Tag Archives: Wizards

Where Are the 2016-2017 Celtics now – Free Agents

Leave a reply

I covered the players that got traded in my most recent article. The players that left via free agency had some say in their new contracts. A lot of these guys would have loved to stay on the Celtics. The fact of the matter is we couldn’t afford to re-sign everyone from last year’s team. Some of the most difficult decisions Danny Ainge made in the offseason was who fit into the team’s long-term plans, and who he would have to let go. The players that were lost all found great spots for their careers, and should be happy with the outcome.

A lot of these guys got an opportunity as a Celtic that allowed them to sign bigger contracts in free agency elsewhere. This can be attributed to the system that Brad Stevens runs. He maximizes a player’s talents while hiding their flaws. I view it as Ainge helping out players land in the right spots via trades. Brad Stevens helps players earn better contracts and be attractive free agents. It all comes down to the organization doing great work.

If you click on each players name, it will take you to their basketball reference page so you can see what they’re doing this year statistically and compare with what they did in Boston. I did this so I wouldn’t have to bore you with statistics here, but they are linked in case you’re interested.

KELLY OLYNYK

KO didn’t play less than twenty minutes a game in any of his four seasons as a Celtic. In turn he had some big time contributions. Game Seven against the Wizards last year comes to mind, where he went off in the fourth quarter and helped the C’s advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was a hero in Beantown after that. But Ainge couldn’t afford to keep him and stay out of the luxury tax, so he hit free agency and chose the Miami Heat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzssSy0l4LY

In Miami, Olynyk has an expanded role and has been a starter for the last eighteen games. His averages are career-highs across the board. With Olynyk continuing to progress, it’s safe to say the Heat got what they paid for. He signed a four year, $50 million deal. That means he is now making more per year than he made over four years in Boston combined. This is what you want to see out of guys. Stevens was able to set Olynyk up for success when he was with the Celtics, which turned into a big paycheck and bigger opportunity for him.

The Celtics have already played Olynyk and the Heat three times this season. The most recent outing was Olynyk’s return to Boston, and he went off for thirty two points and seven assists. I think it’s safe to say he feels comfortable playing in TD Garden. He also recently posted twenty-five points and thirteen assists, and is making a serious push for even more minutes.

JORDAN MICKEY

Another player that signed with the Heat in free agency is Mickey. After being drafted thirty-third in 2015 but never gaining traction with the Celtics, he has carved out a bench role for his new team. He has had a few games over twenty minutes when Whiteside was out, and is fighting to try to stay in the rotation. It would be nice to see him stick and have a successful career as a role player. He signed a two-year deal that holds a second year team option, so he will have to prove himself this year to stay in Miami.

JONAS JEREBKO

Jerebko singed a two-year $8.2 million contract with the Jazz. He is earning less than his $5 million per year in Boston. His decision was more about fit. He wanted to sign somewhere he felt he could make a difference, and has done that in Utah. What stands out from a similar stat line to what he posted in Boston is his three-point shooting. He’s taking more threes than he has in any year in his career, and is shooting a career-best 43% from deep. His role is to shoot and get defensive rebounds. In his return to Boston, he posted seventeen points, a season-best to date, to go along with seven rebounds.

Another interesting fact is Jerebko has started fourteen games already this year, more than his entire 2.5 years in Boston. The Jazz want to put shooters around rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell is great at penetrating and kicking back out, making Jerebko a perfect running mate with the rookie. Quin Snyder likes to play what he calls advantage basketball, which is supposed to allow players that might not be as quick as the competition to get an advantage. The concept is centralized on off-ball movement, and is something that many teams, the Celtics included, practice. Because of this, the move from Boston to Utah has been pretty seamless for Jerebko.

AMIR JOHNSON

Amir is now in his thirteenth season. As a traditional big with below-average quickness and footwork, his value is quickly declining. Yet, the OG was able to land one of the better deals in free agency, signing a one year contract with the 76ers for $11 million. Just $1 million less annually than he earned in Boston.

Amir was a leader by example in the locker room in Boston. He is now looking to set that same example in Philly for their young core. On the court, he has given Joel Embiid some spot starts here and there. When Embiid plays, Amir gets in sparsely. In his return to TD Garden, he posted a full stat line of 6-6-4-3.

TYLER ZELLER

After picking up plenty of DNP-CDs as a Celtic despite his $8 million contract, Zeller had to take a huge pay cut in free agency. It’s a shame, because he really did contribute whenever he got in the game. He has always been a solid player, and I felt there would always be a place for him in the league. Regardless, he found himself more concerned with finding a team that would pay him rather than how much the contract would be worth.

He settled for the Nets on a minimum contract, but it has worked out well for him. After not seeing much time through much of the first month, Zeller broke through with a twenty-one point game. He entered the starting lineup for good a few games later. His playing time has seen a slight decrease since Jahlil Okafor was sent over via trade, but he is still starting. It will be interesting to see how long he can hold off the inevitable of Okafor taking the starting role.

JAMES YOUNG & DEMETRIUS JACKSON

James Young recently signed a two-way deal with the 76ers after averaging over twenty-two points per game in the G-League. He was the least valuable piece that came out of the infamous Brooklyn deal, never able to crack the rotation in Boston after being selected seventeenth overall in 2014.

Demetrius Jackson signed a two-way deal with the Rockets before the season, but it has apparently been terminated. He has since signed a ten-day deal with the Rockets, which started on January 6th. He is averaging sixteen points in the G-League.

BONUS: GERALD GREEN

GG was invited to Bucks camp, but inexplicably cut before the season. It seemed as if he would sit the season out, and perhaps retire. However his hometown team came calling. Green grew up in Houston, and was ecstatic when he got the call that they wanted more shooting. It didn’t make sense that a team that already shot more threes than any other team wanted to add more shooting, but it didn’t matter. Green came in and has made an instant impact. Through seven games, he is averaging twenty-five minutes and over seventeen points, shooting 50% from deep. He has made a big time impact off the bench.

CINDERELLA STORY

( Boston, MA, 03/24/17) Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson (90) congratulates Boston Celtics forward Gerald Green (30) after his 3 pointer with a foul as the Celtics take on the Suns at the Garden. Friday, March 24, 2017. (Staff photo by Stuart Cahill)

Gerald Green’s contributions during his second stint in Boston can’t be forgotten. In the first round of the playoffs when the Celtics were down 0-2 to the lowly Bulls. Stevens needed to make some changes. He inserted Green into the starting lineup for the third game. Green had logged just over five minutes in the first two games combined. He also hadn’t started the entire regular season. It didn’t matter. Green was ready to go. He scored eighteen points in Game 3, and sixteen in Game 5. The Celtics won four games in a row with Green in the starting unit to win the series 4-2. This is the stuff of legends.

It was only fitting that when the Rockets called Green, they needed him to suit up that night. Oh, and the Rockets were visiting Boston. Conveniently, Green was sitting at his house, in Boston. He still enjoyed the city, and kept his house after last season. He has the role in Houston he has always wanted, as a key piece to an all-out offensive assault. Averaging over eight threes a game, he is right where he needs to be, at home in Houston. Basketball has taken Green around the world and back, so it would be a fitting ending for his career to finish in Houston. Again, this is the stuff of legends.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For the most part, all of these Celtics landed in favorable spots, especially the players that were traded. It has been fun to see some of them come back to Boston and give them the love they fought for while they were here. It hasn’t been as fun to see them all torch the Celtics in their returns, back in a familiar place. Regardless, I wish all these guys the best of success in their careers as they continue to thrive in new roles.

Where Are the 2016-2017 Celtics Now- Trades

Leave a reply

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.

Will Marcus Morris Start for Celtics?

Leave a reply

GETTING ACCLIMATED

With a lot of assumptions on who will start this season, the general public agrees that Marcus Morris will be a regular starter. The question is, when can we count on him to be a reliable option comfortable with the team’s schemes, as well as his teammates? Thankfully, his court case has concluded, and he is finally with the team. He and his brother, Markieff, were acquitted of all charges, so the twins won’t face any suspensions.

It is a blessing that Morris  joined the team before the regular season started. While I outlined a few possibilities for the starting lineup in his absence, he might be ready to start in the first game of the regular season. Stevens didn’t play him in his first game with the team because he “didn’t want to throw him into the fire right away.” Thankfully he is acclimating in the preseason, and there are still two games left for him to get up to speed.

“BOSTON GOT A DOG”

Despite knowing well before game time that he wouldn’t play on Friday night against the 76ers, Morris suited up, headband and all. He went through warm ups and sat on the bench with the team. Further, he was arguably the loudest cheerleader on the bench all night. It was great to see a guy bring that type of energy after just joining the team. It is clear that he is happy to be a part of the Celtics and excited to get back to basketball.

The team will count on him to bring that energy and intensity, on and off the court, in practice and games. This team lost some of its ferocity with all the off-season moves, but there are still guys capable of bringing it. Morris is one of those guys. He prides himself on being a hustle player that won’t back down from anyone.

TALK THE TALK, WALK THE WALK

In the first preseason game against the Hornets, the Celtics tried to figure out how to play together. Unlike the Celtics teams we as fans are used to, there was a sense of shyness and everyone just playing nice with one another. In the second game, Morris was very vocal, albeit from the bench, and the players fed into it. This is going to be key for these guys building chemistry on and off the floor this season. They need a guy willing to break the ice with a strong voice because of all the newness. Morris came in and did just that in a matter of days, without even seeing the court. In case you were wondering, he’s ready to go to work.

“I gotta be the tough guy on the team, the protector. Guys knocking my guys down, I can’t have that. So I gotta be the bully.”

The Celtics badly need someone to fulfill this role this year, and Morris relishes in it. The other Marcus on the team will appreciate Morris for making things a little easier on him in this regard. I anticipate these two being the loudest on the team. Together, they will hound opposing teams and make things uncomfortable. Another guy that brings an intensity the Celtics have lacked in recent years is Aron Baynes. He brings an ability to take up space and be an enforcer in the paint, especially defensively. Morris and Baynes played together on the Pistons and were both enforcers. Look for them to do the same in Boston.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Besides toughness, Morris brings another wing player capable of playing both ends of the floor. In two seasons with the Pistons, he averaged 14 ppg. In February 2017, he had two 35+ point games, so he has shown he can step up when the other starters are struggling offensively. He is a more than capable scorer, but also a guy willing to make the extra pass when necessary. He won’t disrupt the flow of the offense, making him a good fit with the first unit. While he has never been a beast on the glass, averaging 4.2 rebounds on his career, playing with Andre Drummond didn’t allow him to pull down as many boards as he could have. Playing next to Horford in the starting lineup should spike his rebound numbers.

Morris also does not get enough credit for his defense. We know he is willing to be the bully, but can he actually stay in front of his man? Will he be able to switch defensively when he needs to? If his performance against Lebron James in the 2016 Playoffs was any indication, I’d say he’s an underrated defender capable of more than he has shown on a nightly basis. James had has his worst playoff series guarded by Morris, averaging 23-9-7 on .49/.21/.73 shooting through four games. Not bad numbers, but Morris was able to keep James mostly out of the paint. A quarter of his shots were threes, uncharacteristic of James. Playing for a contender should bring out the best in him on the defensive side of the ball.

BROTHERLY LOVE

The Celtics-Wizards have created one of the newest NBA rivalries, eclipsed by a seven-game series in last years playoffs. However, the instigators in Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, even Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko are gone now. Morris is a trash talker and would normally love to be involved in these types of games, but his twin brother is on the Wizards, making this “rivalry” all but nonexistent shortly after its start.

It will still be fun, however, to see the twins go after each other, as it always is. If it weren’t for the jerseys, it would look like there was some sort of mirror on the court. They even have all of the same tattoos, making it borderline impossible to distinguish between the two. There has even been a conspiracy that one has suited up in place of the other because of injury, and honestly, there’s no way to tell if this has ever happened or not. It is one of the more hilarious conundrums in sports, and while I doubt it has ever happened or ever will, it’s fun to act like the Celtics have a backup Morris in the playoffs after they inevitably take down the Wizards, again.