Friday, November 20 - Magic at Celtics

Post Game Links

Magic 83, Celtics 78: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

A pregame doesn't get much quieter than it was tonight. Ray Allen had a brief, one-on-one session with a reporter but outside of him, players had their game faces on and stayed away from the media. As is standard, though, both coaches made it out to speak to reporters.

First came Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy. There wasn't a whole lot of substantive conversation with him, but he did touch on a couple of points. He said that with Jameer Nelson out, the Magic will need to adjust to a new style of play. Nelson is a poit guard that attacks the defense and is very adept at getting into the lane. Basketball people would give him the title of a 'slasher.' Orlando has a couple of solid backup point guards in Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson, but neither of them possess the speed and quickness that Nelson does. Van Gundy also said that, on top of the slashing, his team will miss Nelson's 40 percent 3-point shooting. Threes come often from the Magic, so losing one of their top shooters from downtown is going to be a huge challenge.

Next on tap, as many would expect, was a question addressing Van Gundy's public statements that he will adjust his attitude per request from Dwight Howard. Van Gundy said that the story has been somewhat misreported, as some writers have claimed that Howard approached his coach, while in actuality, it was the other way around. Either way, Van Gundy has said that his coaching style won't change, he will just try to address his players in a more positive matter. After Van Gundy disappeared into the locker room, I caught up with George Galante, who is the Magic's communications rep tonight, and he couldn't believe that the story has taken the legs that it has. Galante also noted that Van Gundy better get used to it, because he's going to have to answer these questions on the road for four of the team's next five games.

Doc Rivers was up next, and he talked a bit about Kendrick Perkins' development as a player. Rivers gave credit to Perkins and assistant coach Clifford Ray for their commitment towards developing his offensive game in the paint. His biggest improvement, said Rivers, is the fact that he's not gathering the ball as much under the basket and is instead going up with the ball quicker for shots.

One more note on another big man who's in the builging tonight. Patrick Ewing, whom many saw last season and were taken aback by his weight, has taken an obvious commitment toward slimming down and getting in shape. It looked to me as if he's dropped at least 30 pounds, and Galante confirmed that it's at least 20.

- Marc D'Amico

Wednesday, November 18 - Warriors at Celtics

Post Game Links

Warriors 95, Celtics 109: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

For all of you out there qith questions about Rajon Rondo's free throw shooting and Rasheed Wallace's rebounding, we've got some answers for you.

Ray Allen, one of the top free throw shooters in NBA history, was approached by Rondo before Saturday's game for advice on his free throw shooting. Allen explained to Rondo that he needs to do four specific things prior to taking his free throws. First, he needs to eliminate the anxiousness and adrenaline that is in his body when he makes it to the line. Usually, a player gets to the line after an aggressive drive to the bucket, leaving a player with plenty of anxiesty and adrenaline pumping through them. Allen told Rondo that if he can eliminate those factors, his shot will wind up with a much softer touch. Next, Rondo was told that he needs to clear his thoughts when he's at the line. Allen said that he can't be thinking about the shower, what he's going to eat or anything else; this time is simply for thinking about free throws. His third, and possibly most important point, was that Rondo needs to get more loft on his shot. "Shoot the ball up in the air and just give it a chance to always go in," he said to Rondo. Finally, on a practice level, Rondo was told that he should practice his free throws after the team is done with practice, but with one purpose: to swish every shot. Allen said that making free throws during a practice section isn't good enough. Practicing swishing free throws is what will help, because to swish, your shot has to have great arc on it.

Pay attention over the next couple of weeks to see if any of that advice is digested and helps the young point guard overcome his free throw struggles.

As for Sheed's rebounding, Doc Rivers refuted any ideas that Wallace is struggling with his rebounding effort. He noted that Wallace is rebounding quite well on the defensive end of the floor and that he's not grabbing offensive rebounds because he's usually out around the 3-point line. Don't jump the gun with any thoughts on that, though, because Rivers was also quick to point out that since Wallace is usually on the perimeter, the opponent's big man is out there as well, so he's not grabbing those boards, either.

- Marc D'Amico

Monday, November 16 - Practice

Pierce Nurses Knee While Team Focuses On Defense

The Celtics held an open practice in Waltham today and worked hard for a little more than an hour in front of media members and corporate partners. It was a fast-paced practice with plenty of energy, a facet the team has been lacking over their past two games.

One main take-away from today's practice was that Paul Pierce is taking treatment of his knee injury relatively slow. Rivers told reporters that he shouldn't have played Pierce Saturday night against the Pacers, but The Truth talked him into it. Pierce participated in the first quarter of practice, using only half-court and agility drills to keep his basketball rhythm. While the rest of the team jumped into fast break drills and 5-on-5 scrimmaging, he rode a stationary bike to work in his own cardio. Rivers will limit Pierce to about the same amount of work in tomorrow's practice as well.

Turning back to the energy issue the Celtics have noticed over the past two games, Rivers put much of that responsibility on his shoulders. He believes that he did not prepare the team well enough for their weekend back-to-back.

"I thought I made a mistake on Thursday," he said. "I thought that we went way too hard in practice; I mean, we went hard on Thursday. And I thought it carried over to our back-to-back on Friday and Saturday."

Aside from the lack of energy, Kevin Garnett agreed with Rivers in that the team needs to pick up their execution in transition defense, but especially in pick-and-roll defense. He spoke in depth about working angles as a big man against opponents' pick-and-roll attempts. While dropping like Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, Rashard Lewis and combos like John Stockton-Karl Malone and Mo Wiliams-LeBron James, Garnett spoke about the difficulties of "showing" effectively but leaving his team in great overall position as a defense.

Garnett also cleared up that he doesn't think the Celtics are going backwards at all. He believes the team is continuing to move forward and is learning from their mistakes.

"I wouldn't call it slippage," Garnett said. "Slippage is when you stop being disciplined; you stop being consistent with what you started with, and I don't think we're (doing) that."

Practice Photos

- Marc D'Amico

Saturday, November 14 - Celtics at Pacers

Post Game Links

Celtics 104, Pacers 113: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Friday, November 13 - Hawks at Celtics

Post Game Links

Hawks 97, Celtics 86: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

A pregame couldn't be much quieter in the Celtics locker room, with Shelden Williams and Ray Allen being the only players speaking with reporters. As Allen spoke with ESPN, most of the media huddled around Wiliams and asked him about his thoughts of the Hawks. First off, he spoke about the differences in their team compared to when he left. He said that, obviously, the Hawks are much more mature, but the additions of Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford have really helped their team. Williams also spoke about the college game, as tonight is the big tip off for NCAA basketball. After a few words about recruits committing here and there, he was asked about playing "cupcakes" on opening night and starting the season off on the right track. "That's not the case anymore," was his response, before naming off Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse as big-time programs that have lost early in the season in the past year.

When Doc Rivers made it out to speak to the press, he talked about a few key points. First, he mentioned how in the 2008 playoffs, the Hawks were the first team to give the Celtics any type of real challenge that season. He expects that challenge to happen again tonight, with an older and upgraded Atlanta roster. Next, he couldn't avoid the dubious back-to-back question, as the C's will be in Indiana tomorrow night for a second game in as many nights. "It's a brutal game," he said. "When you're looking at the schedule... you look for what we call eight-and-sevens. Eight and sevens are an 8 o'clock night, and then a 7 o'clock night the next night. That's the first thing as a coach you look at. You hate those eight-and-sevens. It's tough."

- Marc D'Amico

Wednesday, November 11 - Jazz at Celtics

Post Game Links

Jazz 86, Celtics 105: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

Veteran's Day is always a time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in the United States and thank those who have fought to give us that opportunity, both in the past and present. The holiday hasn't gone unnoticed within the Celtics locker room, as both Ray Allen and Doc Rivers spoke about the importance of today during their pregame conversations witht he media. While Allen talked about the fact that no matter who you are, the odds are that you have been impacted by war and know someone who has been involved in the military at some capacity. Rivers, meanwhile, told reporters that on every Veteran's Day, he takes time out before game time to remind his players of what they're playing for and how thankful they should be for the freedom they've been given.

Inside the locker room, Allen was asked about getting to the free throw line more often, and you'd be surprised at the interesting story that accompanied his response. Glen Davis recently brought in a handful of newspaper clippings that he collected while he was in his elementary and middle school days. "[Davis] said a friend of his just wanted him to follow us when he was a little kid," Allen said. "[Glen's friend] said, 'I want you to follow these guys because they're going to be in the NBA one day. I want you to follow them and look at these particular players.'" The reason is obvious - look what Allen, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Paul Pierce (players whom Davis had clips on) have turned into. They were players to look up to when they were in high school, and they're players to look up to now.

The reason Allen brought up that story in response to the free throws question isn't quite as obvious. When Allen took a look at his particular clippings, he saw that he shot something around the 11-for-14 range fmor the field in that game and finished with about 26 points. He then noted that, while it was a great shooting night, it showed that he wasn't very aggressive offensively. "Any time you can get 11 attempts up, you should at least have 30 (points)," Allen said, alluding to the fact that he should have recorded about 10 points just from the free throw line that night.

Lastly, Rivers also spoke quite a bit about Deron Williams' impact on the Jazz team. Williams was OK'd to play in tonight's game in the middle of Jerry Sloan's pregame media access, as he is recovering from a bruised calf. He'll play, and Rivers wasn't too excited about that being the case. "I think his shot is what sets him apart from most of the other guards. He's a great shooter," Rivers said. He went on to rave about his strength, saying, "He's the most powerful of the guards, him and Chauncery (Billups)." That's going to be an interesting matchup tonight for Rajon Rondo, who is also one of the top guards in the league but is much smaller physically than Williams. Rivers said the key to Rondo limiting Williams' effectiveness is to slow him down before he can use his momentum to enhance that aforementioned strength.

- Marc D'Amico

Saturday, November 7 - Celtics at Nets

Post Game Links

Celtics 86, Nets 76: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Friday, November 6 - Suns at Celtics

Post Game Links

Suns 110, Celtics 103: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

No huge news from pregame media access tonight aside from the fact that Brian Scalabrine will not be available for the C's. Doc Rivers told reporters that Scal is out due to back spasms. He also wondered aloud how Scalabrine's back started acting up on an off day for the Celtics, saying, "How? I don't know... We didn't practice yesterday!"

Rivers also did some comparing of Shelden Williams and Channing Frye of the Suns. Both players are now playing great basketball for their teams a couple of years after they were drafted in the lottery of the NBA Draft. In both cases, some were calling them busts, but they're both putting those naysayers to rest this season. Rivers called both players prime cases of some young men just taking a bit longer to find their way in the NBA.

Finally, on the lighter side of things, Tony Allen and Glen Davis drew a bunch of laughs from the media in the locker room as they got in a fun-filled talk about today's report that Big Baby is eventually going to play in the NFL. "Wanna play tight end for the [St. Louis] Rams?!" Allen joked towards Davis with a laugh. The two exchanged some jokes back and forth for about five minutes or so, and it was constant laughter in the locker room, both from the press and from players like Lester Hudson and Bill Walker.

- Marc D'Amico

Wednesday, November 4 - Celtics at Timberwolves

Post Game Links

Celtics 105, 76ers 74: Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Tuesday, November 3 - Celtics at 76ers

Post Game Links

Celtics 105, 76ers 74: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Monday, November 2 - Celtics Extend Contract of Rondo

With Future Now Secure, Rondo Focused on Present

If anyone has been wondering what the Celtics are going to look like a few years down the line, you got your first indication today. Rajon Rondo has been signed to a contract extension that will keep him in Boston for years to come, and with that, the first brick has been laid to the future foundation of the Celtics organization.

In spite of what the rumor mill had been swirling around throughout the summer, Danny Ainge and the Celtics' ownership stepped up and made it clear that they don't want to see Rondo in any other jersey (well, maybe a bunch of All-Star jerseys) but theirs. Now, after an 11th hour agreement at the contract-extension deadline, Rondo will be sporting green and white into the next decade.

"Wyc [Grousbeck], Danny [Ainge] and Doc [Rivers] all have the confidence in me," Rondo said today, fresh off signing the most expensive paperwork of his life. "You know, that says a lot. They want me here, obviously for a long time, (and) I'm excited to be here, too."

- Marc D'Amico

Read More | Press Release

Sunday, November 1 - Hornets at Celtics

Post Game Links

Hornets 87, Celtics 97: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

Brian Scalabrine is finally ready to play after rehabbing his sprained ankle suffered more than a week ago. He fully participated in yesterday's practice and should see playing time either tonight or during Tuesday's game in Philadelphia. During Wednesday's home opener, the Garden crowd surprised Scalabrine when they began cheering for Doc Rivers to put him into the game. The surprise wasn't that they were cheering his name, but that the crowd had no idea that Rivers had said before tipoff that there was no way No. 44 would see any game action. "I don't know how 10,000 people forgot that I was playing!" Scal sarcastically joked to reporters.

Now that the month has turned over to November, Rajon Rondo can concentrate fully on basketball rather than his contract sitaution. The deadline to extend his contract is passing, and, pending an eleventh hour agreement, he will become a restricted free agent at the season's end. Rondo downplayed the entire situation, saying that he's not worried at all about his contract and he knows that, barring any major injury, he'll be playing somewhere next season. He made sure to clarify that he wants to be playing in green and white by saying flat out, "I want to be a Celtic."

When it came time for Rivers to speak to reporters, he was raving about two players. First, he spoke about Shelden Williams' play to start the season. Rivers believes that Williams is excelling in a Celtics uniform because the team isn't asking him to provide more than he needs to. The coaching staff is asking him to do what he does best: rebound, play defense and hit the open shot off of the pick-and-roll if it's there. Paul Pierce also got some props from Rivers regarding his rebounding rate this season. Pierce has 22 rebounds through three games, a high total for a small forward, and he's really attacking the glass on a nightly basis. Rivers doesn't see it as a surprise, though. He thinks Pierce is one of the best rebounding small forwards in the entire NBA.

- Marc D'Amico

Friday, October 30 - Bulls at Celtics

Post Game Links

Bulls 90, Celtics 118: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

As we all know, tonight's game will be the rekindling of last season's incredible seven-game playoff series between the Celtics and Bulls. There's plenty of hype around the game (hence national television on ESPN) and it's not just the fans getting caught up in what took place in April's series. Last night during the Spurs vs. Bulls game on TNT, Ray Allen was watching from home and reminisced when highlights of that series scrolled across the screen. He doesn't think those feelings will carry over into tonight's game, but he definitely enjoyed watching the highlights on TV.

Doc Rivers spoke to reporters and made it clear that he believes this Bulls team is much better than last season's Bulls team. "Not even close," he said. That's a pretty impressive statement when you take into account that Ben Gordon, the leading scorer for last season's Bulls team, has since departed for Detoit. "I think they're longer. I think they're a better defensive team. I think they fit," said Rivers.

Last season's playoff series was incredible when these two teams matched up. If Rivers' assertions are true and both of these teams have improved since their last meeting, this should be one heck of a game tonight.

- Marc D'Amico

Wednesday, October 28 - Bobcats at Celtics

Post Game Links

Bobcats 59, Celtics 92: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Pregame Media Access

Plenty of talk from Doc Rivers in his media session, in front of an abnormally large group of reporters. He gave a solid hint as to hat we'll be seeing from the C's frontline this season: Rasheed Wallace on the court when the team needs offense as well as to finish games, and Kendrick Perkins on the floor when the team needs defense.

As for tonight, much of the talk was about the guard play that we'll see between these two teams. Charlotte will send two rising point guards onto the floor to counter what Rajon Rondo will bring to the table for Boston. Raymond Felton, who re-signed with the team this summer, and D.J Augustin partner up to create one of the quickest point guard combos in all of the NBA. Rivers believes that Felton is more of a "scorer," meaning he will attack the basket, draw fouls and put pressure on the defense. On the contrary, Rivers called Augustin a pure "shooter" who can light it up from anywhere on the court.

The man they'll be defending most of the night, Rondo, is solidifying himself as one of the elite point guards in the league. He burst onto the seen with his postseason performance last season and is beginning to get a ton of respect from players around the league. As Rivers put it, "I think Rondo now has established himself as a guard that the other guards are going to get up for him, too. It's no longer just him measuring himself, it's them measuring themselves against Rondo."

- Marc D'Amico

Tuesday, October 27- Celtics at Cavaliers

Post Game Links

Celtics 95, Cavaliers 89: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score | Bench Rescues C's

Thursday, October 22- Celtics Waive Sweetney

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Celtics announced today that they have requested waivers on forward Michael Sweetney.

Sweetney signed with the Celtics on September 28 as a free agent. The former Georgetown Hoya appeared in five games for the Celtics during the 2009 preseason and averaged 3.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per game. The Celtics roster now stands at 15.

Wednesday, October 21 - Celtics at Cavaliers, Preseason

Post Game Links

Celtics 96, Cavaliers 82: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Tuesday, October 20 - Celtics at Knicks, Preseason

Post Game Links

Celtics 103, Knicks 108: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Sunday, October 18 - Celtics at Raptors, Preseason

Post Game Links

Celtics 101, Raptors 82: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Wednesday, October 14 - Raptors at Celtics, Preseason

Post Game Links

Raptors 90, Cetics 106: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Tuesday, October 13 - Celtics at Nets, Preseason

Post Game Links

Celtics 91, Nets 88: Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score

Sunday, October 11 - Nets at Celtics, Preseason

Post Game Links

Nets 93, Celtics 100: Recap | Box Score

Tony Allen Resting Foot Today

Not a whole lot going on during pregame this afternoon. The players were quiet, at least with the media, and Doc didn't have any big news to report outside of the fact that Tony Allen won't be on the court today. He's still experiencing foot pain and is going to rest up today.

Everyone seemed to be in great spirits for a Sunday morning, though. Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo poked fun at each other for about 10 minutes in the locker room, with Rondo dropping the line of the day thus far. House was reminding the guys that he owns the Celtics franchise record for 3-point shooting percentage for a season. As House put it, "I'm at the top. The tippy-top!" Walking out of the locker room, Rondo responded to that by saying, "Maybe if you made a few more shots, I'd be at the top of one of those lists too!"

One reporter asked Doc if he might be getting tossed out of this afternoon's game... not for arguing a call, but so that he could go back in the locker room and enjoy this great day of sports. With NFL football, the MLB playoffs and the President's Cup all taking place today, it's one of those can't-miss days in professional sports. Rivers called it the best time of the year, but he's not planning on getting tossed so that he can go enjoy it.

- Marc D'Amico

Friday, October 9 - Knicks at Celtics, Preseason

Starters To Get More Normal Minutes; More PT for KG

Doc Rivers told reporters before the game that his starters would play "more normal" rotation minutes, going longer in the first half and coming out to start the second half. Rivers said he felt he didn't feel he'd played KG enough on Wednesday, so look for a slight uptick in Garnett's minutes in tonight's contest.

Rivers said he's also sticking with playing Brian Scalabrine as a backup three for now, but admitted that it can put him into some tough situations defensively.

Ray Allen on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize

Ray Allen spoke at length today in the locker room before the game on Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Check out the video below.

- Peter Stringer

Friday, October 2 - Bill Walker Has Successful Surgery

Day 4 Video Update

Week of Practice Wraps in Newport

The Celtics closed Friday with an "average" session, but according to Head Coach Doc Rivers it was a solid week of camp. Confirming what several players contended yesterday, Rivers says that the offense is way behind the defense (he's only put in about five of the team's 60 or so offensive sets), but he doesn't seem to bothered with that prognosis.

"Average overall, a little sloppy. But I thought the play was good," Rivers said of Friday's session. "Overall, I've been thrilled with practice and training camp has been just terrific."

Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace both sat out the very end of practice, a reward for some veteran legs that should come as no surprise given Doc's oft-repeated stance on saving his players stamina.

One guy whose legs definitely needed rest was Tony Allen, who sat out today's session and could be found riding the exercise bike when practice concluded and the media was let in.

"He's just going to be day-to-day, it may be like this for a while with him. We're patient," Rivers said of Allen, who's rebounding from offseason ankle surgery. Rivers said of Allen's two practices that it was "two more" than he initially expected at from Allen at camp.

With the week of practices behind them, the Celtics will have just over a day of downtime before closing out their Newport trip with a intrasquad scrimmage for the students and faculty of Salve Regina here on Saturday night. Celtics.com and NBA.com will broadcast tomorrow's session live, giving fans a unique chance to watch the C's scrimmage against each other.

After that, practice returns to Waltham on Monday, and the team is set to play the Houston Rockets in their first preseason game on Wednesday, October 7 in Hidalgo, Texas.

Walker Press Release

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Celtics announced today that forward Bill Walker underwent successful right knee arthroscopic surgery today at the New England Baptist Hospital. Walker sustained a meniscus tear on the first day of training camp. Surgery was performed by Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon and assisted by John Rand, PAC. No timetable has been set for his return.

Thursday, October 1 - Training Camp Day 3 Update

Training Camp - Day 3 Video Update

Plenty of Talking on 'D'

If you've been hearing reports of how loud the Celtics' practices have been this week, it's probably due to all of the talking going on with the team's defensive units. Doc Rivers is pleased that his team is communicating at a high level, and while he called portions of today's session "sloppy", overall, when it comes to the recipe for another title run, the Celtics haven't forgotten their bread and butter.

"The defense is obviously ahead of the offense at this point. On the offensive end, guys are rushing and turning the ball over," Captain Paul Pierce said. "That's going to be the most important thing for us going into the year and that's been our staple the last couple of years, how we defend."

While the Celtics have always been a vocal defensive team, the addition of Rasheed Wallace might make them the loudest team in the league.

After today's practice, Wallace spent much of his interview today praising Kendrick Perkins for his defensive mindset and talked about how the excessive talking is like having "another set of eyes out there", while Pierce noted what Wallace brings to the floor on the defensive end.

"He's played on great defensive teams, championship teams, so he understands what it takes," Pierce said. "If we defend on high level, we're going to win on most nights."

Wallace's philosophy on having a talkative defense is simple. He talked about how vocal the great Pistons teams were with Chauncey Billups and company, and he thinks it's an important part of protecting teammates as well.

"You can't let your point guard get hurt. You can't let your two-guard get hurt. They could run into a screen and 'Wham!' they could be out for a couple of games. But if you're talking, they know that screen's coming." Wallace said.

And Wallace seems to be fitting in nicely with this veteran team that has one goal in mind. He likes the way Rivers runs camp, pushing the practice start time back to 12 p.m. and canning two-a-days knowing that his team can get the same work done in one long, intense session.

"It's good for veterans. We're going hard for about two, two-and-a-half hours, and get it out of the way," Wallace said. "Some people might think, we're only going once, Doc's too easy, but once we get in here, we know what we've got to do. We don't lollygag around. Guys go hard in drills. Guys go hard when we're competing up and down. I guess he doesn't want us to burn ourselves out."

Walker Headed for Friday Surgery

Kevin Garnett, who went through another full practice today, is certainly on the mend, but the news for Bill Walker is not as positive. After his MRI in Boston yesterday, Walker is slated to have a right knee arthroscopy tomorrow morning at New England Baptist Hospital. According to Doc Rivers' remarks after today's practice, Walker has a meniscus tear and is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks.

Wednesday, September 30 - Training Camp Day 2 Update

Day 2 Recap Video

KG Completes Practice, TA Gives It a Go

The Celtics went through Day 2 in Newport Wednesday, and this time Kevin Garnett went the distance, completing the entire practice as he continues his climb back to 100%.

"When I get out and sprint I really can't [get going] like I really want to, but each day I'm getting better and better," Garnett said, making a motor sound to describe how he'd like to be running. "Eighty-five percent, 90 percent would be pretty accurate."

The 2008 Defensive Player of the Year seems to be taking solace in the fact that his defensive abilities are returning quicker than his offense.

"Where I'm most excited and uplifted is on defense. I'm able to move laterally, and recover when a guy makes a strong move," Garnett said. "I can respond to that and react to that."

"Offense is just about mixing up schemes and getting people off balance. But it'll come. Strengthening, conditioning, of the leg, is going to take patience on my part. I push it to the limit until Ed [Lacerte] gives me the Daddy look like he wants to kill me."

Tony Allen, on the other hand, participated in his first practice of the camp today after sitting out Tuesday's session.

"I'm not where I want to be, but I'm gonna get it together," Allen said. "Today when I came in I stretched, started doing my individual stuff and I felt good, I didn't feel any pulling in my ankle. The swelling felt like it was down, and I said, 'Why not give it a shot?'"

- Peter Stringer

Wednesday, September 30 - Summer Sacrifice Leads to Impressive Offseason

Everyone looks forward to the warm breeze of summertime and the relaxing tone that often accompanies it. After all, summer is supposed to be the most laid-back and stress-free time of the year, right?

Well... at least for some people.

For others, it's time to get to work. While many were out sunbathing, taking vacations and enjoying time off from school or work, people like Danny Ainge were scouring the basketball universe for ways to upgrade their basketball teams.

Two summers ago, Ainge was the mastermind that constructed two blockbuster deals that resulted in the current version of the Big Three in Boston. That task was far from simple, eating up much of that summer, but he got it done. In June of 2008, he tasted the fruits of that labor when the Celtics brought home their 17th NBA championship trophy.

Following a quiet summer in 2008, at least in a roster sense, the 2008-09 season wasn't all smiles and celebrations. After losing Kevin Garnett to a season-ending knee injury in March, the C's came up short in their title defense and were knocked out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was a bitter disappointment for a team that was set on placing themselves into the select category of back-to-back NBA champions.

In the short term, it hurts. It always hurts to miss out on achieving realistic goals. But in the long run, it may wind up being a good thing. The hunger for championships never left the minds of anyone such as Paul Pierce, Garnett, Ray Allen or Ainge, but coming up short can only make that hunger grow stronger.

So how was Ainge going to put his team back in prime position for a 2010 title run? The answer is simple in concept: another busy summer.

Read More

- Marc D'Amico

Tuesday, September 29 - Camp Opens in Newport

Video: Rasheed Wallace

Video: Kevin Garnett

Video: Paul Pierce

Video: Kendrick Perkins

Morning Update

12:25 p.m. - Practice is underway here at Salve Regina in Newport, Rhode Island, about 90 minutes south of Boston. The team arrived last night after Media Day in Waltham, and according to P.R. chief Jeff Twiss, all 16 players, including training camp invitee Mike Sweetney, are in action.

As for Sweetney, who played one game with the Celtics in the Orlando Summer League before sustaining a hamstring injury that finished his week, he's on a mission to show the NBA, if not the Celtics, that he's ready to make a comeback. He acknowledged on Monday that he's picked basically the hardest roster in the league to crack, but he plans on giving it his best shot.

"I just expect to come out here and do what I do, and that's come out and compete and show people I can still play and I'm able to compete in this league," Sweetney said.

Sweetney said he's been around the team for a month or so, and he expects this team to win it all.

"I've never seen a brotherhood [like this before], how everybody's together off the floor and on the floor," Sweetney said. "On the floor, you see guys competing so hard, and when they leave the floor they don't take it with them. I've just never seen anything like that. It's a great organization to be in."

Of course, the big story at camp this year is the return to action of Kevin Garnett, who's coming off an offseason knee injury that kept him out of the postseason and kept the Celtics from getting a shot at defending their 2008 NBA Championship at full strength.

"Last year was the first year I've ever been injured. Not hurt, but injured," said Garnett. "That was tough for me because I don't like to sit on the bench because it's already driving me crazy that I can't play. I couldn't help and had to help with my mouth and my cheerleading and my wisdom more than anything or going out and being productive and helping my team."

Garnett also said he gained a new perspective on what it takes to be successful in the NBA, and it was painful to endure.

"One thing that stood out, and one thing I learned, is that it takes everybody to win. All facets of life have to be lined up, health-wise, chemistry, all the things have to be lined up. You need a little bit of luck on your side also, but from my perspective it was excruciating. It was hard sitting there watching my guys get beat up, fight and claw and try to fight their way through knowing that physically you can't do anything about it."

Monday, September 28 - Celtics Begin Season at Media Day 2009

Good ol' Media Day. It's the day NBA players often dread, but the media absolutely loves. It's the only day when asking every quirky question you can pull out of your hat isn't abnormal to these superstar athletes. The press had that opportunity today at Media Day 2009, the official tipoff to the Celtics season.

Amid the oddball questions like, "What's your top childhood Christmas memory?", basketball was definitely in the air. Between stops at different stations (and believe me, there were a lot of those), Celtics players bounced balls and shot at every hoop on their path. You could tell what was really on their mind. Although it was a comedy session at times, the players also had their game faces on when speaking about the upcoming season.

If there was one thing to take out of this day, it's that this team is all business and ready to make a run deep into the playoffs. No matter how many questions popped up about contract negotiations, "windows of opportunity," and possible rotation issues, every player came back to one thing: winning an 18th NBA championship for the Celtics franchise -- this season.

With a stacked roster that adds major depth upgrades to nearly every position from last season, that goal is more than just possible. It's expected. Paul Pierce noted that by adding Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels, two players who started for their respective teams last season, the C's are now one of the deepest teams this league has seen in a long time. Wallace went into a little more detail regarding the Celtics' frontline, saying that you'd be hard-pressed to find a group of big men that communicate and play defense like the bigs Boston will throw at their opponents this season.

As the day began to wind down and the hour hand creeped closer and closer to 4 p.m., it was obvious that the players were getting antsy. No matter how fun it is to record videos, show off your personality and get to know the new reporters in town, players know what they're really there for, and that's to play basketball. At 4:30 p.m., the team wrapped up the show and boarded a bus destined for training camp in Newport, RI. Today was the official opening day of their season, but tomorrow is when the real work begins.

Be sure to check back to Celtics.com tomorrow and throughout the week for more content from Media Day and training camp in Newport.

- Marc D'Amico

Media Day Photos

Tuesday, September 1- Celtics Sign Veteran Swingman Marquis Daniels

The Boston Celtics took another step today toward rounding out their roster for a run at the 2010 NBA Championship. Just three weeks after the team bolstered their frontcourt depth with the re-signing of power forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis and the addition of 6-foot-9 forward/center Shelden Williams, the team today announced that the backcourt has added some depth, too, in the form of veteran guard Marquis Daniels.

Daniels had been rumored to be on his way to wearing Celtics green for weeks, but today's signing finally made it official. Daniels is coming off of a year in which he averaged career-highs of 13.6 PPG and 4.6 APG for Indiana. He is a six-year NBA veteran who can play numerous positions and will provide great depth off the bench in support of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and possibly Rajon Rondo.

Press Release

- Marc D'Amico

Monday, August 10- C's Hold Press Conference to Announce Re-Signing of Davis and Addition of Williams

You'd be hard-pressed to find a team in the NBA with more depth in the frontcourt than the Boston Celtics. The C's made a splash in the free agent market by signing forward-center Rasheed Wallace early in the offseason, but brought in even more depth today by re-signing Glen Davis and adding Shelden Williams. The Celtics held a joint press conference today in Waltham to announce both signings.

Davis returns after a stellar 2008-09 season in which he filled in for the injured Kevin Garnett and averaged 15.8 PPG and 5.6 RPG in the 2009 Playoffs. Williams, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, has averaged 4.7 PPG and 4.2 RPG in his career.

Glen Davis Release | Shelden Williams Release

- Marc D'Amico

Monday, August 10- Celtics Re-Sign Glen Davis

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has re-signed forward Glen Davis to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Glen has been a big part of our success for the past two years and we are very excited to have him back," said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations.

Full Press Release

Friday, August 7- Celtics Sign Shelden Williams

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has signed free agent center/forward Shelden Williams to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Williams, a 6'9", 250 lbs center/forward, was originally drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. The former Duke Blue Devil has posted career averages of 4.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game. After being acquired by the Minnesota Timberwolves from the Sacramento Kings on February 19, 2009, he appeared in 15 games for his new team and averaged 4.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game.

Tuesday, August 4- 2009-10 Boston Celtics Schedule Released

The NBA Draft is over. Summer League is over. The free agent pool is quickly dwindling. Those are signs of the summer coming to an end. You know what that means -- the upcoming season is right around the corner.

Another sign of the season quickly approaching is the release of the 2009-10 NBA schedule. That happened today, and Celtics.com has broken down the Celtics schedule to let you know what dates to mark on your calendar, what holidays you'll see your team playing on and what stretches of the season might be challenging and intriguing.

Check out the links below to find it all out and take a peek at the schedule with your own eyes!

Celtics.com Schedule Breakdown | Full Schedule

- Marc D'Amico

Friday, July 31- Celtics Waive Guard Gabe Pruitt

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has requested waivers on guard Gabe Pruitt.

Pruitt was originally drafted by the Celtics with the 32nd pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. The 6'4", 170-pound guard appeared in 62 career games over two seasons with the team averaging 2.0 points per game. Pruitt most recently appeared for the Celtics during the 2009 Orlando Summer League and posted averages of 10.6 points, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Thursday, July 9 - Celtics Set to Introduce Rasheed Wallace at 4 p.m.

Rasheed Makes First Appearance as a Celtic

Five familiar faces of the Celtics' basketball family took the stage today to introduce their newest teammate, four-time All-Star forward/center Rasheed Wallace.

With President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge, Head Coach Doc Rivers and his new running mates, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett by his side, Wallace met the Boston press for the first time.

Throughout the press conference, it was hard to ignore what was sitting over Wallace's left shoulder, raised high on the back wall of the practice court. It's the scoreboard -- a scoreboard that will serve as an indicator to he and his teammates regarding what's taking place on the court during their many practice sessions to come. Today it was an indicator, too.

Read More | Photos

Setting up in Waltham

The media section is beginning to fill up and we're almost set to kick off the official welcome of Rasheed Wallace to the Boston Celtics.

Wallace is scheduled to take the stage at 4 p.m. today to speak with the media along with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Danny Ainge. Head Coach Doc Rivers may be making an appearance as well, but that still isn't set in stone.

- Marc D'Amico

Wednesday, July 8 - Celtics Sign Rasheed Wallace

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent center/forward Rasheed Wallace. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are ecstatic to be able to add a player the caliber of Rasheed Wallace to our team," said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge. "It is not every day that you can add a four-time All-Star and a player with championship experience."

Full Release

Wednesday, July 1 - Hudson Meets Press, Summer Roster Taking Shape

Lester Hudson is older than Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, but he's starting from scratch as the 58th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He knows he's a long shot to make the roster.

"It was hard growing up for me, I used to play in the playgrounds with older guys pushing on me," said Hudson, who turns 25 on August 7. "I just want to compete every day, work hard in practice and show Danny [Ainge] that I'm the right guy for the pick."

Hudson was very quiet and seemed a bit intimidated by all of the attention this morning in Waltham. You know the guy's feeling out of place when he's calling members of the Boston media "sir". But he'll learn. He did loosen up a bit when he talked about his legendary quadruple-double, and how his college coach put him back in to get the final steal and assist he needed to make history at the Tennessee-Martin.

More from Waltham on Hudson, Big Baby, Leon Powe, and Eddie House...

Monday, June 29 - C's Affiliated with Maine Red Claws

NEW YORK, June 29, 2009 -- The National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA, today announced the affiliation system for the 2009-10 season, including the announcement of a direct single-affiliation partnership between the Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. For the fifth consecutive year, each NBA team has one NBA D-League affiliate to which it may assign players in their first or second NBA season.

The Rockets became the first NBA team to enter into a direct single-affiliation partnership with an NBA D-League team, granting the Rockets full control over the basketball operations of the Vipers. With the move, the Rockets will be the only parent-club of the team.

In a structure similar to other minor leagues, this new partnership model, previously referred to as the "hybrid affiliation," allows for NBA teams to secure control over and cover the expenses related to the basketball operations of an NBA D-League team, while partnering with existing local ownership, who maintain responsibility for the off-the-court business operations of the team.

Full Release

Thursday, June 25- Celtics Nab Lester Hudson With Pick No. 58

The Boston Celtics used their 58th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft to grab Lester Hudson, a senior combo guard out of Tennessee Martin.

Hudson declared for the NBA Draft in 2008 but pulled his name and returned for a stellar senior year in which he averaged 27.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 4.2 APG. He's a dynamic offensive talent who lit up the nets at a 44.9 percent clip during the 2008-09 season.

The four-year college player spent time playing both guard positions throughout his career and put up big numbers across the board in the process. He will add depth to the Celtics' backcourt and may be able to provide a nice scoring threat off of the bench.

- Marc D'Amico

More on Hudson

Tuesday, June 23- KG and Powe Update

Danny Ainge briefly touched on injury updates today regarding Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe.

KG is on the fast track back to the court and is healing very well from his recent knee surgery. He was in Boston up until this past weekend, when he flew out to California to his summer home. The team set him up with trainers and physical therapists in California and he will also be visited by Head Athletic Trainer Ed Lacerte and Strength and Conditioning Coach Bryan Doo throughout the summer.

"KG is coming along great, very well. He should be 100 percent by the time we start training camp," Ainge said.

Powe is also recovering well from his knee surgery, but due to the severity of his injury, the timetable for his return is a bit more cloudy. Although he is rehabbing and doing well, Ainge does not expect Powe to be fully recovered by the start of the season.

- Marc D'Amico

Tuesday, June 23- Ainge Talks Draft and Rumors

Whenever the words "this week" can be associated with the NBA Draft, you know wild rumors are going to be running rampant. This year, no team in the NBA has been the subject of more draft-week rumors than the Boston Celtics.

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge publicly addressed the media about the NBA Draft Tuesday morning in Waltham, and on top of questions about the 58th overall selection that the team owns, there were plenty regarding the rumor mill.

With the 58th pick, Ainge said he doesn't expect to acquire a player who will make immediate contributions, but that doesn't rule out the possibility of picking up an impact player by moving into the first round.

"We're also exploring options of players that we really like that we might move up in the draft, and what the price might be to move up in the draft," he said. "I think that's unlikely, though. I think moving up in the draft is going to be unlikely."

The reason? Ainge has found that the price to move up isn't cheap, and he doesn't want to sacrifice his team's current talent for a developmental project.

"There's not a need in drafting somebody that's not as good as the players that you have," said Ainge.

With that in mind, although he thinks the possibility of acquiring a top pick is off the radar for the Celtics, he did state that he believes there are numerous top picks available for the right price tag.

If Boston doesn't move up in the draft, Ainge likens their position to trying to find a player like Ryan Gomes, who was extremely successful at the collegiate level but for some reason or another (height, length, quickness) he has slipped under the radar.

"Usually when you draft in the 50's [you're] looking for a diamond in the rough," he said.

One player whose name was tossed in Ainge's direction was Jeff Adrien, a 6-foot-6 forward out of Connecticut. Coincidentally, Adrien was downstairs in the practice facility preparing for a six-player workout that was to begin following Ainge's press conference.

Slava Kravstov (C, Ukraine), Robert Dozier (PF, Memphis), Aaron Jackson (PG, Duquesne), Bryan Mullins (PG, Southern Illinois) and Geoff McDermott (SF, Providence) were slated to participate in the workout alongside Adrien.

Next on tap, which was certainly expected, was the massive trade rumors that have swirled around the league concerning the Celtics' budding star point guard, Rajon Rondo.

Ainge made it clear that he will never go out on a limb and publicly state that any player is "untradeable," but he did state emphatically that the Celtics are extremely pleased with Rondo as a person and player and are intrigued by his future potential.

"We love Rajon, and I think everybody in here knows how good of a player he is and what sort of a bright future he has," he said.

"The notion that we might be trading him because of some reason, other than we think that we could be better... [like] his contract situation, I've heard speculation. I've heard speculation of 'We're dissatisfied with him and his attitude.' That stuff is so false. 'He showed up late for a playoff game, so we're going to trade him.' None of those things are true. We love the kid. And we think he's got a very bright future."

To take things to another level, Ainge said he expects no trades this offseason that include any of the Celtics' core players.

Overall, and as expected, Ainge avoided giving any concrete answers concerning the Celtics' plans for Thursday night's draft. While he denied many rumors, he left many possibilities open for possible moves. If we've learned anything in the recent past concerning Ainge's draft-night strategies, it's to never say never and be prepared for anything.

No big moves are anticipated at the moment, and the C's stand at No. 58 on the draft board. Only time will tell if that's where Ainge keeps them.

- Marc D'Amico