Celtic Roster

So, where we are as of now:


Ballhandlers:  Kemba, Smart, Teague, Pritchard

Wings:  Tatum, Brown, Nesmith, Langford, Edwards, Green ($1.5M non-guaranteed until February)

Bigs:  Theis, Thompson, RWill, Grant

Two-Ways:  Tacko and Waters

That's 14 plus two 2-ways.  Have I left anybody out?


Bob


.

bobheckler wrote:So, where we are as of now:


Ballhandlers:  Kemba, Smart, Teague, Pritchard

Wings:  Tatum, Brown, Nesmith, Langford, Edwards, Green ($1.5M non-guaranteed until February)

Bigs:  Theis, Thompson, RWill, Grant

Two-Ways:  Tacko and Waters

That's 14 plus two 2-ways.  Have I left anybody out?


Bob


.

Bob,

You left out Semi Ojeleye.

tjmakz wrote:

bobheckler wrote:So, where we are as of now:


Ballhandlers:  Kemba, Smart, Teague, Pritchard

Wings:  Tatum, Brown, Nesmith, Langford, Edwards, Green ($1.5M non-guaranteed until February)

Bigs:  Theis, Thompson, RWill, Grant

Two-Ways:  Tacko and Waters

That's 14 plus two 2-ways.  Have I left anybody out?


Bob


.

Bob,

You left out Semi Ojeleye.

TJ,

Gracias, amigo. It's embarrassing a Laker fan knows the Celtic roster better than a green-blooded Celtic fan.


Bob


.

Where we are as of now, updated thanks to TJ:


Ballhandlers: Kemba, Smart, Teague, Pritchard

Wings: Tatum, Brown, Nesmith, Langford, Edwards, Semi, Green ($1.5M non-guaranteed until February)

Bigs: Theis, Thompson, RWill, Grant

Two-Ways: Tacko and Waters



Bob


.

Looks like 7 virtually certain for regular rotation minutes.

With no summer league to test and preview new blood, the short training camp will be especially important to help determine the remaining players for a regular mix that will help the team get out of the gate quickly.

I would say 9 total. Although the actual number of minutes may vary game to game, Grant Williams and Semi Ojeleye played in 69/72 regular season games last year. They were the only players to do that on the Celtics.

Also depending on Kemba's health in a month or so we may see another guard in the mix at the beginning of the season.

Jay King @ByJayKing
about 1 hour ago
The Celtics announced that both Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard have signed their rookie contracts.


Marc D'Amico @celtics
about 1 hour ago
Welcome (officially) to the team @aaronnesmith24 and @paytonpritch3 : on.nba.com/361qn1T pic.twitter.com/GmJ4jbG8Gd


Bob


.

Bob


.

https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/23/nba-boston-celtics-pritchard-ceiling-van-vleet/


Could Payton Pritchard's ceiling be a Fred Van Vleet-like player?
         

Justin Quinn

November 23, 2020 1:05 pm



Boston Celtics fans may be so (justifiably) enamored with the shooting of 14th overall pick Aaron Nesmith they may have missed that their favorite team’s other first round pick is a deadeye shot as well.

And the prospect is the aggressive, high-motor guard from Oregon named Payton Pritchard, who ESPN draft analyst Mike Schmitz sees a semblance of recently-paid undrafted Toronto Raptors point guard Fred Van Vleet, who he broke down the similarities between in a recent video.


“So, in terms of the top shooters, Aaron Nesmith [is] certainly up there, Desmond Bane tremendous as well,” began Schmitz.



“But, the guy we’re going to break down here is Payton Pritchard, who scored almost 2,000 points during his Oregon career and shot 42% from 3 this past season.”

“He reminds a bit of another four-year college player, Fred Van Vleet. With his toughness, his shooting ability, his affinity to rise when the moment gets greater, shining in the bright lights. That’s what makes Prichard so special and very, very similar to Fred Van Vleet.”

“He’s a fiery competitor, that’s who Payton Pritchard really is, and then Fred Van Vleet, he’s very similar in that regard,” he added.



Noting how both are able to turn attacks on their size into offense with their quick hands, Schmitz makes a case the former Duck can translate well to the NBA with his hyper-aggressive style of play.

“That’s why [Van Vleet’s] been able to fit, alongside Kyle Lowry and have so much success,” he explained. “You can play in these multi-guard lineups, and that’s Peyton pritchards future as well.”



Bob


.

Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 25 minutes ago
Payton Pritchard signed a four-year deal with the Celtics today for the full 120% of the rookie-scale, per source.


Bob
MY NOTE:  not sure this is "news", this is SOP for Celtic first round picks, but it does show confidence from the front office in the kid.  Let's see how he does when he has to stay in front of John Wall and Damien Lillard.



.

On draft night I said Payton would be our Fred Van Vleet but at a much lower price. I am flattered that Quinn and Schmitz agreed with moi.

https://hardwoodhoudini.com/2020/11/25/boston-celtics-comparison-rookies/


NBA comparisons for each C’s rookie


by Mark Nilon


In the 2020 draft, the Boston Celtics came away with 3 new players. Let’s see which current NBA talents the most represent.

For the third time in five years, and for the second time in a row, the Boston Celtics came into the NBA Draft holding the rights to 3 first-round picks.

Though they didn’t end up keeping them all — traded their No. 30 pick to the Memphis Grizzlies — Danny Ainge and co. still managed to bring aboard 3 young prospects in Aaron Nesmith at 14th overall, Payton Pritchard at 26, and Yam Madar at 47.

While some may be a bit underwhelmed by the team’s choices, as many — including ourselves — believed the Cs would opt to draft a potential answer at their pivot spot, no one can deny that the individuals they wound up with don’t have quality talent and potential.

In fact, each one of their picks resembles, in one way or another, a specific talent currently playing in the league.

Today, the Houdini presents to you an NBA comparison for each of the franchise’s draft selections:


NBA comparison for Yam Madar: Dante Exum, Cleveland Cavaliers

Even though Yam Madar may not have been the most highly-touted prospect coming into the 2020 NBA Draft, make no mistake about it, the man is a solid talent.

The Israeli-native has been playing professionally in his home country since 2018 with the Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. In 2019-20, the 19-year-old posted some impressive averages of 14.3 points and 6.7 assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the floor and 33 percent shooting from deep. With his performance, Madar was bestowed the Israeli Basketball Premier League Most Improved Player award.

Likely a draft-and-stash player for the Boston Celtics, the point guard showcases a sound combination of court vision, ball-handling, quickness, and defensive chops and, with a bit more molding and weight (currently 180 pounds), could prove to be a quality reserve guard in the NBA.

The player that the Houdini believes most resembles Madar’s game is Cleveland Cavaliers reserve veteran guard, Dante Exum.

Yes, while the sixth-year pro has about three-inches on the C’s rookie, both have a pass-first mentality with exceptional defensive instincts, and a preference to play in the mid-range or attack the basket.

Though the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 draft is widely considered a “bust”, had he been selected at the time Madar was his production to date and attributes would likely be seen as pretty efficient and beneficial for his respective ball club.

At 47th overall, a team could easily do a lot worse than a player resembling Dante Exum.


NBA comparison for Payton Pritchard: Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors

Former Oregon Duck star and 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year, Payton Pritchard, comes into the league as both a relative surprise being picked 26th overall and a prospect wielding solid potential coming into his rookie season with the Boston Celtics.

Seen as an instant contender to take on backup point guard duties from day one with the franchise, the 4-year collegiate standout is coming off of a senior season where he put up averages of 20.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game on 47 percent shooting from the floor and 42 percent shooting from deep.

A dynamic scorer both on the drive and from beyond the arc, while possessing impressive court vision Pritchard seems to have the skill set necessary to be a quality offensive point guard right off the bat.

A player who comes to mind when looking at the Oregon native’s game is a man who, too, came into the NBA Draft undervalued — in fact, he went undrafted — but, this offseason, got paid top dollar for his production.

That man, as I’m sure you already know based on the image above, is Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet.

To be honest, we cannot take the credit for this comparison, as we first heard about it from ESPN Analyst, Mike Schmitz who, prior to the draft, broke down the resemblances between the two guards.

He [Pritchard] reminds me a little bit of another four-year college player, Fred Van Vleet. With his toughness, his shooting ability, and his affinity to rise when the moment gets greater, shining in the bright lights. That’s what makes Prichard so special and very, very similar to Fred VanVleet.”

Schmitz would later go clip for clip, breaking down specific plays between Pritchard and VanVleet that acted out quite similarly.

As we stated earlier, the Raptors’ point guard just got paid handsomely to the tune of a 4-year, $85 million contract after posting career averages of 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 41 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent shooting from deep.

Boston Celtics fans should surely feel optimistic about the likes of a Fred VanVleet-like player donning the green and white threads on just a rookie-scale deal in 2020-21.


NBA comparison for Aaron Nesmith: Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings

In the early stages of the collegiate season, if you were to tell someone that the Boston Celtics were going to land Vanderbilt star Aaron Nesmith with the 14th overall pick, they would have called you crazy — after all, through the first two months of action in 2019-20 the wing was posting otherworldly averages of  23 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, shooting 52.2 percent from three-point range.

That said, in early January, Nesmith went down for the year with a right foot injury that required surgery and, in turn, hurt his draft stock a bit.

So, with this, here we are.

With his all-around offensive arsenal and build, it’s hard not to make comparisons between the 21-year-old and Sacramento Kings scoring machine, Buddy Hield.

Both players possess smooth jumpers (within the mid-range and from deep) who can work both off the catch as well as with creating for themselves.

During his final season at the collegiate level (played for Oklahoma State), Hield produced at a similar rate as Nesmith during his last season. Through 37 games, Hield posted 25 points and
5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent shooting from the floor and 46 percent shooting from deep.

Each perceived as the best shooters in their respective drafts, the similarities are simply uncanny between the two wings.

With a bit of an advantage on the defensive side over Hield, Nesmith could wind up proving to be even better of a player than the Kings’ star at the next level.

That said, even if he just became a replica of Hield, with the 14th overall pick it would appear the Boston Celtics got an absolute steal.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I don't see the Madar-Exum comparison but, if I'm wrong and it's a good one, then Madar will have a pretty short-lived NBA career because Dante Exum stinks.  He's a bubble player, in my opinion, that's getting rotation player minutes only because he's on the Cleveland Cadavers.  Given the same minutes the one area I could see Exum outperforming Madar (or most NBA-ready guards) is in rebounding.  I don't think it's an overreach to say that if #47 Yam Madar is like Dante Exum that'd be one of Danny's all-time great picks.  It's almost impossible for me to wrap my mind around the fact that Exum was selected #5, the pick right before Marcus Smart.  I don't think Danny would have taken Exum, he's not Danny's type of player (too much flash, not enough grit) but I appreciate Utah making it a no-brainer for Danny.  I might feel better about Madar if he played for the Boston Celtics of the Euro-league, powerhouse Maccabi-Tel Aviv, instead of another Israeli team.

Pritchard as VanVleet?  Oh wouldn't that be wonderful!  VanVleet only played 7.9mpg in his rookie season and 20mpg in his sophomore one.  So he got brought along slowly too.  I suspect Payton might be a bit feistier than Fred but I'm fine with this comparison, if true.  We've seen the reality of what happens when you are undersized and step up to the NBA with Carsen Edwards.  It could happen again here with Payton Pritchard but, as the old saying goes "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog" and Pritchard has been saying all the right things about competing since he has been drafted.

Nesmith as Hield?  Another gem of a pick by Danny if true.  Hield is a career 41% 3pt shooter.  I don't watch a lot of Buddy but in the film I've watched of Nesmith he moves a lot without the ball.  A lot.  I see Thompson setting a lot of high screens for Nesmith to come off the pick for a catch-and-shoot.

All speculation at this point, of course, and hope always springs eternal after Draft Day, but if Danny had to use the picks and couldn't make a trade, the only question mark is Pritchard because of his size.  Other than that I think Nesmith is going to be a significant member of this team over the course of his rookie contract, and sooner rather than later.


.

https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/misc-112420-nesmith-pritchard-wasting-no-time-acclimating-with-celtics







Nesmith, Pritchard Wasting No Time Acclimating with Celtics


By Taylor Snow |  @taylorcsnow
Celtics.com

November 24, 2020


BOSTON – Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard are not wasting any time acclimating themselves to the NBA lifestyle. Despite being only six days removed from the 2020 Draft, the newest members of the Boston Celtics are already settling into their new city, where they've begun working out and gearing up for a new season and a new way of life.

“It’s definitely been an exciting time,” Pritchard, the 26th overall pick out of Oregon, said Tuesday afternoon during an introductory press conference for both himself and Nesmith, his fellow rookie teammate. “I’ve been starting workouts and getting going, but just trying to be a sponge and soak everything up and get ready for the season. Obviously it’s starting really quickly, so just trying to learn fast and get going.”

Nesmith and Pritchard, along with the entire 2020 rookie class, are in for a challenge this season in that they are being thrown straight into the ocean before getting their feet wet. Rather than having several months to absorb a new system and develop chemistry with their new teammates as is typically the case, this year’s class only has a few weeks to prepare for the 2020-21 season.

“That’s why we’re here right now,” said Nesmith, the 14th overall pick out of Vanderbilt. “To kind of get ahead of the curve, try and soak in all that we can and try to make this a fluid transition as fast as possible. It’s going to be a big jump for both of us going in. We didn’t get summer league, so we didn’t get to get our feet wet. Being able to compete with [the veterans] right now and learn from these guys right now, will be a huge advantage for us.”

Pritchard and Nesmith are both trying not to overthink their transition from college into the pros, as they are looking to bring the same type of energy and work ethic that has paved their successful paths thus far.

Pritchard is the type of player with whom Celtics fans will fall in love: a scrappy, hard worker who can contribute in many ways (he is the only player in Pac 12 history to tally at least 1,900 points, 500 rebounds and 600 assists.)

Nesmith, meanwhile, has the potential to turn into the lethal sharpshooter specialist that the Celtics have been needing of late. Last season at Vanderbilt, he averaged 23.0 points per game while shooting a school-record 52.2 percent from 3-point range. And he believes that he’ll have no issue carrying such a skill over to the NBA level.

“For me, nothing changes,” Nesmith elaborated. “My warm-up doesn’t change, my form doesn’t change, my footwork doesn’t change. So as long as I continue to work on those things, continue to perfect those attributes to my game, there’s no reason for my shot not to translate from one level to the next.”

Of course, there will be other elements that Nesmith and Pritchard will have to grow accustomed to as quickly as possible, but they are both excited to face whatever challenges await.

“It’s going to be a quick learning curve,” Pritchard stated. “I think we’re both looking forward to it, getting to jump in and get right to it. During this quarantine, we’ve both been training hard and getting ready anyway, so it’ll be nice to get right through training camp and start the season.”


Bob
MY NOTE:  Poor kids.  Until the end of time their introductory press conference into the NBA will be with them with their faces covered.  If you listened to the presser you probably heard Pritchard use the words 'compete' and 'win' several times.  I don't know how well he'll do in the big league but I do like his perspective.  Compete and win.  I don't think I could have said it better myself.


.

These guys are savvy.  When asked about replacing GH they both pretty much said F- you

Having  discussion about Yam is amusing.  Check back in  a year.

Buddy Hield was great shooter in college.  Buddy stayed for 4 years I think and pretty much took home every award available to college basketball players.  I said back then that he was the best shooter in the draft.  He was and he has proved that.

However there are a few things that separate the two of them such as size and length and age entering the NBA.   I do think that Nesmith will prove to be a notch above buddy as a legit NBA scorer because of his size.  They are clearly great shooters.

Just because we have a few days before camp starts, and we can start talking about what's real, I thought I'd do a quick last year vs this year comparison.  These are, obviously, my conclusions based upon my assumptions of truthiness.  They also assume the Hayward deal ends up with only a TPE and no further player movements.

< means this year will be an upgrade (last year's player was worse than this year's comparison)
> means this year is an upgrade (this year will be greater than last year)
= means about the same
<> in bold means major upgrade or downgrade. Normal font means a more marginal upgrade


2019-2021...........................2020-2021

Jayson Tatum............<.........Jayson Tatum (this year's Tatum > than last year's all-star Tatum, not 10/19)
Jaylen Brown.............<.........Jaylen Brown (no Hayward means more shots for Jaylen)
Kemba Walker............>.........Kemba Walker (his knee?)
Marcus Smart............=.........Marcus Smart (pretty damn good, but much more growth?)
Daniel Theis..............<=........Daniel Theis (perhaps better 3pt fg%)
Brad Wanamaker........<..........Jeff Teague (better floor general)
Gordon Hayward.........>.........Aaron Nesmith (more limited in every way)
Robert Williams...........<.........Robert Williams (more experienced, including playoffs)
Grant Williams............<.........Grant Williams (more experienced, including playoffs)
Enes Kanter................<.........Tristan Thompson (infinitely better defense + ring)
Carsen Edwards..........< =.....Carsen Edwards (can't be worse, and his shot might settle down)
Semi Ojelaye..............=.........Semi Ojelaye (he is who he is.  Not much growth left)
Javonte Green.............=.........Javonte Green (growth will come mostly from acclimation to Brad)
Romeo Langford..........>.........Romeo Langford (if he stays healthy there should be at least some growth)
Tremont Waters...........=.........Tremont Waters (still a midget)
Tacko Fall...................<..........Tacko Fall (lost weight, gained skills, still 7'6")

Vincent Poirier.............<..........Payton Pritchard (I realize this is a flawed comparison since they playing diametrically opposite positions but they are the ones left hanging.  Poirier never played, so the floor for Pritchard cannot get lower)

7 marginal upgrades, 2 about the same/marginal upgrade, 1 major upgrade. There could be 2 major upgrades if Jaylen grabs Haywards departure by the horns and demands more of his touches.

2 marginal downgrades, 1 major downgrade.  One of those marginal downgrades, Kemba, could be major.

4 "about the same"

So, gazing through my green goggles, I see a better team than last year.  Our youth are not as young, and that's important.  As far as veterans go we lost Hayward (a BIG loss), Kanter and Wanny but we gained Thompson and Teague.  The big hurt, of course, is Hayward.  Not only are we talking about a major drop-off in talent and all-round skills, not only are we talking about a major drop-off in veteran leadership but Hayward played a lot of minutes and Nesmith is likely a rotation player this year as he learns.  The danger of us falling off a cliff is very real, though, if Kemba's knee becomes a regular, ongoing issue and as far as I am concerned it already is.  If he only plays half a season because we need to save him for the playoffs our seeding could suffer tremendously.

How do you folks see things?


Bob


.

bobheckler wrote:Just because we have a few days before camp starts, and we can start talking about what's real, I thought I'd do a quick last year vs this year comparison.  These are, obviously, my conclusions based upon my assumptions of truthiness.  They also assume the Hayward deal ends up with only a TPE and no further player movements.

< means this year will be an upgrade (last year's player was worse than this year's comparison)
> means this year is an upgrade (this year will be greater than last year)
= means about the same
<> in bold means major upgrade or downgrade. Normal font means a more marginal upgrade


2019-2021...........................2020-2021

Jayson Tatum............<.........Jayson Tatum (this year's Tatum > than last year's all-star Tatum, not 10/19)
Jaylen Brown.............<.........Jaylen Brown (no Hayward means more shots for Jaylen)
Kemba Walker............>.........Kemba Walker (his knee?)
Marcus Smart............=.........Marcus Smart (pretty damn good, but much more growth?)
Daniel Theis..............<=........Daniel Theis (perhaps better 3pt fg%)
Brad Wanamaker........<..........Jeff Teague (better floor general)
Gordon Hayward.........>.........Aaron Nesmith (more limited in every way)
Robert Williams...........<.........Robert Williams (more experienced, including playoffs)
Grant Williams............<.........Grant Williams (more experienced, including playoffs)
Enes Kanter................<.........Tristan Thompson (infinitely better defense + ring)
Carsen Edwards..........< =.....Carsen Edwards (can't be worse, and his shot might settle down)
Semi Ojelaye..............=.........Semi Ojelaye (he is who he is.  Not much growth left)
Javonte Green.............=.........Javonte Green (growth will come mostly from acclimation to Brad)
Romeo Langford..........>.........Romeo Langford (if he stays healthy there should be at least some growth)
Tremont Waters...........=.........Tremont Waters (still a midget)
Tacko Fall...................<..........Tacko Fall (lost weight, gained skills, still 7'6")

Vincent Poirier.............<..........Payton Pritchard (I realize this is a flawed comparison since they playing diametrically opposite positions but they are the ones left hanging.  Poirier never played, so the floor for Pritchard cannot get lower)

7 marginal upgrades, 2 about the same/marginal upgrade, 1 major upgrade.  There could be 2 major upgrades if Jaylen grabs Haywards departure by the horns and demands more of his touches.

2 marginal downgrades, 1 major downgrade.  One of those marginal downgrades, Kemba, could be major.

4 "about the same"

So, gazing through my green goggles, I see a better team than last year.  Our youth are not as young, and that's important.  As far as veterans go we lost Hayward (a BIG loss), Kanter and Wanny but we gained Thompson and Teague.  The big hurt, of course, is Hayward.  Not only are we talking about a major drop-off in talent and all-round skills, not only are we talking about a major drop-off in veteran leadership but Hayward played a lot of minutes and Nesmith is likely a rotation player this year as he learns.  The danger of us falling off a cliff is very real, though, if Kemba's knee becomes a regular, ongoing issue and as far as I am concerned it already is.  If he only plays half a season because we need to save him for the playoffs our seeding could suffer tremendously.

How do you folks see things?


Bob


.

In my opinion, Boston needed two things going into this offseason.  
They needed a quality big man while keeping Theis and they needed bench scoring.
Thompson fills that quality big man role.
I think not only did Boston not get more bench scoring, they took a significant step back with losing Hayward.
Non top 10 rookies can be contributors but it’s far from a sure thing.
How will Kemba’s knee hold up?
I believe Brad said he won’t be ready for opening day.
If Boston can acquire a significant TPE, that could change things later in the season in the East.

Lets see.

JT and JB are set to improve YOY because of experience and continued work in refining their games and one less high end offensive player to share the ball with GH.

Marcus may be in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season.  But that is not an absolute.

I think that he can be better than he was last year if he plays a more efficient offensive game.  He still takes too many 3 point shots IMO.  Nevertheless he shot 34.7% from deep this past season on 6.6 attempts per game.  Before you say that is pretty good, keep in mind that he was ranked 20 in 3P  FG percentage among all PG.  I think 4 attempts per game and maybe more assists will make him more effective on offense.

I think Theis drops back a bit from last year.  Thompson comes in as a starting center averaging 30 MPG and a double double. Theis averaged 24 MPG last year. He had what for him was a career year.
While that is true it does not provides much expectation for further improvement. He is going back to the bench soon.

I do not think we should look at Nesmith as a replacement for GH and then proceed to evaluate if it is an upgrade or not.  

A more reasonable comparison would be Nesmith vs Langford.  

Same situation for PP.  A comparison between him and Carson Edwards or him and Tremont Waters seems more relevant.

Teague is an upgrade over Wanamaker, easy pickings.  In terms passing the basketball and getting assists Teague is also an upgrade over Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart.

There is an assumption here that Thompson is an upgrade over Kanter.  Fact is, Thompson is also an upgrade over Theis.  

Anything above last year will be positive for Grant Williams although playing him at center looks dumb to me.  He's no center in small, big ball or no ball.

Robert Williams has only 61 NBA games under his belt.  He has to stay healthy and he has to keep working to improve in every aspect of the game.  I think he will do better but just like Grant when your feet are under water dry land is an upgrade.

The rookies from last year were all a collection of misfits either undersized, oversized or injury prone.

Whatever they to better is an upgrade but I do not expect much.

The biggest question is KW.  We must remember that GH missed all of his first year and was less than 100% in year 2.  He played much better in year 3 but had some injuries and when we needed him most in the Playoffs he was DOA.  So you got 2/3 playoffs without his help.  If a guy misses 105 regular season games and another 31 playoffs games an upgrade represents any bum that can play.

I think the Celtics will have to be prepared to play games without Kemba or with Kemba having a reduced roll.  I would say that adding Teague gives us a quality BU PG that can step into the void so that is an upgrade

I’d like to see Jayson avg 25-27 ppg and Jaylen avg about 24, with them taking turns initiating more of the offense, that would be great growth and let everything else fall into place after those 2. Kemba is going to have to be managed similar to Dragic, who was limited during the regular season and fresh and extremely impactful in the playoffs. Glad we have Teague and Smart can also get some minutes at point. Kobe and Jordan didn’t need great points, have to maximize 2 J’s. If PP can find his stroke at this level we will have plenty of depth at the point. Will be interesting to see who gets more minutes between Romeo and Nesmith, Romeo is going to need time to further recover, so Nesmith should get the first opportunity. If his shot translates, what a great weapon to add to this team. Agree with everything you said dboss about GWill, he’s got to earn minutes at the 4 and even possibly be a power 3 for a few minutes. RWill is still an X factor, time to make an impact/leap with those attributes. I think TT is exactly what we need in the paint and can be a great mentor to the Williams brothers. Would be even more exciting if Tacko can earn some minutes. This team is very young and if the right players can make a jump to the next level, we could also be real scary deep.

Another key factor is the nerdy intellectual head coach, some people are dumber than they look, he’s not as smart as he looks. He got exposed from the time we couldn’t finish game 3 in the Raptor series, for the rest of the playoffs we lost more and more confidence and couldn’t execute playoff basketball well enough. If we finish that off that half second defensively, we win that series in 5. Big difference finishing a team off in 5, so you can rest and heal and game plan, than being in a 7 game dog fight. We went into the Heat series without a lot of momentum, as Brad got further outcoached. He’s got to use Jaylen more and better, I don’t know why he’s not back cutting more without the ball and posting more in the midrange.

I like this team better than last years, with a lot of youngins ready to make a jump in level, 2 good vets and 2 rooks with the skill set we need. Hoping Brad can get a better handle on everything, that’s gonna be the key.

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/tristan-thompson-becomes-a-u-s-citizen-following-boston-celtics-deal/



Tristan Thompson Becomes a U.S. Citizen Following His Boston Celtics Deal


By Mariah Cooper

43 mins ago


Another major milestone! Tristan Thompson is officially a U.S. citizen following his decision to join the Boston Celtics.


Earlier this week, the USCIS Western Region’s official Twitter account shared a photo of the NBA player, 29, being sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

“I came to the U.S. on a student visa and have always had big dreams. I’m now truly living the American dream,” Thompson said in a statement to USCIS.

USCIS Media - Western Region
@USCISMediaWest
“I came to the US on a student visa and have always had big dreams. I’m now truly living the American dream.” Congrats on reaching your goals @RealTristan13! Best of luck with the @NBA #Celtics as a #NewUSCitizen!


The Canada native moved to the U.S. in 2009 to attend the University of Texas on a student visa. He played for the university for about a year before he declared for the NBA draft, foregoing his three years of college eligibility. Thompson began his professional basketball career in 2011 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played for nine seasons.

The athlete’s U.S. citizenship comes after news broke on November 21 that he reached a two-year, $19 million deal with the Boston Celtics as its new center. The career move will also be a big change for Thompson’s girlfriend, Khloé Kardashian, and their 2-year-old daughter, True.

The couple called it quits in February 2019 after Thompson was caught kissing Kylie Jenner‘s former best friend, Jordyn Woods. However, Kardashian, 36, and Thompson rekindled their romance in August after quarantining together amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A source told Us Weekly on Wednesday, November 25, that the pair are determined to stay together as Thompson switches teams.

“Khloé and Tristan are going to be fine. They will be living together in Boston and L.A.,” the source said. “Tristan has really turned his behaviors around and is focusing on Khloé and True.”



Tristan Thompson attends the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 13, 2016. Brian To/Shutterstock

The insider added, “All of Khloé’s friends really like Tristan. Even though what he did was so horrible, they know Tristan is a good guy and Khloé is very dedicated to making their relationship work.”

Thompson also received plenty of support from Kardashian’s siblings. Kim Kardashian shared on her Instagram Story, “Congrats @realtristan13. Boston here we come!!!” while Rob Kardashian wrote, “LET’S GO @realtristan13” on his account.


Bob


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Adam Himmelsbach
@AdamHimmelsbach
Tristan Thompson headed to Boston.
9:24 AM · Nov 28, 2020·Twitter for iPhone




Bob

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Bob
MY NOTE:  This is what will move Pritchard ahead of Edwards on the depth chart (not that that's saying much...).  They both can shoot but Edwards can't do this, not that I've seen.


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Holy Scata Batman! This guy can handle the ball. I'm impressed by the strength of his hands, his arms, his shoulders, and also the strength of his quadriceps and his patellar tendon which attaches to his kneecap.

worcester wrote:Holy Scata Batman! This guy can handle the ball. I'm impressed by the strength of his hands, his arms, his shoulders, and also the strength of his quadriceps and his patellar tendon which attaches to his kneecap.

I guess he can dribble a little bit!

PP is a baller.  He is not scat quick as some PG's that came out but his handle and change of pace will allow him to get where he wants to go.  

He has NBA 3 point range, can score in midrange and he will get to the rim and finish with either hand.  

Celtics fans are going to love this kid.  I cannot wait to see him play.  

I know we should not get too high or too low on draft picks.  I think Danny knocked the ball out of the park with B2B homers.

Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
about 48 minutes ago
Celtics announce the signings of Jeff Teague (no. 55) and Tristan Thompson (no. 13).


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Celtics reveal jersey numbers for new signings Jeff Teague, Tristan Thompson

https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-reveal-jersey-numbers-signings-220036186.html

Nick Goss
Mon, November 30, 2020, 5:00 PM EST
C's reveal jersey numbers for new signings Jeff Teague, Tristan Thompson originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics officially announced the free agent signings of center Tristan Thompson and point guard Jeff Teague on Monday, and they also revealed jersey numbers for both players.

Handing out jersey numbers is more difficult for the Celtics than any other franchise. The Celtics have won 17 NBA championships in their storied history. So, it's understandable that the team has retired 23 numbers.

Teague will wear No. 55, which was not used last season.

This number most recently was worn by Greg Monroe during the 2018-19 season. It has been worn by 11 players in team history, including Jordan Mickey, E'Twaun Moore, Luke Harangody, Wally Szczerbiak and Eric Williams, among others.

Thompson will wear No. 13 -- most recently worn by Marcus Morris from 2017-18 through 2018-19. It also was not used last season.

This number has been worn by 19 players in Boston, including James Young, Shelden Williams, Gabe Pruitt, Delonte West, Dana Barros, Todd Day, Charles Smith and several others. No. 13 was first worn by Red Wallace in 1947.