Jaylen Brown

Atlantic Notes: Maxey, Brown, Tatum, Knicks, Barnes

November 20th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sixers All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey explains his thinking behind some of his comments during a team meeting on Monday, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Philadelphia had fallen to a 2-11 record after a defeat against the Heat and former Sixers star small forward Jimmy Butler.

Maxey reportedly called out All-NBA Philadelphia center Joel Embiid for tardiness issues and occasional unexcused absences.

“I wanted to speak up,” Maxey said. “I felt the need to do that because I wanted to share that we are better than what we have shown on the floor. There was a lot said, but it is what it is. We said what we had to say and we have to figure out a way to move on to the rest of the season. Everyone understands what’s at stake. Everyone is feeling the hurt.”

Despite an awful start to their season, the Sixers reportedly do not plan to fire either head coach Nick Nurse or general manager Daryl Morey.

Maxey, who had missed Philadelphia’s last six games, suited up alongside fellow All-Stars Embiid and Paul George for the first time this season against Memphis on Wednesday.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

On Tuesday, Celtics All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum helped Boston to end the Cavaliers‘ 15-game winning streak to open the year with beefed-up, physical defense, writes Jay King of The Athletic. “I thought both of them handled the pressure and the physicality well,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We played a little bit slower, but it was more important to get to the proper spacing. It was more important to get our drive-and-kick reads. And they did a great balance of handling the pressure, driving to attack, driving to get to the free-throw line, driving to find guys.” By dropping Cleveland’s record to 15-1, the reigning champs proved that Boston remains the class of the conference until further notice, opines Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
The Knicks are finally starting to mesh after a shaky 2024/25 season start, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York is currently riding high on a three-game win streak. “Just gelling, continuity, getting more acclimated with each other,” new trade acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns said of the club’s improvement. “Just understanding what everyone’s going to do and how they’re going to cut and just building trust with each other.” Begley notes that head coach Tom Thibodeau continues to reiterate how much he liked the fit of free agent guard Landry Shamet with New York. Shamet, signed to a training camp deal, was cut after suffering a shoulder injury during the preseason. He has been rehabilitating while with New York’s Westchester NBAGL affiliate. Begley anticipates that, should Shamet recover, he will have a home with the Knicks.
Raptors All-Star forward Scottie Barnes was cleared to fully participate in practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering an orbital bone fracture last month. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca notes that Barnes’ eventual return could give Toronto a sense of what it has in its present core. The team’s intended starting five of Barnes, Gradey Dick, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl has not logged a single minute together yet this season. Grange notes that Barnes will be on a minutes restriction and will don protective goggles when he does return, at first. “We all know how to play with each other,” Barnes said. “We had some reps at it, but we couldn’t get that many due to some injuries. But now we all know how to fit in with each other, play with each other, get each other going, and we know what we all like. We’ve been at it for a little while. We’ll get things going with time.”

Celtics Notes: NBA Cup, Tatum, Paint Problems, Mazzulla

November 13th, 2024 at 6:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ hopes of stacking an NBA Cup title on top of last season’s championship got off to a rocky start Tuesday night, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Jaylen Brown blamed a lack of focus as Boston squandered a 15-point second half lead while losing at home against Atlanta.

“I think mentally we were careless tonight,” he said. “We expected to win. Too careless and it showed. I think the No. 1 category it showed in is our turnovers. Uncharacteristic of us to have 20 turnovers in any circumstance. I think that just displayed that we weren’t in sync like we normally are, so we’ve got to be better at that, and I’ve got to be better at that.”

Following a 7-1 start, the Celtics have gone 2-2 in their last four games and are now three games behind Cleveland in the race for the top spot in the East. Their wins over the weekend against Brooklyn and Milwaukee came after slow starts in both games.

“It’s just a mentality,” Brown said. “This is a part of the journey. We’ve got some stuff to clean up. We’re not a perfect team. It’s a new season, a new journey, and we’re looking forward to embracing those moments. We’re going to watch it and we’re going to address what needs to be addressed.”

There’s more from Boston:

Jayson Tatum is no longer on the injury report after being listed as questionable with soreness in his left ankle prior to Tuesday’s game, Robb adds in a separate story. Tatum turned his ankle during Sunday’s contest, but was able to keep playing.
The Celtics continue to have matchup problems with big, physical teams, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, as the Hawks collected 20 offensive rebounds and scored 38 second-half points in the paint. Atlanta’s center tandem of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu shot a combined 15-of-22 from the field. “They got rebounds and layups on everybody, bigs, smalls, mediums,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They just outplayed us at both ends of the floor.”
Mazzulla told reporters that he would prefer to see the NBA Cup as a standalone event rather than having the games count in the regular season standings, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. He compared it with tournaments held in European soccer. “They don’t count toward your domestic league,” Mazzulla said. “It’s its own league entirely. That, to me, is my only negative toward it. I like it. I think having something like it in the middle of the season is good, especially in a long year. Just, that’s the difference between what you do here and what you do around the world. But it’s an opportunity for us to win something, an opportunity for us to go after something. So we’re going to go after it from that perspective.”

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Sunday Win, Pritchard

November 11th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was able to stay in the game after landing on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s foot and turning his left ankle on a three-point attempt in the third quarter of Sunday’s matchup with the Bucks (Twitter video link). Speaking to reporters after pulling out the win, Tatum downplayed the injury, referring to his ankle as just “a little sore.” However, he wasn’t pleased with the fact that no foul was called on Antetokounmpo on the play.

“There are certain calls you can’t miss,” Tatum told reporters, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “Your job is to protect the guys on the court, protect the shooter. That’s something I could have been out for six weeks or whatever. For it to be a no-call, let alone they didn’t even get to review it or look at it, right?”

Head coach Joe Mazzulla also referred to the non-call as “ridiculous” during his post-game comments, though Tatum credit the head coach and his staff for helping him cool off in the moment. As Robb points out, the star forward has already racked up four technical fouls in the first three weeks of the season — he was able to avoid a fifth on Sunday.

“I mean, coaches kind of calmed me down,” Tatum said. “It’s a tough situation. I get my fair share of techs throughout the season, rightfully so, unrightfully so. … That s–t is frustrating when all you get is a ‘Sorry we missed it.’ Your ankle is sore and you got to figure it out. I definitely was frustrated.”

The Celtics have a back-to-back set vs. Atlanta and at Brooklyn on Tuesday and Wednesday, so Tatum will have just one day to rest the ankle, assuming he doesn’t plan to sit out any games.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

As he was heading back up the court in the second quarter of Sunday’s game after being whistled for an offensive foul, Antetokounmpo offered his hand to Jaylen Brown for a handshake, then pulled it away when Brown reached to shake it (Twitter video link). Antetokounmpo laughed and quickly offered his hand back to Brown with a smile, but the Celtics wing didn’t make a second attempt to shake it and suggested after the game that he didn’t see the humor in the moment, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “Giannis is a child,” Brown said. “I’m just focused on helping my team get a win. And that’s what we did tonight.”
Antetokounmpo was surprised to hear of Brown’s post-game comments, telling reporters in his own media session that he plays the game with “joy” and that he and Brown have joked around on the court in the past. “I’m just going to continue to be me,” Giannis said, according to Collier. “And at the end of the day, if I’m called a child, so be it.” Brown committed a hard foul on Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter and was called for a flagrant-1, but said after the game that it was unrelated to the interaction earlier in the game.
Sunday was Brown’s first appearance following a four-game absence due to a hip flexor injury that had been nagging at him since training camp. As Souichi Terada of MassLive.com relays, Brown provided a positive health update after the Celtics’ win. “I’ve been playing through it,” he said. “Didn’t really get any better while I was playing, so we decided it was best to get a little bit of rest to get off of it. I think that did me well. Today, I felt a little bit more of that burst. I felt a little stronger physically and able to go both directions. Something good to build on.”
Payton Pritchard‘s play this fall has been an early-season highlight for Boston, Terada writes for MassLive.com. Pritchard contributed 18 points in Sunday’s victory and has now scored at least 15 points in nine of the team’s first 11 games. After the game, Jrue Holiday referred to Pritchard as “somebody you love to play with,” while Brown said his teammate has been “excellent” so far this season. “His growth has been incredible to watch,” Brown added. “Payton has been making those steps and he’s a big-time player.” Pritchard is in the first season of a four-year, $30MM extension that he signed in 2023.

Atlantic Notes: Powell, Quickley, Brown, Simmons

November 10th, 2024 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Norman Powell played for the Raptors from 2015-21. The veteran forward is enjoying the best start of his career with the Clippers this season, averaging 25.5 points per game. Toronto traded him for Gary Trent Jr. and now Powell, 31, has emerged as an offensive force, while Trent is no longer on the Toronto roster.

“I’ve always had the confidence in myself and the belief that when an opportunity came to be one of the go-to guys every single night and I can play at a high level and compete against the top guys,” Powell told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “That’s the reason I’ve worked so hard. It’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time, so I’m just excited and grateful for the opportunity.”

Powell had 24 points in the Clippers’ two-point win over the Raptors on Saturday.

We have more on the Atlantic Division:

Immanuel Quickley, out since the Raptors’ opener due to a pelvic injury, gave his club an immediate offensive boost upon his return. He had 21 points and four assists in 26 minutes against the Clippers. “He was just turned up, and he obviously turned us up offensively, defensively,” wing Ochai Agbaji told Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “He brought a lot for us.”
Jaylen Brown returned to the Celtics’ lineup against the Bucks on Sunday after missing the previous four games with a strained left hip flexor. He had 14 points in 37 minutes. Brown had been listed as questionable on Boston’s injury report. Brown was averaging 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in six games entering the contest.
New Nets coach Jordi Fernandez is reluctant to start both Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons due to Simmons’ offensive limitations. Simmons, a free agent after the season, views himself as a starter but will accept whatever role he’s given. “For the flow of the team, whatever the team needs me to do in terms of whether it’s coming off the bench or starting, I’ve got to do. So, that’s what coach wants right now,” Simmons said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Barrett, Quickley, J. Brown

November 9th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers players are trying to avoid getting discouraged as they work to overcome an unexpected rough start to the season, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Within the past week, Joel Embiid was suspended for shoving a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, delaying his season debut by three more games, and Tyrese Maxey was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Paul George‘s return from a bruised knee was expected to help, but the team has the worst record in the league at 1-7 and is in the midst of a five-game losing streak.

“The ship hasn’t sunk,” George said. “We know that we have to remain positive. We know that big fella is coming back and he’s one of the best. We’re going to get Tyrese healthy and we’ll get him back. Then we can finally be a complete team and start to build, and then we can finally begin to find out who we are. We’re still positive. We’re going to show up and we’re going to have the intention of winning games. We need more attention to detail, but we just have to continue to remain positive.”

The Sixers entered the season with championship aspirations, but Jones points out that no team has ever started 1-7 and recovered to win a title, while only one team in the past five years has overcome such a poor start to make the playoffs. Working to Philadelphia’s advantage is the weakness of the Eastern Conference, where only two teams currently have winning records. The Sixers are a mere three games out of third place, so there’s a chance to rise up the standings quickly once everyone is available.

“There isn’t a magic formula for us,” Kyle Lowry said. “We have a lot of work to do. We have to get better offensively. We have to get better defensively. We have to play hard. We have to stay positive and not get down on ourselves. It’s a dark time, but we have to figure out a way to handle the adversity.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Injuries have forced RJ Barrett to take on a larger role in the Raptors‘ offense, and he has responded by putting up the best numbers of his career, notes Michael Pina of The Ringer. Through six games, Barrett is averaging career highs with 25.7 points and 7.0 assists as the absences of Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley have required him to handle the ball more often. Pina points out that Barrett was the second-best player on Team Canada during the Summer Olympics and suggests that he may be headed for his first All-Star Game.
Quickley could return for tonight’s game against the Clippers, which should help the Raptors at both ends of the court, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley has been sidelined since suffering a pelvic contusion midway through the season opener. “He brings a lot to our team from shooting, from opening up the floor for other guys as well, spacing,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He’s learning our system more and more, so he’s becoming more comfortable with cutting and just running our team well. Obviously, those [first] couple of games, he’ll need his reconditioning back. We’ll be intentional about his minutes on the court as well. So hopefully, 10 days from now, he’s really rocking and helping us big time.”
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday after missing the past four games with a hip flexor strain, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Atlantic Notes: Claxton, Simmons, Boucher, Brown

November 5th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets center Nic Claxton received his first start of the season on Monday. Claxton, who signed a four-year deal worth up to $100MM during the summer, had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in a win over Memphis. He missed the preseason due to a hamstring injury.

“It’s just still getting back into the swing of things. I had like one stint where I was really tired, but other than that, I was good. Just trying to communicate, just find my balance again,” Claxton told Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Ben Simmons sat out Monday in the second game of a back-to-back. Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez wants Simmons to shoot more often — he’s taken five or fewer attempts in his six games, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post notes. “He is physically getting where he’s supposed to be, and those attempts need to go up,” Fernandez said. “Because then we are all going to benefit from it. I don’t care about makes-misses. I just want to see shots going up. He’s more than capable of doing it, so he’ll get there for sure.”
Chris Boucher was in and out of the Raptors‘ rotation last season. He came back this season determined to reestablish himself as a reliable reserve. So far, so good. He’s averaging 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 17.3 minutes per game. “I think there was a lot of stuff that I was doing that I kept saying I gotta do better, but I never changed it,” Boucher told Josh Lewenberg of TSN. “Obviously, when things are going well and you’re playing all the time you [think], well, I’m just going to keep doing what I’m going. But by the time I wasn’t playing, I was like, all right, well, now I’ve gotta figure it out or I won’t be here no more.” Boucher will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown will miss his third consecutive game on Wednesday, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Brown is dealing with a hip flexor strain. He’s averaging 25.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest in the early going.

Injury Notes: R. Williams, Curry, J. Brown, LaVine, Gobert

November 4th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams has been listed as questionable to play in Monday’s game vs. New Orleans, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It’s a signal that Williams, who has been on the shelf for nearly a full year, is on the verge of returning to action.

Acquired by Portland in the team’s Jrue Holiday trade with Boston last fall, Williams appeared in just six games during his first season as a Blazer before going down with season-ending knee surgery. He has been sidelined this fall by a hamstring strain and has yet to make his season debut.

Williams’ return will give Portland another option in a crowded frontcourt. Deandre Ayton (31.6 minutes per game) has seen most of the action at center so far this season, with rookie lottery pick Donovan Clingan (12.9 MPG) playing a modest role as his backup and Duop Reath (3.5 MPG) not part of the regular rotation.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been out for the past three games due to a left peroneal strain but is nearing a return. He has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game vs. Washington, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If Curry doesn’t play tonight, his next opportunity would come on Wednesday in a showdown with the defending champions in Boston.
Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, who was born in raised in Marietta, GA, won’t be able to suit up for Monday’s contest in Atlanta, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.com, who writes that Brown will miss a second straight game due to his left hip flexor. Brown indicated over the weekend that he would undergo another MRI on the injury after getting one a couple weeks ago.
Zach LaVine has yet to miss a game this season and has played at least 33 minutes in each of his six outings, but the Bulls guard isn’t fully healthy. After suffering a sprained AC joint last week, LaVine is listed as questionable for Monday’s game vs. Utah due to a right adductor strain, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is considered questionable to play in Monday’s matchup with Charlotte due to a left ankle sprain, according to the team (Twitter link).

Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Queta, Lee

November 3rd, 2024 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

A hip flexor issue that forced Celtics guard Jaylen Brown to miss Saturday’s game has been bothering him for several weeks, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Brown sat out the second game of a back-to-back in Charlotte after playing 37 minutes on Friday night. An MRI two weeks ago revealed that it’s a strain and showed fluid in the affected area, and Brown plans to have more imaging done because his condition has worsened.

“I got an MRI in training camp and it’s been back and forth since then,” he said. “[Friday] I think I extended it a little more, and it’s already been giving me some trouble. I’m going to have to get another MRI and go from there.”

Brown is still playing at an All-Star level, averaging 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists through the first six games of the season. Saturday’s contest is the first one he has missed, and coach Joe Mazzulla told Washburn that Brown is considered day-to-day. He hopes to return for Monday’s game in his hometown of Atlanta, but he’s not sure how his body will respond.

“I haven’t felt like my legs have been underneath me, dealing with this hip flexor,” Brown said. “It’s more [affecting] my explosion and my burst. And then, mentally, trying to figure that out as well. Thinking about it kind of throws everything off a little bit, but I’ll be fine.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

An NBA source tells Washburn that Jayson Tatum talked with former teammate Grant Williams after Williams was ejected Friday for a hard foul on Tatum. Williams was reportedly apologetic and they patched up any differences, although they didn’t greet each other before or after Saturday’s contest. Tatum refused to discuss the incident while meeting with reporters Saturday (Twitter video link from Kayla Burton of NBC Sports Boston).
Mazzulla turned to center Neemias Queta to finish Saturday’s game rather than Luke Kornet or Xavier Tillman, observes Brian Robb of MassLive. Kornet got the start, but Queta logged 15 minutes off the bench compared to three for Tillman and appears to have passed him in the rotation.
Charles Lee only spent one season as an assistant in Boston, but he believes it helped him get hired as head coach of the Hornets, Washburn adds in a separate story. Lee said he learned a lot from being part of a title-winning team. “It’s cool to go to a championship-caliber organization with so much history,” he said. “How they structured their everyday schedule and what it means to be a Celtic. It was really cool and interesting for me and my family to experience. As a coach I was able to see how it works to have that much talent on your team, to have the target on your back all year as one of the best teams in the NBA. This team had gone through some hardships and we’re trying to get over that hump. To go through that journey with them last year and see that all that had to go into it was cool for me and my growth.”

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Achiuwa, K. Johnson, Nets Lineup

November 2nd, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Tristan Tucker

A Grant Williams foul on Celtics star Jayson Tatum resulted in an ejection for the former Boston forward on Friday night (video link via NBA.com). Teammate Jaylen Brown took offense to the foul – ruled a flagrant two – and approached Williams after the hit, questioning his motives, according to The Athletic’s Jay King.

“It was for sure intentional,” Brown said. “What are we talking about here? Did y’all see the same play that I’m seeing? He hit him like it was a football play, like (former NFL linebacker) Ray Lewis coming across the middle or something. It is what it is. Grant knows better than that.”

Williams said he was trying to make a play on the ball and that the collision looked worse than it actually was. The Hornets forward said “if [Tatum] had prepared and actually turned his head to the left,” it wouldn’t have looked as gnarly.

“It was just a hard foul,” Williams said. “And we play them again tomorrow. It’s nothing crazy or beyond the means. We all know JT’s my guy, so nothing intentional.”

Celtics players weren’t so sure. Both Brown and Derrick White chided Williams for the play after the game. While the Hornets forward called Tatum one of his closest friends in the league, Brown made it clear there was nothing friendly about Williams’ play.

“Actions speak loud,” Brown said. “So it is what it is. We got the win, we’ll move on, but there’s no place in the game for that. I thought JT and him was friends. I guess not.”

Williams jokingly said after the game that he was preparing to have his former Celtics teammates over to his house after the game, but that they probably wouldn’t take him up on the offer anymore. Friday’s game served as a reunion for more than Williams. Former Celtic Kemba Walker is on Charlotte’s coaching staff, while Hornets head coach Charles Lee served as Joe Mazzulla‘s assistant last year.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks big man Precious Achiuwa is making good progress from his hamstring strain, but head coach Tom Thibodeau says he’s still not practicing, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “He’s doing a little more on the court,” Thibodeau said. “Once a guy can start doing stuff on the court, then usually he’ll travel with us. Sometimes it’s better to keep him back [in New York] because we can do more rehab stuff at the facility.“
The Nets received a spark off the bench from Keon Johnson in a Friday win over the Bulls, Bridget Reilly of the New York Post writes. In just five second-quarter minutes, he hit five shots in a row, including a pair of three-pointers and a dunk. Johnson, who finished with a season-high 12 points in just nine minutes on the night, is on a minimum-salary contract that’s partially guaranteed ($700K) for this season and includes a team option for next season.
Nic Claxton hasn’t been starting for the Nets as he recovers from an offseason injury that held him out of the preseason. But as the New York Post’s Brian Lewis writes, head coach Jordi Fernandez is going to have to make some tough calls when it comes to who remains in the lineup when the team is fully healthy. The Nets have six players who have a case to start: Claxton, Dennis Schröder, Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons. Out of those options, Johnson, Finney-Smith or Simmons are probably the likeliest candidates to move to the bench. “I mean, whatever. Personally, I feel like if I’m at full strength, then I’m a starter,” Simmons said. “That’s just what goes. But, yeah.“

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.”

There’s more from Boston:

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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