Tag: Ime Udoka

Al Horford says he feels ‘really good’ heading into his 15th season

Boston Celtics big man Al Horford told media that he feels ‘really good’ on Thursday, after ending his season early last year.

Al Horford has only played in fewer games than he did last season just once in his career, missing the final 44 games of the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season due to a left pectoral tear. Horford played in just two of the final 33 games last year with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the team wanted to give his minutes to younger players while they looked for a team to deal him to in the offseason.

That decision led him to a return to the Boston Celtics, where he is set to play in his fourth season with the organization. He told reporters Thursday that he’s feeling “really good” right now.

Horford has played in the playoffs in every year of his career, except for 2014 when he was out with a torn right pectoral, so he is used to long seasons. Having the long summer really gave him a chance to shape his preparation for this season how he wanted, he said.

“Usually when you finish with the playoffs you’re so tired, you’re depleted, you got to do some things to kind of get back to where you need to,” Horford said. “This summer, I was healthy. I was able to get after it in the weight room, conditioning, start building it on the core like I wanted to. So, I’m going into this year I just feel really good. I feel as good as I’ve felt probably my NBA career, to be honest.”

Celtics center Enes Kanter on his return to Boston, working with Ime Udoka

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter returns for his second stint with Boston this season, so he spoke with reporters on coming back Wednesday.

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is the only member of the team’s free-agent class that can boast the title of “returning player.” The big man is set for his second stint with the club, after first signing with them ahead of the 2019 campaign.

This time around, Kanter has a new head coach to play for and a much different roster to play with. Gone are former Celtics’ Kemba Walker and Gordon Hayward. Gone is most of the roster he played with – just six players from the 2018-19 team, other than Kanter, are still on the roster. Kanter spoke with reporters at the Celtics’ second day of practice Wednesday and talked about his return to TD Garden.

Here are some of the things he spoke about:

Udoka: Robert Williams III makes an impact, needs to remain healthy

New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka gave a vote of confidence for Robert Williams III’s ability but said he needs to stay healthy.

When he was drafted three years ago, center Robert Williams III was seen as an athletic shot-blocker who could jump out of the gym and move well but was raw offensively and sometimes disappeared in games.

Since his rookie year when he split time between the NBA and the G-League, he has seen a steady increase in playing time and production year-over-year when healthy. His scoring and his rebounding have been trending up every year he has played in the league.

At the Boston Celtics’ first day of camp Tuesday, new head coach Ime Udoka said his impact on the court is apparent, it’s just a matter of him staying healthy.

“I had that firsthand against them last year in the playoffs, we saw the difference with him being on and off the court and in that Brooklyn series,” Udoka said. “So, we know how he impacts the game and the things he does for the team, it’s a matter of him staying healthy and just showing improvement and growth overall.”

Williams has dealt with injuries off and on during his career, most notably knee and hip ailments in the last year. Despite this, the Celtics signed the big man to a 4-year, $48 million contract extension this offseason to keep him in Boston through 2025-26.

“Obviously him signing an extension with us is our vote of confidence with what he can do for our team,” Udoka said.

Roberts could find himself with a solid chunk of playing time this year should he continue on his track. He averaged eight points and nearly seven rebounds in just under 19 minutes per game last year.

He has a history of finishing at an extremely high level, which is vital for a team like Boston where most of their scoring runs through the guards and wings. He has finished over 70% of his field goal attempts in each of his three seasons, albeit on limited attempts. Even so, having a player who can get seven to eight shots and still produce is a luxury.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=video id=01fgbxkth3rh3gcc36eb playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fgbxkth3rh3gcc36eb/01fgbxkth3rh3gcc36eb-93787a633435b7140564d152dac177aa.jpg]

WATCH: New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka talks to the press after Boston’s first day of camp.

Get a feel for the season to come through his postpractice comments.

New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka had his first official practice with the team after a mandatory 10-day quarantine due to an asymptomatic case of COVID-19, and he had plenty to say after the first day of the Celtics’ training camp.

Working with the recently announced 20-man camp roster, Udoka fielded a number of questions ranging from how things went on the first day, how the team is playing with one another, the team’s relative health coming into camp and how he likes to bond with his team ahead of the season.

Watch the video embedded above courtesy of the stalwart folks over at CLNS Media to see all of the new Boston head coach’s media availability, and get a sense for the season to come through his comments.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=60331,60327,60297,60294]

[listicle id=60291]

New Celtics head coach Ime Udoka waylaid at season’s start with breakthrough COVID-19 case

Team President Brad Stevens doesn’t see it as a major obstacle to the team, however.

New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was a conspicuously absent figure from his team’s 2021 Media Day proceedings — and for good reason. The Portland native is recovering from what has been described by new President of Basketball Operations and former head coach Brad Stevens as a “fairly asymptomatic” case of COVID-19.

Udoka — hired to the Celtics top coaching job early in the 2021 NBA offseason from his previous position as an assistant coach with Atlantic Division rival Brooklyn Nets — was vaccinated, making the malady a breakthrough case mitigated by his decision to get the jab, perhaps shortening his time away from the team as a result.

Even with the absence, Stevens downplayed the concern.

“He’s good at connecting with people,” related the team president.

“He’ll do that over FaceTime, over text, over many different ways … He’s been very invested every single minute. And so I’m not worried about that.”

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=60228,60224,60217,60214]

[listicle id=60221]

Boston Celtics finalize Ime Udoka’s coaching staff

The Boston Celtics announced the 11 members of its coaching staff for the 2021-22 season, including four new assistant coach hires under new head coach Ime Udoka.

The Boston Celtics have finalized their coaching staff for the upcoming season, hiring six assistants and five player enhancement staff, according to a team release.

The new assistants that have been added to head coach Ime Udoka’s staff are Will Hardy, Damon Stoudamire, Ben Sullivan, Joe Mazzulla, Aaron Miles and Tony Dobbins.

The Celtics have also added Evan Bradds, Garrett Jackson, DJ MacLeay and Steve Tchiengang to its player enhancement staff as well. They also hired Matt Reynolds as a special assistant to the head coach.

Hardy has spent his entire coaching career with the San Antonio Spurs, including the last six seasons working as an assistant coach. He came on for them as a basketball operations intern and worked his way up. He also helped Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and served as the Spurs summer league head coach in 2017 and 2018.

Stoudamire has been the head coach of the University of Pacific men’s basketball team since 2016 after spending 13 years in the NBA. The No. 7 overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft is also a former Rookie of the Year.

Sullivan has been with the Milwaukee Bucks for the past three seasons, including their NBA title-winning 2021 season, and brings seven years of assistant coaching experience to Boston.

Miles will don the title of assistant coach for the first time at the professional level with Boston – he spent two years as an assistant for Kansas and Florida Gulf Coast, though. He has been the Golden State Warriors player development coach, a type of assistant coach but more focused on player development, and their G-League affiliate’s head coach before.

Dobbins and Mazzulla are set to return to Boston for their second and third seasons, respectively.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=video id=01fb9v51jnjdygr04pfm playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fb9v51jnjdygr04pfm/01fb9v51jnjdygr04pfm-17438926ee5b65dbc2fca6c77df68f3a.jpg]

Boston’s Ime Udoka rated 3rd most likely to win Coach of the Year by ESPN panel

The new Celtics coach is seen favorably by a panel of experts.

New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is seen as likely to finish his inaugural season in his new role among the very best in the league in some corners, with a panel of ESPN experts picking the Portland native in the top three coaches likely to win the NBA’s coveted 2021-22 Coach of Year award.

Udoka finished third overall in the voting with 16% of first-place votes and 16 points overall, trailing coaches Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat (23 points and 5.6% of the first-place votes) and Steve Nash of the Brooklyn Nets (22 points and 22.2% of the first-place votes), ahead of Quin Snyder, coach of the Utah Jazz (14 points and 5.6% of first-place votes).

With a revamped roster and a front office signaling both willingness to spend if success warrants and about as solid of a record as a first-time head coach can have on ascending to the position, Udoka has a real puncher’s chance to land the award if everything breaks Boston’s way this season.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=59311,59156,59150,58574]

[listicle id=59336]

WATCH: How can Ime Udoka win Coach of the Year in his debut for the Boston Celtics?

The new Boston coach has the odds against him, but that doesn’t mean he is without the tools he needs to win it.

Primed with two bona fide NBA All-Star wings, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and an up-and-coming big man who gives opposing teams fits on both ends of the ball, Robert Williams III, and any number of supporting cast members who could realistically have a breakout season, new Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is poised for a blockbuster debut.

Even so, he is somehow ranked 12th in the league for 2021-22 Coach of the Year odds. What does the new Boston head coach need to do to get in the running as a serious contender for that particular piece of league hardware?

Join the hosts of the CLNS Media “A-List” podcast Kwani A. Lunis and A. Sherrod Blakely as they break down what Udoka would need to do to win the next league Coach of the Year award.

Watch the video embedded above to get their take on that particular race and the Portland native’s chances of winning it.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=57737,57743,57733,57714]

[listicle id=57747]

Celtics coach Ime Udoka talks on what Boston needs to change, expectations for 2021-22

In a recent interview, the Celtics coach offered his view on how Boston can be a better team next season.

New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka recently made an appearance on ESPN’s “Jalen and Jacoby Show,” talking about the coming season with the Celtics to eponymous hosts Jalen Rose and David Jacoby.

The trio discussed everything from expectations and goals to the nuts and bolts of how to achieve them, along with the pressure of stepping into a very talented team with an unparalleled history of excellence and the expectations that come with that. Udoka has made some things clear already — such as his predilection towards ball movement and team defense — in previous interviews but expanded on that with the ESPN hosts in his recent talk.

“The roster is the first thing you look at,” he began when asked what he was most excited about with his new position.

Boston coach Ime Udoka talks on Olympics, 2021-22 Celtics on Gresh and Keefe

The new Celtics coach opened up on what the team still needs to work on and more.

New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka made an appearance on the WEEI radio show “Gresh and Keefe” on Tuesday, and opened up a bit on how the team is coming together, what the weak points are, and how Udoka plans on turning them into strengths, among other topics of conversation.

The former assistant coach for several of Boston’s East rivals in recent years also got into talking about his experience as an assistant with Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There, he got a head-start on working with All-Star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum on their way to winning Olympic Gold in Men’s 5×5 basketball.

“It was great overall,” said Udoka. “We finished the goal by getting the gold. It probably wasn’t the most realistic Olympic experience with no fans and not being able to go to the events, but overall we got the job done and that’s what everybody’s going to remember.”