Ron Adams, the best under-the-radar addition for the Celtics

For the most part, assistant coaches don't get a lot of press.  The head guy is held responsible for the team's success and failure so he is rightfully the focal point.  That said, a good head coach knows to surround himself with top notch assistants to (for lack of a better word) assist him with his goals.

The Celtics have been both fortunate and deliberately savvy in recent years with their head coaching hires.  Tom Thibbodeau obviously helped the team win a Championship and has moved on to Chicago as the lead man there.  Lawrence Frank was once a head coach and is now Jason Kidd's mentor/assistant.  Jay Larranaga was a serious candidate for a number of head coaching positions, including the Celtics.

By all accounts, it sounds like the Celtics have found themselves another winner in Ron Adams.  He's lock step with Brad Stevens on his process oriented philosophy and shares the same values and demeanor.  He just adds a lot of experience and wisdom to the mix.

I highly suggest reading this article by Baxter Holmes on Adams.  Here's a few quotes from Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass that speak volumes.

Celtics assistant Ron Adams is well-informed and well-respected - Sports - The Boston Globe

"I mean, I have people that walk up to me and say, ‘That guy, right there — listen to him,’ " Bradley said. "Everybody — everybody says that. It’s pretty cool. It says a lot about him." Bradley was referring to assistant coach Ron Adams, whom Celtics players have raved about since training camp, noting his basketball IQ and hands-on approach. "Every player I’ve seen him work with, they’ve always got something to say about the little things that he’s talked to them about, or the little details that they can add to their game from him," said forward Brandon Bass. "He’s been a great addition."

There's perhaps a bit of a perception that Adams is just a mentor for Stevens to help him figure out how to work the NBA game as opposed to college.  There will be a lot of that (and one player amusingly referred to Adams as "Brad's dad.") but I get the feeling that his impact will have a much greater reach.

Think about the primary objectives for this year.  Growth and development are paramount.  For that you need good teachers.  Adams is one of the best in the business and he's on our team.  This is very good news and I think we should be more excited about it than we are.

Then again, as I mentioned, assistant coaches don't move the needle much.  That's ok though, as long as he moves us forward in the right direction.