Instant analysis of the Brad Stevens hire

The guy is 36 years old.  I remember my mom watching the NCAA tournament two years ago and saying "who is that kid coaching that team?"  But Stevens guided Butler to the national championship game from a mid major conference two years in a row (2010 and 2011), which is probably one of the most amazing feats I've ever seen in sports.  There is no word yet on exactly what his contract is, but you can bet it's on the cheap.  If you're looking to start fresh, a young and motivated coach who wants to prove he belongs is definitely the way to go.  And if you're going to take a risk like this, it's just the perfect time.  If he's terrible, no big deal, success next year wasn't intended to be part of the plan anyway.  You can move on from Stevens to a more established head coach whenever you need to.  And now that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry are gone, at least you don't have to worry about him being younger than any of the guys on his squad.

But it all seriousness, I think Stevens actually could end up being the coach of the future.  His reputation on the college level should be exactly what Boston is looking for.  He has a calm and very cerebral coaching style.  Stevens also puts a lot of emphasis on statistical analysis; think Bill James-Billy Beane-Theo Epstein in a "Moneyball of the NBA" type of mold.  Not to mention he also tends to focus on defense, and his Butler program has always had a knack for outplaying more talented and physically superior teams.  He sounds like exactly the type of guy you're looking for to start a rebuilding project.

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Related: Boston Celtics hire Brad Stevens as new head coach