Top-dog status not a concern to team-first Celtics
Mon Jun 10 5:30pm ET
Field Level Media
BOSTON -- Prior to the Celtics' 105-98 victory over the Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, Dallas coach Jason Kidd seemingly tried to pit Boston stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown against each other.
Speaking to reporters Saturday, Kidd referred to Brown as the Celtics' best player. Both Brown and Tatum were unfazed by the remark, but it later became evident that Boston coach Joe Mazzulla took it to heart.
"I'm really tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everybody trying to make it out to be anything other than Celtic basketball," Mazzulla said following Sunday's win. "Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor, is the most important thing."
Brown scored 21 points and Tatum finished with 18 to go along with 12 assists and nine rebounds in Game 2. However, it was Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard that ended up stealing the spotlight.
Holiday supplied team highs in points with 26 and rebounds with 11, while White sealed the victory by ferociously blocking P.J. Washington's dunk attempt with 50.5 seconds left in regulation to prevent Dallas from pulling within 103-100. Pritchard gave the Celtics a lift as the buzzer sounded in the third quarter, banking in a 34-foot 3-pointer to put Boston up by nine.
And those plays didn't go unnoticed by the man who was anointed as the Celtics' best player just one day earlier.
"We got a lot of weapons on our team, so we just got to trust what we've been doing all season long, trust our game plan," Brown said. "I thought we had a bunch of great looks. If you go back and look in the first half, Sam (Hauser) had a bunch of great looks, D-White had some looks that didn't go down.
"But we didn't panic. We kept guarding, we stayed in the game and we kept trusting it and we made enough (Sunday) to win the game. But we expect to shoot the ball better going forward when we get on the road."
The series now shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Wednesday, but playing as the visitor has presented few challenges for Boston. The Celtics are 6-0 on the road during the playoffs, and they have won 22 of their past 27 games away from home dating back to the regular season.
"They haven't lost a game since May something, right? Yeah, they're hot," Kidd said of the Celtics. "And not just on the road, but at home. We've got to protect home, and that's it. We've got to find a way, continue, again, to build on our defense. Our defense put us in a position to win (Sunday). Unfortunately, our offense didn't help us."
Kidd is hoping guard Kyrie Irving can get back on track, as the former Celtic has scored just 28 points on 13-of-37 shooting (35.1 percent) through the first two games of the Finals.
Boston fans were jawing at Irving any time he touched the ball in Games 1 and 2, a reaction stemming from Irving's decision to leave the Celtics for the Brooklyn Nets once free agency hit in June 2019.
"You have to accept the ups and downs of this. That's, I would say, the toughest challenge when you're in a series," Irving said. "You want to play extremely well, especially when you're playing in a Finals. ... (Sunday's loss) wasn't all on me, but I'm definitely taking the majority of it because my teammates look to me to convert a lot of these shots and ease the burden of not just Luka (Doncic) but everyone else and settle our team.
"We definitely made our dinner on the defensive end, but now offensively I have to play better."
Doncic posted a triple-double on Sunday, racking up 32 points, 11 boards and 11 assists. Washington had 17 points and Irving chipped in 16.
"At the end of the day, it's basketball, away or home," Doncic said. "We've just got to play better basketball to win."
--Nick Galle, Field Level Media
- Nets sign G Killian Hayes, F Tyrese Martin
- Raptors' Bruce Brown undergoes knee surgery
- Hawks sign G Kevon Harris, F Joey Hauser
- 76ers sign Joel Embiid to three-year, $193M extension
- Nets to retire Vince Carter's No. 15 jersey on Jan. 25
- Bye-bye Boban: Marjanovic heading to EuroLeague
- Lakers plan to sign C Christian Koloko
- Cavs keep F Isaac Okoro with three-year, $38M deal
- G Landry Shamet agrees to 1-year deal with Knicks
- Junior Bridgeman buying 10 percent equity in Bucks
- Lakers' Christian Wood (knee) out 8 weeks after setback
- Longtime Rockets coach, GM Carroll Dawson dies
- Nuggets, Jamal Murray agree to 4-year, $208M extension
- Cavs bringing back C Tristan Thompson
- Grizzlies F GG Jackson II (foot) out at least 3 months
- NBA veteran Evan Fournier to play in Europe
- Clippers, C Ivica Zubac agree on 3-year, $58.6M extension
- Grizzlies F GG Jackson II breaks foot, will undergo surgery
- Pacers G T.J. McConnell agrees to 4-year, $45M deal
- Warriors' Stephen Curry agrees to 1-year, $62.6M extension
Toronto Raptors guard/forward Bruce Brown (knee) is set to miss the beginning of the NBA pre-season after undergoing an arthroscopic knee surgery this week. The veteran do-it-all role player won't be re-evaluated for another three weeks, but it doesn't seem like he's supposed to miss significant time. Brown was reportedly dealing with knee issues for a couple of months after he was traded to the Raptors in the deal that sent Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors begin training camp on October 1, and the team is hopeful that he'll be back on the court before the end of pre-season in time for their first game on October 23. Brown averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game across 34 appearances for Toronto last year.
Free agent guard Killian Hayes is on his way to Brooklyn after agreeing to an Exhibit 10 deal to try to find his way on the Nets' roster. The former seventh-overall pick has been looking for a new home after being waived by the Detroit Pistons. Hayes was still on his rookie deal and saw a decrease in stats across the board before he was let go. Through his first four seasons, Hayes averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.0 turnovers per game with shooting splits of .382/.277/.775. If Hayes can't prove that he's grown in shooting efficiency and ball security, then he won't likely stick on an NBA roster. Brooklyn will be one of his best opportunities as they've started the rebuild after trading away Mikal Bridges this offseason.
Free-agent guards Mac McClung and Javonte Smart have signed training camp deals with the Orlando Magic, along with Ethan Thompson. In a corresponding move, the team waived Myron Gardner and Tre Scott. Smart has appeared in the most NBA games out of the three new signings with 18 appearances across two seasons with three different teams. He most recently played one game for the Philadelphia 76ers last season but averaged 8.9 points per game in 22 games for Crvena Zvezda in Serbia after being waived in December. McClung received MVP honors if the G League last season while playing with the Magic's G-League affiliate. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game across 27 games.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has officially agreed on a three-year extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2027-28 with a player's option for 2028-29. According to Adam Schefter, the three-year max extension is worth $192.9 million and it gives the 2023 MVP a total of $299.5 million in guaranteed money through the 2028-29 season. Since stepping on the floor for the Sixers in 2016, Embiid has been the key piece on both sides of the ball. Now that Daryl Morey and company have put a championship-or-bust roster around him, it's time for him to lead them to the promised land. As long as he's healthy, he should also remain one of the best fantasy basketball assets in the league. Last season, the big man averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game across 39 appearances.
According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid might agree to a new contract "in the near future." The 2023 Most Valuable Player became eligible for an extension worth nearly $200 million in July. While it's tough to say for certain how this situation will go, it may be in Embiid's best interest to sign on the dotted line, considering his injury history over the years. If both sides can't come to an agreement, talks will get put on hold until next offseason. The 2014 No. 3 pick averaged a career-high 34.7 points with 11.0 boards, 5.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 2023-24. Yet, he was limited to 39 games due to injury. Without a doubt, Embiid's consistent ailments will cause his fantasy stock to dip heading into the regular season. But he could be the top overall fantasy producer if he can figure out how to stay on the floor and off the injury report.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson is ready to start another chapter after spending his entire career in Golden State. "I'm excited for a whole new chapter of my career that has a chance to be so special," said Thompson to The Dallas Morning News. "I know we can do something special." Thompson's resume includes four NBA championships and five All-Star selections. Unfortunately, he is coming off a down year, averaging 17.9 points and 38.7% shooting from behind the arc. The 34-year-old also spent time coming off the bench, which caused friction with his previous coach, Steve Kerr. But Thompson should remain in the starting lineup all year, so he could have a bounce-back year as long as he stays healthy.
Per The Athletic's Andrew Schlect, Oklahoma City Thunder forwardKenrich Williams(knee) had a successful arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right knee on Tuesday. Williams's knee will be reevaluated after the Thunder's preseason concludes. In 2023-24, the 29-year-old appeared in 69 regular-season contests and averaged 4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Once healthy, Williams will likely not be much of a fantasy contributor.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, center Boban Marjanovic landed a deal with EuroLeague team Fenerbahce on Tuesday. Majanovic's new deal was first reported on Eurohoops.net. The contract is a one-year deal with the option for both sides to opt out until January. He averaged 5.5 points and 3.6 boards in 8.7 minutes during his NBA career. He has been a fan favorite during his nine years in the NBA but rarely made an impact in fantasy basketball.
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) has recovered from surgery and is expected to "be ready to compete for minutes from the start" in 2024-25, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Hood-Schifino underwent lumbar microdiscectomy back surgery in March. He was limited to 21 appearances during his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old, who was the 17th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, mostly picked up action in garbage time and averaged only 5.2 minutes per game. He appears set for a more significant role in 2024-25, although there are quite a few bodies in front of Hood-Schifino on the depth chart, and it will be tough for him to get regular playing time.
Los Angeles Lakers small forward Cam Reddish has returned to full health ahead of the new campaign, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. An ankle injury limited Reddish to 48 appearances last season. He featured just 13 times after the All-Star break and didn't see any action in the playoffs. Reddish finished his debut campaign in L.A. with a 5.4-point scoring average and 2.1 rebounds. He saw big minutes early in the season as a starter, and that likely won't happen in 2024-25, although Reddish could have a chance to earn some extra minutes in the rotation due to injuries. Christian Wood (knee) has been ruled out for the start of the season, and Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) isn't at 100 percent.
Free-agent forward TJ Warren has a workout scheduled with the Sacramento Kings, sources have told The Athletic's Sam Amick. The 31-year-old spent the previous campaign in Minnesota, making 11 appearances with the Timberwolves. He was limited to 11.3 minutes a night, averaging 3.7 points. Warren was a 20-point scorer just a few campaigns ago, but health issues have badly derailed his career. The Kings are looking at multiple options at the forward position ahead of training camp, with workouts also planned for Jae Crowder and Nassir Little.
Miami Heat guard/forward Duncan Robinson has said that he's fully recovered from a back injury that limited him during the final stretch of 2023-24. Robinson was enjoying a strong bounce-back campaign before being struck by a left facet syndrome. He missed the final 14 regular-season games due to the issue. Robinson returned for the playoffs but clearly wasn't at 100 percent as he struggled badly. However, the 30-year-old sniper appears fully healthy now, telling reporters he is "not restricted in any way" and has "no limitations." Robinson sits among the best outside shooters in the Association and has also developed as a playmaker. He averaged a career-high 2.8 assists last season while posting 12.9 points in 28.0 minutes.
Veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. has signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the New York Knicks. The 35-year-old will try to battle out a roster spot in training camp to extend his NBA career into a 14th year. Morris Sr. split last season between Philadelphia and Cleveland, averaging 6.4 points in 16.7 minutes. The Philadelphia native has remained a savvy scorer despite being on the wrong side of 30. However, if he makes the team, Morris Sr. will only be seen as a depth piece in New York and won't get enough action in normal circumstances to make an impact in fantasy basketball.
Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green is eligible for a contract extension. While there hasn't been an update regarding a potential deal, the 22-year-old doesn't seem too concerned. "My main focus is the season ahead of me with the players that we have," said Green in an interview. "Thats the main focus right now, and everything will work itself out." The 22-year-old has had his share of struggles since entering the league in 2021. However, he has still been productive for fantasy managers, most recently finishing the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Without question, he has All-Star potential, and his durability is a bonus for fantasy managers despite his underwhelming accuracy from behind the arc. Green and the Rockets have until October 21 to come to terms on a new deal. If that doesn't happen, the 2021 No. 2 overall pick will be a restricted free agent next offseason.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, free-agent center Christian Koloko agreed to an undisclosed contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 24-year-old was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. He appeared in 58 games for the club, averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. Unfortunately, he began suffering from a blood-clotting issue, putting his career in jeopardy. But now that Koloko has a clean bill of health, he'll have a chance to earn a spot in the Lakers' rotation. While he's a long way away from being relevant from a fantasy standpoint, he's worth monitoring in case he earns routine minutes.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, free-agent guard Landry Shamet agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the New York Knicks. The 27-year-old has bounced around the National Basketball Association over the years, making stops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles (Clippers), Brooklyn, Phoenix, and most recently, Washington. He appeared in 348 regular-season games for those clubs, averaging 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. The Knicks' roster is loaded with talent, so Shamet will likely spend most of his time on the bench, assuming he makes the team. As a result, he won't find his way onto many fantasy rosters in any format ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, restricted free-agent forward Isaac Okoro agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both sides have been at a stalemate regarding a new contract for months. However, things finally worked out, meaning the Cavs will retain a capable defender. Okoro has spent his entire four-year career in Cleveland. He's appeared in 279 regular-season contests for the club, averaging 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds. With that in mind, the Cavs have Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen doing most of the heavy lifting offensively, so there's little room for anyone else to get involved. As a result, Okoro likely won't see much attention from fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign. On the other hand, there could be streaming potential at some point during the season.
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been looking for an extension in Miami but hasn't received anything just yet. He's entering the final year of his deal this coming season but still has a player option that he could opt into for one more year. According to Sam Amick, the Golden State Warriors are looking at this scenario and they "have interest" in Butler after clearing a lot of cap space when they moved on from Klay Thompson and Chris Paul. After putting together a couple more contracts in a potential deal for Butler, they could remain in a favorable tax position. There have already been multiple reports about Butler interested in other teams or vice versa, so it remains to be seen if a team actually decides to pull the trigger on an offer.
Houston Rockets forward AJ Griffin is giving serious consideration to stepping away from the game of basketball altogether. According to Shams Charania and Kelly Iko, the former 16th overall pick is mulling the decision to move on from the game and focus on his life outside of the NBA. Griffin was traded to the Rockets this offseason from the Atlanta Hawks and the team is already preparing for Griffin to step away. The 21-year-old spent two seasons with the Hawks and averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game while shooting .447/.372/.898. Nothing is set in stone at this time, so Griffin may still return or take a short leave. Either way, he's made it known that his mental health and life come first.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors and guard Moses Moody aren't close to agreeing on a contract extension. Like Jonathan Kuminga, an agreement on a new deal must be finalized by October 21. If talks aren't successful by then, Moody will hit restricted free agency next offseason. The 22-year-old averaged a career-high 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 66 games last season. However, Moody will have a difficult time improving those numbers during the 2024-25 campaign, considering the Warriors have Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, and Andrew Wiggins on the roster. The team also added Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson this offseason.