Boston Celtics News (2024-2025)

Bob


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bobheckler wrote:https://www.yahoo.com/sports/oshae-brissett-opens-role-boston-110014196.html



Oshae Brissett opens up on role with Boston Celtics, free agency



Justin Quinn

Sun, August 4, 2024 at 4:00 AM PDT·2 min read



When Boston Celtics backup big man Oshae Brissett elected to opt out of his player option for the 2024-25 NBA season with the Celtics, he knew he was taking a calculated risk. But he was also a young, solid forward with a chance to find a bigger role on a ball club not so stacked with talent.

Brissett recently opened up on that misreading of the market for his services -- at least to date -- in an episode of his self-produced YouTube show "Brissy TV". "Everyone on the team, on the Celtics, got paid to go back and do their job again, as they (expletive) should," said the Celtics swingman alum via HoopsHype. "Sam (Hauser), Payton (Pritchard), I’m talking about the guys that come off the bench."

"I was going to be starting, but Al (Horford) comes off the bench sometimes when (Kristaps Porzingis) gets back," he added, "and (they've) still got Jordan Walsh, who’s only getting better."


"All those guys deserve to play." said Brissett. "They deserve to be there. They put the work in, and they deserve to be there. But just like how they deserve to be there and play, I deserve to play."

"I put the work in my career, bro. I’ve been cut from teams, I’ve been benched, I’ve been in the G League, I’ve started in NBA games, I’ve scored 30, I’ve scored 25, double-doubles, all types of stuff. I put the work in, bro, to get to where I’m at right now, and all I want to do is play. Feel me?"

Ray Allen once told a story of when Michael Jordan explained how after a title, role players want bigger roles, often creating friction within the team contrary to the title-focused mission.

We have a feeling this is what he was talking about, even if Brissett may have a point.


Bob
MY NOTE:  If Sam hadn't gotten paid he would have left.  If Payton demanded a trade if he didn't get minutes, which he ended up getting.  That's some of the nature of this business.  The only player I can think of off the top of my head whose priorities are perhaps different is Luke.  The reports are that he had better $ offers on the table but chose to sign for less to stay in Boston.  Maybe that's true of Sam too, maybe the deal he did sign isn't as rich as one he could have had elsewhere, but the one he signed was pretty good anyway.  Players want money.  Not just because they have short careers and so they need to get it while they can but also because it's used as a measuring stick vs other players.  Players want to play, that's why they're players.  I don't blame Oshae one bit.  He played his role here perfectly, got a ring out of it and now can pursue other priorities.  Unless a veteran who still "got it" becomes available at the vet minimum I am perfectly happy to wait before we sign a 15th man.  A late season injury to a key player is difficult to recover from if you have no open roster spots.




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I know it’s way early, but I think the rookie Watson can do a lot of the same things that Oshae does. I totally don’t blame Oshae for looking at other situations as he started for a stretch before in this league and these players have limited time to make their money in this league. Watson can do many similar things and is bigger with more potential versatility IMHO.

https://nesn.com/2024/08/payton-pritchard-striving-to-make-jump-with-celtics-in-2024-25/



Payton Pritchard Striving To Make ‘Jump’ With Celtics In 2024-25


'I'm already working this summer'


Gio Rivera 20 Hours Ago 3 Min Read

Gio Rivera
Digital Content Producer



Payton Pritchard experienced a complete 180 turn last season with the Boston Celtics, which ended with a celebratory Banner 18 duck boat parade in June.

It began when Pritchard and the Celtics agreed on a four-year, $30 million contract weeks ahead of Opening Night. Boston stood by Pritchard after the undersized guard logged a career-low 13.4 minutes as the afterthought of the team's reserve unit in 2022-23, and it paid off tremendously. Pritchard appeared in each of Boston's 82 games in the regular season, averaging a career-high in points (9.6), rebounds (3.2), assists (3.4) and shooting from the field (46.8%) while also logging a Celtics-best assist-to-turnover ratio (4.6). Yet, the 26-year-old isn't content heading into the upcoming season.

"Obviously, I'm already working this summer," Pritchard told Evan Turner on the "Point Forward" podcast. "... I'm trying to make a jump. I think for me, I've always been a person that's never been a goal setter trying to win these awards or anything like that because that's out of my control. For me, if I can make a jump in certain areas, offensively and become even more efficient in different parts of the game. My coaches have talked about it, being able to shoot off the dribble at a higher clip -- like step-backs and stuff."

Pritchard's minutes took a slight decline in the postseason, averaging 18.7 as opposed to 22.3 in the regular season, however, the Oregon product still found ways to contribute. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Pritchard buried a deep buzzer-beating three to give the Celtics a 92-77 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers to begin the fourth quarter. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals -- the series clincher -- Pritchard sunk a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first half against the Dallas Mavericks, which shifted the momentum Boston's way en route to its record-setting 18th title.


It was undeniably Pritchard's best NBA season to date, and for more reasons than one, but that isn't stopping him from uncovering new ways to improve or take inspiration from a few fellow guards from Boston's championship roster.

"Defensively, just figuring out a way to even make more of a impact as far as kind of being more of a pest, even though I am on-ball," Pritchard explained to Turner. "But learning how to take charges at a higher rate. Some of that stuff goes down to watching film and I also got two dudes who do it in their own right in (Jrue Holiday and Derrick White). For me, that's the standard. That's the standard I'm trying to get to.


Bob
MY NOTE:  A lot of defense is being a pest.  Remember Danny?  He was always in a defensive stance, always getting in players' space and it pissed them off (even got him punched a few times and had his finger bitten by Tree Rollins).  Phil Pressey is another one.  Even more undersized than Payton but if you brought the ball anywhere near where he could reach it he'd strip you.  Nothing against Brogdon but I think Brad made the right decision, long-term, to move Payton higher up on the depth chart.  His numbers aren't too far off from Malcolm's, he played a lot more minutes, he was a fraction of the cost (and will still be a fraction of the cost next year when his new 4 year, $30M contract kicks in), he played in all 82 games last year and he's still only 26.

2023-2024.............MPG(Total)........PPG (/100 possessions).....3pt FG%.....APG (/100 poss.).....TOpg (/100 poss.)......Stlpg (/100 possessions).......Salary
Malcolm Brogdon---28.7 (1121)------15.7 (27.0)------------------41.2--------5.5 (9.4)--------------1.5 (2.6)--------------.7 (1.2)-------------------------$22.5M
Payton Pritchard----22.3 (1825)------9.6 (21.3)-------------------38.5--------3.4 (7.6)-------------.7 (1.7)-----------------.5 (1.1)-------------------------$4M


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Tree bites man.

Headline of the century.

After reading Oshae’s story, I just hope he is not playing a game where he is going to get stung. At some point, maybe not right this minute, that spot may be gone and then he is out of luck here. I realize he wants more playing time, that is totally understandable, but no one is breaking down his door to sign him. I do believe he will end up with a job, but, he also has to remember, he earned a lot of extra $$$ by being in the playoffs and winning a title.

As far as Luke is concerned, I believe it is a family decision. He has a nice home in Lexington, MA his kids go to a good school system, and his wife is happy. They are involved with the church here, and it obviously was a decision that it did not take him long to make. Kind of refreshing. Hope he does not regret it.

Rosalie, this story spells out what NBA Champs make as a team = $7,907,162, and that does not include the increase from 2023 to 2024.
The Celts get to decide how that purse is split up. If I were a Governor, I'd split it evenly 15 ways to the players = $527,144.13 each.

That's a good wedding present for Payton and a good bonus for Oshae.

The 2024-25 Sixers will reportedly visit the defending champions on Christmas.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Thursday night that Sixers at Celtics is among the Christmas games on the NBA schedule, in addition to Spurs at Knicks, Timberwolves at Mavericks, Lakers at Warriors and Nuggets at Suns.
Boston rather easily won the Eastern Conference last season, earning 64 regular-season victories before running through the playoffs. The Sixers suffered a first-round series loss to the Knicks, though they’re full of optimism after signing Paul George and adding free-agent role players like Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond during a busy offseason.

It's official!!!

Opening Night is October 22nd in TD Garden vs the Knicks.  That's 71 days from today.


In other news Brad gave a small update on The Unicorn from Paris.  He said he's still on his timeline but it will be "a while".  Yeah, well, December is "a while" and that has always been his timeline.  Tingus Pingus posted a video of himself on a rowing machine.  Rowing isn't just arms and back, you need to use your legs to push off.


Bob


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Tatum, Brown should take Celtics title defense as a revenge tour
By:John Tomase

Get rested. Get right. Get revenge.

Not the typical rallying cry to inspire a title defense, but this hasn't been an ordinary offseason for the world champion Boston Celtics.

If C's superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown expected validation in the wake of Banner 18, they have been repeatedly, humiliatingly disabused of that notion.


We all know what happened at the 2024 Paris Olympics. First, Brown didn't make Team USA, skipped as Kawhi Leonard's injury replacement even after winning both playoff MVP awards. When he insinuated that the decision rested partly with uber-sponsor Nike, he was subjected to a demeaning back-and-forth with USA Basketball's Grant Hill, who suggested he stop believing conspiracy theories. Brown emerged diminished, looking like a second-tier star who's still not welcome in the cool kids' club.

What happened to Tatum was even worse. Fresh off the title that made him the potential face of the sport, he found himself buried behind the old guard at the Paris Olympics. Head coach Steve Kerr benched Tatum for two full games as a healthy scratch, and then barely gave him 10 minutes in the gold medal tilt vs. France. Even Tatum's mom wanted to know what the hell was going on.

It's enough to make you wonder if there's a conspiracy at work against the Celtics, as if sabotaging the two stars now is meant to keep them from repeating as champions.

After all, at exactly the moment when the duo should be waving scepters, they've instead been waved away dismissively. They finally kick down the door, only to find a security gate slamming shut in their face.

The NBA establishment doesn't seem to believe the Celtics deserved their title. So dominant was their run that we were improbably subjected to a revival of the Jayson vs. Jaylen debate in the playoffs, complete with soap opera spot shadows evaluating the former's reaction to the latter winning Eastern Conference Finals MVP and other ephemera.

Former Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams noted on his podcast that you can't name another duo so consistently pitted against each other. Partnerships involving guys who didn't even necessarily like each other -- Jordan and Pippen, Kobe and Shaq -- were nonetheless joined by "and," whereas Brown and Tatum are often described with "versus." For years, discussions centered around splitting them instead of maximizing their alliance.

A championship should've changed that, but the Celtics apparently benefited from an easy-peasy path, which conveniently denies their agency in making it look that way. Beating the Heat without Jimmy Butler, the Cavs (mostly) without Donovan Mitchell, and the Pacers after an injury to Tyrese Haliburton affixed an asterisk to their Finals run that not even mauling the full-strength Mavericks in five games could dispel.

Did anyone make a similar point about Nikola Jokić's 2023 Nuggets after they beat three play-in teams en route to a title? No. But the rules seem different for the C's and their two young stars.

That's OK, because now comes the fun part.

For the next six weeks, Brown, Tatum, and Co. should relax and reset before they reload. Title defenses are never easy, which is why the NBA has had a unique champion for six straight years, tying a record set from 1975-80.

The usual challenge is complacency, but that shouldn't be an issue for the C's, not if their two stars have any pride. The doubts they overcame to win it all remain stubbornly embedded, and there's an entire commentariat just drooling to proclaim the 2024 banner a lucky one-off.

There's only one way to silence that talk, and it's to do it again.

The fiery Brown never lacks motivation, and Tatum only let us see how much the criticism had fueled him after finally lighting a victory cigar. ("What are they gonna say now?") If either of them expected that to be the end of it, they were sorely mistaken.

So prepare for a season unlike any other. Title defenses and revenge tours don't typically overlap, but welcome to the 2024-25 Boston Celtics. If only the season started tomorrow.

He spends a lot of time with JT he will keep him humble. Keeping my eye on him he is around the team a lot is a job around the corner?

Bob


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Anyone have a read on when the 2024-2025 NBA Schedule comes out?  I know they've release the IST and a couple of key games but I've yet to see the full schedule for all teams, including ours.  

Thanks!!

db

Great Cooz interview!   Can't wait to see him and Satch at the 1st Banner hanging game in a while.  Yes, I said 1st...

OK.  Since there is a lull with bball after the Olympics, here's a movie trivia question for all us old timers.  

This movie came out in the 70's.  Extremely well done.  Set in Joliet, Ill about an hour southwest of Chicago.  It had two races horses named in it but never showed (no pun intended), Blue Note (Shoulda put your money on Blue Note!!) and Lucky Dan ("You get your bet in on time?!!" "You have nothing to worry about.  I put a 1/2 million dollars on Lucky Dan to win."  "I said PLACE it on Lucky Dan!!  He's gonna finish 2nd!!! Not to win!!!").

It's music background was Rag Time which was popular during the 1890's (Scott Joplin) but it was set in the Depression, hence producing quite a hullabaloo for critics.  But it worked.

Anyone?  Bueller?  Don't strain too hard on this one!!  Bee all you can Bee.  

db

Courtesy of Steve3344.

Who's the black guy wearing #19?






Bob


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I had to google it. I won’t reveal the answer in order to give other forum members a chance to answer. Gotta admit I had never heard of him. I wonder if he was a teammate of Wilt’s in college? Upon further investigation I found that he was not a teammate of Wilt in college but he does have a claim to fame.

dbrown4 wrote:Great Cooz interview!   Can't wait to see him and Satch at the 1st Banner hanging game in a while.  Yes, I said 1st...

OK.  Since there is a lull with bball after the Olympics, here's a movie trivia question for all us old timers.  

This movie came out in the 70's.  Extremely well done.  Set in Joliet, Ill about an hour southwest of Chicago.  It had two races horses named in it but never showed (no pun intended), Blue Note (Shoulda put your money on Blue Note!!) and Lucky Dan ("You get your bet in on time?!!" "You have nothing to worry about.  I put a 1/2 million dollars on Lucky Dan to win."  "I said PLACE it on Lucky Dan!!  He's gonna finish 2nd!!! Not to win!!!").

It's music background was Rag Time which was popular during the 1890's (Scott Joplin) but it was set in the Depression, hence producing quite a hullabaloo for critics.  But it worked.

Anyone?  Bueller?  Don't strain too hard on this one!!  Bee all you can Bee.  

db

dbrown : “Joliet” Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Akroyd) The Blues Brothers

Same here, Will, Jr.  Before my time.  Noted there was an NC State Rookie, John Richter, on the team as well!!  

Good guess on movie, but no.  The Sting.  Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Harold Gould and Robert Shaw.  Cleaned up at the Academy Awards that year.  Shaw was actually injured during filming and made (had to make) the limp part of his character. 

Great Flick.  

db

db, I was about to answer the Sting as well. Good description by you.

I have been around a long time, have no idea who this guy is, but I can almost guarantee he did not burn up the floor with playing time or someone would have known who the heck heck he was!!!

dbrown4 wrote:Same here, Will, Jr.  Before my time.  Noted there was an NC State Rookie, John Richter, on the team as well!!  

Good guess on movie, but no.  The Sting.  Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Harold Gould and Robert Shaw.  Cleaned up at the Academy Awards that year.  Shaw was actually injured during filming and made (had to make) the limp part of his character. 

Great Flick.  

db

I was sure that I had it right, especially with your last clue referring to “bees”. I remember the original not ready for prime time players had a skit where they dressed as bees. Oh well, you got me this time but “I’ll be back”. Anyone want to venture a guess on who uttered that phrase? Here’s a hint he’d make an excellent “naybor”

willjr wrote:Tatum, Brown should take Celtics title defense as a revenge tour
By:John Tomase

Get rested. Get right. Get revenge.

Not the typical rallying cry to inspire a title defense, but this hasn't been an ordinary offseason for the world champion Boston Celtics.

If C's superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown expected validation in the wake of Banner 18, they have been repeatedly, humiliatingly disabused of that notion.


We all know what happened at the 2024 Paris Olympics. First, Brown didn't make Team USA, skipped as Kawhi Leonard's injury replacement even after winning both playoff MVP awards. When he insinuated that the decision rested partly with uber-sponsor Nike, he was subjected to a demeaning back-and-forth with USA Basketball's Grant Hill, who suggested he stop believing conspiracy theories. Brown emerged diminished, looking like a second-tier star who's still not welcome in the cool kids' club.

What happened to Tatum was even worse. Fresh off the title that made him the potential face of the sport, he found himself buried behind the old guard at the Paris Olympics. Head coach Steve Kerr benched Tatum for two full games as a healthy scratch, and then barely gave him 10 minutes in the gold medal tilt vs. France. Even Tatum's mom wanted to know what the hell was going on.

It's enough to make you wonder if there's a conspiracy at work against the Celtics, as if sabotaging the two stars now is meant to keep them from repeating as champions.

After all, at exactly the moment when the duo should be waving scepters, they've instead been waved away dismissively. They finally kick down the door, only to find a security gate slamming shut in their face.

The NBA establishment doesn't seem to believe the Celtics deserved their title. So dominant was their run that we were improbably subjected to a revival of the Jayson vs. Jaylen debate in the playoffs, complete with soap opera spot shadows evaluating the former's reaction to the latter winning Eastern Conference Finals MVP and other ephemera.

Former Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams noted on his podcast that you can't name another duo so consistently pitted against each other. Partnerships involving guys who didn't even necessarily like each other -- Jordan and Pippen, Kobe and Shaq -- were nonetheless joined by "and," whereas Brown and Tatum are often described with "versus." For years, discussions centered around splitting them instead of maximizing their alliance.

A championship should've changed that, but the Celtics apparently benefited from an easy-peasy path, which conveniently denies their agency in making it look that way. Beating the Heat without Jimmy Butler, the Cavs (mostly) without Donovan Mitchell, and the Pacers after an injury to Tyrese Haliburton affixed an asterisk to their Finals run that not even mauling the full-strength Mavericks in five games could dispel.

Did anyone make a similar point about Nikola Jokić's 2023 Nuggets after they beat three play-in teams en route to a title? No. But the rules seem different for the C's and their two young stars.

That's OK, because now comes the fun part.

For the next six weeks, Brown, Tatum, and Co. should relax and reset before they reload. Title defenses are never easy, which is why the NBA has had a unique champion for six straight years, tying a record set from 1975-80.

The usual challenge is complacency, but that shouldn't be an issue for the C's, not if their two stars have any pride. The doubts they overcame to win it all remain stubbornly embedded, and there's an entire commentariat just drooling to proclaim the 2024 banner a lucky one-off.

There's only one way to silence that talk, and it's to do it again.

The fiery Brown never lacks motivation, and Tatum only let us see how much the criticism had fueled him after finally lighting a victory cigar. ("What are they gonna say now?") If either of them expected that to be the end of it, they were sorely mistaken.

So prepare for a season unlike any other. Title defenses and revenge tours don't typically overlap, but welcome to the 2024-25 Boston Celtics. If only the season started tomorrow.

So glad the establishment NBA snubbed us again, it’s not like they haven’t tried for years. Is it me or are there so many times J’s go hard to the basket and get hammered and no calls, it’s so obvious. How could those refs be so blind, just cause were super athletic and strong doesn’t mean we should get ignored on so many calls?

Just wanted to say Haliburton only missed last 2 games, as did Donovan Mitchell, it’s not like we got totally gifted, no one felt sorry for us a few years ago when Jaylen missed the whole playoffs with bad wrist and Tatum was severely limited in game 7, stopping historic comeback from 0-3. Nobody felt sorry for us, they just kept ripping us, oh have to break up the J’s….by the way our starting center missed how many games in a row during the playoff run and we still kicked eveyones a$$? 16-3 and a knack for making clutch plays both ends in all these games!!

If what reports are true, the three guys over in the Olympics took a real beating from Team USA as far as trying to humiliate them about the championship. Really getting sick of all this NBA baloney. It is so obvious the league is pushing Knicks, Indy, OKC, to beat the Celtics this year. They do not want a repeat champion. Well, the way you handle that is......beat the hell out of everyone. Did anyone feel sorry for us when RWIIi was out so much and could not do a damn thing against GSW???? Nope. Porzingas was out for a good many playoff games, anyone feel sorry?? Nope. This is a tired story, the only way to shut them up is to beat the hell out of them

That's what is coming Rosalie.  That's what is coming.  Sit back and enjoy the upcoming In Your Face, NBA Tour!!!

First Announcement to the rest of the NBA.  

Can you get all your team's healthy all season long and into the playoffs?!  We won't even put any conditions on our health at any time during the season or playoffs.  It's not going to matter.  We will make no excuses.  Just get your sorry-ass teams through the 2024-2025 season and to the playoffs with your best team present.  If you can't do that, then don't bother to show up.  You're not going to want to have any part of the All Out Fully Operational Death Star AW that will be coming your way this season and through the playoffs for the 4 teams that draw the Celtics anyway.  It will be better for yourself, your team, your franchise and your psyche that you default.   

The point no one in the rest of the league is addressing is, yes we won the championship.  But even us hardcore fans here will each admit that our 2024 playoff performance was NOT our best effort.  Nowhere close and for a variety of reasons we've hashed out here ad nauseum already.  Our trek through the playoffs was good enough to beat the 4 teams we faced and quite handily I might add.  That should tell the rest of the league something right there in and of itself.  If we coasted, then the rest of you REALLY SUCKED.  Think about that for a minute.  In your silence, you are admitting you suck!!  Kinda like pleading the 5th.  

Then the path with the summer off-season and Olympics chosen by everyone non-Boston was to try to divide and conquer.  How stupid do you think our players are?!!  I repeat...Rest of the league PLEASE keep doing what you're doing and thinking what you're thinking about the Celtics and how you are going to try to dismantle them.  I'm BEGGING YOU!!  

Firestorm is coming.  Scorched Earth.  More like Scorched League.  Get your popcorn, Twizzlers and Belly Wash supplies stocked and loaded.  You're not going to want to miss a second of our upcoming season.  I'm just warming up!!! 

db

Not sure how many more seasons I get to watch this legendary team, but all you guys and gal above have put a big sh**ty grin on my face in anticipation of the upcoming season. Mahalo to all of you and much love for our players, coach, GM and all the Celtic's staff.

Cousy was/is priceless too.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/jaylen-brown-drops-great-quote-195227259.html



The Boston Celtics have been taking a well-earned victory lap this summer after winning the 2024 NBA championship in June. But make no mistake: They'll be all business when October comes around.

Jaylen Brown, for example, was already back at work this past weekend, sharing photos of his intense underwater pool workouts in Bahrain. In a recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole to discuss the launch of Brown's Oakland XChange initiative, the Celtics star got straight to the point about his current mindset.

“Last year is over, to be honest," Brown told Poole, as seen in the video player above. "We celebrated, we had a good time, it’s been an awesome summer – I’ve been having a great summer, by the way – but it’s over with, and now it’s back to work."

While Brown's summer began on a high note when he won NBA Finals MVP for his strong two-way performance against the Dallas Mavericks, it also included a snub -- the three-time All-Star wasn't chosen to replace the injured Kawhi Leonard on Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Celtics teammate Derrick White got the nod instead) and suggested his past criticisms of Nike (a Team USA sponsor) played a role in his omission.

That means Brown has some extra motivation to have a strong season, even after reaching the NBA mountaintop. He's also aware that Boston will get every team's best shot as the reigning champion -- and he welcomes the challenge.

"Now we’ve got the target on our back," Brown told Poole. "Everybody’s trying to come after us, and I’m like, ‘Come on.’ So, it’s back to work and I’m looking forward to next season.”

No NBA team has repeated as champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018, but if any team is equipped to snap that streak, it's the Celtics. Boston's entire core from the 2023-24 season is back, and its two best players, Brown and Jayson Tatum, should be extremely motivated after the latter received surprisingly little playing time for Team USA at the Olympics.

If Brown's comments are any indication, that motivation has already kicked into high gear as the Celtics prepare for the start of training camp next month.


Bob
MY NOTE:  "the start of training camp next month".  Specifically, Media Day is September 24th, the first day of actual camp is the 25th.  We get a headstart on the rest of the league, which starts on September 30th, because we're playing some pre-season games overseas.

September 24th is exactly 34 days from now.

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