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How Jamal Crawford Makes The Celtics Better

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Crawford wants to add some hardware to his name before he retires

The 38-year-old veteran Jamal Crawford has reported mutual interest with multiple teams. Two of the most notable would be the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. Since entering the league in the year 2000, he has played for eight different teams. The three-time sixth man of the year recipient knows a thing or two about playing limited minutes.

Last year with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he put up some solid numbers at age 37. In 80 games played for the team, he scored 10.3 points, while snagging 1.2 rebounds per game, and collecting 2.4 assists per game. Is there anymore he can give to any contending team?

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What can he offer for the Celtics?

With a team that’s as young as this year’s Boston Celtics, this guy is worth keeping around. His ability is still up there to be able to perform on a nightly basis. He becomes more of an asset if he can help shape and develop the young core of guards on this roster, including Terry Rozier.

Terry Rozier got a small taste of being a successful starter in this league last season. While that opportunity will be very limited due to Kyrie Irving’s return this year, all eyes are on him to see if he can handle being put back on the bench and still showing ample amounts of ability.

In 16 games played as a starter, he averaged 15.6 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. What stands out to me are the 6.4 rebounds per game stat. Not a lot of point guards grab boards excessively like that besides Westbrook.

This is where Jamal Crawford comes into play. Even though he has had a successful career, he was never a prominent starting guard. If it seems that Rozier loses confidence or doesn’t play well, Crawford can come in and assist in his development.

While most sources can agree at least 4 teams are in the mix to gain his services, he clearly wants to win a ring sooner rather than later. With only the threat of signing with the Warriors, the Celtics currently have the second-best odds of landing him to Beantown.

According to Spotrac, his highest paid season was back in the 2016-17 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. That season he was 36 years old, and still made a cool $13,253,012 million.

With just weeks away from training camp, we will shortly see how this turns out. Stay tuned to Boston Sports Extra for the latest updates on everything Celtics!

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Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 57 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Recent Team News

Brad Stevens recently sat down for a Q&A with the Eagle Tribune. A couple of the more interesting quotes: when asked about the defensive success of his teams, he said, “It’s something players have to be really committed to, not only defending individually but defending together, and we’ve had guys willing to do that.” Stevens is always one to shift the praise to his players, and he continues to do so.

head coaching

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

He also said, when the Tribune asked him about his first five years, “Well, it’s been a lot of fun. I just enjoy going to work every day and working to get better.” It comes as no surprise that Stevens refuses to settle, just as he implores his players to do.

Read the full interview here.

On This Date

August 20, 2015: The Celtics signed free agent Coty Clarke to a deal. The small forward from Arkansas did not make the team after one preseason game. However, he would sign with the D-League affliate Red Claws shortly after. In March, he earned two ten-day contracts, in which he played in three games. He finished out the season in the D-League and was not retained afterwards.

Stats (2017-18)

  • Al Horford played 57% of his minutes at the center position. The remaining 43% were at the power forward.

Fun Facts

  • The 1957 Celtics team won the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. The team went 44-28 and defeated the Hawks in seven games to capture the championship.

    That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Could Dwight Howard Sign with Boston?

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Will Dwight Howard Wear a Celtics Jersey?

After the Hornets traded Dwight Howard to the Nets, Brooklyn negotiated a buyout with the big man that is set to go into effect on July 6th. Howard will then become a free agent and choose his team for his 15th season. There has been speculation thus far that the Celtics have interest in bringing in “Superman”. Is this a good move?

Career History

Orlando drafted Howard number one overall selection in 2004, straight out of high school. He played his best basketball with the Magic, winning three consecutive DPOY awards from 2009-11. He was also an All-Star from 2007-14. The Magic then traded Howard to the Lakers in 2011. He played one rocky season there before moving to the Rockets. After three seasons there, he was with the Hawks and Hornets for one year each before this trade. Howard has always been a double-double machine, averaging 17 points and 13 rebounds in his career thus far. Although a terrible free throw shooter, he’s an excellent finisher around the rim and also an elite defensive threat in the paint.

How He Fits

There’s no doubt that Howard could be an important piece in the rotation. He’s a true big man, and his seven-foot frame is one that many say the team desperately needs. Last year with the Hawks, he averaged 12.7 rebounds. Al Horford, Boston’s leading rebounder, averaged 6.3. He would also add a bona-fide shot-blocker to Boston’s already top-tier defense.

However, his past is controversial to say the least. In Los Angeles, he butted heads with Kobe and his coach. Things got ugly with James Harden in Houston. Hawks players reportedly cheered aloud when he was traded. ESPN’s Brendan Haywood said Thursday that the Hornets didn’t want him in their locker room either. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Brad Stevens would be willing to deal with a player like that. However, he’s undeniable talent and Danny Ainge might be willing to overlook his off-court issues. He’d be coming off the bench, but if he can play 20 minutes a night with the second unit, he could make big contributions.

Will Boston Sign Howard?

The Celtics’ money situation is complicated. They’re already over the salary cap for this upcoming season based off of their guaranteed contracts. However, Howard had an interesting quote on which team he’ll sign with: “I want to be in a situation where I have an opportunity to help a team win. That’s my only goal.” If this is true, it’s possible that he would be willing to take less money to join Boston. The Celtics are obviously a franchise poised to contend, and if Howard means what he says, he might join them on a bargain. However, if Howard’s ego gets in the way and his demands get too high, Ainge would have no problem walking. Let’s see if Howard wants to take a reduced role and less pay in order to chase a championship ring with the Celtics.

Follow Jack on Twitter for more: @jackbuffett_

Celtics Select Robert Williams in NBA Draft

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The Pick

Boston has chosen Robert Williams at pick 27 tonight, their first and only selection in this year’s draft. Throughout the day, rumors flew concerning the Celtics trading up to select in a lottery pick. However, Danny Ainge decided to stay put at the end of the first round.

Williams is a big from Texas A&M. At 6’9 and 237 pounds, he primarily played the four spot in college, but will likely play the center position in the NBA. Williams is freakishly athletic with a massive 7’6 wingspan. He’s a stupendous shot blocker, and will add to the team’s already stifling defense. His offensive game is in development, but at his size, he should be able to play well around the rim.

Multiple sources said that Williams could have been selected with a lottery pick. However, concerns about his work ethic reportedly detracted from his stock. He was also suspended for the first two games of the season by A&M for an unspecified violation of team rules. There was some uncertainty surrounding the health of his knee as well. However, his ceiling is high, and if he puts in the work he could contribute in his rookie season, much like the last two first-round selections before him.

What It Means for the Team

Williams obviously won’t start this year ahead of Al Horford. However, this selection puts the jobs of Aron Baynes and Greg Monroe in jeopardy. Monroe’s future in Boston was already uncertain, and this move now makes him seem to be the odd man out. Baynes’ role seems more secure. As of this writing, Keith Smith reports that the Celtics still are fixated on resigning him. However, should the team decide that they want to go a new direction, Baynes could also find himself with a new team. It is also possible that Williams could be included in a trade package come July. With so many big names in play, Williams’ value could prove tantalizing to other teams.

For now, however, Brad Stevens will work hard to fit him right in with the already cohesive unit. It is likely that WIlliams’ first appearance in a Celtics jersey will come during the 2018 Summer League. He will wear number 44, the jersey last worn by fan favorite Brian Scalabrine. Hopefully, fans will become drawn to the new teammate in the same way. Welcome to Boston, Robert Williams!

Follow Jack on Twitter for more: @jackbuffett_

Brad Stevens Named a Finalist for Coach of the Year

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Stevens is up for his first COTY award.

Brad Stevens is a COTY Finalist

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is finalist for the NBA Coach of the Year award. Alongside him, Quin Snyder of the Jazz and Dwayne Casey (formerly) of the Raptors won a nomination.

A Great Year for Stevens

This season, Brad guided an undermanned and injury-plagued squad to a 55-27 record, including a scorching 16-2 start. This was good enough for second in the conference and fourth in the NBA, in just his fifth season with the team. As the season progressed, the success only magnified his coaching prowess in the absence of the team’s stars. Stars Gordon Hayward (missed whole season) and Kyrie Irving (22 games, including rest of playoffs) missed large amounts of time.

As the team’s play showed, Stevens demanded results night in and night out from his guys, even against tough match-ups. Improbably, this came even on nights when the roster was so depleted that Guerschon Yabusele and Jabari Bird started. Under Stevens’ tutelage, the team received contributions from every player on the roster. Throughout the year, he developed even his youngest players into reliable contributors. For example, Jayson Tatum, 20, is a Rookie of the Year candidate. Often on the court with Tatum, Jaylen Brown, 21, has provided impactful minutes for the team as well.

The Competition

This year, Snyder and Casey will challenge Stevens for the award. Snyder guided his squad to a 48-34 record, which was good enough for fifth in the Western Conference. The team, whose leaders included Rudy Gobert and rookie Donovan Mitchell, was able to advance to the second round of the playoffs. The third candidate is Casey, who took his Raptors to a 59-23 record, first in the East. Under Casey, DeMar Derozan and Kyle Lowry led the team to an excellent regular season. However, this race becomes interesting as Casey was recently fired from his position after losing in four games to the Cavaliers.

This year, the league will reveal the winner of the award on June 25th. Brad Stevens certainly seems to have a great shot at gaining proper recognition for his coaching ability. However, we will see if the media members that comprise the voting team feel the same.