Kendrick Perkins goes off on Brad Stevens: "If you love the Nets so much, go coach ‘em!"

Kendrick Perkins who just a year ago had Brad Stevens high up on his Coach of the Year list, has been slamming the Celtics coach on the regular this season. And it seems like he reached his boiling point during this First Take appearance. If you're wondering what Brad said that was so bad, I'm assuming it's this quote:

The funny thing is that most of the Celtics fans that want Brad fired are giving Boston no chance against Brooklyn, so this quote should come off as straight truth to their ears. But since not every thing that should be happens, I'm also guessing that the Fire Brad are instead using this quote as another he needs to be gone. Personally I think it's much ado about nothing.

Stevens says the Nets are a great team. No lies told there. The part about it being hard to see them losing is likely what triggered Perk the most, but we'll get right back to that. The last part about having "to play great and play great together" again is nothing, but the obvious truth. This Celtics team this season has not always brought their "great game" to the table. You might be able to half ass and beat a team like the Cavs, but you're not beating the Nets with that level of play. Especially considering you'll be without Jaylen and probably Time Lord as well.

Now back to the "hard to see those guys losing" line. If Brad just acknowledged a team that everyone else acknowledges is great is in fact great why in the world would he then say, "I could see them losing." No, Stevens wisely has the Nets to win the title like I'm sure all the gambling sites has as well. If anything, instead of twisting a rather benign Stevens quote to fit an anti-Brad narrative, couldn't he be using a bit of reverse psychology on a super talented team, but who are led by 3 very sensitive to quotes and the media players? Let the Nets think Boston isn't preparing to try and defeat them publicly. Let the Nets think that.

Michael Jordan was very well known for trying to use anything possible as bulletin board material to get up even more for a rival. He used any perceived slight as fuel. Telling the Nets they are great and the heavy favorites is not waving a white flag. It's intelligent. What's important is what he says to his players when the media aren't around. Make sure to be overly respectful to your opponent with the media, so nothing gets twisted against you that the other team can use to motivate themselves and be authentic with your team.

I honestly think this is people just making a story out of nothing to continue on some ant-Brad kick. And you could counter, "Well aren't you now trying to create some alternative narrative where Brad is some sneaky reverse psychology genius? Some new age Phil Jackson?" The difference is I read that quote on Tuesday night and had no desire to make some pro Brad Stevens post about how smart he is. I think Brad Stevens is a good coach because of what he's accomplished with the talent he's had at Butler and in Boston and also the fact that it appears that all the people that I've always respected as knowledgeable regarding the C's and the NBA think the same.

So no you didn't get a post Tuesday night, Wednesday, or earlier today praising Brad for how he handled the question. And thus why you only got one defending him when people are blowing an answer out of proportion. The thought that Brad is telling his players, "Guys we have no shot" is a ridiculous stretch. Telling an obvious underdog that the other team is favorited isn't anything new. Pretty sure every sports movie based on a true story or not includes a point where the coach tells his team (boxer, whomever) that we're going to "shock the world." Want to know why something would "shock the world? It's because it wasn't expected. It's because the world favorited the opponent. Brad saying publicly that he thinks the Celtics will beat the Nets... Now that would have been dumb and also made his team's job much harder.

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