Celtics 2025-26, Off-Season/Training Camp Thread

[fallguy]

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[bucknersrevenge]

I think you're correct that Derrick will not be traded. Personally, I think White at his age and production would return a lot in a trade, so if I was the GM I'd kick the tires on DWhites value, see what offers are out there.

Also, part of why I'm less reluctant to move him, is I really thought Mazzulla coached him backwards this year. This seasons DWhite is 3pt rate up, free throw rate down, on/off metrics down, and assists down ... so if this is the trend, this is the height of his trade value imo.

I don't blame Derrick btw. I just think they've really coached his mid-range game, floater game, and setup game out of him. Derrick attempted 27 3's in first two Knicks game was just tough to watch. And then we're coming off Derrick's ineffective defense on Brunson in game 4 which was a rough moment for Derrick but also Brunson an MVP candidate and guys score buckets in the NBA so of course I don't want to get trapped in the moment.

I love Derrick as a Celtic and as a person. I'd look into his market this summer also.

Trading DWhite is an absolute NON-STARTER. He's on a good deal and he's Tatum's best friend on the team. That's absolutely not happening. In fact, Tatum, White, PP and Scheierman shouldn't be going anywhere and I'd love to see Scheierman getting heavy rotation minutes next year.

I'm late getting back around to this but I couldn't agree more with you on White. His game became very 1-dimensional as the year went on. I think he became just a "safety valve" for kickouts and not a player that just moves without the ball and looks to score. I mean, everyone said it last year: aggressive DWhite is the BEST DWhite and not just aggressive from 3. He spent too much time just standing. And just tying your comment here to one of your later posts about the lack of passing in the playoffs I think it may be time to get a legitimate PG in here to help move White off ball and into more of a secondary or even tertiary playmaker. I just think White is better moving without the ball and being aggressive looking for his offense from everywhere.

With that said, this is a wildly unpopular take but I'd get Trae Young in here. Defensive issues aside, always been a big fan of his game, his IQ, and his toughness. He has a Rondo-esque ability to pass guys open. He loves to push the pace and this team constantly needs to be reminded to play more uptempo. And, a healthy JT, and DWhite next to Young is exactly the kind of situation Trae has been missing in his career. He's just not effective as the best player on his team but give him some good veteran high IQ guys to play with and we might get the most efficient Trae Young ever.

[winsomme2]

I think you're correct that Derrick will not be traded. Personally, I think White at his age and production would return a lot in a trade, so if I was the GM I'd kick the tires on DWhites value, see what offers are out there.

Also, part of why I'm less reluctant to move him, is I really thought Mazzulla coached him backwards this year. This seasons DWhite is 3pt rate up, free throw rate down, on/off metrics down, and assists down ... so if this is the trend, this is the height of his trade value imo.

I don't blame Derrick btw. I just think they've really coached his mid-range game, floater game, and setup game out of him. Derrick attempted 27 3's in first two Knicks game was just tough to watch. And then we're coming off Derrick's ineffective defense on Brunson in game 4 which was a rough moment for Derrick but also Brunson an MVP candidate and guys score buckets in the NBA so of course I don't want to get trapped in the moment.

I love Derrick as a Celtic and as a person. I'd look into his market this summer also.

Trading DWhite is an absolute NON-STARTER. He's on a good deal and he's Tatum's best friend on the team. That's absolutely not happening. In fact, Tatum, White, PP and Scheierman shouldn't be going anywhere and I'd love to see Scheierman getting heavy rotation minutes next year.

I'm late getting back around to this but I couldn't agree more with you on White. His game became very 1-dimensional as the year went on. I think he became just a "safety valve" for kickouts and not a player that just moves without the ball and looks to score. I mean, everyone said it last year: aggressive DWhite is the BEST DWhite and not just aggressive from 3. He spent too much time just standing. And just tying your comment here to one of your later posts about the lack of passing in the playoffs I think it may be time to get a legitimate PG in here to help move White off ball and into more of a secondary or even tertiary playmaker. I just think White is better moving without the ball and being aggressive looking for his offense from everywhere.

With that said, this is a wildly unpopular take but I'd get Trae Young in here. Defensive issues aside, always been a big fan of his game, his IQ, and his toughness. He has a Rondo-esque ability to pass guys open. He loves to push the pace and this team constantly needs to be reminded to play more uptempo. And, a healthy JT, and DWhite next to Young is exactly the kind of situation Trae has been missing in his career. He's just not effective as the best player on his team but give him some good veteran high IQ guys to play with and we might get the most efficient Trae Young ever.

You'd really have to think about how you compensate for Young on defense but I do like him as a player and the options that his skills open up for your offensive game planning.

Good defensive teams have figured out how to defend high volume threes, so we need to add an ability to attack the basket. I hope Brad agrees with this observation.

[bucknersrevenge]

I think you're correct that Derrick will not be traded. Personally, I think White at his age and production would return a lot in a trade, so if I was the GM I'd kick the tires on DWhites value, see what offers are out there.

Also, part of why I'm less reluctant to move him, is I really thought Mazzulla coached him backwards this year. This seasons DWhite is 3pt rate up, free throw rate down, on/off metrics down, and assists down ... so if this is the trend, this is the height of his trade value imo.

I don't blame Derrick btw. I just think they've really coached his mid-range game, floater game, and setup game out of him. Derrick attempted 27 3's in first two Knicks game was just tough to watch. And then we're coming off Derrick's ineffective defense on Brunson in game 4 which was a rough moment for Derrick but also Brunson an MVP candidate and guys score buckets in the NBA so of course I don't want to get trapped in the moment.

I love Derrick as a Celtic and as a person. I'd look into his market this summer also.

I'm late getting back around to this but I couldn't agree more with you on White. His game became very 1-dimensional as the year went on. I think he became just a "safety valve" for kickouts and not a player that just moves without the ball and looks to score. I mean, everyone said it last year: aggressive DWhite is the BEST DWhite and not just aggressive from 3. He spent too much time just standing. And just tying your comment here to one of your later posts about the lack of passing in the playoffs I think it may be time to get a legitimate PG in here to help move White off ball and into more of a secondary or even tertiary playmaker. I just think White is better moving without the ball and being aggressive looking for his offense from everywhere.

With that said, this is a wildly unpopular take but I'd get Trae Young in here. Defensive issues aside, always been a big fan of his game, his IQ, and his toughness. He has a Rondo-esque ability to pass guys open. He loves to push the pace and this team constantly needs to be reminded to play more uptempo. And, a healthy JT, and DWhite next to Young is exactly the kind of situation Trae has been missing in his career. He's just not effective as the best player on his team but give him some good veteran high IQ guys to play with and we might get the most efficient Trae Young ever.

You'd really have to think about how you compensate for Young on defense but I do like him as a player and the options that his skills open up for your offensive game planning.

Good defensive teams have figured out how to defend high volume threes, so we need to add an ability to attack the basket. I hope Brad agrees with this observation.

Agreed. Brown for Trae Young, Mo Gueye, and picks works for me. He's got next year and then a PO for the following year. Maybe he'd be willing to rip up that PO for a new deal at a lower AAV to shave some money off. I think the next iteration of this team with Jayson Tatum has to play faster and be equipped to get more easy baskets than this version did. And Young is a force multiplier. He makes sense to me for a lot of reasons. He also makes no sense for a number of others.

[Celticlifer]

There is no way Brad is trading for Trae. Nonexistent defense, heavy usage, let him run some other team into an eighth seed. Our identity is defense first and foremost. We have worked hard to have every player be switchable, even Pritchard and Hauser. We will not back off from that.

[ryan in Maine]

Thoughts on team hiding injuries from fanbase?

[Fierce1]

Thoughts on team hiding injuries from fanbase?

It's in the best interest of the team.

[Bad-Thoma]

Thoughts on team hiding injuries from fanbase?

[ThePigeon]

Thoughts on team hiding injuries from fanbase?

From the fanbase?!
From gambling. This is the main issue and it will be dealt with

[Parliament10]

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[phincsfan]

The C's were tired and gassed these playoffs which needs to be a big point of emphasis next season. Can't have JB and White going into a playoff push on their last legs.

[bisme37]

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[Hal14]

D-white working an event for HS kids with Maxey. Hmm..

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[GoCeltics123]

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[165bows]

Thoughts on team hiding injuries from fanbase?

From the fanbase?!
From gambling. This is the main issue and it will be dealt with

Apparently no one else had any issue with ESPN etc etc drooling all over Dallas last year in the Finals to keep the betting money rolling in so my take is it would have to get really really bad on any level for anything to happen.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

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So after going after Celtics players and Celtics coaches, the Hornets are going after Celtics trainers. Ok. Do they know there are other NBA teams they can interact with ?

[SparringPartner]

Well as per Celtics All Access, JB was playing through a partial meniscus tear. Thats what I said he had weeks ago.

IMO, I don’t see any team entertaining a trade for him this offseason. I’m totally fine with that. Clean it up and let him get healthy. I think he has a solid season in 25/26.

Is JB scheduled to miss games next year because of the procedure?

[SparringPartner]

Still the best center on the Celtics roster

And that’s a problem that needs to be addressed. Al or no Al

[SparringPartner]

We were dead last out of playoff teams in passes per game (238) per nba tracking stats. Indiana was first in passes per game (337) this year.
First year under Mazzulla that we finished last in passing of playoff teams.

I thought Joe's coaching this year, even being gracious in light of Brown, KP and Holiday injuries, was the worst of the three years.
I don't know how you can run an offense so simplistic and unable to attack in combinations that teammates pass the ball to each other 100 times(!) less than another NBA playoff team.
That's insane.

Passing the ball to an open teammate is how you get the open shots and high percentage shots that makes it hard for lower seeds to beat you.

https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/passing?Season=2024-25&dir=D&sort=PASSES_MADE

100%
I don’t have the stats to back it up, but this was going on pre-Mazzulla, right?

[Curmudgeon]

Wait until you see Anfernee Simons if you love selfish basketball.