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Eastern Notes: Celtics, Agbaji, Knicks, Heat

June 19th, 2022 at 5:32pm CST by JD Shaw

The Celtics didn’t win the NBA title this season, but even making it to the Finals represents an encouraging proof of concept for the franchise, Ethan Fuller of BasketballNews.com writes. Boston adjusted by trading Dennis Schroder away and starting Marcus Smart at point guard, choosing to play a bigger, defensive-minded lineup of Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Robert Williams III.

“Nobody even had us being here, let alone in the playoffs,” Smart said after the Finals defeat, according to Fuller. “It definitely is tough. But it’s definitely one of those things we’ve been through hell to get here, and you take that. You know what I’m saying? We’ve got to use that.”

Boston sported one of the best defensive groups in recent memory this season. The Celtics struggled to take care of the ball at times, including when they committed 22 turnovers in Game 6 to end the series, but proved they can contend going forward.

Here’s more from around the East:

  • Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype previews the Celtics‘ offseason, which will likely include guaranteeing Al Horford‘s salary. Horford, who was pivotal to Boston’s success this season, will make $26.5MM next season (only $19.5MM is currently guaranteed) if the team chooses to retain him, which is expected to happen.
  • Zach Braziller of the New York Post examines why Ochai Agbaji could be an appealing draft pick for the Knicks. Braziller believes Agbaji could fit well alongside RJ Barrett, as the 6’5″ guard averaged 18.8 points and 5.1 rebounds with Kansas last season. The Knicks own the No. 11 pick in the draft and finished just 37-45 last season.
  • Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald covers several Heat-related notes in his latest mailbag, including whether trading for Hawks star John Collins makes sense. Collins can fit alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in the Heat’s frontcourt, but it would require surrendering future assets. Those assets could be used to acquire a star at a different position if they become available — such as Bradley Beal or Donovan Mitchell. Miami received strong production from P.J. Tucker at power forward last season.
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Celtics Notes: R. Williams, Smart, Pritchard, Offseason

June 19th, 2022 at 9:19am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics center Robert Williams endured a painful stretch of playoff basketball after returning from meniscus surgery that sidelined him for the end of the regular season, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Williams expects the pain in his left knee to fade away during the offseason, but he said the sting of losing the NBA Finals will be harder to recover from.

“It don’t stop hurting,” he said about falling short of a title. “Honestly, it never stops hurting until we’re back in this position again. Starting with the beginning of the season. Just got to be better, man. Got to be better. Everyone got to take a step up, add a little intensity to everything we’re doing. But it never stops hurting.”

Williams became a full-time starter during his fourth NBA season and posted career-best numbers with 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. The extension he signed last summer will keep him in Boston through 2026 and provide him with a few more chances to chase a title with the Celtics.

Coach Ime Udoka wants to see Williams get stronger heading into 2022/23 to protect himself against further injuries.

“A big part is taking care of your body and staying available,” Udoka said. “Obviously, had to strengthen up his legs, build all the muscle around it to protect his knees. But what I did tell him also was credit for playing through what he did and giving it a go, being out there for us. Now it’s time to rest up, heal up, be ready for next season and come back in better shape, better than you were this year coming into the season.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Even though the season ended in disappointment, players expressed confidence that the team is moving in the right direction after a strong second half surge, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Marcus Smart reflected on Boston’s ability to turn things around after an 18-21 start. “This is probably our worst series (in the Finals),” he said. “It’s part of it. It happens. It is what it is. But we’re young. Things we went through to get here showed us what we have to come for us in the future. I think that’s why we’re confident about the future.”
  • The Celtics’ moves at the trade deadline created an opportunity for Payton Pritchard, Justin Quinn writes for Yahoo Sports. The second-year shooting guard hopes to carry the experience into next season. “This season’s probably been one of my biggest growths mentally,” Pritchard said. “Starting off the season, it was a different situation. I wasn’t playing at all for like the first 60 games, in and out and then the trade deadline happened and then I got an opportunity to play.”
  • In an offseason preview, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype looks at players the Celtics might target with their mid-level exception and their trade exceptions.
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Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Finals Loss, Offseason

June 17th, 2022 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Although multiple Celtics players indicated in their post-game comments on Thursday night that their NBA Finals loss was a painful one, they did their best to frame their playoff run to within two games of a title as a positive experience and one they can build upon heading into next season, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“The future is bright,” Jaylen Brown said. “I always look at adversity as opportunities to shape an individual. For whatever reason, it wasn’t our time. That means we still got a lot to learn. Personally, I still got a lot to learn. For me, it’s always about growth. Continuing to get better, continuing to find different ways to lead. That’s what it’s about. The future is bright. I’m excited to get back next year.”

As Bontemps details in another ESPN story, Brown and Jayson Tatum accomplished a rare feat this season, becoming just the fourth 25-and-under duo to be the two top scorers on an NBA Finals team. Oddly, Bontemps notes, none of the other three duos (Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson; Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway; and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) ever made it back to the Finals together.

Brown and Tatum will be hoping to avoid a similar fate, and Bontemps believes they’re well positioned to do so, since all of Boston’s core players are locked up for multiple seasons.

Here’s more out of Boston:

  • Head coach Ime Udoka believes the Warriors’ experience and on-court intelligence were deciding factors in the NBA Finals and sees room for the Celtics to improve in those areas. “I think the biggest part for us is the IQ section,” Udoka said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “That’s where we saw a huge difference in consistency with us and Golden State, just the little things that experience only can teach you. … A team like Golden State who has been there, done that. It was evident in a lot of ways.”
  • Jayson Tatum suffered a shoulder stinger during the Eastern Conference Finals, but declined to cite that injury as a reason for his up-and-down production (.367 FG%) in the Finals, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
  • Udoka said he believes this series will go a long way toward helping Tatum adjust to being guarded like an All-NBA player going forward, Vardon writes in the same article. “This is only the start of how you’re going to be guarded and the attention you’re going to draw,” Udoka said. “I think this is the next step for him. Figuring that out, getting to where some of the veterans are that have seen everything and took their lumps early in their careers.”
  • In his Celtics offseason preview, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) acknowledges that some teams in recent years have been burned by relying on roster continuity, but argues that it wouldn’t be a mistake for Boston to do so, given that the team’s two stars still have room to improve and the right complementary pieces are in place.
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Draft Notes: Rockets, Nuggets, Green Room, Houstan, Sharpe, Roddy

June 17th, 2022 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Now that they’re poised to add the No. 26 pick to their list of draft assets, the Rockets are looking into the possibility of trading up in the draft, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports within his latest mock draft. According to O’Connor, Houston has inquired about moving up from No. 3 into one of the top two spots in the draft, and has also explored the possibility of moving up from No. 17 into the late lottery.

Like Houston, the Nuggets have agreed to acquire an extra first-round pick (No. 30) and are trying to package it with No. 21 in order to move into the middle of the first round, O’Connor writes. However, O’Connor expects Denver to have to add a young player or a future asset to its package in order to make any real headway.

O’Connor’s newest mock draft includes a few more interesting tidbits, including his suggestion that there’s still some “chatter” about teams trying to trade for the Magic‘s No. 1 overall pick.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • Five more players have been invited to the green room for next Thursday’s draft, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Tari Eason, Jalen Williams, TyTy Washington, MarJon Beauchamp, and Jaden Hardy received invites, joining an initial list of 16 invitees. Of the 21 players invited to the green room, only Hardy (No. 22) and Beauchamp (No. 23) are outside of the top 21 prospects on ESPN’s big board.
  • Michigan’s Caleb Houstan, one of the only prospects to decline a combine invite this year, worked out this week for the Grizzlies and Nuggets, a source tells Givony (Twitter link). Those two teams control the last two picks of the first round.
  • Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe told reporters today that the Spurs, Thunder, and Magic are among the teams he has worked out for in the pre-draft process, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Sharpe will work out for the Pacers on Monday, a source tells James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).
  • Colorado State forward David Roddy still has workouts coming up with the Thunder and Celtics, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. By the time draft night arrives, Roddy will have visited “half the league,” Wolfson adds.
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Warriors Win 2022 Title, Stephen Curry Named MVP

June 16th, 2022 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors returned to the mountaintop on Thursday, closing out the Celtics in Game 6 of the Finals to secure their fourth championship since 2015.

Stephen Curry, a two-time Most Valuable Player, secured his first Finals MVP award with another clutch performance. He racked up 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in Game 6.

Curry’s 43-point outburst in Game 4 in Boston was a series changer. He received all 11 votes from a media panel, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Kevin Durant was awarded the Finals MVP in Golden State’s last two runs in 2017 and 2018. Andre Iguodala was chosen in 2015.

Draymond Green and Klay Thompson also added a fourth championship to their résumés, as did head coach Steve Kerr (also a five-time champ as a player). Andrew Wiggins delivered stellar contributions, particularly on the defensive end, and Jordan Poole had some big offensive games after his breakout regular season.

All of those players are under contract for next season, though the Warriors have some key free agent decisions to make. Kevon Looney, Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica and Gary Payton II will all be unrestricted free agents. However, Golden State’s younger players — James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody — figure to play bigger roles going forward. The Warriors also own their first-round pick at No. 28.

The Celtics came up just shy of their first title since 2008. However, they figure to run it back next season with most of the same players that carried them through the rugged Eastern Conference playoffs. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will gain valuable lessons from their first Finals experience and it will surprise no one if they lead another Boston team to the Finals in the near future.

All of their rotation players are under contract for next season, though the Celtics may make some tweaks, particularly in the backcourt. Boston, which projects to be a luxury tax team, traded away its first-round pick to San Antonio.

With the Finals decided, the offseason is officially underway. The June 23 draft is just a week away, with free agency beginning the following week.

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Thomas Proud Of 'Pupil' Brown

June 16th, 2022 at 9:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Brad Stevens’ best move might have been leaving coaching to become the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today opines. Stevens developed many of the players on the roster, then found the right pieces around them in his current job. “I think he’s done a phenomenal job as GM,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The moves he made this year, adding (Al) Horford and Derrick White, brilliant.”
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Celtics Notes: Game 6, Smart, Brown, Udoka, R. Williams

June 16th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are disappointed to be trailing 3-2 in the NBA Finals, but they were able to overcome the same situation in their second-round series with the Bucks, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN. Players faced that deficit with a surprising calmness after letting a 14-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter of a Game 5 loss at home, Lowe states, and they were able to retake control of the series.

“Everyone looked at each other and kind of gave each other a tap on the back and it was over,” Marcus Smart recalls. “Onto the next one. We all knew. Just stay together. Stay together. We had each other’s back. We knew Game 6 for us, there was gonna be hell to pay. And there was.”

Lowe notes the contrast with how the team handled losing early in the season, citing a November incident in which Smart called out Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for not passing the ball enough. The comments created “real tension” in the locker room, especially between Smart and Brown, according to Lowe. And although the players have worked out their differences, Lowe says the incident affected the atmosphere surrounding the team for the next two months.

There’s more from Boston:

  • Brown called this year’s playoff run a “learning experience” that has helped the Celtics become more resilient in tough situations, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Brown believes playing three elimination games already will benefit the team heading into tonight’s Game 6. “We are not scared. We do not fear the Golden State Warriors,” he said. “We want to come out and play the best version of basketball that we can. We know it’s a good team over there. We know they’ve done it before. But we have all the belief in ourselves. We’re going to come out and leave it all out there. That’s the whole intent.”
  • The Celtics plan to spend less time tonight focused on the referees, Bontemps adds. Coach Ime Udoka thought his team got too distracted by the officiating in Game 5.
  • Robert Williams could potentially swing the series if the Celtics can find a way to get him more involved with the offense, suggests Brian Robb of MassLive. Williams is shooting 88% from the field against the Warriors’ smaller lineups, but he’s put up just 18 shots through five games.
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Robert Williams Had Knee Drained “Repeatedly” Vs. Heat

June 15th, 2022 at 7:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics big man Robert Williams has struggled with pain and swelling in his left knee throughout the postseason, and he continues to be listed as questionable ahead of Game 6 against Golden State on Thursday, but that status isn’t a mere smokescreen.

“I honestly take it day-by-day,” Williams told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “I can be feeling good right now, and then the next couple of hours it’s pretty sore. I try to take it day-by-day as much as I can.”

The 24-year-old has to go through multiple hours of treatment every day in order to manage the knee, but he’s also endured more invasive medical procedures to stay on the court. League sources told Haynes that Williams “had his knee drained repeatedly during the Eastern Conference Finals” versus the Heat.

“I was really having my knee drained a lot last series,” Williams confirmed to Yahoo Sports. “I stopped draining it because there was no point, in my opinion. My knee kept filling back up with fluid. So, I’ve kind of learned how to manage it to be able to play.”

Boston’s medical staff has assured Williams that his surgically repaired knee won’t get worse if he keeps playing, but pain management continues to be an issue, Haynes writes. Williams said he plans to continue to battle until the season concludes.

“S–t, we’re trying to win,” Williams told Haynes. “It’s crazy. I’m living my dream right now. Obviously, it would be way better if we win, but my whole thing is accountability for my team. Letting them know I’m here through whatever, and hopefully, the message is relayed to everyone else.”

Williams, who was named to the All-Defensive Second Team this season, averaged 10 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 61 regular season games (29.6 minutes). However, he’s clearly been hampered by his knee in the playoffs, with his averages falling off to 7.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 16 games (22.6 minutes).

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Atlantic Notes: J. Brown, Sixers, Raptors, Anunoby

June 15th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Now a crucial part of a Celtics team vying for a championship, Jaylen Brown recalls seeing club owner Wyc Grousbeck get booed by fans on draft night in 2016 when Boston used the No. 3 pick to select and keep Brown rather than using it in a trade for Jimmy Butler or another established star.

“(Wyc) had to defend, like, ‘This is who we’re going with. You guys just gonna have to live with it.’ And I was like, ‘This is crazy.’ These guys have never seen me play before or, you know, I haven’t even got the opportunity,” Brown said, per Michael Pina of SI.com.

As Pina writes, Brown’s development into an All-Star-caliber player has been a major part of the Celtics’ return to the NBA Finals. And at age 25, the standout swingman isn’t necessarily a finished product, meaning his best could be yet to come.

“I think the organization has known the type of ability that I’ve had for a long time; even when casual fans thought they were crazy for not trading me for X, Y and Z, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens knew,” Brown said. “They seen me every single day, knew what I was capable of. Not to say I’m anywhere close to those guys yet, but I’m continuing to work and I’m excited that we’re here in the Finals now, going through this journey.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

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Poll: Which Team Will Win NBA Finals?

June 13th, 2022 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

Four games into the NBA Finals, neither the Warriors nor the Celtics have put their stamp on the series and established themselves as the clear-cut frontrunner to win the 2022 title.

Both teams have won once at home and once on the road. Both have continued to avoid losing streaks of any kind — the Celtics are 7-0 in the postseason following a loss, while the Warriors are 6-0. As Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link) observes, the aggregate score of the Finals is 422-421 in favor of Golden State, and the two teams have made an identical number of three-pointers (64).

Oddsmakers like Bovada.lv and BetOnline.ag currently have the Warriors listed as slight favorites, but that’s mostly due to their home court advantage — the Dubs will host Game 5 at the Chase Center on Monday and would do the same in a potential Game 7 on Sunday.

As Lowe writes, given how tight the series has been so far, it’ll likely come down to “execution, toughness, poise, and a little luck.” Robert Williams‘ health will be an X-factor, as his knee continues to be a nagging issue. The Warriors’ ability to find second and third scorers to complement Stephen Curry will also be crucial. Through four games, Curry has 137 points and Klay Thompson – Golden State’s next-best scorer – has 69, Lowe notes.

Several more subplots will play a part in determining this year’s champion. As solid as Jayson Tatum has been in the series, he doesn’t have a signature performance yet, having shot just 34.1% from the field through four games. Does he have a huge game in him? How much can the Warriors expect from Draymond Green, who has been stout defensively but has done next to nothing on offense (4.3 PPG on 23.1% shooting)? Can the Celtics’ role players continue to knock down open catch-and-shoot threes? Will Boston need to adjust its pick-and-roll defense on Curry?

Lowe believes the Celtics are the “better, deeper team on paper,” but the Warriors have home court advantage and have had the best player in the series.

When we polled our readers prior to the start of the series, over 61% of respondents predicted a Warriors victory. If you voted for Golden State in that poll, are you still confident in your pick, or are you now leaning toward the Celtics? If you voted for Boston before the series, are you changing your pick now or sticking with it?

Ahead of Monday’s Game 5, vote in our latest poll below, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!

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