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Doc Rivers Talks Garnett, Bass, Lee, Heat

September 17th, 2012 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

At Boston Community Development's Hoop Dreams event last week, Celtics coach Doc Rivers sat down with longtime Boston sportswriter Bob Ryan to answer a few questions about his team heading into the 2012/13 season. The Fab Empire provided video of the Q&A session in three parts, and CelticsBlog did a great job of recapping Rivers' most interesting comments, so let's check out the highlights….

Kevin Garnett feels fantastic — "the best he has felt in years," according to Rivers.
Rivers felt that playing Brandon Bass and Garnett at the four and five respectively created matchup problems, since opposing big men didn't want to come out of the paint to defend the duo's jump shots.
Even before Ray Allen was injured and Avery Bradley emerged as the starting two guard last season, Rivers had hoped to bring Allen off the bench to provide scoring for the second unit. Rivers added that he expects Courtney Lee to start at shooting guard this year, at least until Bradley is fully healthy.
Noting that the Celtics were third in field-goal percentage but 30th in field-goal attempts last season, Rivers stressed that his team has to play at a faster pace. He'd also like to see his players getting to the foul line more often, since that gives the team time to set up its defense at the other end.
The Heat are "always on my mind," says Rivers, who adds that he brings the Eastern Conference champs up constantly to his players and wants his guys to hate Miami. The C's coach confessed that his team wouldn't likely win a "track meet" with the Heat, but said that if the game became a "thinking meet," he would give his team the edge.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Sixers, Jon Scheyer

August 12th, 2012 at 8:54am CST by Daniel Seco

The battle for the Atlantic Division title may end up being the most competitive race in the NBA next season. With all five teams making serious moves in the offseason, a strong argument could be made that the Nets are as likely to take the division as the Celtics. Let's catch up on the latest news and headlines from the Atlantic Division…

Ray Allen spoke about his time with the Celtics and his decision to sign with Miami this offseason while visiting UConn on Saturday, writes Don Amore of the Hartford Courant. "I was a free agent," Allen said, "and I had to make a decision I definitely thought was best for me to move forward. I'm excited about where I'm going. … I don't know what to expect, but I know what I expect from myself."
John N. Mitchell of The Philadelphia Inquirer says the Sixers should be excited by their acquisition of Andrew Bynum as he brings myriad qualities to the paint for Philadelphia. Not only does Bynum bring incredible size and the ability to score with ease to the Sixers, the seven footer has championship experience with the two rings he won with the Lakers.
After spending the summer playing with the Sixers in Orlando for the NBA Summer League, former Duke star Jon Scheyer appears headed to Spain this season to play for Gran Cranaria, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside. Scheyer is looking to increase his playing time after struggling to earn minutes with Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in Israel last season.

Paul Pierce Talks Celtics’ Offseason

August 3rd, 2012 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the offseason, Paul Pierce was one of the few Celtics under contract, with two years remaining on his four-year deal. Over the last month, GM Danny Ainge has worked to surround Pierce and Rajon Rondo with new and returning faces, retooling a roster that was one win away from reaching the Finals in 2011/12. Pierce sat down with Celtics.com for an exclusive interview to discuss the club's moves, and ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg transcribed a number of the veteran's more notable quotes. Here are the highlights from the discussion:

On Ray Allen signing with the Heat:

"Ray made the best decision for him. That’s what it’s all about: You get in these situations, you become a free agent, and you make a decision based on what’s best for you and your family. Ray will always be a brother for me. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be wearing a championship ring. So the things he was able to do for this organization, will never be forgotten."

On whether he's talked with Allen since his decision:

"A couple texts. I’m a little bitter that he went to Miami, but he’s still a brother of mine."

On Boston's free agent signings:

"I love what Danny’s been able to do. It was a tough decision this summer; A lot was riding on what direction we were going to head in. It was just a domino effect, once we signed Kevin [Garnett], we knew were going to try to make another run at it. That’s pretty much the way I looked at it. Once we signed him, a number of guys were able to jump on board…. I think the guys coming in here — Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, trying to get a healthy Jeff Green, even some of our rookies — I think we’ve added a lot more depth, and it’s going to take a lot of pressure off me this upcoming season.

On which new Celtic he's most excited to play with:

"I’ve always been a big fan of Jason Terry. Playing against him in college for a couple years, then watching his NBA career flourish over the years. From winning a championship to just bringing that element to our ball club now — he’s one of best sixth men all-time to play the game. That’s something we were lacking a year ago, and that was only due to injuries, so hopefully he can bring that consistency, that championship experience, so we can get back to where we were a few years ago."

On the health of his knee:

"The knee is a lot better. It’s not completely healed, but I figure I’m about 90% now. So I’ve been doing a lot to strengthen it, so I can come back a stronger player. It really hampered me, I thought, the last 10-15 games of the year. I couldn’t explode like I wanted to. But everybody was hurt at that point of the year. Everybody was dealing with nagging injuries. That’s why I didn’t really stress on it too much in the playoffs, because I know everyone is dealing with injuries and that’s just another excuse."

Rivers Takes Blame For Allen Leaving Celtics

August 1st, 2012 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Although much has been made of Ray Allen's reportedly frosty relationship with Rajon Rondo, coach Doc Rivers tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that Rivers, rather than Rondo, should be blamed for Allen's departure from Boston. According to Rivers, Allen wasn't pleased with a reduced role in the Celtics' offense and rotation, a decision made by the coach.

"I'm the guy who gave Rondo the ball," Rivers said. "I'm the guy who decided that Rondo needed to be more of the leader of the team. That doesn't mean guys liked that – and Ray did not love that – because Rondo now had the ball all the time…. And that bothered Ray.

"And not starting [games] bothered Ray," Rivers continued. "I did examine it, and the conclusion I came back to was this: By doing the right things, we may have lost Ray. If I hadn't done that, I would've been a hypocrite. In the opening speech I make every year, I tell the team: 'Every decision I make is going to be what's good for the team, and it may not be what's good for the individual.'"

According to Rivers, he mediated issues between Rondo and Allen for most of the five years that both players were in Boston together, with the relationship between the backcourt mates worsening in 2010/11. Wojnarowski reports that Allen also took issue with how he was compensated, his reduced role, and the fact that his name was constantly included in trade talks.

Rivers doesn't believe Allen's role will be any greater in Miami than it would have been in Boston. However, the C's coach points out that it may be easier for a veteran player to accept a lesser role when he's getting a fresh start, rather than being gradually shifted into that role by a team that used to feature him more. Rivers also holds no ill will toward the veteran sharpshooter for his decision to sign with the Heat.

"For a week or two, I was really disappointed, pissed, because I thought it was for all the wrong reasons," Rivers said. "It was more about himself, his team. And then, I realized: Well, it should be about himself. It was free agency. I wasn't thinking right."

Ray Allen Signs With Heat

July 15th, 2012 at 12:40pm CST by Zachary Links

JULY 15 12:40pm: According to a Miami Herald report, Ray Allen's contract has a player option for the 2013-14 season, giving the lethal three-point shooter an opt-out opportunity should things not work out after the first year.

WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Heat have officially signed Allen, the team announced in a press release.

FRIDAY, 8:52pm: The Heat have reached agreement on a deal with free agent guard Ray Allen, Heat owner Micky Arison announced via Twitter. The agreement was confirmed by agent Jim Tanner, tweets Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated. The veteran is widely expected to sign for the mini mid-level exception, worth $3.09MM per year.

Clippers Sign Jamal Crawford, Chauncey Billups

July 13th, 2012 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 13TH, 3:55pm: The Clippers have officially signed Billups, according to a release from the team.

JULY 11TH, 5:25pm: The Clippers have officially signed Crawford, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

JULY 5TH, 2:36pm: ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link) confirms that the Clippers can't be paid more than about $21.3MM with the mid-level exception, even if the deal includes unlikely incentives. So something has to give here. If the Clips hope to pay Crawford more than that amount, it seems they'd need a sign-and-trade.

2:05pm: The third and fourth years of Crawford's contract only include "small" amounts of guaranteed money, according to SI.com's Sam Amick (via Twitter).

1:22pm: Crawford's deal with the Clippers will be for four years and up to $25MM, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says it'll be $24MM. Either way, that's larger than the maximum mid-level deal (about $21MM), so it seems there will be a few million dollars in unlikely incentives.

12:57pm: Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups have agreed to sign with the Clippers, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The agreements with the two guards will take the Clips out of the running for Ray Allen, says Turner.

Crawford, who opted out of his contract with the Blazers, is expected to sign a three-year deal for about $15.67MM. Billups, meanwhile, will likely sign a one-year deal that could pay him up to $4.3MM if he reaches certain incentives. Crawford's deal figures to use up the Clippers' full $5MM mid-level exception, while the team was able to to over the cap to re-sign Billups using his Bird Rights.

Billups' deal is good news for Chris Paul, who said last week that he considered bringing back Chauncey his "top priority" this offseason. Crawford will give the Clips the shooter they lacked for much of last season — before agreeing with L.A., he also considered the Timberwolves, Sixers, Grizzlies, and Suns.

The Clippers had been scheduled to meet with Allen on Friday, but cancelled the visit after reaching deals with Crawford and Billups. The pair of agreements also almost certainly means that Nick Young won't be re-signing with Los Angeles.

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Free Agent Rumors: Lucas, Camby, Lewis

July 8th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Daniel Seco

Jeff Green reached an agreement to remain with the Celtics on Saturday, while Aaron Brooks became an unrestricted free agent after the Suns withdrew their qualifying offer to the guard. What will Sunday bring? Here are the latest rumors on a number of free agents still on the market:

The Heat have interest in unrestricted free agent point guard John Lucas III, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
Marcus Camby's meeting with the Knicks today was "very positive," a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, and Zwerling hears that Camby is drawn to the Knicks because of his "great relationship" with GM Glen Grunwald.
"Everything went well" during the Heat's meeting with Rashard Lewis today, as Lewis' agent tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Lewis has yet to make a decision, with the Knicks and Hawks still in the running, Aldridge says.

Earlier updates:

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter) identifies the Nets and Knicks as the frontrunners in sign-and-trade talks to land Marcus Camby. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News says that in addition to meeting with the Knicks in Houston, Camby held a conference call with the Nets (Twitter link).
Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweets that Brandon Rush could be an option for the Timberwolves or Trail Blazers, whichever team loses out on Nicolas Batum. Also, Berger includes Shannon Brown in the mix of suitors for Courtney Lee, O.J. Mayo, and Lou Williams once the two-guard dust clears (Twitter link).
Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas says that the Mavericks will resume talks with Ramon Sessions on Monday. Along with Dallas, the Rockets appear to interest the free agent point guard because of the opportunity to start.
According to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, the Knicks had a "very productive" meeting with Marcus Camby today.
The Magic still do not know if Spaniard Fran Vasquez will be joining the team next season,tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger. Vasquez was a lottery pick in 2005.
The Bulls will not pick up C.J. Watson's option, and are attempting to deal him before July 10th, tweets Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy.
The Mavericks, Rockets, Knicks, Hawks, Suns, and Bucks are all interested in signing guard Randy Foye, tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger.
According to a tweet from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, Greg Stiemsma's agent said his client did not receive a $3MM offer sheet from the Timberwolves.
The Celtics are interested in Courtney Lee after meeting with the free agent shooting guard on Saturday night, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Even with the addition of Hinrich, the Bulls have Michael Redd and Gerald Green on their radar, tweets Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald.
Brooklyn head coach Avery Johnson says the Nets' focus is to re-sign Brook Lopez as trading for Dwight Howard remains out of their control, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The team has begun negotiating with Lopez on an extension, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
With Camby postponing a meeting with the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel considers the likelihood of signing Greg Oden similar to how the team added Eddy Curry last season.
The Knicks brass will meet with Marcus Camby in Houston on Sunday with hopes that the big man will land in New York to serve as a backup for Tyson Chandler, says Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Look for the Celtics to explore internal options to replace Ray Allen rather than spend excess money on players who may not prove to be a good fit in Boston, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
The Bucks have emerged as a potential landing spot for Kirk Hinrich as they look to improve their backcourt depth, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, but Milwaukee will have to look elsewhere as Hinrich reached a verbal agreement with the Bulls earlier on Sunday.

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Odds & Ends: Kobe, Stiemsma, Batum, Allen

July 7th, 2012 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

After Team USA's first practice Friday afternoon, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant told reporters, including Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), that he's not so sure that the team is done making trades. "I don't think that they're done. The moves they make just seem to come out of nowhere," Bryant said. Here's some more Saturday afternoon linkage..

Atlantic Notes: Allen, Celtics, Williams, Brand

July 6th, 2012 at 10:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this evening, Celtics fans were disappointed to learn that sharpshooter Ray Allen has opted to leave the C's for the Heat. The shooting guard turned down what was reportedly a two-year, $12MM offer to stay in Boston in favor of a three-year deal worth just over $9MM.

Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes that the loss of Allen is effectively a double-whammy for the C's as they cannot easily turn around and sign a similar player to offset the loss. This is because the Celtics only have the bi-annual exception available to lure a player in. Boston may also bring back swingman Mickael Pietrus, but for now it would seem that they'll have to bank on quality production and perimter shooting from Jason Terry to fill the gap. Here's more out of the Atlantic..

Latest On Ray Allen

July 6th, 2012 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

2:47pm: Allen left Miami without giving the Heat an answer on their offer and is "torn" on whether to leave the Celtics, says Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. TNT's David Aldridge adds (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies and Timberwolves are still options, though Allen doesn't have plans to visit either team. I'd guess his decision comes down to Miami and Boston.

FRIDAY, 1:54pm: The Timberwolves are the "dark-horse" in the chase for Allen, tweets Ric Bucher of ESPN.com. As Bucher acknowledges though, Minnesota is an extreme long shot.