Brad Stevens Says What Steve Kerr Has Been Demanding Throughout as Clear Feelings on NBA’s Major Rule Emerge

If Steve Kerr had a dollar for every time someone hit Steph Curry‘s shooting hand after the ball was released this season, he might just afford a luxury tax bill without Joe Lacob flinching. And now, finally, finally, someone else in the NBA’s upper class is stepping in with a calm, measured version of the same rant: Brad Stevens.

Let’s rewind a bit. Kerr has been on a full-season crusade — not to take down superteams, not to fix James Harden’s travel package, not even to bring back the midrange (though we know he secretly misses it). No, Kerr’s white whale this season has been post-shot hand-checks — aka, defenders swatting at a shooter’s follow-through like it’s a piñata full of shooting percentages and All-Star votes.

“It’s only a matter of time before somebody breaks a thumb or breaks a hand,” Kerr warned earlier this year, eyes clearly aimed at the league office like he was calling out a missed travel on LeBron. This rule—or lack thereof — allows defenders to tap, slap, or outright assault a shooter’s arm after the release, and it’s totally legal. If this sounds dumb, that’s because it is. Kerr even called it “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” which, considering this man coached Nick Young, is saying something.

Things really boiled over in the Warriors’ playoff clash against the Houston Rockets. In Game 5, everyone’s favorite chaos merchant, Dillon Brooks, went full Mortal Kombat on Steph Curry’s injured thumb after a shot release. No whistle. No foul. Kerr? Not thrilled. Curry? More frustrated than Draymond in a team yoga session. The Warriors plan to file a formal complaint, which is adorable in its optimism. It’s like sending a handwritten note to the IRS saying, “Please don’t audit me, I’m delicate.”

Feb 9, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens yells to his players during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

But the thing is… Kerr isn’t wrong. These hand-swipes aren’t just annoying; they’re a straight-up health hazard. With shooters more valuable than ever (except when they’re going 4-for-22 in the Garden), allowing defenders to risk breaking someone’s finger post-release is just bad business. And Brad Stevens? He didn’t go full-Kerr rant mode, but in classic Brad fashion, he said the same thing with more syllables and less fire.

During his postseason presser — after watching his team get physically mugged in the playoffs like they were wearing ‘Free Fouls Here’ signs — Stevens said: “There’s a line… I’m not sure if we played 82 games like that that anybody would be left.” Stevens isn’t calling for NBA bubble wrap, but he did point out that grabbing, holding, and general physical nonsense have crept back into the game. And sure, playoff basketball has always been more physical — but we’ve entered a zone that makes the Bad Boy Pistons look like a rec league team.

“We’ve gotten back to a lot of the grabbing and holding that makes it harder to move,” Brad noted, channeling his inner 1999 Jeff Van Gundy. And it’s true. The playoffs are now less “beautiful game” and more “let’s see who’s still standing by Game 6.”

The Rulebook loophole and the NBA’s shrug

This whole “you can smack someone’s hand after a shot and not get a foul” thing is like if the NBA allowed players to trip each other — but only if the ball is already in the air. What’s the logic? “Well, the ball’s gone, so the shooter no longer matters?” Ridiculous. Kerr believes players are strategically targeting shooting hands now. Not just trying to block a shot, but trying to mess with a guy’s ability to shoot in the next possession. In the world of Xs and Os, this is the equivalent of unplugging your opponent’s controller after every bucket.

The good news is, the NBA’s Competition Committee is expected to review this offseason. Whether that leads to action or just another strongly worded email, who knows? But momentum is building. We’ve got Steve Kerr with his clipboard raised to the heavens, and now Brad Stevens dropping some Mr. Rogers-style wisdom. Even Chris Finch has chimed in, saying playoff physicality has “gone too far.” That’s three respected voices saying, “Hey, maybe we should stop treating every drive like it’s Game 7 of WrestleMania.”

If the league really wants to protect stars — and let’s be honest, they do — then this rule needs updating faster than a KD burner account.

While Stevens is worried about the league’s foul logic, he’s also quietly rebuilding his roster like it’s a game of 2K on salary cap mode. With Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury hanging over next season like a storm cloud, and Jaylen Brown’s supermax turning into a “do we keep him?” dilemma, the Celtics are about to enter a summer full of big decisions and even bigger tax bills.

Will they trade Jrue Holiday’s $104M contract? Try to dump Porzingis before he misses 30 games again? Or do the unthinkable and move on from Jaylen Brown? Brad doesn’t know yet. But one thing he does know? The NBA has to fix the physicality mess before someone actually loses a finger trying to hit a game-winner.

The post Brad Stevens Says What Steve Kerr Has Been Demanding Throughout as Clear Feelings on NBA’s Major Rule Emerge appeared first on EssentiallySports.