Milwaukee Bucks: Potential turning points in Boston Celtics series

Brad takes over

Most of the time, it would be ridiculous to be worried about a coach taking over a series. Most coaches are not Brad Stevens. Stevens has a very legitimate Coach of the Year case after carrying Boston to its best record in his tenure and the second seed in the East, despite all the injuries the team has suffered.

Everybody plays better under Brad Stevens. Isaiah Thomas is recovering from injury, but there’s not many signs that show him ever looking as good as he did in his last Celtics season again. Jae Crowder can’t break 40 percent from the field after looking like the best value contract in the NBA when he was in Boston. Avery Bradley isn’t even discussed anymore, mostly because the Stevens magic has worn off.

The new crew of players to benefit greatly from Stevens are Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, and whoever the hell else is on this active roster at this point. The Celtics have seven rookies, and all of them have had to play this season. They still won 55 games.

Stevens is the biggest advantage the Celtics have left, but he might be their biggest advantage even when the team is healthy. Without Kyrie, without Hayward, without Smart, Boston might still beat the Bucks. If they do, don’t be surprised if it’s largely because Stevens coached circles around Joe Prunty.