Kelly Olynyk has only accumulated a total of eight points and four rebounds in his two games played since returning from an ankle injury that kept him off the court for over a month, but the 23-year-old’s return to the lineup has helped Boston win both games. The Celtics have a chance to make the playoffs despite heavy roster turnover, as Zach Links of Hoops Rumors examines in his latest poll. The team currently sits two games behind Miami for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Here’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics may have won the Rajon Rondo trade, opines Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com. In the transaction, Boston received a first-round pick as well as Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, and Jae Crowder. Boston acquired another first-rounder when it shipped Wright to the Suns less than a month later. Nelson was traded to Denver for Nate Robinson, who the team subsequently waived, but Crowder has been able to carve out a role on the team. Rondo has struggled in Dallas and re-signing the point guard doesn’t seem like as much of a sure thing as it previously did after he clashed with coach Rick Carlisle.
- Boston’s strategy this summer is to swing for the fences and try to hit a home run in free agency and Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald agrees with it. Bulpett recalls the past moves made by President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and believes if he can land one marquee player in free agency, all the roster turnover will be worth it.
- Jonas Jerebko has been a great pickup for the Celtics, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. In seven games since arriving in Boston in the Tayshaun Prince trade, the forward has averaged 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in only 17.0 minutes per game. The team has previously made it clear that it would like to keep Jerebko, who is in the final season of a four-year, $18MM pact, on the roster long-term.