Like many members of the Celtics organization last season, Brad Stevens had a tough time living up to lofty expectations.

After leading the Celtics to the brink of the NBA Finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, Stevens was lauded as one of the best coaches in the league. Some even debated how many NBA stars they'd start a franchise with over Stevens, and the list was surprisingly short. As great as Stevens is at building a healthy locker room culture and maximizing players' strengths, the Celtics were plagued by chemistry issues both on and off the court. 

Kyrie Irving may have had a lot to do with the off-court issues, while Gordon Hayward's slower-than-expected recovery from his ankle injury caused many on-court inconsistencies. But usually, when teams don't play up to their potential, the blame falls squarely on the coach. 

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While Stevens put the blame on himself after the season ended, Danny Ainge said his head coach was, "the least to blame by far" for the Celtics' shortcomings in 2018-19. What about the players? Has Stevens' reputation taken a hit after seemingly failing to integrate the personalities of a loaded roster?

Jared Dudley, a 12-year NBA veteran said he's, "heard nothing but good things" about Stevens in response to a question on Twitter. 

One of the best X and O’s in the game.. players coach but not afraid to try all types of lineups... Rewards playing time by playing smart but Hard.. heard only good things https://t.co/2PgCNqm1FC

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) June 22, 2019

The full story of what happened to the Celtics last season has not been told yet, but it doesn't seem like Stevens was Boston's main concern. 

Dudley has expressed interest in joining the Celtics once free agency begins on June 30 and now that Aron Baynes has been traded and Kyrie Irving and Al Horford are likely gone, Boston could use Dudley's veteran presence to help mentor the young stars tasked with leading the team now. And don't forget, Dudley has a well-known feud with Philadelphia's Ben Simmons. 

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This may surprise you, but an NBA player has an issue with the latest All-Defensive team voting results.

Those results included Celtics guard Marcus Smart landing on the first team and three of his Boston teammates -- Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Kyrie Irving -- receiving at least one vote for second team.

Yes, Irving garnered a second-team vote. And Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley is baffled.

Who gave Kyrie that vote??????? https://t.co/RRDNOoDDHn

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 22, 2019

Irving will never be accused of being an elite defender, so his inclusion is a bit odd. But as Bleacher Report's Howard Beck pointed out, Dudley was in Irving's shoes earlier this season when he "earned" an All-Star vote despite averaging just 4.9 points per game in a reserve role for Brooklyn.

No offense, Jared, but have you seen the player votes for All-Star? 😁

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) May 22, 2019

The All-Defensive team voting process is slightly different, as sportswriters and broadcasters make the call as opposed to players and coaches.

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But Beck's point still stands: Not all of these votes should be taken at face value.

I don't necessarily have a problem with coaches voting. It's just clear from the All-Star voting that a lot of players aren't taking it seriously. I assume you're kidding about the refs.

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) May 22, 2019

Dudley seems to be the only NBA player getting this worked up about the 2019 All-Defensive team results.

Go look at the film and check the numbers! no one gave me 30.. watch your mouth! Players have in the past! But not the one you talking bout! https://t.co/b2i1uUcabJ

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 22, 2019

Considering he reportedly has interest in joining the Celtics in free agency this summer, he may have to talk this out with Irving if the two become teammates.

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Jared Dudley isn't waiting long to ponder his next NBA move.

The Brooklyn Nets forward, who hits unrestricted free agency July 1, is interested in joining the Boston Celtics this offseason, The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn reported Sunday.

Dudley knows the area well, as he played at Boston College from 2003 to 2007 before beginning a lengthy NBA career. The 33-year-old doesn't contribute much on the court -- he averaged 4.9 points on 42.3 percent shooting this season -- but was a valuable veteran presence in the Nets' young locker room.

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Dudley isn't afraid to stir the pot, either; he sparked some drama during Brooklyn's first-round playoff series with Philadelphia by calling 76ers guard Ben Simmons "just average."

The 12-year veteran earned $9.5 million this season on the final year of his contract, so the Celtics possibly could sign him to a mid-level contract if they're interested.

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