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Playoffs: The Celtics’ Season is Barbecue Chicken

After the news broke, it’s become apparent that Kyrie Swerve-ing has split double teams for the last time this year. It was announced by ESPN’s Woj that he is out for the season. What does that mean for the Celtics’ high-hoped playoff run? Nothing good, with a side biscuits. Kyrie’s 24.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 5.1 APG will sorely be missed.

Playoff Push

Terry Rozier (11.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG) will become the starter for the time being. Marcus Smart (10.2, 3.5, 4.8) isn’t going to be available until about the second round of the playoffs, if they even make it that far. Last night’s showcase against #1 seeded Toronto, or lack there of, from the young Celtics showed how much they are in desperate need of a floor general heading into Round 1. So many turnovers last night, to a point where they had more turnovers than FGM during the first half. This will not bode well for Boston having to potentiality play the ready-to-go Washington Wizards.

A 2017 ECSF Rematch

John Wall and Bradley Beal will be the two names who are going to haunt TD Garden come Game 1. The two are perennial All-Stars who have more than enough to prove, having lost to this team last year in the Eastern Conference Semis. Expect Beal to light it up from deep, and John Wall to be John Wall. This isn’t the same team from 2016-2017 (obviously), and injuries have plagued the last leg of the Celtics season. The back court will absolutely have to step up. The post presence of the Celtics could ultimately be the detriment that knocks them out Round 1, as the duo of Tatum and Brown will simply not be enough. Horford also has to show up to make this interesting, and Monroe should continue his consistent play.

With Rozier and (potentially) Smart, the two together don’t equate to a Kyrie Irving, unfortunately. Theis was also a big loss as the defense since hasn’t stepped up in pivotal points of crucial games. This is going to be a tough first round for the Boys in Green. If not Washington, the Greek Freak (whose Milwaukee team sits right outside the #7 seed) has his sights set on a ‘ship. And hell, he’ll jump over the Green Monster to do it. Here’s hoping a strong outing vs. Chicago tomorrow night in Boston is used to work out some kinks.

For live Twitter updates during Celtics games, please follow @BosSportsExtra.

Cover image courtesy of Hypebeast.

Boston’s Amazing Head Coaching Success

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2018 Success of Boston Head Coaching

For a sports city it is rare for all teams to be playoff contenders. For Boston, that has become the norm, and 2017-2018 has been no different. The Red Sox have started the season 5-1. The Patriots lost in the Superbowl, and the Bruins and Celtics are playoff bound. A big reason for this amazing success is the heading coaching of these teams. Each has their own style, but has created high expectations and have impressed in their respective circles.

Photo Credit: John Tlumacki/ Globe Staff

Patriots Head Coach: Bill Belichick

In describing the impact of these coaches, Belichick goes first. Since the Superbowl he has come under fire for numerous things including benching Malcolm Butler. When he came to New England the Patriots were a struggling franchise. Since 2000, they’ve played in eight Super Bowls, winning five. They are constantly in the playoffs and anything less than a Super Bowl has come to be considered a failure. It’s been even more impressive considering Bill has done this in the Salary Cap Era. At times Bill’s head coaching has led to questionable decisions, but since he took over the franchise has become dominant and the envy of the entire league.

Photo Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics Head Coach: Brad Stevens

Brad Steven became the Celtics head coach in 2013. Since then he’s had one losing season, and every year the Celtics have improved. He has gotten the best of his players and his teams have become surprise contenders. This season could be considered his best work. The Celtics lost Gordon Hayward in the first game of the season. Key players such as Irving, Smart, and Daniel Theis have missed extended periods have time. Even with all the injuries, the Celtics still have the second best record in the Eastern Conference. Stevens’s head coaching has allowed his young players to excel. He is considered one of the best coaches in the league among his peers, and is a serious contender to win Coach of The Year.

Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/ Getty

Bruins Head Coach: Bruce Cassidy

Cassidy became the head coach of the Bruins at mid-season last year. With the Bruins struggling they fired their longtime head coach, Claude Julien. Since Cassidy took over, the Bruins have sixty-seven wins and twenty-six losses. This year the Bruins have been one of the best teams in the NHL. When the season began, no one saw them making a deep Stanley cup run, which now they are poised to do. That is in large part to Cassidy, as he’s turned a team which some considered to be rebuilding into a serious championship contender. With this Bruins team being very young they will be contenders for years to come. If Cassidy keeps pushing the right buttons than he will be as well.

Photo Credit: Arthur Pollock

Red Sox Manager: Alex Cora

The last coach to be mentioned is one who is very early into his tenure. Cora became the Red Sox manager this past off-season. Through the first two series of the season the Red Sox are 5-1. When the Sox hired Cora, it was a move that many praised around the MLB. He is replacing John Farrell, who wasn’t a fan favorite in Boston despite leading them to two division titles. Under Farrell the Sox did not win a postseason series and won only one postseason game. The ultimate goal is winning a championship, but winning a playoff series would show that things have changed in Boston. Cora knows what it takes as last year he was a bench coach for the World Champion Houston Astros. So far his Red Sox tenure is off to a good start.

Photo Credit: Michael Dwyer/ AP Photo

Irving Poised to Lead the Celtics

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First Half

In Kyrie Irving’s last nine games, the superstar point guard has averaged twenty-five points a game. This has been a crucial stretch for the Celtics, as before the All-Star Break they looked lost. Since the break the Celtics are 4-0 and look like a different team. Irving, to no surprise, has stepped up his game. One of the reasons why Irving wanted out of Cleveland was to lead his own team. Ever since the Celtics acquired him he has become the face of the franchise. With the injury to fellow star Gordon Hayward in the first game of the season he’s had to be even better. The Celtics are in the stretch run of the season and Irving has raised his game further.

Photo Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Irving Since the Break

Before the All-Star break Kyrie was having another very good season. His averages were similar to his days in Cleveland. Since the break his scoring has increased, and he’s taking over games with more ease. He is playing at an MVP caliber when the Celtics need it the most. Earlier in the season he was explosive, but not the game changer he’s been over the last four games. In four games since the break he’s scored less than twenty-five points in a game once. He is shooting 54 percent from the field and fifty percent from three-point range. He is also shooting 91 percent on free throws.

Photo Credit: Boston Globe

Why This Comes as No Surprise

For many these numbers come as no surprise. He is one of the best players in the league because of his scoring ability. The question entering this season was could Kyrie lead a team without LeBron. If any stretch of games will answer the question, it’s the games the Celtics have remaining and the playoffs. So far, he has proven he is up to the task. Kyrie wanted to build his own legacy and he’s heating up at the perfect time.

Photo Credit: Mitchell Leff/ Getty Images

Can He Keep It Up?

The Celtics have nineteen games left in the regular season. They are a very young team and will be leaning on the veterans such as Horford and Kyrie. As fatigue set’s in for the young Celtics such as Brown and Tatum, Kyrie will need to be at his best. That will be no easy task, but this is what Kyrie wanted. Kyrie wanted a legacy of his own and he’s in the perfect situation.

How Long Is the Celtics’ Window?

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The Celtics have been rebuilding ever since they traded their big three to the Nets. Danny Ainge has done a great job getting the Celtics back to an elite level. He used the Nets trade to eventually acquire Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kyrie Irving. He also signed big name free agents Al Horford and Gordon Hayward. Brad Stevens has done a great job getting the most out of his players. The Celtics were the number one seed in the East last year, and they are on pace to get a top two seed this year. However, the Celtics are still not close to a championship and the window to win one might be closing. So why is that?

Talent Level on the Team

Even with all the talent they have, the Celtics might not be good enough to beat LeBron James and the Cavs. If they do, then they would have no chance against the superpower Warriors. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward (when healthy) are superstars, and Al Horford is a consistent All-Star. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have developed nicely, but they still are not good enough to win it all. In the NBA, you usually need three superstars to win a championship. The Celtics have two superstars, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Al Horford is a great player, but not good enough. The Celtics know this because the last championship they won was with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.

How to Get the Big Three

To fix this problem the Celtics have two options: wait or strike now. The answer might seem obvious, but it’s really not. The Celtics could wait until 19-year-old Jayson Tatum or 21-year-old Jaylen Brown develop into a superstar. The problem with this is that it is no guarantee that both or even one of them develop into a superstar. The Celtics could strike now by trading for another superstar. Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis and Spurs superstar Kawhi Leonard have been rumored to be on the trade block. To do this, the Celtics would most likely have to give up Tatum or Brown, Terry Rozier, and picks, or something along those lines. The problem is if Davis or Leonard flail out in Boston, while Tatum or Brown develop into superstars on another team. Personally, I would go with the strike now option. It is better to get a known commodity than a player you hope develops into a superstar. Danny Ainge has proven that he is willing to take risks, and he will take these risks to maximize the Celtics’ window.

Competition Around the League

The Cavaliers and Warriors have been the finals matchup for three straight years. LeBron James has been the main reason as to why the Cavs have been to the finals. He is a free agent this summer and is expected to leave. If he does, then the Cavs will rebuild. The Celtics should easily win the East because they are better than secondary teams like the Raptors, Wizards, and Bucks. In the West, the Warriors have been the powerhouse. It is going to be very hard to match them on a talent level, but the Celtics could do it if they make the right moves. Kevin Durant is a free agent this offseason, and he will most likely resign but anything could happen. If he leaves, then the Warriors will become much weaker. Klay Thompson is also a free agent this summer, and his departure would damage the Warriors.

So How Long Is the Window?

I would say the window for the Celtics to win a championship is three years. Kyrie Irving and Al Horford are free agents after the 2019-2020 season. Assuming the puzzle pieces fall in the wrong place for other teams, then the Celtics should win the championship as soon as next year. If the Warriors lose Klay Thompson and the Celtics add Anthony Davis, then the talent gap from the Warriors to the Celtics will be much closer.

Cover image courtesy of NBA.com.

Can the Celtics regain their form?

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The All-Star break could not have come at a better time for Boston. Going into it, the team were on a three-game losing streak and had won just five of the previous ten, giving up over 120 points twice in consecutive games. Of all the teams in the top eight in the East, only the Heat were in poorer form, so the days off were an opportunity for coach Stevens to resolve their problems and gear up for the season’s finishing stretch.

Now that the business end of the season is upon us, the team need to pick up the pace. Celtics fans who study the schedule will know that the team is running out of games to get back into form ahead of the playoffs, and though sports bettors who like to wager a bet on Stakers.com will find the Celtics toward the top of the betting markets for the Eastern Conference, those who watched the team going into the break know that there is some work to do.

The recent slump in the Celtics’ fortunes was in sharp contrast to the way that they started the season. A 16-game winning streak that included victories over San Antonio, Golden State, and Miami took them to the top of the Conference, and with Cleveland struggling, there was a great opportunity to dominate the East. However, it didn’t quite happen. They had a shaky patch in December and then seemed to hit a wall in the middle of January, losing nine out of 15 and slipping to second in the standings behind Toronto.

What went wrong? Well, for a start, Marcus Smart punched a picture frame in his hotel room. Fortunately, the glass embedded in his hand didn’t hit a tendon, but Smart was out for three weeks and the defense suffered. The Celtics gave up 121 points to Cleveland and 129 to the Clippers, and suddenly opponents were finding it too easy in the paint. As they scrambled to correct the problem, the defensive foul count began to creep up, which also cost them.

The other main problem was more complicated and trickier to resolve. During their bad run, Boston’s bench players didn’t step up enough, leading to an inconsistent run of results. Too many times they threw in unforced errors or didn’t bring the required level of intensity to the court. To an extent, this was not their fault. Earlier in the season, while the likes of Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris were absent, the likes of Abdel Nader and Semi Ojeleye enjoyed plenty of game time, but the return of the big guns meant that they’ve been required to spend more time on the bench and that has made it harder for them to maintain form and confidence.

The final problem that underlay the Celtics’ bad run was a tendency to rely too heavily on Irving. The team’s main source of points, he regularly puts his body on the line for the Celtics, but in his absence, they were dramatically poorer at both creating and scoring. Clearly, he needs front-line support, which helps to explain the Celtics’ apparent interest in Tyreke Evans ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month, and is almost certainly something that Danny Ainge will be aiming to address in the offseason.

Can the Celtics regain their form? The early signs are encouraging. With Smart back in the team, Boston kept things tighter to beat Detroit, and followed that up with a win at the Knicks to leave them just half a game back behind Toronto and with a 6.5 game lead over a revamped Cleveland side pushing hard to return to the top in the East.

While the tendency to rely too heavily on Irving could ultimately cost them against the likes of Cleveland and the Warriors, the Celtics will feel confident of beating anyone else they come up against and have every chance of overhauling the Raptors to head into the first round of the playoffs on top of the Conference, for the second time since 2008.

There are some vital games coming up, particularly the early run of fixtures in March. The Celtics will take on the West’s leading side, Houston, and the playoff-bound Timberwolves, followed by two of their closest pursuers, Washington and Indiana, and the month ends with the first of two crucial games against the Raptors, which could determine who tops the Conference. However, with Smart back in the team and momentum returning, the Celtics look in good shape to correct their January slump and head into the playoffs at the top of their form.

Al Horford- Underappreciated Big Man

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How Al Horford Came to Boston

The Celtics signed Al Horford to four-year max deal prior to the 2016-2017 season. Since then Horford has been everything the Celtics were expecting. So far in his Celtics career he has averaged 13.7 points a game, while improving his three-point shooting. Horford hasn’t been the best player on the planet, but that’s not what the Celtics pictured. This year he made his first All-Star game as a Celtic, but many have said he is overrated. Al deserves an All-Star nod and has been crucial to the Celtics’ success the last two seasons. There are many reasons why Horford has had such a big impact.

Photo Credit: Kim Klement- USA Today Sports

Horford’s Signing Was Huge for Celtics

Before Horford signed with the Celtics there was a notion that big names wouldn’t sign in Boston. In the summer of 2016 the Celtics were attempting to land both Horford and Kevin Durant in free agency. Durant chose Golden State and many people saw Horford as a good signing, but not the superstar Celtics fans had been expecting. Horford has been better than many people give him credit for. His singing was in many ways signaled that the Celtics were back to being contenders.

Photo Credit: Dan Zanine- USA Today Sports

Horford’s Performance

Horford creates problems for defenses because of his shooting ability. Since joining the Celtics, he has shot 39 percent from three-point range. That’s five percent better than when he was in Atlanta. He is averaging five assists a game with the Celtics, a huge increase from his 2.7 average in Atlanta. Horford has also been elevating the play of Boston’s young stars Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, as well as Kyrie Irving. He is very good at setting picks and maintaining contact as long as possible. This allows his teammates to get open shots or drive to the basket of his screens. The Celtics are a very young team making Horford’s consistency even more important.

Photo Credit: Christopher Evans/ Boston Herald

Expectations for Remainder of the Season

Horford is not going to put up numbers like Kyrie. He isn’t that type of scorer and the Celtics don’t need him to be. Horford has been extremely effective because he affects the game on defense and offense. Al may not have godly stats but Horford is a big reason for the Celtics Success over the past two seasons.

Will the Celtics Make a Move Before the Trade Deadline?

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The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching. Teams have until 3 p.m. ET on Thursday to make any player transactions, before locking their rosters in for the remainder of the season. For some teams, like the Warriors and Rockets, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, less fortunate teams, like the Cavaliers, are scrambling to save their season by attempting to bring in fresh faces. Adversely, few teams, like the Clippers and Grizzlies, are planning ahead by moving pieces for future assets. They know their season is dead, and instead of trying to acquire All-Star talent, they are the ones dealing it.

Where are the Celtics in all of this uproar? Sitting at the top spot in the Eastern Conference, the C’s are virtually carefree. Well, for the most part. Thus far, they’ve had what it takes to assert dominance over some of the league’s best squads. The talent of Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and more, have rocketed the Celtics to a commanding record. That being said, there are a few loose ends that could be addressed this week before the trade deadline.

Offensive Rebounding

The Celtics have done a much better job with crashing the board, compared to recent years. From two seasons ago to last season, Boston’s offensive rebounding ranking dropped from fourth to twenty-second. GM Danny Ainge attempted to address this problem by bringing in center Aaron Baynes from Detroit, to add center depth. After Gordon Hayward’s injury on opening night, Brad Stevens moved Al Horford to the four, and moved Baynes off the bench into the five slot.

Baynes’s job is to crash the boards, while the other four guys do their thing on offense. However, his abysmal rebounding numbers have only hurt the team. Baynes averages 1.4 offensive boards a game, and 3.8 on defense. Those shouldn’t be starting center numbers. With the lack of rebounding on offense, Boston has only advanced to the twenty-first spot in the league rankings this season.

Enter Greg Monroe. After playing twenty games with the Phoenix Suns, his contract was bought out. About a day later, he found himself signing a contract with the Celtics. In his seven season career, Monroe averages 2.9 offensive rebounds a game, and 5.8 defensively. Monroe isn’t washed up, he just needs a team where he can be under the rim on both ends of the court. He will fit nicely in the role Brad Stevens sets up for him.

Will signing Greg Monroe cause some competition with Baynes for minutes? Yes. Will Aaron Baynes be subject to trade sometime before the deadline? Probably not, but he could be a valuable asset in a multi-man trade.

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images.

Secondary/Bench Scorer

Kyrie Irving is Boston’s true primary scorer. He wanted his own team to lead, and the Celtics have embraced that in every fashion. But after Kyrie, who is the Celtics’ second best shooting option? Jaylen Brown has been in a sophomore slump, and Jayson Tatum is still learning the ropes of the NBA. Gordon Hayward was supposed to be Kyrie’s running mate for scoring options, but without him there is a little confusion as to who’s in that role now. Brad Steven has done a masterful job of getting production out of every player.

However, some nights have resulted in losses because Kyrie wasn’t able to get a hot hand. That should not be the case. Someone needs to step up. There have been flashes of brilliance from different players on different nights. One night the bench could be hot, and other nights they could be quiet on offense. Terry Rozier is the latest to get hot in the past few games.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for Boston to add some depth at guard to have more consistent scorers. Rumors have linked the Celtics to the Grizzlies’ Tyreke Evans, and the Clippers’ Lou Williams. Williams, a valuable sixth man, hasn’t really found a role for the Clippers, who are trying to clean house. Both teams want to make moves before the trade deadline.

According to the Boston Globe, the C’s have recently become less interested in Williams as a trade option. This leaves the opportunity to trade for Tyreke Evans up in the air. The Grizzlies have made it clear that Evans will be traded, after last week when the front office decided to take him out of games until the deadline. Evans has averaged a career high 19.5 points in Memphis, and 31.1 minutes per game. He can make a difference on Boston’s bench, and can be inserted into the starting lineup more often than not.

The only question for Boston is if the asking price is right for them. Boston has announced that they are willing to trade Marcus Smart for a first round pick before the trade deadline. Danny Ainge has been quiet lately, but as the deadline comes down to the final hour the Celtics might pull the trigger. There are reports that the Celtics might just mull over the buyout pool after the trade deadline anyway.

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images.

Three Team Trade

I’m not a NBA GM, nor will I probably ever be. If the Celtics want to move Smart and acquire someone like Tyreke Evans, they certainly have options. The Nuggets are reportedly interested in Marcus Smart, so a three team trade might be in place. Boston could exchange Smart to Denver for a first round pick and flip it to Memphis for Tyreke Evans. It seems unlikely, but it doesn’t seem too unrealistic. Regardless of what happens the Celtics will still be a deep playoff contender.

Featured image courtesy of clutchpoints.com

Celtics’ Three-Game Losing Streak: Reason to Worry?

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I know everyone has been so preoccupied with the Patriot’s ensuring their trip to the Super Bowl that the other Boston sports have been forgotten. But it’s time to come back to reality and realize our Celtics are struggling right now. They have now lost three in a row at home, with the latest loss being to a below .500 Magic team.

Loss to the Magic

Boston fell to the Magic 103-95. Kyrie Irving came back after missing the previous game with shoulder soreness. He put up forty points, but it wasn’t enough to pull the Cs out of the hole. Every time they got close, the Magic pulled away again. They did have a one-point lead going into halftime but they couldn’t expand. The only real offensive help Irving received was from Brown and Morris, who had seventeen and twelve points respectively. Tatum had a rough afternoon: nine points on 4-11 shooting; 1-4 from three. Horford had almost identical stats, but instead was 1-2 from three. The bench was also a disappointment with only six points. Smart and Rozier both played around twenty minutes and only contributed two points each. But I would like to point out how bad the officiating was too. The Cs probably could have pulled out a close one had every call not been in the Magic’s favor.

What’s the Issue?

The issue is quite simple: the offense is sporadic. What I mean is there is only consistency from one person and we all know he cannot continue to do this alone. Here are my concerns:

Al Horford has taken less shots compared to the beginning of the season. He’s fallen into more of a facilitator’s role. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great at it, but I really miss the twenty points he used to put up.
Jayson Tatum also needs to find his rhythm again because anything under ten points just isn’t going to cut it. But I’m not going to be too hard on him because maybe he just hit that ‘rookie wall’.
The Cs rank twenty-third in bench scoring with 31.3. That obviously isn’t enough. It’s sad because they were having a good run, but have since cooled off. The leaders off the bench have to light that fire again, ASAP.

The only thing saving this team right now—by just a thread—is that their defensive rating still ranks first in the league.

How Do the Celtics Feel About Their Recent Woes?

On yesterday’s ESPN’s The Jump, host Rachel Nichols with guests Brian Windhorst and Byron Scott discussed the topic briefly. They brought up the two different responses from two of the Celtics’ leaders:

Al Horford said ‘I feel like we’re fighting for our lives right now’.
Kyrie Irving, in a nutshell, said that this losing streak is an opportunity to grow and learn from mistakes.

Byron Scott, a three-time NBA champion and former coach of the year, found satisfaction in both responses. Horford’s response to the losing streak offers his team a push. There hasn’t been that sense of urgency like there was pre-2018, but their schedule hasn’t helped. They had five days each in between pre-London and post-London, so their rhythm may be a bit off. On the other hand, Irving’s response is a bit more positive but it also comes with a challenge. Yes, it’s an opportunity to grow as a team, but will we come together or come undone?

I have no doubt that the Celtics will figure it out. Not just the players, but coach Stevens as well. I’m sure he’ll find a way to make these line ups work on both sides of the ball.

Cover image courtesy of NESN.com.

Where Are the 2016-2017 Celtics Now- Trades

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With the early success, and the new-look Boston Celtics have had, it’s easy to forget how the team looked a year ago. Eleven guys, from star player to the end of the bench, and everything in between, no longer wear the green. The 2016-2017 Celtics were full of overachievers. The team couldn’t afford to keep everyone. The roster overhaul was one for the ages. I felt it was necessary to take a look around the league to see how these former Celtics are doing in their new roles.

This will be a two-part article, first covering the players that were traded, looking at the management side of things. Then, a follow-up will focus on the players that left in free agency and where they chose to sign, since there was more choice and usually ends with more joy than pain. Let’s start with the pain.

Ainge Trades Heart and Soul

Isaiah Thomas was understandably shook up by the trade that sent him and Jae Crowder to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He finally felt like he found a home in Boston, and gave everything he had to the team and city. Isaiah played until he literally couldn’t run anymore. He fought through a hip injury to have some truly gritty performances in the playoffs. This included a 53-point game against the Wizards in the second round on his sister’s birthday. She passed away weeks before, and Isaiah didn’t miss a game. That game epitomized everything IT was talking about in this quote. Fighting like hell through a serious injury, and perhaps more excruciating, a personal tragedy.

“I might not ever talk to Danny again. That might not happen. I’ll talk to everybody else. But what he did, knowing everything I went through, you don’t do that, bro. That’s not right.”

It’s easy to sympathize with IT’s point of view, but Danny Ainge didn’t exactly throw him to the wolves. Actually, he made sure he set up all his former players nicely. At least, to the degree that he had control over it. He made some genius moves in the offseason, but what gets overlooked is how well he set up the players he was shipping out.

Isaiah Thomas

Thomas wanted to be a Celtic for life. What he accomplished in his short time in Boston surely won’t be forgotten. But what he does in his next chapter as a Cavalier is what really matters for him now. He made his season debut on January 2nd, scoring 17 points in just 19 minutes. In his second game, he scored 19 points in 21 minutes. He is already showing he is ready to put the injury behind him, the last order of business before his separation from Boston is complete.

Seeing him playing for a different team was weird, but it was good to see him get in and contribute at a high level. He is in a perfect situation playing alongside LeBron James, something that will allow him to work with much more space than he’s accustomed to. There were times when he was triple teamed with the Celtics. Now, he’ll be shocked if he sees a double team at all. He’s a perfect complementary star, and should thrive in his role in Cleveland. They will be a true force this year, and are still the team to beat in the East.

Jae Crowder

Another big piece in the trade that brought Kyrie to Boston has been playing for the Cavs since the beginning of the season. When he heard of the trade, he didn’t really have time to think about it because his mom passed away on the same day. He apparently got to tell her of the trade before she passed, stating that “they were going to Cleveland to win a championship.” He took the news as an overall positive and didn’t foster any hard feelings as IT did.

Underwhelming to this point, Crowder was noticeably more active in IT’s first game back. He scored 17 points on 50% shooting and posted a full stat line. It was perhaps Crowder’s best game this season, as he showed great chemistry with his old pal. This comes as no surprise to Celtics fans, as the two were staples in the starting unit for a close Celtics team last year. Crowder should continue to perform better with his old running mate back in the lineup. He should be back in the starting unit now. Right next to IT, where his value is maximized.

Avery Bradley

Avery to the Pistons was the first trade of the offseason for the Celtics. It was a move done to free up cap space to sign Gordon Hayward. The Celtics got Marcus Morris on a two-year value contract in return, so the deal wasn’t terrible for the Celtics. It wasn’t bad for Bradley either. He went to a team that saw him as an important piece to their continued progress. After missing the playoffs last year, they started off the season hot with Bradley. They are in the middle of the playoff hunt again this year.

Bradley has had a slow year thus far, with averages similar to last years, aside from averaging about 4 less rebounds a game. Rebounding was a strength of his on the Celtics, but Drummond takes up most of the boards on the Pistons. Bradley is really turning into a glorified 3 & D player in Detroit. He is shooting 40% from three which is a slight uptick from 39% last year. With Reggie Jackson out for extended time, he should see more touches offensively in the near future. Now is his time to show his new coach and team what he can do.

Looking Towards the Future

Avery Bradley praised the Celtics for helping him get his career started. He looks at his time in Boston as growth. Jae Crowder was equally grateful for the opportunity he got in Boston. At the same time, he looked ahead with wide eyes at the opportunity that awaited him in Cleveland.

Ironically, the man who was put in the best situation of all- starring next to the best player in the world- has had the hardest time accepting the reality of it. IT has said the trade hurt him, and it hurt us as fans. But when he realizes how well his new situation is for his future, that pain will start to turn to joy, as it has for us fans when we see how well off we are for the future. Something that wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the hefty contributions by these three, especially Mighty IT.

The Impact of Marcus Morris

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Celtics Trade Bradley for Marcus Morris

Last offseason the Celtics traded fan-favorite Avery Bradley for Marcus Morris to make room for Gordon Hayward. By giving up Bradley the Celtics lost their best defender, but gained a good player in Morris. So far this season Morris has battled injuries causing him to miss extended time. When healthy Morris has shown his scoring abilities, which was one of the reasons the Celtics acquired him.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/ Sue Ogrocki

What Morris Brings to the Celtics

Coming into this year Morris was coming off one of his best seasons. Last year with Detroit Morris averaged 14 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. He is categorized as a stretch forward with post prescense, something the Celtics do not have other than with Al Horford. Morris can also shoot three pointers, making him even more valuable. By dealing Bradley for Morris the Celtics did lose something on defense. Morris is an upgrade offensively, and the Celtics still have Marcus Smart who is a very good defender.

Photo Credit: Matt Stone

Morris Before Boston

For the past two seasons in Detroit Morris has been used as a starter averaging thirty minutes a game. Before that in Phoenix he was used as the sixth man of the bench. For the past few years he’s been known as a prolific scorer, something the Celtics needed coming into the season. This acquisition became even more important once Hayward was lost for the season. Morris has also had success covering LeBron. That will be key for the Celtics come playoff time if they end up facing off against the Cavs.

Photo Credit: Buddy Grizzard

Performance so Far

Despite battling injuries Morris has been effective this year. In 21 games he’s averaging 11 points a game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Morris has started and come of the bench and has been effective in both roles. If Morris can continue to be productive then the Celtics will be very happy with the trade when looking back at it.