Three years ago, the Celtics had gone through one of the biggest turnovers in NBA history. A total of twenty-two players played for the franchise, including forgettable cameos by Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, and Gerald Wallace. But something happened after the trade deadline. In the closing weeks of the regular season, Boston finished 20-11 and eked into the playoffs. It was only Brad Stevens’ second year as head coach, but you could already see his fingerprints on what has defined his stint in Boston so far: putting his players in a position to succeed and fielding a team that is never outworked or outhustled.
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