The Boston Celtics are home from Europe, but it is no rest for the weary. They continue their preseason schedule this weekend as they prepare for that all too important season-opener against the Miami Heat at the end of the month.
The Celtics split their two games overseas, losing to Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey and beating EA7 Emporio Armani Milano in Italy.
Here’s what we learned about the Celtics in their first two preseason games:
Jared Sullinger is the real deal. The first-round pick proved his worth against Turkey, scoring 16 points and pulling down 8 rebounds. His first real performance in a Celtics uniform earned him a starting spot in Boston’s second game against Milan, where he posted 7 points and 9 rebounds. NBA teams were concerned about Sullinger’s injury potential, but the Celtics took their chances. It’s only been two preseason games, but this kid could definitely be a game-changer down the stretch.
Rajon Rondo is ready to lead, again. The Celtics’ point guard made it very clear this off-season this is his team, and he is the leader. He scored 17 points in the game against Milan, proving that last season’s offensive outpouring wasn’t a fluke. Rondo was never known for his outside shooting, but if he’s going to lead this team like he says he will, he must stay aggressive. If he can permanently add that short jumper to his game, he is a serious threat because no team can stop him if he has the ability to drive and knock down shots. » Continue reading “Celtics Return Home From European Excursion”
If it was official last week, then it is even more official today.
Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra held a press conference this afternoon to introduce Ray Allen as the newest member of the Miami Heat. Allen, who will wear #34, left the Boston Celtics to sign a three-year deal with the 2011-2012 champions.
“It was maybe July 6,” Allen said. “I felt as though I contributed a great deal to the organization in Boston, and there was a moment where I talked to the people around me and they just said change is not bad and you have to consider this. It was that moment going forward where we said this is going to be a great opportunity for me.”
Two of the biggest factors reported as his reason for leaving Boston were his relationship with Rajon Rondo and his displeasure with coming off the bench.
Allen acknowledged there were differences between him and his former teammate and said the two did not speak during the signing process.
Reports broke last night that Allen intends to sign a three-year deal with the Heat, taking less money to play for the 2011-2012 champions instead of the team he spent the last five seasons with.
An unrestricted free agent, Allen turned down more money from the Celtics to play for the Heat. Miami is limited to giving Allen the taxpayers’ midlevel exception, worth $3.1 million annually, over three years. The Celtics were reportedly offering Allen about $6 million a season in a two-year deal.
Once Boston signed Kevin Garnett, Allen became their top prospect. However, as rumors began that Allen considered Miami as a potential destination, there were just signs pointing to the end of his time in Boston.
There was a lot of speculation over why Allen wanted to leave Boston, from his feud and poor relationship with Rajon Rondo, to his anger toward coming off the bench. Ultimately, Allen made his decision, and now the Celtics have to live with it and move on.
As a Celtics fan and Boston sports fan, this definitely hurts. Allen is not the first player to leave Boston and go to a rival team, but Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics organization are having a great offseason thus far. They will definitely make sure to put a championship-contending team out on that court every single night once the season starts.
Kevin Garnett will return to the Boston Celtics, according to reports.
He was set to become an unrestricted free agent starting tomorrow, but Danny Ainge recently said that Garnett would either retire or return to the team he has played with for the past five years.
The deal is for three years and reportedly worth more than $30 million.
While his new contract will be for significantly less than the $21.2 million he made last season, it is very much in line with what Garnett would have been in line for if he truly tested the free agent waters and allowed other teams to seriously compete for his services.
This deal is a major mark off the Celtics’ offseason checklist, and now the team will look to complete its roster for the 2012-2013 season.
It’s always good to look back on the good times and that is exactly what we will continue to do in Part 2 of the Remembering the Best of the Boston New Big Three Era from 2009 – 2012. During this time, Rondo emerged into one of the best point guards in the league. The Big Three emerged into the Big Four then the Big Four then turned into Rondo and the Big Three.
It’s been a long two plus weeks since the Boston Celtics last took the court in Miami for game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. It was the fourth time in the Big Three Era that the Celtics season ended without a championship. However, when you think of the Big Three plan lasting 5 years with one championship title, another Eastern Conference championship, a game 7 loss in the ECF, a post season without KG, and another post season where Rajon Rondo injured his elbow, most will think of it as a success. Although seasons mostly ended in heartbreak, Celtics fans and players have a lot to be proud of.
Heading into the 2012-2013 the Big Three era is in question. Both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are free agents. It seems like KG maybe back in Boston, but the it doesn’t seem likely that Ray Allen will join him. Like they say, “All good things must come to an end.”
Below are some memorable moments since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce, a young PG, and Doc Rivers in Boston:
The NBA Finals are over. He-who-must-not-be-named won his first championship, but that thought is pushed to the back of my mind.
The Celtics quest for another championship already started after their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, but with the Miami Heat crowned as the 2011-2012 champions, next season’s title is officially up for grabs.
This off-season already has many big question marks. The future of the Big Three is on the top of the list, and the decisions regarding free agents Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen will affect every other move Boston makes.
Garnett becomes a free agent July 1, and while the Celtics hope to sign him before that, Danny Ainge said the Big Ticket is not quite ready to make a decision just yet.
“I think we’ll talk within the next week, but I’m not so sure that’s a decision day for him,” Ainge said. “He may want to wait and see what sort of team we have. I’m not sure. I know that he wants to come back, I know he likes Boston and I konw he loves playing for Doc [Rivers]. He loves everything about the team and the city and so forth. I think that his decision will be, ‘Do I really want to play? Or do I not want to play.’”
“I hope he wants to come back. That’s sort of been the indication that, if he’s going to play, that he would like to come back to Boston. That’s where we are right now.”
It’s been a little over a week since the Celtics season came to an end after losing to Miami in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Offseason plans are in full swing, and with the NBA Draft approaching, things could start moving pretty quickly for Boston.
There are a lot of questions regarding many players on the Celtics’ roster, so here are your news and notes with some early offseason headlines:
There are many uncertainties surrounding the Big Three, and many of Boston’s moves could impact where their top guns end up. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are both free agents, but neither has given any indication of what their plans are for next season.
Reports say the Celtics are looking to sign Omer Asik of the Chicago Bulls.
Brandon Bass opted out of his contract to explore free agency, which could be a big loss for the Celtics is he chooses to move on from Boston. He is definitely a priortarty for Boston, but another big power forward prospect should be Jeff Green, who became a free agent in light of his season-ending heart surgery.
The wild ride is about to being, so stayed tuned for all of the Celtics updates at they prepare for the 2012-2013 season.
The Boston Celtics’ loss last night to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals most likely brings an end to the Big Three era.
It was a dream come true for Celtics fans in 2008 when Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett joined forces with Paul Pierce in hopes of bringing a 17th banner to the City of Boston. In just one season, they brought hope to a franchise that had been on a championship drought for so long and changed the meaning of a team.
Each player had their individual accolades, but none had that elusive NBA Championship to put on their resume and push them to the tops of the “all-time” greats. Their selflessness to give up their star power and join forces jump-started the age of “Big Threes”, although they are still the only successful ones.
Under the helm of one of the greatest and most respected coaches in the NBA, Doc Rivers, Pierce, Allen, and Garnett made a city so rich in sports history re-fall in love with the Celtics and the game of basketball.
There’s really not much to say about this game…The Boston Celtics were absolutely terrible and LeBron James was lights out.
Turnovers and missed shots did the Celtics in, and the Mimi Heat forced Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
James was the story of the night, scoring 45 points on 19-26 shooting. No other Heat player even came close to matching his performance, and he finally proved he can play in big-game situations.
Boston was hopeful going into tonight’s game that they could close out the series in six games, but it just wasn’t in the cards for them tonight. Rajon Rondo was the lone bright spot for the Celtics with 21 points and 10 assists, but the poor performacnes fromt the other big guns and the team overrall overshadowed any positives for the Celtics.
Paul Pierce went ice cold. He only had 9 points on 4-18 shooting, not being able to get anything going at any point in the game. The Celtics can usually count on the Truth to step up and be the leader in pressure situations, but their Captain was no where to be found.
If it was official last week, then it is even more official today.
Ray Allen is taking his talents to South Beach.
He’s baaaaaaack!
It’s always good to look back on the good times and that is exactly what we will continue to do in Part 2 of the Remembering the Best of the Boston New Big Three Era from 2009 – 2012. During this time, Rondo emerged into one of the best point guards in the league. The Big Three emerged into the Big Four then the Big Four then turned into Rondo and the Big Three.
It’s been a long two plus weeks since the Boston Celtics last took the court in Miami for game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. It was the fourth time in the Big Three Era that the Celtics season ended without a championship. However, when you think of the Big Three plan lasting 5 years with one championship title, another Eastern Conference championship, a game 7 loss in the ECF, a post season without KG, and another post season where Rajon Rondo injured his elbow, most will think of it as a success. Although seasons mostly ended in heartbreak, Celtics fans and players have a lot to be proud of.
The NBA Finals are over. He-who-must-not-be-named won his first championship, but that thought is pushed to the back of my mind.
It’s been a little over a week since the Celtics season came to an end after losing to Miami in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Offseason plans are in full swing, and with the NBA Draft approaching, things could start moving pretty quickly for Boston.
The Boston Celtics’ loss last night to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals most likely brings an end to the Big Three era.
There’s really not much to say about this game…The Boston Celtics were absolutely terrible and LeBron James was lights out.