Boston Celtics News (2023-2024)

https://us.yahoo.com/sports/woj-tells-wild-story-danny-163029627.html



Woj tells wild story about Danny Ainge's mix-up with Rondo trade


Darren Hartwell
Wed, May 15, 2024 at 9:30 AM PDT·2 min read




There are scoops, and then there's what Adrian Wojnarowski received from Danny Ainge back in 2014.

The ESPN insider joined Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take podcast Wednesday and was prompted to share a great story he had about one deal Ainge made as the Boston Celtics' president of basketball operations about 10 years ago.

Wojnarowski didn't disappoint, explaining the eye-opening text he received from Ainge shortly before the Celtics traded star point guard Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks in December 2014.


"So, they were getting ready to trade Rajon Rondo to Dallas," Wojnarowski began. "... And I texted Danny, 'Hey, I'm hearing from people -- I'm getting the sense that you're really starting to look to move Rajon. Give me a call; I want to catch up with you about it.'

"And no response, 15-20 minutes, half an hour, I get a text, and it says, 'Donnie' and it is a text with the terms of a Celtic-Dallas trade: possible names in it, picks. And I'm looking at this going, 'Holy s---.'

"He sent a text for Donnie Nelson, the Dallas GM -- he sent it to me by accident with like their back and forth on the trade and didn't realize (it)."

As Wojnarowski tells it, he agreed not to go public with Ainge's accidental text -- under one condition.

"I'm sitting there kind of looking at it going, 'I don't think this was meant for me,' so I just text him back, 'You owe me one,'" Wojnarowski said. "And then my phone rings and he is laughing hysterically, and I said, 'Just don't let me get beat on this whenever it gets done.' And I didn't."

That's quite the gaffe by Ainge, although it probably could have been much worse. (Imagine if he sent that text to a rival general manager instead?) And it sounds like Woj got his "scoop" anyway by eventually reporting the final trade: Rondo and Dwight Powell to Dallas in return for Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, a 2015 first-round pick and a 2016 second-round pick.

Ainge didn't exactly hit a home run with this trade -- only Crowder lasted more than a season in Boston, while that first-round pick eventually became Guerschon Yabusele -- but he made plenty of other shrewd moves in the following years, most notably drafting Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum at No. 3 overall in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

No word on how exactly Ainge paid his favor back to Wojnarowski, though.


Bob


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Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: The Lakers have secured permission to interview several assistants for head coaching job, including New Orleans’ James Borrego, Denver’s David Adelman, Philadelphia’s Sam Cassell and Minnesota’s Micah Nori, among others.
Source: Twitter @wojespn


Bob
MY NOTE: Am I losing my mind, or is Sam Cassell an assistant coach for us?

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https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/boston-celtics-player-earned-a-369-000-contract-bonus-nba-playoffs-jaylen-brown



Boston Celtics Player Earned A $369,000 Contract Bonus


According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown earned a contract bonus.

Ben Stinar | 13 Hours Ago




On Wednesday evening, the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series.

Jaylen Brown had a quiet night, and finished with 11 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block while shooting 4/9 from the field and 1/3 from the three-point range in 41 minutes of playing time.

By advancing to the Conference Finals, ESPN's Bobby Marks reported that Brown earned a big contract bonus.

Via Marks: "Bonus Alert Jaylen Brown Conference Finals $369,048"


Brown finished the regular season with averages of 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 49.9% from the field and 35.4% from the three-point range in 70 games.

The All-Star forward helped the Celtics finish as the first seed in the Eastern Conference (with a 64-18 record).

They beat the Miami Heat in the first round before eliminating the Cavs on Wednesday.


Despite only being 27, he is headed to his sixth Eastern Conference Finals appearance.

However, the Celtics have been unable to win a title since the 2008 season when Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were still on the roster.


The Celtics will play either the New York Knicks or the Indiana Pacers.

Currently, the Knicks lead the Pacers 3-2 with Game 6 on Friday evening in Indiana.


Bob


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https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-prac-20240519-players-say-mazzullas-controlled-madness-style-is-paying-off







Players Say Mazzulla’s ‘Controlled Madness’ Style is Paying Off


Taylor Snow●@taylorcsnow
Sr. Writer

May 19, 20248:22 PM EDT


BOSTON – Fifteen-year NBA vet Jrue Holiday is still being kept on his toes each day when he shows up for work. That’s because he has a head coach whose unorthodox methods test him and his teammates every time they step foot into the gym.

Holiday explained Sunday, between Rounds 2 and 3 of the postseason, how he’s never had a coach quite like Mazzulla. His drills this season have ranged from playing full-court with no dribbling allowed, to playing to the rhythm of Mozart with no talking allowed, and everything in between.

When asked to put Mazzulla’s style into words, Holiday described it as “controlled madness.” Buying into such madness has resulted in a great deal of happiness for this Celtics group and their fans.

“It’s fun. It’s different,” Holiday said of the experience. “I feel like some coaches sometimes it can be methodical or it can be boring. But Joe definitely brings a spark – some weird energy. I think it keeps us engaged.”

Mazzulla’s style has been put to the test in these playoffs because he’s had to find ways to keep the team engaged throughout the long layoffs before each round. Boston had six days off before the first round against Miami, five days off before the second series against Cleveland, and five more before its Eastern Conference Finals matchup with Indiana, which will begin Tuesday.

Although some of his drills may come off as “crazy,” there is purpose behind each one that carries into the on-court product.

“You just go with it; you go with the craziness,” said Holiday. “He honestly makes you lock in because [each day] is so different. You definitely have to pay attention to the things that he says. Sometimes he might talk kind of fast and he might talk through something and you’ll kind of be like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, slow down.’ But I think really locking in like that helps me because it really makes me go back and be like, ‘Alright, what did he say? This is what we want to do.’

“It’s kind of like a school session, or something like that, to be able to really study what we want to do and really just be the best at it.”

Payton Pritchard agrees that it’s like being in class with Mazzulla, and these Celtics have learned a great deal from their teacher.

“I've definitely learned a lot from him,” Pritchard said. “Joe really studies the game, studies the mental side of things a lot, so I think that our biggest growth this year is how do we prepare mentally for the battle ahead, and staying in the moment and not losing ourselves. So that's what I’ve learned most from him, and I think we've done a really good job with that.”

To keep his players in the moment, Mazzulla will give them mental challenges to overcome throughout a game.

“Like if a team goes on a run,” Pritchard said, for example, “can we regroup and make it a 6-0 run or are we going to turn into like a 15-0 run? Or like in the game last night – the Thunder-Dallas game. Dallas ends up winning, but end of the half, OKC went on a big run right? For us it's like mentally being able to regroup and like not letting them go on a 10-0 run to end the half, to end the quarter, because those are big momentum runs. So it's just those little things like that.”

Combining mental fortitude with an elite combination of skill creates a nearly unstoppable team, which the Celtics have been for most of the season.

“We're so talented,” said Pritchard, “and I think our biggest step has been, how do we mentally bridge that gap with our talent? If we become mentally as strong as we are talented, then we’re really dangerous. So that's what we've really been harping on and what we've been growing on.”

To have success, a team needs to take risks. And to take risks, means you’ve got to be a little crazy sometimes.

Mazzulla has taken on that job for the Celtics. “And it’s been working,” Holiday said.


Bob


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StatMuse
@statmuse
Jayson Tatum is 10th all-time in Eastern Conference Finals points.

119 points away from top 5.


Bob
MY NOTE: I don't know if this is something to necessarily be proud of. We're all about Championships, no Conference Finals. Being top in CF but not in NBA Finals, to me, just highlights how many times we've come up short.


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Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
yesterday
Per @JakeLFischer: Celtics and Knicks had “tangible dialogue” about swapping Kyrie Irving for Kristaps Porzingis in Jan of 2019


Bob
MY NOTE: Instead, we lost Kyrie for nothing. Just imagine, though, if we had gotten Porzingis then. We wouldn't have been able to afford Kemba Walker but that would be alright with me. Nothing against Kemba, but his knees didn't let him be the same player. We would have had Z, Al and The Time Lord in the front court. We wouldn't have had to give up Marcus Smart, we wouldn't have had to trade Brogdon and RWill to get Jrue. In fact, we wouldn't have had to trade Brogdon at all because he wouldn't be upset about his name being dangled in trade talks because we needed a replacement for Smart and he was bait. Our bench back court would have been Brogdon and Payton, or, if Payton wasn't happy with that, we'd trade Payton for someone else. I love Payton but he's far from irreplaceable.

Starters: Smart, the Js, Porzingis and Al (if we're going double big)
Bench: Brogdon, RWill, Payton (or a replacement), Sam

That's a VERY solid playoff 9 too, and we could have had that years ago.


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https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/275953/Kristaps-Porzingis-Had-Bigger-Contract-Opportunity-With-Jazz-During-2023-Offseason



Kristaps Porzingis Had Bigger Contract Opportunity With Jazz During 2023 Offseason


JUN 3, 2024 11:40 AM


Last offseason, Kristaps Porzingis was traded by the Washington Wizards to the Boston Celtics where he picked up his $36 million player option and then signed a two-year, $60 million extension.

If Porzingis would have become a free agent, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports that he was positioned to receive a richer contract from the Utah Jazz.

Porzingis would have joined a versatile frontcourt partner in Lauri Markkanen.

Porzingis instead joined the Celtics and is in The Finals where he is a floor spacer and post option while also protecting the rim on the other end of the floor.


Bob


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Bob


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For those of you who, like me, have wondered where that whole "Tingis Pingis" thing came from, here it is.  This was a video about his draft day pick by the Knicks that went viral.


"Lateemia"?   LOL.







Bob


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https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/06/celtics-lone-rookie-developing-killer-mindset-during-nba-finals-run.html



Celtics’ lone rookie developing killer mindset during NBA Finals run


Published: Jun. 09, 2024, 5:30 a.m.



Boston Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis ( and Jordan Walsh before an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP


By Souichi Terada | sterada@masslive.com



BOSTON — All the way back in training camp, when Jordan Walsh first met his new Celtics teammates, it was natural to be a little starstruck. Just months before, the then-teenage Walsh was busy watching the C’s on his television in the playoffs.

But as Walsh’s rookie season wraps up, he’s no longer the bright-eyed newcomer. Now, he’s trying to push Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown whenever they’re matched up against practice. And that’s part of the value the Celtics’ lone rookie can bring to an NBA Finals run even if he isn’t playing every night. As he so eloquently put it: “I’m here to kill you in practice. I don’t care who you are, I’m trying to kill. So that’s kind of the mentality I have.”


“If you put me against JT, I’m going at his throat,” Walsh added. “I’m trying to lock him up. Obviously him and JB, I play one-on-one with them. It’s just about always showing I’m a competitor, I’m never giving up. I don’t care who you are. I’m going to fight like hell to try and beat you in whatever we’re doing.”


Walsh, 20, is in a unique position. He was selected No. 38 in last year’s draft, meaning he’s the lone rookie on Boston’s 15-man roster. Walsh spent most of the season with the G-League Maine Celtics, getting some occasional call-ups to the big club. But his work was mainly behind the scenes during the regular season, sharpening his game and mind during practices.

After the G League Finals run, Walsh now gets to see up-close what it takes to win on the biggest stage the sport has to offer. The attention to detail, he said, is what pops out to him the most as the stakes are so much higher in the playoffs. So between practices and being around the team, the rookie’s trying to soak in everything he can. Walsh said he’s talked often with Xavier Tillman, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday throughout these playoffs, just trying to get whatever advice the veterans are willing to dish.


“It’s crazy: Jordan Walsh is going to be really, really good,” Tillman said. “So we do these things called stay-ready groups where we get to scrimmage and stuff like that against one another, against the people who may or may not be in rotation. He is a special guy. He walked in the gym, no stretch, and wind-miled dunked. I was mind blown.”

Walsh had a successful rookie season, getting plenty of playing time in the G League. He was a one-and-done prospect out of Arkansas — and his measurables are the first thing that pops out. Walsh stands 6-foot-7 and is armed with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, which is why Boston president Brad Stevens pointed out his defensive potential on draft night.

The rookie still has a long way to go, but he said he’s already made great progress since the beginning of his rookie season. In 27 G League games, Walsh averaged 14.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. His 36.1% mark on 5.7 3-pointers is also a good sign as the C’s hope he can keep developing his shot at the next level in the NBA. There’s a lot of value in a player like Walsh even if he’s not ready to contribute in the present. As the salary cap becomes tight in a few years, getting cheap production out of a second-round pick like Walsh will be crucial for the Celtics to keep their roster competitive.


“My game, personally, has slowed down,” Walsh said. “I’m trying to play more of what they would call a vet style. You don’t always want to be full speed, running as fast as you can because then you make mistakes. It’s about slowing down. Assessing the situation. Making the right read 98% of the time.”

For now, all Walsh has to do is develop his game while getting a front-row seat to greatness. He even gets the fun wrinkle of playing in front of his hometown of Dallas during the Finals. Back in January, Walsh said he had about 30-40 friends and family members in attendance when the Celtics played at American Airlines Center. But this time, Walsh said tickets are so expensive he can’t have that big of a group. And with his team going up against his friends and family, all he wants is bragging rights.


“My friends are cheering for me,” Walsh said. “Some of my family members have been Mavs fans forever. We get the trophy, they’re going to be the first ones I call. I’m calling straight to them talking my trash.”


Bob
MY NOTE:  Before we got Jrue I predicted Jordan Walsh would play an over-sized role on this team.  With Jrue, of course, we had depth in defense and we could afford to season him in Maine.  36.1% from 3 for a player that shot 27.8% from 3 just one year ago in college is a nice bump up and is statistically insignificant from this past year's NBA season average of 36.6%.  He averaged 2.0 3pt fgas/game in college (72 total), 5.7 3pt fgas/game in Maine (155 total, so more than double).  That suggests this improvement isn't based upon a small sample size.  So, as far as being able to generate a modern-NBA offense, especially in Joe's 3-happy offense, Jordan Walsh is already at his minimum acceptable threshold.

A little perspective:  Jaden Springer is 6'4" vs 6'6" for Walsh (the original 6'7" measurement must have been in sneakers).  Springer has a 6'8" wingspan vs 7'3" for Walsh.  This means Springer's wingspan-to-height ratio is 1.053:1 while Walsh's is 1.115:1.  The average for the NBA, a league that prizes players with pterodactyl wings, is 1.047:1.  So, while Springer's wingspan-to-height ratio is better than the NBA average, which helps to explain why he has his rep as a better than average defender, Jordan Walsh's is off the charts.  This is called "The Ape Index".  The #1 wingspan-to-height ratio, Ape Index, in the history of the NBA belongs to Manute Bol.  He was 7'7" tall and had an 8'8" wingspan, for a wingspan-to-height ratio of 1.121:1.  Walsh, at 1.115:1 isn't too far behind, is he?   We oohed and ahhed over The Time Lord's reach for years, right?  He has a 7'6" wingspan and is 6'9" tall, for an Ape Index of 1.11:1.

I don't know what is going to happen with Jordan Walsh and Jaden Springer this off-season.  On the surface there appears to be a fair amount of redundancy in their positions.  However, they are both on cheap contracts (Walsh is going into his 2nd year of a cheap rookie contract @ $1.9M while Springer is in the last year of his contract @ $4M).  With an extension for DWhite coming up Brad might think that packaging Springer's $4M expiring contract for a cheaper contract, or a contract that isn't expiring that another GM wants to get rid of for flexibility, is the way to lock up our roster's salary long-term.

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Bob


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