free agency

Taylor Snow

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics strengthened their frontcourt depth Thursday afternoon by signing 6-foot-7 forward Oshae Brissett.

The 25-year-old Canada native was one of two additions made by the Celtics on the first day of free agency, as the team also inked its second-round draft pick, forward Jordan Walsh, to his first NBA contract.

Brissett fought his way into the league in 2019-20 as an undrafted free agent with the Toronto Raptors, and then broke through the following season with the Indiana Pacers. He spent his last three seasons in Indy, where he averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 153 appearances, including 43 starts.

All but two of those starts came during his first two seasons with the Pacers, during which he posted averages of 9.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG along with a respectable 36.8 percent shooting clip from 3-point range. However, he got caught up in a wing logjam last season and saw his minutes drop from 23.3 per game to 16.7.

There isn’t as much of a logjam at that position with this Celtics team, so Brissett could have an opportunity to carve out a nice backup role behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

While he isn’t as much of a scoring threat as the Jays, Brissett can provide defensive versatility, rebounding, and plenty of hustle. Fans in Indiana loved him, and he’s the type of tenacious player that Boston fans will get behind, too.

Brissett’s combination of athleticism and length (he has a 7-foot wingspan) allows him to guard multiple positions and be a threat on the glass. His 5.4 offensive rebound percentage last season ranked in the 83rd percentile (not bad for a 6-foot-7 guy), according to Cleaning the Glass.

Although he’s been an average long-distance shooter for his career, Brissett has the ability to get hot.

Brissett happened to have the best long-distance shooting effort of his career against Boston on Feb. 27, 2022, when he shot 6-of-9 from deep in a 27-point effort, leading the Pacers to a 128-107 win over the eventual Eastern Conference champions. A month later, during a rematch in Boston, he logged 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from deep in a 128-123 Pacers loss.

Brissett has shown promise as a corner shooter in the past, and coming to a team that emphasizes spacing could help him blossom in that aspect. Plus, there’s the added incentive of finally contributing to a contending team, as he has yet to log an NBA playoff appearance.

Such eagerness was on display as soon as Brissett was handed a black Boston Celtics pen to sign his deal Thursday afternoon: “I’m ready to put a jersey on, ready to get out there, meet everybody and win some games.”

sidebar-offseason-20230706-brissett-adds-defensive-versatility-depth-in-bostons-frontcourt

Brissett Adds Defensive Versatility, Depth in Boston’s Frontcourt

The Boston Celtics made their first splash of free agency Tuesday morning by signing Danilo Gallinari, a 14-year veteran sharpshooter who should add size and scoring to Boston’s bench.

Gallinari is the second major addition that the C’s have made in the past four days after acquiring Malcolm Brogdon, a versatile combo guard, via a trade with the Indiana Pacers Saturday afternoon.

“We are thrilled to welcome Danilo to Boston”, Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens stated Tuesday morning. “With his elite shooting abilities, he has long been established as of the league’s best scorers with size.”

The 6-foot-10 power forward played his last two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to San Antonio last week in the deal that landed Dejounte Murray in Atlanta. The Spurs subsequently bought out Gallinari’s contract, which allowed him to sign with the C’s.

Last season with the Hawks, while playing mostly in a bench role, Gallinari averaged 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and `1.5 assists while shooting 43.4 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from 3-point range, and 90.4 percent from the free-throw line. The soon-to-be 34-year-old has career averages of 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists to go along with shooting clips of 42.8 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from long range, and 87.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Gallinari is a fearless 3-point shooter, who can make shots off the catch and off the dribble. He’s shot above 40 percent from deep in three of the past four seasons while averaging 5.5 attempts from long range during that span. He’s made 1,426 career 3-pointers, which is the fifth most all-time by a player 6-foot-10 or taller, per ESPN Stats and Info.

Italy’s all-time leading NBA scorer also boasts excellent free-throw efficiency, having shot above 90 percent from the line in five of his last six seasons.

The Celtics missed having a consistent scoring threat in their second unit last season, finishing in the bottom five in bench scoring at 30.2 points per game. Gallinari should aid them significantly in that aspect and should ultimately take some offensive pressure off Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Although his scoring was down from his career average last season, Gallinari still boasted a 118.4 offensive rating. The Celtics know just how lethal he can be, as he’s torched them on many occasions over the years.

His most notable performance against the Celtics came on Feb. 24, 2021, when he poured in 38 points on a career-best 10-of-12 shooting from 3-point range. The effort tied him with Peja Stojakovic for the tallest player in NBA history to make at least 10 triples in a game.

Gallinari is also an efficient scorer in the post and could even play center if the Celtics decide to go small. After all, he is now the tallest member of the Celtics' regular rotation and has some bulk at 236 pounds.

Aside from his scoring ability, Gallinari excels with ball security. He’s averaged just 1.2 turnovers per game in his career, including a minuscule 0.6 per game last season.

A consistent offensive weapon was exactly what Boston’s bench needed during its Finals run this past season, and moving forward they’ll have two in Brogdon and Gallinari.

gallinari-adds-size-offensive-firepower-to-bostons-bench

Gallinari Adds Size, Offensive Firepower to Boston's Bench

Quite a bit of pressure was lifted off the shoulders of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum Friday afternoon, as the Boston Celtics added another offensive weapon to the mix in signing veteran point guard Dennis Schroder.

The move came 11 full days after the start of free agency, but it was well worth the wait. Schroder was one of the best available players on the market, and he should settle into a significant scoring and playmaking role for a Celtics team that was in need of a player with such experience and skill.

The Celtics also added to their frontcourt depth Friday by bringing back veteran center Enes Kanter, who previously played for the team in 2019-20. On top of that, they filled one of their two-way spots with the addition of Summer League standout Max Hauser, a rookie wing who knocked down six 3-pointers in Thursday night's win over the Orlando Magic.

Schroder’s addition, along with that of Josh Richardson two weeks prior, should help fill the voids left behind by offseason departures Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker. Both new players pack a significant offensive punch, particularly Schroder, who boasts career averages of 14.3 points and 4.7 assists per game over the course of eight NBA seasons.

Schroder’s first five seasons were spent in Atlanta where he developed the reputation of being a scrappy competitor on both sides of the ball with a strong ability to make plays for himself and others. Celtics fans likely remember such tenacity out of Schroder from the many heated playoff battles they shared over the years. His final season in Atlanta in 2017-18 was his most impactful, as he averaged a career-best 19.4 PPG to go along with 6.2 APG, 3.1 rebounds per game, and 1.1 steals per game.

The Germany native then moved onto Oklahoma City, where he had the unique opportunity to back up two Hall-of-Fame-bound point guards in consecutive years – first with Russell Westbrook in 2018-19, and then with Chris Paul in 2019-20. He obtained such valuable experience while also being one of the most productive sixth men in the league. In fact, he led all bench scorers in 2019-20 with 18.4 PPG and finished second in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting behind winner Montrezl Harrell.

Prior to last season, Schroder was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he played alongside two more Hall-of-Fame-bound players in Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The big difference this time around was that Schroder got to live out the experience while serving as a starter. He averaged 15.4 PPG and 5.8 APG, finishing as the team’s third-leading scorer behind James and Davis, respectively, and as the second-leading assister behind James.

Schroder could find himself in a similar role this coming season, as he prepares to suit up alongside another pair of stars in Brown and Tatum. It’s been the intention of Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens to build around those two, and their new point guard should be a strong complementary piece.

Schroder is a shifty, speedy player on offense, who excels at driving to the basket. Last season, he averaged 13.3 drives per game, which would have placed him first on the Celtics in that category ahead of both Tatum (12.4) and Brown (10.5). He chose to pass on 42.9 percent of those drives, a trend which should bode well for Tatum and Brown who will likely be on the receiving end of many such kick-out dishes. And when he gets fouled on those drives, Schroder converts his free throws at an efficient 83.1 percent career clip.

The C’s should also benefit in landing Schroder while he is right in the prime of his career at 27 years old (turns 28 Sept. 15). Though, he’s been playing like a player in his prime since age 23 when he had his breakout season in Atlanta with averages of 17.9 PPG and a career-best 6.3 APG. Since the start of that season five years ago, Schroder is one of just 18 players in the NBA to average at least 17 PPG and 5 APG. The other 17 players on the list have all been All-Stars.

The Celtics aren’t necessarily asking Schroder to be an All-Star, but they do hope that he competes like one. And that should not be a problem considering what he wrote to Celtics fans on his Instagram story after reaching an agreement with Boston: “I’m proud to announce that for the 2021-22 season I’ll be playing with the Boston Celtics. This is one of the best franchises in NBA history and it will be a honour to put on the green and white and do what I love! I’m going out there every night and leaving it all on the floor for the city!! Who’s ready?!”

Celtics fans should be just as eager to welcome Schroder as he is to put on their beloved uniform. He is the extra scorer and playmaker that they need, he’s an experienced veteran who has played alongside numerous future Hall-of-Famers, and he is exactly the type of player that can complement both Brown and Tatum as they continue to ascend.

addByline("Taylor Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");
                   addPhoto("https://publish.nba.com/celtics/sites/celtics/files/schroderps.jpeg", "Dennis Schroder's message to Celtics fans", "ds17_fg/Instagram","dennis");

celtics-add-experienced-playmaker-scorer-in-dennis-schroder

Celtics Add Experienced Playmaker, Scorer in Dennis Schroder

BOSTON – Tacko Fall, Javonte Green, Max Strus and Tremont Waters each made an impact on the Boston Celtics’ 2019 Summer League squad – enough so that the organization couldn’t part ways with any of them after the summer session came to an end.

The team announced Thursday that it will be holding onto all four players for the foreseeable future, as it signed each onto its roster in some form.

For those fans who didn’t catch all of the Summer League action, or simply just want to know more background info on Boston’s newest signees, we’ve put together player capsules on each of them.

Despite going undrafted in June, Tacko Fall was the most publicized figure throughout all of the Summer League. Fans flocked to Thomas &amp; Mack Center to see the 7-foot-6 wonder, who towered above every player he competed with or against.

Though, it soon became clear that Fall was more than just a freakishly tall athlete; he displayed skill and agility that complemented his size, which made him into a top priority for the Celtics to hang onto.

The 23-year-old Senegalese big man tallied 7.2 PPG on 77.0 percent shooting in Vegas, while also logging 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. What’s remarkable is that he recorded those numbers while playing only 12.6 minutes per game, thus he averaged 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per 36 minutes.

Fall's outstanding shooting efficiency this summer was not a fluke. During four years at the University of Central Florida, he shot 73.96 percent from the field, which is the highest mark in NCAA history by more than six percentage points.

Opposing Summer League defenses didn’t stand a chance whenever Fall received the ball in the low post, where he’d often rise an inch or two for a comically easy dunk. And no one dared to take him one-on-one on the other end of the court, where he often punished those who tried with an emphatic swat of the ball.

Javonte Green was a name that most Celtics fans probably didn’t recognize when Boston’s 2019 Summer League roster was first released, but that changed once the 6-foot-5 wing began punishing rims in Vegas.

Green was an energetic force for the Celtics on both sides of the ball, unleashing mighty slam dunks on the offensive end, while hampering opposing scorers on the defensive side of the ball.

“He’s special,” Morrison told the Boston Globe of Green, who averaged 10.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, all while shooting 50.0 percent from the field during the summer session. “Getting out in transition, he’s a beast. If you can get him downhill with a little momentum, he can get to the rim on two dribbles, and obviously defensively he’s been disrupting people with his defense all week. Obviously we’ve been preaching to him to win people over with his defense and they can stay for his offense.”

The 26-year-old joins the Celtics with a few seasons of professional experience already under his belt. After starring at Radford University from 2011 to 2015, Green journeyed overseas and played four seasons across three different leagues. He secured LEB Oro league MVP honors during his first pro season, after averaging 18.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 2.2 SPG for Marin Peixegalego.

Another undrafted free agent whom the Celtics quickly pounced upon this summer was Max Strus. The DePaul product proved why during four games of Summer League action, as he poured in 39 points over 72 minutes of playing time.

Strus was one of the top 3-point threats in the nation this past collegiate season, finishing 11th in long-distance makes (113 in 35 games) in all of Division I, while ranking third in the Big East in scoring at 20.9 PPG. The Hickory Hills, Illinois native dropped in 30-plus points on six occasions, including a career-high 43-point effort March 3 against St. John’s.

Strus has shown that he is by no means a one-dimensional player, as he also made a significant mark on the defensive end throughout his college career, and also during the recent NBA summer session. That combination of skills is what enticed the Celtics to sign him to a two-way contract, which will allow him to split time between the C’s and their G League affiliate Maine Red Claws.

“I think he’s probably going to be a steal if he’s healthy,” Morrison said of Strus. “I think he’s going to get out there and be a potential 3-and-D guy in the NBA.”

So, we’ve got a massive post presence in Fall, an athletic, experienced vet in Green, and a 3-and-D stud in Strus. That brings us to the flashy playmaker of the group – Tremont Waters.

The 51st overall pick of this year’s draft was one of the first players who made a positive impression on Morrison as the summer squad assembled for its first few practices. The coach noted how much heart the 5-foot-11 guard had from the get-go, as well his strong ability to run the point.

“I thought people would have a knock on him that he’s smaller and maybe that’s why he didn’t get drafted higher or whatever the case may be,” Morrison said after the third practice of the summer. “But I’m a sucker for guys that make good reads, make the right read depending on what the defense gives you and that’s his specialty, so he’s had some nifty passed out there already, he makes good reads, and he’s shown a little bit of a shooting ability that maybe we weren’t expecting.”

Waters’ adept ability to find the open man is what allowed him to become one of the most prolific passers in LSU history. He dished out 5.9 APG to go along with 15.6 PPG during his two seasons in Baton Rouge, and even broke former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons’ freshman assist record in 2017-18 when he dished out 198 total dimes.

The 21-year-old was also the most productive passer on Boston’s summer squad, as he averaged a team-leading 4.8 APG to go along with 11.2 PPG and 2.0 SPG over 24.4 minutes of action.

addByline("Taylor C. Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");
addPhoto("https://publish.nba.com/celtics/sites/celtics/files/190725fall300350.jpg", "Tacko Fall (7-foot-7) stands next to teammate Carsen Edwards (6-foot-1).", "Bart Young/NBAE", "fall");
addPhoto("https://publish.nba.com/celtics/sites/celtics/files/190725green300350.jpg", "Javonte Green throws down a dunk.", "Bart Young/NBAE","green");
addPhoto("https://publish.nba.com/celtics/sites/celtics/files/190725strus300350.jpg", "Max Strus shoots a 3-pointer.", "Bart Young/NBAE", "strus");
addPhoto("https://publish.nba.com/celtics/sites/celtics/files/190725waters300350.jpg", "Tremont Waters looks to make a pass.", "Bart Young/NBAE", "waters");

four-newest-signees-bring-variety-of-skills-to-cs

Four Newest Signees Bring Variety of Skills to C’s

BOSTON – As soon as the NBA Draft concluded on the night of June 20, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge began chalking up plans for potential free agent targets. The team’s main areas of focus were to fill voids at both the point guard and center positions. So, at the top of its board was “Plan A”: acquire both Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter – two of the most talented and highest-character players available at those roles.

Fortunately for Ainge and his staff, the Celtics happened to be at the top of both Walker and Kanter’s lists, as well. A couple of phone calls and a few swoops of the pen later, and the veteran duo was officially on board. Their journey and a new chapter in Celtics history began Wednesday, as they were both introduced together at the Red Auerbach Center in Boston.

For Walker, the decision to join the Celtics was mostly a no-brainer. It was tough for him to leave the Charlotte Hornets, the team with which he had spent his entire eight-year career up until this summer, but the three-time All-Star wanted to have the opportunity to play for a team that had the potential of being a perennial contender. The Celtics had that to offer, plus the incentive of being close to home (New York) and where he went to college (UConn).

“For me, it’s the competitiveness of this organization,” Walker said of what drew him to the C’s. “They’ve been winning for years. You see all the banners upstairs (at the training facility) and in the arena. It’s a winning organization and I want to win. That's what I’m about. Throughout my basketball career, as a pro, I haven’t won consistently, and I just want to get a taste of that, and I thought this would be the best place for me to do that.”

To improve his chances of tasting such success, Walker took it upon himself to help the Celtics complete their free agency plan. After arriving in Boston, he took Ainge’s phone and dialed up his “Plan A” partner to issue a recruiting pitch.

“I answered the phone,” Kanter recalled with a smile. “It was a deep voice and I was like, ‘Who’s this?’ He said, ‘It’s Kemba, man, and we want you to be here and we’re excited about you.’ That made me very excited and feel special. Having an All-Star guy, a superstar like Kemba call me and say, ‘Hey, we want you to be here.’ That’s special.”

Kanter can relate to Walker’s desire to win. Last season, he experienced both ends of the success spectrum having spent the first half on a struggling New York Knicks team and the second half on a Western Conference Finals-bound Portland Trail Blazers squad.

“I understand money or whatever could be important,” explained Kanter, who, like Walker has eight years of NBA experience under his belt. “But for me, at this point of my career, the most [important] thing is definitely winning.”

The key to winning with this group, Walker says, is by having every player buy into a selfless approach and finding ways to feed off one another. He may become the star of this Celtics team, but Walker wants to share the spotlight with his teammates to make sure that they all feel empowered and can benefit from each other’s skill sets.

"I think my skills complement these guys,” said Walker, who averaged 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season while earning All-NBA honors. “I love to get in the lane and I’m gonna have a lot of attention. That’ll definitely open up opportunities for other guys but for the most part, I think I make my teammates better in other ways, just being a good teammate, wanting the best for those guys and pushing them as much as possible. It’s going to be fun.”

Kanter will likely be responsible for creating a large portion of that fun. Throughout his career, he has garnered the reputation of being one of the most enjoyable locker room guys in the league, while also being a dominant low-post force and a consistent double-double threat on the court.

“It’s very important for the chemistry,” Kanter explained of his lighthearted, cheerful attitude. “You have to have fun, you have to put a smile on people’s faces, especially in the locker room, especially after a tough game. People will try to learn from their mistakes and at the same time start thinking about the next game. It’s important to be that guy in the locker room and put a smile on people’s faces.”

Character, to Ainge and his staff, matters just as much as talent, which is why the Walker-Kanter combo was their Plan A heading into this offseason.

“We were very fortunate that they chose the Boston Celtics,” Ainge said as he sat between his two new colleagues at a podium in the practice gym. “We’re very excited about what they bring in many facets of the game, but also as people. Who they are is just as important as what they are on the court and what they represent.”

addByline("Taylor C. Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");

plan-a-accomplished-celtics-welcome-walker-kanter-to-boston

'Plan A' Accomplished: Celtics Welcome Walker, Kanter to Boston

Marc D'Amico

LAS VEGAS – It’s official: Kemba Walker is a member of the Boston Celtics.

What does that mean to Celtics Nation? Prepare to be electrified.

Walker, a three-time All-Star and All-NBA Third Team guard last season, is one of the most dynamic point guards in the NBA. He scores. He passes. He rebounds. He leads.

He is the complete package, and one that will fit in perfectly within Brad Stevens’ system.

Why? Because Walker can score in bunches both on and off the ball, and he’s one of the top 3-point marksman in the league when he is provided quality looks. Brad Stevens acknowledged as much in 2016, when he said of Walker, “The No. 1 thing that you point to is he shoots 39 percent from 3.”

Walker is a career 35.6 percent shooter from long distance, but he shot between 37.1 percent and 39.9 percent from long range from 2015-2018. Even more intriguing to the Celtics may be the fact that Walker canned 44.3 percent of catch-and-shoot 3s last season, according to NBA.com/stats. That’s an elite rate, and one that will translate well into Boston’s system.

That system is based upon pace and space, and there will be plenty of the latter when Walker is flanked by players such as Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Walker should be afforded far more catch-and-shoot opportunities than he received in Charlotte’s system, which relied heavily upon him dictating games via the pick-and-roll.

The best way to picture what Walker will look like in Boston’s system is to turn the clock back to Isaiah Thomas’ days in green. Stevens ran Thomas through constant off-ball screens to get him catch-and-shoot and live-dribble opportunities. It is almost certain that Stevens will do the same for Walker, except Walker will be surrounded by far more skill than Thomas ever had around him during his time in Boston. That means far more space for Walker to operate and dominate.

It should also be noted that Walker is four inches taller than Thomas, which matters.

Of all of the teams in the league, it is Boston that should know exactly what it is plugging into its lineup, if only for owning the game tapes of Walker’s performances against the C’s over the last three seasons. He was consistently great against them during that time span.

In 10 games against Boston during those three seasons, Walker averaged 26.4 points, 5.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game and never scored fewer than 20 points against the C’s. Those performances featured 36-point and a 43-point outbursts last season that led Charlotte to two victories over Boston.

Maybe those were the performances that clinched Boston’s interest in pursuing his services this summer if the opportunity provided itself. It did, and now Walker is back in New England.

Stevens may be the happiest of all as a result of that fact. He has followed Walker’s career since the guard’s days in high school, and he has raved about Walker with every given opportunity over the last few years.

Stevens called Walker “a warrior” and “a competitor” back in 2016. In 2017, shortly after coaching Walker in the All-Star game, Stevens called him “a special guy.” And the coach has always lauded Walker’s work ethic and love for the game, even dating back to their college days at Butler and Connecticut, respectively.

Speaking of which, these two have history that cannot be ignored. It was Walker who rose to the occasion back in 2011, when Butler and Connecticut met in the NCAA Championship game, by scoring a game-high 16 points to deliver UConn a title and Butler a second straight loss in the title match.

That performance has been a nightmare of a memory for Stevens over the past eight years. That nightmare will be whisked away in a hurry once Stevens gets to call the plays for his new All-Star point guard.

The time has come for Walker to return to New England and electrify an offense and a fan base yet again – this time for the most historic franchise in the history of basketball.

addByline("Marc D'Amico", "Celtics.com", "Marc_DAmico");

prepare-to-be-electrified-by-kemba-walker

Prepare To Be Electrified by Kemba Walker

addByline("Taylor Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");

BOSTON – Jabari Bird did everything in his power over the past year to prove his worth to the Boston Celtics. On Thursday, the second-year guard’s hard work finally paid off as the organization rewarded him with an NBA contract.

Bird, the 56th overall pick of the 2017 Draft, spent last season on a two-way deal with the Celtics, splitting his time between Boston and Portland, Maine – the home of the G League’s Red Claws.

In Boston, Bird’s role was limited, only appearing in 13 games while averaging 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. However, he was patient, diligent, and took advantage of every opportunity he was given.

For example, Bird was called up to the C’s at the tail-end of the regular season and was granted his first stretch of significant NBA playing time. He played 20-plus minutes during three of the last four games, averaging 10.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG during those contests while shooting 68.2 percent from the field and 60 percent from 3-point range.

Opportunities were much easier to come by in Portland, where Bird was a starter and a prolific contributor on both ends of the court.

Bird’s 19.3 PPG was the leading scoring mark among Red Claws players who played in at least 20 games, and he achieved that number while shooting 51.7 percent from the field. He also chipped in 5.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Bird’s strong play carried over into Summer League in Las Vegas, where he led the Celtics in scoring with 16.8 PPG on 57 percent shooting.

While Bird soared on the offensive end, Summer League head coach Jay Larranaga said the 24-year-old Cal product still has room for improvement on the other side of the ball.

“He’s growing as a defender, which I think is going to be the next big step for him,” said Larranaga.

Bird showed flashes of potential on the defensive end at times last season, most notably during his NBA debut on Oct. 20, 2017.

C’s coach Brad Stevens called Bird’s name midway through the third quarter of that contest in hopes that the rookie could provide a spark to help Boston overcome a nine-point deficit. Bird’s task was to guard J.J. Redick, who had piled up 17 points up until the Celtics wing checked in for the first time.

Bird immediately glued himself to Redick and limited the elite shooter to just two points for the remainder of the game. The Celtics would wind up overtaking Philly for their first win of the season, which earned Bird some praiseful words from his coach.

"I think he's got a huge upside,” Stevens said the following day after practice. “His rebounding spoke for itself in the preseason practices and his ability to guard on the ball, especially shooters cutting off screens, is just really good. He's not afraid, and you knew he would step up.”

From that point forward, Bird showed no fear and always stepped up when his name was called upon. He worked meticulously to improve his craft, displayed a first-class attitude no matter the situation and remained ready to contribute at all times.

Now, the opportunity of a lifetime awaits Bird, and he’ll be ready to step up and seize it.

birds-hard-work-pays-off-earns-spot-in-cs-nest

Bird's Hard Work Pays Off, Earns Spot in C's Nest

BOSTON – A massive weight was lifted off Marcus Smart’s shoulders Thursday afternoon as he penned a brand-new contract with the Boston Celtics. The 18 days spent as a restricted free agent was a difficult period of time for the 24-year-old point guard, and not just because his NBA future was hanging in the balance.

Smart had to juggle his restricted free agency with caring for his mother Camellia Smart, who is currently battling bone marrow cancer. As a family-first man, Smart placed most of his attention on the latter.

“When you go through adversity with something like this in your family, it puts things in perspective,” Smart reflected Friday afternoon during a conference call with the media. “Everything else becomes kind of a blur to you.”

In the back of his mind, Smart knew that he had to handle his career matters as well. He wanted nothing more than to return to his beloved Celtics team, and finally he received the offer he had been hoping for.

Re-signing with Boston was exactly what Smart and his family needed to help lift their spirits during a period of tribulation.

“This is a hard time, but at the same time this is an exciting time for my family,” said Smart. “With the signing, it kind of brings a little joy to lighten up a situation that was a little darker for me.”

The Celtics have been a beacon of light in Smart’s life for four years now. They brought him into the NBA, drafting him sixth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and he has since developed into one of the most cherished athletes in Boston.

Over that period of time, Smart’s teammates, coaches, and the entire community outside of the organization have all become a part of his extended family. They did not want to lose him, and he did not want to lose them.

“Boston loves me, I love Boston,” said Smart. “Boston wants me to be here, I want to be here. So, we made it work.”

Smart will do anything for his family, and that’s why he is so devoted to the Celtics, as a tenacious competitor on the court, and to the city, as an active member of the community.

“I feel like I’m a part of the Boston community,” said Smart. “I feel like Boston is a second home for me.”

Smart could have left that second home for a larger role with another team, but he knows that Boston is the perfect place for him.

As a player with as much heart as Smart, there aren’t many better opportunities to succeed than with this talented team.

“As a competitor, you’re always taught that you want win championships,” said Smart. “You want to put yourself in the best place to do that. And the Celtics right now is one of those teams where we have a great shot to win it.

“It’s a great organization, a great city. And it fits me – my type of style, who I am. So, I’m happy to be here.”

Happiness has been hard to come by lately for Smart and his family, but the news of his returning to the Celtics is something that they can all smile about – especially his mother.

“She’s in good spirits,” said Smart. “She’s hanging on. As of right now, she’s doing great.”

And her son is doing great as well, now that he can continue to provide her with care while knowing that his future with his beloved Celtics is secure.