Celtics Coaching Staff Already Planning Summer Workouts

So, this is what teams that aren't going to play in the playoffs do in March.  I'd forgotten.


http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2014/03/avery_bradley_extending_his_ra.html



By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com



NEW YORK – Jared Sullinger’s shooting threes. Rajon Rondo’s trying them, too. Brandon Bass has showcased a bit of a post game. Avery Bradley’s working to extend his 3-point range to above the break. Kelly Olynyk has spent plenty of time in the gym to alter his body.

The Boston Celtics are being prodded to change, to improve, to use this lost season for good. If head coach Brad Stevens were into corny mottos, he might say something like the future starts now. But instead, he just explains that by the time the players leave for the offseason, they will each have summer plans designed by the coaching staff.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about that because obviously this is a little different than college,” Stevens said. “When you finish college you give them a couple weeks off, but they’re all there on campus and you can get with them any time. Obviously, when the season ends in the pros, most people go their own way. When that time comes, we’ll have exit meetings and we’ll have a plan for each guy individually. It’s not something that we’ve started recently. We’ve been working on that all year.”

After tying a career high with 28 points Friday night, one game after setting another career high with six trifectas, Bradley explained that the coaching staff has tasked him with extending his range. He’s been comfortable knocking down threes from the corner for years now, but longer shots from above the break have always given him more trouble. An admitted lack of confidence from that deep has contributed, I’m sure, to his poor shot profile. He attempts too many midrange jumpers when he could just step back a few feet and have the shot count for one more point.

“Something I’ve been working on of late,” he said, later giving credit to assistant coach Ron Adams for working with him every day, “is shooting the ball from everywhere, not just the corner. I’ve been able to knock them down and it shows that hard work pays off. Even though it’s toward the end of the season, I can go into the summer with something to work on.”

“That’s something I want to put into my game,” Bradley added, “because I know it can help me out a lot.”

Stevens has coaxed Bradley to step back behind the arc more often, even on the wings and at the top of the key. “All the coaching staff” has, according to Bradley. The guard has been following orders. After attempting just 32 above-the-break threes over his first 49 games, he’s six for 10 over the past two, according to NBA.com. If he can continue the success from there, it would be the type of advancement that could impact the Celtics well past the final 12 games of this season.

As the season winds down, Stevens still has goals, and not just to win the remaining contests. One order of business is to gauge the Rondo-Bradley backcourt, which he hopes will result in a more powerful offense.

“And then, I think, just for all of our guys just to continue to maximize this experience,” Stevens said. “I was thinking about Kelly (Olynyk) a lot because Kelly’s really played well in the past few weeks, and he’s really taken advantage of the time that he’s out there. I think the minutes that each guy gets, it’s important that they play well. And that’s where hopefully we’re not just talking about the young guys. We’re talking about guys like Bass and guys like Jeff Green – guys that have been around, but are still guys that can develop and get better.”

Stevens pointed to a few areas of optimism he has already seen: Olynyk’s rookie season development, Sullinger’s production one year removed from serious back surgery, Bradley’s better shooting stroke. The coach urges players to expand their repertoire, obviously, but also doesn’t want them to lose sight of what they do best.

The obvious truth is, several players on the Celtics roster might play somewhere else come the fall – Bradley among them, given his status as a restricted free agent. But the coaching staff will hand out those summer plans with the same hope as always – to get better.

“I think it’s more about, here, let’s define reality of where we are collectively, where you are individually,” Stevens said. “It’s a great time to do that because you don’t have a game for six months. Your confidence isn’t necessarily going to be affected because you don’t play the next day. You know, those types of things. But good and bad. And then, what do we need to do to make this the best it can be for you? …

"Everybody’s got a strength. That’s why they’re here. The key is, can guys perfect those strengths and manage their weaknesses?”

It’s a question that should help define tomorrow.

(Yes, I know. Danny Ainge’s roster upgrades will matter, too.)




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