Celtics Off-Season News

[Vermont Green]

Blake Griffin has earned $259M in his career, just from the NBA, and who knows how much from endorsements and other income.  I can see why he might not want to go through the grind of an NBA season, just to mostly sit on the bench all season and then not play in the playoffs.  I am sure it is a tough call.  It seems he loves playing basketball, and once he stops, that is it.  When he does play, his knees probably hurt for days, if not the whole season.

I just noticed something on Spotrac.  He has paid $1,118,442 in fines over his career,  Wow.  Most of it ($859,442) was the result of a fine and suspension for for punching a team equipment manager in 2016.  I don't remember that.  There is also $15,000 for verbal abuse of a game official during UTH-DET game in 2019.  But even that aside, that is a lot of fines for technical fouls.

[Surferdad]

Still rooting for Blake to re-sign.

[Roy H.]

Still rooting for Blake to re-sign.

He's a great guy for the locker room.  I'm not sure if he's the best available guy to play minutes, though, which makes it trickier.

[green_bballers13]

Still rooting for Blake to re-sign.

He's a great guy for the locker room.  I'm not sure if he's the best available guy to play minutes, though, which makes it trickier.

Totally agree. He's a perfect candidate for the 13th or 14th slot on our team. Somewhere between 0 and 1 minute per game.

[Vermont Green]

This is how I see the current state of the roster/depth chart:

White            Pritchard        Banton
Brown           Brogdon         OPEN
Tatum           Hauser           Waslsh
Porzingis       Brissett          OPEN
Williams        Horford          Kornet

2-ways:  Davison, Scrubb, OPEN

To me, the need is back up PF.  Our principal bigs (Porzingis, Horford, Williams) are all probably more C than PF, although I expect Porzingis and Horford can play either if needed.  Our back up PF is Brissett who is really more of a swing.  I am not sure anyone on the team is a natural PF.  Not the end of the world, but I would like to see a solid back-up PF added, moving Hauser or Brissett to the 3rd string unit.  Someone who is "full-sized" for the position, not undersized like Grant was.  Blake Griffin is not that player.

There is not much left to sign, so it probably will require a trade.  Use the $6.3M TPE (from Grant) and some picks.  That should be able to get a decent back up PF.  Then we probably keep the final OPEN slot open.  Let things play out.  See what needs come up as things progress a little.  See what players become available.  Maybe someone like Oubre ends up willing to accept a vet min contract.  We aren't necessarily filling the 14th and 15th slots.  Probably more realistically, we need a PF good enough to be 9th or 10th, and then some others bump down.  Even the final slot if/when filled, probably ends up ahead of Banton and Walsh and Kornet.

[celticinorlando]

Brissett is already down with a knee injury. They need a legit PF back up.

[SparzWizard]

Wyc wonders how to get to banner 18? Well, first, you gotta spend.

Second, get rid of the deadbeats in your office.

[SparzWizard]

Brissett is already down with a knee injury. They need a legit PF back up.

Already injuries even before the season begins

[green_bballers13]

Brissett is already down with a knee injury. They need a legit PF back up.

Already injuries even before the season begins

Do we have any details on this? I gave google a cursory look and nothing popped out. Sprain, meniscus, ACL?

I'm def disappointed if he's out for the season. If it's a significant knee injury, he's probably not going to be very effective even if he comes back this season.

He definitely fits the mold as a two way player. I'm not sure how many of those guys are available right now.

[celticinorlando]

Brissett is already down with a knee injury. They need a legit PF back up.

Already injuries even before the season begins

Do we have any details on this? I gave google a cursory look and nothing popped out. Sprain, meniscus, ACL?

I'm def disappointed if he's out for the season. If it's a significant knee injury, he's probably not going to be very effective even if he comes back this season.

He definitely fits the mold as a two way player. I'm not sure how many of those guys are available right now.

No one knows the severity but he has had knee issues several times in the past.

[Moranis]

Grant Williams looking a lot better right now.

[hwangjini_1]

is luka samanic really so poor that the celtics won't pick him up?

he is 6'10". in maine last year his stats were:

- 29.3 mpg
- 21.5 pts/g
- 9.2 rbs/g
- 1.9 apg
- 48.4% fg%
- 33% 3pt shooting
- 75.9% ft

for those who watched him in person, is his defense that poor?

https://gleague.nba.com/player/1629677/luka-samanic

[Vermont Green]

is luka samanic really so poor that the celtics won't pick him up?

he is 6'10". in maine last year his stats were:

- 29.3 mpg
- 21.5 pts/g
- 9.2 rbs/g
- 1.9 apg
- 48.4% fg%
- 33% 3pt shooting
- 75.9% ft

for those who watched him in person, is his defense that poor?

https://gleague.nba.com/player/1629677/luka-samanic

I saw some Maine games on TV.  He was a good player relative to the competition, but did not stand out from the rest of the G-Leaguers, in my opinion.  He was one of the better players, but didn't to me seem better enough that I thought he could be an NBA player.

As to the Bissett injury, details are not being reported but I would not assume it is all that bad.  He has decided not to play in FIBA games for Canada so that he can "rehab" his knee.  This of course is not good news but most likely, not anything season ending or otherwise all that serious.

But I do agree that a solid back up PF is a need, no matter what the deal with Brissett is.

Boston Celtics forward Oshae Brissett will not participate for Team Canada in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in order to rehab an apparent knee injury according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.

While the nature or the severity of the injury has not been disclosed, it was enough to have the 6-foot-7 wing withdraw from international play on Monday. Even with the decision, Brissett would still be eligible for the 2024 Olympics if Canada qualifies.

[Vermont Green]

Grant Williams looking a lot better right now.

Not to me, he is undersized and overpaid.  He is shorter and less wing span than Brissett.  Grant is a decent bench PF, I agree on that, but we should be able to replace him, one way or another.

[jambr380]

Brissett is already down with a knee injury. They need a legit PF back up.

Already injuries even before the season begins

Do we have any details on this? I gave google a cursory look and nothing popped out. Sprain, meniscus, ACL?

I'm def disappointed if he's out for the season. If it's a significant knee injury, he's probably not going to be very effective even if he comes back this season.

He definitely fits the mold as a two way player. I'm not sure how many of those guys are available right now.

For the season? I don't think there is any indication of that being the case. He just decided to sit out FIBA and used knee recovery as an excuse. I am not saying there isn't an issue, but we haven't heard anything about this being new; which means whatever it is was known before signing him.