Brad Stevens has been the Celtics' president of basketball operations since early June. While he says he's enjoyed the experience, he's also candid about some of the early challenges.
In an interview Tuesday with OMF as part of the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, Stevens said there was some uncertainty when he first took the job, even though he was prepared for Danny Ainge to step down.
"There was a lot of angst in the first month," he said. "I had the least amount, even with the change, just because of all the people that are in the building going through a transition, and my coaching staff may or may not be retained. But as people have found their opportunities, as people have settled into how we function and work together, it's been a great challenge. The first couple of weeks were like drinking out of a fire hose, and then it slowed down."
It's been a busy summer for Stevens, who started his tenure by hiring head coach Ime Udoka and trading Kemba Walker for Al Horford. It was one of several moves he's made to create more flexibility for the future, including re-signing Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Josh Richardson to contract extensions.
He also inked guard Dennis Schroder to a severely discounted one-year deal.
"Trading Kemba right off the bat was not fun, it was not an easy thing to do," Stevens said. "But obviously, the opportunity to get Al back, and some of the things it opened up the opportunity to do here, as we try to build towards the situation, it was just part of it."
Creating flexibility is important. Stevens has learned the cap is not crap.
"The salary cap is no joke," Stevens said. "And as much as I've been around it the past eight years, I'm really lucky I have people working here — the Mike Zarren's, the Austin Ainge's — and everybody else in our front office who does a great job."
Stevens pointed out that change in the NBA is inevitable, unlike in college, where players often stay at the same school for three or four years. After some roster resetting, he thinks the Celtics are in a good position to compete.
"As you look across the league, I feel really good about where we are now," Stevens said. "I feel like we can be a good basketball team, but I think we can also continue to build and hopefully get what we all want."
