This is a really nice article about Brad Stevens and his audacious move to the Celtics. But can we get past this myth that no coach ever goes from college to the pros successfully? Please: Bill Fitch, Chuck Daly, Jack Ramsay, Dick Motta and John McLeod, to name a few.
Generally speaking, when people argue that college coaches fail in the NBA, they're usually talking about coaches who are used to having everything bend their way: admissions, presidents, referees, booster clubs and most of all players.
We've never gotten the feeling that Stevens is like that. He was the center of Butler's remarkable success, to be sure, but arrogant? Not that we could see.
He seems more like a guy who gets to know his players than one who likes ordering them around. That can't hurt.