Coach Brad Stevens downplays Isaiah Thomas' recent comments
Stevens, who recognizes how much impact emotion can have on success, seems to want to channel - rather than ignore - that frustration into things that can make the team better, and thinks Thomas and the rest of the team feels the same. The issue for Stevens is producing positive results, whatever shape momentary emotional reactions may take (per CSNNE):
"I don't put a lot of ... thought into it. Obviously, if something is said that you need to address, you address it. Most every time, because ... the media will run with it before you really even think it's a deal at all, you hear right from the player, immediately, and that was the case with this ... I haven't even thought twice about it - it's not even a blip on the radar for me; all it is for me is we gotta figure out how to play better"
Much like Jae Crowder's irritation at Celtics fans cheering an opposing player earlier in the season and subsequent Twitter rant, what might seem a bit unsettling to a distant observer can also be seen in a positive light to someone familiar with the player's daily disposition to improving both themselves and the team. So, while it's perfectly understandable to get nervous when a chemistry-driven team gets a bit angsty in public, it's important to remember that occasionally misplaced frustration is as much a mark of investment as it is internal issues, and should be accommodated so long as said internal issues do not overtake player investment.
For more stories about Isaiah Thomas on CelticsLife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.
Photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY
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