The Celtics are trying to fight through what has been an uneven start to their 2021/22 season on both sides of the ball, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Under new head coach Ime Udoka and head coach-turned-team-president Brad Stevens, Boston is currently the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 14-14 record thus far.
“Obviously we’re coming back from a tough stretch,” wing Jaylen Brown said, in reference to a recent 1-4 Celtics road swing. “We’ve got to just take care of business and take it one game at a time and just get back to playing basketball the right way and keep moving in the right direction.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Though reports this week suggested there’s optimism about Kyrie Irving potentially returning to the Nets, head coach Steve Nash hasn’t heard any news to that effect, writes Adam Zagoria of Forbes. “I have no updates,” Nash said on Tuesday. “We connected last week, but not with any intel or any insight that things are changing… I know he’s working out and he’d love to be playing but I think the boundaries are still the same as they were before recent reports.” Irving, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, is not allowed to play on his home court in accordance with local ordinances. Brooklyn opted to shut Irving down completely rather than essentially only allow him to play with the Nets for road games in cities with more lenient coronavirus policies.
- With the 12-15 Knicks struggling to start their 2021/22 season, Fred Katz of The Athletic discussed some trade possibilities in a recent reader mailbag. Among Katz’s preferred big-ticket targets are Pacers center Myles Turner and Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox. Katz also suggested that reserve point guards along the lines of Dennis Schröder, Jalen Brunson and Eric Bledsoe could fit well in New York.
- Longtime MSG Network Knicks television broadcaster (and Hall of Fame shooting guard) Walt Frazier has entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Knicks players Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes are also all sidelined in the NBA’s coronavirus protocols. In his playing days, the now-76-year-old Frazier was a seven-time All-Star with the Knicks, with whom he won two titles.
So Walt Frazier isn’t in the Hall of Fame anymore?
Clyde is the best part of watching the Knicks games. Get well soon!!!!
So the Knicks consider Brunson, Schroder, and Bledsoe “reserve point guards” in NYC? I got news for them: They’d all be the best PG the Knicks have.
Myles Turner and Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox for Mitch, Knox, Fournier, 1st and 2nd round picks and if they want Noel and Julius add them to that three way trade.
Brunson is not a PG. he is an undersized SG. Same as Sexton who I didn’t want for the reason. Both are talent upgrades but they will still be out of position
How idiotic is the Kyrie situation? The current vaccines do not prevent the spread or contraction of Covid. Meanwhile COVID is spreading throughout the league, including through my Bulls that don’t have enough players to even play a game. It’s absurd.
3 team deal:
Celtics: Bradley Beal
Wizards: Ben Simmons, Thybulle and a first
Sixers: Jaylen Brown
Celtics pair Beal and Tatum two good mates and all of a sudden look the real deal and make their way back to the top 4 of the east.
Wizards bite the bullet and trade Beal for a package that keeps them competitive while embracing the rebuild. Flip Harrell for another first just before the deadline.
Simmons works perfect with their current roster. Dinwiddie KCP Simmons Kuzma and Gafford starting with Holiday Thybulle Avidja/Kispert Hachimura/Bertans and Bryant off the bench.
Sixers get back a really really good two way wing in Brown who fits them perfect on and off the court. He’s quiet and mature which works well in that group compared to Ben who complained a lot. Unfortunately they do give up a first and Thybulle but Mattise shot was never improving and giving up the first was necessary to get rid of Ben and get a good player. Instead of getting Lillard and limiting our title window for a couple years and taking on a massive contract we get Brown who is young and suits our timeline and signed for slightly less than the rookie max
So PHI gives out the best player & the only team adding assets!!!
WAS gives out the worst player & gets the most!!!
Boy… I am speechless!!!
In all honesty they are all pretty darn close.
Simmons and Beal are both 3 time all stars and both have made the all nba third team once. However Ben has defensive teams and was the steal leader.
Brown is a 1 time all star with no all nba teams so technically he’s probably the worst.
However that’s not including this current season, in which Ben hasn’t played a single game, has demanded a trade and isn’t even training with his team after causing a whole bunch of drama.
That’s off the back of a terrible playoff series against Atlanta. In which he had the worst free throw numbers of all time. So that dramatically lowers his value and hence the need to give up extra assets.
Whereas Beal and Brown are both likely to get all star nods agains this season, which would make Beal the best player of the three and Brown would be catching up to Ben.
As a Sixers fan I’d happy make this deal. We sit 6th in the east with a 15-13 record having battled through covid and injuries. The only difference this deal makes is Thybulle for Brown cause Ben isn’t playing anyway. With Brown in for Thybulle we would be up with the Bulls and Bucks challenging the Nets for the top spot in the east.
Not bad but I think Washington balks unless they really think Bradley is leaving this summer
#LetKyriePlay
At least Knicks’ fans got something to cheer about in MSG last night….lol…
Laugh now. If we pull off a trade for Myles Turner and Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox then you will become a fan.
I do believe we have to get rid of Julius, Fournier, Kemba and would like to keep Burks but if he is needed in the trade, so be it.
I don’t want to trade Obi, Quickley, McBride, Grimes and RJBarrett. And being that he’s untradesable anyway, I want to keep Rose.
Fox in NYK would be awesome! Turner too!
The question is, who wants Fournier’s contract?
We may have to keep Fournier but what I would do is just bench him the same way Kemba is benched. Although it will look bad that the two additions this summer produced failed, let’s try to fix it as fast as possible.
Give minutes to McBride, Knox, Grimes, Obi, Quickley Sins and RJ. Burks needs to go back to the bench. He produces more from there. And Rose is a good leader.
Jaylen Brown will not be traded for Beal. Beal can come as a free agent to Celtics.
We should call the season a busy and just run with the young guns:
Start
Jericho Sims
Obi
Knox
RJ
Quickley
Bench
Noel/Mitch
Julius
Burks
Rose
Knicks already have excellent backup PGs. It’s a starter they’re missing, and that guy is not coming as part of an in-season trade. No player mentioned is any kind of an upgrade, and, merely by adding to the volume, would make things worse. I’m guessing (or at least hoping) the FO is astute enough to realize this.
Fox would be more intriguing if he wasn’t having a terrible season.