BOSTON — Brad Stevens took over as Celtics head coach just days after Kevin Garnett left town in a trade to the Brooklyn Nets.
But Stevens is well aware of the lasting impression KG made in Boston, and he certainly was reminded of it Monday night.
The Minnesota Timberwolves forward didn’t play a single minute but dominated the storyline, as the TD Garden crowd showered Garnett with cheers and chants throughout the night.
The adulation Celtics fans heaped on Garnett is well-deserved: The 39-year-old was an All-Star in five of his six seasons in Boston and was an essential part of the Celtics’ 2008 championship squad.
Stevens, who actually is five months younger than Garnett, inherited a C’s team in 2013 that had to build from scratch after the Big Three of Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen disbanded. But even two full years later, the legacy of those great Celtics teams lives on.
“I think this is one of the great things about getting the chance to coach the Boston Celtics,” Stevens said. “Being in a position where we’re really building and growing and we will hopefully continue to be in that good direction for a long time, just getting better every day, because those guys were so good before this.
“What they were able to accomplish, how they came together quickly, won a championship and what that guy meant to that team and to the spirit of the organization at that time, from everything that I’ve been told, is quite impressive.”
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Let’s dive into a few more notes from Celtics-Timberwolves.
— Slightly lost amid the KG hoopla: The Timberwolves have some very good young players on their roster.
Rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns was a beast right out the gate, scoring 14 of his 25 points in the first quarter and also finishing with 16 rebounds. Former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, who tallied a game-high 26 points, started slow out of the gate but poured in 13 points in the fourth quarter to give the Celtics a brief scare down the stretch. And we didn’t even mention Zach LaVine.
“They’ve got a lot of talent,” Stevens said. “Towns, Wiggins and LaVine especially do things that not very many people can do.”
— Towns also praised Garnett’s role as a mentor, adding that his first meeting with KG led to some “fireworks.” The Kentucky product was asked to elaborate on that comment but simply insisted the fireworks were “good ones.”
— Tayshaun Prince played just nine games in Boston last season, but the Minnesota forward apparently has a huge fan in Stevens.
“I can’t throw enough positive words out about Tayshaun Prince,” Stevens said. “I thought he was a big reason for our turnaround even though he wasn’t around to enjoy the end of it. He led. He taught guys what he knew. He was a great leader, but he wasn’t loud and he didn’t try to overstep his bounds by any means. He just tried to do his job really well, and he had a great impact on our young players.”
— Jared Sullinger, who missed Monday’s game due to back spasms, will travel with the team ahead of Wednesday’s contest with the Charlotte Hornets, according to the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett.
Stevens said Sullinger and Amir Johnson, who sat out with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, both are “day-to-day.”
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
