When divvying up the Celtics credit pie for this run to the NBA Finals, there is plenty to go around. But who deserves the biggest slice?
During his appearance on The Greg Hill Show, Stadium’s Jeff Goodman was presented with three non-player options: first-year coach Ime Udoka, former coach-turned-president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, and former president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.
All three have certainly played key roles. Ainge built the core of this team by drafting Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Grant Williams. Stevens brought back Al Horford last summer and traded for Derrick White midseason.
But according to Goodman, Udoka deserves the most credit of those three.
“Without Ime, they’re not here. Let’s be honest,” Goodman said. “The pieces were here for Brad, and he didn’t find a way to push the right buttons to get this team going. Now maybe it had to take a little more time for maturing or whatever. Getting Derrick White certainly helped. But ultimately I give the most credit to Ime Udoka.
“I feel like he’s pushed the right buttons, and he has the information to be able to do it. When they went 25-25 [through the first 50 games this season], he could get up in them. They needed a different type of voice. Brad’s such a good guy, and they didn’t need that anymore. They needed somebody that was gonna hold them accountable, that was gonna call them out publicly, privately, whatever. And Ime has been able to do that. And also he’s done a hell of a job X’s and O’s coaching this team.”
Jeff Goodman says Celtics wouldn't be here without Ime Udoka
Udoka helped the Celtics climb from 11th place in the Eastern Conference on Jan. 7 all the way up to the No. 2 seed by the end of the regular season. He has led them to three series wins so far this postseason, including a pair of Game 7 victories.
To Goodman’s point, Udoka figured out how to get Tatum, Brown and Smart to play more in sync and less as individuals, with Tatum becoming a more well-rounded player this season and Smart embracing more of a true point guard role.
Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck also had high praise for Udoka during his appearance on The Greg Hill Show on Tuesday, saying that he’s brought “new energy” and “new intensity” to the team this season.
“I love that about him,” Grousbeck said. “When I made the decision to bring him in last summer, it was, he already had it inside him. It was just a matter of letting it out and getting him the platform and the support and the roster to show how great a coach he could be. So this was something he and I and all of us -- Brad and Steve Pagliuca and everybody -- we believed that he could do this with the right setting.
“And now so far, let’s just say it, it’s been amazing. He’s won two Game 7s as a rookie coach and now we’re on to the Finals. So, Ime is a great person and I think a really great coach for the Celtics, hopefully for many years to come. Just very happy that he’s here.”
Wyc Grousbeck says Celtics aren't just happy to be here
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