Boston Celtics GM Brad Stevens will not return to coach the team Head Coach Ime Udoka will serve his suspension through the 2022-23 season, according to multiple sources.
On Thursday, the front office suspended Udoka for the 2022-23 season after discovering he had an affair with a woman in the organization. The coach violated team policies.
After issuing the ban, majority owner Wyc Grousbeck told reporters: “It wasn’t clear what to do, but in my view it was clear that something big had to be done, and it was.”
Without Udoka, sportsbooks believe the Celtics will remain a top playoff contender. According to NBA betting sites, oddsmakers are expecting another playoff run in 2023.
Brad Stevens says he won’t be coaching the Celtics this season if the team doesn’t perform well. Stevens said he didn’t even discuss it, but Grubeck said they did, but it was a brief conversation. Stevens was a great inspiration to Joe Mazzula.
– Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) September 23, 2022
If the C’s are going to struggle to win games next season, one thing’s for sure: Stevens won’t be coaching the players. The 45-year-old currently prefers to manage the team.
“We have a lot of talented women in our organization and I thought yesterday was tough on them,” Stevens told ESPN reporter and reporter Malika Andrews.
“No one can control the Twitter speculation and rampant bulls, but I think we have a responsibility to make sure we’re there to support them.”
Celtics GM Brad Stevens will not replace Ime Udoka.
Stevens served as the head coach of the Celtics for eight seasons from 2013 to 2021. During his tenure, Boston finished 38-40 (.487) in the playoffs.
Under Stevens, the Celtics missed the playoffs after finishing 25-57 (.305) in the 2013-14 season. Then, the C’s lost in the first round of the postseason in 2015 and 2016.
The NBA executive helped his team reach the Eastern Conference Finals three times during his coaching career. However, the C’s advanced to the NBA Finals under Stevens.
For that reason alone, last season was special for the team. In Udoka’s first season as head coach, the Celtics went 51-31 (.622) and finished second overall in the Eastern Conference standings, trailing only the top-seeded Miami Heat.
Also, Marcus Smart won Defensive Player of the Year.
In the year In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the C’s swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. The team knocked off the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games in the second round.
Of course, the Celtics beat the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Jayson Tatum wins the league’s first ever ECFs MVP award.
It was their first Finals appearance since 2010, when they lost in six games to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Now, does the front office consider hiring Frank Vogel? He is a good friend of former Lakers head coach Brad Stevens. Vogel was fired by the Lakers in April after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs last season.
