Your Morning Dump... Where the Celtics Roll Through their January Schedule

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The Celtics received some good news when guard Avery Bradley returned to practice after missing the past four games with a strained right Achilles’ tendon. Bradley began experiencing discomfort during the Celtics’ win over Philadelphia Jan. 6 and has not played since.

Meanwhile, Kelly Olynyk rolled his ankle trying to avoid a son of a Celtics assistant coach who darted behind him while chasing a basketball. Olynyk did not practice, and his status for Monday’s game against Charlotte is uncertain.

Boston Globe

Olynyk and teammate Jaylen Brown were going through a shooting drill when one of the assistant coach’s sons darted onto the court. Olynyk tripped over the boy, fell to the court, and walked immediately toward the trainers area. As he left the court, he could be heard muttering expletives at his misfortune.

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The Celtics often have a pack of children around the team — player’s kids, coach’s kids, and sometimes other friends or family members. The family environment is usually charming, but in this case bad luck won out.

MassLive

Is anybody surprised by this Kelly Olynyk injury? Whether it’s a flailing elbow knocking Al Horford in the head and giving him a concussion, or jockeying for position with Kevin Love and in the process dislocating Love’s shoulder, others have suffered from Kelly’s clumsiness. He was the victim in this case. In a league of seven-foot giants, Olynyk was taken out by an actual child. If Kevin Love is still bitter about the shoulder injury, he must have enjoyed this one.

In 34 games this season, Olynyk is averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 46.8% FG and 37.3% 3FG. He had his finest game of the season Friday against the Hawks, scoring a season high 26 point with 8 rebounds and 3 assists, while shooting 4 of 5 from three and 9 of 11 overall. We suspected his off-season shoulder injury would affect his numbers, and while his stats have dipped slightly, he has developed into a surprisingly reliable defender.

Avery Bradley returned to practice this weekend but it’s uncertain whether he will suit up tonight against Charlotte. It seems like forever ago, but there was a time Bradley was considered a perpetual injury risk. He has only missed a handful of games over the last two seasons despite missing significant time during his first four. Bradley is averaging career high’s in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage, but the Celtics will be in no rush bringing him back. Terry Rozier has enjoyed increased playing time since Bradley’s injury, as he continues to show flashes of potential as the 9th/10th man on the roster.

Page 2: Where We Can’t Forget about Jaylen Brown’s Development

From Game 1 to Game 41, he says he’s developed a better understanding of defensive positioning; he’s gotten more comfortable shooting the ball; and he feels that his overall basketball IQ and confidence has been on a steady incline.

“I’ve picked up so much with the veteran guys and learning certain movements that I feel a lot better now than I was when I was coming into the league for the first time,” said Brown.

Brown has played in 39 of Boston’s 40 games, though his playing time hasn’t been consistent. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging just shy of 13 minutes per game, which is a bit low for a No. 3 overall pick.

NBA.com

For a highly-touted talent like Jaylen Brown, it’s a steep adjustment transitioning to a bench role. His career in Boston started out sour, with Celtics fans boo-ing Owner Wyc Grousbeck when he announced the Jaylen Brown selection from the TD Garden. But his professionalism, combined with his hard work and athleticism has won over Boston fans.

He had his best game early against Cleveland, where he started in place of Jae Crowder, was tasked with guarding Lebron, but still put up 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals on 8 of 16 shooting. He provided a spark off the bench a few weeks ago against the Jazz, and despite his inconsistent playing time, he brings energy off the bench when he does play.

It’s quite uncommon for a number three overall pick to play on a top-tier team like the Celtics. Members of his draft class like Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, Brandon Ingram, and Kris Dunn are enjoying increased playing time on bad teams. For a win-now group like Boston, he does not benefit from extended minutes with the comfort of playing through mistakes.

Page 3: Brad’s Transition to a Bostonian

“One of the things [the Patriots have] created is sustainability and culture,” Stevens said. “Any coach wants to be in a position where over the course of time every single year you suit up, you got a chance. Because of the commitment of doing things the way they want to do it … they’ve created that. I can’t say enough good things about the job that he’s done. I’ve got a chance to watch him up close. You feel pretty inadequate when you walk out of that building as a coach.”

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“There’s been a ton of change in the roster and he just keeps churning out wins regardless of who is on the field. Obviously (Tom) Brady has been a constant through all of that. But at the same time, there have been a lot of changes at a lot of significant positions. They just do their job well. That’s the bottom line.”

CSNNE | Boston Herald

Along with Isaiah Thomas, Brad Stevens was the other member of the Celtics at Saturday’s Patriots playoff victory against the Texans. Any die-hard Boston sports fan will appreciate Stevens showing support for the local teams. He was also seen at Fenway Park during the Red Sox playoff series against the Cleveland Indians. He has shown admiration for Bill Belichick in the past and talks about using him as a coaching resource.

I think Stevens may have even given himself a pat-on-the-back with the “ton of change on the roster… keep churning out wins” comment. It reminds me of the 2014-2015 roster, which despite having 30 different players at various points of the season, he still led them to a playoff appearance. Never change, Brad.