A rivalry will be renewed Saturday night when the Boston Celtics take on the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden.
It's one of, if not the most storied rivalry in the NBA, and Brad Stevens knows as much.
Speaking to reporters Friday after practice, the Celtics head coach was asked just how different Los Angeles looks and how it reshaped its team, especially with the additions of LeBron James and Anthony Davis the last two seasons.
"I think over the last two years the whole thing's been built around LeBron and AD," Stevens told reporters. "And then last year's team, throughout the course of the year, I thought Frank (Vogel) and his staff did a great of reshaping that team series to series. Adding new pieces was not probably too dissimilar to what they were already doing. But the addition of (Dennis) Schröder, the addition of (Marc) Gasol, the addition of Montrezl Harrell, those guys are good players."
The Lakers, as we're sure you remember, captured their 17th NBA title in the Orlando bubble last year, tying the Celtics in championship banners. And even though the C's are a strong team, Stevens believes the Lakers only got better from last season.
"It's scary to think that last year's champion is better," he said. "But I'd say on paper they probably are. They obviously lost good players, too. But those additions are all very, very good players, and they seem to compliment each other very well thus far. "
The next installment of C's-Lakers tips off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
