We posted a few days ago that the holdup on the Jason Terry deal was that Danny was trying to work a sign and trade with Dallas so as to free up the MLE.
At today's press conference, Danny confirmed that the deal wasn't done yet and that confirmed the reports that he's still working to try to give the team a little more flexibility. Gary Washburn posted this update earlier today.
#celtics are apparently trying to find a third team to facilitate a sign-and-trade with the #Mavericks for Jason Terry
— gary washburn (@GwashNBAGlobe) July 14, 2012
ESPN Boston also reported that after using up a chunk of their cap space on Elton Brand, the Mavs are hesitant to take back Dooling or Pavlovic and would need a 3rd team to make the deal work. The Celtics have limited assets that they can deal but Danny's not giving up easily. I'm not sure if he will be able to pull it off, but I have to hand it to him for trying every avenue to get it done. Either way, Jason Terry would be a Celtic, but it sure would be nice if we could get another valuable asset to go with him. Stay tuned. I'm sure there's more to come.
I'll bet you thought this was going to be a post about Fab Melo or Jared Sullinger or even Darko Milicic learning from KG. There have been a lot of those posts around lately. But, no, this one is about the real master. The greatest basketball mind in the history of the game: Arnold "Red" Auerbach. It appears that Rick Carlisle hasn't forgotten his Celtic roots. Here is a quote from ESPN Dallas.
"I told these guys the first day we got together here that 28 years ago when I went into a rookie camp like this, Red Auerbach stepped into the middle of the room and he said, 'We can only go by what we see, so whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability and give us the best chance to evaluate you,'" Carlisle said. "So that’s what we’ve asked them to do. We’re certainly going to work with guys to help get them better every day, but whatever’s gotten them to this point is what we need them to do well and what they need to do well and we’ll work with them on the other things going forward."
Red Auerbach was a teacher, a leader, and a pioneer of the sport of basketball. It is certain that the NBA wouldn't be what it is today without him.So what other wisdom could Doc and the staff glean from Red that would help the rookies, and even the veterans? One of my favorite quotes from Red is one that is on one of my tee shirts.
"The Celtics are not a basketball team. They are a way of life."
More words of wisdom from Red after the jump. Read more » Leave a comment Link backs Tweet
According to Marc Spears of Yahoo, The Celtics are among the leaders for the services of Darko Milicic, now that he has cleared waivers from the Wolves. The Nets and the Clippers are the other teams mentioned. According to Howard Beck of the NY Times, the Nets have inquired but aren't aggressively pursuing him. Not sure how aggressively the Celtics are Clippers are in going after him.
Frontrunners for free agent center Darko Milicic are Boston, Brooklyn and LA Clippers, league source tells Y! Sports.
I'm not really sure how I feel about this. I've never been a big Darko fan and haven't seen him do a whole lot in the league. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game for the Wolves last season, his 9th in the league. He's a 7 footer but if a player doesn't do anything with his height, what good is it? I'd rather have Stiemsma but apparently, so would the Wolves. I guess if we can get him for the vet minimum it would be ok, but I don't think he's worth the bi-annual exemption.
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The press conference was almost an hour and a half late. Jeff Green, Jason Terry, Brandon Bass and Chris Wilcox were all introduced. Danny began by saying that KG, Brandon Bass and Chris Wilcox were already signed. There are still a couple of things to work on to complete the signing of Green and Terry. This lends credence to our report yesterday that Danny is trying to work with Dallas on a S&T with Terry to free up the MLE.
I loved Jason Terry's answer when asked about his role on the team. He said if they needed him to do the laundry or whatever Doc needed he was willing to do it to make the team better. And you know what? I believe him. I also detected a bit of a sour note toward Stan VanGundy when he said that his success last season was partly due to playing for a coach who believed in him.
Orlando Magic has announced the AirTran Airways All-Summer League Teams. The players for the teams were selected by participating NBA teams’ public relations representatives, members of the media and select NBA personnel. The Celtics' rookie, Jared Sullinger, was named to the second team. Dionte Christmas and E'Twaun Moore were given Honorable Mention. Here is the complete list:
1st Team
G – Alec Burks, Utah
G – Lance Stephenson, Indiana
F – Andrew Nicholson, Orlando
F – Austin Daye, Detroit
C – Miles Plumlee, Indiana
2nd Team
G – Brandon Knight, Detroit
G – Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City
F – Lazar Hayward, Oklahoma City
F – Jared Sullinger, Boston
C – Kyle O’Quinn, Orlando
Honorable Mention
Boston – Dionte Christmas, E’Twaun Moore
Oklahoma City – Garrett Temple
Utah – Enes Kanter, Jeremy Evans
Orlando – Justin Harper, Maalik Wayns
Detroit – Kim English
Philadelphia – Jacob Pullen, Justin Holiday
Brooklyn – Al Thornton, Tyshawn Taylor
With the signing of Chris Wilcox this afternoon, I thought it was a good idea to remind everyone of how nice it will be to have him back. Before he left the team for the heart surgery, he and Rondo had developed some nice chemistry. Wilcox was rebounding well, and ran the floor nicely with Rondo. In case you have forgotten, here's what we have to look forward to this season.
I agree with some parts of these player breakdowns and not with others, but overall its been a fun Summer League and I am liking the talent we are showcasing. Here is a little excerpt I agreed with the most.
Dionte Christmas
Of all of the players on Boston’s roster, Dionte Christmas might have been the most impressive. He is a do-it-all player and was the most polished player the Celtics ran onto the court this week. He scored with consistency and rarely made poor decisions. As a guard who shoots the ball a lot and also handles the ball a lot, his ability to avoid ugly turnovers is an impressive trait. There are no glaring weaknesses in Christmas’ game, as he scored, rebounded, assisted and defended in every single game this week. He also displayed great footwork at the defensive end and seems to have the foot speed to keep up with shooting guards at the NBA level. Another characteristic, leadership, cannot go unmentioned. He led by example, and he spoke up on the court when he needed to.
A. Sherrod Blakely broke the news on Twitter that the Celtics have re-signed Chris Wilcox. Soon after, Chris Forsberg confirmed the good news. Blakely also announced that Wilcox was very excited to be back with the team. The Herald is reporting that it is believed that he signed for the vet minimum.
The return of Wilcox is good news for the Celtics. Before the heart problem was discovered, he was playing very well. He runs the floor well and was getting very adept at receiving the alley oop passes from Rondo on the break. Wilcox also played solid defense and solves one of the Celtics biggest weaknesses in that he is a very good rebounder on both ends of the court. Excellent signing by the Celtics. Considering that Kwame Brown signed for 3 million a year and Omar Asik signed for 8 million a year, Chris Wilcox is a steal at the vet minimum. Wilcox expressed to CSNNE that he felt that he had unfinished business in Boston and looks forward to winning a title this year. with the Celtics.
Arguably the Summer League C's most consistent player, Dionte Christmas helped the team glide by the Magic scoring 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists along with 3 steals. But he did it efficiently as well going 7-14, 3-7 from deep, 4-4 from charity and only 1 turnover in just under 21 minutes on the floor.
Moore also got into the act netting 18 points and 3 steals. Moore also shot 6-10 from the field and 3-4 downtown.
Sully was DNP-Coach Decision as SL Coach Ty Lue again tried a varied starting lineup to get a look at some players to mixed results.
Kris Joseph started but went scoreless after stellar SL play. Melo Dumped in 5 points and had a balanced offensive/defensive rebounding effort pulling down 10 total.
JJJ Played just under 24 minutes and managed only 7 points but did grab 7 boards. Larry Owens came off the bench and score 14 and Brackins had 10. Jonathan Gibson chipped in nicely with 9 points and 4 assists (tied team high).
Full Metro.us Article
Boston Celtics fans don't need a reminder of what LeBron James accomplished this season.
They lived through it.
But Powerade has been congratulating James for his title on an electronic billboard on I-93 in Boston. The billboard is three miles from the TD Garden where the Celtics play.
The ad reads: "Congrats LeBron. A championship has a nice ring to it."
James and the Miami Heat knocked Boston out of the Eastern Conference finals in seven games this past season.
For Celtics fans wondering what the holdup is in the formal signing of Jason Terry to the contract agreed upon, some light has been shed on the matter. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Celtics and Mavs are discussing sign and trade options.
In regard to outgoing players, Jason Terry still hasn’t signed with Boston, but that deal has been agreed upon. Apparently, the only holdup is whether the Mavericks can figure out a way to sign-and-trade Terry rather than simply losing him in free agency for nothing.
It might be a way to get Terry a few more dollars, and it might net the Mavericks a second-round draft pick or something like that for the future.
Either way, it won’t stop the departure of Terry. He’s a Celtic. It’s just a matter of how that deal gets completed.
Along with giving Terry a few more dollars and giving the Mavs some sort of asset in return, it would allow the Celtics to use their mid-level exception on another player. There has been mutual interest between the Celtics and Courtney Lee but with Houston working on a Dwight Howard deal, they haven't been able to get a S&T deal done for Lee. A sign and trade for Terry might be easier to work out and then the C's could use the MLE on Lee. Good to see that Danny is exploring all options.
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vs Boston Celtics (3-1) vs Orlando Magic (2-2)
Friday, July 13
10:00 AM ET
NBA-TV
Amway Center Practice Court Game Thread
The Celtics complete their Orlando Summer League play with a Friday the 13th matchup with the host Orlando Magic. The Celtics are hoping to bounce back from their first loss, a 93-79 beating by the Detroit Pistons while the Magic are hoping to keep the momentum going from their double overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Magic are led by their first round draft pick, Andrew Nicholson, who is averaging 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Other players to watch are center Kyle O'Quinn (9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg), PG Kevin Anderson (8.5 ppg, 3.5 apg), and forward Justin Harper (11.3ppg, 5.3 rpg).
The Celtics have been led by their first round pick, Jared Sullinger (13.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg), who has shown great fundamentals, a soft touch and an ability to score around the basket. Kris Joseph (11.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg), has also been impressive for the Celtics, showing he belongs in the rotation with his solid all around play. Also playing well for the Celtics are E'Twaun Moore (13.0 ppg, 3.0 apg), JaJuan Johnson (9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Dionte Christmas (10.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and 4.0 apg).
Hopefully the Celtics come out strong and play well in this one to finish the Orlando Summer League on a high note before heading out west for the Vegas Summer League next week.
JJJ Started and was co points leader for the C's with 17. Kris Joseph came off the bench and also scored 17 and 11 rebounds. Johnsons stat line however was also impressive adding 6 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Sully chipped in 11 and 7 and Jamar Smith scored 13. Melo played almost 17 minutes and was held scoreless, only had 3 rebounds, but did at least block 2 shots. Am I the only one unimpressed with Melo so far?
Anyway, Pistons guard Brandon Knight was the story as Detroit routed the C's bringing them to 3-1 in Summer League action.
The Celtics remain the only undefeated team in the Orlando Summer League and they put their undefeated record on the line when they take on the 2-1 Pistons today. The Pistons feature the 6'11" Andre Drummond, who the Pistons nabbed with the 9th pick in the draft. Drummond is averaging 7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Another player to watch on the Pistons is guard Brandon Knight who is averaging 13 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. Also playing well is Austin Daye, son of former Celtic Darren Daye, who is averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds per game.
For the Celtics, Jared Sullinger, Kris Joseph, Dionte Christmas, and E'Twaun Moore have all consistently impressed in the 3 games so far. Fab Melo has shown some flashes, as have JaJuan Johnson, Sean Williams and Jonathon Gibson. This team has been fun to watch and I expect that this game will be a fun one as well.
So, choosing to sign with Miami has nothing to do with Rondo. Thats great I guess and I understand all players have differences, but this tweet suggests there still was something deep and personal between the two.
This article helps explain but I doubt we will ever know what happened between them. Heat Give Allen Reason...
Scoring 16 and ripping 8 boards, Sully has been the main option for the Summer League C's and its working! Jared did have 5 turnovers though, but had 2 blocks. Dionte Christmas has been consistent as well scoring another 10 points with 5 assists 3 steals and 4 rebounds. E'Twaun Moore has been impressive as well as he continues to show he can do a lot, but will need to do a lot more to see NBA minutes. Moore put in 15 points on 6-11 shooting and 4 rebounds along with 3 assists and only 1 turnover. JJJ also scored double digits with 11 pts, 2 blks and 5 rebs.
Worthy of note: Jamar Smith came off the bench for 12 points. Rookie 2nd rounder Kris Joseph started and proved it was a good move as he lit it up for 12 points on 4-8 shooting as well as 7 rebounds!
Other details: Melo had 2 points 4 rebs, Sean Williams started not registering a point, a rebound, an assist or a block, but managed 1 personal foul in over 13 minutes of play.
vs Indiana Pacers (2-0) vs Boston Celtics (2-0)
Wednesday, July 11
11:00 AM ET (Replay: 7/12 6:00 AM ET)
NBA-TV
Amway Center Practice Court Game Thread
The unbeaten Celtics now move on to face the unbeaten Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have beaten OKC 78-74 and Philly 69-63. Lance Stephenson has been starring for this Pacers team averaging 20.5 points per game. Other players to watch are Miles Plumlee and Orlando Johnson, both of whom are averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Celtics fans have been pleased by what they have seen from their 2012 draft picks so far, with both Jared Sullinger and Kris Joseph impressing with their court sense and all around play. Fab Melo has shown some flashes on defense. The surprises have come from undrafted Dionte Christmas and Jonathan Gibson, both of whom have looked very good so far.
Doc and Danny have been present on the sidelines of both games observing the players and will be faced with some tough decisions. E'Twaun Moore and Sean Williams are playing for a contract. JaJuan Johnson is playing to show he deserves some minutes in the rotation. This year's draft picks are playing to show that they also belong in the rotation this season. And the undrafted players are trying to make a case that they deserve a chance on an NBA team.
This may be the Celtics toughest test yet. At the end of the day, one team will remain unbeaten and the other will have it's first defeat in Summer League play. Should be a fun game to watch.
The Celtics have the late game today and hopefully will have time to get the jitters out and we will see some good play from our young guys. They face a Nets team with a few players with NBA experience in Marshon Brooks, Al Thornton, Julian Wright, and Adam Morrison. In fact, the Nets boast the only 2 time champion in Summer League in Adam Morrison. The Nets lost their first game to the Magic, 92-88.
In their first game, a 73-65 win over OKC, Jared Sullinger, E'Twaun Moore, Kris Joseph, and Dionte Christmas stood out for their solid play. I expect that we will see more of the same today from these players as all 4 showed good fundamentals and hopefully can build on that start in today's game. We should see more from Fab Melo, Sean Williams, and JaJuan Johnson in today's game as well.
Doc and Danny were on hand yesterday to observe and evaluate while Tyronn Lue did the coaching. The evaluation will continue in this game as decisions have to be made concerning several of the players on the team. For the fans, though, it's just fun to be watching Celtics basketball again.
There has been much talk among Celtics fans about the possibility of bringing Nenad Krstic back this season. He played very well in the Euroleague last season and had expressed a desire to possibly return to the NBA. The Celtics still own his Bird rights and that would have allowed them to go over the cap to sign him, which is very useful when you only have the biannual exception of under 2 million to offer free agents.
With the announcement that Krstic has agreed to a new contract with the club that will run until the end of 2013-14 season with club’s option for another year, the door has closed to a return to the Celtics. KG may end up at center again, but even with that and Melo waiting in the wings, the Celtics still need to address their center position at some time and one option just went away.
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Celtics defeat Thunder 73-65 in Bostons opening game of the Summer League. Sullinger scored 20 and 6 rebs, E'Tuan Moore had 16 points and 4 asts. Dionte Christmas (no relation to Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber) chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds and 4 asts. See videos after the jump.
Game 1 of Boston’s five-game schedule in Orlando began just the way the team had hoped. A balanced offensive attack and stellar defense helped the Celtics go on an 18-0 run in the first quarter while opening up a 21-8 lead with just less than 90 seconds remaining in the frame.
vs Boston Celtics (0-0) vs OKC Thunder (0-0) Monday, July 9 1:00 PM ET (Replay: 8:00 PM ET) NBA-TV Amway Center Practice Court Game Thread
Basketball is back for a couple of weeks and Celtics fans have a lot to be excited about. Unlike recent Summer League teams, where the majority of the players were just fill-ins with a long, long shot to make the team, this year's entry has 6 players either already on the team or who have a very good chance to make the team. Along with this year's 3 rookies and last year's 2 rookies, Sean Williams, a late addition to last year's team has a chance to earn a contract with the team.
Most Celtics fans will be especially watching their first round pick Jared Sullinger has a lot to prove and could end up being the steal of the draft if he produces the way most are expecting. Second on the must watch list is fellow first round pick, Fab Melo . He is a bit raw, but has much promise and most importantly, he is big.Kris Joseph, this year's second round pick could make a case for permanent employment with a good showing this week. Sean Williams has been impressing the coaches so far in practice and it would be great to see him dominate in SL play since he fills a big need on the team. E'Twaun Moore will need to impress if he wants to have his contract guaranteed for next season. So, there is much to watch and be excited about on this team.
Rules and Rosters after the Jump.
Now that Ray Allen is out of the picture for the Celtics, they have turned their attention elsewhere. The Herald reports that Doc has met with Rockets' free agent Courtney Lee. Originally, Lee was a restricted free agent with a $3.2 million qualifying offer, which Houston recently took back, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Lee is a good defender, averaging over a steal a game last season. He shot 40% from beyond the arc last season. He's 26 years old and is 6'5" tall which would solve the Celtics need for a bigger shooting guard. Lee lives in Orlando and knows the Rivers family well. Doc is one of the Celtics best assets and if anyone can convince a player to come to Boston, it would be Doc.
The Celtics don't have the cap room to make an offer that Lee would likely accept but Houston has made it known that they will work with teams via sign and trade for both Lee and Marcus Camby in order to at least get some assets back rather than lose both free agents outright.
The Celtics will have considerable competition for Lee, with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns all rumored to be interested in signing him. According to the Herald, he is apparently open to signing for less with the Celtics. The Celtics only have the $1.7 million bi-annual exception left to offer him unless a sign and trade can be arranged. The Rockets need a point guard, so maybe they would be interested in a S&T involving Keyon Dooling. Read more » Leave a comment Link backs Tweet
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