Category: NBA

Ramp to Camp: Which Celtics newcomer are you most excited to watch? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

After the Boston Celtics’ 2024 title season, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens basically put the team on offseason autopilot while bringing back nearly an identical roster the following season. Stevens didn’t have that luxury this past summer, as the Celtics were forced to overhaul that championship core in a quest to dip below the prohibitive second apron.

So much energy has been spent lamenting the players who went out of town — and understandably so given what they delivered here — but in Part 2 of our annual Ramp to Camp series, we’re asking our panel to pick which newcomer they’re most excited to watch this season. 

Boston’s roster is likely to feature at least five new faces in Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Luka Garza, Josh Minott and rookie Hugo Gonzalez. The team will also have three new two-way players in Max Shulga, Amari Williams, and RJ Luis Jr., but we’ll tackle their potential impact in a later installment of this series.

With Jayson Tatum sidelined by his Achilles rehab, the Celtics are going to look very different than the past two seasons when the 2025-26 season tips. Recent draftees like Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman also should see increased opportunity this season. But which newcomer is most likely to distinguish themselves?

Summer might be fading, but Lawn Mower season hasn’t even started. “Lawn Mower” is the nickname that Minott inadvertently coined for himself after a Summer League game in 2022. In a postgame interview, the energy-gushing Minott suggested he’s “like a lawn mower: Once I got going, I just kept going.”

If the Celtics are to compensate for the obvious talent drain while watching Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, and (eventually) Al Horford relocate this summer, then they might need to make up for it with hustle and grit.

The 22-year-old Minott has only scratched the surface of his obvious potential after playing fewer than 500 minutes in three seasons in Minnesota. We suspect his blend of size (6-foot-8) and athleticism could open the door to minutes in the frontcourt, where he’ll get more time to show off his potential. 

He can win immediate time with his defensive toolbox: rebounding, blocking shots, and using that 6-foot-11 wingspan to disrupt his defensive assignments. His leaping ability is well-documented — just ask poor Derrick White, whom Minott dunked over in a game in Minnesota — but Minott’s development on that end of the floor could be the key to just how much he blossoms here.

Pull the cord, and let the Lawn Mower rumble.

Here’s a look at who our panel chose:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

Hugo Gonzalez.

Yes, he’s only 19 years old. No, he may not see extensive playing time as a rookie. But the opportunity for minutes is certainly there in this “gap year,” and Gonzalez’s skill set as a high-motor playmaker should make him a fun watch.

Developing Gonzalez into a full-time rotation player should be one of Boston’s top goals over the next few seasons.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

Do you take N/A for an answer? I’m kidding! I think. I’ll have to go with Hugo Gonzalez, only for the rookie potential aspect.

I’ll be surprised if anyone turns out to be a Derrick White-type diamond in the rough. And I’m still not convinced Simons will play for the Celtics.

Sean McGuire, Web Producer

I’m expecting Anfernee Simons to be tasked with leading the second unit, and I’m excited to see how the veteran guard does in that role.

Simons averaged more than 32 minutes per game in each of the last three seasons and is a proven scorer. Given the C’s need to make up for some of the scoring they lost, he feels like he could be a crucial piece — especially if he shoots eight or nine 3-pointers per game, like he did in each of the last three campaigns with Portland.

Josh Canu, Media Editor

Hugo Gonzalez.

The Celtics haven’t been in a position the last few years to work a rookie into a sizeable role, but with four of Boston’s top six from last season not in the mix for this season, Hugo could carve out some consistent minutes if he proves he is ready.

I was surprised they brought him over right away, but that is an indication they feel he is ready to contribute. So let the hype train leave the station!

Max Lederman, Content Producer

My first instinct is to name Hugo Gonzalez because his draft pedigree and psycho motor, but why not Minott?

Josh Minott is not a great shooter and has only played 463 minutes in his first three seasons in the NBA, but he has the potential to be an impact wing defender and flashed playmaking juice during his lone season in college at Memphis.

His nickname is also “Lawn Mower,” so I can’t wait to hear what Drew Carter cooks up for him this season. 

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

Hugo Gonzalez.

His effort and tenacity will be a crowd-pleaser, but he’s super young and will need seasoning. I love his upside as a glue guy who can be a real difference-maker down the road in winning situations.

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

Chris Boucher.

After an offseason of attrition in the frontcourt, can Boucher be more than a bench guy?

The Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia 76ers live under the same roof, in different leagues, but have more similarities than may meet the eye.

Both teams have been through the horror years (and for the Sixers, they might not be out of the woods yet), but they both have been working to rise up from the ashes with exceptional young talent who have a true passion for playing for Philly.

Both teams are working their way back into the good graces of Philly fans, and as the two gear up for new seasons in the newly-minted Xfinity Mobile Arena, all eyes will be on them to prove their upgrades.

Here They Come.

Good luck this season, @Sixers! 🏀 pic.twitter.com/2gkOZI611k

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 23, 2024

Matvei Michkov → Tyrese Maxey

The young star who changes everything.

Michkov is barely in the NHL, but you can already feel his gravitational pull. The same is true for Maxey, whose ascension into All-Star status redefined the Sixers’ ceiling. Both are electric, fearless, and bring the kind of joy to the game that’s infectious. They’re not just players—they’re hope personified.

Travis Konecny → Joel Embiid

The emotional engine.

Konecny isn’t on Embiid’s level talent-wise, but the parallel lies in how their teams move as they move. Konecny’s relentless pest energy and goal-scoring swagger set the Flyers’ tone. Embiid’s rim protection, physical dominance, and sheer willpower do the same for the Sixers. Both can frustrate with inconsistency, but when they’re cooking, they carry everyone with them.

Travis Sanheim → Paul George

The underappreciated star who does it all.

Sanheim has quietly evolved into the Flyers’ No. 1 defenseman — logging huge minutes, defending the toughest matchups, and still finding ways to push play. Paul George is the NBA’s version of that: a two-way star whose versatility often gets overshadowed by louder names but whose impact is undeniable. Both are smooth, both are stabilizers, and both are the kind of players you only miss once they’re gone.

Owen Tippett → Kelly Oubre Jr.

The streaky scorer who can get nuclear-hot.

Tippett’s speed and shot make him one of the Flyers’ most dangerous weapons, and when he’s feeling it, he changes the complexion of a game. Oubre is the same story: give him a hot hand and he’ll swing an entire quarter. Both live on confidence, both thrive when their aggressiveness is rewarded, and both can be maddening when the shots don’t fall.

Jamie Drysdale → Kyle Lowry

The thinker, the connector.

Drysdale plays the game with a cerebral calm—moving the puck, making the right read, never in a rush. Lowry, late in his career, has become that same steadying influence for the Sixers. He’s not the All-Star of old, but he’s still the one you trust to get everyone organized and settle chaos into structure.

Sean Couturier → Andre Drummond

The savvy veteran presence.

Couturier isn’t the elite shutdown center of his Selke days anymore, but his positioning and brain still make him invaluable. Drummond, in his return to Philly, plays a similar role: a big body with experience, capable of stabilizing stretches with rebounding and physicality. Neither is the franchise’s future, but both are essential in the present.

Cam York → Jared McCain

The young talent still defining his role.

York is clearly one of the Flyers’ most skilled defensemen, yet his power play usage has lagged behind his offensive upside. McCain, still an emerging young guard, will face the same story—plenty of talent, but minutes and role will dictate how quickly he shines. Both are poised to grow into something bigger if the leash extends.

Bobby Brink → VJ Edgecombe

The spark-plug prospect.

Brink and Edgecombe are both players who ooze skill and upside, but aren’t yet household names. They’re the “what if?” guys—what if Brink’s creativity and offensive motor translate to consistent NHL production? What if Edgecombe’s athleticism and raw tools sharpen into real NBA impact? Fans already see the flashes, and the flashes are intoxicating.

Noah Cates → Paul Reed

The glue guy.

Cates' contributions, while significant, may fly under the radar, but coaches love him because he does the hard jobs: defensive matchups, penalty killing, dirty battles in the corner. Reed fills the same function for the Sixers—a chaos agent who works, scrambles, and keeps the team in the trenches. Neither player is the typical "superstar," but without them, the foundation wobbles.

Tyson Foerster → Eric Gordon

The reliable shooter.

Foerster’s shot is his calling card—the kind of release that makes you perk up every time he’s set up in the slot. Eric Gordon has built an entire career on that same value: a trusted trigger man who can stretch defenses and punish mistakes. Both are secondary scorers who can feel like primary weapons when given the opportunity.

The beauty of looking across Broad Street—or even across the same arena—is realizing how connected these teams really are. The Flyers’ emerging stars mirror the Sixers’ youthful core, their veterans balance the room the same way Sixers' steady the floor. Even their challenges—finding scoring consistency, leaning on elite talent, managing expectations—run parallel.  No matter the surface, ice or hardwood, sneakers or skates, the struggles and triumphs are universal.

Ramp to Camp: What do we most want to learn about the 2025-26 Celtics? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

September is here. A new NBA season isn’t far behind. The Boston Celtics huddle for Media Day on September 29 before launching into training camp practices. The first preseason game is October 8. We’re 50 days away from regular-season games.

It’s time to start thinking about basketball again. And while the 2025-26 Celtics season will be very different from Boston’s recent campaigns, there’s a lot to ponder as the green begin to chart the next path to title contention with a new-look roster.

Today, we’re kicking off our annual Ramp to Camp series, where we ponder a new Celtics topic every weekday in September. We cobbled together some of NBC Sports Boston’s finest behind-the-scenes hoops savants — the people who make our shows and content shine — and peppered them with questions about the 2025-26 Celtics. 

To kick things off, we gave them a very open-ended query: What do you most want to learn about this team during the 2025-26 season?

Regardless of how competitive the Celtics are this season — we’re more bullish about their potential than most, despite the talent drain brought upon by the second apron — we’re going to learn an awful lot about this team. That questions that have lingered, even during the march to Banner 18, will be answered.

How does Jaylen Brown fare in the 1A role while Jayson Tatum rehabs from Achilles surgery? How will Payton Pritchard respond if he’s thrust into a starter role? Which of the younger players on this roster can blossom and show they can be key pieces of Boston’s next title contender?

🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Jeff Twiss reflects on four decades in green before Hall of Fame honor | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

Maybe our biggest curiosity: What can Joe Mazzulla do with this roster? Ever since his promotion to head coach, Mazzulla has operated with talent-rich rosters featuring championship-or-bust mentalities. We know for certain he can deliver the grandest prize with such a team, and the Celtics have Banner 18 to show for it.

The question this season is, how much can Mazzulla coach up a team that’s endured a talent drain, both from the departures this offseason and Tatum’s absence? Mazzulla is going to have to press all the right buttons to maximize his remaining talent, and we’re eager to see exactly where he can deliver a team without quite the same burden of expectations. 

One of Brad Stevens’ coaching superpowers was an ability to deliver teams that were greater than the perceived sum of their individual parts.

We all know what he did at Butler. Going into Stevens’ sophomore NBA season, the Celtics were projected to win 27 games and despite cycling through 22 roster players during that 2014-15 season, Stevens delivered a 40-win playoff team. A season later, with an Amir Johnson-David Lee-Jordan Mickey-Tyler Zeller frontcourt, Boston finished 14 game over .500 and earned the fifth seed in the East.

Stevens had a way of tapping into his players’ individual talents and finding the best combinations that allowed them to thrive. Now we’re going to find out if Mazzulla can do the same.

Let’s be clear here: This isn’t to question Mazzulla’s coaching chops. There’s a reason the Celtics locked him up this summer. The team believes he’s the right guy to lead this team into this next chapter. This season will simply be a different sort of challenge, and we’re eager to see how Mazzulla navigates those new obstacles.

The bullseye might be gone, but we suspect Mazzulla will bring the same fire and zest on a daily basis. His challenge will be getting the most out of a set of younger players that must fill the shoes of the decorated veterans that departed.

His ability to do that could shorten the wait for Boston’s next title contender. 

What does our panel want to learn during the 2025-26 season?

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

Do the Celtics have the pieces to compete for a title once Jayson Tatum is back to full strength?

Jrue Holiday, Al Horford (expected to sign elsewhere), Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet represent a major depletion in NBA experience. Who from this younger group can be part of the future, or provide the next wave of NBA experience through trade?

Max Lederman, Content Producer

Can Brad Stevens draft? 

Finding playing time for players like Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman hasn’t been a priority over the last few seasons, but with what looks like a gap year on hand, we should have a much better idea about them following this season.

Neither player was selected in a slot that normally produces stars, but being able to add rotation players on the cheap will be crucial if the Celtics want to contend again in the apron era. 

Josh Canu, Media Editor

Joe Mazzulla was thrust into the head coach position before he or anyone ever expected and, despite some fair criticisms, he and the Celtics have been extremely successful in his tenure.

Now, with a much different roster and without the team’s MVP, I want to see what Joe can do with a squad with lower expectations and less talent.

He has the extension in hand, but this is the prove-it year for Joe Mazzulla to show he is a top-tier coach in the NBA.

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

How high is Payton Pritchard’s ceiling?

Pritchard responded to an expanded role last season by winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year. He’ll likely take on an even bigger role this season following the departure of Jrue Holiday. So, how much better than he get?

Can he be a legitimate front-end starter? Is it crazy to think he’ll be an All-Star? Determining Pritchard’s ceiling is an important step for the Celtics as they aim to build a new core around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

It’s the stock answer, but I want to see Jaylen Brown as the unquestioned best player on the team.

There’s no greater commodity in the NBA than superstar talent, and while the Celtics obviously have Brown locked in for years, it’ll be fascinating to see if he can unlock something that’s been kept held down while sharing the spotlight with Tatum.

And if Brown does reach new levels … how far does that take the team? A legitimate Eastern Conference playoff run feels more feasible if Brown reaches the potential that he clearly believes he has.

Sean McGuire, Web Producer

I want to learn more about Jaylen Brown this season.

Kind of weird, right? I mean, we’re talking about a four-time NBA All-Star who owns hardware for being the Eastern Conference MVP and NBA Finals MVP. Still, I just can’t help but wonder how he’ll fare without Jayson Tatum.

The Scottie Pippen-without-Michael Jordan comparison is one I really like. Pippen didn’t lead the Bulls to a title when Jordan was batting .202 with 114 strikeouts in the minors, but he kept them competitive in 1993-94. Pippen was a legitimate scorer, passer and defender.

If Brown does the same, it should make for a fun Celtics season. And that’s all we can ask for at this point.

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

Can Jaylen Brown improve as a playmaker? I’m curious about his usage rate and how everyone plays off of him.

The man who captivated basketball fans in New York City and across the country with his “Linsanity” run has officially called it a career.

Jeremy Lin, who played nine seasons in the NBA, including an unforgettable 2011-12 run with the Knicks, announced on Instagram that he has retired from professional basketball.

“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,” Lin wrote. “I’ve spent my 15 year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

Lin played for eight teams, including the Nets, in his nine NBA seasons, and also played professionally in China. He last played in the NBA in 2018-19, when he had a 23-game stint with the Toronto Raptors.

But Lin will always be remembered most for his Linsanity run with the Knicks, when he seemingly came out of nowhere to average 26.8 points per game over a six-game stretch, highlighted by a 38-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers in a game in which the Knicks were without Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony missed seven games for the Knicks in February, but thanks in part to Lin, the Knicks went 6-1 during that stretch. Lin averaged 14.6 points per game with the Knicks in 2011-12, and signed a free agent deal with he Houston Rockets the following offseason.

Lin, now 37, had career averages of 11.6 points and 4.3 assists, shooting 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.

“This is a ride I never wanted to end but I know it’s time,” Lin wrote. “I will forever miss playing basketball in front of you all but our time will go beyond just playing. Here’s to what’s ahead.”

Michael Porter Jr. believes he's second-best NBA shooter behind Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

When Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. speaks, NBA fans listen — usually because he has the most outlandish takes.

Porter’s latest headliner involves Warriors superstar Steph Curry. 

And … it actually wasn’t that bad.

“Name the players in the league that can for sure shoot better than me?” Porter Jr. said on a livestream with “PlaqueBoyMax” (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Will Despart). “Stephen Curry, that’s the only one I’m giving like a clear elite, can shoot better than me.”

The 27-year-old Porter believes he is one of the best shooters in the world, but not as good as Golden State’s legend.

No one will argue that.

Curry is the greatest shooter of all time. He has made 42.3 percent of his 9,589 career 3-point attempts and is a four-time NBA champion with 11 All-Star appearances because of his perimeter prowess.

Porter put himself in a league of elite shooters below Curry. The career 40.6-percent 3-point shooter mentioned some former Warriors legends.

“[There are] dudes that are on the same level,” Porter said. “I think Klay Thompson, [Kevin Durant]. If I got in the gym [with a player] like Duncan Robinson, he probably can shoot with me. Trae Young, [Damian Lillard]. But I think Steph is the only one clearly better.”

Thompson made 41.3 percent of his 6,009 attempts from range over 11 iconic seasons with the Warriors. Durant made 38.4 percent of his 1,113 attempts over three mythical seasons in the Bay.

Lillard, an Oakland native, has made 37.1 percent of 7,556 career attempts over 13 campaigns. Young and Robinson are no slouches, either.

Porter usually has ridiculously wild takes. But during the Saturday night livestream, the seven-year veteran was spot on about Curry and the NBA’s shooting hierarchy.

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Why ESPN experts predict 2025-26 Warriors are bound for NBA play-in tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 2025-26 NBA season is right around the corner, and, as has been the case for over a decade, the Warriors have high expectations for the upcoming campaign.

Over free agency, Golden State lost veteran center and NBA champion Kevon Looney but has remained at an impasse in contract negotiations with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.

As a result, the Warriors remain the lone franchise that has yet to make an offseason move. 

The question still begs: Where does Golden State stand in a loaded Western Conference? 

ESPN experts predicted where star Steph Curry and Co. will finish the 2025-26 season, and Dub Nation might disagree. 

“The West is so crowded with contenders that a couple of them will inevitably be bumped into this bracket, forced to play an extra game or two with their playoff hopes on the line,” ESPN staff wrote.

 “That’s particularly dangerous for older teams like the Warriors and Mavericks, who will likely spend the final month of the season in a full-out standings sprint and won’t get the extra week of pre-playoff rest the top teams receive.

“However, two teams still make it out of the play-in. The seventh-seeded Warriors beat the second-seeded Rockets in the first round last April. If Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green are healthy, the West’s top two seeds won’t be ecstatic to see the Warriors emerging from the seventh or eighth slot this spring.” 

ESPN predicts the Warriors (48-34) will finish the 2025-26 season with the same record as last season, 48-34, as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed, placing them back in the NBA play-in tournament.

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