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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS CAVALIERS

May 23, 2017

Brad Stevens

Boston, Massachusetts: Pregame

Q. Brad, the latest on Amir Johnson and what you plan to do in the starting lineup?
BRAD STEVENS: Yeah, so we're going to start Kelly [Olynyk], but I don't know about Amir's availability for sure yet. He didn't have much depth on his shot this morning, so I would think that he probably will be out. But I think he's going to come and inform us of that final decision when he gets here.

Q. What went into starting Kelly and what does he bring to that group?
BRAD STEVENS: Kelly I think has had a really good Playoffs overall. I think that he complements all those guys. I think any time that you can play with that kind of skill and size -- he's started games before when Amir has been out, and I think that we'll be able to bring Jonas [Jerebko] in later on when they have their smaller lineup out there, which is probably -- which is helpful for us.

Q. You said you were going to talk to Isaiah after shootaround. Did you, and is there any more detail --
BRAD STEVENS: So he met with one physician, one specialist. His stuff is being -- his X-rays and all of the information that they gathered is being sent to another specialist. I think he's probably going to collect one to two more opinions and then go from there before he ultimately makes a decision on the next step, whether that next step is surgery or a specific rehab program, whatever the case may be. But he's still obviously really sore, and he's still -- you know, the last one said that some of the inflammation that he has has to go down before they can make the final call.

Q. I read the medical release when he was initially ruled out and I've heard everything you've said, but if you were to win tonight or somehow this got to a sixth game, is he still definitely out for the Playoffs?
BRAD STEVENS: Yeah, it's never even been brought up. Out.

Q. With Kelly not in the normal rotation, what does it do to the other rotation guys coming in off the bench?
BRAD STEVENS: Doesn't change it a lot. I mean, Jonas obviously hadn't played a lot at the end of the Washington series or the first couple games of this series, but Jonas has played a huge role for our team for the whole two years he's been here, so that is probably more of a rotation tweak not to play than to play. So usually we play three to four bigs, now it's Tyler Zeller also has played a lot in rotation at different times. Two years ago he started the series. We've got good depth in that spot.

Amir obviously brings us a good deal of rim rolls and runs and also defensive ability to help protect the rim, and I thought really that made a huge difference at the end of the Washington series, and you know, that's going to be something that Kelly and Jonas and Tyler are going to have to really be good in our pick-and-roll defensive stuff. And they have been all year. I feel confident with all of them.

Q. I think Avery Bradley said something this morning about wanting to stop Tristan Thompson. Besides his offensive rebound, how has he been most dangerous in this series?
BRAD STEVENS: Well, he's Steph Curry at the foul line last game, and he's a tremendously high-motor player. I have a great deal of respect for anybody that plays that hard, that tough. He's a good defender, you know, but he gets his baskets and he makes his points off of others and off of high-motor plays. You know, it's one of those things, I tell kids all the time when they're young, the ball is not coming to you, you go get it, and that guy goes and gets it as well as anybody in the league.

Q. A couple of the Cavs players talked about your team playing more free in Game 3. I'm wondering if that's what you saw, or is it just a matter of making shots?
BRAD STEVENS: Well, I mean, I thought we played great in the first half and we were down 16. I didn't think we were all that free -- I didn't feel like we were in all that great of an offensive shooting rhythm until the very end of the game. You know, our guys are prideful. They wanted to play better. You know, I don't know about more free or not. I guess that's -- you can ask our players that. We're just trying to win the next possession is what we talk about.

Q. Usually when Kelly is out there, especially with Isaiah, he's more -- you guys rely on him to be a spacer. Without Isaiah out there, how important are his passing skills as a big man in this lineup?
BRAD STEVENS: Yeah, I think that's one of the reasons why I think Kelly is a good fit with this group is you have two play making bigs in Kelly and Al [Horford]. Whether you play through the post or play through the seams, both those guys can put the ball on the floor and make passes to the next right guy.

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