Tag: Aaron Baynes

Hey at Least the Celtics Start Training Camp Tomorrow!

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Welp. That was a rough one for the Pats on Sunday night.

Perhaps we’ll take the time to review the game. Perhaps we’ll simply try to move on and repress the memory entirely.

Or maybe we can change gears altogether and focus on the Boston sports team with arguably the best chance to win a title within the next calendar year. I’m talking, of course, about our Boys in Green.

The Celtics are set to open training camp on Tuesday, September 25, which is something that probably snuck up on many fans considering the team was still playing meaningful ball less than four months ago.

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Fortunately, there aren’t many questions for this team heading into 2018 besides maybe how Brad will dish out enough minutes to the team’s loaded group of deserving players and keep everyone happy at the same time. It’s really not a bad “problem” to have – as long as egos and personal aspirations don’t get in the way, of course.

And Brad will need to figure things out quickly, as the first preseason game is actually this upcoming Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets. The first regular season contest doesn’t follow too far behind either, with the Celtics set to tip the year off against the Sixers at home on October 16.

Since many of us – myself included – are still in Sox and Pats mode at the moment, here’s a quick little Celtics primer to whet your appetite before the team gets back after it tomorrow in Brighton:

Is Everyone Healthy?

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YES. It seems like everyone is pretty much ready to go without reservation.

Considering the Celtics were without not only two of the best players on their roster, but also two of the very best players in the league, in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for most of last season (at least in Hayward’s case), this is fantastic news.

Daniel Theis, a solid but very unappreciated bench piece last season, is also expected to be ready to go after suffering a season-ending knee injury in March.

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I don’t think I really need to go into how good Kyrie and Hayward are or what their presence could do for team that was mere minutes away from going to the NBA Finals last season. Just think: We’re adding two top-20 players to a squad that just months ago almost (and probably should have) defeated LeBron before he reached the Finals, which is something that hasn’t happened in EIGHT years.

If that doesn’t getting the juice flowing for ya, then I don’t know what will.

And if there’s still any doubt in your mind about how Hayward will readjust after almost a full-year layoff, here’s what a usually pretty tight-lipped Brad Stevens had to say just last week (h/t Boston Herald):

“He’s been really diligent all the way through his rehab. I watched him go through the steps of working out to one-on-one to 2-on-2 to 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 in some of the open gyms the guys are having. Like anything, there’s always going to be a period of adjustment. From my eye and anybody else who has watched, he looks like he looked before.”

For a guy who usually like to play things close to the vest and temper expectations whenever possible, he doesn’t seem to be mincing words whatsoever when it comes to his confidence in Gordon this season.

Theis will also only add to an already loaded bench, and as far as we know the rest of the roster looks to be in tip-top shape as well.

This team is ready to rock n’ roll.

What Will Robert Williams’s Role Be?

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Besides the potential overall minutes distribution challenge, the biggest question in terms of their role on the team this year is with rookie Robert Williams, to whom we at The 300s affectionately refer as “Bob.”

Bob has had a bit of a rough start to his Celtics career after being taken with the 27th pick in this past June’s NBA draft. From missing conference calls to missing entire friggin’ flights across the country, the soon-to-be 21-year-old saw a rather embarrassing string of events cloud the excitement Celtics Nation initially had after grabbing such a freakish talent at the end of the first round.

There shouldn’t be any doubt about his talent, however. Not only does he possess great size at 6’10”, but he can also move like a wing player and has the ability to jump through the roof. While it may take a while for his scoring prowess to develop in the NBA, he can be the athletic, rim-runner/protector that the Celtics have lacked for quite some time. Sure, guys like Aaron Baynes and Al Horford were very effective defenders in the post last season, but Williams has Defensive-Player-of-the-Year-level potential. He could be an answer to the Draymond Greens and Clint Capelas of the world that the Celtics had no answer for previously.

Especially with an already overloaded roster, we may need to be patient with Bob, but the eventual payoff could be worth the wait.

Who’s Gonna Be THE Guy Behind Kyrie?

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I think by now everyone gets the point that the Celtics have a pretty sick roster. And while this technically could change by season’s end, I don’t think there are many out there who would argue that Kyrie isn’t still the team’s crown jewel. Horford also knows his role, as does Baynes and the rest of the reserves.

But when it comes to definitive roles for the Celtics’ insanely good trio of wing players – Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown – things get a bit murkier.

Of the three, Hayward has the best resume, and until Tatum truly takes off into superstardom (which he ABSOLUTELY will) Hayward has to be considered the leader of the pack and the one who should be expected to get the most minutes right away.

And no disrespect to Brown, who simply annihilated everyone’s expectations last season, but I’m unsure if he’s quite on the same level as Hayward and where I expect Tatum to be to start the year.

But if I’m being entirely honest, I think Tatum has the ability to be the top dog in the group by season’s end, if not much sooner. Red pointed out last week the fact that ESPN already has him ranked as a top-25 player in the league, and if you’ve followed us at all over the past year you know that neither of us are even remotely shy when it comes to expressing our love for Tatum.

I think some may still be sleeping on him due to the fact he’s not even legally allowed to drink a beer yet, but the guy is ridiculously skilled and already plays with the confidence of a 10-year veteran. If given enough minutes, he will be an All-Star this season, and nobody should be surprised if he ends up being the Celtics’ No. 2 guy this year.

Again, no disrespect to Hayward or Brown, but Tatum is going to be the face of the franchise going forward – whether Kyrie stays here or not.

So there you have it! The first official piece of the 2018 Celtics season. Stay tuned to The 300s throughout the entire season for all your Celtics news and more. Let’s goooooo!!!

Boston Celtics NBA 2K19 Ratings Predictions

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For two days in a row, the folks at 2K have given us a super early sneak peek at some of its player ratings for the 2018-19 NBA season – and one of the Green’s young guys in particular is already receiving quite a bit of love!

Though “NBA 2K19” isn’t set to hit stores until September 11 (September 7 if you pre-order), we already know that LeBron James will presumably be the game’s highest-rated player. The first renderings of the King in purple and gold were released on Monday along with the news that his overall rating would be a 98, one point higher than where he sat at the beginning of last season. (Wouldn’t it be great if Harden or Durant came in at a 99, though? Oh MAN, that would chap LeBron’s ass!)

Most expected that 2K would follow that up with some of the game’s other premier talents – a la the aforementioned Harden, Durant, or maybe even someone like Steph – but instead they chose to focus on one of the league’s future superstars by going with Celtics second-year stud Jayson Tatum!

I could sit here and wax poetic about Tatum for hours. (Seriously, ask my girlfriend about my incessant “TATUM IS GONNA WIN IT FOR US TONIGHT” ramblings in the hours leading up to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Sure, the Memorial Day Weekend beers may have had something to do with it that day, but, COME ON, the kid is nasty!)

Apparently, the developers at 2K agree with me, as they gave the 20-year-old an 87 overall rating, the rating he actually finished with by season’s end in “NBA 2K18” after roster updates.

At least he’s getting the respect he deserves after getting robbed of last season’s Rookie of the Year award – which ultimately went to Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons (who finished last season with an 85 rating, mind you) – and I have no doubt that Tatum will continue to ascend the rankings and improve upon the already impressive 13.9 points and 5.0 boards he averaged last season.

2K is expected to continue releasing ratings in similar fashion, but we’re not likely to receive a glimpse at another Celtics player for at least a few weeks. So, while you wait, here’s a look at where we think some of the other guys on the team might land in this year’s rankings.

Kyrie Irving

After starting off last season as a 90, Kyrie actually finished higher in the rankings by season’s end with a 93, even though he missed the final month and entire postseason due to injury.

Based upon his talent, a 93 is certainly not unmerited – in fact, it should probably be higher – but durability concerns could lower him a bit heading into the fall. Last season marked the second time in three years in which Kyrie failed to play more than 60 games, and the fourth time in seven career seasons that he failed to play 70 games.

Except for a minor dip in points per game and free-throw percentage, Kyrie remained pretty consistent across the board from a performance standpoint when he was on the floor last season. And even with all the talent brimming throughout the Celtics roster, Kyrie is still THE guy on this team.

(NBA 2K19 ratings prediction: 92)

Al Horford

Setting aside the fact that Al Horford’s salary this season may be a bit high (seriously, $30 MILLION for this guy?), the 86 rating he finished with at the end of last season seems about right.

I might be a little harder on Al than others, but even though his overall numbers don’t pop off the stat sheet (12.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in 2017-18), he was a Second Team All-NBA defender last year and is a key facilitator in the team’s offense due to his elite passing ability and high basketball IQ. The guy never seems to be out of position and does the little things that make it easier on the more skilled guys around him.

Prone to complete disappearing acts every now and then (i.e. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals), Horford is about as reliable and consistent, albeit unspectacular, as they come. Therefore, I doubt his ranking changes very much at all and may even get a boost from the team’s success last season.

(NBA 2K19 ratings prediction: 88)

Gordon Hayward

Hayward started and finished last season with an 88 rating, as it’s a bit difficult for one’s score to change very much after playing a total of five minutes all season.

Before last season’s gruesome opening-night injury, however, Hayward had continued to improve in pretty much every single offensive category, every single year, since he came into the league eight years ago – including four-percent and five-percent increases, respectively, in field-goal percentage and three-point percentage between his last two years in Utah.

Hayward is a true all-around talent who is still only 28 years old and ever-improving, and I am GIDDY to see him in action this year. While I truly believe he’ll be worthy of a low-90s rating by season’s end, I predict he’ll stay put right where he’s been, as the 2K crew will give him time to prove his worth before making any changes.

(NBA 2K19 ratings prediction: 88)

Jaylen Brown

It may be surprising to hear that Jaylen Brown finished with just an 81 rating at the end of last season. But outside of an April in which he averaged over 20 points per game, he didn’t really take off until the postseason, after ratings stopped being updated on the game’s online servers.

Besides a mediocre performance in the Conference Semifinals against the Sixers, Brown dominated throughout the playoffs for the Celtics, playing well beyond his years and shouldering the load for the C’s along with Tatum. (Brown averaged a few ticks under 20 points per game in the Conference Finals, including notching four 20-plus-point performances.)

Furthermore, Brown continued to play dominant defense all year while also taking a HUGE leap in a lot of other areas of his game, improving his three-point shot by almost six percent and displaying confidence not often seen from most second-year players.

Now about to enter his third year in the league, the only thing that could hinder Brown’s further development is a dip in playing time with Hayward back in the fold. But for now, the guy deserves a little bump.

(NBA 2K19 ratings prediction: 86)

Terry Rozier

While many are still riding high from “Scary Terry’s” performance in the first two rounds of the playoffs, they may be overlooking some of the clunkers he produced against LeBron and Crew in the Conference Finals.

Besides an epic 28-point affair in Game 6 – during which he made six three-pointers and shot an ABSOLUTELY SILLY 62 percent from the field – Rozier shot less than 40 percent overall in the series. Besides continuing his hard work on the glass, he truly may have been more of a detriment than he was a help. (He shot 20 percent on 15 shots in Game 5. Woof!)

Rozier was also a bit inconsistent throughout the regular season as well; after breaking out in February and March, increasing his scoring average by over five points per game from previous months, Terry saw his points per game plummet by over 10 points in April (which, to be fair, consisted of only six games, but he still shot below 30 percent from the field over that stretch).

Now before you all think I’m the president of the “Terry Really Ain’t So Scary Fan Club,” you’d have to be blind to not see a lot of positive improvement in his overall game last year. Especially if Marcus Smart does end up going elsewhere – along with the fact that there are really no other point guards to compete with on the roster besides Kyrie – we could see Rozier completely take over the second unit in 2018-19.

For now, though, I think we see him take a slight hit in the rankings until we see a bit more consistency.

(NBA 2K19 ratings prediction: 77)

And while I certainly don’t want to disrespect any of the other guys on the roster (especially my boy Aaron Baynes!), here are my quick-hitter ratings predictions for some of the other important rotation pieces:

  • Marcus Morris: 79
  • Aaron Baynes: 77
  • Semi Ojeleye: 69
  • Daniel Theis: 68

Regardless of how 2K ranks everyone this year, this team is locked and loaded for another serious run in 2018-19.

All previous “NBA 2K18” rating information courtesy of 2kratings.com.

Tommy Heinsohn Checked Out Aaron Baynes in the Shower and Loved What He Saw

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The regular season hasn’t even started yet and Tommy is already making national headlines for saying outlandish shit. This time though it wasn’t about comparing Tyler Zeller to Bill Russell. It was about checking out Aaron Baynes in the shower and loving what he saw.

“I took a look at Baynes in the shower…..and he looks like ALL of Australia. He is really put together.”

Baynes laughed it off saying he appreciated the compliments from a Celtics legend. Umm yea, ya think? How dare he tell people about my gigantic hog?

Here’s the full clip:

Tommy’s a little bit nuts, we all know that. Tommy is like the drunk uncle at Thanksgiving dinner. We turn our heads when he makes an off color joke or screams into the microphone about a referee blowing a game. You just kind of laugh it off and embrace it because he’s a lunatic, but he’s our lunatic.

Get Me Andrew Bogut On This Celtics Team ASAP

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CBS Sports – Andrew Bogut is nearing a return to the NBA, and the Celtics are reportedly among the four teams interested in the Australian big man’s services. Bogut, who hasn’t played since March after breaking his leg, underwent a final bone scan on Tuesday and is expected to be cleared to hit the floor in the near future. The seven-footer hopes to sign with a team within the next week, with four teams already showing interest. The Celtics are one of those four teams, according to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmeslbach.

The Celtics No. 1 weakness for years has been their (lack of) rebounding on both ends of the glass. Usually they seemingly just punt on it and say rebounding will “be a team effort.” Which is a great way to say, we know we’re gonna finish at the bottom of the league in that stat again. They finished 26th in the league last year.

After being one of the most sought after big men at the trade deadline last year, Bogut ultimately signed with Cleveland after getting bought out by the 76ers. Tell me you don’t like my idea, tell me you don’t like my firm, tell me you don’t like my fucking neck tie, but don’t tell me the Celtics aren’t one of the most intriguing teams to join right now, Andy.

Bogut infamously broke his leg in minute 1 on the floor for the Cavs last year. Now healthy the 32-year-old Center is back on the FA market and the Celtics are reportedly 1 of 4 teams interested in the big man. Get this guy on board, Danny. Especially if he’s willing to take the veteran’s minimum. That would allow us to put the Marc Gasol rumors to bed, since we’d have to trade half our roster just to fit Gasol under the salary cap.

Its also a pretty strong coincidence that after the Isaiah-Kyrie trade the Celtics have had one open roster spot looming so I think Danny is hunting for a veteran on the cheap like Bogut. Not a big time scorer as he averaged 2.9 pts last season, but he did average 8.1 rebounds and is a literal 7 footer. His career numbers are 10 pts, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists so maybe his scoring bounces back a bit being in one spot for the entire year, but his rebounding has been consistent his whole career. He’d be a great guy to have on the bench and a true Center to pair with Aaron Baynes, while allowing Al Horford to play where he prefers. Horford played well at Center last year, but similar to how the C’s used to use Garnett, its not his true position. I think Horford playing better was more a matter of him amping up his intensity more than playing the 5.

BRING ME ANDREW BOGUT!