journey."

During Ainge's 18-year stint managing the Celtics, Boston made 15 playoff appearances and reached the Eastern Conference Finals seven times.

Their championship triumph in 2008 was one of two trips to the NBA Finals, while it was their first title since 1986. Since that successful season, Boston have won more playoff games than any other NBA franchise.

Danny Ainge announced today that he is retiring from his role as President of Basketball Operations. Brad Stevens has been promoted to the team’s President of Basketball Operations.https://t.co/XfGfMVkMkq

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 2, 2021

Three-time NBA All-Star Tatum averaged only 21.5 points per game in the NBA Finals, shooting 50 per cent or better from the field only once in their 4-2 series loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Tatum also gave up 23 turnovers in the six games in the NBA Finals. The 24-year-old had a mixed playoffs, finishing with the most turnovers (100) by a single player in NBA postseason history.

However, Tatum was also outstanding in series wins over the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, including a remarkable 46-point haul in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals facing elimination against the reigning champions.

"I just told him to go on vacation," Stevens told reporters during a videoconference call. "Go get some rest."

"This guy gave us everything he had. When you look at the minutes, when you look at the games played... I've said this many times: He's a superstar that doesn't want to sit. He wants to play, he wants to play all the time.

"I thought that in the Finals, he would be the first to say that he would like to have some of those moments back, but I thought there were other contributing factors to how he played."

Tatum, who was named in the All-NBA First Team for the first time in 2022, averaged career-highs with 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game across the 2021-21 regular season.

The Celtics small forward shot at 45.3 per cent from the field across the regular season, dipping slightly to 42.6 per cent in the postseason.

During the playoffs, Tatum averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.16 assists but with 4.16 turnovers per game.

"We're all subjective in every moment and react emotionally, but when you start looking at it objectively and more so historically, what Jayson and Jaylen [Brown] have done in the playoffs, historically at their ages, is rarified air," Stevens said.

"I think we're very cognisant of the fact that even though Jayson would admittedly not have played his best series, there's no chance we're there without him and without all of his great play all the way through.

"I think back to all of the times... Game 6 in Milwaukee was one of the best games I've seen an individual play in my time, certainly in person and with the Celtics.

"Without that performance, we would have had this discussion a month and a half ago."

The Celtics earned seventh seed and the right to face the second-seeded Nets in the NBA playoffs from Saturday with a 118-100 win over the Washington Wizards.

The Nets have endured injuries to stars players over the past few months but have reunited their big three, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, at the right time for the postseason.

"To have to play tonight to get into the playoffs to earn the right to play probably the most-talented team that's been assembled since I've been in the NBA, takes a lot of effort and togetherness," Stevens said.

"We'll get ready for Brooklyn starting on Thursday when we get back together.

"Those guys are the best of the best and, going into that, if I'm a fan and just a general fan of the NBA, I have a hard time seeing them lose.

"We're going to have to play great, we're going to have to play great together, and we're going to have to be really, really sound on both ends of the floor."

He added: "It'll be a fun challenge to go up against the best."

Jayson Tatum scored 50 points for the Celtics in Tuesday's win, prompting Wizards coach Scott Brooks to label him a "future MVP".

"He's a great player. He's not [just] a great young player, he's a great player," Brooks said. "He's going to be an MVP in this league soon."

The Celtics won the first two matches in the Eastern Conference semi-finals series before the Raptors battled back to level it up at 2-2 with successive wins of their own.

But now the 2019 champions are facing the prospect of a do-or-die Game 6 following Monday's loss, knowing defeat next time out will see their defence crumble.

Nurse feels positive about their chances, however, adamant they have shown their mettle when it really mattered in the past.

"We're really good at bouncing back," Nurse said.

"It's strange to me that we have these kinds of games, it really is. But historically we have [bounced back], and then historically we really usually bounce back in a big way."

Frustrations boiled over in the Raptors' ranks during the match, with Serge Ibaka reprimanding Kyle Lowry for a personal foul on Jayson Tatum before Fred VanVleet attempted to calm the former.

VanVleet insisted the situation was just accentuated by the fact there were no fans there, however.

"Those frustrations happen all the time," he said. "You guys don't see a lot of them, but that was one that was obviously visible and you could probably hear a little bit there if you were in the arena. Just some frustrations with the game.

"Kyle had his moment with the ref. Serge had his moment with Kyle, but we moved on, we moved past it. It happens. We're brothers.

"It wasn't as bad as it looked, I can tell you that much. That's an everyday thing on our team. Guys just being honest. We have a lot of passionate guys. It's just part of the process."

On the flip side, Jaylen Brown – whose 27 points led the way for Celtics – is not getting carried away, reminding his team-mates they still have a job to do in Game 6.

"It's the playoffs, we've got to come out ready to fight every single night. If not, that's how you lose. So, our guys came out ready to fight tonight," he said.

"But [Monday's result] doesn't say anything. We've got to get ready to play [Wednesday]. The job's not finished yet. We've still got a lot of work that needs to be done."

Coach Brad Stevens added: "They've got a lot of people to go to, and we're going to have to be good again."

The Celtics found themselves in a 2-0 hole in the playoffs after successive defeats in Brooklyn, during which Tatum managed a combined total of 31 points.

His Game 2 contribution was cut short at 21 minutes after he suffered a poke in the eye, the injury ruling him out as the Nets prevailed 130-108 to double their advantage.

However, Tatum had no issues seeing the basket on Friday when the series switched to Boston, going 16-for-30 shooting from the floor as he reached a half-century of points in a 125-119 triumph.

"It's just one of those nights." Tatum said afterwards.

"A tough shooting night the first game and I didn't get to play much the last game because I got poked in the eye."

His performance makes him just the third Celtic to score 50 in a regulation playoff game, following in the footsteps of John Havlicek (54 in 1973) and Sam Jones (51 in 1967).

Isaiah Thomas was the previous Boston player to achieve the milestone in a playoff contest, managing 53 in an overtime victory over the Washington Wizards in May 2017.

For Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, it was just the latest example of Tatum's undoubted talent.

"He is so advanced for 23 years old; I’ve said the word 'special', and I don’t say that very often, obviously," Stevens told the media.

"But he just has a unique ability to score the ball, to slither through screens and find angles to score, but also the vision to make every right move.

"He was super tonight, but he's been like that a lot this year. He's special."

The game marked Kyrie Irving’s first appearance with fans present in Boston since his departure in 2019. The point guard was booed by the home crowd throughout proceedings as he finished with 16 points and six rebounds.

Irving left in free agency after two seasons with the franchise, opting to move closer to New Jersey for family reasons as he signed with the Nets.

"It's basketball. I've been in a few environments in my life," Irving said about the reaction he received.

"Like I said, as long as it's just strictly the nature of basketball out there and there's nothing extra, I'm cool with it."

James Harden led the way with 41 points for the Nets, while Kevin Durant had 39. Game 4 of the first-round series takes place in Boston on Sunday.

The Celtics rallied for a 121-108 victory over Miami on Friday to cut the Heat's Eastern Conference finals lead to 3-2.

But Boston struggled early, trailing by 12 points, before a 41-25 third quarter helped them turn the game.

Celtics head coach Stevens said improvement defensively was key for Boston.

"I just thought we played with great tenacity defensively, and our offense followed suit," he told a news conference.

"But they're very hard. It's easy for me to sit up and say to be at our very best and get stops on every possession.

"This is a heck of an offensive team, a heck of a well-coached team and hard to guard."

Celtics star Jayson Tatum scored 17 of his 31 points in the third quarter, with Boston going on a 20-3 run.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra lamented his side's inability to slow the Celtics down.

"We missed some open shots to start the quarter and then those turned into run-outs that got them going, those easy ones. This is a team that has great offensive firepower," he said.

"When they see the ball go in the basket they started to get more aggressive and putting a ton of pressure on us in the paint, much like they did in Game 3 and we weren't able to shut that off, and they just carried that through."

Game 6 is on Sunday.

Tatum – the third pick in the 2017 NBA Draft – turned potential into performance as he capped a memorable campaign with All-Star honours for the first time in his career.

An elite scorer, Tatum was at the forefront of everything good about the Celtics before and after the coronavirus pandemic.

But, the Celtics still lost in the Conference finals for the third time in four years – beaten 4-2 by the Miami Heat at Walt Disney World Resort – after finishing third in the east with a 48-24 record.

The Celtics are yet to reach the NBA Finals since 2009-10, while the historic franchise have not got their hands on the Larry O'Brien trophy since the Doc Rivers era in 2007-08.

As the Celtics reflect after watching the Los Angeles Lakers equal their record for most championships (17), we review the team's 2019-20 campaign using Stats Perform data.

Boston's dynamic trio

Kemba Walker's arrival in Boston helped create a formidable trio alongside Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

After spending his entire NBA career at the Charlotte Hornets, four-time All-Star Walker opted for a new challenge via free agency by committing to a four-year, $141million contract with the Celtics.

As a result, Terry Rozier left the Celtics for the Hornets in a sign-and-trade last year.

Since investing in Walker, the Celtics have put together a stellar trio, which became just the second group of three team-mates in NBA history to average 20-plus points and 2-plus three-pointers made per game apiece in a season (minimum 50 games played).

Walker averaged 20.4 points and 3.2 three-pointers made per game during the regular season, to go with Tatum (23.4ppg and 2.9 3pm) and Brown (20.3ppg and 2.3 3pm).

The only other trio to do so were the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in 2017-18.

Tatum joins elite list

It was a coming of age for Tatum, much to the delight of the Celtics and all those connected with the team.

Tatum cemented himself as one of the best players in the league by averaging 23.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game – up on his 2018-19 averages of 15.7ppg, 6.0rpg and 2.1 apg.

The 22-year-old also enjoyed a fine playoff campaign, becoming only the third player in NBA history to average 25.0-plus points, 10.0-plus rebounds and 5.0-plus assists per game in a single postseason with 15 or more games played.

Lakers superstar LeBron James (in 2014-15 and 2019-20) and Boston's Larry Bird (in 1983-84 and 1986-87) are the only other players to reach the feat.

Lack of depth

For all of Boston's good work and impressive starting five, their lack of depth was exposed in the playoffs.

The Celtics relied on their starters more than any other team in the postseason at 83.3 per cent with 1,549 of their 1,859 points scored by the starting five, ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers (83.1 per cent), Indiana Pacers (82.6 per cent), Houston Rockets (77.3 per cent) and Portland Trail Blazers (76.5 per cent).

As for the portion of minutes played by starters in the postseason, the Celtics (75.0 per cent) again topped the list ahead of the Pacers (72.2 per cent), 76ers (72.0 per cent), Utah Jazz (71.8 per cent) and Rockets (70.9 per cent).

The Celtics had fewer than 25 bench points in each of their last 15 playoff games this year, one of the longest streaks in a single postseason in the past 35 years, only behind the Detroit Pistons (19 in 2005) and Pacers (17 in 2013).

The problem of a thin bench was likely exacerbated by the number of close games the Celtics played in, since teams usually need their best players on the floor for longer periods of time in tight encounters.

Boston had eight playoff games decided by five points or less, tied for second most in a single postseason in franchise history.

Also, this was the second consecutive year the Celtics had some issues with turnovers in the playoffs. After going plus-1.4 for turnovers in the regular season, Boston were then minus-1.4 in the postseason.