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“It definitely was a nasty injury,” Smart said last month. “I definitely don’t wish that upon anybody, but I thank God it’s not broken.”
The injury kept Smart from traveling to Africa with coach Brad Stevens and Celtics guard Evan Turner to compete in an NBA exhibition game earlier this month. If Smart had been healthy, it is also likely he would have been tapped to play in last week’s Team USA scrimmage in Las Vegas.
But Smart’s return to the court comes more than a month before the start of Celtics training camp, allowing him plenty of time to regain his form.
Globe – Marcus Smart resumes basketball activities
The sigh of relief is official. When we saw Marcus Smart’s fractured-looking fingers, we all cursed Summer League and wondered why the hell was a playoff starter out there diving on the floor anyway? Then the report came in that nothing was broken and all seemed well. But it’s only now, with Smart officially back to his training routine, that we can really never again think about the near-miss.
One of the more entertaining (and ultimately useless) rookie traditions is the rookie survey, in which first-year players at the annual photo shoot are asked to vote in a series of questions about their peers.
This year, Boston Celtics rookies Terry Rozier and RJ Hunter earned votes in multiple categories. From NBA.com, here’s how the voting broke down.
Hunter’s results: Biggest steal (T-2), Best shooter (T-2).
Rozier’s results: Biggest steal (T-6), Best playmaker (received votes), Most athletic (received votes)
MassLive – RJ Hunter, Terry Rozier earn NBA rookie survey votes from peers
Related: NBA.com – Rookie Survey: Okafor, not Towns, tops in this class | CBS Boston – Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter Earn High Marks In NBA Rookie Survey
Good to see the shoutouts – low-key though they may be – for this year’s rookies, Rozier and Hunter. When you’re picked in the middle and tail end of the first round, there’s no guarantee you’ll even be noticed once the games begin. The fact that the new guys got some credit is encouraging. If they do play as well as their peers say they can, and if Jordan Mickey lives up to his new contract, then the 2015 draft might be fondly remembered in Boston.
Bring on training camp, the sooner the better, so we can begin to find out.
On Page 2: Stylin’ in the Bean
Love ’em or hate ’em, there’s no denying that Beantown’s pro teams are very easy on the eyes. In fact, Boston’s UNI score would have been even higher if the Patriots still had their Pat Patriot throwback in their wardrobe, or if the Celtics hadn’t trotted out that miserable “pride” uniform last season. America’s best-looking city, at least when measured by its athletics aesthetics.
ESPN – Uni Watch 2015: Best-Dressed Cities | Bonus Video: Boston has the best uniforms
Celtics fans have long known that the Green have the best uniforms in the NBA. The classic look has barely changed throughout team history, because there’s been no need. And the Uni Watch Power Rankings for 2015 have certified that style, naming Boston the Best-Dressed City among those with three or more major pro sports teams.
The Celts received 8.5 points out of 10, plus a bonus point for the legendary parquet floor, nailing the highest score among all NBA squads. The average of Boston’s overall uniform scores was 9.13. Pittsburgh came in second at 8.83.
And, finally… Helping the Jimmy Fund
As we’ve seen repeatedly during the past decade-plus, Boston’s pro teams maintain a close bond. Whether celebrating a championship or supporting worthy causes, the franchises openly support one another. So it was no surprise when Brad Stevens and Wyc Grousbeck both made appearances yesterday on behalf of the Red Sox and the Jimmy Fund.
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens joined WEEI midday show “Merloni and Fauria” during the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon on Wednesday. Stevens talked about his own family’s battle with cancer, among other topics.
NESN – Celtics Coach Brad Stevens Discusses His Family’s Battle With Cancer (Video)
Owners’ panel at Fenway Park for Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon. #Kraft #Grousbeck #Jacobs #Henry pic.twitter.com/vvBu3AcuQn
— Amanda_Pflugrad (@Amanda_Pflugrad) August 19, 2015
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ESPN Boston – Celtics Summer Forecast: Who’s gone by October? | CSNNE – Johnson ready to do the hustle for the Celtics
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