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Celtics Links: Rajon Rondo Reaction

January 27th, 2013 at 9:51pm CST by Alex Lee

In light of news that Rajon Rondo has a torn ACL, it looks like most readers think the Celtics would be smart to move Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.  It is a question that basketball writers around the league will be tackling for weeks leading up to the trading deadline.  Let's round up all of the media fallout from the Rondo injury here:

  • A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England considers adding Delonte West the most likely scenario for the Celtics, adding that a league source told him earlier this season that the Celtics would only consider bringing back West if one of their guards went down with a long-term injury.  Blakely also mentions Andre Barrett, the current D-League assists leader, as a possibility. 
  • The Celtics' television broadcast team takes a shot at answering the question of how the Celtics can replace Rondo, via CSN New England.
  • Blowing up the Celtics' roster is way better in theory than it is in reality, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  He says that there simply aren't teams out there with young talent and draft picks that are willing to give them up for Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett.  With this in mind, Wojnarowski opines that it would be a mistake for the C's to do anything drastic.

Earlier updates:

  • Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether the Celtics will look to the D-League to fill the void created by Rondo's injury.  Schlosser specifically mentions Delonte West, Courtney Fortson, Chris Wright, Donald Sloan, Sean Singletary and Scott Machado as potential solutions.
  • Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also tweets that West and the Celtics seem like a match.
  • Danny Ainge and the Celtics have some big decisions to make in the near future as a result of Rondo's injury, writes Matt Moore of CBS Sports.  Moore says the Celts were already contemplating blowing up their roster this season, and the Rondo news certainly makes it more likely.
  • Ken Berger of CBS Sports says that Pierce's contract – with only $4MM guaranteed next year – is "as tradeable as it gets."  Berger adds that rival executives expect the Grizzlies to have interest in Pierce.  He also speculates that a team like the Nets could be interested in Garnett.  Should they decide to become buyers rather than sellers, Berger says Jose Calderon or Kyle Lowry are two possible targets for Boston.
  • Jessica Camerato of CSN New England writes that the Celtics locker room was stunned to hear the news about their floor general after their double overtime win against the Heat.  Camerato's colleague, A. Sherrod Blakely, provides more reactions from the Celtics as well as from Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
  • Blakely adds, via Twitter, that he doesn't expect a trade soon.  Instead, Blakely thinks that the Celtics will add a point guard via a 10-day contract, if they choose to do anything.
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Celtics Waive Joseph And Varnado, Blockbuster In The Works?

January 6th, 2013 at 10:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

10:35pm: Sam Amick of USA Today says that "Cousins is not going to the Celtics" and that teams who have been asking about his availability continue to being rebuffed (Twitter link). 

7:08pm: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) says that while nothing is imminent, Boston is one team to keep an eye on around the trade deadline. 

6:51pm: Blakely writes that although it's unlikely that Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, or Paul Pierce will be moved, there has been "growing" interest in Courtney Lee, who may be expendable with the return of Avery Bradley to the Celtics' lineup. Blakely also mentions forward Brandon Bass as another player who could possibly be on the move. 

6:45pm: A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets that the decision to waive Joseph and Varnardo may have opened the door to what could be a blockbuster deal, according to a league source. One name that has repeatedly been mentioned in speculative trade talk has been Kings' center DeMarcus Cousins (Twitter link). 

5:10pm: While rounding up today's list of waived players, ESPN's Marc Stein also tweeted that forward Kris Joseph and center Jarvis Varnado had both been waived by the Celtics today. 

The 6'7 Joseph had been selected by Boston as the 51st pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, appearing in six games this season and averaging 1.2 PPG in 4.0 MPG. Varnado had only played in five games, averaging 1.2 PPG in 3.6 MPG. 

With the roster now at 13, ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg speculates that the Celtics could target a veteran big man and a backup ball-handling guard to fill the two newly created roster spots. Forsberg also mentions that those potential moves could depend on the big man's asking price. 

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Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Rose, Garnett, Knicks

December 30th, 2012 at 11:00pm CST by Michael Pina

According to a tweet from FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico, the Bobcats might be preparing to make an offer for Kings center DeMarcus Cousins. 

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Atlantic Notes: Camby, Lin, Celtics, Nets

November 24th, 2012 at 8:24am CST by Sean Highkin

An early roundup of the latest happenings from around the Atlantic Division on Saturday morning:

  • Marc Berman of the New York Post wonders whether Marcus Camby regrets not re-signing in Houston given how infrequently he has played for the Knicks this season.
  • Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com believes the Knicks were right to let Jeremy Lin leave, as proven by his poor play in Houston to begin the season.
  • Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com takes a look at how Doc Rivers and the Celtics are managing Kevin Garnett's minutes as the star forward advances in age.
  • Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes that Nets coach Avery Johnson is still tinkering with the team's rotations for the season.
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Odds & Ends: West, Allen, Garnett, Stiemsma

November 11th, 2012 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reaction has been largely negative to FIBA's announcement of changes to the basketball World Cup. John Hollinger of ESPN.com characterizes the moves as a "money grab" that degrades the tournament (Twitter link). With qualifiers taking place in the middle of the season instead of during summer, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com believes Team USA may only have non-NBA pros at its disposal for those games (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of SB Nation tweets that Team USA could simply circumvent the qualifiers by winning the World Cup and Olympic gold every time, though that might prove a difficult standard to maintain. While we await more fallout on the international basketball scene, here's what's going on around NBA. circles.

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Atlantic Notes: Woodson, Bynum, Celtics

November 10th, 2012 at 10:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Knicks coach Mike Woodson has the team off to its first 4-0 start since the 1993-94 season, but their promising start hasn't been without some sacrifices from the players. J.R. Smith, who originally wanted to be a starter at the beginning of training camp, had to concede to accepting a sixth man role. Kurt Thomas, who started three of the team's pre-season games, recorded his first DNP-CD last night against the Mavericks. Al Iannazonne of Newsday explores how Woodson resiliency has meshed with his players' desire to win and thus given them early success. 

Here's the rest of what we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division tonight: 

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Atlantic Notes: Defense, Melo, Smith, Garnett

November 4th, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Alex Lee

Through two games, it sure looks like multitude of veteran additions that the Knicks made this offseason have made them a more complete team.  In the Atlantic division's only contest today, the Knicks stayed unbeaten in impressive fashion with a 100-84 win over the rival 76ers.  They are now 2-0 for the first time since 1999.

Let's round up some other Sunday night links from around the Atlantic divsion here:

  • ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg breaks down first round pick Jared Sullinger's night on Saturday, a game in which he was thrust into the Celtics starting lineup in his third game as a pro.  Sullinger responded admirably, grabbing 7 boards in more than 30 minutes of action.
  • 76ers head coach Doug Collins is still hopeful that he can help "unlock" third-year swing man Evan Turner, and thinks it could be just one breakout game away, writes John Finger of CSN Philly.  Turner, the second pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has showed stellar rebounding skills but the rest of his game has yet to develop as planned. 
  • Brook Lopez spent much of the offseason in the weight room in an effort to improve his rebounding abilities, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday, but the Nets big man has yet to see the results of his hard work translate on the court.

Earlier updates:

  • The Knicks have held their first two opponents to 84 points or less for the first time in 60 years, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York.  Carmelo Anthony seems to be buying into Mike Woodson's defensive philosophy, and his teammates have noticed and followed suit.
  • One of those teammates is Knicks guard J.R. Smith, who was told to shoot on Sunday by Woodson and responded with 20 points off the bench, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York.  Smith, who is normally prone to jacking up too many bad shots, joined the Knicks last season after returning from China and reupped with the team on a two-year deal in July. 
  • The rebuilt Celtics may take longer to mesh than originally expected, opines Sherrod Blakely.  Blakely says that Kevin Garnett's defensive abilities make him uniquely critical as all the new pieces try to find their place on the team. 
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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nets, Knicks

October 4th, 2012 at 9:53pm CST by Ryan Raroque
It's the third day of Celtics training camp, and Brian Scalabrine and Mike Gorman spoke on CSNNE.com about who would possibly be Kevin Garnett's primary back up at the center position. Scalabrine thinks that while Darko Milicic and Jason Collins are both prime candidates, rookie Fab Melo might find his way to the D-League early on to refine his game first. Kevin Garnett also provided input on Jared Sullinger and Melo, saying that both have impressive work ethic. Here's what else we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division this evening…
  • Nets rookie guard Tyshawn Taylor is recovering from a strained right quad, but remains anxiously eager to prove himself to the team's coaches. The former Kansas Jayhawk also said that watching the team practice while being sidelined is helping him become acquainted with how the team is expected to run (Tim Bontempts of the New York Post writes). 
  • According to John N. Mitchell of Philly.com, Spencer Hawes is excited about playing power forward next to Andrew Bynum. The former Washington Huskies big man has mostly been playing center since entering the league, but believes he has the skill-set to mesh well with the former Lakers star. 
  • John R. Finger of CSN Philly writes about how Maalik Wayns can contribute to the 76ers with his speed and scoring ability. Dei Lynam of CSN Philly says that Dorell Wright has been impressive in camp, especially with his shooting and playmaking ability. Also, Max Rappaport of NBA.com looks at how Dorell, Jason Richardson, and Nick Young form a remarkable combination of viable outside shooters. 
  • Knicks point guard Raymond Felton has lost 20 pounds since leaving the Trail Blazers and currently weights 207 pounds, according to Ben Golliver of the Blazers Edge. Felton admitted that his conditioning issues to start the 2011-12 season significantly affected his play early on. 

Read more

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Odds & Ends: Dentmon, Curry, Williams, Wright

September 28th, 2012 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Friday odds and ends from around the Association, with opening night just over a month away:

  • After we rounded up a few highlights from the Celtics' media day earlier this afternoon, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com adds a few more, courtesy of Kevin Garnett's podium appearance. KG discussed Ray Allen, the Heat, and his decision to re-sign with the Celtics, among other topics.
  • Justin Dentmon has signed with Fujian Quanzhou in China, agent Bill Neff tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Last year's D-League MVP had brief stints with the Spurs and Raptors in 2011/12.
  • Asked once again about his contract situation in a Q&A with Jason McIntyre of Big Lead Sports, Stephen Curry reiterated that he hopes to remain with the Warriors long-term, adding: "I’m an NBA junkie and I know all of the latest news and contract situations. But I won’t base my decision on 'Oh, this guy makes a certain amount, I need to make more' or that kind of thing. It’s about timing in the NBA and the right situation, and winning more than money. But yeah, I know everybody’s contract, that’s common knowledge, but it doesn’t impact my situation."
  • The Trail Blazers must decide by October 31st whether to pick up Elliot Williams' $2.37MM option for 2013/14, and with Williams' season over due to a ruptured achilles tendon, he's not sure what the team will do. Either way, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Williams intends to be ready and healthy for the '13/14 season.
  • Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside wonders which former D-Leaguers on camp invites have the best odds to earn regular-season NBA roster spots.
  • We heard earlier this week that Julian Wright was closing in on a deal with Israel's Maccabi Rishon, but David Pick of Sportando says (via Twitter) Wright may be having second thoughts after agreeing to terms with the club.
  • In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Dan Feldman of PistonPowered says Joe Dumars' willingness to look overseas to acquire a player like Slava Kravtsov is a good sign for the Pistons.
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Celtics Notes: Dooling, Pierce, Garnett, Cap

September 28th, 2012 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

A week after the Celtics announced his surprise retirement, Keyon Dooling opened up to Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com about his motivations for ending his playing career early. Camerato's piece is extremely engaging, and is worth a read for any NBA enthusiast, Celtics fan or otherwise. Here are the rest of today's Celtics notes from the team's media day in Boston:

  • If Kevin Garnett had retired or signed with another team this summer, Paul Pierce would have seriously contemplated retirement, Pierce told the media today (Twitter link via Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com). The longtime Celtic says he didn't want to endure another rebuild.
  • Pierce's plan now is to retire when Garnett does, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. That could happen in the summer of 2015, when KG's newly-signed deal expires.
  • While GM Danny Ainge says he had some doubts about whether Garnett would be back (Twitter link via A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com), head coach Doc Rivers was skeptical about the big man's retirement talk: "He told me that all year; it was a bunch of crap. I never believed him" (Twitter link via Forsberg).
  • Ainge says the Celtics don't have the bi-annual exception available, based on money committed thus far, according to Forsberg (via Twitter). That news is surprising, since it was believe the Celtics signed players using either Bird rights, the mid-level exception, or the minimum-salary exception. Like the Bulls, the Celtics are hard-capped at $74.307MM because they used the non-taxpayer MLE, so perhaps the team is just getting uncomfortably close to that hard cap.
  • As we noted earlier today, the Celtics have formally announced the signings of Darko Milicic, Rob Kurz, and Micah Downs.
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