The Boston Celtics took a step back in 2022-23, in terms of playoff achievements. And President of Basketball Ops Brad Stevens may need to make major decisions on the team in the aftermath.

With Jaylen Brown now eligible for a “supermax” extension and entering the final year of his contract, it feels like Stevens and the Celtics will need to make a decision on him sooner rather than later. At the same time, is Marcus Smart really the right complement to Brown and/or Jayson Tatum at this point?

Based on his end-of-season press conference Thursday, Stevens knows how he feels about the Celtics’ core players.

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• “Every team’s going to have to make tough decisions every year, right?” Stevens said. “But at the end of the day, you know, we love our foundation, we love our core, and that’s really our focus and priority.”

  Ostensibly, Stevens means the “focus and priority” is to build around the foundation and core, rather than change it. Trading Smart or Brown would certainly qualify as a major change. But even after a hugely disappointing end to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, Stevens doesn’t seem to have an appetite for an overhaul.

  Not that the C’s need one, but it’s got to be tough for fans to swallow that Stevens seemingly wants to just run it back with who he has.

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  Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

• The Celtics could feasibly go into next season with basically the same collection of players, and even beyond. Tatum, Smart, and Robert Williams III are all under contract through the next three seasons. Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Al Horford are signed for the next two.

  So, if the C’s really do want to run it back with everyone – and that would be surprising for Stevens, who has been aggressive with trades and other moves as C’s president – then they simply need to play a lot better.

  A big part of that is to improve the coaching staff, and Stevens did acknowledge that, while Joe Mazzulla will remain as head coach, he intends to add more experience under him.

• READ MORE:

  — A glimpse into Joe Mazzulla’s future
  — Jaylen Brown won’t talk supermax
  — Do the Celtics need major changes?

• Even if the Celtics want to keep Brown, it’s unclear whether Brown wants to stay in the first place. So Stevens’ hand might be forced, there. But it’s clear what Stevens wants, now.

  We’ll see if it actually goes down that way.

  Click here for complete Boston Celtics coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

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