Boston Celtics News (2023-2024)

worcester wrote:Hamstring tendinopathy is very poorly understood by NBA and NFL trainers. As a result, they often take 6 weeks to restore an athlete to peak condition once it occurs. My own personal trainer, Terry Simes,  built a great reputation working with Olympic track athletes, helping over 20 of them win Gold Medals. As a result he became an adjunct trainer for the Knicks, when Charley Ward and Patrick Ewing were making noise for them. He was amazed by how little the Knicks trainers knew about treating hamstring problems properly and how resistant they were to learning better protocols. As a result, he left and resumed private practice in Florida, and now he's helped over 30 athletes win Olympic Gold medals. He is currently training Sha Carri Richardson and helped her win the Gold in two events at the recent World Championships.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/american-sprinter-shacarri-richardson-world-100-meter-rcna101061

Anyway, Terry helped many top athletes with hamstring strains and even  tears compete and win Gold Medals within a week of such injuries. Don't expect anything that quick for Giannis, unless his trainers know about Active Isolated Stretching, Blood Flow Stretching or cross fiber massage techniques or unless he simply has a mild hamstring strain.

Kevin Johnson, when a star for the Suns, was plagued by hamstring issues, and he was able to keep on playing because he got frequent acupuncture treatments for it.  

Nowadays, treatment of hamstrings with PhotoBioModulation (LED light) to acupuncture points is the state of the art treatment, at least in my profession. That's all I've got to report, except that I'm a member of Harvard Med School/MGH's monthly Zoom conference on such topics. At our next meeting I'll ask if any Celtics are getting PBM care.

Very instructive. Thanks!

Bob


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Bob
MY NOTE:  If any of you don't know this by now I LOVE offensive rebounding.  You don't want to get pinned underneath the basket and give up transition baskets but challenging for a rebound has little to no downside that I can see and, in fact, disrupts their transition to offense.  I think I just found a new love and his name is P-Rabbit aka "Pritch da god".

His number should be 62 instead of 61 but because 7'0, 280# Brook Lopez was able to tie him up for a jump ball that wasn't counted as an offensive rebound, I think.  It should be, but I don't think it was, I think it was categorized as a 'team rebound' to the team that won the jump.  Can anybody confirm or refute this?


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I can neither confirm or deny, sir. This is classified information.

worcester wrote:I can neither confirm or deny, sir. This is classified information.

Prakash,

Worcester could tell you, but then he'd have to kill you.


Bob


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Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
about 55 minutes ago
70% That’s what Payton Pritchard is shooting at the rim this season. 91st percentile among point guards per Cleaning the Glass. Up 12% over his first three seasons. More numbers on Pritchard’s season: nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-cel… pic.twitter.com/7ZGqmLNPm0
MY NOTE:  I'll post this article in its entirety separately on this thread.



Sean Grande
Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 5 hours ago
NBA Offensive Rating - Last 21 games 1.273 - Boston 1.265 - 1.260 - 1.255 - 1.250 - 1.245 - 1.240 - 1.235 - 1.230 - 1.225 - 1.220 - 1.215 - 1.210 - 1.205 - 1.200 - 1.195 - LA Lakers 1.190 - OKC 1.183 - Dallas 1.180 - 1.175 - Denver 1.186 is the record, Celtics now at 1.223.
MY NOTE:  I don't understand this.  The league's OffRtg over the last 21 games is 1.273 (presumably points/possession?) and NONE of those games by Boston is the league average?!  What are you saying, Grande?  He throws in the Lakers?  Who cares about the Lakers, they're barely in the play-in?!  Tell me about OKC, tell me about Milwaukee or some other team in the East we might face in the playoffs.  What am I missing?


Bob


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https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/payton-pritchard-bounce-back-season-celtics/597589/



Crunching the numbers on Pritchard's bounce-back season with Celtics


Pritchard has blossomed into one of Boston's most reliable reserves.


By Chris Forsberg, Celtics Insider • Published March 22, 2024 • Updated on March 22, 2024 at 1:34 pm



It really is wild to think just how much things have changed for Payton Pritchard since last season.

Frustrated by his role deep on Boston’s guard depth chart, Pritchard lobbied for a trade at the 2023 deadline, only to stick in Boston and play sparingly last March.

A year later, with a (relatively) lucrative contract extension already inked, Pritchard is the only player on the Celtics roster to appear in every game this season and has made a notable impact for a team with the best record in basketball.

Let’s crunch some of the numbers on Pritchard’s season:


Positive P

Good things happen whenever Pritchard is on the court. Last season he was the fourth guard on Boston’s depth chart. This season he’s third in the entire NBA in net rating.

The Celtics outscore opponents by 12.8 points per 100 possessions with Pritchard on the floor. Only teammates Derrick White and Sam Hauser (both +13.5) have better marks in the NBA.

Pritchard is also tied for eighth in the NBA with Boston posting an offensive rating of 121.4 during his floor time. Only White (122.8 ) and Jayson Tatum (122.4) have better marks on the Celtics.

Pritchard has had a positive plus/minus in 43 of Boston’s 69 games. He’s been +10 or better in 28 of those contests.


Rebound machine

It’s staggering how often the 6-foot-1 guard emerges from a scrum with an offensive rebound. Pritchard has an uncanny knack for helping on the glass at both ends of the court, but especially his ability to generate extra possessions by corralling offensive caroms.

Pritchard’s offensive rebound rate of 4.0 percent is the best among all qualifiers in the NBA at 6-foot-4 and under. Even opening it up to all players under 6-foot-7, his offensive rebound rate still ranks 15th overall among that group.

Pritchard’s 61 total offensive rebounds this year rank sixth on the team, which is not bad when three of the five players in front of him are big men (Luke Kornet, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis). Pritchard has more offensive rebounds than Jayson Tatum (53) despite playing 866 fewer minutes this season.


Valuing the basketball

Even with a slight spike in his turnover percentage since the All-Star break, Pritchard remains one of the best point guards in the NBA in terms of ball security.

Pritchard’s turnover rate of 7.6 percent ranks third among all point guards, per Cleaning the Glass data. Only Tyrese Maxey (7.0) and Tyus Jones (7.2) have better marks.

Pritchard ranks eighth in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.08.

The Celtics generated 515 points off Pritchard assists over the previous two seasons and a total of 119 games overall. In 69 games this season, Pritchard assists have led to 495 total points.


P-Rabbit's Leap

Payton Pritchard ranks among the NBA's best in several key stats this season (through March 22).

Category......................Stat..........NBA Rank
GP...............................69............T-2nd
NetRtg.........................12.8.........3rd
OffRebRate*.................4.0%........1st
TOV%**......................7.6%........3rd
AST/TO.......................4.08%.......8th
*Among players 6'4" or under ... **Among point guards
MY NOTE:  These stats do not include last night's game vs Detroit.  His AST/TO ratio is now 4.18:1.  The 4.08% doesn't even make sense, it's not a percentage, it's a ratio.


Sneaky good at the rim

We all know how good Pritchard is with the 3-point shot. He’s shooting 38.9 percent on 4.5 attempts per game beyond the arc this season. But he’s quietly improved his finishing around the rim, maximizing some of those attempts when he gets to the hoop on transition opportunities.

Pritchard is shooting 70 percent (42 of 60) at the rim this season, ranking in the 88th percentile among all point guards, per Cleaning the Glass data. That’s a notable spike after shooting just 58 percent at the rim in his first three seasons as a pro.


Bob


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The kind of player who never concerned himself with personal goals" - John Havlicek on how it was to play with Bill Russell
By Yakshpat Bhargava,

Throughout his remarkable 16-year NBA career, John Havlicek won eight championships with the Boston Celtics, six of which he secured alongside Bill Russell.

As someone who experienced Bill's leadership firsthand, 'Hondo' provided insights on how unselfishly the legendary big man worked to put his team and teammates in prime position to win the Larry O'Brien trophy each season.

"Playing with Russell for all of those years meant that you were going to be in the mix for a championship, and winning those titles were the most important things in my career," Havlicek said . "Forget about the points, rebounds, and assists or whatever. The championships are things that they can't take away from you, and with Russell being involved and being involved with him, you always knew that you had a chance."

Russell's presence elevated every player

Continuing his admiration for the five-time MVP, Havlicek emphasized how Russell 's presence not only gave assurance but even had a transformative effect on every player on the Celtics roster. Regardless of their role on offense or defensive, each teammate improved as a player whenever they were on the court with Russell.

"Russell was the kind of player who never concerned himself with personal goals," Havlicek added. "He put his team above all else, and in the process, he made his teammates better players. If you were a scorer, you were six to eight points better because Russell was around. If you were a good defensive player, you became a great defensive player."

Furthermore, the 13-time All-Star expressed that even though the 'Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell' clash was the most eagerly awaited battle by fans, Russell remained solely focused on winning NBA rings, even if it came at the cost of sacrificing personal accolades.


Hondo on the difference between Wilt and Bill

Delving into the Wilt vs. Bill rivalry, 'Hondo' pointed out the biggest difference between these legendary centers. He also mentioned how the Celtics center had a psychological over Wilt, which made him always linger in Chamberlain's mind, even if 'The Big Dipper' wouldn't admit it.

The most important things to Bill were championships, rings, and winning. He was never after the personal stats. Wilt could raise the level of his game. He could do things that were eye-popping when you reviewed the box score, but he could never figure out how to make his teammates around him better," said Havlicek.

Russell was the ultimate teammate and biggest winner the sport of basketball has ever seen, so it is no surprise that his teammates are to this day in awe of his unselfishness and view of the game.

Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
Jrue Holiday, who will miss his 4th straight game tonight, putting in work pre-game here in Chicago.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1771674434316730534


Bob
MY NOTE: Good sign. Still a long way from contact, but doesn't look dead.


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Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 7 hours ago
The Celtics have made 77 more 3's than anyone else in March. That gap? It's larger than the gap between #2 Cleveland and yeah, everyone else. NBA - 3-POINT FIELD GOALS IN MARCH 248 - Boston (1st) (77) 171 - Cleveland (2nd) (55) 116 - Indiana (Last)


Bob


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AS OF 3/25/24, PRE-GAMES, 11 GAMES LEFT:


* Hawks and Bulls steamrolling towards 9-10 matchup.

* Winner would play loser of 7-8 game for 8th seed, and right to meet Celtics in Round 1.

* Indy trying to fend off Philly, Miami for top 6 spot.

Playoff probabilities via
@bball_ref




Bob
MY NOTE:  How can they say we have a "100%" probability of being the #1 seed before we've clinched it?  Is it extremely likely we'll clinch it, say, "high 90's percentage" likely?  Yes, but it ain't over 'til it's over.  Makes me wonder about this. What other logical fallacies are built into these numbers?


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The Celtics have risen to #1 in the NBA in 3 point shooting percentage at 39.1%  They remain # 1 in 3PA (42.7) and 3PM at (16.7)

The difference compared to last season is our shooting percentage  is better.  Last season 42.6 attempts and 16 makes for 37.7%

The notion that we are shooting more three pointers is only barely noticeable.

The big difference is achieving a higher percentage (+1.4%)  the impact on offense is 4.2 PPG over last year
(100 X 3P%)*3

Actual average PPG difference is 2.1 per game. (16*3) vs (16.7*3) 48 points last season and 50.1 points this season.

Congratulations to Derrick White who has been named NBA Player of the Week.

About time he's gotten some league-wide recognition.


Bob

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PAYTON PRITCHARD WATCH, 3/26/24:


Pritch da god is now 7th in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio @ 4.5:1.



1.......Tyus Jones.................Washington Wizards............PG.........7.3
2.......Chris Paul..................Golden State Warriors..........PG........6.2
3.......Sam Merrill................Cleveland Cavaliers.............PG.........5.6
4.......Mike Conley...............Minnesota Timberwolves......PG.........5.2
5.......Tyrese Haliburton.......Indiana Pacers....................PG.........4.7
6.......Fred VanVleet............Houston Rockets.................PG.........4.6
7.......Payton Pritchard.........Boston Celtics.....................PG........4.5


Bob


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John Karalis
@John_Karalis
If you think coaching is just about calling a timeout at the right time (or if you think Joe Mazzulla only cares about offense), listen to Jrue Holiday talk about how Mazzulla has one of the best defenders in the game seeing defense in a whole new way.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1772777915492548742


Bob


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https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-court/carmelo-anthony-shares-not-being-able-to-go-to-some-restaurants-or-walk-outside-in-boston



Carmelo Anthony shares not being able to go to some restaurants or walk outside in Boston: “My deep-rooted beef with Boston is on court”


Carmelo Anthony admits that beyond basketball, he loves going around Bean Town.


BRIAN YALUNG18 HOURS AGO



Being the NBA star that he is, Carmelo Anthony is aware that there is no telling what could happen if he ends up in shady places. Hence, the retired NBA player shared that during his time, he picked the places where he should be.

Melo shared his thoughts when he, Kid Metro, and comedian Sam Jay were discussing the Paul Pierce stabbing incident that happened in 2000 on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast.

It was in September 2000 when news broke that The Truth got stabbed in the face, neck, and back at the time while in a pool room of a nightclub, ABC News reported. Pierce survived that incident at the Buzz Club in the city’s theatre district. Chiming in on that, Melo shared that he knew places where he should go and not.

“I had my spots, though. I had my spots. You just knew where not to go. Coz most times you think of Boston as a bar town. Like most people come in town, they want to hit the bars, and the hotel is next to the bars, so that’s where the fans are going to be,” the 10-time All-Star said.


Melo loved BeanTown

Anthony clarified that the only beef he may have in Boston is on the basketball court. Beyond that, he professes his love for the city, whether it be drinking or dining.

“I was real comfortable in Bean Town. So my deep-rooted beef with Boston is on the court,” Carmelo concluded.


Does the KG incident count?

Having played for 19 seasons in the league, Anthony has had his share of tense moments against the Boston Celtics. However, if there is one incident that comes to mind, it is the one involving him and Kevin Garnett in 2013. Anthony was playing for the New York Knicks at the time.

Their argument happened because of Anthony’s ex-wife, Alani “La La” Vasquez. The 2013 NBA Scoring champion admits he carried this problem for a while, despite the fact he and the “Big Ticket” were able to sort it out.


What if Melo joined the Celtics?

Ironically, Anthony almost played for the Celtics in the 2022-23 season. That was after Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn ACL that ruled him out for the season. Word got out that the Celtics were seriously considering Melo that season, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

Anthony was a free agent at the time after spending the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. That alleged interest never came to fruition, with Carmelo retiring on May 22, 2023.


Bob


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Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
about 19 minutes ago
Boston's next three games come against opponents who will be playing on the second leg of a back-to-back CHA hosted LAC Sunday night, OKC is at PHL Tuesday, and SAC plays in NYK Thursday


Bob


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https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/04/celtics-guard-earns-sizable-contract-bonus-in-hornets-win.html


Celtics guard earns sizable contract bonus in Hornets win


Updated: Apr. 02, 2024, 6:15 a.m.|Published: Apr. 02, 2024, 6:15 a.m.


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com


The Celtics payroll got a little pricer on Monday night for the 2023-24 season after Derrick White hit a key milestone in his contract. The starting guard knocked down four 3s on his way to tallying 19 points and nine rebounds in Boston’s 118-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. The hot shooting earned White a noteworthy boost to his salary for the 2023-24 season as the veteran crossed 185 made 3s for the season, which awards him a bonus worth an extra $500,000 for this salary this season.


The boost bumps his earnings for this season up to $18.85 million since the bonus was deemed unlikely entering the year per Bobby Marks of ESPN.com. White had never hit that 3-point mark in his entire career before this season.

The bump in salary will cost Celtics ownership a bit more than the $500,000 since the team is already well into luxury tax territory with their current payroll. With tax penalties factored in, White’s bonus will cost Boston well north of $1.5 million in total. That’s a price the team is likely happy to pay for a breakout year for the 29-year-old guard.


White is posting a career-best in several individual categories this year including 3-point makes (2.7), rebounds (4.3), block (1.2) and points (15.5) per game. He also looks like a strong candidate to make the NBA All-Defense team as one of the best backcourt rim defenders in the league.

White’s bonus will also have a impact on Boston’s salary cap outlook for next season. The bonus will be included as a likely bonus for White’s salary entering next year so that will come in at $20.6 million for the 2024-25 season. Boston is expected to be well over the luxury tax with their current payroll commitments and anticipation that Jrue Holiday will be re-signed this offseason. White is eligible to sign an extension this summer for up to four seasons.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Gotta spend money to make money.  If we win 18 this year Wyc and Pags will be rolling in even more dough than they already have.  Derrick has been a very pleasant surprise this year, a real breakout season.  How many times have we read opposing fans in the Comments From The Other Side threads drooling over him?

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Congratulations to Head Coach Joe Mazzulla for being named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for the SECOND time this season.

The half month of October is combined with November for a single award.  Therefore there have only been 5 awards this season total.   Winning 40% of the season is impressive.


Bob


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Whether people want to like him or not, he has busted his tail this year. With all this talent, it is hard to manage personalities. He has done a great job. Congratulations Joe, well deserved

Ime Udoka is also doing a great job for Houston. So the Celtics brass have picked two of the very best coaches in the NBA to guide the Celts for the past 3 years. That bespeaks a high quality organization.

bobheckler wrote:Congratulations to Head Coach Joe Mazzulla for being named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for the SECOND time this season.

The half month of October is combined with November for a single award.  Therefore there have only been 5 awards this season total.   Winning 40% of the season is impressive.


Bob


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In my opinion the right coach at the right time. A defensive mastermind.

https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/jaylen-brown-celtics-defense-commitment/599687/


Jaylen Brown's commitment to defense is a game-changer for Celtics


The Celtics star is embracing the challenge of locking up the opponent's best players.


By Chris Forsberg, Celtics Insider • Published April 1, 2024 • Updated on April 1, 2024 at 11:05 am


Joe Mazzulla recognizes Jaylen Brown’s growth on the defensive end, saying Brown takes pride in being able to impact the game in ways other than scoring.

Jaylen Brown’s season-long quest to earn All-Defense consideration got thrust back into the spotlight over the weekend.

After watching Pelicans big man Zion Williamson dominate the opening frame Saturday, Brown took on the challenge of making him work for his points the rest of the night. The results? Williamson generated just three points on 1-of-6 shooting with three turnovers over a game-high seven minutes, 15 seconds of matchup time with Brown as the primary defender, per NBA tracking.


Brown was the primary defender on Williamson for 56.7 percent of his floor time, with no one else on the Celtics going north of 19.9 percent. Brown got whistled for a couple of shooting fouls but offered firm resistance when Williamson tried to navigate to the basket.

And, aided by backline help from Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics bottled up Williamson better while putting on a defensive clinic in the middle quarters.


Chris Forsberg

@ChrisForsberg_
The Pelicans were 2 of 14 shooting (14.3%) when Jaylen Brown was the primary defender on Saturday.

Zion defended by JB via NBA tracking:

7:15 matchup time
35.6 possessions
3 PTS
1-6 FG
3 TO
https://twitter.com/i/status/1774409274560569463


The Celtics own the third-best defense in the NBA, allowing 110.7 points per 100 possessions. They had been entrenched at No. 2 behind Minnesota until a recent slip that saw Orlando leapfrog them.

Even with one of the NBA’s better defenses, Brown might struggle to get All-Defense consideration, if only because of the talent around him. The Celtics have an All-Defense backcourt in Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, while Porzingis has been impactful as a back-line deterrent.

Brown is having the best defensive season of his career. He’s routinely sacrificed scoring to preserve energy on the defensive side. That defensive intensity has only cemented his All-NBA status, but it will be interesting to see just how much consideration he gets for All-Defense.

Among the 162 players defending at least 10 shot attempts per game with at least 40 appearances this season, Brown ranks 18th in the NBA while holding opponents to 44.6 percent shooting. That’s 2.8 percent below expected output, the second-best mark on the Celtics behind only "Cookies 'N Cream" partner Kristaps Porzingis (-5.3).

Celtics Leaders in Def. FG% Differential
Minimum 50 games played

Player..............................DFG%.............Exp. FG%............Diff.
Kristaps Porzingis.............43.7%.............49.0%.................−5.3
Jaylen Brown...................44.6%.............47.4%.................−2.8
Luke Kornet.....................45.4%.............48.0%.................−2.6
Derrick White...................44.8%.............47.1%.................−2.3
Jrue Holiday.....................45.3%.............47.4%.................−2.2
Al Horford........................46.1%.............48.2%.................−2.1
Jayson Tatum...................47.0%.............47.7%.................−0.7


Brown’s defensive numbers have slipped a bit post All-Star break. In 50 appearances before the break, he lingered near the top of the NBA while holding opponents to 42.6 percent shooting and 4.6 percent below expected output. But Brown boosted his offensive output coming out of the break and still routinely sought out tough matchups on the defensive end.

Here are some of the players who top Brown’s matchup time for the season: Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Dejounte Murray, Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson, and Donovan Mitchell. Brown has embraced defending elite opponents and his desire to take on those matchups has set a tone for the Celtics.

Brown’s willingness to hound James Harden in Round 2 of the playoffs a year ago helped Boston win that series. It showed that, when utilized at the point of attack, Brown can use his strength and athleticism to be a super impactful defender, while also minimizing lapses in concentration when playing off the ball. The Celtics have more frequently leaned into Brown on ball-handlers this season.

In earning a Second Team All-NBA nod last year, Brown proved that he’s one of the top players in the league. But his desire to defend other elite scorers is slowly shifting the narrative that he’s a score-first player. Brown is showing this year that he can have an all-around impact on winning.

The question is whether All-Defense voters will reward him for that willingness to take on challenges. Games like Saturday offer a glimpse at just how much Brown can change the game on the defensive end.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Jaylen came into the league with the reputation as a defender who struggled to score except in transition.   He put a lot of work into improving his offense and became an All-Star because of that (defensive stars aren't named to ASGs, unfortunately).  Now he has rededicated himself to what got him in the league in the first place.  His defense on Zion was unbelievable given how much heavier and stronger Zion is.

Luke is 3rd?! I did not expect that.

"Cookies and Cream"?  WTF?!

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Jaylen's heart now matches what Marcus Smart used to give us. JB is worth every penny Wyc is paying him.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/04/celtics-assistant-coach-under-consideration-for-open-hornets-job-report.html


Celtics assistant coach under consideration for open Hornets job (report)


Updated: Apr. 03, 2024, 11:21 a.m.|Published: Apr. 03, 2024, 11:20 a.m.



Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee gestures during the first half of the team's NBA preseason basketball game against the Chicago Bulls. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)AP


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



The Hornets will be looking for a new head coach this offseason and their prospective candidates will include at least one member of the Celtics bench. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that Hornets coach Steve Clifford plans to step down at the end of the regular season and Boston assistant Charles Lee will be under consideration for the position. Other candidates for the position will include Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant Kevin Young and others according to Wojnarowski.


Lee joined Joe Mazzulla’s staff as a top assistant in June after serving as a top lieutenant in Milwaukee for Mike Budenholtzer since 2018. Lee was a finalist for the Bucks job this summer after Budenholtzer was fired in June but Milwaukee went with Adrian Griffin, who was fired by the team in January.

Lee, 38, also interviewed with the Pistons, Raptors and Suns for their head coaching openings this past summer but was passed over for those jobs. At that point, the Celtics pounced on Lee quickly and he helped fill a void on Mazzulla’s staff created following the departure of Damon Stoudamire for Georgia Tech last March.


Boston also lost several other assistant coaches this offseason who left to join former coach Ime Udoka after he was hired by the Rockets. Sam Cassell also joined Lee as another key hire for Boston’s bench this past summer.

Given his impressive experience as an assistant throughout his career and Boston’s success this season, it’s no surprise to see Lee emerge as a head coaching candidate. It’s likely that the Hornets job won’t be the only place where Lee gets a look. The Wizards and Nets are expected to fill their head coaching vacancies this summer and Lee could be in the mix for those positions.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I'm ok with this, overall.  Having your assistant coaches being considered, or even hired, for head coaching positions elsewhere reflects well on the Celtics and on Joe, and that in turn makes it easier to hire high quality assistants to replace him since they see a career path.  Think of how many assistants Pop has had move on to head coaching jobs.  Think of how many of Red's players went on to head coaching jobs.  All I am insisting upon is that nothing happens, no discussions, until after the Celtics have finished their playoff run, however far it goes.  I remember the chaos that resulted last year when Duke hired Damon Stoudemire in the middle of March.  We were undermanned at the coaching level heading into the playoffs, which particularly hurt since Joe was a rookie head coach.  I remember the turmoil when Thibs was offered the Bulls head coaching job in 2010.  He didn't leave until after we were done but the announcement of his hire by Chicago was an unnecessary distraction.  Best of luck to Charles Lee AFTER we're done.


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