The Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls first-round playoff series now has even the coaches trading shots.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens took an opportunity on Monday to respond to Bulls counterpart Fred Hoiberg saying after Game 4 that Isaiah Thomas is difficult to defend because he gets away with carrying the basketball.
“I’m not going to say what I would or wouldn’t do with regard to what somebody else chooses to say,” Stevens said, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN. “Anytime you’re in front of the podium, you have the right to say whatever you want to say, but ultimately I’m not putting a lot of weight into that.
“I think Isaiah’s one of the best scorers in the league,” he went on. “Like the other really good scorers, he’s hard to guard because of his skill, his change of pace and his explosion. If you go through the guys in the league that are hardest to guard, there’s a reason they’re hard to guard.”
Stevens did, however, affirm his respect for Hoiberg saying, “I think highly of Coach Hoiberg. I’ve known him for a long time. Whatever he wants to say is his prerogative, and I’m focusing on our team and coaching our team.”
You can read further context of Hoiberg’s remarks about Thomas here.
Thomas is up to 25.5 points and 6.0 assists per game for the series (which is now tied at 2-2), so Stevens can probably understand why Hoiberg might be grasping at straws to find an answer for the All-Star guard.
