Brad Stevens: Celtics Will Struggle Down Stretch If They Don't Regain Defensive Identity
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics have dropped two of their three games out of the All-Star break, and head coach Brad Stevens knows his team will have to renew their focus on the defensive end going forward.
Stevens joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand for his weekly call into the show on Wednesday, and while he's pleased with his team's recent offensive explosion, wants to see them return to their defensive identity from earlier this season.
"My biggest concern right now is we have some technical slippage," said Stevens. "Whether that's from the break or change in personnel or we just need to get back on the practice court and focus on that, that's what we're going to be focused on. There are going to be moments when you don't make shots or don't play as well offensively, even some moments where the other team makes shots when you're in the right defensive position, but we have to play better on technically on the defensive end and with better purpose than we did in two of the [last] three games.
"I said this prior to coming back from the break, it's not like we were defending at a great level right before the break. We were scoring a ton and found a way to win a couple of games. We have to get back to [our defensive identity] or we'll struggle down the stretch," he added.
Stevens also touched on Boston's five-game home stand, the team's open roster spot and also discussed why David Lee didn't fit into the C's system: