While plenty of talk exists about what’s next for the Celtics, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens seemed to suggest this — nothing much.
This despite the fact Boston failed to return to the Finals after losing in the Eastern Conference finals to the Heat. But the Celtics did overcome a 3-0 deficit, tying the series and getting Game 7 at home. Then they were run off the court.
Some have said they now need to break up the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as Brown is eligible for a contract extension. The Celtics are expected to give him one.
The Celtics are expected to give it to him. And minus some changes around the edges, the roster very well could seem much the same, with coach Joe Mazzulla returning for another run.
“I really believe in our foundation,” Stevens told Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “It’s really hard to be in the mix in this league. The competition is great. Sometimes things have to go your way, and sometimes they do. But you’ve got to do everything you can to take the luck out.”
“Listen, we didn’t have a great playoff run in whole. And we certainly were outplayed for the better part of that Miami series, even though it went seven games. So we have a lot of work to do. But it doesn’t mean that we need to mistake activity for achievement. For my seat, I think we have to understand what’s really good and how hard it is to have a foundation, and then figure out how to build off of it.”
In other words, don’t expect massive changes. The Celtics are more likely to try again. And why not? They came oh-so-close this season.
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