Although the oddsmakers have anointed his team as the prohibitive favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2019 NBA Finals, Brad Stevens won’t be booking a flight to Oakland just yet. The Celtics head coach, in Las Vegas to keep an eye on the up-and-comers seeking a spot on his roster, noted Boston won’t stroll to the Finals — even with LeBron James out of the way.
“There’s nothing easy in coaching,” Stevens said. “You’re trying to win the next game. Winning a game is hard and certainly winning a series is hard. There’s so many things that go into getting an opportunity to compete in the playoffs, let alone advance in the playoffs.