Uncle Drew Playin With The Nephews By The 7/11: Official 2017-18 Boston Celtics Season Thread

[e001]

I'm sold on him. If he could give us 15-20 minutes a night like this, we'd have some serious depth

Yep, he looks like a great post defender and he can put the ball on the floor against bigger centers if they try to guard him at the three point line. Perfect role player, specially if he can be consistent with his shot.

 

[William F. Russell]

Good team effort tonight.

Terry Rozier damn near had a triple-double and now he looks poised for a breakout season.

Kudos to Coach Stevens for getting all players significant playing time while keeping the Cs' foot on the 76ers' collective neck.

 

[SchoolboyC]

I really want to believe Smart & Rozier are ready to turn the corner

But ya know

 

[Adebisi_Said]

 

[William F. Russell]

Smart, the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft, is entering his fourth NBA season. On a Celtics roster that underwent an unprecedented overhaul this summer, he wears the badge of "longest-tenured Celtic," even if he finds that notion rather preposterous. Still, as one of just four returning players, Smart is a small slice of familiarity on Boston's new-look roster.

Smart, too, has a new look. He dropped 20 pounds this summer with help from a private chef and a diet heavy on Mediterranean food ("Dates are great; I love them," said Smart). He acknowledged that he battled back pain at times during last year's playoff run when his weight climbed.

***

For Boston, an extension might ultimately hinge on what the market sets for Smart's value. It seems unlikely Boston would be willing to pay Smart the sort of money Gary Harris got from the Denver Nuggets (4 years, $84 million), but there's a more palpable number for a Celtics team that's set to live above the cap for the foreseeable future. Staring at an eventual climb back into the luxury tax (and, further out, repeater penalties), the Celtics must still be responsible with their spending, especially considering that many rivals won't have much to spend on the open market this summer.

Regardless of whether the two sides come to an agreement before next week's deadline, there's an obvious urgency to Smart's play this preseason, and a clear desire to take a step forward this year.





The Celtics love Marcus Smart, but will they extend him?

 

[William F. Russell]

Semi's getting some shine...

Given the amount of praise Stevens has heaped on Ojeleye, his role could be “similar to Crowder’s, just with more limited minutes,” according to The Boston Globe. Ojeleye played 21 minutes in his preseason debut and could be locked in a “playing time battle” with fellow rookie Guerschon Yabusele. But as the Globe wrote in July, we already know the Celtics’ coach has something he likes in Ojeleye.

“Stevens loves positional versatility the way we love ice cream, so this is excellent news for Ojeleye.”

Who’s that new guy? Meet Semi Ojeleye, the Celtics’ possible Jae Crowder replacement

 

[William F. Russell]

Hopefully Baynes doesn't miss extended time with his sprained left knee...

Right now, there is not a single big on that second unit that is a trusted shooter, unless you want to count Jayson Tatum, which would be a very bold way for Stevens to start out the season.

Chances are this Baynes injury will prolong the transition period for this team. There is more chaos and more uncertainty with him sidelined, and then things may have to change once again when he returns.

Stevens has not had enough time to establish exactly how he wants this team to function, and it is hard to make any front court progress with the time that Morris has missed and Baynes will miss.

The Celtics could potentially see their rebounding woes surface in a bad way again. They may have a lot of trouble preventing teams from attacking them in the paint. On top of all that, it will be more difficult for their lineups to establish any kind of chemistry if they are unsure of the roles players will have.

Boston Celtics: What Does Aron Baynes Injury Mean?

 

[William F. Russell]

:GladBrad:

 

[Malcolmxxx_23]

I see Kyrie having a healthy season

Fred

 

[ISO]

That was Harden-like.

 

[e001]

Jaylen

 

[William F. Russell]

Jaylen's gonna be a problem

 

[GOAT]

How quick until people shut the fukk up about Kyrie not being able to pass for good?

 

[William F. Russell]

Horford's low-key poised for a big season

 

[JarrodG]