Sunday, January 31 - Celtics at Magic
Pregame - Stevens Says C's, Magic Should Carry Similar Mindset
ORLANDO – The Celtics and Magic will sit on their respective benches at opposite ends of the court tonight in Orlando.
That’s fitting, because tonight’s matchup is a tale of two franchises at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Orlando has suddenly – and shockingly – turned into the worst team in the NBA during January. Its 1-12 record this month is the worst in the league, and the Magic have now lost eight in a row overall.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have won five in a row and sit just a half-game back of the third seed in the East.
Ironically, Brad Stevens believes that these two teams should head into tonight’s matchup with the exact same mindset.
Moments before Stevens spoke to the media, Orlando head coach Scott Skiles told reporters that his job is to prevent doubt, fear and anxiety from setting into his players. Stevens, asked for his take on those comments, replied with the following.
“I look at it the other way,” Stevens said, “because you’re preparing – you’re approaching each possession desperately. You’re approaching each possession with that extra force and focus.”
Celtics.com then followed up with a question about Stevens’ Celtics. A high standing in the conference, along with a five-game winning streak, is unfamiliar territory for many of the Celtics players. So how does Stevens keep his players hungry amid such success?
“Well, a week ago we were in a bad rut,” he pointed out. “It’s the NBA. It’s a crazy league. You can feel great about yourself or terrible about yourself within seven days.”
Then Stevens darted right back to where he was moments earlier while discussing how Orlando should play amidst its rough patch.
“It’s more about focusing on what you need to do to be successful,” Stevens said. “Again, you have to approach each game with that force and that focus that you have to have, and if you don’t you’ll get beat. The game is very honest in that regard.”
These two teams will sit at opposite ends of the court tonight, and they are surely heading in opposite directions right now when it comes to finding success on the court. However, these teams aren’t as different as it might seem on the surface.
Both teams are talented enough to knock off any team in the league. And as Stevens indicated, their mindsets may not be all that different either.
- Marc D'Amico