Tag: Blocks

Boston Celtics included in Bleacher Report’s ‘Most Disrespectful Blocks of the 2022-23 Season’ video

Even with a notable slip from the season prior under former head coach Ime Udoka, Boston still managed to have one of the better defenses in the league.

With frontcourt players Robert Williams III, Al Horford, Blake Griffin and 7-foot-2 center Luke Kornet alongside defensive-minded guards Marcus Smart and Derrick White, the Boston Celtics had a fair number of blocked shots going into the stands during the team’s 2022-23 campaign.

Even with a notable slip from the season prior under former head coach Ime Udoka, Boston still had one of the better defenses in the league that season, and their rangy bigs and savvy guards were no small part of the reason that was the case.

That propensity for blocking shots got the Celtics included in Bleacher Report’s “Most Disrespectful Blocks of the 2022-23 Season” video released earlier this summer.

If you want to get psyched for the season to come or just need to reminisce about this version of the Celtics sending errant shot attempts flying, take a look at the clip 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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Who has the highest block average in Boston Celtics playoff history?

Can you guess who that center might be, as well as the others of the top ten rim protectors in the history of Boston’s playoff action?

When talking about nabbing steals in the NBA playoffs, fans of the Boston Celtics might be surprised to learn that despite his fame as one of the most fearsome shot blockers in the recent history of the sport, the man we have come to call the Timelord, Celtics center Robert Williams III, does not hold the record for the most playoff blocks per game for the storied ball club.

In fact, that record belongs to another Boston big man. Can you guess who that center might be, as well as the others of the top ten rim protectors in the history of Boston’s playoff action?

Let’s take a look at the record books to find out.

Boston Celtics featured in NBA’s ‘top blocks of 2022-23 so far’ video

Even their wings and guards are solid at rejecting the errant shot attempt, with Derrick White leading the league in blocked shots from the backcourt.

When it comes to protecting the rim, few teams in the NBA do it better than the Boston Celtics. At the time of writing, the Celtics are the sixth-most proficient club in the Association at sending the rock into the stands — or better yet, into the waiting hands of a ready teammate. The organization’s big men are pretty much functional (Grant Williams), solid (Luke Kornet), very good (Al Horford) and downright bone-chilling (Robert Williams III) shot-blockers.

Even the Celtics’ wings and guards are solid at rejecting the errant shot attempt. Derrick White leads the league in blocked shots from the backcourt.

So it should likely come as little surprise that Boston is among the best-represented teams in the league in a recent clip put together by the NBA of the best blocks of the 2022-23 season so far.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to see a smorgasbord of blocked shots, including some getting swatted in Boston.

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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NBA’s ‘Best guard blocks of the 2021-22 season’ clip features Boston Celtics

It’s not just Al Horford or Timelord sending shots into the seats in Boston.

For much of the history of the NBA, the prevailing style of play put the lion’s share of responsibility for shot blocking among the centers and power forwards of the league. But in the modern style of play currently favored by the league, it is not too unusual to see a guard send a shot into the stands.

And while it is true that for the Boston Celtics, that role is still primarily the domain of Boston big men Robert Williams III and Al Horford, everyone from Jaylen Brown to Marcus Smart in the backcourt can also swat away a poorly-timed shot attempt with little issue as well.

With that in mind, it probably should not shock one to see the Celtics featured in the NBA’s ‘Best guard blocks of the 2021-22 season’ video recently uploaded to the league’s primary YouTube channel.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to see which Celtics and what team found themselves included in the clip.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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

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

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Best Boston Celtics blocks from the 2021-22 NBA season

Looking back on the season that was as we wait for the next to roll around later this fall, there’s no shortage of rejections to recall from last season.

The Boston Celtics surged from mediocrity to a league-best defense in the second half of the 2021-22 NBA season after their young roster and new head coach Ime Udoka finally connected on what the team was trying to do on the defensive side of the court.

That defensive juggernaut produced an impressive number of shots by the opposing team getting sent into the ether by a number of Celtics players, most commonly Boston big man Robert Williams III. Looking back on the season that was as we wait for the next to roll around this fall, there’s no shortage of rejections to recall.

If you would like to see the very best of them, take a look at the clip embedded below to see the best blocks from the Celtics in the 2021-22 season, courtesy of the Tomasz Kordylewski YouTube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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

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

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‘There’s no easy buckets’: Rockets rookie KJ Martin keeps blocking NBA’s tallest players

Martin’s list of blocks includes 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall, 7-4 Boban Marjanovic, 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis, and 7-1 Rudy Gobert and James Wiseman.

At 14-39 and with the second-worst record in the Western Conference, the 2020-21 season isn’t going as planned for the Houston Rockets.

But even in a rebuilding year, they’ve accumulated what general manager Rafael Stone refers to as a “young core” to build around. That group includes supremely athletic rookie forward KJ Martin, selected in the second round of the NBA’s 2019 draft. Martin has already made a habit of rejecting some of the league’s tallest players, and he added James Wiseman — Golden State’s 7-foot-1 center — to that list on Saturday.

When asked about the trend at Monday’s shootaround, hours before Houston’s game that night in Phoenix, Martin said:

It’s just the flow of the game. It just happened. I just go up and go up for the challenge. If I get dunked on, oh well. That’s just how I look at it.

There’s no easy buckets. No matter who it is, I’m going to try to contest it, get a block, change their shot, do something. It’s cool that they are all seven-footers. I’m going to keep trying to add on to the list.

In all, Martin has now rejected dunk attempts this season by 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall, 7-foot-4 Boban Marjanovic, 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis, and a pair of 7-foot-1 players (Wiseman and Rudy Gobert).

Besides his hops, Martin’s willingness to get dunked on — should his attempt go poorly — is what continually gives him these opportunities.

Since being recalled from the G League in early March, Martin has taken on an increasingly bigger role with the Rockets. In 19 appearances since March 11, he’s averaging 8.4 points (59.4% FG, 40.0% on 3-pointers), 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 22.5 minutes per game.

“Me going to the G League and getting that playing time, I think it helped me a lot get used to the flow of the game,” said Martin, whose father, Kenyon Martin, played 15 NBA seasons after being taken No. 1 overall in 2000. “I just try to stick to the same stuff I was doing there — coming in, having energy, defending, and hitting open shots. It fits me great.”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6StzMxu7mA

Robert Covington tied for longest Rockets’ blocks streak in 25 years

With 3+ blocks in each of his past six games, Covington is tied for the longest such streak by any Rocket since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1995.

The Houston Rockets don’t have a traditional center in their smaller lineups, but that doesn’t mean they lack rim protection.

Newcomer Robert Covington, who happens to be Houston’s tallest player in the starting lineup at 6-foot-8, has blocked 21 shots combined over the team’s last six games — all wins by the Rockets.

Covington’s current streak of three or more blocked shots in six consecutive games is tied for the longest such streak by any Rockets player since Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon had a seven-game streak with three or more blocks in January and February of 1995.

A few months later, those 1994-95 Rockets won their second consecutive NBA Finals. The franchise has yet to win an NBA title since, though the 2019-20 Rockets appear determined to make a strong push.

In 48 games with Minnesota this season, Covington blocked just 0.9 shots per game. But with the Rockets in need of additional rim protection amid the absence of a true center, Covington has boosted his total to an average of 3.5 blocks over his last six games in Houston.

Through nine total games with the Rockets, Covington is averaging 12.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game, and he remains one of the team’s best and most versatile defenders.

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Covington registered a defensive rating of 103.6 and a total net rating of 13.1 during his nine February games with the Rockets, with both figures the second-best on the current roster among players to have played in at least 100 game minutes.

Covington has also increased his rebounding from 6.0 per game with the Timberwolves to 7.9 with Houston, headlined by his career-high 16 boards in Saturday’s overtime win at Boston.

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With eyes on extending their winning streak to seven games, Covington and the Rockets (39-20) will return to action Monday night with a road game against the New York Knicks (18-42). Tip-off from Madison Square Garden is set for 6:00 p.m. Central time.

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