Celtics News

[ozgod]

Can the Clippers take Simons for Zubac, again? (I heard yesterday they declined to trade Zubac to the C's earlier this season, possibly before the season began, but maybe their opinions might've changed?)

You're in LA, have you heard anything to suggest their opinion might have changed? (Other than winning 9 of their last 10 games.)

[Goldstar88]

Even though Tatum believes he might risk altering the Celtics identity by coming back this season, guard Payton Pritchard isn?t overly worried about it.

No, because we played with him before, so it?s not like some player that got hurt, and we never played with him before, so we know what he likes and how he plays, and we can play off him, Pritchard said Friday on whether there will be difficulty playing with Tatum if he comes back.

[ozgod]

Mazz isn't worried either. Tatum is just such a selfless team player, it's admirable for him to think of the team's identity and how he will fit into it, but Mazz doesn't care. He wants disruption, because it keeps everyone on their toes. Besides, he doesn't think there will be too much of it. He's reassuring his sensitive superstar to focus on his rehab and let his health decide.

"The mindset has been relatively consistent (and) where it has been the entire season," Mazzulla said. "We don't know yet. It was never a yes, it was never a no. It was, 'Let's work as hard as you can, trusting the sports science team, trusting his development, whether it's in the weight room, on the training table, and then put yourself in the best possible position to be as healthy as you can be, and then reevaluate it.'"

Mazzulla noted Tatum is "progressing naturally" and that there's been "zero setback" in his rehab from a physical perspective. As for the mental piece, and Tatum's concerns about potentially disrupting the chemistry of the current group?

"I look at disruption as a positive," Mazzulla responded. "He'll come back and just make us better.

"I think it's two things. One, I think as you go through an injury and a process like this, a thousand things are going to come up. And I think one of the greatest things about a guy like Jayson is his openness and his vulnerability and his honesty about where he's at as a player and a person. So, I think you have to reward that, and those are just natural things.

"But the second piece is, he knows that if we get him back, we're just going to be a better team, and there's just no ifs, ands or buts about that. He should never be worried about disrupting in a negative way, but he'll be disrupting in a positive way because he'll just make us better on both ends of the floor and already add to what we've been able to build here this season."

https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/jayson-tatum-return-timeline-joe-mazzulla/763971/

[boscel33]

Big week this week.

Do we make a move or not?

I say yes, and I say it will shock everyone (White??)!

[satch]

According to Bill Simmions-If Hawks buy Porzingis out, he could sign with the Celtics for the minimum. Maybe they could play him limited minutes while chasing a championship. Worked for Bill Walton....

[Celtics2021]

According to Bill Simmions-If Hawks buy Porzingis out, he could sign with the Celtics for the minimum. Maybe they could play him limited minutes while chasing a championship. Worked for Bill Walton....

Bill Simmons is wrong.  The Celtics cannot sign Porzingis unless both of the following things happen:

1) The Hawks trade KP to a third team, and that team buys KP out.

2) The Celtics clear enough salary to get far enough below the first apron to be able to sign a minimum salary player.  As they are over the first apron, they can only sign buyouts who were making less than the MLE.

[Birdman]

Celtics just need to wait till see u gets bought out, Simons is doing pretty good here

[Jiri Welsch]

Celtics just need to wait till see u gets bought out, Simons is doing pretty good here

I think they should try to offload guys like Boucher, Tillman, and Minott if the opportunity presents itself. This is assuming they aren't giving up draft capital (of any real consequence) to do so.

[Celtics2021]

Celtics just need to wait till see u gets bought out, Simons is doing pretty good here

I think they should try to offload guys like Boucher, Tillman, and Minott if the opportunity presents itself. This is assuming they aren't giving up draft capital (of any real consequence) to do so.

I think Minott showed enough early in the year that maybe someone would take him with Tillman instead of draft capital, since Minott is under contract next season too.  There were rumblings of teams inquiring about Boucher, so maybe he could be moved without costing anything also.  Doing that would let the Celtics be players in the buyout market with a couple of open slots and, as a team under the first apron, able to sign anyone who is released, and not just those who were less than the MLE.

The Celtics would also have their MLE available to sign a prospect on a 4-year minimum, rather than just a 2-year minimum.

[Silas]

Our Hugo is having quite a rookie year...just passed good ole Tim Duncan at the top.

Top 10 Rookie Plus/Minus Per Game (All-Time)
Rank
   Player   Team   Season   +/- Per Game
1   Hugo Gonzalez   BOS   2025-26   +5.36
2   Tim Duncan   SAS   1997-98   +5.2
3   Chet Holmgren   OKC   2023-24   +5.1
4   Ben Simmons   PHI   2017-18   +4.8
5   Donovan Mitchell   UTA   2017-18   +4.5
6   Jayson Tatum   BOS   2017-18   +4.3
7   Andrei Kirilenko   UTA   2001-02   +4.2
8   OG Anunoby   TOR   2017-18   +4.0
9   Donte DiVincenzo   MIL   2018-19   +4.0
10   Brandin Podziemski   GSW   2023-24   +3.6

Minimum of 30 games played and 15.0 minutes per game to qualify for this list...

[Celtics2021]

Our Hugo is having quite a rookie year...just passed good ole Tim Duncan at the top.

Top 10 Rookie Plus/Minus Per Game (All-Time)
Rank
   Player   Team   Season   +/- Per Game
1   Hugo Gonzalez   BOS   2025-26   +5.36
2   Tim Duncan   SAS   1997-98   +5.2
3   Chet Holmgren   OKC   2023-24   +5.1
4   Ben Simmons   PHI   2017-18   +4.8
5   Donovan Mitchell   UTA   2017-18   +4.5
6   Jayson Tatum   BOS   2017-18   +4.3
7   Andrei Kirilenko   UTA   2001-02   +4.2
8   OG Anunoby   TOR   2017-18   +4.0
9   Donte DiVincenzo   MIL   2018-19   +4.0
10   Brandin Podziemski   GSW   2023-24   +3.6

Minimum of 30 games played and 15.0 minutes per game to qualify for this list...

I would love that list for on-off differential.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Our Hugo is having quite a rookie year...just passed good ole Tim Duncan at the top.

Top 10 Rookie Plus/Minus Per Game (All-Time)
Rank
   Player   Team   Season   +/- Per Game
1   Hugo Gonzalez   BOS   2025-26   +5.36
2   Tim Duncan   SAS   1997-98   +5.2
3   Chet Holmgren   OKC   2023-24   +5.1
4   Ben Simmons   PHI   2017-18   +4.8
5   Donovan Mitchell   UTA   2017-18   +4.5
6   Jayson Tatum   BOS   2017-18   +4.3
7   Andrei Kirilenko   UTA   2001-02   +4.2
8   OG Anunoby   TOR   2017-18   +4.0
9   Donte DiVincenzo   MIL   2018-19   +4.0
10   Brandin Podziemski   GSW   2023-24   +3.6

Minimum of 30 games played and 15.0 minutes per game to qualify for this list...

HOF confirmed.

[Who]

Our Hugo is having quite a rookie year...just passed good ole Tim Duncan at the top.

Top 10 Rookie Plus/Minus Per Game (All-Time)
Rank
   Player   Team   Season   +/- Per Game
1   Hugo Gonzalez   BOS   2025-26   +5.36
2   Tim Duncan   SAS   1997-98   +5.2
3   Chet Holmgren   OKC   2023-24   +5.1
4   Ben Simmons   PHI   2017-18   +4.8
5   Donovan Mitchell   UTA   2017-18   +4.5
6   Jayson Tatum   BOS   2017-18   +4.3
7   Andrei Kirilenko   UTA   2001-02   +4.2
8   OG Anunoby   TOR   2017-18   +4.0
9   Donte DiVincenzo   MIL   2018-19   +4.0
10   Brandin Podziemski   GSW   2023-24   +3.6

Minimum of 30 games played and 15.0 minutes per game to qualify for this list...

Reminds me of what they used to say about rookie AK-47 -- he just knows how to make plays. They don't run anything for him. He can't create his own offense. But he makes winning plays and every coach in the world would love to have him.

Hugo has a similar ability.