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Starting next week, the third-year NBA pro is looking to make Boston his full-time home as he spends the month before training camp working and hanging out at the Celtics practice facility in Waltham after training much of the summer in Cleveland.
“I’m done with Cleveland,” Brooks said prior to a basketball clinic with area YMCA students on Thursday. “I’m going back to New York this weekend to pack up some things, put some stuff in a box, and I’ll be back here on Tuesday.”
Brooks said he’s hoping to use the head start on camp to try to connect with new coach Brad Stevens and learn what the coach expects out of him this season.
“It’s different,” Brooks said. “The last two years I’ve been with the same coaching staff and the same guys with strength and conditioning – those type of things – so now I’m just trying to build a relationship with these guys. I think it’s important for me to be around for at least a month going into training camp.”
MetroWest Daily News: Celtics’ Brooks is ready for a fresh start
Brooks is going to be fighting for his playing time. He’s also hoping the Celtics pick up the more than $2 million option on his deal next year. So getting to Boston early and getting on the same page as Brad Stevens is not a bad idea.
Where will Brooks fit in the rotation? Well, he’s going to be batting for time mostly at the 2 behind Avery Bradley, but he can play some 3 in smaller line ups. Gerald Wallace is the obvious back up to Jeff Green, and the Celtics will be trying all they can to showcase Wallace to prove he’s an effective player that’s worth picking up in a trade despite the $30 million left on his deal. Brooks might be able to sneak some minutes there, but it’s more likely he’ll find himself at the 2.
That means he’s part of that logjam that includes Courtney Lee, Jordan Crawford, and Keith Bogans.
So it will be tough for Brooks to scratch out minutes right now. Despite his up-and-down season last year, I like Lee (I picked him as the overachiever of this upcoming season in ESPN Boston’s summer forecast). I think he’s the type of tw0-way player the Celtics really need on the floor, and the consistent role will help him.
I don’t see a role for Jordan Crawford here. Not only is he frustrating as hell to watch, there is no way the Princes of the statistical revolution on Stevens’ staff allow Crawford to sniff the floor.
So Brooks will probably have to find some time behind Wallace and Lee, which means that 12.5 minutes per game he got last year might be about what he gets this year.
Of course, this is all obvious speculation. Brooks could wow the coaches and jump ahead of Lee on the depth chart. Or Danny Ainge could find a new home for one or more of these guys, which would spring Brooks into the rotation (or a new zip code, depending on how the trades go down).
I know there is a segment of the population that is dying to see Brooks out there. If he’s going to have a chance to make that part of the Celtics fan base happy, getting to Boston ASAP and putting on a pre-camp show for Stevens is as good a start as any.
Related links: ESPN Boston: Brooks begins his Boston experience
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston: McCarty the coach: “It made perfect sense” | Herald: McCarty again tutored by Pitino | WEEI: Bradley already dishing out more assists | CSNNE: McCarty on C’s job: Couldn’t get any better than this
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