Merry Mavericks: Newcomers ready to help

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Merry Mavericks: Newcomers ready to help Empty Merry Mavericks: Newcomers ready to help

Post by 112288 Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:48 pm


ESPN BOSTON

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com


BOSTON -- The three men tasked with the unenviable assignment of making Boston Celtics fans forget about Rajon Rondo were sitting inside the press room at TD Garden on Friday night discussing the surprise of the trade and a long day of travel when they were asked about sitting down with Celtics coach Brad Stevens for the first time.

"Me and [Stevens] put things aside because his last college loss was against my alma mater," said a smiling Jae Crowder, referencing Marquette's 74-72 triumph over Butler in the 2013 NCAA tournament in Stevens' final game with the Bulldogs.

Next to him, veteran point guard Jameer Nelson shook his head and quipped, "You know he controls the playing time, right?"

Crowder smiled again and continued, "We put that aside and we’re moving forward."

So, too, are the Celtics.

Say this for Boston's newest additions, they handled themselves incredibly well in their first trip in front of the local cameras and microphones, saying all the right things and mixing in some lighthearted humor. Which is to say, it was the exact opposite of the forlorn introduction that followed the Brooklyn blockbuster in 2013.

The Dallas trio, oblivious to their own murky futures, came out swinging, immediately citing a desire to help propel the Celtics toward the playoffs. Said big man Brandan Wright, "On the plane ride up here, we were looking at the standings and the team is right here, goals are still attainable, playoffs are reachable. We just want to come in here and do the best we can. Do what we do best, play hard, add an aspect to this team that hopefully pushes up in those standings."

The knee-jerk reaction to Boston trading away its best player was that the Celtics were hitting the reset button on their rebuild and that the team, this season, would likely be headed back into the lottery. That might ultimately be the case. But while the newcomers were still undergoing their mandatory physicals before Friday's game, Celtics brass was defiantly suggesting that this Boston team could still compete and that the goals of progress were unchanged by the departure of Rondo.

Asked about being in Boston, Wright noted, "Its one of the best places to come and play basketball in the NBA. Fans are passionate. When we were in the airport, we were taking a lot of pictures, meeting a lot of fans, so the town is excited. Boston lost one heck of a player, but we feel like we came over here to prove a lot, we know we can play some basketball, so we’re excited."

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that the team had inquired about both Crowder and Wright in past discussions with the Mavericks, believing they were underutilized with Dallas. Ainge noted how the team never had a reason to pursue Nelson given that it had Rondo at point guard.

Now, the trio joins a star-less Celtics squad that believes it can still compete by putting a focus on team basketball. How exactly will each player be utilized?

"I think all three of them have roles on this team," said Stevens. "I think we'll determine the extent of them as I get my arms wrapped around everything more. [Thursday] night was more about getting to know everybody and also saying goodbye. [Friday] has been getting our team ready in the morning and get ready for this game. Just trying to continue to coach through a season. We’ll figure out how this team fits together as we move forward. But the three guys add to our team."

Stevens offered a quick assessment of each player.

"Jameer Nelson is a guard that can really shoot the ball, that has scored and been a consummate leader and everybody talks about the kind of person he is -- former coaches, players, no matter what.

"Jae Crowder is a guy that we think has a big upside. He can shoot the ball, has shot it better this year; he’s shooting at almost 35 percent from 3. And is a guy that can guard both the 3 and the 4, and some 2s on occasion. He’s a tough guy, competitive tough guy."

"And, obviously Brandan, he’s a guy -- this is kinda how my job works when communicating with our front office -- after we play a game, maybe I’ll say, ‘Man, I think he’s really undervalued,’ because of the way that he gets to the rim, the way that he finishes, and I think his second jump on rebounds is as quick as anybody around."

Stevens finds himself with another roster logjammed at multiple spots. His challenge will be finding minutes for all of his players, including the new faces. The team's ability to be competitive moving forward could dictate exactly how that plays out. If Boston shows an ability to compete for a playoff spot, maybe the team would lean a bit harder on a veteran like Nelson. Otherwise, those minutes might be more beneficial for one of the team's younger guards who fits the longer-term future (Nelson has a player option next season, and could also be a possible trade candidate for a contender before February's deadline). Wright, too, is an extremely intriguing (and efficient) talent, but his looming free-agent status (and a digestible $5 million contract) could make him attractive before the trade deadline.

Those things will sort themselves out moving forward. For their first night in Boston, Stevens was just trying to get his new players up to speed with a few of the team's sets. Each player had a mini playbook in their locker to examine, and the trio planned to hit the gym Saturday afternoon when the team arrived in Miami.

Stevens closed his postgame press conference by deadpanning how he handed each player a DVD of game film and asked them to learn everything by Sunday's game against the Heat.

The trio didn't seem overly concerned about having to cram.

"We’re basketball players and that’s something that we love to do," said Nelson. "We are all smart individuals and smart basketball players so we will definitely adapt quick. We watched film with Coach already, he showed some things and told us what he’s looking for, individually and collectively. It's going to be a challenge, it's not going to be easy, and, these three guys right here, we wouldn’t want it any other way. We’re going to accept all the challenges."

Added Wright: "Over in Dallas, we had an NFL playbook, so we’ll be ready to crack down on the scheme, defensively and offensively. I don’t think it will be too much for us to handle, we’ll be able to learn on the fly. We’ve been playing for a while, Jae is the youngest, but he’s been in this thing for three years. We’ll be ready."

The introductions closed with the trio being asked to mug for photos with their new jerseys. They rose in unison, laughed about the lack of numbers available in Boston (that's why Crowder's got the NFL-ready No. 99), and joked with each other when they couldn't coordinate which way to hold their jerseys at times.

Nelson, who had many playoff battles with Boston during his time in Orlando, surveyed all the green around him and noted, "It’s a little weird. I’ve never worn green in any level of basketball, but I think it complements my skin tone."

Crowder and Nelson just shook their heads. Yes, if this trio is feeling any pressure while being asked to replace a superstar with a championship legacy, they didn't show it Friday. No, the new faces seem ready to help Boston start writing the next chapter for the franchise, regardless of the role they will ultimately play in it.

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