Uncle Drew Playin With The Nephews By The 7/11: Official 2017-18 Boston Celtics Season Thread
- Thread starter William F. Russell
- Start date
Of the 30 players taken in the first round of the most recent NBA draft, 10 of the first 11 picks opted for the draft after their freshman year of college and a total of 16 first-rounders turned pro after their first season of college.
There may not be a better example of the one-and-done player's success story than the Celtics' Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, each taken with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 (Brown) and 2017 (Tatum).
"I've been real impressed with our last two guys who came from college, played one year," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "They were obviously ready for a lot of the demands of the NBA."
And on Thursday in London, they face a Philadelphia team whose core group is built around players who also took their talents to the NBA just one year removed from high school.
Celtics' youth movement shows NBA not finished with one-and-dones
There may not be a better example of the one-and-done player's success story than the Celtics' Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, each taken with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 (Brown) and 2017 (Tatum).
"I've been real impressed with our last two guys who came from college, played one year," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "They were obviously ready for a lot of the demands of the NBA."
And on Thursday in London, they face a Philadelphia team whose core group is built around players who also took their talents to the NBA just one year removed from high school.
Celtics' youth movement shows NBA not finished with one-and-dones
Jaylen Brown (21 points, four rebounds, three steals) brought positive energy even when the rest of his team didn't, Marcus Morris (19 points, eight rebounds, 7-of-13 shooting, and one angry reaction to a Ben Simmons foul) had one of his best games with the Celtics, and Tatum emerged to score 11 of his 16 points during a massive third quarter.
The rookie was mostly silent through the first half, fumbling a couple of passes and taking just three shots. But he went 5 for 5 from the field during the first six minutes of the third quarter as the Celtics continued blasting out of what was once a 22-point deficit. After trailing 49-27 with 6:16 left in the second quarter, the Celtics needed less than 14 minutes of game time to take a 74-68 lead. That's a 47-19 run, for those keeping track, and Boston didn't stop there.
Kyrie Irving didn't have his best stuff early, but still finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Daniel Theis' activity helped change the vibe, and Al Horford (knee) returned from a one-game absence to notch 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum power Boston Celtics to huge comeback, 114-103 win against Philadelphia 76ers
:celticsobamawhew:
The rookie was mostly silent through the first half, fumbling a couple of passes and taking just three shots. But he went 5 for 5 from the field during the first six minutes of the third quarter as the Celtics continued blasting out of what was once a 22-point deficit. After trailing 49-27 with 6:16 left in the second quarter, the Celtics needed less than 14 minutes of game time to take a 74-68 lead. That's a 47-19 run, for those keeping track, and Boston didn't stop there.
Kyrie Irving didn't have his best stuff early, but still finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Daniel Theis' activity helped change the vibe, and Al Horford (knee) returned from a one-game absence to notch 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum power Boston Celtics to huge comeback, 114-103 win against Philadelphia 76ers
:celticsobamawhew:
caught the 2nd half today, looks like I didn't miss much in the first half 
DirkDizzler
Pro
This team is ready, we just need a few shooters off the bench.
Highlights from our comeback victory in London...
UpAndComing
Veteran
We're on top of the Power Rankings....again....:celticsmjpls:
Between Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics might be more interesting for what they do off the court than on the court. The Celtics are fine to watch, but sometimes they opt to just squeeze teams into submission and the basketball gets ugly. A win is a win, though, and that's why they're the hottest team in the NBA.
NBA Power Rankings: Celtics take the top spot; Timberwolves crash the elite party
Between Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics might be more interesting for what they do off the court than on the court. The Celtics are fine to watch, but sometimes they opt to just squeeze teams into submission and the basketball gets ugly. A win is a win, though, and that's why they're the hottest team in the NBA.
NBA Power Rankings: Celtics take the top spot; Timberwolves crash the elite party
Next season is the only season moving forward where the Celtics can feasibly avoid the tax. The following three season involve potential contracts for Irving, Horford, Hayward, Brown, and Tatum. A lot of money will be spent and a lot of tough decisions will be made. That will force the Celtics to draw lines in the salary sand and say tough goodbyes along the way.
Smart very well could be one of those guys, but it’s not a foregone conclusion. He is a restricted free agent, and the ability for a team to match deals typically scares off a lot of the competition for a middle class salary player like Smart. Teams go on big spending sprees to start summers while restricted guys often twist in the wind and watch their value drop.
If the Celtics get the 5th pick, Smart’s price comes in lower than expected, and the Celtics trade away some salary (Marcus Morris becomes a prime candidate), then the odds of keeping Smart go up.
But if the Celtics strike draft gold and get that second pick, and if another team comes in with an offer north of $10 million for Smart, trading Morris might not be enough to keep Smart in Boston. Like Kelly Olynyk waiting on the Hayward decision last summer, the ping pong balls could determine if this is the last we’re seeing of Smart in Green.
Will the Lakers’ draft pick end Marcus Smart’s time in Boston?
Smart very well could be one of those guys, but it’s not a foregone conclusion. He is a restricted free agent, and the ability for a team to match deals typically scares off a lot of the competition for a middle class salary player like Smart. Teams go on big spending sprees to start summers while restricted guys often twist in the wind and watch their value drop.
If the Celtics get the 5th pick, Smart’s price comes in lower than expected, and the Celtics trade away some salary (Marcus Morris becomes a prime candidate), then the odds of keeping Smart go up.
But if the Celtics strike draft gold and get that second pick, and if another team comes in with an offer north of $10 million for Smart, trading Morris might not be enough to keep Smart in Boston. Like Kelly Olynyk waiting on the Hayward decision last summer, the ping pong balls could determine if this is the last we’re seeing of Smart in Green.
Will the Lakers’ draft pick end Marcus Smart’s time in Boston?
When asked about whether he pays attention to the Celtics fans who want him donning a C's uniform soon, Davis responses with comments focused specifically on tonight’s game.
“We got a big one tonight,” he said. “It’s a great Celtics team. Kyrie [Irving], Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al [Horford], a lot of isolation basketball so we have to load up, be loud defensively and talk. It’ll be a good one for us.”
And Davis would be a good one for the Celtics, something that seemed a far-fetched fantasy at first which remains a longshot of happening, ever.
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NBA executives have repeatedly indicated the only shot that Boston or any other team seriously have at landing Davis, 24, is for the Pelicans to fail to make the playoffs, which many expect would lead to wholesale changes that may include but not be limited to, finding a new home for Davis.
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“Davis and his ability to score the ball, his ability to roll to the rim, transition, all that stuff … they’re both very, very good,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
Davis steps up his defense on Celtics rumors
“We got a big one tonight,” he said. “It’s a great Celtics team. Kyrie [Irving], Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al [Horford], a lot of isolation basketball so we have to load up, be loud defensively and talk. It’ll be a good one for us.”
And Davis would be a good one for the Celtics, something that seemed a far-fetched fantasy at first which remains a longshot of happening, ever.
...
NBA executives have repeatedly indicated the only shot that Boston or any other team seriously have at landing Davis, 24, is for the Pelicans to fail to make the playoffs, which many expect would lead to wholesale changes that may include but not be limited to, finding a new home for Davis.
...
“Davis and his ability to score the ball, his ability to roll to the rim, transition, all that stuff … they’re both very, very good,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
Davis steps up his defense on Celtics rumors
Rondo is embracing his role as a veteran leader for the up-and-coming Pelicans, but he yearns for another experience like the one he had with the Celtics a decade ago.
“I’m still looking for another one,” Rondo said Tuesday morning, in reference to his quest for a second ring. “It’s been a long time. Having rookies on the team now, I have a 19-year-old rookie (Frank Jackson) on the team now and he was in [elementary] school (when the Celtics won the ‘08 title). So it’s kind of funny because I’m in a situation like [Kevin Garnett] was when I came in. It’s just kind of different now.”
Rondo is trying his best to emulate KG’s leadership in New Orleans, and his teammates say he’s doing an admirable job.
10 Years Later, Rondo Reminisces About ’08 Title | Boston Celtics
Rondo
“I’m still looking for another one,” Rondo said Tuesday morning, in reference to his quest for a second ring. “It’s been a long time. Having rookies on the team now, I have a 19-year-old rookie (Frank Jackson) on the team now and he was in [elementary] school (when the Celtics won the ‘08 title). So it’s kind of funny because I’m in a situation like [Kevin Garnett] was when I came in. It’s just kind of different now.”
Rondo is trying his best to emulate KG’s leadership in New Orleans, and his teammates say he’s doing an admirable job.
10 Years Later, Rondo Reminisces About ’08 Title | Boston Celtics
Rondo
I expected Smart to be back on a deal similar to what Shumpert & Andre Roberson got: 4 years, $40 mil
Rondo vs kyrie
Devil Plisken…CMS
Veteran
Tatum got bent then passed it along
Rest in peace JoJo White.