Is it finally time to talk about the idea of the Celtics moving on from Brad Stevens?
With Boston now under .500 on the season, Kendrick Perkins apparently believes so.
The longtime Celtics center and current NBC Sports Boston analyst went off on Boston following Tuesday night’s heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Mavericks. At one point during “Celtics Postgame Live,” Perkins openly wondered whether Stevens has lost his locker room and said the Celtics head coach “should” be on the hot seat.
For Perkins, it’s time for the typically calm, stoic Stevens to move outside of his comfort zone and hold his players’ feet to the proverbial fire.
“When it comes down to it, when guys are not competing and putting together 48 minutes, it has to circle back to Brad,” Perkins said, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell.
“I’m watching other coaches go ballistic on the sideline when things aren’t working out, when guys are missing defensive coverages or guys are not moving the ball. Brad is just so calm, and maybe that’s his demeanor, but right now is not time to be calm.
“ … I’m watching role players do things that role players on other teams don’t do. … (There’s) just too much freedom for role players. They should not have that much freedom and be allowed to do certain things because they’re probably not getting held accountable or Brad probably won’t scream at them. Or, he probably has just lost the locker room.
Added Perkins: “I’m not saying guys don’t respect him. What I’m saying is that guys are not afraid of him. And at some point as a coach you’ve got to have that fear and that respect to know that guys won’t try you in certain situations.”
But Perkins didn’t direct his ire solely at Stevens. He called out the Celtics as a whole.
“I don’t know if this Celtics team could make it out of the first round, to be honest with you,” Perkins said. “And that’s scary. … This hits home for me because I’m embedded into the Celtics family. … And,. right now, this is just unacceptable.”
Perkins also believes guard Kemba Walker isn’t capable of being a high-level third wheel in a “big three.”
“I just don’t see Kemba fitting in no more,” he said, via NBC Sports Boston’s Justin Leger. “Like, to me, the Celtics look better without him on the floor. I mean, I’m sorry I’m being hard on Kemba and a little critical, but it’s just — he’s not filling that void right now on the offensive end and stepping up when it matters the most and on the defensive end he still is a liability.”
It’s hard to disagree with anything Perkins said. It’s even more difficult to feel good about the Celtics right now.
Boston on Wednesday will look to avoid falling further below .500 when it visits Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
