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Austin Rivers: “I’d love to be part of the team”
by gyso Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:45 am
https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/9/21/23883269/austin-rivers-id-love-to-be-part-of-the-boston-celtics-brad-stevens-bill-simmons-nba-championship
On The Bill Simmons Podcast, the journeyman spoke about calling Brad Stevens and possibly joining the team for a championship run.
By wjsy@deliberatepix Sep 21, 2023, 9:00am EDT
The Celtics still have a 15th roster spot available with just under two weeks before training camp opens. With the opportunity to join a championship contender, one player has taken the initiative to reach out to them.
On an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, former Minnesota Timberwolf and current free agent Austin Rivers talked about his future in the NBA. After waxing poetic about joining the Heat and calling Miami “a dream destination” and his “#1 choice,” he added that he recently lobbed a call into the Celtics front office.
“I had a great talk with Brad (Stevens) actually like a week ago,” Rivers said. Simmons mentioned the need for a defensive guard with the departure of Marcus Smart to Memphis.
“That’s why I called him because I’d love to be a part of it. I’d love to be part of the team. He said a lot of positive things. We’ll see if that’s something that comes to fruition, but I’ve always loved Brad. I’ve always been a fan of him.”
Rivers was infamously a Celtic for less than a cup of coffee back in 2015. In a month that saw Danny Ainge swing six trades before the February deadline, one of the deals included aquiring Rivers from New Orleans and three days later, sending him to his dad, Doc Rivers, then head coach of the Clippers for a second round pick.
The veteran seems like an obvious fit in the rotation as a 9th or 10th man. Last month, CelticsBlog’s Mark Aboyoun wrote about potentially signing the 31-year-old after The Globe’s Gary Washburn reported that the Celtics was interested in bringing him to Boston:
The former Blue Devil is entering his 12th season in the league after being the 10th pick in the 2012 draft. Rivers, who was known for his offensive prowess in high school and college, is now more of an on-ball, defense-first player.
In 52 games with the Timberwolves last season, Rivers had a defensive rating of 117.4. With the loss of Smart, Mazzulla may think of bringing in a veteran who can help bolster the backcourt and bridge the defensive gap left by Smart.
In addition to that final roster spot, the Celtics have three non-guaranteed contracts to consider before Opening Night: Luke Kornet, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Dalano Banton. There’s some flexibility there and with a need for some experience off the bench (think Blake Griffin), he could become the second Rivers to raise a banner in Boston.
My comment: No, 100 times no.
On The Bill Simmons Podcast, the journeyman spoke about calling Brad Stevens and possibly joining the team for a championship run.
By wjsy@deliberatepix Sep 21, 2023, 9:00am EDT
The Celtics still have a 15th roster spot available with just under two weeks before training camp opens. With the opportunity to join a championship contender, one player has taken the initiative to reach out to them.
On an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, former Minnesota Timberwolf and current free agent Austin Rivers talked about his future in the NBA. After waxing poetic about joining the Heat and calling Miami “a dream destination” and his “#1 choice,” he added that he recently lobbed a call into the Celtics front office.
“I had a great talk with Brad (Stevens) actually like a week ago,” Rivers said. Simmons mentioned the need for a defensive guard with the departure of Marcus Smart to Memphis.
“That’s why I called him because I’d love to be a part of it. I’d love to be part of the team. He said a lot of positive things. We’ll see if that’s something that comes to fruition, but I’ve always loved Brad. I’ve always been a fan of him.”
Rivers was infamously a Celtic for less than a cup of coffee back in 2015. In a month that saw Danny Ainge swing six trades before the February deadline, one of the deals included aquiring Rivers from New Orleans and three days later, sending him to his dad, Doc Rivers, then head coach of the Clippers for a second round pick.
The veteran seems like an obvious fit in the rotation as a 9th or 10th man. Last month, CelticsBlog’s Mark Aboyoun wrote about potentially signing the 31-year-old after The Globe’s Gary Washburn reported that the Celtics was interested in bringing him to Boston:
The former Blue Devil is entering his 12th season in the league after being the 10th pick in the 2012 draft. Rivers, who was known for his offensive prowess in high school and college, is now more of an on-ball, defense-first player.
In 52 games with the Timberwolves last season, Rivers had a defensive rating of 117.4. With the loss of Smart, Mazzulla may think of bringing in a veteran who can help bolster the backcourt and bridge the defensive gap left by Smart.
In addition to that final roster spot, the Celtics have three non-guaranteed contracts to consider before Opening Night: Luke Kornet, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Dalano Banton. There’s some flexibility there and with a need for some experience off the bench (think Blake Griffin), he could become the second Rivers to raise a banner in Boston.
My comment: No, 100 times no.
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gyso- Posts : 23027
Join date : 2009-10-13
Re: Austin Rivers: “I’d love to be part of the team”
by NYCelt Thu Sep 21, 2023 12:14 pm
Interesting names popping up as possible additions for that 15th spot.
When you look at it, it's more like 4 available spots. I don't believe Kornet, Svi, or Banton look like locks for anything beyond G-League or short-term apartment leases.
Rivers? Maybe we can still do better.
When you look at it, it's more like 4 available spots. I don't believe Kornet, Svi, or Banton look like locks for anything beyond G-League or short-term apartment leases.
Rivers? Maybe we can still do better.
NYCelt- Posts : 10794
Join date : 2009-10-12
Re: Austin Rivers: “I’d love to be part of the team”
by bobheckler Thu Sep 21, 2023 1:29 pm
To be honest I'm having trouble finding anything that Austin Rivers does, or has ever done, that was exceptional. Patrick Beverly is 35 years old and signed with Philly. Why? Because he has a skill highly valued by the NBA, he's a ferocious defender. Detroit just traded for 32 year old Joe Harris because he's deadly from 3.
Austin Rivers isn't a starter, anywhere. Therefore, he's a bench player. What's his role, as a bench player? Brogdon's a bench player, but he could start on a lot of teams, and his role is to run the 2nd unit with scoring and floor generalship and he was good enough at that role to be NBA 6th Man last year. Sam Hauser's a bench player, his role is to shoot 3s at a 40%+ rate. He was 13th in the NBA last year @ 41.8%. Cue Ben Stein's character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "Rivers? Rivers? Rivers?"
Austin Rivers, in my opinion, is 6'4" of undefined basketball mush. He's not a great defender, he's ok. Mediocrity has its place, just nowhere on my team. His career fg% is 42%. That's embarrassing for a shooting guard. His career 3pt fg% is 34.9%. Mediocrity in this is still an aspiration for him. His career ft% is 65% (he shot a career high 76.9% last season). RWill's career ft% is 65.6% and nobody thinks he's good at that. Rivers' assist-to-TO ratio is good, but he only had 75 assists in 1019 minutes last season. That's weak. About the only thing you can say for him, then, is that he's not sloppy with the ball. I've been openly craving a veteran floor general. I suppose someone who can handle the ball, and not turn it over, is something. <sniff>
Nice of you to offer, Austin, but no thanks. Say hello to your dad for me. C'mon, Brad, find me a real floor general that can give us 500 good minutes, not just a place holder.
(Caveat: Now that I've said all this watch Brad sign him and Rivers dedicates himself to becoming the next Rondo)
Bob
.
Austin Rivers isn't a starter, anywhere. Therefore, he's a bench player. What's his role, as a bench player? Brogdon's a bench player, but he could start on a lot of teams, and his role is to run the 2nd unit with scoring and floor generalship and he was good enough at that role to be NBA 6th Man last year. Sam Hauser's a bench player, his role is to shoot 3s at a 40%+ rate. He was 13th in the NBA last year @ 41.8%. Cue Ben Stein's character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "Rivers? Rivers? Rivers?"
Austin Rivers, in my opinion, is 6'4" of undefined basketball mush. He's not a great defender, he's ok. Mediocrity has its place, just nowhere on my team. His career fg% is 42%. That's embarrassing for a shooting guard. His career 3pt fg% is 34.9%. Mediocrity in this is still an aspiration for him. His career ft% is 65% (he shot a career high 76.9% last season). RWill's career ft% is 65.6% and nobody thinks he's good at that. Rivers' assist-to-TO ratio is good, but he only had 75 assists in 1019 minutes last season. That's weak. About the only thing you can say for him, then, is that he's not sloppy with the ball. I've been openly craving a veteran floor general. I suppose someone who can handle the ball, and not turn it over, is something. <sniff>
Nice of you to offer, Austin, but no thanks. Say hello to your dad for me. C'mon, Brad, find me a real floor general that can give us 500 good minutes, not just a place holder.
(Caveat: Now that I've said all this watch Brad sign him and Rivers dedicates himself to becoming the next Rondo)
Bob
.
bobheckler- Posts : 62620
Join date : 2009-10-28
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