Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Morris, Yabusele, Irving

October 8th, 2017 at 1:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers had strong interest in Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum after landing the third pick in this year’s lottery, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Philadelphia sent a large group to Los Angeles to watch Tatum work out, and the Duke freshman’s talents on offense were obvious. “He had sort of a different type of NBA game where a lot of his workout was at that sort of Carmelo [Anthony] isolation, the 18-foot spot where he can turn and face and have a series of moves that we felt like actually could translate to the NBA,” said Sixers coach Brett Brown. “And then he started picking and popping and shooting NBA threes. But his offensive ability stood out, and the person stood out.”

Tatum had a sense that he was headed to Philadelphia, with Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball projected as the top picks. That was before the Sixers completed a trade to get the number one selection from Boston, a deal that Tatum knows will probably link him with Fultz for as long as they’re both in the NBA. “It’ll be interesting to see how things play out over the years,” Tatum said.

There’s more today out of Boston:

Coach Brad Stevens had planned to use Celtics newcomer Marcus Morris in Friday’s game, but Morris asked for more time to prepare, relays Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Morris didn’t practice with the Celtics until Thursday because of an assault trial in Phoenix in which he and his brother were both acquitted. “I did miss training camp and part of the preseason,” Morris said, “so I need to just get a couple more practices up under my belt to get moving a little bit better.”
The Celtics have clear instructions for rookie Guerschon Yabusele, who figures to see time as a backup center and power forward, Bulpett writes in the same story. They want him to pattern his game after Al Horford. Yabusele was taken with the 16th pick in the 2016 draft, then spent last season in China before joining Boston’s G League affiliate late in the year. “We know what he brings to the table, so, again, it’s matching him up with the right guys around him,” Stevens said. “But he’s got to be a guy that can kind of be a playmaker a la Al for us, where he gets the ball at the top of the key and can be a passer, he can shoot it, he can drive it.”
New Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving is happy with Stevens’ decision not to name a team captain, Bulpett adds. Irving said being a captain was a big deal in grade school, but shouldn’t matter in the NBA. “We all have leadership within ourselves,” he said. “We have to police ourselves, at the end of the day, and then make it make sense for our team. And if we remain growth oriented and have that humility to continue to get better and know where we come from and know what we bring to the table, we’ll be fine.”

Terry Rozier A Wildcard For Celtics

October 6th, 2017 at 5:09pm CST by Austin Kent

There are several big name additions to the Celtics but one of the team’s wildcards this year could be backup point guard Terry Rozier, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. The reserve will see an opportunity to shine in light of the trade that sent Avery Bradley to the Pistons.

Acquitted Marcus Morris Joins Celtics

October 5th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Austin Kent

Acquitted of felony assault charges, Celtics forward Marcus Morris is ready to join his new team, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald writes. Considering his experience in the league, Danny Ainge doesn’t anticipate an issue acclimating the veteran.

Celtics Waive Devin Williams

October 5th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics have waived power forward Devin Williams, Jay King of Mass Live tweets.

The big man out of West Virginia signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the club in late September. With Williams out of the picture, the C’s drop down to 19 total players, 14 of whom remain on guaranteed deals.

Williams split time with the Hornets’ G League affiliate and Melbourne United of the Australian Basketball League last season.

NBA GMs: Celtics Had One Of Best Offseasons

October 4th, 2017 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

NBA general managers loved the Thunder‘s acquisition of Paul George. George received 59% of the vote for which offseason addition would make the biggest impact, easily beating out Jimmy Butler (17%), Chris Paul (10%), and Kyrie Irving (7%). Additionally, Oklahoma City was chosen as the team that made the best offseason moves, with 43% of the vote. The Celtics (25%), Timberwolves (14%), and Rockets (11%) were runners-up.

[SOURCE LINK]

Marcus Smart Not Thinking About Next Contract

October 3rd, 2017 at 8:36pm CST by marksuleymanov

Celtics‘ guard Marcus Smart is aware of the massive deals players around the NBA are signing but he is focused on the season and not free agency. “It’s huge; it’s crazy,” Smart said to NBC Sports Boston’s A. Sherrod Blakely. “Those guys definitely deserve it. But like I said, that’s not my focus. I can’t control what those guys are getting. I can only control what I can control.”

Marcus And Markieff Morris Found Not Guilty In Assault Case

October 3rd, 2017 at 6:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

An Arizona jury has found Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris – along with one other defendant – not guilty on counts of aggravated assault, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The Morris brothers were facing the possibility of probation or prison time for allegedly attacking a former acquaintance.

From a basketball perspective, a guilty verdict would have undoubtedly meant suspension time for each player. With a defendant-friendly verdict in the books, both players can head to their respective teams’ training camps and likely won’t have to worry about the league forcing them to miss time.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) confirms that Marcus Morris is expected to head to Boston as soon as possible. The combo forward was traded to the Celtics in the offseason for Avery Bradley and he has yet to play in a game with his new teammates.

It’s unlikely Markieff Morris practices or plays for the Wizards this preseason as he recovers from sports hernia surgery. The power forward is targeting the second month of the season as a return date.

Ainge Explains Why He Gave Up Nets Pick In Kyrie Deal

October 1st, 2017 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

In explaining why he was willing to include the Nets‘ 2018 first-round pick in his trade offer for Kyrie Irving, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he felt he owed it to veterans like Gordon Hayward and Al Horford to cash in some of the club’s assets for a star (video link via CSNNE.com). Hayward and Horford have chosen Boston in free agency over the last two years, and are ready to contend for a spot in the Finals.
Speaking of Irving, he’s among the new Celtics who are appreciative of the team’s philosophy on rest and recovery in between games, as Taylor C. Snow of Celtics.com details in an interesting piece.

Tyler Zeller Doesn't Understand Demotion In Boston

October 1st, 2017 at 10:44am CST by Arthur Hill

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is confident that his centers can exceed expectations, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn traded for Timofey Mozgov, drafted Jarrett Allen and signed Tyler Zeller over the summer to form a center by committee. Zeller, who had a productive year in 2014/15, can’t understand why the Celtics cut his playing time over the past two seasons before waiving him in July. “It was one of those things I was trying to figure out all year,” he said. “They had a great year, so I can’t say they made the wrong decision. But at the same time, I wish I was a part of it. I felt like I could’ve contributed more.”

Kyrie Irving Already Impressing Teammates

September 29th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Austin Kent

It hasn’t taken long for Kyrie Irving to gel with his new Celtics teammates, Marc D’Amico of the Celtics’ official website writes. The newly acquired point guard has made an effort to approach his new teammates on the bus and at practice in order to make the transition more comfortable.

Of course Irving’s performance has wowed a Celtics teammate or two as well. Through training camp, Irving has impressed Al Horford with his uncanny ability to finish shots and frustrated Terry Rozier with his slippery offensive game. “He’s a tough one to guard, probably one of the toughest guys I’ve ever had to guard in my life,” Rozier said.

After putting up 25.2 points and 5.8 assists per game in his final season with the Cavaliers, Irving will look to provide much-needed star power to a Celtics squad eager to take the next step toward contention. Irving may well be the player on the roster with the highest ceiling ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.