- Ex-Celtics big man and current Heat forward Jordan Mickey gives his former boss the benefit of the doubt regarding his release from the team. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets that Mickey was surprised about being waived in the summer but that he trusts that Danny Ainge knows what he’s doing.
Unlike teammate DeMarcus Cousins, who has never made the playoffs and spoke recently about how doing so would be “one of the more special moments” of his career, Anthony Davis has a little postseason experience. Still, that experience is about as minimal as it could be — Davis has only made the playoffs once during his career in New Orleans, and he and the Pelicans were swept in four games by the Warriors during that lone postseason appearance in 2015.
It’s no surprise then that Davis, who has long been considered one of the most promising and talented young players in the game, is laser-focused on getting back to the postseason and starting to build a playoff résumé. As he tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, “everything is about winning” in the NBA. “Every award. Everything. It’s all about winning,” Davis said.
Wojnarowski’s piece, which takes a closer look at Davis’ situation in New Orleans, includes several more quotes of interest from the standout big man, who discusses his goals for the Pelicans, what he wants to see from the team, and the Celtics-related trade rumors that have swirled around him in recent years. While Woj’s article is worth checking out in full, here are a few highlights from Davis:
On having not had any playoff success with the Pelicans:
“I hear it all the time: ‘Anthony is a good player, but he hasn’t won anything. He’s not a winner. He hasn’t been to the playoffs in two years.’ It bothers me. You know you’re doing everything in your power to try and win. Playing through injuries, playing a ton of minutes, diving on the floor, but you just can’t come up with enough wins to go to the playoffs. And it isn’t enough just going to the playoffs. You want to make noise. You want to be a threat. People judge you. For DeMarcus and me, this is the time. The time is now.”
On wanting the Pelicans to put together a deep, well-balanced roster:
“You look at the Warriors, Cleveland. Boston. They lose Gordon [Hayward], they’re still playing well. KD-Steph-Draymond-Klay. They play so well with each other. They move the basketball. They don’t care who scores. Steph and Draymond are out, and they still won. KD is out. They still win.”
On hearing rumors last season that the Celtics were trying to trade for him (Boston has “remained vigilant” on this front, per Woj):
“[GM Dell Demps] told me that [Boston] was calling, but nothing was going to happen. At the same time, though, you see how organizations treat players. DeMarcus told me that the [Kings] told him that he wasn’t going to get traded, but they traded him. Isaiah [Thomas] took his team to Eastern Conference Finals, and they traded him.
“It makes you wonder: Does this organization really have my back? I’ve been loyal to this organization. I love it here. I love this team. I think we’re moving in the right direction. DeMarcus, [Rajon] Rondo, some other players that are helping us, but people get judged on winning. And I want to win. It’s not about the money. It’s not about having fans. The most important thing to me: Winning. That’s what I want to do. And I want to do it here.”
- Celtics forward Marcus Morris received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his sore left knee on Saturday, and head coach Brad Stevens says Morris is already feeling better, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. But while the news is generally positive, Stevens added that Morris will return slowly. “He probably won’t play every game, or obviously back-to-back games,” Stevens said. “A game, three days off, a game. Try it that way, and then progressing back to every other day. He won’t play back-to-backs for a while.”
- The Celtics‘ second unit has made a name for itself because of its defense but sooner or later they’re going to have to start improving on the offensive end, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. Currently, he says, the bench lacks consistent shot-makers.
- There’s no indication that he necessarily will but Gordon Hayward is open to the idea of returning this season, Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press writes. The Celtics forward is still recovering from a broken ankle suffered on opening day but has recently shed his walking boot.
- The Celtics will be without Marcus Morris for at least a week. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets that the forward who has missed four of the past five games with a lingering knee injury isn’t expected to be back until, perhaps, December 23 or Christmas Day.
- The Celtics have been without Marcus Morris for four of their past five contests, prompting president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to come up with a plan to help ease the offseason addition back into a consistent routine, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes.
The Celtics still have nearly three months to use the $8.4MM disabled player exception they acquired after losing Gordon Hayward. While there are probably no available free agents worth signing with the DPE, Boston could also use the exception to trade for a player in the last year of his contract. However, Danny Ainge says the Celtics are remaining patient as they consider their options, adding that “there’s nothing that really excites us” right now.
“The reason we haven’t used it is we need to be careful with it because we don’t know what injuries may happen over this next stretch,” the Celtics’ president of basketball operations said, per A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “That could be important for us, heading into the late season and into the playoffs and if our roster changes if somebody’s not healthy at a particular position.”
[RELATED: Explaining the Celtics’ disabled player exception]
The most likely scenario for the Celtics’ disabled player exception is that the team seriously explores using it at the trade deadline, or hangs onto it even longer to sign a player who is bought out after the deadline. Still, Ainge acknowledges that if the front office identifies a player “we’re excited about,” who could help in the playoffs, the team could use the DPE to trade for him sooner rather than later.
- The Celtics assigned Guerschon Yabusele and Abdel Nader to their G League affiliate, the team announced on Twitter.
- Although there remains no timetable for his return, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has been given the green light to remove his walking boot. “I feel alright I guess, as well as I could,” Hayward told the media, including A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “I’m out of the boot right now so that’s good, slowly getting better.“