Brad Stevens is a smart man, and his handling of the Jae Crowder offensive foul call shows it
After the game Brad Stevens said he didn't see the play, and would wait to watch the video before commenting on it. However, there is a bit of photo evidence to the contrary:
This USA TODAY photo (taken after Crowder's offensive foul) pretty much sums up the Celtics' night: pic.twitter.com/dX2t7MlXfq
— Darren Hartwell (@darren_hartwell) November 23, 2015
Now it's quite possible that Stevens is simply reacting to the call in that situation and didn't actually see Crowder shoot the ball, but that's beside the point. Here's what the Celtics coach had to say today:
Brad Stevens won't formally submit a complaint to the @NBA regarding Jae Crowder's PF on 3pt FG. Says league does great job of policing self
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 23, 2015
Stevens "not worried" about refs calling fouls on Crowder's leg kick. Believes league will look at clips, assess/discuss what's right.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) November 23, 2015
Honestly, Stevens could not have handled this any better. The game is over, the C's lost, and that's not going to change (and as infuriating as that call was, it's not the reason Boston didn't win). Nothing good can come from complaining about it and it's better to use this defeat as a learning experience for his young team.
On the other hand, Stevens A) took the high road, B) managed to actually compliment the NBA by saying it does a good job reassessing its officiating errors, and C) made it clear that this was a mistake the league should review without actually saying so.
Just a win-win-win by Stevens, and I wouldn't expect anything less.
Follow Mark Vandeusen on Twitter @LucidSportsFan
