Kyrie Irving tried to big league Phil Handy in Cleveland
Phil Handy, an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors and the team’s head of player development, had put together quite the NBA resume before coming north of the border last summer.
Most notably, he worked in the same role with the Cleveland Cavaliers during their dominance of the Eastern Conference – a squad powered by little-known names such as LeBron James and Kevin Love.
Handy wasn’t brought into the organization to help out players like that, though. His focus was on a budding star that the Cavs selected first overall in the 2011 NBA draft: Kyrie Irving.
“Kyrie was, he was a phenomenal, um, I don’t wanna call him a project,” said Handy during a recent episode of ‘Inside the Green Room’ with Danny Green. “When the Cavs hired me, Mike Brown (Cleveland’s head coach at the time) was like, ‘Listen, I’m hiring you to come here and mentor Kyrie.’”
Like most classic tales of mentorship, things didn’t begin very smoothly as Irving wasn’t too keen about Handy’s influence on his development initially.
Disorder on the court might awaken Celtics | The Star
“You need adversity,” Raptors guard Danny Green said here Tuesday. “That comes in many types of shapes, sizes and forms: whether it’s in the locker room, whether it’s injuries, or shooting or on the court or coaching style, whatever it may be.
“There has to be some adversity to help you build that character, that chip, that mindset and that maturity for when it’s crunch time down the stretch of the season, where we’re in games and you can prepare for it.”
There’s no question that things are not going well for the Celtics right now. They’ve lost three straight games, have sunk to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and all-star point guard Kyrie Irving publicly called out his teammates after a particularly disappointing loss Saturday in Orlando.
How the Celtics respond will be a continuing study in team dynamics. The Raptors certainly aren’t counting them out.
“I don’t think they’re struggling,” point guard Kyle Lowry said. “They’ve lost a few games, that’s about it. Everyone goes through that stretch, but they’re one of the top teams in the NBA, one of the best home teams in the NBA. Their talent is unlimited. So they’re still one of the top teams we’re going to go against.”
Despite the depth and level of talent on Boston’s roster, they seem to find it difficult maintaining consistency. Other than their eight-game win streak in early December, the Celtics have won more three games in a row just twice.
There seems to be no pattern to these losses, at least, in their current three-game skid. They lost by 16 to the Heat, then lost a nail-biter by two points to the Magic and then gave up a 44-point third quarter in the loss to the Nets.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, it isn’t going to easy snap out of their skid by hosting the team with the best record in the league.
The Raptors, along with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets, are the only teams to be top 10 in offensive and defensive rating.
The momentum on the Raptors’ side has been of a contrasting nature. Since their 18-point loss in San Antonio, the team has won five games in a row. More importantly, their last three wins have come with both Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard healthy and playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqwzZbuMuG4
Nick Nurse also has brought a calmness to the Raptors huddle in close games so far this year. In games decided by five points or less, Toronto has a winning percentage of 63%. Last season without Kawhi and with Dwane Casey at the helm in that same situation, the Raptors had a 57% winning percentage. The year before that, in 2016-17? 51%.
There have been critics that the Raptors are relying on Kawhi too much in the clutch, but Toronto is winning those game more than they have in the last two years, and those pressure wins are going to be the ones that most replicate any playoff scenario.
If you’re wondering how the Celtics are doing in the clutch this year, they’re a .500 team.
The season series is tied at one, the Raptors got one at home and lost a tough one to the Celtics on the road. To beat Toronto in that game back in November, it took a season-high 43 points from Kyrie Irving — and the game went to the final possession. Kyrie is phenomenal, but to ask that much of him for an entire playoff series is a lot.
I don’t even think I have to get into the chemistry issues Boston clearly seems to have — I’ll leave that one alone.
Raptors in six, and I’m being generous.
1/16 Game Preview: Raptors at Celtics | Boston Celtics
After the Celtics blew a 12-point halftime lead in losing in Orlando, Irving called out his team.
“The young guys don’t know what it takes to be a championship-level team,” Irving said. “What it takes every day. And if they think it is hard now, what do they think it will be like when we’re trying to get to the finals?”
He said the team must learn to play when there are high expectations for them to succeed, unlike last season when they made the Eastern finals despite an injury to Irving.
“We had nothing to lose and everybody could play free and do whatever they wanted and nobody had any expectations,” Irving said.
Irving expanded on his comments Monday saying, “The responsibility goes all the way around.”
“Part of that is learning but also teaching and then explaining what it actually means to come in and appreciate your job and have a goal in hand that is actually a championship,” he said. “You know, you’ve never gone about it in your career, you’ve never done it, and now you come into a season where the expectations are higher than anything.”
The Raptors, meanwhile, are trying to develop a killer instinct and not allow big leads to slip away as they did in Washington.
“It’s just focus,” Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said.
“We shouldn’t lose focus. We have to stay focused on every possession. We lost a little focus and our offense starts to dictate our defense. We can’t do that. We have to let our defense dictate our offense.”
The problem was the other way around for the Celtics on Monday. They trailed by 27 points with 8:55 remaining in the fourth quarter before closing strong.
“I just told the team that I really appreciate the way those guys played in the fourth quarter,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. “We were guarding for three quarters (Monday). We chose one of the middle ones to take off. The third-quarter defense was awful.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozL1uhO7XWE
Raptors know from experience not to count out struggling Celtics – Sportsnet.ca
Naturally, no one drawing a Raptors pay cheque is buying into the idea that the Celtics can be easily had.
“They are still a heavyweight in the East,” Raptors shooting guard Danny Green said Tuesday as Toronto wrapped up practice at Northeastern University. “Obviously, they have had some injuries. They are still waiting on some guys – we are too. Regardless of those facts, they are still a very good ball club and can play at a high level. Even though they have lost some games and have been up and down, they are still a heavyweight in the East and we got to go out there and respect them and play like that.”
How the Patrick McCaw Signing Effects the Boston Celtics
McCaw’s defensive impact is considerable. Last year, the lineup in which he saw the highest number of possessions (106) performed really well in defensive categories. This lineup ranked in the 90th, 95th, and 94th percentile for limiting opponents points per possession, limiting effective field goal percentage, and causing turnovers. Individually he also ranked in the 85th percentile in steal percentage.
McCaw also understood his role in Golden State — to play defense and shoot when open. While he was not a primary ball handler, he has the quickness to effectively push the ball in transition. He has elite athleticism and leaping ability.
McCaw’s shot selection mirrors that of a modern-day NBA wing — three-pointers and layups. Last season, 42% of his shots came from the paint and 33% from beyond the arc.
Fitting into his non-scoring roll with the Warriors, McCaw only averaged four points during his two seasons. While he showed some flashes of creating offense, McCaw’s shooting abilities are still a mystery.
Nike's new power-lacing basketball sneaker set to hit retail Feb. 17 – Los Angeles Times
According to Nike’s website, the debut shoe consists of a black Flyknit upper over an inner shell of quadaxial mesh paired with a Cushlon foam midsole.
Instead of employing physical laces, the shoe tightens around the foot by way of a motor and gear train Nike is calling a “lace engine” (which, in our opinion, would be a great name for a band) that can be adjusted either manually by the touch of a button or through a smartphone app that can be used to dial in different settings. (Nike uses the example of setting a different tightness for warmups vs. games or using the app to loosen the lacing during a timeout and then tighten up when entering the game.)
One of the NBA players tapped by Nike during the Adapt BB’s development process was the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, who is expected to give the shoes their NBA in-game debut during Boston’s Wednesday home game against the Toronto Raptors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L9loJdDilw
NBA predictions – Awards, Finals matchups and Warriors vs the field
Who is most likely to win Most Improved Player?
Pascal Siakam is having a breakout third season on the league-leading Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are 12.8 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the court as compared to when he sits, and he’s up to No. 24 in RPM. There’s a long list of strong MIP candidates. They’re all chasing Siakam.
One team that would make particular sense as a trade partner would be the Toronto Raptors, since they currently have the best record in the NBA at 33-12. More germane to Thompson’s situation is that he’s a native of the city.
Bulpett: Celtics look to shake on- and off-court issues vs. Toronto – Boston Herald
“After the game, Kyrie came in and talked to us about it,” said Brad Wanamaker, who played well with 13 points in 26 minutes. “You know, we’ve got to play the way we played in the last couple of minutes starting off the game. That’s just something we’ve got to do as a team. It comes from watching film and trusting each other. … We all talked together and told each other what we can improve on. It was a positive message that we want to do what we did in the last minutes from the jump.”
Said Jaylen Brown, “We’ve got to be more accountable as a group. It’s not one guy’s fault. It’s not young guys’, old guys’ fault. It’s everybody. We all have to be accountable to turn this thing around. There’s stretches where we play good basketball, and stretches we don’t, but we all have to have each other’s backs.”
He added later, “We’ve just got to have each other’s backs at the end of the day. We can’t make comments. We can’t point fingers. We just have to continue to empower each other and have each other’s backs. If we don’t, if we start pointing fingers, everybody’s going to go into their own little shells. We’ve got to continue to play basketball. It starts from the top to the bottom. Not from the bottom to the top but the top to the bottom. We’ve got to continue to empower each other and make the best of this. We have a lot of talent, and we know what we’re capable of doing. We have to go out there and do it — playing free, playing loose, having fun.”
What to watch for when the Boston Celtics host the Toronto Raptors
The Boston Celtics have a tough matchup in front of them in their effort to snap a three-game losing streak. The East-leading Toronto Raptors are coming to town, so here’s what to look for in this battle of NBA heavyweights.
Coming off arguably their worst three-game stretch of the season, the Boston Celtics will return home to TD Garden to host the Toronto Raptors, who hold the league’s best record.Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart are expected to return after sitting out of the Brooklyn game with a quad contusion and illness respectively. The Celtics could wipe away the last three games with a win, so let’s look at what to look for in a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. The season series is split one game a-piece, with each team protecting their home floor.
Celtics’ struggles mean little to Raptors who still view them as major obstacle | Toronto Sun
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Danny Green said of the Celtics’ first half issues and current troubles. “They are still a heavyweight in the East. Obviously they have had some injuries. They are still waiting on some guys — we are too. Regardless of those facts they are still a very good ball club and can play at a high level. Even though they have lost some games and have been up and down, they are still a heavyweight in the East and we got to go out there and respect them and play like that.”
Kyle Lowry actually rolled his eyes when it was suggested to him the Celtics were in a bind right now.
“I don’t think they’re struggling,” he said. “They’ve lost a few games, that’s about it. Everyone goes through that stretch. But they’re one of the top teams in the NBA, one of the best home teams in the NBA, their talent is unlimited, so they’re still one of the top teams we’re going to go against.”
Green compares the issues the Celtics are dealing with right now to what the Raptors went through following a humbling loss to San Antonio at the beginning of this month.
NBA: Top 5 Greatest Raptors of all time
Before Damon Stoudamire called the shots for the University of Pacific, the Mighty Mouse played for the Raptors during its inaugural season after being selected with the seventh overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.
Stoudamire, who was the first-ever pick in the team’s history, showed some flashes of brilliance in his time with Toronto averaging a franchise-leading 8.8 assists per game. During his rookie year, Stoudamire posted stellar averages of 19.9 points and nine assists per game while hitting a rookie-record of 133 threes in a season.
For his exquisite play, Stoudamire was recognized by the league as the 1995-96 NBA Rookie of the Year.
In his three seasons with Toronto, Stoudamire put up 19.6 points, 8.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. His best year with the team came in during his sophomore season wherein he tallied 20.2 points, 8.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds.
However, Stoudamire’s time with the Raptors was cut short when he joined the Portland Trail Blazers during the 1997-1998 season. After leaving the Raptors, Stoudamire never recaptured his old form back as he failed to crack the 15 points per game mark with the Trail Blazers, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the San Antonio Spurs.
Raptors may be without four rotation players Wednesday versus Celtics
OG Anunoby and Jonas Valanciunas will each miss the contest for Toronto, while Fred VanVleet and CJ Miles are each questionable for the competition.
Despite all of the background noise, with their 15-5 record at TD Garden, the Celtics can fairly be described as a good home team. They’ll be desperate for a win and will be welcoming Kyrie Irving back to the lineup. What was already going to be an uphill battle for the Raptors is likely to be more difficult should either VanVleet or Miles (or both) be unable to suit up.
Aron Baynes upgraded to ‘questionable’ for Wednesday versus Raptors
After fracturing his fourth left metacarpal, Aron Baynes has been missing in action for the Boston Celtics for quite some time.
Now, right in line with the suggestion made last week by head coach Brad Stevens, Baynes’ return appears to be imminent. On Tuesday, the day before the Celtics host the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden, the Celtics announced that Baynes is ‘questionable’ for the contest.
