BOSTON -- Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked if the Hawks - a team without a superstar - could be the model his organization uses as part of its rebuilding process.
Stevens referred to Wednesday's game as a litmus test for his Celtics. That's a change. Other teams using the Hawks to measure where they stand.
Stevens said he is most impressed with the quick decision making of the Hawks.
“It depends on what you define as a superstar because they’ve got four All-Stars. They’re All-Stars because of their individual abilities and because of their team success and both of those things contribute and add to the other. Everyone plays their role to the absolute fullest. To me, that is a team full of superstars. It’s a team full of guys who get it. It’s a team full of guys who are just focused on winning. That is something that all of us can learn from. It’s a fun way to watch play and it’s a fun way to play. The thing that stands out, and I got back to it and you have a couple days to look at it, is the quick decision making.”
In other items:
* No changes to the Hawks roster or lineup. They won't rest anybody as they did the last time they were in Boston.
* Look for Elton Brand, John Jenkins, Shelvin Mack and Mike Muscala to be out of the rotation for tonight's game. The four, plus two assistant coaches, were involved in a spirited game of 3-on-3 a couple hours before game time.
* I asked coach Mike Budenholzer if he had yet thought about All-Star Game rotations, including whether he planned to play all four Hawks at the same time. That decision will wait.
"No, I'm sure at some point we'll put some time and some thought into it," Budenholzer said. "I think we are excited for all those guys to be together and play together."
