Boston Celtics hire Brad Stevens as head coach

Newly-installed Celtics coach Brad Stevens probably knew all of the above, which is why making a quick trip last Thursday to sit down with Rondo in Louisville, Ky., was such a savvy move. Stevens spoke at Rondo’s basketball camp and then sat down with his point guard, according to ESPN Boston.

Earlier this month, Ainge said the team was taking calls for trade inquiries involving the point guard but wasn’t interested in going through with a deal, the Boston Globe reported. With that, how Rondo would respect a young-gun coach like Stevens became a worry among the Boston faithful.

But that’s in the past now, and now Adams joins a coaching staff in dire need of experience. Although the Celtics’ hiring of Brad Stevens is a bold move that’s received praise from many, he’s never coached an NBA game before after spending most of the 14 years since the end of his playing days at Division III DePauw climbing the college basketball ladder. His two assistants before the Adams hiring are Jamie Young and Jay Larranaga, both of whom were in their first year as assistants last year.

Meanwhile, Adams took his first head coaching job at his alma mater, Division II Fresno Pacific, in 1972 -- a full four years before Stevens was born. He’s been on the NBA sidelines since 1992, and has been an assistant for five different franchises. It’s Adams’ experience that leads CelticsBlog to call Adams “a great hire.”

To be fair, Rondo has done himself no favors during this tenuous transition in the Celtics history by maintaining a rather strict radio silence that basically went into effect after he tore his ACL back in late January. He wasn’t at the press conference but then there weren’t any other players visible during the meet and greet either. Rondo had a valid reason for his absence. He’s in Louisville preparing for his annual summer camp.

So, we are left to guess what he’s thinking in the wake of the departure of the only pro coach he’s ever had along with the rest of the Big Three who nurtured him from talented pup to full-blown All-Star and NBA champion. Is he pissed at being left behind, planning an escape route or merely contemplating his next Connect Four move?

There is no middle ground with Ainge. When he took over operations of the Celtics a decade ago, he immediately began tearing down what had been a reasonably good team and spent five years assembling the pieces to construct the team he envisioned. He works on his own timeframe and with confident assurance from the owners that patience is a given and his ideas will be embraced.

Most likely, Stevens will need time and at least one veteran hand on the bench to master the subtle arts of the NBA game. He’ll have to adjust to the long schedule, the odd practice routines and the competing agendas and whims of pro players, who are much tougher to impress than college players.