The best shape of their lives: Celtics training camp

ifmanis5

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View: https://twitter.com/ASherrodblakely/status/1442536530673868806

"I'm thankful they showed that faith in me. I see myself fitting in here. Hopefully in training camp and the next few weeks, I'll fit (in) seamlessly." - Josh Richardson on the contract extension he got from the #Celtics before playing a single game in Boston.

View: https://twitter.com/ASherrodblakely/status/1442533178116214786

Al Horford on reuniting with a lot of former teammates. "The one I really got excited about, was Dennis (Schröder). I didn't think we had a shot. That was the one...he has such an edge to him. I know how he can impact a game with his intensity, defense."
 

CreedBratton

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Per Jay King:


Josh Richardson said he has talked about whether he will or won't get vaccinated with his circle.

"Going forward, I'm not sure."

Not sure about all the Vax rules in Boston, but this doesn’t bode well for him being available this season.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Per Jay King:


Josh Richardson said he has talked about whether he will or won't get vaccinated with his circle.

"Going forward, I'm not sure."

Not sure about all the Vax rules in Boston, but this doesn’t bode well for him being available this season.
Why wouldn’t he be available? Most teams are going to have a couple guys not playing at Golden St and in NY but that is a tiny percentage of the overall schedule. Not much different than load management.
 

Cellar-Door

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Why wouldn’t he be available? Most teams are going to have a couple guys not playing at Golden St and in NY but that is a tiny percentage of the overall schedule. Not much different than load management.
GS and NY are actually only home players. I think Creed is mistaking the TD Garden rules (which I assume exempt players) with a local ordinance that would keep Richardson from playing at home.
 

HomeRunBaker

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GS and NY are actually only home players. I think Creed is mistaking the TD Garden rules (which I assume exempt players) with a local ordinance that would keep Richardson from playing at home.
That’s right it was that rule I said made little sense and I had forgotten which way it made little sense. Thanks. So yeah, J-Rich and Schroder (and anyone else we don’t know) are good to go for 82.
 

Cellar-Door

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That’s right it was that rule I said made little sense and I had forgotten which way it made little sense. Thanks. So yeah, J-Rich and Schroder (and anyone else we don’t know) are good to go for 82.
It makes sense because if the localities apply it to visiting players there could be an argument that they are burdening interstate commerce, which makes it a whole thing. If it's just players for the home teams it's a straightforward application of local/state control.
 

Imbricus

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It should be a good training camp, now that we've got two of the top 30 players in the NBA (Brown 27, Tatum 13). That ranking seemed a little optimistic, but I'll take it. Go green!
 

RorschachsMask

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It should be a good training camp, now that we've got two of the top 30 players in the NBA (Brown 27, Tatum 13). That ranking seemed a little optimistic, but I'll take it. Go green!
They are 14 and 27 on espn.com, and 12/24 on nba.com

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32244615/nbarank-2021-ranking-best-players-2021-22-50-26

https://ca.nba.com/news/nba-75-who-are-the-best-players-entering-the-2021-22-season-ranking-the-30-best-players/1xwb1g6hzqp191oqnubjv1l5e7
 

Euclis20

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The Celtics having 2 guys in the top 30 (per ESPN) at their age is pretty special. Average age for the Celtics duo is 24. Here are the other teams with 2+ guys in the top 30, and their average age:

Blazers: McCollum and Lillard: 30.5
Lakers: Westbrook, Lebron and Davis: 32
Sixers (for now): Simmons and Embiid: 26
Pelicans: Ingram and Zion: 22.5
Jazz: Gobert and Mitchell: 27
Bucks: Holiday, Middleton and Giannis: 29.3
Heat: Bam and Butler: 28
Nets: Kyrie, Harden and Durant: 31.3
Suns: Booker and Paul: 30.5
Clippers: George and Kawhi: 30.5

Only Ingram/Zion are younger, and if you're looking for groups with more room to grow, I'm not sure there is one.
 

benhogan

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That’s right it was that rule I said made little sense and I had forgotten which way it made little sense. Thanks. So yeah, J-Rich and Schroder (and anyone else we don’t know) are good to go for 82.
I wouldn't be shocked if the local city rules change as we move along this season.

The Los Angeles school system (the largest school system in the US) meets daily and makes up different rules every week.

I'd be willing to bet good money non-vaxxed players won't be eligible for 82 games
 

benhogan

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What's the vaccination status for the roster, since this may affect GP? Just want a scorecard to know where the roster stands.

Tatum vaccinated
Kanter vaccinated
Grant vaccinated
Marcus Smart vaccinated

Schroder not-vaxxed
JRich not-vaxxed


This also may shape the roster construction and why Mathews/Arcidiacono were added to the training camp roster.

I'd be more inclined to keep those two (on a 2-way/#15) instead of Jabari Parker if DS/JRich won't get vaxxed.
 

benhogan

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That's fair, Durant/Curry are clearly top 10 players

Tatum improved quite a bit last season. COVID slowed him down massively along with a 30-day offseason, and a revolving door of teammates.
 

Jimbodandy

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That's fair, Durant/Curry are clearly top 10 players

Tatum improved quite a bit last season. COVID slowed him down massively along with a 30-day offseason, and a revolving door of teammates.
Breaking into the top 10 ain't easy. He's pushing it though. If someone ages out or drops again this year, he's probably taking their seat this time.
 

benhogan

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Breaking into the top 10 ain't easy. He's pushing it though. If someone ages out or drops again this year, he's probably taking their seat this time.
One of the odder things I noticed on ESPN's Top 100 was Buddy Hield. He went from 87 to 51 in one season when he didn't bother to guard anybody, scored less and shot about the same.

Who knew all you needed to do to improve your ranking is to have Laker interest rumors

Sacramento Kings | SG
2020 NBArank:
No. 87

One thing to watch for: When the Kings visit the Lakers for the first time on Nov. 26, Buddy Hield might think back to the trade rumors that had him linked to the Lakers prior to Los Angeles acquiring Russell Westbrook on draft day. Hield certainly would have been a good fit for the Lakers with his perimeter shooting. We'll have to see if Sacramento makes a move this season. -- Youngmisuk

There are about a dozen people on SoSH (Bowiac for one) that are much more credible than the mainstream NBA media.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hieldbu01.html
 

Cesar Crespo

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What's the vaccination status for the roster, since this may affect GP? Just want a scorecard to know where the roster stands.

Tatum vaccinated
Kanter vaccinated
Grant vaccinated
Marcus Smart vaccinated

Schroder not-vaxxed
JRich not-vaxxed


This also may shape the roster construction and why Mathews/Arcidiacono were added to the training camp roster.

I'd be more inclined to keep those two (on a 2-way/#15) instead of Jabari Parker if DS/JRich won't get vaxxed.
Fair to assume that Al Horford is vaccinated. View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2884739-al-horford-donates-500k-to-covid-19-relief-efforts-in-dominican-republic-us


Schroder's comments from April make him sound like a jackass. https://hoopshype.com/rumor/dennis-schroeder-im-the-only-guy-that-didnt-get-vaccinated/
 

nighthob

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Breaking into the top 10 ain't easy. He's pushing it though. If someone ages out or drops again this year, he's probably taking their seat this time.
ESPN might vote for Dame over Tatum, but this is the year that Jay Tay transforms from an offensive gravity well to a motherfucking event horizon.
 

RedOctober3829

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The entirety of Boston’s management shakeup arrived as a shock to most observers, but Smart said he sensed the end of Stevens’ coaching tenure approaching. Especially after the 2019-20 season, Smart said he could see the burden of the job impacting Stevens. The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals that season but needed to spend months away from family and friends while competing in the Orlando bubble.
“I think around that time he was also into talks to take another college coaching job,” Smart said. “And I think just all that pressure really weighed in on him. Just like anything, just like players, someday, if you’re not in it all the way, retire. You leave on a good note. And that’s kind of what he did. It took a toll on him. Just like anybody else, he’s human. So I understood it.”
https://theathletic.com/2855670/2021/09/29/marcus-smart-1-on-1-celtics-star-opens-up-on-new-point-guard-role-almost-declining-contract-extension-and-more/?source=emp_shared_article

The open jobs after the 19-20 season in the Power 5 were: Alabama, Arkansas, Cal, Cincinnati, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas A&M, UCLA, Vandy, Virginia Tech, and Washington State. My money would be on either Michigan, UCLA, or Arkansas going after Brad. Hunter Yuracek hired Eric Musselman so my first thought would be he went after Brad too. Michigan and UCLA makes a ton of sense too.
 

benhogan

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DJnVa

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https://theathletic.com/2855670/2021/09/29/marcus-smart-1-on-1-celtics-star-opens-up-on-new-point-guard-role-almost-declining-contract-extension-and-more/?source=emp_shared_article

The open jobs after the 19-20 season in the Power 5 were: Alabama, Arkansas, Cal, Cincinnati, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas A&M, UCLA, Vandy, Virginia Tech, and Washington State. My money would be on either Michigan, UCLA, or Arkansas going after Brad. Hunter Yuracek hired Eric Musselman so my first thought would be he went after Brad too. Michigan and UCLA makes a ton of sense too.
Only Marcus sniffed that out though? No reporters? From Boston or the school?
 

joe dokes

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I’d prefer Horford with a more structured 1st unit and let TL go wild when game is more raggedy with the 2nd units.
Its a lot of money to just have Uncle Al around (although he does stil have *something* left, I think), and I'm usually pretty skeptical of the "veteran presence" angle, but I do believe that Horford will help keep the Brown/Tatum axis aligned and will help RWilliams to maximize his potential.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Its a lot of money to just have Uncle Al around (although he does stil have *something* left, I think), and I'm usually pretty skeptical of the "veteran presence" angle, but I do believe that Horford will help keep the Brown/Tatum axis aligned and will help RWilliams to maximize his potential.
I always felt Horford would age well and posted this often when he was a Celtic. I don’t feel he lost his skill/ability these last couple years as he was in a couple awful situations. We’ve been through this countless times with veterans as we here the reactionary response of a player “being cooked” rather than him actually spending a season or two in a living hell situation. This is one area that data or even the raw eye test captures.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I always felt Horford would age well and posted this often when he was a Celtic. I don’t feel he lost his skill/ability these last couple years as he was in a couple awful situations. We’ve been through this countless times with veterans as we here the reactionary response of a player “being cooked” rather than him actually spending a season or two in a living hell situation. This is one area that data or even the raw eye test captures.
I wasted many a word here in his last couple seasons in Boston positing that he would take Spursesque discounts to stay here and finish out his career in one of the best spots to maximize the gas left in his tank. We took the scenic route but we got there.
 

lovegtm

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I always felt Horford would age well and posted this often when he was a Celtic. I don’t feel he lost his skill/ability these last couple years as he was in a couple awful situations. We’ve been through this countless times with veterans as we here the reactionary response of a player “being cooked” rather than him actually spending a season or two in a living hell situation. This is one area that data or even the raw eye test captures.
Horford looked good enough last year that my only question is whether his body will continue to hold up. I don't think he'll be "cooked" athletically, but injuries are much more of a risk at this point.
 

Cellar-Door

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I think one thing with Al, he's been talking about how great he felt getting that time off and being able to work up through the summer feeling good. It's not LeBron, but he put a lot of miles on by making the playoffs every healthy year. 2015-2020 he had: ECF, ECS, ECF, ECF, ECS, EC1, that's an average of 13 extra games a year at 34MPG. If TimeLord plays the same number of minutes as last year.... he would bring his career minutes up to what Horford played in playoff games in that stretch.

I think Al probably isn't the player he was in terms of quickness, but I think the time off has probably done him well.
 

Jimbodandy

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Yeah we're talking about Horford because he's old, but Rob misses mad games for muscle pulls and crap already (not just the knee thing).
 

joe dokes

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I hope I'm not still hearing about Brown's wrist on Thanksgiving or Christmas:

The All-Star forward missed the end of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. Brown said that he put more of an emphasis on film study as he recovered, and while he has been cleared to play without limitations, he does not feel fully healthy yet.
“Some days it’s like a little sore right now,” he said. “Nothing to really worry about too much. But just trying to keep it [healthy] and break through that scar tissue that’s still there. The wrist is one of the harder things to heal. It’s great that it’s my off-hand, but it still has a tremendous effect on my game, my shooting, my ball-handling, my defense, putting my hand in there [on defense].”
 

lexrageorge

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I hope I'm not still hearing about Brown's wrist on Thanksgiving or Christmas:
It’s still on the early side with regards to the recovery timeline for this injury and surgery. Probably a few weeks to go before he is 100%, based on Langford’s recovery time from the same injury.
 

Jimbodandy

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I'm afraid to put too much stock into Romeo's timeline from "the same injury". The level of tear and procedure could be different, how much scar tissue and other soft tissue damage occured will be different. It's also not his dominant hand, which matters somewhat.

I'm not wishcasting. It could be a slower recovery too or one with more setbacks (non-linear). Just keep reading this and wanted to point out that it's not a simple fracture of the radius with fairly tight error bars. There's only so much we can take here from Romeo's recovery.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Early thoughts on the preseason:

1. Brown was on fire, 25 points in 26 minutes. Doing the usual Brown stuff, and maybe flashed a better handle.

2. Tatum has decided that it is OK for him to go through people on the way top the hoop. Those people wonder when Tatum is going to start playing through contact, it might be this year.

3. Rob Williams blocked a couple of shots on the perimeter and had a couple of assists. He shot 0-7 from the field, with several of those being clanked midrange jumpers. I hope that's a "thing he is working on" as opposed to a type of shot he's going to be looking for.

4. Grant didn't play in the first half, but he got Nesmith's spot in the second. The rumors that he shed some pounds in the offseason are obviously true.

5. Brown and Tatum combined for 43 points in 51 minutes. They look ready for the season to start. The rest of the team... not so much.

6. Shroder brings an element of quickness that the Celtics haven't had in a while.

7. On the whole, the team is playing with more pace this year. Results aren't particularly great just yet, Tatum and Brown aside.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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Early thoughts on the preseason:

1. Brown was on fire, 25 points in 26 minutes. Doing the usual Brown stuff, and maybe flashed a better handle.

2. Tatum has decided that it is OK for him to go through people on the way top the hoop. Those people wonder when Tatum is going to start playing through contact, it might be this year.

3. Rob Williams blocked a couple of shots on the perimeter and had a couple of assists. He shot 0-7 from the field, with several of those being clanked midrange jumpers. I hope that's a "thing he is working on" as opposed to a type of shot he's going to be looking for.

4. Grant didn't play in the first half, but he got Nesmith's spot in the second. The rumors that he shed some pounds in the offseason are obviously true.

5. Brown and Tatum combined for 43 points in 51 minutes. They look ready for the season to start. The rest of the team... not so much.

6. Shroder brings an element of quickness that the Celtics haven't had in a while.

7. On the whole, the team is playing with more pace this year. Results aren't particularly great just yet, Tatum and Brown aside.
Agree with all of this. I liked the style they played, but at the end of the day it’s a make or miss league and outside of the Jays, there weren’t many makes. It’s preseason game one so it’s obviously way too early to get worried about the shooting, but I guess the good news is that they’re going to blow teams off the floor when guys not named Jaylen or Jayson are making shots.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Did not see the game but it appears that Jaylen is managing the wrist recovery ok. There had been some concerns over the weekend that it might be an issue given comments he made recently but at least for now its not a problem.
 

Jakarta

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Maybe it’s just the contrast from watching the PGs the last few years pick their man up inside the 3 pt line, but seeing them pick guys up early was great to see. As Jrue Holiday showed in the finals last year, having a guard who can be very disruptive in the back court can add a really nice dimension to a defense. And with Smart, Schroeder, JRich, Romeo, this team has a bunch of guys who should be able to do this. Assuming the aggressiveness and pace we saw in game 1 of the preseason is the norm in the regular season, this looks like the type of team who is going to smoke teams who come in and try to just go through the motions, by creating a bunch of turnovers and pushing the pace.
 

Imbricus

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Did not see the game but it appears that Jaylen is managing the wrist recovery ok. There had been some concerns over the weekend that it might be an issue given comments he made recently but at least for now its not a problem.
I thought I saw him grab his wrist last night. Hope it was nothing serious, but I noticed it only once.
 

DJnVa

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Karalis said on his podcast today that something seems "off" with Smart. And he mentioned JB seemed to go out of his way last night answering a generic question by saying he's demanding more of Smart this season.
 

lexrageorge

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Karalis said on his podcast today that something seems "off" with Smart. And he mentioned JB seemed to go out of his way last night answering a generic question by saying he's demanding more of Smart this season.
Weird given that Smart was just given a nice extension.
 

Jakarta

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Karalis said on his podcast today that something seems "off" with Smart. And he mentioned JB seemed to go out of his way last night answering a generic question by saying he's demanding more of Smart this season.
Hopefully Ime has given him less of a green light to launch 3s at will.