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Celtics Notes: Irving, Rozier, Davis

May 9th, 2019 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics understood the chance they were taking with Kyrie Irving when they traded for him two years ago, writes Jeff Goodman of Stadium. Irving wanted to leave a successful situation in Cleveland because he was tired of playing a supporting role to LeBron James. Boston’s front office knew Irving had a reputation that might make him a tough fit, but was willing to accept the risk.

“Doesn’t want to listen to anybody,” a Cavaliers source told Goodman. “I’ve been around more selfish guys, but when you add up those three – moody, immature and tough to coach – he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”

There’s speculation that Irving’s time in Boston might be done as he gets ready to opt out of a $21.3MM salary and test the free agent market. If he leaves, his final game in a Celtics uniform will be a 6 for 21 shooting performance in a 25-point loss in Milwaukee.

“Everyone respects his talent,” a Celtics player told Goodman earlier this season, “but he’s hard to play with. It’s all about him.”

There’s more today out of Boston:

  • A breakup would be best for both Irving and the Celtics, contends Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. Boston needed to add a star when president of basketball operations Danny Ainge pulled the trigger on the Cleveland deal, but it hasn’t worked out the way he hoped. Facing his first playoff test with the Celtics, Irving wilted badly, playing well in just one of the five games against the Bucks. On top of that, he teammates seemed to take on his personality, pointing fingers at each other throughout the season and not fighting back when things got tough in the playoffs.
  • Restricted free agent Terry Rozier didn’t hold back in addressing the issues that affected the team, relays Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “I sacrificed the most out of anybody,” said Rozier, who was moved to a backup role after a stellar performance in last year’s playoffs. “I’m a top point guard in this league. I feel like it’s a fresh start, whether I’m here or whether I’m gone.” Rozier admitted that coach Brad Stevens was in a difficult position “dealing with all these guys with attitudes” and said he saw warning signs on the first day of training camp.
  • The Celtics’ offseason focus will turn not only to Irving, but also to Anthony Davis trade talks, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Boston was considered to be the favorite to land Davis once the trade deadline passed, but Marks notes that two important changes have occurred since then. David Griffin has taken over as head of basketball operations in New Orleans and will make an effort to get Davis to reconsider his trade demand, and Irving, who would be a selling point to get Davis to sign a long-term deal in Boston, may be on the way out.
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Community Shootaround: What Went Wrong With The Celtics?

May 8th, 2019 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

“I did a bad job,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters after his team was emphatically eliminated by Milwaukee tonight with a 25-point loss in Game 5. “I’ll do a lot of deep dives into how to be better.”

If Stevens was a problem this year, he certainly wasn’t the only one in Boston. A year that began with the Celtics as clear favorites to win the East ended in a non-competitive effort with the season on the line.

“I’ve been a coach for 12 years and we let go of the rope, and cracked the rope, probably more than we should have,” Stevens says in the rest of the quote tweeted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “As far as any year I’ve been a coach, it’s been the most trying.”

Chemistry issues were the main problem in Boston, causing several players to say they didn’t feel like everyone was on the same page. Marcus Morris proclaimed in February that the season “just hasn’t been fun for a long time.” Kyrie Irving complained numerous times about the difficulty of being a leader on a young team, even reaching out to LeBron James to apologize for his actions when he was a young player in Cleveland.

Players unwilling to accept their roles seemed to be at the heart of the Celtics’ misery. With Irving and Gordon Hayward both sidelined by injuries last year, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier stepped up to lead the team to the conference finals. The theory was that the Celtics would be much better with Irving and Hayward both back, but it turned into a season-long chore to make the pieces fit.

Another concern is that too many players may have had their eyes on the future. Irving’s next stop has been a topic of speculation as he slowly stepped back from a preseason promise to re-sign in Boston. The idea that the team could pay him and Rozier after giving big money to Marcus Smart has always seemed doubtful. Then there’s the matter of Anthony Davis, whom the Celtics are expected to aggressively pursue this summer. Trade rumors may have had the same effect on Boston’s locker room as it did on the Lakers’.

We want to get your input. Why do you think the Celtics underachieved this season? Please leave your responses in the space below.

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Celtics Losing Assistant Coach Micah Shrewsberry

May 8th, 2019 at 10:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics assistant Micah Shrewsberry will leave the NBA to rejoin the Purdue coaching staff, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The news broke shortly after Boston’s season ended tonight with a Game 5 loss in Milwaukee.

Shrewsberry, 42, has been with the Celtics since 2013, when Brad Stevens was hired as head coach. He served as an assistant with the Boilermakers for the previous two years and was an assistant under Stevens at Butler prior to that.

The move has been planned for about a month, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Shrewsberry is hoping to someday become a head coach at the college level.

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NBA Announces 2019 Draft Lottery Representatives

May 8th, 2019 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s 2019 draft lottery set to take place next Tuesday night, the league has now officially confirmed who will represent each team on stage and in the lottery room on May 14.

While there are only 14 picks in the lottery – including four determined by the drawings of ping pong balls – there will be 15 team representatives in attendance due to various trades. The full breakdown of each club’s odds in this year’s lottery can be found right here.

[RELATED: Four More-Likely-Than-Not Draft Lottery Outcomes]

Here’s the full list of 2019 lottery representatives, with each team sending two reps — one will be in the lottery room during the actual draw, while the other will be on stage for the broadcast portion of the event.

  1. New York Knicks
    • On stage: Patrick Ewing (former player)
    • Lottery room: Allan Houston (special assistant to the GM)
    • Top-four odds: 52.1%
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers
    • On stage: Nick Gilbert (son of team owner)
    • Lottery room: Brock Aller (senior director of basketball operations)
    • Top-four odds: 52.1%
  3. Phoenix Suns
    • On stage: Deandre Ayton
    • Lottery room: Jim Pitman (CFO)
    • Top-four odds: 52.1%
  4. Chicago Bulls
    • On stage: Horace Grant (special advisor to president/COO)
    • Lottery room: Joey Reinsdorf (son of president/COO)
    • Top-four odds: 48.0%
  5. Atlanta Hawks
    • On stage: Jami Gertz (co-owner)
    • Lottery room: Michelle Leftwich (VP, salary cap administration)
    • Top-four odds: 42.1%
      • Note: The Hawks will also land a second lottery pick if the Mavericks’ pick doesn’t move into the top four.
  6. Washington Wizards
    • On stage: Raul Fernandez (vice chairman)
    • Lottery room: Tommy Sheppard (senior VP of basketball operations)
    • Top-four odds: 37.2%
  7. New Orleans Pelicans
    • On stage: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
    • Lottery room: David Griffin (executive VP of basketball operations)
    • Top-four odds: 26.3%
  8. Memphis Grizzlies
    • On stage: Elliot Perry (minority owner / director of player support)
    • Lottery room: Zach Kleiman (executive VP of basketball operations)
    • Top-four odds: 26.3%
      • Note: The Grizzlies will lose their pick if it falls outside of the top eight (42.6% chance).
  9. Dallas Mavericks
    • On stage: Cynthia Marshall (CEO)
    • Lottery room: Keith Grant (assistant GM)
    • Top-four odds: 26.3%
      • Note: The Mavericks will lose their pick if it doesn’t move into the top four.
  10. Minnesota Timberwolves
    • On stage: Gersson Rosas (president of basketball operations)
    • Lottery room: Brad Ruiter (VP of communications)
    • Top-four odds: 13.9%
  11. Los Angeles Lakers
    • On stage: Kyle Kuzma
    • Lottery room: Rob Pelinka (GM)
    • Top-four odds: 9.4%
  12. Charlotte Hornets
    • On stage: James Borrego (head coach)
    • Lottery room: Buzz Peterson (assistant GM)
    • Top-four odds: 4.8%
  13. Miami Heat
    • On stage: Alonzo Mourning (VP, player programs)
    • Lottery room: Andy Elisburg (senior VP of basketball operations / GM)
    • Top-four odds: 4.8%
  14. Boston Celtics
    • On stage: Rich Gotham (president)
    • Lottery room: Mike Zarren (assistant GM)
    • Top-four odds: 3.8%
      • Note: The Celtics will receive the Grizzlies’ pick if it falls outside of the top eight and the Kings’ pick if it falls between 2-14.
  15. Philadelphia 76ers
    • On stage: Chris Heck (president)
    • Lottery room: Ian Hillman (VP, strategy & analytics)
    • Top-four odds: 1.0%
      • Note: The Sixers will only receive a pick if the Kings’ first-rounder jumps up to No. 1.
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Malcolm Brogdon Expected To Return For Game 5

May 8th, 2019 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, who last appeared in a game on March 15, will be listed on the injury report as probable for Game 5 of the team’s series against Boston, and is expected to play, as Malika Andrews of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).

According to Andrews (via Twitter), Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer indicated that Brogdon will be on a minutes restriction and will come off the bench in his return. Brogdon was a fixture in the starting lineup before his injury, but he’ll be eased back into action in the midst of the postseason, with Nikola Mirotic remaining in Milwaukee’s starting five for now.

While Brogdon may have to shake off some rust, getting him back in the rotation could be big for the Bucks, who have built a 3-1 lead over the Celtics even without one of their most reliable contributors available. The 26-year-old was a key ball-handler and floor-spacer for the club during the regular season, averaging 15.6 PPG with an ultra-efficient .505/.426/.928 shooting line in 64 games (28.6 MPG).

A minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot sidelined Brogdon for the final few weeks of the regular season and most of the first two rounds of the playoffs. With the Bucks in a good position to finish off the Celtics – either tonight or in an eventual Game 6 or 7 – Brogdon may have an opportunity to make a more significant impact in the next round.

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Kyler: Celtics Still Interested In Future With Kyrie

May 8th, 2019 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams
  • The Celtics still appear committed to a future with Kyrie Irving, and the idea that Irving and Kevin Durant have already decided to join the Knicks has been shot down by sources close to Irving and to the Knicks, writes Kyler. Still, Kyler notes that most league insiders believe Irving will explore his options on the open market in July, even beyond the Celtics and Knicks.

    [SOURCE LINK]
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Poll: Kyrie Irving’s Future

May 7th, 2019 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Three of the NBA’s four conference semifinals appear very much up in the air, as they head into their respective Game Fives all tied up at 2-2. However, with a second consecutive resounding road victory over the Celtics on Monday, the Bucks took a 3-1 lead and now have up to three chances to end Boston’s season.

If the Bucks can finish off the series at home in Game Five, Monday’s loss might be the last time that fans ever see Irving wear a Celtics uniform in Boston. And if that’s the case, then it wasn’t a particularly memorable end to a short-lived era.

As Jay King of The Athletic details, Irving headed to the Celtics’ locker room before the game was officially over on Monday, with fans in Boston booing the club’s second straight home dud. After the game, Irving bristled when he was asked about his shooting woes (he’s 19-of-62 in the team’s last three games), as Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston writes.

“Who cares?” Irving said of his slump. “I’m a basketball player. Prepare the right way. Like I said, it’s a little different when your rhythm is challenged every play down. You’re being picked up full court. They’re doing things to test you. The expectations on me are going to be sky high.

“I try to utilize their aggression against them and still put my teammates in a great position, while still being aggressive. I’m trying to do it all. For me, the 22 shots, I should have shot 30. I’m that great of a shooter.”

While Irving isn’t necessarily wrong, his defiant attitude with the Celtics on the brink may not be the best look, according to Forsberg, who suggests that Boston’s star point guard probably should’ve expressed more frustration and disappointment with himself.

A second-round exit looks like a near certainty for the C’s, in which case Irving’s upcoming free agency will be more interesting than ever. Although he vowed before the season that he intended to stick around long-term, Irving backtracked on that promise during a drama-filled season, and it’s hard to imagine he’ll be eager to re-up with Boston after what has been a disappointing year. The possibility of an Anthony Davis trade could entice him to stay, but that’s no certainty.

Appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up” this morning, analyst Jalen Rose declared that Irving is “done in Boston,” adding that his teammates will probably “help him pack,” since they won’t mind seeing him go (video link).

What do you think? Is it premature to assume Irving will sign elsewhere in free agency, or do you agree with Rose that we’re seeing his last games as a Celtic?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

Will Kyrie Irving re-sign with the Celtics?
No 88.75% (2,539 votes)
Yes 11.25% (322 votes)
Total Votes: 2,861

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Draft Workouts: Raptors, Lamb, Sixers, Hawks

May 6th, 2019 at 10:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors will bring in six players in their first pre-draft workout on Tuesday, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. They’ll take a look at center/power forward Josh Sharma (Stanford) and Tanor Ngom (Ryerson in Canada), forward Tres Tinkle (Oregon State), swingmen Jordan Davis (Northern Colorado) and DaQuan Jeffries (Tulsa) and point guard Daishon Smith (Louisiana-Monroe).

We have more draft info:

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Marcus Smart Available To Play Monday

May 6th, 2019 at 4:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics combo guard Marcus Smart is available to play in Game 4 of the conference semifinal series against Milwaukee on Monday, the team’s PR department tweets.

Smart hasn’t played since April 7th due to a left oblique tear. His return provides a boost to the rotation with his versatility and ability to defend multiple positions. Boston needs all the help it can get against the high-scoring Bucks, who have racked up 123 points in each of the past two games to take a 2-1 series lead.

Smart had been listed as questionable after practicing on Saturday without any issues.

Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown have received the bulk of the backcourt minutes during the postseason, with Terry Rozier backing up Irving and Gordon Hayward swinging to the shooting guard spot at times.

Smart averaged 8.9 PPG, 4.0 APG and a career-high 1.8 SPG during the regular season. During Boston’s postseason run a year ago, Smart posted averages of 9.8/5.3/1.7 in those same categories.

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