The conversation about Brad Stevens taking over as Celtics head coach while Ime Udoka serves out his one-year suspension was had. Although, Wyc Grousbeck said it was a brief one — and Stevens clarified on Friday why that was the case.
"There's a lot of factors in play of why I wouldn't necessarily even want to do that," Stevens said when asked if he'd consider taking over for interim head coach Joe Mazzulla if things don't work out this season. "I've told Joe this: I'm going to be there for him without stepping on his toes as much as he needs. But he doesn't need as much, I believe in that strongly. Hopefully, I can help him with any questions he has as he goes through it.
"Sometimes, you just need somebody that's been there next to you to be able to go in and let your shoulders down and talk about what you're going through. Hopefully, I can be that for him."
Stevens had even more to say about Mazzulla when confirming his former assistant would handle head coaching duties for the entirety of the 2022-23 season.
"It's not easy timing for him, or the rest of the staff, but he's an exceptionally sharp and talented person," Stevens said. "I believe strongly in him and his ability to lead people, his ability to galvanize a room and get (people) behind him, and his ability to organize and understand all that comes with running a team during a season.
"Joe's the best choice (for this job), by a long shot," Stevens said. "As you go through this whole process, it all hits you. But I think we have the best people in place to do (handle this), and Joe is the best person to do that in our organization."
