Training Camp

John Karalis
@RedsArmy_John
Ladies and gentlemen, your Boston Celtics
https://twitter.com/i/status/1442893537926729737




Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka is here at the practice facility and coached today at the beginning of training camp.



Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka said he won’t sweep stuff under the rug. He’s going to be straight forward and address stuff with players. Thinks he knows players understand he will be honest and up front with them. Said you can “call it hard coaching or honest coaching” — and that’s who he is.



Brian Robb
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka on his coaching style with players: “I’m going to be a guy who is straight forward and blunt with them.”



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka on Marcus Smart’s responsibility as the team’s point guard: “He knows what his role is and I want him to be an extension of us coaches on the floor.”



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka said that sometimes in Philadelphia, teams would put a center on Joel Embiid and much smaller players on Al Horford but the 76ers didn’t have him take enough advantage. Udoka wants Horford to hurt the mismatches here in Boston.



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka says he'll look to utilize Al Horford's playmaking ability including the chance to initiate the offense through him.




Chris Forsberg
@ChrisForsberg_
Post-practice Tatum.
https://twitter.com/ChrisForsberg_/status/1442896370617053196



Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Payton Pritchard on the first day of practice: “I loved it. We just got after it.”



Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 1 hour ago
Aaron Nesmith says the new members of the team are high energy guys that are fitting in well. Added that there is a good camaraderie already.



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Aaron Nesmith said he’s very excited to showcase what he’s been working on this summer. Said he was eager to get started again after the way last season ended for the Celtics.



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 1 hour ago
Aaron Nesmith on Ime Udoka: "His personality is contagious and it'll trickle down to the rest of the team."



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Aaron Nesmith said Ime Udoka is a very upbeat guy, a very fun guy and loves to compete.




Chris Forsberg
@ChrisForsberg_
Slim Grant gets hot and wants to hear about it.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1442900231402655745



John Karalis
@RedsArmy_John
Jaylen Brown working on ball handling, Jayson Tatum on pull-up 3's
https://twitter.com/i/status/1442901570044121096



Chris Forsberg
@ChrisForsberg_
Now it’s Jaylen Brown showing off the range.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1442902395520897024



Marc D'Amico @celtics
about 1 hour ago
Jayson Tatum says he wants to get downhill and get to the line more often than he did last season. Last year, he averaged a career-high 5.3 FTA per game.



Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 1 hour ago
Jayson Tatum says he feels like he's pretty much gotten his wind back following covid. Said he hasn't used his inhaler since last season, which is a good sign.



Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 1 hour ago
Jayson Tatum on Marcus Smart: "Smart is a hell of a player. As good as he is on the defensive end, his playmaking is right up there, so having the ball in his hands is always a good thing."



Jayson Tatum
@jaytatum0
Year 5




Bob


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Chris Forsberg
@ChrisForsberg_
More big-man battles
https://twitter.com/ChrisForsberg_/status/1443015759882510339



Chris Forsberg
@ChrisForsberg_
Clearing out the photo roll from Day 1 of Celtics camp …

Dennis Schroder gets hot in the 3-point contest vs Smart.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1443015214337769472




Chris Forsberg
@ChrisForsberg_
·
3h
Replying to
@ChrisForsberg_
Double-Dribble Jaylen works on ball-handling with coach Tony Dobbins.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1443015311314329603



MY NOTE:  Jaylen with the backing up two-ball dribbling drills and then, at about the 1:30 mark practicing Jayson Tatum side-step 3s (and then hitting 3s from about 25'+).  If Jaylen can put his defenders on their heels and then do a side-step 3 like Jayson, watch out!!  Then Grant torturing Enes and someone I don't recognize in one-on-ones. I'd love to see him do that to Horford or a defender I know is good (I don't know who the other player is, he might be Bruno for all I know. Beating a decent defender like Bruno would be a welcome step up for Grant)


Bob


.

https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/9/28/22698759/post-practice-report-boston-celtics-roles-al-horford-ime-udoka-aaron-nesmith-marcus-smart



Post practice report: Celtics finding their roles


The first day of training camp is all about finding the edge pieces of the puzzle.


By wjsy@deliberatepix  Sep 28, 2021, 3:27pm EDT  
Share this story



Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images



The start of training camp is not unlike opening night on Broadway. There’s a buzz in the air. The audience waits in anticipation with bated breath. And finally, the curtain goes up. Media Day yesterday was the unofficial start of the preseason, but today’s first Celtics practice is really the first glimpse of what we can expect from the team this season.


Jared Weiss
@JaredWeissNBA
welcome to training camp


The most curious of fans might scan the floor looking at practice jerseys and their color designation as hints to player combinations. Jabari Parker and Aaron Nesmith are in green. In the distance, that’s Enes Kanter wearing white. It’s all a guessing game until the Celtics’ first preseason game next Monday, but we might already have a clue who’s at least starting and who’s coming off the bench.

There are some givens. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are starting. While not set in stone, Marcus Smart looks to (finally) be the starting point guard as he enters his seventh season with a new four-year contract in hand. After the team’s first practice, Udoka said, “he’s a natural playmaker. He understands the personnel on this team. It’s something he’s going to embrace. It’s a huge opportunity for him to grow his game.”

“Smart is a hell of a player,” Tatum said. “As good as he is on the defensive end, his playmaking is right up there. Having the ball in his hands is always a good thing.”

And if money talks, Robert Williams was also extended this summer and could be the Celtics starting center going forward. With Williams’ injury history, the Celtics will look to build up his role and minutes slowly, but the new contract is certainly a vote of confidence from the franchise.

If that’s the Core Four, who’s the fifth name on the playbill?

As Udoka noted on Media Day, “we have a big team in general and it depends on who we start at the 4 spot for the most part.” In the past, that’s the power forward spot, but the league has shifted away from those traditional roles. Instead of a rugged post player that rebounds and roams the paint, the modern NBA has become more perimeter-oriented and spacing the floor is a must.

The obvious candidate is Al Horford. In an interview with Celtics.com’s Amanda Pflugrad and Marc D’Amico, Horford credited new assistant coach and shooting guru Ben Sullivan on helping him find his stroke from beyond the arc. That skilled paired with his ability to be make plays above the break has made Horford one of the best stretch bigs in the game over the last five years. At age 35, he probably won’t be as effective as he was in his first stint in Boston, but Udoka will lean on him to be a playmaker.

“He’s a big who can handle the ball, pass the ball, shoot it ... initiate offense ... ask him to be aggressive,” Udoka said after Tuesday’s first practice. “Some of the things I mentioned in Philadelphia was teams would put a big on Joel and a two guard on Horford and we didn’t take advantage of that.”

Naturally, Horford is on board. “At times, I’ll play at 5. At times, I’ll play at 4,” Horford said. “But at the end of the day, I’m just happy with the frontcourt that we have.”


Boston Celtics
@celtics
into day one of training camp
https://twitter.com/i/status/1442922265583054849


If the Celtics go small, the other option is slotting the 6’10” Tatum at the 4, Brown at the 3, and filling in at shooting guard. Udoka has hinted at playing both Dennis Schroder and Josh Richardson off the bench as some veteran punch in the second unit which could mean a young player moving into the starting five. CelticsBlog’s Coach Spinella suggested earlier that Payton Pritchard get that nod as Boston’s best catch-and-shoot shooter, but don’t be surprised if his 2020 NBA Draft classmate is flanking Tatum and Brown to start.

Last season, Aaron Nesmith had a rocky start — juxtaposed to Pritchard’s relatively immediate impact — but came on late in the year with his shooting (38.3 3FG% after the All-Star break) and a penchant to make hustle plays on both ends of the court.

“We had a conversation today, there are roles in basketball. Not everybody does the same things ... just understanding that and adjusting ... everything else will take care of itself,” Nesmith said. “Focus on my role ... making plays off the ball, being a hustler ... doing all the little things.”

As a potential starter, Nesmith’s job is relatively easy: make shots and defend. He’s worked on his handle and diversified his shot making this offseason, but if he’s going to support the starters — as Brad Stevens called it yesterday: “accentuate our best players” — his biggest contribution will be spacing the floor and doing all the blue collar work.

One of the prevalent themes coming out of Media Day was the versatility of the new roster and all the different ways it could be utilized. Alas, it’s only Day 1 and there may be more questions than answers right now, but for now, those are good problems to have.


Bob


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https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/sights-and-sounds-start-celtics-training-camp




Sights and sounds from the start of Celtics camp


15H AGO


BY CHRIS FORSBERG
CELTICS INSIDER



For the better part of the past 19 months, media interactions with Celtics players have largely been limited to Zoom. But the start of the 2021-22 season has opened the doors a bit, including at the team’s training facility, where a handful of reporters were able to watch the tail end of Day 1 of camp.

Here’s a handful of notable sights and sounds picked up over the first 48 hours of the new season, from Media Day through Ime Udoka’s first official practice as head coach of the Celtics:


Time Lord's "shocking" extension

Robert Williams could have ridden out the 2021-22 season with hopes of a major payday next summer. Instead, he instructed his agent to get an extension done.

The Celtics and Williams came to an agreement on a four-year pact worth up to $54 million. That’s an average annual value of $13.5 million, a number that Williams could have easily exceeded with a healthy and productive season.


But he didn’t really consider waiting.


"I told my agent before the season even started, when we started discussing contract extensions, I told him I wanted to stay,” said Williams. “I feel like we have a pretty good group here. A good group of coaches, a couple people I came in the league with here with [Marcus] Smart, [Jayson Tatum], [Jaylen Brown], we got Al [Horford] back. So we kinda know what it takes, we just gotta apply it.”

A month after agreeing to an extension, Williams still can’t believe he got his first big NBA payday. Now he wants to reward the Celtics for their faith.

"Honestly, it was amazing, I went through three days of shock -- feel like I’m still in shock,” said Williams. "Just a sense of -- they trust me. When people put their trust in you, you gotta take it seriously. So locked in.”


Nobody shook down Payton Pritchard for No. 11

Celtics newcomers always fret the lack of available digits. Heck, Dennis Schroder had to settle for No. 71 (reversing his beloved No. 17) this season. At least a couple of veteran players had their eyes on No. 11 but decided to let second-year guard Payton Pritchard keep it.

“I’m just not going to bully him. That’s not me,” said veteran Enes Kanter, who wore No. 11 in his first Boston tenure (and famously declared *he* wanted to be the reason that no one wore it again to poke fun at departed Kyrie Irving). “When you come to the Celtics, that’s what happens. A lot of numbers retired. Just give me a number that is not a non-number, give me a normal number.”

And that’s how Kanter ended up with 13. Though he did say he considered wearing 99 as a tribute to his good friend Tacko Fall, who is camping with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Josh Richardson had a harder time finding his new digit. He’s worn 0 throughout his NBA career but wasn’t getting that from Tatum. He wore 1 at Tennessee but that’s retired for Walter Brown. He wanted 7 but that belongs to Jaylen Brown. He wondered about 10 and 14 but found out they were retired for Jo Jo White and Bob Cousy.

So he settled on 8. Why 8?

“It’s a 0 with an extra line in it,” joked Richardson, while blocking the middle of the 8 with his hand.

Richardson was set to wear No. 14 as a rookie in Miami but gave it up when the team signed Gerald Green.

“He took me shopping, so it wasn’t that bad,” said Richardson. “I got some Louis [Vuitton] backpacks. It was cool. I went from carrying around those little square backpacks to like four Louis backpacks.”


President Brad not waiting to deal

New Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens had a dizzying summer after taking the GM reigns from Danny Ainge. But even after a fairly modest roster remodel, Stevens said he won’t hesitate to make more deals if it can help the team.

Yes, Bartering Brad is the new Trader Danny.

“[The summer was] good prep for what’s coming ahead [at the trade deadline] in February, but we’re not going to wait until February if we don’t need to,” said Stevens. “We’re going to keep an eye on what we need to do to constantly improve. That’s the bottom line: We want to be in the mix to do good things.”


Stevens heaped praise on Ainge’s staff, including Mike Zarren and Austin Ainge, for making the transition so seamless this offseason. He also singled out vice president of player development and organizational growth Allison Feaster for her input in the team’s dealings. Stevens hinted the team could soon announce some new hires to the front office staff.

“As we build it out, just like our team, we’ve got some really talented people in there, and we’re trying to bring in people that accentuate that, that show great growth opportunity, that are excited about being a part of the Celtics, and that can add value to what our biggest areas of need are,” said Stevens. “So we’ve been fortunate enough to do that. We've had some recent hires that I’m sure we’ll announce at some point soon that we feel good about.”


Slim Grant Williams ready to joust

Grant Williams packed on some extra weight late in his rookie year with hopes of being better able to compete as a smallball 5. Some of Boston’s best minutes in the bubble that year featured Grant Williams at the 5. But he never shed that weight entering his sophomore season and felt it hindered him while playing more power forward last year.

Grant Williams said he felt sluggish all last season so he put an emphasis this summer on dropping weight and ramping up his conditioning. He’s down somewhere around 12-15 pounds and expects to drop as much as 10 more pounds during the season.

"This summer was mainly about individual improvement,” said Williams. “Diet was the biggest thing for me this summer, getting to the weight I wanted to play at. As well as shooting, continuing to make strides defensively. A little bit of a balanced approach, hopefully. I feel pretty good. I feel confident.”

That confidence showed on Day 1 of camp when Williams had an encouraging stretch in this rotating 1-on-1 work against Enes Kanter and Bruno Fernando …


Despite slimming down, Grant Williams is hoping his strength will still allow him to compete down low against bigger 5s if called upon to resume that role.


Cheering in the Horford household

Al Horford exuded an obvious excitement on a day that players -- and especially veterans that have been through these chores multiple times -- would prefer to get through their media day duties as fast as possible.

Horford was still glowing about being back in Boston. Horford said his agent called him after the season and told him any offseason deal might not materialize until draft night. But the Celtics had motivation to move early and the Kemba Walker deal came together fast.

“Everything happened so quick, it came together so fast, I was surprised, and it caught me off guard,” said Horford. “My agent knew how I felt about wanting to be back here. I got the call from Brad. It was all smiles. A lot of screaming at the house. Everyone was very excited.”

Horford seemed genuinely excited about Boston’s chances to outkick expectations this season.

"When I saw how Brad put together this team, it just really got me excited,” said Horford.


The Jays show their range

Maybe it shouldn’t surprise us considering their All-Star statuses, but it’s still impressive to watch Tatum and Brown do individual shooting drills after practice. Here’s a small glimpse at both of the Jays from the same spot getting up shots after Day 1:

Tatum:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1442896370617053196


Brown:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1442902395520897024


Despite his penchant for side-step 3s, Tatum hit the right notes in his post-practice meeting with reporters when he was asked about what he wants to add to his game this season.

"Getting to the line more every season, getting downhill, getting to the basket,” said Tatum. "That goes hand-in-hand with shooting more free throws. That’s just a big part of being efficient in today’s game.”


Bob


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Jay King
@ByJayKing
Enjoyed Jaylen Brown calling Enes Kanter “BBQ plant based chicken” in the comment section lol





Bob



.

Enes Kanter and Myles Turner got the same NBA2K ratings.

Whaddya have to say about that, Cowens!!


Bob


.

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Jaylen Brown says he loves that Celtics camp has been high paced: “I’ve been saying for years I want to play fast and I think we have the personnel to do so. We have bigs that can play make and guards that want to get up and down the floor. That’s music to my ears.”



Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
Jaylen Brown on what his stood out about camp: “Pace. We want to play fast.”


Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Jaylen Brown said he doesn’t notice any change in Marcus Smart now that he will have more point guard duties. Said he is still cursing out people, still yelling at the refs. “Same old Marcus we know and love.”



A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
yesterday
"He's our leader now." - #Celtics Enes Kanter, on Marcus Smart and his enhanced role with the team this season.



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Enes Kanter on Marcus Smart playing point guard: “He’s our leader now. … I’m happy that he’s in this position right now.”



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Enes Kanter on Ime Udoka: “He’s the type of coach who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.”



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
yesterday
Ime Udoka on the camp invitees: "Shooting is at a premium, so, guys like Garrison (Mathews) and Juwan (Morgan), some of the things they do -- we're looking for that. But more so to complement the big dogs, and they've been doing a great job of that playing off these guys."






Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Ime Udoka, with Enes Kanter close enough to hear him: “He’s been exactly what I’ve heard he was: a pain in the ass.” Lol.



Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Ime Udoka said the Celtics intend to stagger minutes for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to regularly keep at least one of them on the court.
MY NOTE:  Makes sense to me.  Unless you've got a bench to die for it makes sense to have one of your All-Stars on the floor at all times.



Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
Coach Udoka says his goal for the team defensively is to “be disruptive overall … The main thing we’re talking about is using our size, our athleticism, and being proactive, not reactive.”


Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
Coach Udoka says his goal for the team defensively is to “be disruptive overall … The main thing we’re talking about is using our size, our athleticism, and being proactive, not reactive.”



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
yesterday
Ime Udoka says Payton Pritchard has been great in open gym and has carried it into training camp. "He's been great. His shooting is obviously a huge asset for what we want to do."



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Ime Udoka said Payton Pritchard doesn’t lack for confidence. Said it’s been fun to watch him compete with veteran guards like Schroder and Smart.



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Ime Udoka said Robert Williams came back to training camp in great shape.





Bob


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Chris Forsberg
@ChrisForsberg_
Emptying the photo roll from Day 2 of camp (now in one tidy video). Some short clips including …

* Smart & Schroder 3-pt contest
* Jaylen post-practice shooting
* Juancho + Bruno shooting
* Rob Williams working on FTs
* Wings post practice shooting

https://twitter.com/i/status/1443376617439571969


Bob


.

bobheckler wrote:Enes Kanter and Myles Turner got the same NBA2K ratings.

Whaddya have to say about that, Cowens!!


Bob


.

Who gives a sh.t?

I’m more excited team is gonna play fast

https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/9/29/22693882/what-does-garrison-mathews-bring-to-the-table-boston-celtics-training-camp-washington-wizards



What does Garrison Mathews bring to the table?


A specialty shooter, his niche is one the Celtics could greatly benefit from


By CoachSpins  
Sep 29, 2021, 12:00pm EDT  




Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports



Quietly on Friday, the Boston Celtics announced the training camp and non-guaranteed signing of Garrison Mathews, formerly of the Washington Wizards. With little promise of a roster spot, the move brought a giant smile to my face.

Mathews is elite in his role and worthy of the 15th position on the Celtics bench. There’s zero risk involved for Brad Stevens and the Celtics with the non-guaranteed nature of the deal, and far more upside than those outside of DC have seen. With Mathews also eligible for a two-way contract, my odds are on him sticking around in Boston longer than just the next month.

Standing 6’5”, Mathews will turn 25 before November arrives, meaning he’s no spring chicken despite being a newer name in the league. But Mathews is proficient in a niche area that is vital in today’s game: he’s a specialty 3-point shooter.

Over two NBA seasons, Mathews has shot 95-244 (38.9%) from deep. He has five-times more threes (95) than career turnovers (18). A prolific scorer at Lipscomb and former Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, Mathews is hoping to stick in the NBA after the Wizards, chocked full of bodies thanks to the Russell Westbrook trade, simply couldn’t spare the roster space to retain his services.

Mathews comes to Boston lauded not only for his shooting acumen but his work ethic. Scott Brooks, former Wizards head coach, lauded Mathews as “the poster boy” for playing hard. Brooks also recalled the story of Mathews’ pre-draft workout with the Wizards, where he left his impression by setting a record in their conditioning drill and running, as Brooks said, until “I thought his lungs were gonna explode.”

Last year, Mathews got to play in 64 games during the COVID-shortened season, a biproduct of both the increased trust in him from the organization and repeated injuries to the Wizards. From January 9th to February 3rd, Mathews was a mainstay in the rotation, averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 41.7% from 3 on over five attempts a night.

In the first four games after he moved to a less prominent role, the Wizards were 1-3 and changed their rotation to get Mathews into the starting lineup. He started the next 21 games for Washington, playing fewer than 20 minutes a night but providing much-needed floor spacing next to Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal and a spatially-challenged starting group. Volume wasn’t quite there for Garrison, but he shot a blistering 43.8% from deep.

In one of those starts, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mathews got going quickly. He’s lethal on broken plays and in transition, finding his way to the 3-point line and hunting extra passes to fire up a shot:




Think of Mathews in the Carsen Edwards role for a moment. The last few years in Boston, Edwards had been called upon as a floor spacer to come off the bench (or start) and get hot in a hurry. Little margin for error exists in those roles, and Edwards struggled, shooting 30.2% from deep across those two years. Mathews, meanwhile, is knocking on the door of 40%.


Edwards, supposed to be a strong movement shooter, went 4-24 combined off dribble handoffs and screens last year, according to Synergy. He was a poor spot-up threat (25% on catch-and-shoot looks) and didn’t fit the off-ball role Stevens needed next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Mathews went 22-of-48 (45.8%) on those same looks his first two years in the league. Folks, that’s an elite number.

Imagine Mathews fulfilling the movement shooter for Boston under Stevens and as a wrinkle out of the Celtics offense of the last few years:




Mathews struggled at times in Washington because of the ball dominance of both Westbrook and Beal. Placing Mathews as a pawn who stands in the corner isn’t the optimal usage of such a lethal movement threat. Last year, with both Beal and Westbrook in town, only 18.6% of Mathews’ attempts came from handoffs or screens. That number was closer to 30% his first year.

If such a warning sounds familiar to Celtics fans, that’s because it is. New head coach Ime Udoka will be tasked with integrating a great deal of new faces into a lineup built around Tatum and Brown while ensuring the playbook doesn’t devolve into “stand around and watch our young stars work.” By adding guys like Mathews, Josh Richardson and Aaron Nesmith over the last few years, Stevens and his crew are not-so-subtly mandating movement within the offense.

It’s important to understand the limitations Mathews brings to the table. Offensively, he’s going to be purely a jump shooter. Last year, only 12 of his 163 attempts (6.3%) in the half-court came at the rim, and four attempts were runners. He’d rather kick it out or take a step-back than face physicality or length at the hoop.

Defensively, Mathews’ Synergy statistics rate out poorly — often times not definitive proof of subpar defensive acumen but a confirmation of the eye test. With Mathews as the primary defender, his opponent shot 56.1% at the rim, and he was overall torn apart when having to guard the pick-and-roll. Two years in the league means the secret is out: when Mathews is in, make him guard in ball screens.

That shouldn’t be a major detractor to Mathews making the roster outright or sticking on a two-way deal. The offensive potency of dusting off a 15th man like this, who can come in and throw flames whenever the offense needs a lift, is more than most teams get from the end of their bench and the right piece to keep around. A “break glass in case of emergency” shooter has been popular as an end-of-bench threat, from guys like Matt Thomas to John Jenkins, Mathews to Armoni Brooks. Hell, it’s even how Duncan Robinson got his start.

Mathews will have to earn his way onto this roster. A spot won’t (and shouldn’t) be handed to him just because he’s coming off a good year. Every indication from his time with the Wizards, from his on-court production to the role he plays and every dollop of hard work in between, supports the case that earning a spot is easy money for Mathews.


Bob
MY NOTE: I cannot see a player who cannot defend making this team. Then again if we need offense because we're overloaded with poor-to-mediocre scoring defenders...


.

Bob


.

I really liked the observation from Jaylen about playing fast.

Cow and myself have an infinity for fast break basketball.

I mentioned it in another thread in relation to us having enough scoring. 

Playing with pace has two aspects.  One is obviously getting out in transition which creates mismatches, reduces the ability of the other team to set up their defense and can give one team a physical advantage over the other team in terms of both speed and stamina.  The other aspect of playing with pace  points to how quickly the ball moves.  Shoot the ball, pass the ball or take it off the bounce.  Eliminate all the stand still holding the ball dead time and just keep things moving. Now that is a formula for beautiful basketball.

The Celtics of old were the premier fast breaking team. It was built into their DNA. In the 80's the Lakers cloned that advantage and literally ran teams off the court even with Kareem. The 2021 edition of the Celtics have an excellent opportunity to bring the past right into the future and we have a center that can flat out run the floor.

Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
yesterday
Stoudamire is bullish on these Celtics. “It’s crazy to see how young these guys are and how much success they’ve already had. You don’t realize until you come into this gym, man, that there’s a lot of talent on the floor…we’re better than people think.” bostonglobe.com/2021/09/30/spo…



Adam Himmelsbach
Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
yesterday
New: Before Ime Udoka had even been offered the Celtics job, he called his good friend Damon Stoudamire and asked if he’d be his assistant. “To do it for Ime was an easy call.” I spoke to Stoudamire about the impact he’s hoping to have on this team. bostonglobe.com/2021/09/30/spo…



John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
yesterday
Ime Udoka is making it pretty clear: Al Horford is going to a big part of what the Celtics do this year. Here's that and more from today's practice: bostonsportsjournal.com/2021/09/30/al-…



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
Since rejoining the team, Al Horford has made it clear that he plans to be more of a vocal leader for our team. pic.twitter.com/paCalQiSL3



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
Heading into his 15th NBA season, @Al Horford has never felt better nba.com/celtics/news/s…


Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
Only 20 more days pic.twitter.com/lMLki4YKnA



Brian Robb
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
Ime Udoka said Al Horford looks like he found 'the fountain of youth' this offseason and is pushing for a spot in the starting lineup masslive.com/celtics/2021/0…



John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
yesterday
Marcus Smart says he's been looking over his shoulder as the Celtics brought in point guard after point guard to run the team. Now, he's relishing the chance to prove he can do the job bostonsportsjournal.com/2021/09/30/no-…



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
chemistry building 🧪 pic.twitter.com/VRS6T34mIl




John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
yesterday
No longer looking over his shoulder, Marcus Smart is focused on being the point guard he never got a chance to be bostonsportsjournal.com/2021/09/30/no-…



Mark Murphy
Mark Murphy @Murf56
yesterday
Al Horford's biggest benefit from a season in OKC? Low mileage for first time in his career. "I feel as good as I’ve felt probably in my NBA career, to be honest."



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Al Horford on Brad Stevens, GM: "He's been around us and everything but for me, it's just different. I've always called him 'Coach' so now I see him and I'm like 'Heyyy......' I don't know what to say yet."



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
Al Horford: “So far I’ve been impressed with how consistent everybody has been and how comfortable everybody is.”



Brian Robb
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
Al Horford on Brad Stevens being the GM and not coach upon his return: “It’s weird.”



John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
yesterday
Horford says most of the team was here for a couple weeks earlier this month and that's helped them pick things up a little more quickly



Brian Robb
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
Al Horford said most of the team was working out together in September in Boston and that’s helped with familiarity during camp.



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Al Horford says Jaylen Brown was right when he said Brown and Tatum’s relationship needs to be founded on respect to succeed: “You don’t have to be best of friends. They do acknowledge each other. They do respect each other and you can see that sets the tone.”



John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
yesterday
Al Horford says the extra time off gave him a chance to get healthy and ramp up the way he wants. He says he feels as good as he has his whole career



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Al Horford says he feels as good as he has felt in his career after having an extensive time off, not having the playoffs and shutting it down early last year.



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
“We have a smart group,” says Josh Richardson. “We put in a whole different scheme on defense and guys have picked it up quickly. And on the offensive end, we’re starting to put in some actions, and it’s good to see guys being creative out of those actions.”



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
yesterday
Josh Richardson says Jayson Tatum's vision has been "eye-opening" for him during the first few days of camp. "I didn't know he could see the game like that."



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Josh Richardson: “I think we just have a lot of guys that want to guard.” Said Tatum doesn’t get enough credit on that side of the court.




John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
yesterday
Josh Richardson says he's noticed how smart the team is and that they are getting creative in offensive sets rather than getting stagnant



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Josh Richardson asked if it’s important to him to be a starter: “As long as I’m playing, I’m fine.”



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
Coach Udoka says Al Horford arrived to camp in great shape for a 15-year vet: “Whether he found the fountain of youth or it’s all the time he had off … We’re loving what we’re seeing from him.”



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
yesterday
Ime Udoka says they're pushing players to be "less ball-stoppers" on offense. "We're trying to get them to make quick decisions. ... Catch and shoot it, catch and pass it or catch and move it. Those are things we want them to improve on in the half-court."



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Ime Udoka said Al Horford is making a “huge case” to start.



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Ime Udoka said the Celtics want guys to be “less ball stoppers.” Said he pointed out to Tatum the times in the Olympics when he turned down an open shot and then took a contested one.



Brian Robb
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
Ime Udoka said team is still evaluating starting lineup options but noted Al Horford is making a strong case for himself in camp.



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
yesterday
Ime Udoka says Al Horford looks "lively and fresh." "It's noticeable. Whether he found the fountain of youth or its the time off. ... We love what we're seeing from him."



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Ime Udoka said Al Horford looks fresh: “It’s noticeable. … he looks lovely, fresh and looks rejuvenated. We’re loving what we’re seeing from him.”



Brian Robb
Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
Al Horford is looking fresh during camp according to Udoka: “It’s noticeable.”!


Bob
MY NOTE:  A lot of repetition in these tweets because I just mass cut-and-paste them (sorry about that), but I'm liking what I'm reading even though I have to take what they are with a grain of salt (it's early in camp, everybody's upbeat, they haven't played a real game yet).

NYCelt said that he thinks Al is done.  That's not what he's saying and that's not what others are saying.  Nothing like taking a year off to heal your body.  As we can all attest, I'm sure, when you get older it's not necessarily that you can't do what you used to do, you just can't do it for as long and when you do it takes you longer to recuperate.  That's true with exercise, hangovers, jet lag, you name it.  Horford got a break that extended his career and, fortunately for us, we are the beneficiaries of that extended healing period for him.

I'm excited to see our offense.  I like what Ime's saying, I'm liking that he talked to Jayson about it at the Olympics, I think this could be good.


.

dboss wrote:I really liked the observation from Jaylen about playing fast.

Cow and myself have an infinity for fast break basketball.

I mentioned it in another thread in relation to us having enough scoring. 

Playing with pace has two aspects.  One is obviously getting out in transition which creates mismatches, reduces the ability of the other team to set up their defense and can give one team a physical advantage over the other team in terms of both speed and stamina.  The other aspect of playing with pace  points to how quickly the ball moves.  Shoot the ball, pass the ball or take it off the bounce.  Eliminate all the stand still holding the ball dead time and just keep things moving. Now that is a formula for beautiful basketball.

The Celtics of old were the premier fast breaking team.  It was built into their DNA.   In the 80's the Lakers cloned that advantage and literally ran teams off the court even with Kareem.  The 2021 edition of the Celtics have an excellent opportunity to bring the past right into the future and we have a center that can flat out run the floor.  

The last 2 years we never got enough easy baskets, we have the talent to run and play spectacular fast break ball which can also lead to wide open looks to the trailer for open 3’s. Was getting tired of seeing Tatum and Brown go too much iso and take difficult shots even though they have the talent to make them. With Kemba it was your turn, my turn, when Kemba was off, it was painful to watch him keep on chucking with no plan B. These guys have the talent to beat/dominate their man, they can get up for Lebron, Kawhi and Luka, now they have to learn how to win consistently as the man, as a twosome. I’d like to see more uptempo which should also lead to better looks at the 3 and the J’’s start getting triple doubles.

Bob


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Mark Murphy @Murf56
about 19 minutes ago
Marcus Smart said it doesn't matter whether he's named a captain. "It's just a title." To wit, Rajon Rondo was the last Celtics captain.


Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
about 40 minutes ago
Marcus Smart: “Ime is great. He’s really easy to get along with. He demands your effort every day, he demands 100 percent. But he also understands how to just allow us to be us.”



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 46 minutes ago
Sure sounds like a Horford-Williams starting frontcourt is under consideration. Udoka said he hasn't decided on anything yet, but noted: "Something we’re stressing is using our size – and if we have Jaylen and Jayson at the 2 and the 3 they obviously have a size advantage there.”
MY NOTE: Might that not put us at a disadvantage vs speed, though?



Mark Murphy
Mark Murphy @Murf56
about 48 minutes ago
Udoka also plans to name two team captains. Jaylen Brown put in his vote for Al Horford.



Mark Murphy
Mark Murphy @Murf56
about 49 minutes ago
Ime Udoka not a big fan of "plug-in" starting lineups. Says he'll determine a regular SL, with what takes the floor in final exhibition game in Miami the likely combo. Don't read too much into who he starts Monday.



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
about 52 minutes ago
Coach Udoka says that Bill Belichick and other Boston coaches have reached out, “to welcome me to the city, to the franchise, saying we’re all a big family here.”



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
56 minutes ago
Jaylen Brown: “I think we have a great group dynamic and we’re all going to contribute in different ways.”



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
57 minutes ago
Jaylen Brown on potentially being a captain: “It’ll be an honor. It’s a responsibility that no one will take for granted. Obviously we’ve got a lot of great leaders on our team, so if I wasn’t selected, it wouldn’t be a bad thing…Al has got my vote right now.”



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
59 minutes ago
Jaylen Brown on offseason recovering from wrist surgery: “My body had a chance to heal, my mind had a chance to refresh. I feel great. I feel lighter than ever, stronger than ever.”
MY NOTE:  Watch out, NBA!!



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
1 hour ago
Jaylen Brown: “Grant looks good. Grant looks great.”
MY NOTE:  That strangling sound you hear is DBoss choking on his beer.



Marc D'Amico
Marc D'Amico @celtics
about 1 hour ago
Grant Williams says he’s “feeling more active and more mobile” after dropping some weight this summer.



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
Asked Grant Williams how losing weight has helped him: “It’s allowed me to dunk the ball.”



John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka says his goal is to build a consistent starting lineup. Monday's lineup will be more experimental but says what we see by the final preseason game will be what we can expect moving forward



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Grant Williams on losing some weight: “It’s allowed me to dunk the ball.”



Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka says he will have a set starting lineup and doesn’t plan to have four starters and the plug and play the 5th starter on a nightly basis. But he warns the lineup in tomorrow’s opener is just a beta test and not to read into it.



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka said he doesn’t plan to mix up the starting lineup from night to night. He plans to pick a set starting five, and guys will “know that’s an every night thing.”



Chris Grenham
Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka says Bill Belichick reached out to him after he was hired in Boston.



Chris Forsberg
Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
about 1 hour ago
Jayson Tatum has invaded the usual post-practice 3-point contest between Marcus Smart and Dennis Schroder on Court 1 South. pic.twitter.com/2bJzEo90R1



John Karalis
John Karalis @RedsArmy_John
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka says the Celtics will go back to assigning a team captain. He says they will probably have 2 this year


Jared Weiss
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka asked about deciding who will be the starters and who will have roles locked in: “We don’t want to define roles early. We want to give them a chance to show us who they are.” He is going to assign 2 captains but hasn’t picked them yet.



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka said the Celtics don’t want to define roles too early. He wants players to define their own roles to some extent by the way they play.



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
Ime Udoka said the Celtics have been looking at lineups and tinkering with different ideas. Said he’ll probably use different lineups throughout preseason and continue looking at that.


Bob


.

I think it will take a while to find that sweet spot in terms of our everyday lineup.

The preseason is too short to do that.  Playing the Magic twice is no barometer.  I prefer a fast lineup which means AH would be a rotation guy.

Gary Washburn @GwashburnGlobe
3 minutes ago
Asked Josh Richardson about whether he saw the #Celtics as rivals when he was with #Sixers. He said Embiid "shut all that down. He was like they always kick our ass, so it's not a rivalry, so we're not treating it like that."



Jay King
Jay King @ByJayKing
about 5 minutes ago
Josh Richardson said the Celtics are all “trying to kill each other” when they have scrimmages. Said they all talk shoot to each other. Said the way he’s cut and the way other guys are cut, he can tell it’s good for everyone. “It’s been great.”



Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
about 10 minutes ago
Josh Richardson on Celtics training camp intensity and the Smart/Grant Williams spat: "The competitive spirit is great. I like when it gets chippy like that."



Mark Murphy
Mark Murphy @Murf56
about 18 minutes ago
Per Rob Williams: Marcus Smart and Grant Williams had a "verbal" altercation at the end of practice. "No one is taking shoot. But it's cool, we're all brothers." Smart apparently felt that Grant flopped on a play.


Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 19 minutes ago
Rob Williams says Grant Williams flopped at practice, which led to him and Marcus Smart chirping at one another. "Grant was flopping and shoot"
MY NOTE: I think it's pretty funny that Marcus Smart would be upset with someone flopping if they thought they could get the call.



Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 30 minutes ago
Ime Udoka confirms Al Horford will play back-to-backs this year: "Definitely is something we discussed and we're already looking at scheduling a little bit. But like I mentioned before, Al’s come in in great shape and means a lot to the team."



Jay King @ByJayKing
about 34 minutes ago
Ime Udoka said the Celtics told Robert Williams they want him to get back to what he does best after an 0-for-7 preseason debut. Said they want him to roll more, and to avoid slipping as many screens as he did against Orlando. They want him actually setting the screen more often.



Bob


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Enes Kanter @EnesKanter
about 1 hour ago
Practice Vibes pic.twitter.com/TP3JekJzIB















Bob


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Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 5 minutes ago
Ime Udoka says Dennis Schroder and Payton Pritchard are a combination they’ll continue to look at together in Boston’s backcourt. Said their playmaking alongside each other is intriguing.




Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 7 minutes ago
Ime Udoka said Dennis Schroder fell in practice the other day and got treatment today on his knee contusion. Will test it out tomorrow with the hope of playing Wednesday.




Jay King @ByJayKing
about 12 minutes ago
Ime Udoka said after the Celtics hired him, Grant Williams reached out to see what Udoka wanted from him during the coming season. Udoka said you can see he looks better physically and it has translated to camp.



Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 15 minutes ago
Ime Udoka on the Celtics two-big lineup: “I think offensively it compliments Rob very well. … I don’t think it’s as much of a problem as people think, playing two bigs.”
MY NOTE:  Music to Cowens' ears...



Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
about 3 hours ago
Romeo Langford is shooting 10-of-19 from 3-point range in his last five games dating back to Summer League. On his emergence as a wildcard in Boston's revamped bench.


Bob


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