Welcome to "Jump Ball", our segment on CSNNE's Celtics Pregame Live presented by Ace Ticket and CSNNE.com, where Kyle Draper and A. Sherrod Blakely take opposite sides on a Celtics-related topic.
Weigh in and make your case below by leaving a comment, or do so via social media on Facebook. Then tune in to Celtics Pregame Live at 5:30 p.m. to see which side Kyle and Sherrod took.
Tonight's question: With one possession to win the game, which could would you rather have drawing up the final play -- Brad Stevens or Doc Rivers?
Opinion One: Today's Celtics-Clippers game at the TD Garden will ultimately be decided by the players on the floor, but the coaching matchup will be interesting to watch as well. Brad Stevens and Doc Rivers are widely regarded as two of the best coaches in the game. Both are in their second years with their respective clubs and both have shown to be above average when it comes to late-game play calling.
There's really not a wrong answer to this question, but I'm going to give a slight edge to the current Celtics coach: Brad Stevens.
Stevens has only been on the job for 154 regular-season games but he's already proven to be a genius at calling plays after-timeouts (ATO). Although the Celtics won-loss record under Stevens (57-97) is nothing home to write about, he has amazed with the complexities of his play-calling late in games.
The Celtics have developed a reputation as a team that may be down but never out. We saw an example, this past Wednesday against Miami when the Celtics were down by 22 points to the Heat. They fought back and cut it to 5 at one point. Stevens gets credit for his play calling, which helped the team get back into the game. With about 2:50 remaining in the game, the Celtics were trailing by seven. During the timeout he drew up a play that ultimately led to a wide-open Jae Crowder layup. Crowder missed the shot, but it was another example of Stevens outfoxing the opposing coach.
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We've seen that happen a number of times during Stevens' tenure. It happened against Miami in 2013, when Jeff Green hit a game winning 3-pointer, and it's happened a number of times this season. Against the Grizzlies on March 11, the Celtics trailed by two with 52 seconds left. What does Stevens do? Draw up an alley-oop play for Marcus Smart. The team's point guard! It was one of the most memorable plays of the season. Smart made the layup, was fouled and after making the free throw, the Celtics held a one-point lead. They went on to win the game.
Exactly a week earlier against the Jazz, the Celtics were in a similar situation. Down a point to Utah with 1.7 seconds left, they needed a miracle. Seeing how the jazz were defending the initial play, Stevens called a 20-second timeout. Knowing Utah was switching on everything, he drew up a play to get Tyler Zeller the ball at the basket against a smaller defender. Smart delivered the perfect pass and Zeller made the layup at the buzzer. Another great call.
Stevens may only be in his second year as an NBA coach but he's already cemented his reputation as one of the best late-game play-callers in basketball.
Opinion two: You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t believe Brad Stevens is an impressive coach, especially at the end of tight games. Heck, even NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes he’s one of the best young coaches to ever come into the NBA.
But if we’re talking one possession to win a game and it’s either him or Doc Rivers drawing it up, Rivers has to be the guy.
First and foremost, Rivers has an extensive track record of success in late-game situations. His first team in Orlando wasn’t very good, but the Magic surprised many with their ability to compete and execute in late-game situations courtesy of Rivers’ play calling. That team came within a game of getting into the playoffs, which earned Rivers the league’s Coach of the Year award.
During his time in Boston, there were countless games that were decided in the closing moments with Rivers doing his part to put players in position to be successful. And, that more than anything else, is what a coach has to do down the stretch in close games. Rivers has done this time and time again, at different stops along the NBA highway.
Stevens has really opened a lot of eyes with his late-game execution recently, but he’s still a young coach who has only been doing this at the NBA level for less than two seasons. And that's why Rivers -- not Stevens -- would be my guy to draw up a game-winning play.
There won’t be any concern about whether the play would work with Rivers drawing it up because of his experience in the league -- both as a player and as a head coach -- in putting players in the right position at the right time in order to get the right result.
That edge in experience and established confidence from the players, is why I’d go with Rivers barely – just barely – over Stevens.