Brad Stevens Expects Celtics to 'Compete Like Hell to Win' After Trades, Tatum Injury
The Boston Celtics are going to look quite different next season after trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, potentially losing Al Horford to free agency, and waiting for Jayson Tatum to rehab his injured Achilles, but president of basketball operations Brad Stevens does not see the situation as a rebuild.
"That's not going to be part of the lexicon in our building, and that's the way we're going to focus moving forward," he said Tuesday, per Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press.
"My expectations are always the same—compete like hell to win the next game."
While the Tatum injury was a blow, especially since it came in the playoffs and will surely sideline him for at least some of the upcoming campaign as well, the reality is Boston was going to need to make moves this offseason regardless of the star player's health.
As Hightower explained, keeping Holiday, Porziņģis and Horford alongside Tatum and Jaylen Brown would have meant a luxury tax bill of more than $500 million and less financial flexibility by exceeding the second apron of the salary cap.
However, the Celtics are now below the second apron and don't have to worry about the financial part of things as much.
Given how wide open the Eastern Conference will be next season with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the Indiana Pacers and Damian Lillard no longer on the Milwaukee Bucks, it also isn't a stretch to assume the Celtics can remain competitive while waiting for Tatum to return.
Brown will have the chance to be the clear-cut No. 1 option, while role players such as Derrick White and Payton Pritchard will see bigger roles. What's more, the newly added Anfernee Simons is someone who can score 20-plus points on any given night and will have the opportunity to take advantage of the additional spacing created by Brown.
What's more, Tatum is already rehabbing his injury and has reached the point where he is working out in a pool:
If Boston is in the middle of the playoff picture entering the season's stretch run, Tatum could be a superstar addition right in time for a potential postseason run.
To hear Stevens tell it, the playoffs seem to be more of a focus than any type of rebuilding efforts.
