Tag: Blake Griffin

Celtics identified as ideal landing spots for two unsigned free agents

Both are indeed great fits for Boston in a vacuum, age and health concerns aside.

The Boston Celtics are currently viewed by at least one NBA analyst as the ideal landing spots for a pair of still-unsigned free agents of some renown. In a recent article examining potential signings for such players still without an NBA home ahead of the 2023-24 season, Bleacher Report’s Adam Fromal envisions a veteran wing and a familiar big man as potential signings that make sense for their respective skill sets.

The big man in question may not return to the Association for any team never mind Boston, and the forward actually worked out for the Celtics before being passed over for the players currently competing for (and likely to get) a full roster spot with Boston for 2023-24, so these suggestions come with caveats, but in a vacuum would indeed make sense.

Let’s take a look at both, if you have not already guessed who they are.

Report: Brad Stevens hints Blake Griffin is considering retirement from NBA

Celtics president Brad Stevens recently told the Boston Globe that veteran big man Blake Griffin is welcome back to Boston “if he decides to keep playing.”

The Boston Celtics may look to add depth in the front court after sending big man Robert Williams III to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the deal that landed Jrue Holiday in the Hub. Fan favorite and former Celtic Blake Griffin has been a popular name in the NBA rumor mill all offseason, but according to team president Brad Stevens, the 34-year-old is considering hanging it up.

In a conversation with the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, Stevens revealed he initially had to convince Griffin to join the Celtics last season. After a few persistent phone calls, Stevens eventually landed the six-time All-Star in green. Griffin was a helpful contributor off the bench and a leader in the locker room for the Celtics.

Stevens told Washburn he valued Griffin’s contributions greatly in his first season in Boston and is hopeful Griffin looks to sign up for another stint.

Every Boston Celtics jersey in team history worn by ONLY one player

This is every player in Celtics history who was the only player to wear their jersey number.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA does, and given that knowledge, it might surprise you that they have plenty of jerseys only worn by one player in the entire 75-year history of the team.

Of course, a few of them are among those retired jerseys, but quite a few of them are not. As we draw near to the end of the 2023 offseason series of every jersey ever worn by a Boston Celtics player in the regular season, we would of course be remiss if we skipped out on these loners.

Let’s take a look at those most unique of Celtics jerseys throughout the years.

In a quiet NBA offseason, what have we learned about the Boston Celtics’ roster?

Will the depth players not on guaranteed deals make the ball club? Will Boston convince Blake Griffin to come back to the team? And what other moves might come out of left field?

It’s been an exceptionally quiet NBA offseason for the Boston Celtics in 2023, which is for the most part a welcome respite after the circus that capped last season’s training camp.

But there are lingering concerns about how 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon feels about the team that tried to trade him this summer. And the dearth of news leaves plenty of time to speculate about what the finished roster will look like.

Will the depth players not on guaranteed deals make the club? Will Boston persuade Blake Griffin to come back to the team? And what other moves might come out of left field?

The host of the CLNS Media “Winning Plays” podcast Brian Robb got together with NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg to talk it over.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Who are the best players the Boston Celtics could use to fill their final open roster spot?

Some of these options are currently unrestricted free agents, others are players on teams that need to make some cuts.

Who are the best players the Boston Celtics could use to fill their final open roster spot?

If the Celtics are indeed unable to bring back veteran big man Blake Griffin, they could look at players such as Usman Garuba, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Aaron Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Cam Payne, Charles Bassey, Kenneth Faried, Austin Rivers, Terence Davis, TJ Warren, Bismack Biyombo, Javonte Green and others.

Some of these options are unrestricted free agents, others are players on teams that need to make cuts. Regardless of their current situation, the Celtics will likely add a player to fill their final open roster spot at some point during the season if not immediately.

The hosts of the “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast took a deep dive into the available options still on the board.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about who Boston could bring onto the team.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Have we seen the last of Blake Griffin with the Boston Celtics?

How is Boston going to deal with the uncertainty of a return of the veteran big man to the Celtics?

Have we seen the last of Blake Griffin in green and white?

Word is percolating that the former No. 1 pick is contemplating hanging it up for good? Could Griffin sign with a different franchise instead? According to reports, it seems unlikely Griffin will return to the Boston Celtics in the near term.

Is Griffin worth waiting for a decision from? How is Boston going to deal with the uncertainty of a return of the veteran big man to the Celtics? Do they have other options in mind if Griffin elects to retire or sign elsewhere?

The hosts of the “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast recently got together to talk over all of the above given what we know about the situation.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Will Blake Griffin re-sign with the Boston Celtics for 2023-24?

The veteran big man’s return remains uncertain as the Celtics’ training camp nears.

Reports, CLNS Media first among them, continue to point toward the Boston Celtics keeping the door open for a potential Blake Griffin return, but the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach noted the veteran big man’s return remains uncertain as the Celtics’ training camp nears.

Rumblings abound that the Oklahoma native might not be suit up for Boston — or anyone — this season. It could be the Celtics will have to look elsewhere if they want to fortify their frontcourt depth or perhaps another position of interest.

CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning and Josue Pavon talked about Griffin’s affect on Boston and what the Celtics should do with their final roster spot on a recent episode of the “Garden Report” podcast.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear their thoughts on a potential Griffin reunion.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Report: Celtics have no imminent plans to fill final roster slot

However, the team will keep its options open and ‘would likely welcome a return’ of vet Blake Griffin if he were up for it.

The Boston Celtics‘ plans for the rest of the team’s 2023 offseason came into better focus via new reporting from the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. He relates that while Boston has an open regular and two-way roster spot after signing Ukrainian wing Svi Mykhailiuk, “there are no imminent plans to fill the opening” and “the team may wait to see which other players become available as cuts are made around the NBA during the preseason.”

Additionally, per Himmelsbach, the Celtics “may target some extra frontcourt help, but also could simply seek a good developmental piece regardless of position.” Should that frontcourt help be veteran big man Blake Griffin, however, Boston “would likely welcome a return.”

Whether the feeling is a mutual one seems doubtful though. The Globe reporter relates that “for now that appears unlikely as Griffin considers his future.”

In other news, Himmelsbach relates that big man Kristaps Porzingis is currently at about the third week of his four-to-six-week recovery period for plantar fasciitis, with the team anticipating he will be ready to play by opening night.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Did Blake Griffin make the best alley-oop of the Boston Celtics’ 2022-23 season?

The Boston Celtics were one of the bouncier ball clubs in the NBA during their 2022-23 campaign.

The Boston Celtics were one of the bouncier ball clubs in the NBA during their 2022-23 campaign, with players like Robert Williams III, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and even Blake Griffin throwing down some seriously impressive flushes.

And while we did not get as many alley-oop dunks as we would have liked to have seen with Timelord on this team’s roster (we’re looking at you on that ongoing issue, Malcolm Brogdon), the case can reasonably be made that the best oop thrown down of the 2022-23 season for the Celtics did not even involve the Texas A&M alum in it.

That honor could very well fall to Griffin, but we will let you decide for yourself, the play in question having been executed by the former No. 1 pick in a sequence included in the NBA’s official “Best alley-oop dunks of the 2022-23 season” video.

Check it out in the video embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Brad Stevens says Blake Griffin’s performance as Celtics reserve last year was “as good as it gets”

Brad Stevens called Blake Griffin’s ’22-23 stint with the Celtics “as good as it gets both on and off the court.”

Will Blake Griffin sign with the Boston Celtics for the 2023-24 season? That question is still without an answer. But we do know there is mutual love and respect on both sides of the aisle, even if a deal doesn’t ever materialize.

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens recently confirmed that shared respect. During a recent visit to WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” show part of the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund radio telethon to raise money for cancer research, Stevens spoke about Boston’s past and future. Specifically, he offered praise for Griffin, who served a key role as a veteran reserve for the Celtics last year.

“Our bigs were pretty thin,” Stevens said. “When (Robert Williams III) was out at the start of the year, those guys that played in his place did an amazing job of keeping us afloat. Blake was as good as it gets both on and off the court.”