Tag: orlando bubble

Report: League set to delay 2020 edition of the NBA Draft back till November

With the NBA and NBPA agreeing to delay the 2020 Draft and Free Agency, the Golden State Warriors will get an extension on their offseason prep.

With the league’s worst record at 15-50, the Golden State Warriors have turned their attention to the 2020 edition of the NBA Draft. While playoff action continues at the league’s Orlando Bubble, the Warriors have been waiting to make their highly-anticipated draft-day decision.

Bob Myers and Steve Kerr might be waiting a little longer to ink their place on the draft board.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA and NBPA have agreed to push back “key dates” like October’s draft and free agency. Along with the two offseason fixtures, the start of the 2020-21 season could also be moved back.

Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the league could potentially reschedule the draft on November 18. According to Wojnarowski, the new draft date could be finalized “soon.”

Via @wojespn on Twitter:

Postponing the draft until November would add another month towards Golden State’s draft prep.

With a limited college basketball season due to the coronavirus pandemic, there’s still mystery surrounding some of the top prospects in the 2020 pool. Although the Warriors have had an early start to their extended offseason, extra time to study the upcoming draft class could come in handy when Kerr and Myers are on the clock.

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Tremont Waters available vs. Raptors; had been out with knee sprain

Boston Celtics two way point guard Tremont Waters will be available to play vs. the Toronto Raptors in Game 4, per the team.

The Boston Celtics have announced that two way point guard Tremont Waters has been upgraded to available after spending the last several playoff games sidelined with a sprained knee.

That leaves veteran forward Gordon Hayward (right ankle sprain), rookie small forward Javonte Green (right knee surgery) and first-year big man Vincent Poirier (attending the birth of his child) as remaining players on the Celtics’ injury list as of now.

Waters has not yet graced the floor of the 2020 NBA Playoffs during both the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors series, but averaged 3.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while with the parent club.

The Connecticut native spent most of his 2019-20 season with the Maine Red Claws for his two way assignment, winning G League Rookie of the Year honors for that league while showing he can run an NBA-level offense when given the chance.

It’s unlikely Waters will see much if any floor time in this contest, but having his depth back as an option is absolutely a positive in such a tough series.

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Celtics lose 104-103 on last-second shot; series now at 2-1

The Boston Celtics nearly took a three game lead, but a hail-Mary shot from OG Anunoby stole the win for Toronto.

The Boston Celtics took a haymaker early from the Toronto Raptors early in their Game 3 contest from their northern neighbors, but weathered the storm due in large part to starting point guard Kemba Walker getting hot in the first half.

The Raptors on the tip, and Kyle Lowry got Toronto on the board with an and-1 on Daniel Theis, and quickly built a 5-0 lead. Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored first for the Celtics, but didn’t score again until Smart got fouled by Pascal Siakam at the 9:30 mark.

Walker got on the board with a trey soon to cut the lead to two, and Brown would tie the game up at 16 with just under six minutes to play in the quarter. The UConn product gave Boston the lead briefly before an elbow to the face of Lowry by Theis handed it back with the German being assessed a tech.

Both teams traded buckets as the first frame wound down, with OG Anunoby and Walker nailing 3-pointers to finish the quarter, the Celtics carrying a 33-28 lead into the second frame.

Boston began the second quarter with Jayson Tatum tossing in a finger roll, but Anunoby would answer back with another trey. Once again, neither team could get much in the way of separation early, going basket for basket early in the frame.

The Celtics started to heat up as Brown hit back-to-back baskets to put Boston up 44-37 with five minutes left in the quarter. Fred Van Vleet would pick up a tech of his own, sending Walker to the line for the conversion.

Marcus Smart scored a 3 to give the Celtics their biggest lead of the game at nine, but Van Vleet stayed hot, cutting the lead to 47-52 with 1:45 left in the half. Tatum and Walker would quickly double that lead to close out the frame, putting Boston up 57-47 going into the break.

The penultimate frame began with Siakam cutting the lead to six with a pair of quick makes, and the Raptors slowly whittled away at Boston’s lead. Smart hit a trey just under the 10-minute mark, but Lowry came back with a bucket on the next possession.

Van Vleet cut the lead to six with 8:15 to play in the frame, and then four soon after. A Siakam trey would give Toronto their first lead since the first quarter at 68-66, but Enes Kanter would tie it back up on the next play.

Once again, the teams traded makes, a Robert Williams flush getting another tech called to give the Celts the lead. Brad Wanamaker looked like he might have given a tech back in a collision that saw his knee meet Lowry’s groin, but the basket would count with Boston headed into the final frame up 80-76.

Boston started the fourth with a pair of 3-pointers to take an 82-80 lead, and Siakam would extend the lead to three with a trip to the stripe. Walker would cut it back to one with a jumper, and would tie it again at 83 from the line.

Walker gave the Celtics back the lead at 87-85 with 8:45 left in the game, and Grant Williams would extend it to four points with a dunk, but Norman Powell came back with a layup on the next play. Lowry wrest back the lead briefly with a 3, but Tatum got to the line to put Boston up 91-90.

Powell came back with a trey of his own with 6:30 left in the game, and a Marc Gasol layup put the Raptors up 95-91. Brown cut it to two with a stepback jumper, and Tatum tied it up at 95 with 4:30 left in the game. A Theis dunk gave Boston the lead, and a Brown flush extended it to four.

Lowry came back with a layup to cut the lead to two with as many minutes to play, but Brown kept attacking, and threw down another dunk to hang onto the lead. Lowry answered back with another make to cut the lead to 101-99, Toronto calling a timeout.

Van Vleet tied it up with 21 second left in the game, but Theis would nail a dunk, seeming to secure the win for the Celtics. Anunoby hit a three as time expired, stealing a 104-103 win to bring the series to 2-1.

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Vincent Poirier OUT for Game 3 vs Raps to be present for child’s birth

Boston Celtics rookie big man Vincent Poirier will be leaving the Disney restart for some time to attend the birth of a child.

The Boston Celtics will be down another player for their Game 3 contest against the Toronto Raptors this evening, but it isn’t due to an injury — something much more serious.

And when we say ‘serious,’ there’s no cause for alarm — the player in question is rookie big man Vincent Poirier, who is out of the bubble to be present for the birth of he and his partner Assouan’s first child, per the Athletic’s Jared Weiss.

Much like veteran forward Gordon Hayward — currently out of the bubble while rehabbing a sprained ankle but planning to be present for the birth of a child soon as well — the French center will be unavailable upon his return until he clears the requisite four-day quarantine period.

The Celtics should be fine in his absence given he has not been a part of the team’s postseason rotation thus far, and the healthy bigs have done an outstanding job for the most part over both series to date.

For his part, the rookie big man is already celebrating the birth of his daughter on Twitter, who they have named “Nola”.

Congratulations, Vincent — the Celtics Wire welcomes the next Sexpants into the world as we send our regards.

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Previewing Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors Game 2, Round 2

How will the Toronto Raptors adapt to the Boston Celtics stifling their transition game in the second contest of their Eastern Conference series?

In Game 1 of the second-round series between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, Boston was able to stifle Toronto’s transition game while putting pressure on the Raptors’ older, slower frontcourt offensively to great success.

But will that plan work a second time when facing as canny a coach as Coach of the Year Nick Nurse?

This proposition seems unlikely, even if the obvious counters do not seem to be forthcoming. But Boston ought to grant Toronto that respect, as they have found ways to adapt and win to the tune of the East’s second seed in a season many pegged them due for a rebuild.

But if that adjustment doesn’t bear fruit, it could be another short series with the Celtics owning the 2019-20 record between the two teams four wins to one, counting Sunday’s Game 1 win.

Gordon Hayward and Javonte Green continue to be unavailable for Boston with an ankle sprain and knee surgery respectively, and guard Tremont Waters remains questionable with a sprained knee.

The Raptors will remain relatively healthy, with no new injuries to report and point guard Kyle Lowry appearing to be fine in his Game 1 appearance.

Based on what we saw in that first tilt of the series, the Celtics probably carry a slight advantage, with our prediction being a fairly high-scoring affair of 119-111 Boston.

Most online sportsbooks still favor Toronto, but just barely with a -1.5 spread.

The action kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN and NBC Sports Boston, and we’ll find out what tricks Nurse still has up his sleeve — as well as what Stevens might have to counter them.

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How to watch or stream Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors Game 1, Round 2

These are all the ways you can watch or stream Game 1 of the Celtics’ second-round series with the Toronto Raptors Sunday afternoon.

If you aren’t exactly sure how to watch Sunday afternoon’s Game 1 contest between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, you’re not alone.

In fact, there’s probably a fair amount of folks who haven’t even caught up with the fact that Wednesday’s protest by the Milwaukee Bucks pushed the schedule of the entire playoffs up a bit, with the first game of this series starting at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on August 30th.

For those of you living in New England with a cable provider who carries NBC Sports Boston, that outlet will be showing every Celtics game left in the 2019-20  postseason, which you can also catch online via NBCSportsBoston.com or their ‘MyTeams’ app.

You can also watch this contest on ESPN if your cable provider carries that channel as well, and paid subscription services like NBA TV, NBA League Pass, FuboTV and Hulu + are also available if you don’t mind paying to watch the game.

With news that Raptors starting point guard Kyle Lowry is likely to suit up, it should be quite a series, and of course as always we’ll post video highlights afterwards in case none of these options plays well with your schedule.

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Boston’s Jaylen Brown thinks we’ll appreciate Bucks protest in time

Boston’s Jaylen Brown believes we’ll look back on the Milwaukee Bucks’ ‘boycott’ with greater appreciation in hindsight.

There is a tendency in sports and other news media to focus on the negative.

Conflict, consternation, and disagreement all tend to attract more eyes than a story on positive outcomes, and that’s a fact Boston Celtic star shooting guard Jaylen Brown was quick to note when asked his thoughts on the protest sparked by the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

In the place of stories covering their bravery or their risk, many of the top stories coming out soon after the Bucks refused to exit the locker room to play Game 5 of their series against the Orlando Magic.

Instead, they focused on players reportedly being irked about not being informed about Milwaukee’s (spontaneous) plans.

Some trained their attention on LeBron James walking out of the impromptu meeting that shaped up later in anger.

Others still (this outlet included) lauded Brown for his role in defending the Bucks, instead of focusing more on the tangible good that came from Milwaukee’s action.

“Well, it was supposed to be a private meeting, and I’ve seen some of the headlines,” began Brown as he spoke to the media for the first time since the stoppage.

“I think it’s an emphasis on the divisiveness of what took place in a lot of those meetings, but what’s not being talked about is the unification that was being shown,” he noted.

“It was a lot of guys in the room that had a lot of pain.”

“We all saw the recent videos and we’ve all seen the videos over the years, and frankly, we feel helpless and we feel tired. I was proud to see a lot of guys come in here and share emotions and have real conversation in the room; instead I felt like people are focused on the divisiveness of the conversations. But, to be honest, getting all those guys in the same room to talk about one thing, that was important and the NBA pulled out all the stops, to be honest — put Black Lives Matter on the court. We’ve done all the PSA announcements or video clips that we could possibly do.”

“We came down here to use our platform, and that’s exactly what Milwaukee did, and we all saw its effect,” Brown added.

“We all saw the awareness that was raised.”

The National Basketball Players Association Vice President has indeed been taking a significant role in the conversations which arose from the work stoppage on Wednesday.

And in the issues which brought it to the fore.

To the Cal-Berkeley product, while the emotional impacts of shootings like Jacob Blake necessitated the Bucks’ response, it also isn’t necessary cause to shut everything down, either.

“To be honest, I think in hindsight, we will appreciate what Milwaukee did. There’s a lot of guys that came down here for reasons other than basketball, and to use our platforms and Milwaukee did exactly that. And, if necessary, it could be done again.”

Hopefully that won’t be the case,” he qualified, “but using our platform is what a lot of guys came down for.”

And while Brown does think it important to maximize that platform through playing, that doesn’t mean he wants to downplay the Blake shooting so it ca happen — quite the opposite.

“I feel like there is an interest in the criminalization of African Americans or Black people in this country,” he explained.

“Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times, and he’s handcuffed to a bed right now as a reminder. It’s a reminder to the nurses, it’s a reminder to his family, to the staff as being paralyzed wasn’t a reminder enough. And it doesn’t make sense, to be honest. It doesn’t make sense — the criminalization of black people is an example with those handcuffs of Jacob Blake being strapped to that bed, as if being paralyzed was not enough of a reminder.”

“It doesn’t make sense to me,” he reiterated.

If another incident like this one were to occur and upset the delicate balance enabling the 2020 NBA Playoffs to continue, it’s hard not seeing Brown’s prediction that a protest (or boycott or strike) could indeed be deployed again.

It would be hard to see another outcome, all things being what they have been.

Whether or not the platform itself could survive the most recent agreement between the players, NBA and team Governors will hopefully not be tested.

But judging by the ubiquity and frequency of the problem under consideration, it well may.

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WATCH: Marcus Smart’s best of Celtics-Sixers Round 1

Watch the best of Boston Celtics veteran guard Marcus Smart’s best plays from his first round series of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Boston Celtics veteran defensive nightmare Marcus Smart may not have found success on offense against the long and big Philadelphia 76ers starters, but he didn’t let that get in the way of his domination of that team on the other side of the ball in their 2020 first round series with the Sixers.

Despite shooting just 33.3% from the floor in the series, Smart got himself to the line 3.3 times per game in that series, where he converted at an outstanding 92.3% of his shots from the charity stripe.

He also pulled down 4.5 boards and made 2.5 assists per game to go with his 8.5 points and 1.5 steals per game.

Most important are the hustle plays that don’t end up in the box score, and in the bubble Marcus Smart has been making them in droves.

If you want to reminisce a little while we wait for the team’s second round series with the defending champion Toronto Raptors, or just happen to be a fan of the Flower Mound native’s game, watch the video embedded above for all of Smart’s best plays from their first round series against the 76ers.

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CLAB 14: Taking stock of the NBA restart post-strike with N. Jeremi Duru

After a historic wildcat strike sparked by the Milwaukee Bucks in response the shooting of Jacob Blake, what could come next for the NBA?

With the Boston Celtics and the NBA working their way through the impact of a historic wildcat strike sparked by the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a range of interconnected issues has surged to the fore in talk about the league, its Disney bubble restart, and the role of sport in race relations among many others.

Ahead of that Disney restart, Celtics Lab reached out to Professor N. Jeremi Duru, author of “Advancing the Ball: Race, Reformation, and the Quest for Equal Coaching Opportunity in the NFL” and an expert on sports law and its intersection with race to talk the league’s negotiated commitment to racial justice.

In that conversation, we discussed the types of interventions the NBA could make as part of that agreement, and strategies players could use to hold the league to that commitment up to and including sch a strike.

Now that one has come to pass and the season appears to have weathered the accompanying storm — at least for the moment — we decided to reconvene to take stock of the momentous occasion, and what it could mean for the league going forward.

We hope you join hosts Cam Tabatabaie and Justin Quinn as they discuss this watershed moment with Professor Duru — and we hope you are doing as well as you can in these tumultuous times.

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WATCH: Jaylen Brown’s best plays from Sixers – Celtics Round 1

Watch all of Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown’s best plays against the 76ers from the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs here.

Boston Celtics star shooting guard Jaylen Brown is making headlines for his leadership off the court as much as he was last week with his brutalization of the Philadelphia 76ers, whom he helped sweep — the first such postseason outcome in their 15 total playoff meetings.

The Cal-Berkeley product scored 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a steal per game over that four-game stretch while shooting 91.7 % from the free throw line, 34.5 % from beyond the arc and 45 % from the floor overall — not a bad series by any standard of measure.

That he is doing this kind of heavy lifting for the Celtics before his 24th birthday makes it all the more impressive.

Boston fans can look forward to this kind of production for many years with some luck and health on Brown’s part, and he may have room yet to grow.

Watch the video embedded above to see all of the Georgian’s best play from the Celtics sweep of the Sixers in the 2020 Eastern Conference first round.

It might be a little longer than expected until we start the second round, after all.

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