Boston Celtics News (2023-2024)

RIP Brandon Hunter  https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/former-celtic-brandon-hunter-tragically-passes-away

Brad Stevens Discusses Kristaps Porzingis' Role with Celtics, Provides Rehab Update

https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/brad-stevens-discusses-kristaps-porzingis-role-with-celtics-provides-rehab-update

The Celtics shook up the core of their roster by trading Marcus Smart to add Kristaps Porzingis, a gamble they believe boosts their championship odds.

While trading Marcus Smart was an emotionally anguishing decision, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis gives the Celtics a center who, like Al Horford, spaces the floor, is an effective facilitator, capable of acting as an offensive hub, and is also someone who puts pressure on defenses to stay connected to him when he's screening.

Even if they do, while they can pressure Porzingis to make him uncomfortable, being seven-foot-three is an advantage whether he's popping beyond the arc or rolling to the rim.

The former All-Star's presence should go a long way toward curing what's plagued Boston most in the playoffs recently.

The Celtics' primary pick-up this summer, from a personnel perspective at least, is also an effective defender in drop coverage, is better on the perimeter than given credit for or one might expect for a player his size and brings more positional balance to Boston's roster.

In an appearance on Jones & Mego to support WEEI's Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, discussed the team's trade for Porzingis.

Brad Stevens admits he’s been interested in Kristaps Porziņģis for a while and speaks on how his fantastic skill set at 7’3 will allow for the team to “play big for longer,” being able to pair him with Rob Williams or Al Horford.

It's interesting to hear Stevens note the former fourth overall pick's ability to play the five and the four, allowing them to mix and match Porzingis, Horford, and Robert Williams and stay bigger for longer, something Boston's best groups didn't afford it last season.

Danny Ainge's successor also praised Porzingis, who's in his prime but is prepared to sacrifice and is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to win an NBA title, stating, "Kristaps seems to be in a really good place. He is focused on what matters. He is coming here to do his part and help us win."

Stevens also provided an update on Porzingis' right foot plantar fasciitis, an injury the former said he was unaware of when trading for the latter.

It's an ailment preventing the seven-foot-three center from suiting up for the Latvian Men's National Basketball Team, who's without their best player as they make their first appearance in the FIBA World Cup.

The healing process requires him to rehab for four to six weeks. Last week, Porzingis spoke about his recovery with Sporta Studija, conveying the following (translated through Google).

"The foot hurts after exercise. I feel almost nothing when walking. It's a really funny injury," he expressed. "I have an idea what the origin of the injury might be, but it's something that builds up over the course of a career and pops out at one point. It got worse during the training process - when it started to hurt, then I couldn't get rid of the inflammation either."

Stevens also provided an update on the Latvian native's rehab, voicing, "He put the opportunity here and took away any chance of having lingering effects by addressing it now, and it shouldn't be a big deal."

The Celtics' president of basketball operations also confirmed the organization expects Porzingis to be ready for day 1 of training camp.

Everything seems to be lining up for him coming into training camp ready to go.

Crossing fingers (and toes)!

gyso wrote:Everything seems to be lining up for him coming into training camp ready to go.

Crossing fingers (and toes)!

No doubt. The possibilities are grand. A healthy KP = a dominate Celtics Team. How do teams go about defending 2 top of the line NBA wings plus a high profile big that can score from anywhere on the floor? This team could easy be a 120+ PPG juggernaut with a PF/PA differential in the 10+ range.

Well, there is one guy on this board who has been wishing for this move for years. Here is hoping everything falls in line and this move makes Brad look like a genius. Although we were sorry to see Marcus go, I almost think that Tatum and Brown may be welcoming the challenge ahead and the roles they will play in reaching their goal of a championship. It is going to be weird looking out there on the floor and not seeing #36 throwing his body around. I will miss his spirit and drive, no doubt. But, if we were to look back on years of posts, remember the......no ...no...no...Marcus, don't shoot!! comments we all made. He really came a long way

Rosalie

I do not know if Brad had a tougher decision to make than moving Marcus.  He had to weigh all of the pros and cons and did what he felt was best for the team as they remain in pursuit of what has become an illusive 18th title.

Brad has accepted the risk (health) because the team needed a high quality big man.   How many NBA centers fit into the style of basketball being played these days?  KP's skill set appears to match all of the elements that we want out of a 7 foot 3 inch big. One thing that all of us Celtics fans know is that they have never won a title without a top of the line big man. No knock against AH or RWIII but we are talking about Russell, Cowens, Parish/Mchale and KG.

The Jays are no longer those 19 year old kids that were trying to find their way on the big stage.  I am quite enthralled by the notion that they are absolutely tasked with taking on leadership roles.

Basically, I agree with you. I have been asking for a big man for more than two years, not because I do not like Rob, but I just do not trust his health and ability to stay on the floor. I have said for so one, that we cannot continue to wait for Rob to be that shining light consistently. So, going for KP was a move that he just had to make. The other thing is…..it is time for the J’s to show what they can do on a night in night out basis, and take over as the voice of the team. That just was not going to happen as long as Marcus was here. The unfortunate circumstance of all of this is that Brogden was put out there in that trade and now we have to see how he will respond on the floor for this team. The one thing I do have to say is, if he were that unhappy, he would have demanded that they trade him so he did not have to go thru this year. Gary Washburn keeps insinuating that he is not a happy camper, how true is that??? Sometimes we tire of these writers creating problems that may not be there.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Basically, I agree with you.  I have been asking for a big man for more than two years, not because I do not like Rob, but I just do not trust his health and ability to stay on the floor.  I have said for so one, that we cannot continue to wait for Rob to be that shining light consistently.  So, going for KP was a move that he just had to make.  The other thing is…..it is time for the J’s to show what they can do on a night in night out basis, and take over as the voice of the team.  That just was not going to happen as long as Marcus was here.  The unfortunate circumstance of all of this is that Brogden was put out there in that trade and now we have to see how he will respond on the floor for this team.  The one thing I do have to say is, if he were that unhappy, he would have demanded that they trade him so he did not have to go thru this year.  Gary Washburn keeps insinuating that he is not a happy camper, how true is that??? Sometimes we tire of these writers creating problems that may not be there.

Yeah I saw the podcast with Washburn saying MB was still upset.  I am skeptical that is the case.  Maybe media day will tell us more when the players get interviewed.  I am sure he will be asked about the trade that did not happen.

follow this link to (possibly) see the podcast being discussed:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/washburn-malcolm-brogdon-angry-boston-070030156.html

It says, "The veteran has implemented a total media blackout since the deal collapsed."

I agree with dboss, maybe we should wait to hear from Malcolm on media day.  

There is a good chance that he was initially upset (of course).  He saw that they traded Smart after the first deal fell through and understood the need to upgrade the team for the better.  Now he is excited to see how the gamble will play out.

I can speculate too, but my made up scenario wouldn't get as many clicks.  The quest for clicks may, as Rosalie suggests, results in "writers creating problems that may not be there."  

I'll wait for Malcolm to let us know how he processed the news.

I'm not so concerned about Brogdon's silence. He's a professional, knows what he needs to do, and I agree he'll talk when it's time.

I'm more concerned about the club's relative silence about his injury and any progress.

I t would seem a little out of character for him to hold a grudge about it. It's not Malcolm's first rodeo. The injury is more problematic.Wlll he be ready to start the season? Will his shooting touch be compromised , and for how long?

NYCelt wrote:I'm not so concerned about Brogdon's silence. He's a professional, knows what he needs to do, and I agree he'll talk when it's time.

I'm more concerned about the club's relative silence about his injury and any progress.

+1

I hope you are right but report after report are everywhere Not a word about his physical condition kind of worrisome

This stuff about Malcolm being angry is starting to be disturbing. It would be hard to replace his efficiency: 48% from the floor, 44 from three and 87 % freebies is nothing  to sneexe at. There have been rumors about Brown and Smart practically every year . Is Brogdon overly sensitive? Were assurances made to him when he came over in free agency? Did he get that impression? I wish I knew what gives.Does he need surgery or not?Are he and the team on the same page with respect to that medical prognosis ? With Smart and Grant gone and a disgruntled MB shite could get ugly. The JP trade looks great on paper, but  team chemistry is never guaranteed. It's been months now Malcolm.Come in from the cold.

https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-offseason-20230918-milestones-to-watch-for-in-2023-24



Milestones to Watch for in 2023-24


Taylor Snow
Sr. Writer

September 18, 20239:10 AM EDT



The 2023-24 Celtics season is nearly upon us, and with a new campaign comes plenty of individual milestones that are on the horizon.

Below we have singled out seven of Boston's vets, while highlighting two major upcoming statistical achievements apiece along with projections of when you can expect them to hit their various milestones.


Al Horford
14,000th point– Sixteen seasons deep and still going strong, Al Horford finds himself atop the scoring leaderboard among current Celtics players and at 13,605 career points. The 37-year-old center is projected this season to join the 14,000-point club, of which only 24 other active players are a member. It’s hard to say exactly when Horford will hit the 14K mark, given the team's frontcourt shakeup along with the probability that he’ll be given occasional rest days, but if he can average somewhere between 8.0 and 9.5 points per game (he averaged 9.8 last season), he should be able to produce 395 points in about 41-50 games.

800th 3-point make – Horford has a few 3-point milestones ahead of him this season, as he continues to rise as a long-distance marksman. He currently sits 46 3-pointers away from his 800th career make and is also just 10 away from 500 in a Celtics uniform. On top of that, he’s 31 triples from passing Avery Bradley into eighth place on the team’s all-time list and 60 away from Larry Bird in seventh. Horford made a career-high 2.3 long-distance shots per game last season at the second-best clip in the league (44.6 percent). If he can make somewhere around 1.5 to 2.0 treys per game, he should be able to hit 800 in around 23-30 games and 500 in a Celtics uniform in about 6-10 games. And he should be passing Larry Legend in about 30-40 games, just before hitting the 14,000-point mark.


Malcolm Brogdon
2,000th assist – Malcolm Brogdon has an opportunity to have more of a playmaking role this season after the departure of Marcus Smart, meaning we could see his 3.7 assists per game climb closer to his 4.6 career average. The eighth-year combo guard currently has 1,844 assists to his name. If he can average somewhere in the 4.0-4.5 range, he should be able to dish out 156 helpers in about 35-39 games.

1,000th free-throw make – Although he’s one of the most reliable free-throw shooters from a conversion standpoint, Brogdon doesn’t get to the line a tremendous amount. Last season he earned 2.7 free-throw attempts per game, matching his career average exactly. Still, he’s on pace to hit the 1,000 mark in the makes category, as he sits just 53 away. If he can get to the line around three times per game, he should reach 1K in about 18-22 games.


Jaylen Brown
1,000th 3-point make – Jaylen Brown is on track for a major 3-point milestone this season, as he will likely become just the third Celtic to make 1,000 shots from long distance, joining Paul Pierce and Jayson Tatum. Brown currently has 883 career triples, meaning he’s just 117 away. If he can maintain his recent make rate of 2.5 per game (he made an average of 2.4 last season and 2.5 the season before), he should hit the 1K mark in about 45-50 games. Along the way, he’ll pass Marcus Smart (911 3-point makes) and Antoine Walker (925 3-point makes).

500th steal – Brown is also knocking at the door of a defensive milestone, being just 44 steals away from 500. If JB can average 1.1-1.2 steals per game, just as he’s done in each of the past four seasons, he should make it halfway to 1,000 in about 37-40 games.


Kristaps Porzingis
8,000th point – Fairly early in his first Celtics season, Kristaps Porzingis should be hitting the 8,000-point mark, needing just 124 points to do so. Porzingis’ scoring production likely won’t be as high as it was last season as Washington’s leading scorer (23.2 PPG), but even if he averages 18-20 PPG, he should reach 8K in about seven games. Based on a similar trajectory, he would also reach the 9,000-point mark about 57-63 games into the season.

800th 3-point make – Porzingis has an opportunity to make history this season by becoming the first player in NBA history who is more than seven feet tall to make 800 career 3-pointers (four others at exactly seven feet have accomplished the feat). He needs 63 triples to hit the mark, which would take him about 32-42 games if he can average 1.5-2.0 3-point makes per game (he’s averaged 1.8 per game for his career, including 2.1 last season).


Jayson Tatum
10,000th point – Jayson Tatum has a major career milestone that he should be reaching just a couple of weeks into the season, as he is just 135 points away from 10,000. It shouldn’t take the league’s reigning scoring leader (total points) much time to hit that mark; if he averages 30 PPG like he did last season, he’d reach it by Game 5. By that time, he’d be about 24 years, eight months old, which would make him the 10th-youngest player to join the 10,000-point club in NBA history.

3,000th defensive rebound – Tatum’s rebounding flew somewhat under the radar last season, especially on the defensive end. He grabbed 571 defensive boards, which ranked first among non-bigs and eighth overall. At that rate, he should easily surpass 3,000 career defensive rebounds, as he needs just 328 to do so.  Even if his rate drops a bit due to the added frontcourt presence of Kristaps Porzingis, Tatum should reach the mark roughly 50 games into the season, which would make him just the seventh player in franchise history to reach 3,000. Along the way, he’ll pass Kevin Garnett, who grabbed 2,786 during his Celtics tenure.


Derrick White
500th 3-point make – Derrick White is coming off by far his most prolific shooting season after making 149 3-pointers at a 38.1 percent clip (both career highs). All he needs is 17 more makes to reach the 500 mark, which would also place him at 200 for his Celtics career. We’re estimating that White should hit those milestones about 9-12 games into the season, as he looks to continue his rise as a long-distance threat.

300th block – The best shot-blocking guard in the league is approaching the 300 mark for his career, needing just 21 blocks to get there. That shouldn’t be a problem after the All-Defense guard blocked 76 shots last season; in fact, he could reach 350 by the end of the season if he picks up where he left off. White’s average came out to 0.9 blocks per game last season, so if he averages an even 1.0 BPG, he should reach the 300 mark around his 21st game.


Rob Williams
400th block – Rob Williams is on pace to hit a block milestone as well, nearing 400 for his career. He’s a bit further away from the four-century mark than White is from the three-century mark, as he needs 52 to get there. But as the best shot-blocker on the team, it shouldn’t take him long. If Williams averages somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0 blocks per game, he should reach 400 after about 26-35 games.

300th assist – While 300 assists isn’t a significant mark for a ball handler, it is for a big man, especially for someone like Williams who wasn’t much of a distributor toward the beginning of his career. It's likely that he’ll hit that milestone in the very first game of the season since he only needs one to get there. During Williams’ earlier days, it may have taken him a few games to get an assist, as he totaled just seven during his rookie year and 27 during his sophomore season. However, he’s improved drastically as a passer over the past three years, all while being utilized more often as a passer, which increased his total assists to 134 in 61 games this past season. Look for Williams to hit the 300 mark right off the bat this season before possibly reaching 400 in the spring.  


Bob
MY NOTE:  The only milestone I care about involves the #18.  All these are individual achievements.  I will, however, take a small bow for pointing out early in The Time Lord's career that he's definitely an above average passing big man and that they should utilize him more like that.

.

Bob


.

Love it the kid is growing up before our eyes seems so much more mature

What a super fun video to watch. I love Kevin and Jayson together.

https://us.yahoo.com/sports/boston-danny-ainge-recalls-celtics-120018918.html



Boston’s Danny Ainge recalls how Celtics icon Red Auerbach beat him in racquetball


Justin Quinn

Thu, September 28, 2023 at 5:00 AM PDT·2 min read



Younger fans of the Boston Celtics may not be aware that current team President Danny Ainge was a player with the franchise and won two titles in the mid-1980s.

Fewer still know Ainge was a three-sport All-American, earning national recognition as a high school athlete in his native Oregon while playing basketball, football, and baseball. He played baseball professionally in college before joining the Celtics in 1981. As adept as the future Celtic was at sports in high school, he met his match in another sport in one Red Auerbach, the iconic Boston coach and team president behind the bulk of Boston’s banners.

Ainge was asked if there’s a sport he isn’t good at on a recent episode of the popular New England Sports radio show “Toucher & Rich.”


This prompted the former BYU star to regale listeners of his run-in with Red on a different sort of court when he was still donning the green and white — and how he almost got away with what is evidently a dirty trick.

“Yeah, there’s a sport,” answered Ainge. “Racquetball.”

“I could never really get good at racquetball because I use both hands when I play tennis,” he added.


“There was a time when he did challenge me, and he was beating everybody on the team,” he added.

“It was like in the middle of training camp. I’m going ‘Red, I’ve got a second practice coming up here in a while’. He goes ‘C’mon, Ainge, you’re the only guy I haven’t beat.’ So, I went back in the racquetball court and I beat Red, but I beat him without putting the string around my wrist. And so Red, when Red found out — from I think it was (Kevin) McHale who tattled on me — when Red found out that.”

“You can’t do that,” explained the Celtics president. “Then (Red) wanted a rematch, and then he beat me.”


While the intricacies of racquetball rules remain opaque to us, we’ll take Danny’s word given we know how fiercely competitive the legendary Celtics general manager was.

So while Ainge may have been a three-sport All-American, it’s safe to say racquetball wasn’t among them.


Bob


.

Latest Celtics signing

https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/9/28/23893626/boston-celtics-sign-jordan-schakel-to-a-training-camp-deal

How many shekels for Schakel?

worcester wrote:How many shekels for Schakel?

                                                                 

https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/report-celtics-have-opened-extension-talks-with-payton-pritchard/556400/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20The%20Athletic's%20Jared,sources%20briefed%20on%20the%20negotiations.%22



Report: Celtics have opened extension talks with Payton Pritchard


Pritchard is entering the final year of his rookie deal.


By Nick Goss • Published 3 hours ago • Updated 3 hours ago


Brad Stevens talks about how tough it was to let Robert Williams know he was traded from Jrue Holiday

Earlier this year, it was fair to wonder how much of a future Payton Pritchard had with the Boston Celtics.

He was often the subject of trade rumors and didn't have as big of a role under head coach Joe Mazzulla that he did in 2021-22 under Ime Udoka.

But now that the dust has finally settled on a busy offseason for the Celtics, it looks like Pritchard could potentially be here beyond the upcoming campaign.

In fact, The Athletic's Jared Weiss reported Monday that the Celtics "have opened extension talks with Pritchard but still have a gap to close to reach an agreement, according to sources briefed on the negotiations."

Pritchard is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer if unsigned.


Bob
MY NOTE: League sources are also reporting the Celtics aren't done "tinkering" with their roster yet. Would signing Payton to an extension be something another GM wants?

.

https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-prac-20231020-rondo-returns-joins-celtics-at-practice



Rondo Returns, Joins Celtics at Practice


Taylor Snow
Sr. Writer

October 20, 20235:24 PM EDT



BOSTON – At around 3 a.m. on a recent early-fall morning, Rajon Rondo was awoken by an unexpected phone call.

The former Celtics point guard picked up, and before he could utter a sleepy, “Hello?” he was greeted by Paul Pierce’s raspy, eager voice on the other line.

"They want us back!"

Rondo had been one of several Celtics alumni who received an email from head coach Joe Mazzulla this past summer, inviting them to Boston to hang around the team at any point throughout the upcoming season.

Pierce was the first to take Mazzulla up on the offer, spending the first week of training camp with the team. Others, including Satch Sanders, Sam Vincent, Antoine Walker, and Eddie House have also stopped by.

On Friday, it was Rondo’s turn.

Rondo had been somewhat taken aback by Mazzulla’s invitation. He had never received something of that nature during or after his 16-year NBA career, eight-plus of which he spent with the C’s.

“You do that in a lot of college programs where alumni come back,” said Rondo, who last played in 2021-22 for the Cleveland Cavaliers. “As a pro, you don’t do it as much because guys get traded to so many different teams and it’s the NBA. So to get that email was very welcoming and humbling at the same time.”

It had been more than eight years since Rondo had been present at a Celtics practice, and this was his first time present as an alumnus. It was also his first time stepping foot inside the team’s world-class training facility.

“It’s like going on a date,” he said of the experience. “You don’t get asked out too often and when you get your first date it’s like you get excited about it. But coming back and seeing [the Auerbach Center], I didn’t get the opportunity to practice or play here at this particular facility. So it’s an amazing facility. I think it’s one of the best I’ve been in, playing for all 16 teams I played for in my career (he’s joking, it was ‘only’ nine). So, it’s a nice facility, and who wouldn’t want to come play in here?”

Rondo said that his former head coach and current president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has put together an “impressive” roster, and is particularly intrigued by the addition of Jrue Holiday. Rondo played one season with Holiday in New Orleans and it’s safe to say that he’s a fan of the new Celtics point guard.

“I love the Jrue Holiday pick-up,” he said. “He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever played with all-time and I’m excited for you guys to see what he can bring night in, night out. Just his mentality, his mindset, his professional approach to the game, and just what he brings out there on the court. He does a lot of intangibles, he’s a very unselfish guy, and he’s fun to be around. But he’s a winner. He’s a competitor.”

Rondo says he also caught up with Al Horford, with whom he crossed paths throughout his entire playing career dating back to college. He said that Horford is one of many pieces that could make this into a special team; a team that he believes has the same potential as his beloved 2008 championship squad.

“There’s a lot of guys that I’d say are great at what they do,” Rondo said. “They have a great shot at winning it all.”

Part of Rondo’s Auerbach Center experience was sitting in for part of Friday’s coaches’ meeting. Coaching is an avenue that he plans on exploring after he finishes his degree at the University of Kentucky, where he’s resumed classes as a communications major.

He said he enjoyed picking Mazzulla’s brain during the session.

“I love teaching the game,” Rondo said. “Right now I have a young AAU program with my son’s team. I coach at that level and want to dedicate my time with him and try to get him off to the right start. My daughter is in volleyball. I’m not an expert coach in that, but I do study that game as well and try to put her in the right positions to get a scholarship. So, coaching is in the future. I wanted to come here this week and learn from Joe and pick up as much knowledge as I can from him and the rest of the staff and just kind of learn.”

Mazzulla says there’s also plenty to be learned from Rondo, as well as any of the alumni who come back.

“The more we can create an open space for the guys who came before us and gave us an opportunity to do what we do, I think it’s important to have,” Mazzulla said. “I’ve always respected [Rondo] as a player. I think he has a great basketball mind and I’m grateful that he’s here. I know the guys appreciate it too.”

Rondo appreciated the experience, as well. Now he understands why Pierce was so eager to reach out to him. Though next time, he’d probably appreciate a call before midnight.

Like Pierce, he, too, would like to step in as an advisor for this team when needed. He noted, “I don’t want to come in as a guy that knows it all,” but, “I’m going to help as much as possible.”

“I’m just gonna let it come natural,” he added. “Nothing predetermined. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to say to those guys. If they want my input, I’m willing to give it.”


Bob


.

This is quite a shocker to me. Rondo back visiting Boston?  Must have been one heck of a letter Joe wrote!!  Glad to see veteran's coming around, but where is Dave Cowens?  Have not seen him for quite a while. There are so few old timers left (the ones who built this legacy)  So to see some of these guys around is good,  I know I have said it before, but the connection to Red is fading

From Red to pink?