BGleas

Is it possible given the timing (ie February when coaches are really locked in on their own/current teams, quality wins, etc.) that the lack of chatter is maybe because this is just going to be a slower process than most of us think/want? I know there can be agent back-channeling, etc., but I just think maybe things don't really heat up on this until maybe next week or the week after when many current college coaches have more time with conference tournament buys, double-buys, etc.

Here, I'll give you something else. I'm excited about this hire. It's been awhile, but I posted earlier in this thread that I'm more confident in this hiring cycle than any of the recent ones. With IU's position with NIL and the portal, I think there is a much deeper talent pool this time. A grand slam hire would be great, but isn't necessary this time. We just need a real, dedicated college basketball coach with a track record of building culture and identity, that can coach the X's and O's and is a winner. We don't need a press conference win or a big splash for recruiting purposes like in previous cycles. I'm confident for most of the potential candidates.

Yeah, i love Mazzulla. He's fantastic, and Tatum is just hitting the start of his prime and playing the best basketball of his career right now. I'm nervous about the Cavs and Thunder, but we have a good shot.

Appreciate your post! Just replying so you don't think I'm ignoring it. Not gonna really reply though because I respect and like the posters that share info here, and i enjoy the info they share too. I have my feelings on much of that info that is skewed by my experiences, and I don't want to turn this into an "insiders" debate. The people that share info here are longtime members of this community, good guys, and i enjoy engaging with them here!

Nah, not it at all for me. Just based on what I know and also experiences, I don't believe any of the stuff that it was ever close last time. This time, I don't think he's coming, and I think the signs are all pointing that he isn't. But with that said, I think the Celtics ownership situation does potentially change things, maybe the chance to coach his son too. Also with the Luka trade, anything is possible at this point. I'm a Celtics fan and an IU fan, so either way I get Brad Stevens leading my favorite team (college or NBA)

The only person I've ever actually seen report that is Woj. Others have shared Woj's report, but i haven't seen (doesn't mean is doesn't exist) any other original reporting that IU made an offer. Even Woj's report said IU was "prepared" to offer Stevens. Stevens has denied that offer happening.

The difference is that there aren't people who's job it is to find these things out about you, there are people that make a living finding these things out in the NBA and in Boston, and there hasn't been a peep.

Pags getting the team, which is what Celtics fans hope happens if Wyc does sell, would also keep the status quo/keep things stable in the organization.

Absolutely zero "inside" information, but my personal opinion is that Wyc is trying to figure out not selling. While Wyc is certainly very wealthy, his father was the large bankroll for him buying the majority stake, and his father was the big voice pushing the sale. Wyc doesn't want to sell the team, from what I understand.

I could be completely wrong, but my understanding of that was IU asked Buckner to attend an event which would have caused him to not be able to take the Pacers team plane to a road game, which is why IU paid for the travel. By no means trying to defend Buckner, I hope he comes to an IU game and gets boo'd out of the building.

Because Goodman is in the IU bubble to a certain extent with his daughter being a student in the Cuban Media Center, etc. Goodman crosses all the world's on this (college basketball, IU, NBA, Boston). He had some, "here we go again" tweets with the Stevens stuff right when the Woodson announcement was made because he sees the IU fan accounts, so he went and squashed it quickly.

The other piece here, and i know you're not buying the smokescreen stuff, just bringing up hypotheticals, but there was no reason for Brad Stevens to put out a smokescreen. Why would he even do that? Nobody is even talking about Stevens coming to IU except for the IU fan bubble. This isn't even a blip on the Boston media radar. It's not a blip with the Celtics fan accounts on Twitter. It's not a blip on the NBA's media radar. IU media brings it up here and there, but mostly only to squash it. There was no reason for Stevens to put out a smokescreen. Boston media was not asking him about this.

I'll just slide in as President of Bball Ops for the Celtics after Stevens takes the IU job.

My opinion on your question is because I don't think any other reporters think it's necessary. Outside of diehard IU fans, nobody else really thinks Stevens to IU is a serious thing.

I have no clue. I could see a meeting that the AD attends once a semester or something, but weekly or bi-weekly and to discuss things like coaching hires? That's absolutely ridiculous. I was on my colleges athlete board (D2 - nowhere near IU's level obviously) and i don't remember ever meeting with our AD, maybe once at the beginning of the year, but weekly or bi-weekly? That's crazy.

Appreciate the context. Dolson having to meet with an athlete board and actually give them insight into the hiring process is a glaring example of the incompetence of IU basketball the last 25 years. What an utter waste of Scott Dolson's time right now.

This isn't meant to discredit you. Just sharing my reaction. I would just be very surprised if Scott Dolson told a bunch of AAU coaches on a call who he was hiring, or if he told an athlete board. There's no way he's talking to people like that about the search. If he is, then it's an indicator that's he not really in charge of this, which I think we all agree he is.

I thought about this and the smokescreen theory. If it is, in fact, a smokescreen, maybe Goodman was asked to put it out there in exchange for being the one that will be the first to be given the official news so he can break it first. Probably not, but it got me thinking.. Again, just my opinion based on my experience working in PR for an NBA team, but my experience is that fans massively overrate this idea of smokescreens. I've been a part of GM's being hired, coaches being hired/fired, stars being traded, etc., and while it's been a long time that I worked there and the landscape has changed, ive never been a part of a conversation about sending out smokescreens or getting false information to reporters to get them off the scent, etc. I'm not saying it never happens, but not nearly to level fans think.

You're welcome. Just my opinion, but i think everyone is really over-thinking this.

Goodman is a Boston-based reporter that covered the Celtics for years and also has a direct line to the college basketball community. Goodman makes perfect sense for this.

Again not trying to ruin the fun or be a wet blanket, i've purposely not posted the last few days as to not ruin the fun, but Goodman is connected in both college basketball and in Boston. Boston is, or at least was (he probably still lives there, just not 100% sure), his home base. When I worked for the Celtics he was with the AP and covered nearly every home game. I'm not saying he spoke directly to Stevens necessarily, but he is connected in Boston.

His VP of Basketball Ops (assuming thats who you meant with GM?) and isn't really a Basketball guy. He's brilliant, I used to share a cubicle with him (hes not who i spoke to in 2021), but he's more a statistics genius and cap guy. Again the guy is brilliant, but not sure they have plans for him to run the entire operation.

Appreciate your post, and it's giving me a chance to maybe clear some things up. I don't know Brad Stevens or anyone in his family. I never worked for or with Brad Stevens. I left the Celtics before Stevens got there, but many of the same people still work there and I have an understanding of how the team, ownership and operations work, etc.. I wasn't in basketball ops, but was in a role on the business side as close to basketball ops as you can be without being in it. I spoke to a high-ranking Celtics person who is an NBA institution behind the scenes. I visited him shortly after Woodson was hired. I asked him if he thought Stevens would ever coach in college again, and it was an emphatic, laughing "No". He gave some reasons and the "no" was emphatic. There is more to it, but not going into all of the details. For those that would reply, "well, Stevens wouldn't tell him if he was considering IU.", his "no" wasn't because he asked Stevens directly, you're not going to do that in that situation, it's because he has spent the better part of 10+ years working directly with him, working with Celtics ownership and executives, etc., etc. My person is an extremely trusted person in the NBA. With that said, people change, times change and circumstances change. Based on what I know, I'd be shocked if Stevens coaches in college in the near future, but there are also things like the ownership situation that are different this time around. I'll just be shocked if it happens.

That Brad Stevens was ever close to becoming the IU coach last time. I beleive Dolson reached out, he had too, but it was never happening. I also don't believe Stevens used IU to get his President of Basketball Ops role. Ainge was always leaving at the end of the season, and Stevens had been earmarked to move to the front office. I was surprised he left the sideline all together, thought it would be more in a Popovich role, but the wheels of Stevens becoming head of bball ops were in play before the IU job opened.

Disagree on the first part.