Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens addressed the team's roster after an early playoff exit, emphasizing the need for improvement, particularly in offensive performance and rebounding. He also downplayed speculation surrounding Jaylen Brown's future with the team.
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Stevensâ opening statement was him taking accountability on behalf of the Celtics for the series loss. Offense was Stevensâ top concern. Considering the Celtics failed to surpass 100 points in each of the four losses in the series, thatâs a reasonable place to start. âWe had a hard time generating really good looks on that first shot,â Stevens said. âOne of the things that weâve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim â and we need to add to our team to do that.â Stevens addressed several questions about the teamâs three-point attempts throughout the press conference, but he emphasized a displeasure with the teamâs two-point offense as well. âEvery one of us would prefer a dunk over a three. Those are hard to get, and we struggle to generate them.â Impact in the paint will be a trait for fans to watch out for as the Celtics upgrade their roster in the offseason. Boston finished in 2025-26 with just 255 â less than half of the â 583 made dunks. With their struggles creating open shots, winning the offensive rebounding margin was a must. They fell flat in that area late in the series. âOne of the defining things that they did to us in Games 5 through 7 was they cleaned up the glass, which had been a real boost for us.â For a team that leaned heavily on offensive rebounding all season (12.7 per game) their 18 total in the last two games didnât give them much margin for error. Ultimately, they lost that edge, which is a crucial reason why their offensive rating in the halfcourt plummeted. In the halfcourt, their offensive rating was just â which would have ranked in the league during the regular season, per Cleaning the Glass.
Brad Stevens took accountability for the team's early playoff exit and highlighted the need to improve offensive performance, particularly in generating dunks and offensive rebounds.
The Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers, marking their first early exit since 2021.
Jaylen Brown's comments and subsequent Twitch livestream sparked speculation about his future with the Celtics, although Stevens described their recent conversation as positive.
Stevens indicated that the Celtics will need to make multiple roster improvements to enhance their offensive capabilities and overall performance in the upcoming season.
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The most immediate storyline following the loss centered on Jaylen Brown. Brownâs postgame comments, and then a personal Twitch livestream less than 24 hours after the Game 7 loss, sparked heated discussion among fans. Speculation around Brownâs future grew stronger when his mentor Tracy McGrady said there are deeper issues behind the scenes between Brown and the organization. âHis frustration lies deeply within the organization that we donât have the details to,â McGrady said (H/T @SavageBoston on X). Stevens pushed back on that narrative, saying his most recent conversation with Brown was ânothing but positive,â with no frustrations expressed directly. He instead highlighted the history of their relationship as two of the longest-tenured individuals in the Celtics organization. âWeâve been here 10 years together,â Stevens said. âI love JB. Everybody around here loves JB.â Stevens wasnât asked, nor did he comment on Brownâs long-term future or trade availability. Still, as smoke continues to spread about Brownâs enjoyment of having his own team this year, and the Celtics needing to self-assess after a first-round exit, fans will once again endure an offseason of Jaylen Brown trade speculation.
Stevens walked a careful line when evaluating this season. He praised the internal development that fueled a strong regular season, but recognized that postseason results ultimately define success.
âWhen you get beat in the first round, youâre not there,â Stevens said.
He pointed to the teamâs 3-11 record against the top three seeds in each conference as a revealing benchmark.
âThatâs where the honest assessment partâs gotta come in.â
Stevens also hinted that the Celtics may have benefited from a regular season environment that didnât fully reflect playoff intensity.
âThere were teams playing for draft position this year, and that wonât be the case next year,â he said. The NBA changed itâs draft lottery odds for next season in a way that will incentivize teams winning to a new level. âThat will probably give you a better indication of what everybody really is.â
Despite the disappointing finish, Stevens gave no indication that sweeping changes are coming. Joe Mazzulla is expected to return after another strong regular season, and Stevens emphasized the organizationâs belief in this yearâs internal growth. âThis year some strengths appeared that were a direct result of really good development and really good coaching,â Stevens said. Thatâs what makes the early exit harder to reconcile for Stevens. âIf you wouldâve told me last summer that we wouldâve won 56 games in the regular season, that the young guys would all become contributors, that people would have great impact up and down our roster, that we would get Tatum back for 20 games: I wouldâve been thrilled,â Stevens laid out. âBut the reality is we came up short so now the job is to do an honest assessment.â While Stevens avoided any dramatic declaration, he made it clear that while progress was made, the Celtics still fell short of expectations. And while some of their internal development will be utilized for next season, changes to the roster will be made. *You can watch Brad Stevensâ full press conference on the* *Boston Celtics YouTube page* The post Brad Stevens Addresses Future of Celtics Roster After Early Playoff Exit appeared first on The Lead.