Brad Stevens on performance of Celtics bigs Nikola Vucevic, Neemias Queta in first-round loss

BOSTON — Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens spoke to reporters on Wednesday morning in what might be his only media availability until the 2026 NBA Draft in late June. And while these kind of exit interviews can come with vague, PR-trained answers, that wasn't the case early at the Auerbach Center. Instead, Stevens was very honest, admitting that Celtics must do better after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.

He addressed everything from 3-point shooting to postseason inconsistencies and said — quite clearly — that changes would have to be made to the roster. Brad Stevens on the Celtics losing multiple series as the favorite: “I think for whatever reason, we slowed down. ” “You really have to play great to get what you want.

And if you take your foot off the gas at any point, it's going to come back to bite you. ” pic. twitter.

com/zBOlQpXLtJ — Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 6, 2026 "One of the things that we've got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim," Stevens said while discussing Boston's offensive tactics. "And I think we do need to add to our team to do that. Everybody plays a role in that.