Brad Stevens says Celtics need to be a "blue-collar" team in order to win


I think most of us would say, that to this point, the Boston Celtics under Brad Stevens' regime are what you might call a "blue-collar" basketball team. A hard-nosed squad that grinds out games, plays staunch defense, and wins by working together. Everybody comes to work, punches the clock, and does their job. That job being whatever it is coach Stevens asks them to do on a particular night.

The rebuilding process in Boston has gone by much faster than we could have possibly imagined, and now with the addition of Al Horford we've come to a point where the C's are going to be expected to win most nights. Those expectations can change the mindset of the players on the floor, and Brad Stevens wants to make sure they don't lose their edge:


He wants the guys to stay focused each and every night, because the Eastern Conference is extremely tight and there's no room for error:


For example, just last season only 7 games separated the playoff 3-seed Miami Heat and the 10th-place Washington Wizards. Also, let's not forget the 4-way tie for 3rd place which cost the Celtics home court advantage in the first round of the 2015-16 playoffs. Each and every game can have huge ramifications in standings, and there is no room for a night off.

To this point, the C's under Stevens have maintained that blue-collar approach. They've been able to do more with less, and there's no reason to think that won't continue. Even with all of the hype behind the Celtics heading into the regular season, there's no way Brad is going to let them buy into it:




Photo Credit: Sportingnews.com

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