Boston Celtics News (2023-2024)

This was inevitable, after all, he was an assistant coach in Milwaukee and frankly, I was surprised he jumped, although, I am sure he was glad he did the way things turned out there. There is no doubt he may have been overjoyed he made the choice he did. I believe he has had an impact on Joe throughout the year. You are right though, AFTER the season is over, not before. I believe losing Stoudemire last year was rough, not only on Joe but some of the players. They all like him. Sam had a chance to jump and go with Doc, said no he was staying here. who knows what his next move will be

Next coach up!

That is what it is. I could definitely see Lee going there. They are a bad franchise. I do not see Sam leaving to take over a rebuild.

Every year we see coaching changes and I see no reason why that trend will not continue this off season.

I expect to see coaching changes in Washington and Brooklyn.

Jared Weiss: Derrick White: “I think if we made every shot, we’d be so much better.” 5 hours ago – via Twitter JaredWeissNBA


Bob
MY NOTE: Derrick has a sense of humor. Who knew?


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Celtics break all-time NBA record in 35-point demolition of Thunder




The Boston Celtics have dominated throughout the 2023-24 regular season, and the numbers prove it. After destroying the Oklahoma City Thunder 135-100 on Wednesday night, the C’s earned their 16th win by 25 points or more.

That was enough for the most 25-point wins in a single season in NBA history, according to NBC Sports Boston statistician Dick Lipe. But best of all, Boston has now locked up the No. 1 overall seed in the league for the first time since the 2007-08 season, which is when the Celtics won their last title.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla was happy to see his guys clinch homecourt throughout the upcoming postseason, however, he recognized that this is just step one of Boston’s quest to bring a championship back to Beantown, per CelticsBlog reporter Jack Simone.
“We definitely talked about it as a team. Talked about it before the game. Treat this game as the clincher,” Mazzulla said. “I think it was important for us to simulate that … I think it’s a testament to the guys. Tonight, we’ll enjoy it. Tomorrow, nobody cares.”

Although the 35-point margin of victory makes it seem like this game was over from the start, that wasn’t the case. The undermanned Thunder were without stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, yet they managed to cut the Green Team’s lead down to five with 4:41 to go in the third quarter.

Boston didn’t flinch though. From that point on, the Celtics outscored their Western Conference foe 58-28. Center Kristaps Porzingis was perhaps the biggest factor in Boston’s 60th win, notching 27 points, 12 rebounds, and an insane five blocks in 30 minutes of play. Following his stellar performance, he told NBC Sports Boston court-side reporter Abby Chin how great it was to show out at TD Garden.

“This is the best place to play basketball,” he said with a huge smile on his face.



Celtics’ 2023-24 dominance

At home, the C’s are now an impressive 33-3. The energy the Celtics gain from playing there is another reason why they sit atop the Eastern Conference standings at 60-16. That win total is their highest since the 2008-09 season, and with six games remaining, they still have a chance to match the 66-16 record posted by the 2007-08 championship team.

TD Garden hospitality aside, Boston has thrived with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at the helm. Even though they didn’t have historic nights against OKC, they were at their best down the stretch. Tatum had 13 of his 24 points in the third quarter and Brown had 15 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, Brown had five turnovers and eight points and was a lousy 4-for-14 from the field. It looked like the left hand sprain he’s been dealing with was throwing him off, yet, he came out firing in the fourth quarter and put the Thunder away. In the final 12 minutes of the contest, the 2024 All-Star connected on five of his six attempts from the floor and recorded three rebounds, two assists, one steal, and zero turnovers.



Regardless of all the regular season records and statistics, only one number is truly important for the 2023-24 C’s: 18. There have been 17 banners hanging in the TD Garden rafters since 2008, but Boston has a prime opportunity to add another with the 2024 NBA Playoffs rapidly approaching.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/04/kristaps-porzingis-admission-should-be-welcome-news-for-celtics-robb.html


Kristaps Porzingis admission should be welcome news for Celtics


Published: Apr. 04, 2024, 6:00 a.m.



Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis ( gestures to the crowd after scoring during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in New York, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie)AP


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



The Celtics find themselves atop the NBA regular season mountain after dismantling the Thunder 135-100 on Wednesday night in TD Garden. On a night where many parts of Boston’s lineup stood out as bright spots, Kristaps Porzingis stood out from the pack. The seven-footer carved up the Thunder’s defense even in a tough matchup against Rookie of the Year contender Chet Holmgren, posting 27 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and four assists in the rout.


The big man was efficient as ever, going 11-of-14 from the field including making all three of his 3-point attempts to key a Boston offense that shot a red-hot 54 percent from the field. The Celtics made a point of finding their center in mismatches all night long and that drew praise from Joe Mazzulla after the win.


“I think it’s a credit to him because of his physicality and his dominance,” Mazzulla said. “It’s also a major teaching point for our team because we had the discipline to attack the switch the proper way the entire game.”


“If teams are going to switch us that way and we have a physical presence like that, we didn’t have any turnovers on post passes, we had very few turnovers in the paint if they collapsed, our spacing was rather good if it was a post mismatch or if it was in the middle of the floor, so they tested our discipline to attack the switch with size and physicality and I thought our guys did a great job of trusting that, which allowed us to open up some other things throughout the game.”


The Celtics may be getting better at finding Porzingis on the floor in good spots but the big man is making gains himself. After a season of timely load management by Boston’s training staff, Porzingis is hitting hi stride at the perfect time of Boston’s season.

“To be honest, my legs are a little bit better,” Porzingis said of his big night. “But mostly it’s just starting to turn up a little bit more, you know? Understanding that we have like playoffs soon. I want to be at the best, like, best moment for the playoffs. And yeah, just getting into that mindset finishing the regular season strong. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

When there have been rare letdowns for this Celtics group in recent weeks, it’s largely come after lackluster efforts for Porzingis. The focus is now on the veteran though as his teammates emphasize his importance in turning what had been a very good team last year into a bonafide juggernaut this season.

“KP, he’s a key piece in everything we’re trying to do,” Jaylen Brown said. “So just trying to get him going. When KP is physical, when he’s challenging guys at the rim, when he’s alert to the doubles and not flopping and he’s holding his ground, KP has been extremely impactful. So we just want to encourage to bring that side out, because the more we see that KP the less we’ll lose. So we’re excited for this journey we’re about to embark, the playoffs, and we want to make sure we’re clicking on all cylinders.”


The Celtics have two weeks now to rest up Porzingis and ensure he’s at his best when the game matters again. Still, his development in the latter stages of the season could put Boston at a different level in the Eastern Conference as the playoffs begin.

“I still think I can be even better,” Porzingis said. “But I look forward to having my engine going on all cylinders when the playoffs come.”


Bob
MY NOTE: I expect to see Luke, Tillman and even Queta get some serious minutes over the last 6 games, with Al and Z getting rest. Enough minutes to stay in game shape and rhythm but not so many as to wear them down.


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Bobh

MY NOTE: I expect to see Luke, Tillman and even Queta get some serious minutes over the last 6 games, with Al and Z getting rest. Enough minutes to stay in game shape and rhythm but not so many as to wear them down.

That seems like the right formula.  I would also like to see all of our starters get some games off.  JB is playing with a hand issue that needs to get better so I see no reason to play him big minutes.  I do not expect an 0-6 record the remainder of the season but we have already seen how CJ is able to alternate guys  and still win games.  The Celtics will have 6 days off once the regular season is over so that is a built in rest period.  

We will not know who earns the 8th seed until April 19th  (Playin April 16-19) After the first set of games is complete (9 vs 10 and 7 vs 8 )  they can really drill down on how they want to matchup.

The standings remain quite fluid.  The Heat are in 6th place (they want to avoid a first round matchup with the Bucks or Celtics)

The Pacers (7th) lost last night as did the 3rd place Cavs who are now just one game up on the Magic.

Kristaps Porzingis has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

This makes this Boston Celtics team the 1st Team in NBA history to have 4 different players named Player of the Week in the same season.

Tatum, Brown, White and Porzingis.


Bob


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Nice!! All extremely deserving.

db

It's a little early to start it's own thread for this, I believe, but it's worth a mention here.

There are those saying that 7'4", 300#, 7'10 1/2" wingspan Zach Edey of Purdue is a great pick for Boston @ #30 in the draft.

He seems to be all over the map.  Some have him going in the late-teens-to-low-20s while others have him dropping into the 2nd round.

25.2ppg, 50% from 3 (my guess is that's on VERY few attempts), 71% ft%, 12.2 rebounds. All in 32mpg this season.


Bleacher Report has him being taken by Boston @ #30
NBA.com mock draft has him going #33 to San Antonio.
SB Nation has him going to Atlanta @ #20
Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer has him going to Miami @ #17
CBS Sports has him going to NOP @ #22
Yahoo Sports has him going to Toronto @ #31
NBAdraft.net has him going to Memphis @ #37


Bob


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He's a moose.  Will definitely need some fine tuning but he won't need to spend near as much time in the weight room as Wemby will this summer!  

db

P.S.  The kid from NC State (DJ Burns) is interesting but he's going to have to push away from the buffet table by hitting the weight room.  Soft touch but with a bang.  He moves people out of his way. Not a first round pick I don't think but has some promise if he wants to work.

https://theathletic.com/5381229/2024/04/10/kristaps-porzingis-celtics-post-up-analytics/?source=freedailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=13921316







Kristaps Porziņģis’ career was at a crossroads. Then he learned to trust the numbers


Jay King

Apr 10, 2024


Joe Mazzulla’s smirk suggested the memory, once painful, had become a reason for great optimism. For as completely as Kristaps Porziņģis overwhelmed the Boston Celtics in his last meeting against them, he would be playing for them in the near future. One chair to Mazzulla’s left, Porziņģis smiled. The newest member of the Celtics was sitting at his introductory press conference in June 2023. A few months earlier, he had been the team’s biggest problem for a day.

No matter what defensive coverage Mazzulla dialed up, the center beat it. He punished the Celtics when they switched, consistently scoring over the top of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Even when Boston didn’t switch, Porziņģis took advantage of the team’s big men. He swished an and-1 over Grant Williams’ head. He blew by Robert Williams III in transition. He ended the first half with a one-dribble pull-up against Al Horford.

As Porziņģis scored 32 points that day for Washington, the post-ups hurt Boston more than anything else. He made quick work of smaller defenders. He fought to get to his spots. He wasted no motion in his moves. The Celtics, throughout one of their worst losses all season, could not steer him away from his desired shots. Boston’s top defenders, some of the best in the league, were nothing more than traffic cones for Porziņģis to operate around.

Six months after Mazzulla’s smirk, Porziņģis is delivering one of the most efficient post-up seasons since the NBA began sharing play-type data publicly. He is one of the biggest reasons to believe the 62-17 Celtics, after two disappointing exits deep in the playoffs, are now better prepared to score against the best defenses. Boston already had one of the league’s highest-scoring duos in Tatum and Brown, but Porziņģis’ inside-out punch has filled the holes around them. Mazzulla says the big man’s interior presence has altered the way defenses match up with and strategize against the Celtics, who will enter the upcoming playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

“Those were some of the shots that we didn’t take in late-game situations in the past or even close games or even throughout the game in general,” Mazzulla says. “So just his efficiency to be able to score at those levels gives us a different dynamic offensively.”

If Porziņģis is the Celtics’ fix, as they hope, it will be because of all the numbers he digested to fix himself.

Years ago, during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, the organization saw his post-up opportunities as wasted possessions. Then-Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle once went on a memorable rant explaining why, mathematically, throwing the ball to Porziņģis down low didn’t make sense. At the time, the advanced analytics showed that the Mavericks, who led the league in offensive efficiency, were basically punting away points any time they fed him in the post.

The numbers, which steered Dallas away from that part of Porziņģis’ game, were not wrong. So how did he transform them so drastically? How did he learn how to maximize his towering 7-foot-2 height and soft touch near the basket? How did he become one of the league’s most efficient players there – and, as Mazzulla understood, a nightmare for opposing coaches?

By submitting himself to the same advanced analytics that revealed his shortcomings. At a stage of his career where he could have simply accepted his place in the game, Porziņģis instead shifted the numbers in his favor by learning everything about them. He allowed the numbers to dictate his practice habits and his moves. Working with a close friend, he armed himself with the deepest knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses and recalibrated his game until the numbers showcased his progress.

“The numbers don’t lie,” Porziņģis says.

The numbers didn’t just tell Porziņģis the truth. Once he opened his eyes to them, they laid out the path for him to follow.


The Celtics wanted Porziņģis so badly they gave up key starter Marcus Smart in a three-team trade. (Jim Dedmon / USA Today)


The eight-inch height difference in the matchup suggested Porziņģis, the tallest man on the court, should score with ease. But even in basketball, size doesn’t mean everything. When the Los Angeles Lakers assigned Danny Green to defend Porziņģis in a 2019 matchup, the man in charge of the Dallas Mavericks’ advanced analytics, Bob Voulgaris, recognized his team staring at a likely checkmate.

“We’re f—–,” Voulgaris messaged one of the team’s assistants. “We’re done.”

During the Mavericks’ previous meeting with the Lakers, Anthony Davis spent most of his time following Porziņģis around the perimeter, leaving the paint open for Luka Dončić to control. The Mavericks rolled like an avalanche during the third quarter of that game. Dončić repeatedly found solutions against pick-and-roll coverage while the need to shadow Porziņģis took away the rest of Davis’ defensive impact. Not even one of the league’s best shot blockers could smother opponents at the rim while chasing a center at the 3-point arc.

As Voulgaris spotted quickly, the matchup switch eliminated that advantage. A less informed bystander would have just called for Dallas to feed Porziņģis consistently on the low block. During his first healthy season with Dallas, the big man’s unique combination of size and skills had helped transform the team into the league’s most potent offense. Still, at age 24 and working his way back to top form after a torn ACL forced him to miss the 2018-19 season, he had not yet developed ways to damage opponents down low. He scored an unsightly 0.81 points per post-up possession that season. For the Mavericks, who set what was then an NBA record of 1.16 points per possession, the math didn’t come close to justifying consistent Porziņģis touches down low.

MY NOTE:  There's a chart provided here that I cannot copy here.  It shows Z's poinits-per-possession (ppp) at a career high 1.29 ppp.  Last year he was at 1.18 ppp.  Before then he was never above 1.00 ppp.  

The Mavs did run a Porziņģis post-up once early in the first quarter. With Avery Bradley on him,  Porziņģis turned over his right shoulder and bricked a fadeaway jump shot. With Davis no longer stapled to Porziņģis’ side on the perimeter, the Mavericks, on their way to setting that NBA record for offensive rating in a single season, had no more answers left. They fell shy of the 100-point mark for the second time all season, notching a season-low 95 points.

“It’s like specifically,” Voulgaris said, “your post-ups aren’t that efficient.”

Žanis Peiners did not instantly recommend himself when Porziņģis called for suggestions on a new coach to work with during the 2022 offseason.

Peiners and Porziņģis competed with each other on the Latvian national team. They are good friends despite being different types of people — maybe even because they are different. As Peiners puts it, Porziņģis can be driven by his emotions. Peiners uses a more analytical approach toward life. Their contrasts helped bring them together.

“It was always fun,” Peiners says. “And always a fight.”

At Porziņģis’ request, Peiners thought of several coaches who could take Porziņģis to the next level. One coached a women’s team and probably wouldn’t have much time to work with him. Another seemed like he would be too old school to embrace new-age tactics. The mental approach of a third coach would clash with Porziņģis’ personality. Only after failing to come up with the right coach did Peiners think to recommend himself. He watched all of Porziņģis’ games anyway. Not long after the end of a nine-year professional career overseas, Peiners had free time. He could do it.

“That’s what I honestly wanted to hear,” Porziņģis told him, “but I didn’t want to ask.”

After the Mavericks traded him to the Wizards during the previous season, Porziņģis recognized himself at a crossroads in his career. After his time with the Mavericks made it clear he wasn’t good enough posting up to command more opportunities, he believed he would need to either learn how to thrive in such scenarios or essentially eliminate the craft from his game. Settling on the former option didn’t take much thought for him. He didn’t want to give up on the goal of becoming an all-around scorer. That meant he would embark on a journey to revamp his game.

Peiners and Porziņģis initially agreed to work together for two weeks. If the partnership worked, they would keep it going. During the first conversation about their direction, Peiners informed Porziņģis he would not simply put him through drills. Any coach could do that. Peiners would use analytics to shape his lessons. He would dive deep into the numbers to determine what Porziņģis should use most and what parts of his game should be eliminated. If Porziņģis had any questions about the methods, Peiners would point him to the answers in the data. Seven years into Porziņģis’ career, including one season wiped out by a torn ACL, the results have produced a large enough sample size to reflect the reality of his game.

“Those numbers were already pretty much objective,” Peiners says. “And he could not argue with me because I always had numbers.”

Peiners had all the numbers. All the conceivable ones, at least. He examined efficiency in all sorts of scenarios. He learned how Porziņģis’ accuracy changed depending on how many dribbles he took. He explored how he fared from different spots on the floor. He found out how well Porziņģis did on banked shots and how well he shot the ball straight through the hoop. He looked at the data on when he turned to his left and when he turned to his right. Peiners broke down every detail he could. Though his work was exhaustive, he sought additional opinions because he didn’t want to miss anything. Among other outside sources he leaned on, he urged Porziņģis to pick the brain of one of his new assistant coaches in Washington, Dean Oliver, a legend in the field of basketball analytics. Pieners wanted to hear Oliver’s view and vision.

Peiners did not limit his studies simply to Porziņģis’ game. Peiners researched other tall and lean players who excelled in the post, including Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant. Peiners also analyzed which skills were more possible for players to develop later in their careers. He aimed to trim the fat off Porziņģis’ low-post arsenal.

“You have some things (where you are) very, very efficient and very good,” Peiners explained, “and some things probably you will never do amazingly. So let’s try to be very good at something, be very efficient at something, and let’s try to take away non-efficient things.”

While others accepted his limitations as lasting, Porziņģis banked on the idea he could break out of them. Though much of the league was pivoting away from post-ups, he had unusual advantages as a 7-foot-2 sharpshooter. After failing to buy in fully to the analytics during his time in Dallas – “because I didn’t understand it,” he says – chats with Peiners helped him see their importance.

“At first, I was still like, ‘Get out of here,’” Porziņģis says. ‘He said, ‘I don’t know. You’re not efficient, you need to do this, you need to do that.’ So once we got comfortable having those conversations, that’s when he really helped me.”

Their days together were long. Before workouts, Porziņģis liked to drink one coffee, then another. Afterward, he and Peiners would sometimes grab another coffee and a bite to eat. By the time they wrapped up everything, they had often spent six or seven hours together. Peiners tried to pack as much teaching as he could into that time. He only shared details supported by the analytical evidence.

“I’m taking those hours to give him that information and try to explain it,” Peiners says.

Porziņģis might not have been open to such a style earlier in his career, but his experience in Dallas left him with an urgency to explore new avenues. During his final playoff series with the Mavericks, the coaching staff asked him to consistently stay in the corner to space the floor, believing he would be more useful than if he were directly involved in the action. When the organization traded him to Washington months later for Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans and a future second-round pick, the price showed how much Porziņģis’ value had diminished. Rocky health factored into his up-and-down stint in Dallas, but he still calls his time with the Mavericks a reality check.

“I didn’t understand (the analytics),” Porziņģis says, “or didn’t have the guide, or somebody to guide me. Like, ‘Hey, let’s try to do this.’ So that’s all that was. But once I took that responsibility, and worked on it, and fixed it, it’s been up from there.”

The end in Dallas motivated him. Humble enough to recognize the truth in the numbers, Porziņģis bent them in his direction.


Kristaps Porziņģis is no longer the liability he was earlier in his career. (Alonzo Adams / USA Today).


In Washington for 1 1/2 seasons, Porziņģis consistently sought Oliver’s counsel. During film sessions, he requested more information.

“What KP likes is he likes kind of the straight answer,” Oliver says. “Like OK, not just, ‘This is a good shot’ or, ‘This is a bad shot.’ ‘OK, what does that mean? What’s the chance that shot will go in?’”

The extent to which Porziņģis cared about the advanced analytics surprised Oliver, who had heard from a former Mavericks coach not to expect the 2018 All-Star to be receptive to such talk. Porziņģis approached Oliver more than the other way around. When they talked, Oliver could see the details registering in Porziņģis’ brain. On the court, he noticed him responding to the discussions. After sessions, Oliver says, Porziņģis changed his behavior to reflect the lessons.

He eats it up, Oliver recalled thinking.

The more Porziņģis learned about his game, the more efficiently he operated. He kept an open mind about ways he could grow. The Mavericks also did studies on his game, according to Voulgaris. He says they found that when Porziņģis dribbled more than twice, whether he was driving or stationary, “It was quite bad news.”

Peiners accepted that Porziņģis would never become a great dribbler and would need to find other ways to thrive. On the block, Porziņģis’ bank shots were typically more efficient than when he directed the ball straight through the hoop; he started using the glass more frequently.

The Wizards found that his accuracy dipped when he faded away from the hoop; he committed to either going straight up or toward the basket. Washington’s coaching staff shifted him around the court with more flexibility than he ever enjoyed in Dallas. The system helped him feel comfortable. Among other go-to spots, he favored operating at the free-throw line.

“The shot from the foul line historically, analytically, is not a great shot,” Oliver says.

It still worked for Porziņģis. From there, he often drained shots or drew fouls.

Though it might sound counterintuitive for a player hoping to excel in the most physical areas of the court, Porziņģis stopped trying to bulk up the way he did in Dallas. With the Mavericks, he believes a desire to add muscle hindered him. He felt increasingly comfortable as time distanced him from the 2018 injury.

“I would say I was probably even stronger in Dallas than I am now, physically, because that’s all I was doing,” Porziņģis says. “Lifting weights and trying to be as physical as possible. But honestly, my handles were off. My shot was not perfect. It hurt me more than it helped my game. For a few physical situations, maybe it helped me. But in general, especially early on, I was rusty coming back from the injury (a 2018 torn ACL). And then, I’d get in the post, and I’d dribble off my foot every other time. I was like, ‘Man, what the hell’s going on here?’ So definitely lost some rhythm and some confidence in that, but regained it. And regained it through looking at myself realistically, looking at myself in the mirror, and fixing those things.”

Peiners helped Porziņģis strip away about 50 percent of his game and focus on what he objectively did best. Their workouts concentrated on steering him toward the spots and moves that worked for him.

“First of all I would try to say that this is not so much of my part in this, but how good he is taking this information and soaking it kind of,” Peiners says. “It’s insane because some things you can tell him or teach him and next game or next week he’s already doing them on the court or in a game. He is amazingly talented in that part. He’s really listening, he’s really trusting those numbers, and it’s amazing.”

Even Peiners did not expect the work to pay off the way it did. In Washington, far from the NBA spotlight, Porziņģis developed into one of the league’s most efficient post-up players. During his only full season with the Wizards, he averaged 1.18 points per post-up possession on high volume.

Peiners calls the change in efficiency “crazy.” He believes Porziņģis, entering the normal prime years for a professional basketball player, would have come into his own even if he had ignored the advanced analytics forever. The center’s willingness to seek additional help only bolstered his rapid development. The lessons worked quickly.

“And they are still working,” Peiners says. “He’s getting better those two and a half years, he’s improving, by his decisions. Every game, every month, you can see an improvement. So yeah, I still think he has room to grow.”


Porziņģis’ looks back on his time in Dallas as a catalyst, spurring him to understand and embrace analytics more. (Kevin Jairaj / USA Today).


Nobody on Porziņģis’ side panics anymore when the other team slides a smaller player onto him.

If anything, the Celtics have needed to work on finding him more frequently in such situations. Sometimes, even with Tatum and Brown on the floor, their best option is to throw an entry pass to Porziņģis and let him cook. The talent around him has only enhanced his efficiency in the post. With all the floor spacers on the Celtics’ roster, opponents need to limit their help and double teams. In that environment, Porziņģis has feasted on switches.

Indirectly, his evolution landed him in Boston. The Celtics valued the parts of his game he remodeled most. They needed his post-up talent and they have utilized it well. Since joining the Celtics, he is averaging 1.30 points per post-up possession, which would rank third among players with at least one post-up attempt per game in a single season dating at least to 2015-16. It remains to be seen whether Porziņģis will help Boston solve long-standing postseason issues, but acquiring him helped to diversify what has been the NBA’s most potent offense.

As well as Porziņģis has fit in Boston so far, the playoffs will hit him with new challenges. Peiners expects opponents to ratchet up their physicality. He believes drawing fouls should become more difficult with the additional contact allowed.

“Efficiency will drop,” Peiners says, “and then you need to adjust.”

Though he doesn’t have much playoff experience, Porziņģis has proven to process adjustments quickly. These days, he looks back on his time in Dallas as a catalyst.

“Looking back, I appreciate much more what Bob was doing with us, and Rick Carlisle too,” Porziņģis says. “I just wish I was a bit more ahead of those numbers and the things that we were trying to do. That would’ve helped me.”

It also would have benefited the Mavericks.

“Where we really failed I think in some ways was not having the coaching staff, not working on making him a more efficient post-up player,” Voulgaris says. “Maybe there’s this idea that, and I think I may be guilty of this, like, ‘This is what a player is because this is what the numbers say.’ But it’s not necessarily what he can be going forward.”

Porziņģis is now proof of how much a player can change. In the post, he has transformed from a liability into a dominator. His shaky numbers back then were not wrong. They just weren’t forever.


Bob



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gyso wrote:Bob, here is a screenshot of the chart:

Gyso,

How did you do that?!


Bob


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Bob,

I created a screenshot on my laptop. I can save it as a .png, .jif or a .tif, and I use either of the first two successfully. I have some folders set up for all different categories, some of them being folders for each Celtics player.

I saved the screenshot in the Kristaps Porzingis folder, and then treated the new image like any other image when hosting (inserting) images in this forum.

I used 1024 px setting for that chart. I use 800 px for larger images, like the box scores in the post-game threads.

CelticsUnite
@CelticsUnite18
Brad Stevens has turned Kemba Walker, Moses Brown, Josh Richardson, Aaron Nesmith, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams…

…Into Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, 4 first round picks, and 4 second round picks.

Absolutely genius.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1778208471806325092


Bob
MY NOTE: I wonder if those picks are net of the ones we sent to Portland for Jrue?


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https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/04/celtics-reserve-breaks-out-for-career-night-in-hornets-win.html


Celtics reserve breaks out for career night in Hornets win


Published: Apr. 13, 2024, 6:15 a.m.



Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)AP


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com


Payton Pritchard had a rare chance to take a leading role on Friday night with the Celtics usual starting five getting the night off. The point guard made the most of that opportunity, scoring a career-high 31 points and 11 assists in a 131-98 rout over the Hornets at TD Garden.

Pritchard’s impressive stat line came with a special asterisk as he became the first Celtic since Larry Bird to post 30 points and 10 assists in a game while playing just 31 minutes. Pritchard rested the entire fourth quarter of the blowout win but did most of his work early in the victory, becoming jut the second player in the NBA this year to have 23 points and nine assists by halftime according to C’s stats guru Dick Lipe.


It was a night of career-highs for several Celtics as Neemias Queta, Drew Peterson and Jordan Walsh all set new marks for themselves but Pritchard stood out from the pack for setting the pace for Boston’s offense.


“Taking what the defense gives me, hitting my spots when open, and getting my teammates involved,” Pritchard said. “I think I ended up with like five assists in the first quarter. Everybody was getting a shot up and getting comfortable. It wasn’t like I was ball-dominant the entire time, so I was proud of that.”

Pritchard has become one of the most consistent Celtics on the roster this year in a reserve role as he’s set to play a full 82 games on Sunday while being handed constant minutes for the first time since his rookie year.

“It definitely helps a lot,” Pritchard said of the steady role. “I mean, for any player, you get spot minutes, it’s tough. You don’t know when it’s gonna come. When you do get minutes, like what is your role out there? What are you being put out there for? I think in the past, a lot of the time it wasn’t necessarily for me to be like a point guard or even like a playmaker. It was really to try to come in and hit some 3s and bring energy defensively, rebounding, stuff like that. I think my role has definitely grown a little bit this year. With that, I’ve grown and been better at playmaking. But just making the game easier for myself, but also my teammates.”


Pritchard will likely get another big chance on Sunday afternoon against the Wizards in the regular season finale with Boston’s regulars likely seeing light workloads, if they play at all. Don’t look for the point guard to seek out any rest though in Boston’s final tuneup before the postseason.

“It’s definitely a big accomplishment for me,” Pritchard explained. “Like I said before, to play 82 games is tough, but through the summer, the work I put in to get my body ready for that. But also the journey for me, last year, in my second year of times where I didn’t play at all and how frustrating that is and how much that hurt at times. But it just fueled me to keep working, and for this year to come and play 82 games and be a part of the best team in the NBA and try to do something special, it feels good.”


Bob


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Bob


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That was great Bob, you really forget, he played so well all season, and kept waiting for him to come down to earth, but he never did, He made a believer out of me. Whether it is being on a team this talented let him come out and show how good he could be or we just were not believers last year. (Although BobC always did think he could help this team, and he really, really did)

Luke has the best after basket routines!!!

Bob


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Bob


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If they can pass the ball around that against anyone they play, no one will beat them

Boston Celtics
@celtics
The BEST offensive rating in the league this season (122.8 ) belongs to Prolific P





Bob


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‘It’s a frenzy all over the league’: Inside the fast, formative night Sam Hauser decided to become a Celtic


By Adam Himmelsbach Globe Staff,Updated April 18, 2024, 5:00 a.m.




Only five Celtics have ever made more 3-pointers in a season than Sam Hauser's 197 this year, and he shot 42.5 percent from beyond the arc, ranking 11th in the NBA.ERIN CLARK/GLOBE STAFF



Sam Hauser was unsure whether he would be selected in the 2021 NBA Draft, but since there was a chance, some friends and family gathered at his parents’ home in Stevens Point, Wis., for an understated watch party.

As they sat in the newly renovated basement, replete with a bar and big-screen TVs, they monitored the selections but did not obsess over them. Hauser’s agent, Jason Glushon, was at a celebration dinner in New York with Franz Wagner, his client who had been drafted eighth by the Orlando Magic, but Glushon kept Hauser updated throughout the night.

“It wasn’t a belief that he was going to be picked,” said Hauser’s mother, Stephanie. “It was more of a hope.”


The final selection came and went, and there was nothing to celebrate in Stevens Point, so most of the people at the small party wished Hauser well and went home.

Then Glushon called back. The Celtics and Timberwolves were offering contracts, and the Heat wanted Hauser to join their summer league team, where he could compete for a deal.


Hauser said he would talk with his parents and his girlfriend Mary (who is now his wife) and decide in the morning. But the situation was more urgent. These teams needed to pivot quickly if they were rebuffed by Hauser.

“When I got off the phone, my dad was like, ‘Well, why don’t you just sleep on it?’ ” Hauser said. “And I told him, ‘We’ve got 10 minutes.’ So we all just kind of sat down and talked about the options and came to the conclusion that Boston was probably the best spot for me.”


Hauser is a valuable part of this Celtics roster, which was carefully composed to make a run at a title. But on draft night in 2021, he had a handful of options from which to choose. DANIELLE PARHIZKARAN/GLOBE STAFF


The Celtics will open the playoffs at TD Garden Sunday as championship favorites, with a roster constructed mostly by drafting elite prospects such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and by trading for star veterans such as Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.


The pursuit of Hauser was less traditional, and it has made his emergence more gratifying. Only five Celtics have ever made more 3-pointers in a season than his 197 this year, and he shot 42.5 percent from beyond the arc, ranking 11th in the NBA.

But his arrival as an undrafted free agent required more than that rushed courtship after the 2021 draft. For the Celtics, that night was the culmination of years of scouting, interviews, film study, and intense debate. Most often, the return on such an investment of time and resources to evaluate lower-end prospects is paltry. But every now and then there is a hit that just might tip the scales for a team pushing toward the top.

“These are always a big win for the whole organization,” Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren said. “And the whole organization has to be aligned for them to work.”


Sam Hauser on the phone with Brad Stevens on draft night in 2021. To his left is his now-wife, Mary.COURTESY/HAUSER FAMILY


Identifying a target

Hauser was a three-year starter at Marquette before transferring to Virginia for his final season. He started to consider the NBA a realistic possibility midway through his senior year with the Cavaliers in 2020-21, when he averaged 16 points per game.

The Celtics never planned scouting trips specifically to see him. But according to team executives, he’d been on their list of prospects since his freshman year, even if questions about his potential persisted.

“Was he a good enough defender?” Zarren said. “What position was he? Did he move well enough? And how elite a shooter is he? I don’t think we all thought when he was at Marquette that he was going to be talked about as an elite shooter.”


When agents contacted Hauser during his senior season, he directed them to his parents. They wanted someone who would mesh with their son’s laidback Midwestern vibe. Glushon reached out after Virginia’s season ended and organized a Zoom call with the family. He was careful not to mislead them, and they appreciated his candor.

“A lot of agents told us, ‘Sam is going to get drafted. How could he not?’ ” Stephanie Hauser said. “Then Jason was very real about it. He said, ‘Listen, there’s a very real possibility he will not be drafted. Let’s talk about how I see that going.’ ”

Glushon wanted to get Hauser in front of as many NBA decision-makers as possible. In addition to taking part in the league’s scouting combine, Hauser traveled to work out for 14 teams over a span of about three weeks. It was so dizzying that, during a recent interview, he could not even recall all of them.


Coming out of Virginia in 2021, Hauser went through the gauntlet in the lead-up to the draft. He met with 14 teams and participated in the draft combine.CHARLES REX ARBOGAST/ASSOCIATED PRESS


The Celtics had just undergone one of the most significant leadership shakeups in franchise history following a first-round playoff loss to the Nets. Danny Ainge surprisingly retired as president of basketball operations and was replaced by Brad Stevens, who left his post as coach and took charge of the front office.

As coach, Stevens always spent several days reviewing the season that had just been completed before catching up on draft prep. Now, the draft was suddenly a top priority, so the front office gave him a crash course.


Assistant general manager Dave Lewin, who was then director of player personnel, had a list of players he wanted Stevens to see at individual workouts, including Hauser. The forward completed a group session at the Auerbach Center with prospects such as Trey Murphy and JT Thor, who were later drafted.

“Brad immediately took a liking to Sam,” Lewin said. “He was impressed with his size. He was impressed with his shooting. He was impressed with his feel for the game.”


Draft-night frenzy

The Celtics had traded their 2021 first-round pick to the Thunder in a deal that brought Al Horford back to Boston, so they entered the draft with only a second-round choice, 45th overall.

There are just two minutes between second-round selections, so the pace is brisk, teams are unpredictable, and decisions must come quickly, both during the draft and once it concludes.

“Late into the night there’s this whole other draft going on with two-way contracts, summer league contracts, all of these types of things,” Celtics assistant general manager Austin Ainge said. “It’s a long night. You’re texting and calling agents about, ‘If he winds up not being drafted, keep us in mind.’ It moves really fast.”

As the 45th pick approached, the Celtics discussed Hauser, but the sentiment to select him was not overwhelming. They took 18-year-old French forward Juhann Begarin, partly because he was an intriguing prospect, and partly because the roster was congested and the Celtics could keep Begarin overseas while retaining his draft rights.


In New York, Glushon was handling matters for Wagner, the eighth pick, while also making pitches to teams about Hauser over the phone. He stressed that the sharpshooting forward was going to have at least a 10-year NBA career, and that they should not pass that up. Of course, other agents probably were making similar pitches.


Hauser (far right) is now a crucial part of the Celtics' rotation. He's seen here during the second half of a February game with (from left) Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Luke Kornet.ERIN CLARK/GLOBE STAFF


A group that included the Celtics, Warriors, Timberwolves, Spurs, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Heat told Glushon they had interest in Hauser if he was not drafted. The Heat are known for turning undrafted prospects into sturdy NBA veterans, and Hauser’s camp agreed that if all offers were equal, he would join Miami’s summer league team.

“I saw what Duncan [Robinson] had done and Max Strus had done [with the Heat],” Hauser said. “Obviously, they have a good culture for producing guys like that.”

Meanwhile, the Celtics’ pursuit of Hauser was gaining momentum. There was brief debate among decision-makers about Hauser’s athleticism, how he would mesh with the current roster, and whether, at 6 feet 8 inches, he was best suited to play small forward or power forward in the NBA. But they concluded that these were minor concerns.

“We all agreed that he should be our top target once the draft ended,” Zarren said.

After the final pick, Zarren called Glushon and offered a two-way contract. Two-way players, who were then paid $463,000 per season, generally shuttle back and forth between the G League and the NBA and can be active for up to 50 regular-season NBA games.

Zarren told Glushon why Boston would be a good fit, pointing out that Hauser could eventually thrive alongside ball-dominant stars Tatum and Brown. It helped that Glushon already knew the Celtics’ system and vibe because he represented Brown, Horford, and Marcus Smart.

“It’s not that you’re more likely to get a guy because it’s convenient for the agent,” Zarren said, “but there’s a familiarity there where it’s easier for him to go to the player and say, ‘Here’s what the team is saying, and I believe them.’ ”

Still, there was competition. The Timberwolves offered a two-way contract, and the Heat wanted Hauser to compete for a two-way deal at summer league. Zarren said the Celtics had “a good inkling” that the Heat were lurking, and given their reputation, they were viewed as a threat.


A tough call

Glushon called Hauser and broke down the options. It was a lot to take in, and there were some uneasy moments when Hauser realized his choice could not wait until morning.

“Sam doesn’t make spontaneous decisions very often,” Stephanie Hauser said. “He’s very methodical. So when we found out he had 10 minutes, we all kind of laughed. It was, ‘Well, OK, then, let’s get to talking.’ ”

Back in Boston, the clock was ticking.

“We were getting a little nervous, because there were other guys we were going to try and get if we couldn’t get Sam,” Zarren said. “It’s a frenzy all over the league.”


Hauser has been a marksman from 3-point range this season.ERIN CLARK/GLOBE STAFF


Hauser and his parents went over a brief pros-and-cons list, and with the Celtics they kept coming back to Stevens. They were fellow Midwesterners and admired the way Stevens built a program at Butler, leading the Bulldogs to two NCAA title-game appearances before becoming Celtics coach in 2013. Stephanie Hauser, the director of Wisconsin’s high school athletic association, also worked with several people who knew Stevens at Butler, and they gushed about him.

“He just had the old-school, down-home way, and we just liked how he goes about things,” Stephanie Hauser said. “He’s very personable, and everything about him was very trustworthy. So the fact that he saw things in Sam had a lot of value to us.”

The promise of a contract and the chance to join a franchise well-positioned to challenge for NBA titles for years to come did not hurt, either. Hauser picked the Celtics, and minutes later Stevens called to say congratulations. When that brief chat ended, Dave Hauser poured a few small shots of whiskey and toasted his son.

“Cheers to you accomplishing your dream,” he said.


Swift ascension

The Celtics were thrilled to acquire their top two-way target, but they acknowledge there was good fortune involved. Austin Ainge said it’s clear the team erred in not drafting Hauser in the second round. It just helped that other teams made the same mistake.

“I think all of us as a league undervalued him,” Ainge said. “We’re very lucky we believed in him enough.”

But Celtics executives stressed that their discovery and evaluation of Hauser was less important than what transpired afterward.

The forward had a strong showing for the Las Vegas summer league team coached by up-and-coming assistant Joe Mazzulla, who was one of the first in the organization to tell Hauser he envisioned a real NBA future for him. Mazzulla, of course, is now Hauser’s coach.

Hauser spent the start of his rookie season with the team’s G League affiliate in Maine, where it became clear he was a better defender than the Celtics’ research had indicated. He also became a more versatile shooter, and Lewin said he was the best scorer with size in the G League.


Hauser signed a three-year, $5.7 million contract prior to last season.DANIELLE PARHIZKARAN/GLOBE STAFF


“We actually had a guy that’s not just going to be hanging onto the end of our roster to make some shots in garbage time,” Lewin said. “He was a guy we needed to get on the court, because he could really play.”

When the Celtics created roster openings at the trade deadline in February 2022, Hauser’s deal was converted to a standard NBA contract. He signed a three-year, $5.7 million contract prior to last season, and this year he has thrived, averaging 9 points and career highs in nearly every statistical category.

Hauser made 10 of 13 3-pointers in just over two quarters against the Wizards on March 17 and was on pace to shatter the single-game NBA record of 14 before he sprained his ankle and missed the rest of the game.

Regardless, his ascension has been swift and consistent, and his play has been better than the Celtics could have dreamed. Within the organization, there is a desire for Hauser’s path to be a blueprint.

“Hopefully, we’re going to be good for a long time and not have a lot of high draft picks,” Zarren said. “So we’re going to have to have more stories like Sam’s if we want to be sustainably good.”


Bob
MY NOTE:  "Only five Celtics have ever made more 3-pointers in a season than his 197 this year".  That's pretty remarkable when you consider Sam isn't even close to being a 30+mpg player, much less Antoine "I take so many threes because there are no fours" Walker.  For the record:

Player.........................Year...................3pt fgm.................Total Minutes Played............MPG
Isaiah Thomas............2016-2017..........245.......................2569.................................33.8
Jayson Tatum.............2022-2023..........240.......................2732.................................36.9
Jayson Tatum.............2021-2022..........230.......................2731.................................35.9
Jayson Tatum.............2023-2024..........229.......................2645.................................35.7
Antoine Walker...........2001-2002..........222.......................3406.................................42.0
Antoine Walker...........2000-2001..........221.......................3396.................................41.9
Paul Pierce.................2001-2002..........210.......................3302.................................40.3
Ray Allen...................2008-2009..........199.......................2876.................................36.4
Sam Hauser...............2023-2024..........197.......................1741.................................22.0

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PP and SH are two under the radar additions that have turned out quite well. The next guy to become a regular rotation guy for us is Walsh. Not this season. As his offense continues to improve and he works on his body, he has a bright future with the Celtics.

Jayden Springer has Jrue Holiday tendencies on defense and at only 21 years old, you can project him as being a guard/wing defensive stopper for the Celtics. He possesses that unique combination of intensity AND stamina.

The Sixers never should have parted with him.