Coach-Turned-President Wins Executive of the Year

The other front office executives to earn first-place votes were: Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone (2); Dallas Mavericks president Nico Harrison (1); New York Knicks president Leon Rose (1); and Sacramento Kings president Monte McNair (1).

Connelly (29 votes) and Rose (27 votes) ranked third and fourth in Executive of the Year voting, respectively.

Coming into His Own

Stevens deserves all the praise he’s receiving. Transitioning to the front office from coaching in 2021, he’s quickly come into his own as head of basketball operations.

Last offseason, his decision to trade for Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis proved fateful, helping Boston win seven more games than last season. Those moves cost them former cornerstone Marcus Smart, former Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, and former first round pick Robert Williams III. Superlatives aside, each of those players improved the Celtics as a whole. Smart was considered the proverbial ‘heart and soul’ of the locker room.

However, Holiday and Porzingis’ shooting, defense, and decision-making allow them to be a more principled team. To that point, their star-laden roster is perceived as the driving force behind their record. Yet, their discipline is what separates them from similarly talented teams.

Leading the NBA with a 64-18 record, the Celtics had their first 60-plus win season since 2008-09. It’s their most victories since going 66-16 in 2007-08, the season that they won the championship. If Boston can manage that feat, it’ll be an even bigger feather in Stevens’ cap than winning Executive of the Year.