Baylor Scheierman

Atlantic Notes: Scheierman, Brunson, Knicks, Walker

March 20th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman scored a career-high 20 points against the Nets on Tuesday, giving the Celtics their 50th win. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe notes, 17 of Scheierman’s 20 came in the second half and he only missed one garbage-time shot.

“Obviously it’s a lot of fun when [the game] slows down and it feels like you’re just out there playing free, playing loose,” Scheierman said. “Coach [Joe Mazzulla] has got a lot of confidence in you, players have got a lot of confidence in you. That’s what the game is all about, and that’s how I enjoy playing.”

Scheierman hasn’t played much at the NBA level this year, but he’s contributed to a pair of wins in the past couple weeks. The 2024 No. 30 overall pick is getting more comfortable by the day.

“Confidence is kind of an overused term,” Mazzulla said. “I think in reality, it’s like, this kid just got here. He’s been here for three months. Like, what do you expect him to look like 10 games in playing sporadically? He’s always had that confidence. I think a lot of it is a matter of timing. A lot of it’s a matter of opportunity. And a lot of it is the moments that you get, you’ve got to deliver and you’ve got to impact winning.”

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Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Jalen Brunson was out of his walking boot and has progressed to doing “light shooting,” according to Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). New York is hoping to get him into some game action before the playoffs begin. He hasn’t played since March 6 due to an ankle injury.
New York wing Josh Hart ripped the Knicks after they lost to the 18-win Hornets on Thursday, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “The way we’re losing games is embarrassing,” Hart said, “… It’s extra effort, and we’re not doing that, and that’s what’s embarrassing, especially for this team, especially for a Thibs-coached team, a New York-based team. That’s not what we should be doing. That’s not what we’re supposed to be built on.” New York is 3-4 without Brunson during this stretch.
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV hasn’t played since March 12 after suffering a concussion. He’s probable for Friday’s game against the Spurs, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Walker is averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds this season.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Scheierman, Norris, Walker

March 8th, 2025 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s a spotlight on every Celtics-Lakers game, but tonight’s nationally televised matchup takes on extra significance because the teams are meeting for the first time since L.A. acquired Luka Doncic. While Jayson Tatum acknowledges the years of classic games between the two franchises, he tells Brian Robb of MassLive that he doesn’t view it as a rivalry.

“I mean, I obviously understand the history between the Lakers and Celtics,” Tatum said. “I would say from my time in the league, I wouldn’t look at the Lakers as rivals. We only play them twice (per season). The teams that we play over and over again in the playoffs — Philly would be one of them, and the other teams as well.”

Tatum is excited about getting another chance to compete against LeBron James, who was his teammate on the gold-medal-winning U.S. squad at last year’s Olympics. Although James continues to play at a high level at age 40, he likely only has a few Celtics-Lakers games left in his career.

“As much as we probably talk about LeBron, we probably don’t talk about him enough,” Tatum said. “Being 40 in his 22nd season, playing at an All-NBA level, is incredible. It’s a testament to the work that he puts into this game, to his body to stay in the best shape to be able to compete and perform at the highest level for over two decades now. It’s something that we should all strive to do, even if it might be unlikely. But it’s a joy to be able to compete against him in these matchups for however long we get to do it.”

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Rookie Baylor Scheierman turned in the best performance of his brief NBA career with 15 points in Thursday’s win over Philadelphia, Robb states in a separate story. He also got to enjoy the experience of taunting the Sixers’ bench, blowing them a kiss after sinking a corner three-pointer in the third quarter. “Yeah. I mean, every time you shoot by the bench they’re always saying, ‘Hell nah,'” Scheierman explained. “So I’m having to turn around and give ‘em a little kiss.”
Newly signed two-way player Miles Norris made his NBA debut in the closing minutes of Thursday’s contest, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Norris said he wasn’t nervous about the opportunity, as his teammates urged him to have fun with it. “Once you get up and down, you start to feel a little better,” he said. “Once I subbed in, got my first rebound, running up and down the court, I felt pretty good. … The guys encouraged me to go out there and play how I play. Play loose. The vets on the team, Payton (Pritchard) and everybody, telling me to go out there and play loose.”
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker returned to TD Garden Thursday night for the first time since Boston waived him in the preseason, Terada adds in another piece. The Celtics opted not to keep Walker for financial reasons, but he considers the time he spent with the team to be valuable. “When you’re a part of a championship organization and how they approach the game, it gives you a little bit more motivation and inspiration,” Walker said. “You want to be the best. You want to see how everyone has proceeded to be the best and why they’re such a great team. There’s definitely some motivation that was given playing with the Celtics.”

Atlantic Notes: Grimes, Celtics, Thomas, Martin

March 8th, 2025 at 10:48am CST by Tristan Tucker

Quentin Grimes has been traded three times since February 2024, but he’s not letting that impact his play, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic details. As we wrote on Thursday, Grimes is looking like a keeper for the Sixers, having averaged 16.8 points per game in his first 12 appearances with the team.

“It’s tough. As soon as you get comfortable, you get traded,” Grimes said. “But you gotta keep a level head. You got to go out there and produce.”

While Grimes had productive moments in New York and Dallas, he’s getting a chance to have the ball in his hands far more than before, initiating offense as opposed to simply spotting up.

“He’s been able to still kind of find his way, even with the extra pressure, extra bodies,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “He’s doing a good job of just getting into his shots and getting to places that he wants to go and getting the shots off. Obviously, he’s on a bit of a hot streak.”

According to Weiss, Grimes was shocked to be traded from Dallas this season. He had been productive there, averaging 10.2 points while shooting 39.8% from three in 47 games (12 starts).

“It’s crazy what’s going on, so it’s a blessing in disguise that I got moved,” Grimes said. “But I feel for them for sure. We had a tight-knit group over there this season. We had a good chance of winning it all. But that’s the NBA and dudes get moved all the time.”

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The Celtics blew out the Sixers on Thursday, winning by nearly 20 points despite being down five rotation players. None of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis or Sam Hauser were able to suit up, allowing for Boston’s bench players to step up. According to MassLive’s Brian Robb, Baylor Scheierman, Torrey Craig and Jordan Walsh were among the standouts. Scheierman scored a career-high 15 points, Craig accounted for 12 and Walsh had several good moments. Neemias Queta and two-way player Drew Peterson also both started for Boston. Queta recorded eight points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Nets guard Cam Thomas is looking to finish the season strong after injuries disrupted a promising year, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Thomas will hit restricted free agency after the season. “I mean, that’s just the name of it. I just want to finish strong just to finish strong,” Thomas said. “I’m not really worried about [my] contract year or anything. I mean, I think all of that will take care of itself.”
In his last six games, Nets forward Tyrese Martin is averaging 12.0 points per contest, including a 23-point outburst against Detroit on March 1 and a 17-point outing in a close loss to Golden State on Thursday. As the New York Post’s Bridget Reilly writes, Martin is becoming an indispensable bench piece for Brooklyn. “Yeah, consistency. He’s a true pro. I play him off the ball, he plays well. I play him at point guard, he does his best and he’s getting better, like [Thursday],” coach Jordi Fernández said. “Defensively, he’s on point. He knows coverages, he knows everything. He shows up and works every day with a good attitude and he’s a great teammate. That’s what we want from everybody, but it’s not that easy to do it. He’s doing it consistently and that’s why he deserves all these good things that are coming to him, that he’s doing, that are coming his way.” Martin was recently converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal and has a team option for next season.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Hauser, Porzingis, Holiday

March 1st, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 83 points on 61 shots in Friday’s loss to Cleveland, but Brown thought they should have shot even more considering the circumstances, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The Celtics were missing Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday due to injuries, limiting their options on offense. Still, the Cavaliers rarely threw double teams at Brown or Tatum.

“They don’t want to help,” Brown said. “They were trying to take away our spacing and our shooting, so they were just staying home on us instead of trying to make us make the reads and pass. So that means we’ve got to dominate every time down the floor. I feel like I let them off the hook maybe a few times where I could have used some shot fakes, some possessions I definitely would have back. But for the most part, we were aggressive, and that was key for us.

“But different games, we’ll see different game plans each and every night. Sometimes they blitz, sometimes they (double team), sometimes they do different things. When I had the ball or when Jayson had the ball tonight, they for the most part stayed home. We’ve got to make them pay.”

Tatum’s 37 shots were five more than his previous high for a regulation game. Himmelsbach speculates that so much shooting may have tired out Tatum, who missed all four of his three-point attempts in the second half.

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The Cavs targeted Sam Hauser on defense, frequently forcing him to try to stay in front of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, Himmelsbach adds. Cleveland was 12-of-26 during the game with Hauser as the primary defender, and coach Joe Mazzulla was happy with how he responded to the challenge. “(Hauser) has been a great defender in the league for the last two or three years and earned a reputation for that,” Mazzulla said, “and so the confidence comes from having him in the game, being able to defend.”
Porzingis and Holiday are both listed as doubtful for Sunday afternoon’s game against Denver, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. Porzingis is sidelined with a non-COVID illness, while Holiday is dealing with a mallet finger injury on his right hand that he suffered in Wednesday’s game. Both players are considered day-to-day. Brown, who sat out Wednesday due to thigh soreness, is questionable due to pain in his right knee. Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman and Jordan Walsh all practiced today with the Maine Celtics in anticipation of playing on Sunday, Robb adds.
One of the few disappointments for the Celtics in the past two years is the failure of their developmental prospects to earn rotation minutes, Robb states in a mailbag column. He notes that as the roster gets more expensive, Walsh, Drew Peterson, Baylor Scheierman and JD Davison will eventually have to be replaced if they can’t make greater contributions.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Horford, Tucker, Trade Deadline, Pritchard

February 1st, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

With everybody healthy for Friday’s game against New Orleans, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla tinkered with his closing lineup, according to to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Mazzulla rotated his centers in the final minutes of the two-point victory, using Kristaps Porzingis when Boston had the ball and Al Horford when the team was on defense.

“Just different looks,” Mazzulla explained. “We need to play different ways, different coverages. Give them different ones. We just needed to change the matchup and give them a different coverage, looking to take away the three and so just kind of do that.”

Terada notes that Porzingis played well defensively, collecting three steals and four blocks. However, Mazzulla opted to use Horford in key defensive possessions because he’s more effective in closing out on perimeter shooters.

“For me, nothing changed,” Porzingis said. “We trust Al and he comes in for defense and when my name gets called, I’m always ready. Nothing changed.”

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P.J. Tucker could wind up being an option on the buyout market after today’s Clippers-Jazz trade, Terada suggests in a separate story. Tucker hasn’t played yet this season, but he’s a tough defender with a lot of playoff experience. As a second apron team, the Celtics are limited in the buyout candidates they can pursue, but they’re eligible to sign Tucker because his $11.5MM salary is below the $12.8MM mid-level exception. Boston has kept a roster spot open since the start of the season.
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive puts the chances of a Celtics trade by the deadline at 95%. Robb says it’s possible the team could move Jaden Springer to reduce its luxury tax bill, even though he’s been an important contributor lately. Beyond that, Robb sees a need to upgrade from Springer, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman on the wing, as well as Xavier Tillman in the frontcourt.
Payton Pritchard has become famous for his success on long-distance shots at the end of quarters, but he’s proving there’s a lot more to his game than that, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Holmes examines how Pritchard has been able to work his way up from a little-used reserve to become a point of emphasis for opposing coaches on a team filled with stars. “Every day, I’m trying to prove that I can still reach another level,” he said. “I can still show people what I’m trying to become. That’s why I’m always challenging the best that we have — like Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum). I’m trying to become as good as them one day. That’s why I challenge them. I’m trying to keep taking steps to better myself, which, at the end of the day, is only going to better our team.”

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Holiday, Mazzulla, Scheierman

November 16th, 2024 at 6:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis continues to make progress after offseason surgery on his left leg and there’s hope that he might be able to return soon, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Porzingis underwent a procedure for a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in late June after the NBA Finals ended and was projected to miss five-to-six months. He appears to be right on schedule, as coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis has started doing some full-court one-on-five work with assistant coaches.

“I’m looking forward to him coming back,” said Jrue Holiday, who did some defensive work with Porzingis during Friday’s practice. “Even just doing little drills here with him today, he just makes the game so much easier with his length, being able to protect the rim. And then, obviously, offensively he just makes the game so much easier for everybody. Creating space for driving lanes or 3-point shots. Not being able to switch off of him, or when he gets a switch him being able to take advantage of that. Can’t wait for him to come back.”

Himmelsbach notes that Porzingis has tried to stay close to his teammates while he’s out of action. He has been accompanying the team on road trips and can frequently be heard shouting advice from the bench during games.

“I think that’s important, especially for a guy that’s not playing, to be as engaged as he is,” Mazzulla said. “It makes it easier for when he starts to come back and we’ll just plug him right in, because he’s been here the whole time. That’s a commitment. That’s hard to sit there day in and day out and do that. So I appreciate that he does that. I think it brings a level of professionalism and togetherness to our locker room, and it’s been fun to watch.”

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The Celtics are coming off their first two-day break since the season began, so they were able to have their first practice session on Friday since the end of training camp, Himmelsbach adds. “I think we’re all professionals here,” Holiday said. “I think that watching film, either individually or as a team, does what it needs to do. But I do think having days where we can get on the court and actually run through it and kind of go through it in motion is obviously better. But I think we make it work.”
Holiday, who’s dealing with left knee tendinopathy, has been declared out for tonight’s game, the Celtics announced (via Twitter).
Rookie guard Baylor Scheierman is averaging 28.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in his first two games with the Maine Celtics, but Mazzulla views the G League experience as more than just putting up numbers, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Getting on the G League schedule, having to perform every single night, having to compete every single night, just getting those like last night again and that could be really hard,” Mazzulla said. “So, just good to see him do that and then obviously just continue to execute the things on both ends of the floor that are important for the Celtics.”

Celtics Notes: Season, Sale, Scheierman, Tatum

November 6th, 2024 at 10:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite missing starting center Kristaps Porzingis so far this fall and also having All-Star wing Jaylen Brown unavailable for multiple games, the 7-2 Celtics have picked up right where they left off after winning a title last season.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN even sees similarities between this year’s loaded Celtics squad and the 73-win Warriors of 2015/16, noting that Boston is similarly deep in its roster construction and three-point heavy in its shot diet — the C’s are also looking to quiet critics who may have thought their first championship was a bit of fluke.

All-NBA Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, for one, is aiming to win multiple titles during his tenure in Boston. The Warriors won four championships with their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Thompson departed the team this summer to join the Mavericks.

“It was never just about trying to just win one,” Tatum said. “All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation of, ‘How great are you trying to be?'”

Could this Celtics club win 73 or even 74 games this season? Odds seem slight, given this extended Porzingis absence.

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On the heels of his second title with the franchise, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck made the surprise announcement that he was looking to sell his controlling interest in the team. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic observes that this impending potential sale represents part of a growing trend. Several longtime owners have cashed out while team valuations have soared over the past few years. “Most owners that have been in for a while in any of the sports leagues are sort of asset rich and cash poor,” an investor observed. “Most of the long-term standing owners, I think, if you ask them, I think in their wildest dreams, they could never have imagined that these teams would become these mini-Disneys as I call them, or these phenomenal entities that have tremendous economic capacity.”
Celtics rookie swingman Baylor Scheierman has been assigned to the club’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, with the NBAGL season slated to tip off soon, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Scheierman had been competing for rotation minutes during the team’s preseason, but was ultimately pushed out by Jordan Walsh for the opportunity. Scheierman has instead suited up for just three NBA games, logging 18 total minutes, and should have an opportunity for more reps in Maine.
Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum‘s father, Justin Tatum, recently reflected on his son’s underwhelming gold medal run with Team USA this summer, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Tatum was a DNP-CD in multiple games and was up and down when he did play. “He wasn’t in the room pouting or throwing chairs around or it was a topic of conversation at dinner,” Justin, currently the head coach of the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks in Australia, said. “He said he could’ve stayed with his family, stayed home or done this… But he was happy to be out there winning the gold.”

Celtics Notes: Backup Big Men, Springer, Scheierman, Pritchard

October 26th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics used some rare double big lineups in Thursday’s victory at Washington, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. With Sam Hauser unavailable due to low back pain, Robb states that Jordan Walsh was expected to play a larger role. Instead, coach Joe Mazzulla opted for size when he went to his bench by playing Luke Kornet alongside Xavier Tillman. Neemias Queta came in next, which meant three of Mazzulla’s first four substitutions were big men.

Their presence limited veteran center Al Horford to 20 minutes and allowed him to spend more time on the perimeter. Having extra size in the game also solidified Boston’s defense after a shaky first quarter.

“I just liked our bigs’ ability to just kind of protect the rim and make multiple efforts and be physical on the offensive end,” Mazzulla said in explaining the move. “The guys did a great job fighting for spacing.”

Hauser is out for a second straight game on Saturday and it’s unclear how long the back issue might keep him sidelined, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Hauser told reporters that he dealt with soreness in his back throughout the offseason and training camp.

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Jaden Springer has reportedly emerged as a trade candidate, but the Celtics viewed him as a potential rotation player heading into training camp, Robb adds in another piece. The fourth-year guard had a quiet preseason and didn’t play in two of the team’s final three exhibition games.
Scoring his first NBA points on a layup late in Thursday’s game has been the high point of Baylor Scheierman‘s professional career so far, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. After receiving the game ball from his teammates in honor of the achievement, Scheierman talked about the adjustment of having limited playing time after being a star at Creighton. “It’s definitely different coming from college where you play a lot and coming to a team like this that has a lot of established guys,” he said. “But for me, I think it’s just a great opportunity to learn from guys who have made it in this league and obviously signed contracts for a lot of money and have learned at this level. I take it as a learning opportunity, being able to learn from them and grow so that when I get my shot down the line, I’m ready for it.”
Payton Pritchard, who has become famous for his long-range buzzer beaters, would like to see them count extra, Himmelsbach states in a separate story. “I honestly think maybe past half court they should look at adding it as a 4-point play,” Pritchard said. “I mean, it could be interesting. I’ve seen rules overseas that they have a 4-point line.”

Celtics Notes: Walker, Walsh, Scheierman, Potential Buyers

October 20th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonnie Walker IV didn’t survive the Celtics‘ final cuts, but the decision to part with him clearly wasn’t an easy one, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Walker faced long odds to earn a roster spot with an organization operating under the second apron, and his teammates were impressed by his effort during his time in Boston.

“I love Lonnie,” Luke Kornet said. “He’s a great player, honestly. His energy and his joy and passion and connection just he mainly possesses I think was awesome. I never had the opportunity to know him closely until these past few weeks, and he’s been great to have around and honestly a joy to play with and a joy to work with.”

Walker appeared in four preseason games, averaging 7.3 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds, and gave the Celtics a look at how he fits with the rest of the roster in case they consider bringing him back later. The price for keeping the 25-year-old free agent would have been around $11MM with tax penalties figured in, so management opted for the flexibility of having an open roster spot.

“He’s had a great approach,” coach Joe Mazzulla told Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “A guy that’s been around the league a long time and has seen different environments. Came in with his head down and just wanted to work and wanted to have an understanding of what it’s like, what it is to play our style of basketball on both ends of the floor. I thought he did a good job of executing that in the time that he had. I thought he did a great job being patient and executing the role we needed him to. And I thought he did a good job in the film room trying to get to the understanding of our system on both ends of the floor.”

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Jordan Walsh is looking for an expanded role in his second NBA season, Himmelsbach adds in a separate story. Walsh has noticed more trust from his teammates since training camp began. “Trying to gain the respect of my teammates definitely boosted my confidence a lot more,” he said. “Now [Payton Pritchard] is passing it to me a little bit more, [Jayson Tatum] is giving me advice, passing to me a little more. So all those things made me feel like I’m really a part of this team and I can help. Those guys believe it, and I believe it.”
Sam Hauser doesn’t want Baylor Scheierman to get discouraged by a rough preseason, Terada states in another MassLive story. The first-round pick shot just 16.7% from the field and 17.6% from three-point range while averaging 3.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per night. “Those five games were his first NBA experience,” Hauser said. “It’s hard to really have expectations on anybody in that situation. That’s a tough spot to be in. I’m sure for himself he has high expectations. I try to remember my first preseason — I don’t think I played that well. So I keep trying to tell him to stay aggressive, keep shooting.”
Two more potential buyers for the Celtics have emerged, according to Michael Silverman and Shelly Leung of The Boston Globe. Robert Hale, who’s already a limited partner in the team, said he has “keen interest” in becoming majority owner, and Mark Bezos, founding partner of HighPost Capital private equity group and half-brother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is considering a bid as well, a source tells the authors.

Celtics Notes: Training Camp, Scheierman, Tatum, Cassell

September 28th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are getting an early challenge from head coach Joe Mazzulla as they begin the defense of their NBA title, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston and Denver opened training camps this week in preparation for their games next Friday and Sunday in Abu Dhabi, and Jaylen Brown said the first practices have been intense.

“Training camp has been hard,” he said. “Training camp has been a lot of conditioning, a lot of defensive stuff, setting the tone on the defensive end, pushing ourselves. It’s been great. It’s exactly what we needed. We did not ease into training camp by no means. Joe Mazzulla is a psycho in a good way.”

It was a very short offseason for the Celtics, who closed out the NBA Finals a little more than three and a half months ago. It was even shorter for Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who were part of Team USA in the Summer Olympics. Despite the brief break, the players seem ready to get back to business.

“I think it’s very, very mental,” Holiday said. “Obviously that’s where most of the game can be won. Concentration, doing things while you’re tired, playing without passing, playing without scoring. How do you win the mental game, I feel like, is the biggest part – if you’re tired physically or mentally. Again, he’s just throwing everything at us.”

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The Celtics ordered Baylor Scheierman to add weight as he prepares for his first NBA season, Robb adds in a separate story. Scheierman reported to camp about 10-15 pounds heavier than he was in July. “I think from Summer League to now I spent a lot of time on my body, working on my body, trying to put on a lot of lean mass,” Scheierman said. “… Also just working on my shot, continuing to tune up things, try to get it off quicker.”
As Tatum predicted at media day, Mazzulla is hoping he’ll take extra motivation from not being named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals and then being benched for much of the Olympics, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet, because of how much he works and how he’s willing to grow,” Mazzulla said. “So I thought it was great that he has something to work toward. Sometimes when you get success you don’t have that next hunger right in front of you. Sometimes you’ve got to wait for it. Sometimes it’s a loss; sometimes it’s a losing streak. He was able to get that right in front of him.”
Assistant coach Sam Cassell has experience in defending an NBA championship, Himmelsbach adds. Cassell was part of the Rockets team that won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. “I can tell you no one here is talking about repeating or trying to defend anything,” Cassell said. “It’s just a new year and a new season. We just want to go win a championship every year.”

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