A Month To Begin one Day to go

Media day and training camp

Sept. 24: Celtics & Nuggets media days (first day of practice can begin Sept. 25)

Just 30 days remaining.  The Celtics will officially open camp on Wednesday, September 25th.  Then in 10 days after that our first preseason game will be on Friday, October, 4th.

Players will be in Boston before camp opens.  Offseason work is happening right now!  

Defending their Championship is a challenge that the team is looking forward to.  It will not be an easy road but I have a high level of confidence that this team will be even better prepared than last year's team.  They came through the fire last season and learned how to win.  Now they will learn how to win again.

Genius Brad Stevens has supplied Coach Joe with a full compliment of very talented and interconnected players.  While our 2 elite stars have more than enough motivation, our complimentary guys like PP and Sam Hauser have gained a decisive edge through hard work and dedication to their craft.  The two of them bring an added year of championship level experience to the table.  I expect to see both of them to be even better.  Our top of the line multi-faceted backcourt with Jrue and Derrick are a perfect pairing and after having played together, their instinctive relationship on the court will give the Celtics a big advantage.  

With the amazing Al Horford set to anchor the team, this roster is well stocked with complimentary bigs that will be able to sustain excellence until KP returns to the fold.

The Boston Celtics have established themselves as the model franchise for teams to emulate.

It is really too bad that KP will not be starting the season with the team, that would have made the fight for the repeat alot more exciting. I just love what he brought to the team when he was healthy. I guess we will have to wait it out. Seems the others should be hungry enought to give us a good start. Think we are starved for basketball?????????????

Rosalie

The players are competitive because they want to win.  The impact of winning also brings forth significant financial rewards.

https://www.sportico.com/feature/nba-playoff-salary-explained-1234776032/

According to this article each player on the Celtics received over $800K for winning the title.   When you think about guys wanting to stay with the Celtics even for less money, the prospects for playoff money has to be a factor for all those lower salaried players.

Rosalie, the Celtics will  miss having the KP option on offense and his rim protection.  They figured out how to win during the regular season without him and continued to do so during the Playoff.   I thought our centers gave us just what we needed last season.  The center depth will be tested even more without KP because AH will not be playing B2B games. Kornet, Queta and Tillman were retained by Brad. If our centers can defend and rebound the ball we will be just fine. We have plenty of offensive firepower even without KP.

Since we've been hinting around the edges with the KP situation and a few ancillary items the Celtics will need to shore up to repeat, I've been running a tab with a comprehensive list of what we will see/need to see/needs to be accomplished in 2024-25 Season and beyond to achieve what Boston fans have been longing for for most of my life.  I'll conclude with my prediction which you can take to dboss's bank.

1.  When he returns, KP needs to have a year quite similar to the year Anthony Davis had with no further injuries.  If he comes back in December or whenever and we're just a few weeks away from another shutdown, then he's going to have to go on the block.  I hate to say that as much as I like him, but with that he would begin to look an awful lot like RWIII.  KP playing without hesitation or worrying about injuries will cure all ills there.  He's a great piece, but he needs to play.   

2.  Boston needs to make sure the KP/sans KP winning percentages improve on both sides.  

3.  This upcoming season we need to steamroll everyone in sight vs. the occasional brain-fart games we would have, G4 of the Finals, for example.  Can't have those anymore.

4.  JT needs to become more like a late career LeBron, upping his assists, pouring in the points from all over and rebounding like Dennis Rodman.  

5.  Tillman needs to become a recognized force.  When he comes in the game, the other team needs to say, "Oh crap.  WTF we gonna do now?!

6.  Doogie and Pritch need to reload over the summer and come back with a new look.  Their playoff performance by both was nothing to write home about.  Except for a few spectacular shots, this was not a good showing for them and their time was limited.  I'm expecting a leap-frog performance from both of them all season and through the playoffs.  

7.  Mazzulla needs to whip his new troop of assistance into shape in a hurry and get them ready for the repeat.  Cassell will be priceless in his lead assistant role.      

8.  Queta needs to step up big time to fill KP void early on.  He's going to see a lot of time.  

9.  Jrue Holiday needs to plant his flag and not just be the "last piece" to the championship puzzle ala MIL and now BOS.  He's an extremely valuable part of the team.  Probably more than we will ever know.  

10.  Having the media continue to formulate stories that try to divide our players and team.  This is what I love about the media.  They blow themselves up trying to blow us up.  It's great to watch.  

11.  For the love of God and everything Holy, can we get the best team from the East and the best team from the West in the dang Finals?!!  Or at least something close.  I'll even take #1 East/West vs. #2 West/East.  The last two years have been pathetic as far as Finals go.  We blew it two years ago letting MIA escape.  The West blew it last year.  DAL was a truly an awful Finalist.  So was MIA two years ago and that was our fault.  Even with us steamrolling DAL, the last two Finals have been a complete waste of time as far as competition goes.   

12.  Coach Joe needs to be kept in an environment where he can continue to flourish.  His Finals moves were masterpieces.  He's like Ime where he reduces your opposing team's best player to a bumbling idiot.  KD, now Luka.  Priceless.  What a find.  What a mind.  What a talent.  I don't care how quirky he is or how much he po's the press.  He's a genius on the court and an unapologetic faithful follower of the Lord God Almighty all the time.  He's grounded.  Don't see him screwing up much at all from here on out or not getting what he asks for.   

With that, I give you this.  There is only one solution and one outcome.  It's the only one that proves to the rest of the league once and for all that the Boston Celtics are the Boston Celtics.  The Boston Celtic of now and all the way back to the fledgling 50's & 60's.  It's the only solution that completely silences ALL critics and shines the light that the Celtics are neck and neck with the Yankees as the greatest franchise in all of sports.

Mark my words, people.  

Boston will win the next 3 championships for a total for 4 in a row.  

There you have it.    

The league will pompously and unmistakable think they have caught up with us this year with all their moves.  Not so.  Expect more of a 16-3 or better performance this year in playoffs.  The following year things will finally begin to look a little more competitive.

To get the NBA World's attention, we have to repeat this year just to tread water.  We know this given how quickly we've been dismissed.  Winning three brings up the Lakers and Kobe/Shaq.  Already been done.  BFD.  Move along, nothing to see here.  4 in a row slams the doors shut.  No one can answer to that, mouths will finally be sown shut and the rest of the NBA will have to take whatever we dish out unconditionally.  This will cover the Lakers of the 80's as well.  We can get that monkey off our backs as well.  

By that time in 4 years, I'll be retiring or at least considering it!!  What a great way to retire!!  See you then!!

db

My thoughts are a little different. We went almost the whole year with the biggest injury being whenever KP's body gave out. He was our biggest injury report player. So.....that being said..........we need to avoid the injury report as much as possible. The two J;s are young, strong, vibrant, we need them healthy all year. Next is Jrue, he is getting older, will need that occasional night off, where PP and White run the backcourt, not Jaylen. That is my biggest wish for this year HEALTH...all year long. Shove it right down their throats, win those games we sometimes get lazy in, hold on to those leads, and never ever let anyone embarass you the way Milwaukee and NY did. EVER This is the year to prove it was not a fluke.

Rosalie

I agree with you about the need to stay healthy.  Overall, the Celtics were healthy except for KP as he missed 25 regular season games.  Jrue is getting up there in age and you do not want to get him worn down during the regular season.  His playoff performance was exactly what we expected from him.   When he sits the Celtics could replace him with PP.  We also have Jaden Springer and Baylor, the rookie (although he may be limited)  

They could also put SH in at the 3 and let JB slide down to the 2.

Having players that can play more than one position remains a big advantage for Boston.

The big unknow will be health again but this year we begin missing our 3rd top scorer from the jump. In other words we have already been hit with a major injury.

CJ will begin his 3rd year as our head coach and that should enhance the team.  He is not afraid to experiment with different lineups and rotations.  

I want to see our 2 stars focus on playing better and not on MVP votes and other distractions.

Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
yesterday
#Celtics posted Kornet, Hauser, Tillman, Springer, Scheierman, Watson, Queta, Peterson, Davison back to work at the facility with Mazzulla, Cassell: instagram.com/p/C_L3KmYp9Ga/…


https://www.instagram.com/p/C_L3KmYp9Ga/


Bob
MY NOTE: 10 pics total.


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DB

I think a more realistic goal for JT is to be more selective with his shots on offense and commit to playing more consistent defense particularly in transition.  We know that he can get to the rim and we know he can score in the midrange game.  His biggest flaw begins and ends with his 3 point shooting decision making.

I do not see a need for him to be a late career Lebron James.  (Lebron has consistently been great throughout his career)   I do not see him trying to emulate the rebounding of a Dennis Rodman (13.1 career average and nothing much on offense)  During the regular season JT led the team in scoring and in rebounding.  During the playoffs he led us in scoring, rebounding and assists.  

Winning a championship in the NBA or any sport is really hard to do.  So many things impact winning.  Injuries derailed a real chance for the former big 3 to win more than once.  I would be happy if we could win 3 titles over a 5 or 6 year span.   B2B would be great but that has not been done by a Celtics team since the 60's.

One really encouraging sign is the fact that Brad has kept this team together with no meaningful subtractions.

https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/jaylen-brown-improvements-2024-25-season/645341/



Ramp to Camp: What should Jaylen Brown add to his bag this season?



The Celtics star consistently makes notable improvements in the offseason.


By Chris Forsberg, Celtics Insider • Published September 4, 2024 • Updated on September 4, 2024 at 5:14 pm



Death. Taxes. Jaylen Brown adding something to his bag over the summer.

These are life’s only certainties. And before you even try to protest with something like, “Well, it was a short summer, so are we really sure JB is going to add something new to the toolbox this year?" just go chart his development since he’s arrived in Boston. Brown will find something to improve upon this season.

Every single season, Brown comes back a little better. He’s got a pair of shiny postseason MVP trophies from Boston’s title run to show his progress.

So what might be new in 2024-25? For the third installment of our Ramp to Camp 2024 series, we asked our NBC Sports Boston panel to pick one area that they hoped Brown would improve for the 2024-25 campaign.

Brown’s strides are well-documented. Last season, he took on the challenge of defending elite scorers and wiggled his way into All-Defense consideration. Brown's playmaking and vision has made notable strides. The offensive game continues to grow with Brown seemingly becoming more lethal in the midrange.


So what still needs improvement? The most popular answer among our panel was Brown’s free-throw shooting. He plummeted to 70.3 percent shooting at the charity stripe last season after shooting career-best 76.5 percent in 2022-23. What’s more, Brown shot only 66 percent at the line in the postseason.

We could quibble about how his defensive rebound percentage dipped, but everyone’s rebound rate went down with Kristaps Porzingis on the floor, and Brown was more aggressive on the boards in the postseason, particularly when Porzingis was sidelined.

If we’re going to nitpick, we’d yearn for Brown’s 3-point shot to become just a little more efficient. Back in his first All-Star season in 2020-21, Brown shot 39.7 percent beyond the arc. Since that season he’s been at 35.8, 33.5, and 35.4 percent, respectively, over the last three campaigns. Brown even getting north of league average (36.6 percent) beyond the arc would make him even more of a three-level threat who can really stress defenses.

Here’s what our panel wants to see from a player who will always find some sort of motivation regardless of his accomplishments:


John Tomase, Columnist

This is very specific, but when Brown recognizes a favorable matchup for a teammate in the post, can he eliminate the lobs into the stands?


Tom Giles, Multi-platform host

I actually look forward to seeing Brown's growth on the defensive end. Last season, we started seeing him hunt the opposing team's best player late in games. And we certainly saw his defensive impact in the postseason.

How much further can Brown push that to make sure he doesn't get left off an All-Defense team again?


Mark Hazlett, Multi-platform producer

A picture of Grant Hill for motivation -- or an 80 percent free-throw stroke.


Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

Improved free-throw shooting. The charity stripe was Brown's Achilles heel last season, as his 70.3 percent free throw percentage was his worst since the 2018-19 season.

Brown improved in almost every other area last season, so we'd like to see him take a brief break from those underwater workouts and hoist a few more free throws.


Justin Leger, Web Producer

Improved free-throw shooting. It was painful to watch at points last season and during the playoffs.


Nick Goss, Web Producer

Baseline turnaround jump shot.


Kevin Miller, VP, Content

More playmaking. Brown showed signs of improvement in the playoffs, but he has another step to take there.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I'm going to go with fritos.  Jaylen took 300 ftas last season, 44 fewer than the year before.  He hit 221 of those 300 ftas, missing 79.  If he shot the 76.5% from the line that he shot in the previous 2022-2023 season he would have hit 230.  9 more points don't sound like a lot but the road to every personal accolade goes through the frito line.  And if he had taken the 344 ftas that he took the previous year, instead of 300, that would be 42 more points.  That would raise his ppg average by > .5 points alone.  Jaylen is just SO effective when he drives, he's some combination of too big, too quick or too strong for defenders.  Put a big on him and he'll blow past him, put a wing or guard on him and he'll overpower them.  Go to the rim, Jaylen, get fouled and hit those fritos!


.

I approve this message:

Hit them fritos!!!

Free throws it is.  

The pattern we saw last year was often splitting the freebees by missing the first one and making the second one.

He has to get his touch on that first free throw.  It seemed to me that he front rimmed a lot of them.  He needs to let them fly...maybe target the back of the rim more.  Also, his shots are often a bit too flat.

With improved free throw shooting and a bit more selectivity in his 3 point attempts, I believe his scoring average can get up to 25-26 PPG like it was 2 seasons ago.

We are now just 20 days out from the first official day of practice.  The Celtics will start training camp a bit earlier because they are heading to play Denver in Abu Dhabi-Etihad Arena on Oct 4th and 6th.  For teams that will not play preseason games outside of North America training, camps open on Oct 1st.

There has been a lot of movement around the league as teams are looking to close the gap between themselves and other teams.

The big dog is that team in Boston that won the East by 14 games and was the top team in the entire NBA by 7 games.

In the East the Celtics remain as a tier 1 team and even with all the upgrades by other teams there is only one Tier 1 team in the East.  I will put the knicks and Sixers in Tier 2.  I guess I'll throw the Cavs in the mix as well.

The Knicks starting unit is likely to consist of Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson.   They have 2 solid guys off the bench in Josh Hart (great rebounder) and Donte DiVincenzo (Great 3 point shooter)  They made the trade to add OG and the team played well with him in the rotation/lineup and they made the off season trade to get Bridges.  They probably overpaid for OG ($40 mill per on his new contract)  Their top guy is also the guy that shoots the most in Brunson so it will be interesting to see how the ball gets distributed.  They did NOT catch up with Boston because they lost Hartenstein to the Thunder.  He produced a Net rating last year of +10.0.  that has left them with the often injured (RW3 like) Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims and to sure up there center depth they resigned My Precious, a 6' 8" forward.   Here's the bottom line.  If you look at the combined Net Rating of their 3 so-called big men it was -0.7 last season.  They needed to keep Hartenstein or find a suitable replacement.  That did not happen.  Now there are rumblings that Julius may be moved because he has a very tradeable contract.  

The Sixers are the other big splash team.  Now that they overpaid for PG13 who is an end of prime player, the question I have is who is their 2 and who is their 4?  They also brought in Drummond, 0.8 net rating, to give Embid a blow and probably more likely, to step into the starting lineup when Embid goes down Again.  Embid is 30 years old and moves like a guy closer to 45.

If you are a Cavs fan the big question has to be about Darius Garland.  Please tell me that he will not fall out of a hot air balloon?  This poor kid has suffered some weird injuries.  Anyways I do not think Donovan and him are a great backcourt pairing.  They have a new coach and they still have not found a quality3.  I suppose that if Allen and Mobley can stay healthy they will be a good defensive team.

Bucks, Pacers, Magic are Tier 3 teams.  The Bucks made the critical mistakes and will continue to pay the price in the future.  The Pacers should still be an offensive team but Haliburton has leg issues and they have not really addressed their inability to stop a noise bleed.  The Magic do not scare anybody.  

The other teams in the East are insignificant.

Out West it is the OKC Thunder at the top and everybody else looking up.

The top contenders will be MN, Dallas and Denver.   What about the Clippers and the Suns?  What about them

OKC needed a physical big.  They had the money to sign Hartenstein and they traded giddy for Caruso, a solid 3 point shooter and a pesky defender.  they already had a roster that really fits well together and I will go out on a limb and declare that SGA is the best player in the NBA.  He is not a great 3 point shooter but he is virtually unstoppable on offense and he can defend.  

Runnerup Dallas added Klay Thompson.  He remains a solid offensive player and that should help them score more points.  They made the midseason moves to improve their center depth and that worked.  As it turns out, the reason why they lost to Boston is because they could not defend our wings (JT and JB)  luka, Kyrie and Klay should be a dynamic offensive threesome but not one of them can defend at a high level.  As you know defense wins championships.

MN should put out a watch party for the ever growing older Mike Conley, 36 years old.  They have no other PG's on the team.  Edwards will continue to cook but you need play making.  Gobert has a player option next year so I expect them to move him this season ($46 million)  Do you remember the leaked email that was a business plan by Alex and friends?  Their projected salary screams we cutting a big contract.

Denver lost Brown after winning the title and lost KCP this offseason,  Murray is not healthy again.  That team is not going anywhere.

Question.  Which of the Suns big three play defense?  Answer:  None of them.  

Tyrone Lue claims that the Clippers are going to surprise everyone.  I am sure that they will.  How bad can they be.  PG13 gone with zero compensation.  KL still very good and still most likely not to be there during the playoffs (last two years only played a total of 2 playoff games in each)  Fatboy James Harden will have the green light to do James Harden sort of things like no freakin defense.  Let me top it off by saying you actually need another PG on your team other than Bone Hyland.

I am going ask someone else to fill in the rest (Spurs LAL, Kings, Jazz, Blazers.  I need to take my afternoon nap!

Report: Boston Celtics sign Jordan Schakel to camp deal


Justin Quinn, Celtics Wire

Wed, September 11, 2024 at 11:54 AM PDT·1 min read



The competition for the last open regular roster slot for the Boston Celtics in the 2024-25 NBA season just got a little more intense. CLNS Media's Bobby Manning recently reported on the Celtics signing guard Jordan Schakel to an Exhibit 10 contract on this past Wednesday, bringing Boston's training camp roster to a total of 21 players, the most a team can carry in an offseason.

A veteran of the (Portland) Maine Celtics at the G League level, the Torrance, California native has established ties to the Celtics organization. Schakel is 26 years old, stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 200 lbs., and played his NCAA ball at San Diego State. The former Aztec standout went undrafted in 2021, and has since suited up for the Washington Wizards and their G League squad (the Capital City Go Gos), and the Santa Cruz Warriors (the Golden State Warriors' G League team) before linking up with Maine last season.

There, Schakel put up 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 41.15 from deep. If the Californian can find a way to replicate something resembling that kind of profile in camp, there's a chance he could play his way into a larger role.

But with players like Lonnie Walker IV in front of him in terms of experience, it seems more likely than not he will be headed back to Portland this fall.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Nice of Brad to invite the kid for a cup of coffee.  If I'm not convinced Lonnie Walker IV will make the team, because Brad will keep that 15th spot open for now, then Jordan Schakel has no chance.

We're 12 days out from Media Day.

.

bobh,

Clearly, we're desperate for any news here lately!!  12 Days to Media Day can't get here quickly enough!

db

Keith Smith: Free agent wing Nassir Little has/had workouts with the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings, a league source told @spotrac . 11 hours ago – via x.com


MY NOTE:  6'5, 220#.  #25 pick in 2019.  History of shoulder injury.  I see no chance.





Dmytro Skapintsev signs with Boston
Michael Scotto: Boston Celtics and Dmytro Skapintsev have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal, league sources told @hoopshype. The 7-foot-1 center from Ukraine was called up by the New York Knicks last season. He’s two-way eligible and enters training camp looking to compete for a spot with the Celtics 1 hour ago – via Twitter MikeAScotto



MY NOTE:  Interesting.  I thought with the signing of Jordan Schakel we were at the limit for camp.  7'0 1/2" in shoes (6'11" in bare feet?), 260#.  So he's no toothpick.  Wingspan is 7'6"+.  Played last year for the Knicks G-League team.


Bob


.

Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
about 2 hours ago
Good morning! #Celtics practice one week from today.


Bob


.

media day is tomorrow the 24th. You can watch live on NBC Sports Boston (locally) or they usually have videos on youtube with all the player interviewed.

Hard to believe it's here already. Seems like they just wrapped up the title; time goes by so quickly.

Based on last season, and Al Horford's amazing aging in reverse, I'm looking forward to seeing what he can deliver once again.

Is the best player on the team Tatum, or is it Brown as some claim? Who cares?

Will anyone earn more Tommy Points than D White? Not likely.

Will Joe Mazzulla lead the league's coaches in quotable lines delivered with a deadpan expression? Make him the early favorite.