Category: Boston Celtics Blog

The data, and the eye test, suggest Bradley took a step back in 2012-13. As much as the Celtics’ announcers raved over his improved jump shot, Bradley’s overall field goal percentage fell to 40.2 percent from 49.8 percent the previous year, while he went from hitting one out of every two shots from 10-15 feet to hitting only one out of every three from that range, according to HoopData. His 3-point shooting accuracy fell to 31.7 percent from 40.7 percent. Most worrisome, his accuracy on corner threes dropped to 34.7 percent last season from 55.6 percent (in an extremely small sample) in 2011-12.

These numbers aside, anyone could see Bradley’s difficulties at the other end of the court in the playoffs, when his most obvious skill, his on-ball defense, virtually disappeared. Raymond Felton made a mockery of the Celtics’ boast that Bradley was “the best ball-stopper in the league” by having his way with No. 0 in the pick-and-roll. With Jeff Green and Brandon Bass stepping up defensively on Carmelo Anthony, a fair argument could be made that the Celtics would have won their series against the Knicks if somebody, anybody, had been able to slow down Felton.

Reported by Ben Watanabe of NESN

When Brad Stevens was introduced as head coach of the Boston Celtics in early July, he pledged to use the remaining offseason months to learn the intricacies of the NBA game, study the strengths and weaknesses of his in-flux roster, and hit the ground running when training camp opened on Oct. 1.

Little more than two months later, and with just two weeks until camp opens, Stevens is confident he’s ready for what serves as the grand opening of his NBA tenure.

“I’m in pretty good shape,” Stevens said Friday in Dorchester, where he joined a handful of players and staff in running a youth basketball clinic. “I’ve got a great staff and they’ve been great about answering any questions that I would have had.

“I think now it’s like anything else, you have to come up with a progression for getting as much in as you possibly can in a very short amount of time. Also, a philosophy on how you’re going to treat the exhibition games and the exhibition season with the practice opportunities during that month.”

Reported by Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston

From the moment his torn ACL was confirmed, Rajon Rondo seemed to believe that he would be back on the court for the Celtics’ season opener. Speculation was even tossed around that the All-Star point guard could be ready to go for training camp.

Rondo’s swift return does not look so likely anymore. Although Rondo was working out Tuesday, his readiness is up in the air, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told Bill Simmons in the B.S. Report podcast.

“I’m not sure [when Rondo will be back],” Ainge told Simmons, via ESPN.

Reported by NESN staff

An apologetic Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger is free on $5,000 bail after he was arrested yesterday on charges of assaulting his longtime girlfriend last weekend after she “found evidence on his cellphone that he was cheating on her,” Waltham cops said.

Sullinger pleaded not guilty in Waltham District Court yesterday to assault and battery, destruction of property of more than $250 and witness intimidation.

“The experience was humbling and embarrassing for me,” Sullinger said in a statement. “Yet I know that this situation has brought both sorrow and embarrassment to my girlfriend, my family, the Boston Celtics organization, my teammates and my fans. To all of you, I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”

Reported by Antonio Planas of the Boston Herald

The Boston Celtics’ Jared Sullinger stood stone-faced and wearing handcuffs in the dock of Waltham District Court on Tuesday as prosecutors said the 6-foot-9-inch, 260-pound power forward pinned his girlfriend to a bed and to the floor of their townhouse last weekend and then snatched and smashed her cellphone when she tried to call police.

“During this heated argument in the bedroom, Jared pushed her down onto the bed and got on top of her,” Waltham police wrote in their report of the confrontation. Sullinger’s girlfriend said “she tried several times to get up, but he kept pinning her down and would not let her up.’’

Reported by David Abel and John R. Ellement of the Boston Globe

The Celtics dealt with a plethora of injuries last season, including a nagging thumb injury sustained by backup center Chris Wilcox last December in Chicago that cost him 19 games.

The injury was diagnosed as a strained ulnar collateral ligament and Wilcox wore a wrap around the thumb for the remainder of the season. Wilcox told the Globe on Wednesday that he discovered after the season that the ligament was actually torn and required surgery.

“It was tough, it never got better,” he said. “I just thought I would give it some rest after the season and I would barely put my hand in a fist. It didn’t get any better.”

Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Blog)

With less than two months until the NBA preseason tips off, the Boston Celtics have become radio nomads.

Entercom Communications announced Tuesday that Celtics games will no longer be carried on their WEEI and WRKO stations after an agreement could not be reached on a new contract. The stations had been the radio home of the Celtics since 2005.

“WEEI has had an incredible run with the Boston Celtics, from being a part of their 17th championship banner to the end of the Big 3 era,” Entercom Boston vice president/market manager Jeff Brown said in a statement.

Reported by Zack Cox of NESN