Aron Baynes conference call with the International NBA media

Aron Baynes attempting a shot at Madison Square Garden (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, the NBA had a conference call with select members of the international media as part of the run-up to the 2018 edition of the NBA London Game, slated to take place later this month. It involved a few members of the Boston Celtics, who will face the Philadelphia 76ers for that matchup.

One of those involved is Aron Baynes. And here are some of his thoughts.

On the potential revival of the Celtics-Sixers rivalry: "I do think there's definitely a great young core group on both teams. That's one of those things that's exciting about this game coming up in London is there is so much young talent. We have Jayson [Tatum], who is playing phenomenally. He has had a lot more on his plate than anyone really thought coming into the season. And then Jaylen [Brown]  is backing up his rookie year very well. They've added a lot of pieces around here, so there's a great young core here. And then Philly, they've got Simmons and Embiid, and that's definitely their core. It's going to be for a long time coming into it. It's one of those things that's going to be hopefully a good rivalry over the next few years. It will be a fun one when we get out there in London, for sure."

On Ben Simmons and his potential for Australia: "Definitely excited to incorporate Bennie into the Boomers' program. We have that solid core group of guys, but we have a lot of young guys coming through as well. Not only Bennie but there's Jonah [Bolden], and there's a whole list of young guys that are going to be the foundation for the Boomers moving forward. So over the next couple of years trying to integrate those guys into the system is going to be a lot of fun for us. We're looking forward to it because a lot is going to be on their plate when they come into the national team, and we're going to be feeding off what they bring us a lot. Bennie gives a lot of different teams different looks. He's such a big point guard, and he comes down and he causes some matchup problems. But that's why we're lucky as well, because we're so versatile that we can throw different looks at him defensively, and we don't give him the same look. When he keeps getting that same look throughout the 48 minutes, that's  when he really gets comfortable and starts finding a rhythm for himself. He's looked great over the first half of the season so far. It's one of those things that we're just going to try to give as many different looks as we can and see how that plays out."

On how the Celtics handled adversity with Hayward's injury: "It's definitely been a big change from the beginning. You can't ever make up for what you lose in Gordon, but it's one of those things where we're getting different things from different guys and everyone is trying to take a little piece of what he brought to the team. We can't really replace what he's going to bring, so we've incorporated a few different things. Some guys have gotten a lot more playing time as well, and that's really been able to progress us along. You know, the biggest thing is just playing within Brad's system. [Brad Stevens] always puts us in a place to succeed, so when we play within the system, we usually look pretty good. It's when we start doing our own thing that we kind of slow down, and we don't look so good out there. So we're trying to stay within what Brad puts us in, because like I said, he puts us in  the right place most of the time."

On comparing the Spurs and the Celtics: Yeah, one of the biggest things I learned in San Antonio is less is more. Pop [Gregg Popovich] always preached that when we are working, we put everything we've got into it and we do everything at game speed and try and get the most out of it, but when we're not, then you've got to get off your feet and try to recover because we play 82 regular season games. It's a long grind, and you want to stay as fresh as possible for the game time. You don't want to burn yourself out. It's about playing late into June. That's when every team still wants to be playing, so you can't really go out there and use it all up straightaway. Coming in here to the Celtics, Coach Stevens is all about getting off the feet as well, but we're also learning while we're off our feet. He really emphasizes us watching a lot of video and film and breaking down games and just trying to learn that way as well. Everyone is trying to be a student of the game here under Coach Stevens. I've been lucky, with both coaches I've gotten more about basketball than I've ever learned. I'm just trying to learn every single time around them and soak up as much as I can."

On the London Game: "I know we're definitely looking forward to it. There's a great following for the NBA over there, and we're excited to get over there. It's a different culture for everyone to learn. I don't know if it's going to be colder. I think it's negative-17 Celsius here today. It's probably a little bit warmer over there for us. At least we'll go and thaw out a little bit while we're in London, which you don't hear too often. We're looking forward to getting over there. The game is definitely our No. 1 focus, but also getting out, seeing some of the sights. I know my wife is coming over, and she wants to go to a play in the West End and we'll go to a couple other places. Being from Australia, we learned about the British history growing up, so it always takes it to another level for us being able to go over there and walk through Piccadilly Circus and see Leicester Square. There's stuff that is pretty awesome for us, seeing Buckingham and Parliament, Big Ben. That's what we grew up learning about, so it's always good to be able to go over there. It'll be my wife's first time in London as well, so she's definitely looking forward to it."

Brad Stevens conference call with the International NBA media

Brad Stevens during Game 6 of last season's Eastern Conference Semifinals vs Washington Wizards
(Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, the NBA had a conference call with select members of the international media as part of the run-up for the 2018 edition of the NBA London Game, slated to take place later this month. It involved a few members of the Boston Celtics, who will face the Philadelphia 76ers for that matchup.

One of those involved is Brad Stevens. And here are some of his thoughts.

On how the London Game can help the Celtics grow as a team (like how it was for KG in 2008 preseason game in Rome): "It's one of the reasons why we actually -- we very rarely in the last couple of years have left our practice facility to do anything in the preseason. But we went away to a college about an hour and a half away to spend time together, eat meals together, do things together at the start of training camp, with a condensed training camp this year, with only three weeks to get ready for our first game, and knowing all the while that we have this trip ahead of us to do the same thing. I think it's really important. It's important for us from a practice standpoint. It's important for us from a spending-time-together standpoint. And we've got to balance well the preparation and time spent together and the opportunity to see the sights for a day or two. I think that's something that I really want to give our guys a chance to do."

On preparing for the London Game: "Well, these guys are so used to playing in big arenas and special venues that we don't give a second thought to that. I think it's more the opportunity we do get to practice at least once or twice there, and we get to work on some things we need to work on. I mean, a lot of times in the NBA you're playing one night, hopping on a plane, playing somewhere else the next and then flying out. This is the most unique part about this trip, other than the fact that it's across the ocean in London, is the fact that we're actually going to be in a city for a couple of days before we play and have a chance to work together. So that's a real unique part from a travel perspective, from a preparation perspective. But everything else will be what I would say is pretty similar to the norm."

On working with this iteration of the Celtics: "Well, first and foremost, I really enjoy coaching this group. We have a long way to go. I don't think we're playing at the level of a 60-win team, so we'll find out how good we are when everything is done."

On the Popovich comparisons: "As far as being compared or talked about in the same breath as Coach Popovich, I would have to check the source and tell them they probably don't know what they're talking about. I'm not in that ballpark, and I'm pretty cognizant of that. This is a league that is incredibly humbling to be a part of because the players and coaches are so good. Every single day you have to stay on your toes just to survive, and I think that that's something that you don't take for granted. This is a difficult task against the best of the best. To be compared to somebody like Pop, again, it's flattering, but I don't take it too seriously because I know how far away I am from a guy like him."

On Daniel Theis: "Daniel is an awesome guy. He's a tremendous teammate, and he is probably as comfortable in his role and what he does well as anybody that I've coached. He knows what he does
well. He stays in that box, and as a result has had a great first 40 games. As a rookie and undrafted guy, a guy that had never played in the NBA before, it's incredible how impactful he's been for us. There will certainly be games where he plays more than others just based on matchups and everything else, but he's a guy that we believe strongly in now and as we move forward."

On what Kyrie Irving needs to get better: "I think he can get better in every area on the court, and I think the best players in the league consistently have that focus. If you look at the last few MVPs in the league, especially as you go through [Stephen] Curry and then [Russell] Westbrook, the jump they made from the year before to their MVP year was as big as anybody. I think sometimes we look at most improved players as people that come off the bench and then start or go from not playing to a sixth man role, and we miss the fact that oftentimes the best players in the league are the most improved players from year to year, and there's a reason why they're where they are. Kyrie works the right way. He's got a great attitude about it. He wants to be great. He doesn't take for granted what he's already achieved. He works to be great the next day. And that's why I think he'll keep getting better."

On the NBA having these overseas events: "I think we all recognize the impact of the NBA but certainly the impact of basketball across the world. I think of all the many incredible things that basketball has given to me, it's been the opportunity to go to different places because of the game. When I was a college player, I played in four different countries in Europe. When I coached at Butler, we took our team to Finland. We took our team to Italy. We had set up a trip to go to Australia right before I left. As part of the NBA, I've already gotten a chance to coach in Madrid and Milan and also go on an NBA Cares trip to Johannesburg, and now we get to come to London. Without basketball, I don't get to go to any of those places. To me, it's just another thing to speak to why we're so thankful to get an opportunity to do what we do, and kind of, I guess, the global impact of the game and how we're all tied by the love of the game, and I think that that for a basketball junkie like me is the fun part of it."

On trying to minimize the effect of "hitting the wall" on the young guys: "I think that you always think about that every single day and what you're preparing to do. There's a reason why we haven't practiced much over the last 60 days, is because we didn't want to add the extra wear and tear. We would manage it through the games. We've got, I think, one guy on our team in the top 50 in minutes in the NBA. So I feel like we've managed that well, and we've asked guys to be very forthright with us about how they're feeling so we can manage it even better. Now we have a little bit more chance to practice. We'll be on the court a little bit more on off days, but we'll still do so with the big picture in mind. Everything that we're always doing from a coaching standpoint and a sports standpoint is all geared towards trying to navigate the long season, maximize each moment, but then be ready to be your best at the end of the year."

On the Cavs: "I think as far as the Cavs go, they're the class of the East. They've been the class of the East for the last two and a half years, and everybody, including us, is chasing them."

On the NBA's international influence: "As far as the international influence on the NBA, I don't think there's any doubt that it's one of the coolest parts of my job. I mean, we have a player from the Dominican Republic, we have a player from Germany,  we have a player from Australia, we have a player from France, we have a player that was born in Egypt. It's a special thing to be around people from all over the world working toward one common goal. That's why people love sports, because we get a chance to see that kind of intentional pursuit, and it's certainly a great part of the NBA, especially with all the different backgrounds on every team."

On Gordon Hayward's status: "Gordon Hayward will not travel. He has not traveled on any of our road games yet and probably won't for a little bit longer, until basically he doesn't need our equipment here to do what he needs to do. So that's still down the road a little bit."

Daniel Theis conference call with the International NBA media

Daniel Theis holding the ball for the Celtics at Madison Square Garden (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, the NBA had a conference call with select members of the international media as part of the run-up to the 2018 edition of the NBA London Game, slated to take place later this month. It involved a few members of the Boston Celtics, who will face the Philadelphia 76ers for that matchup.

One of those involved is Daniel Theis. And here are some of his thoughts.

On being one the Celtics fan favorites: "I would say the Boston fans are special anyway, so every game is sold out. Every play I get, it's loud from the fans for me. I mean, I should say some fans. It's an honor for me, for sure. I just try to play like I've played the last years, bring energy."

On whether he gets teased by the other German NBA players (All other Germans in NBA are with struggling teams: Maxi Kleber and Dirk Nowitzki with Dallas, Dennis Schroeder with Atlanta, Paul Zipser with Chicago): "For the other German players, now in Chicago they've made a run. They're getting better. They have played the last year on the highest level. [Chicago's Paul Zipser] played a lot of games. So I hope all the other German players and teams they play for, they're going to get better this season."

On excelling his role as an off the bench big: "I don't mind starting or coming off the bench for the game. Like I said, I've been doing this in Bamberg for years. I just try to bring energy, play defense when I step on the court. For me, it doesn't matter if I start the game, come off the bench or whatever, so whenever the team needs me, I try to be ready."

On whether he has friends and family heading to London for the game:  "I've got my brother coming with his girlfriend to London. My wife is coming from Boston to London. And I've got some friends or people I know that play in London, like all around London, soccer, they're coming to the game, too."

On the prospects of a European NBA franchise: "I think it would work, but we'll see how it goes in London. I think London is a good place to play also for NBA teams and franchises, for sure."

On travel concerns with regards to playing in London: "I think with the schedule, with so many games, playoff games, I think we have close to 100 games, it's hard  to do it because it takes a week for us and Philadelphia to play one game in London. I think it's possible for one or two games in a season when a team goes around like two or three cities maybe, but permanent or for different teams I think it's hard to get it done because the schedule is so packed with all the games and everything.
I would say if teams go around like when we would go to London, we could go maybe to one or two places. But it takes a lot of time for us to travel there, prepare everything, then of course with jet lag, time difference, I think it's six hours or seven hours to London. But for this one game, I think it's going to be special for both teams, for fans all over the world or in Europe. They have a chance to come to London and see the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. I think it's going to be a big thing for the NBA and also just for people and fans in Europe.

On whether his friends in the Premier League or the senior German national football team has touched base with him or have shown inclination to watch the game in London: Yes. One guy plays in Germany first league. I don't know where he plays right now, somewhere in -- I think in the Premier League. He's a friend of mine, plays in Germany first division. He's coming to the game. I think the German guys or some of them that play for Arsenal are also interested in basketball. I think we're going to meet with some of the players, for sure."

On dealing with playing an 82-game season as a rookie: "We played almost 70 games last year with Bamberg with the EuroLeague, but we had the chance to rest a lot of players in the German league, too. With the NBA's schedule, the games are like back to back. We've played 40 games right now, and the season is two months old. Especially our schedule was really tough because we only played two games right now the whole season with two days in between. I think that's the part that makes it harder than in Europe because in Europe, with EuroLeague, you have Monday to Wednesday for practice or preparing, and then you know you play maybe Thursday, Saturday, like two games a week. And right now with the NBA schedule, we play like four to five games a week."

On dealing with the protective mask: "Since I got the second one, the fitted one, it's way better so I can see more. But I thought it's gone for the London game. I'm not going to miss it."

On comparing the NBA style of play to Europe's: "I would say the NBA game is a little bit -- it's faster, more athletic than Euro, and also offensively you take open shots. Even if it's the first pass, you take it if the open shot is a good shot. In Europe, we used to play in Bamberg, you run through the system, you make the defense run, so you are a little bit more patient.

Jayson Tatum conference call with the International NBA media

Jayson Tatum attempting a layup against the Washington Wizards (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, the NBA had a conference call with select members of the international media as part of the run-up for the 2018 edition of the NBA London Game, slated to take place later this month. It involved a few members of the Boston Celtics, who will face the Philadelphia 76ers for that matchup.

One of those involved is Jayson Tatum. And here are some of his thoughts.

On facing the Sixers in London: "It's going to be fun. It's going to be a great game. There's a lot of talent on the floor on both ends, especially young talent, and I'm excited to have the fans over there get to see it up close and personal."

On trying to hold on to the best record in the East: "We've got a lot of games left, and now we've got some time off where we can practice and regroup and tighten things up that we need to work on, and take it one day at a time and practice one game at a time."

On how his rookie season has been going: "I think my rookie year has been going pretty well. Obviously, we're winning. That's what really matters, and I'm having fun doing it."

On playing the Cavs: "We get a chance to play the Cavs again tomorrow and hopefully get them back from the first game of the season."

On what he is most looking forward to in London aside from playing: "My mom is coming over, so just go find nice places to eat, go sightseeing, walk around. It's a little bit warmer over there than it is here, so try to get out of the hotel."

On how he can improve his game further: "Just continue to get better each and every day and just soak up as much information and just learn as much as I can each and every day to try to get better, help the team out."

On how the team prepares for the London Game: "I don't know. I will have to wait and see if we do anything different in practice or what Brad [Stevens] thinks, but I personally don't know."

On the biggest adjustment he made from college to pro: "And the biggest adjustment is just we play so many more games than we do in college, so you've got to really take care of your body."

On his effectiveness shooting from beyond the arc: "I've been working on it a lot, but I didn't think I would shoot it this well."

On whether the Rookie of the Year award serves as one of his goals: "That's always been one of my goals, to win that award. But I think just focusing on team goals first, and if we keep winning, the rest will take care of itself."

On the transition from playing one season in college to playing in the pros: "I think playing for Coach K and Duke prepared me. I just carried that over to this season. Just come in every day and work hard and just try to get better."

On how the team adjusted after losing Hayward: Obviously, when Gordon went down, it was tough. Basically, everybody had to do more on the offensive end and defensive end. We had to come together and still find ways to be effective and win games, and we really triggered in on defense.


On Brad Stevens potentially winning the Coach of the Year nod: We have the best record in the East, and obviously Brad is one of the best coaches in the league. Hopefully we keep winning, and we'll see what happens.

On whether he expected the Celtics' immediate success: No, I didn't. Obviously, when Gordon got hurt, people got more playing time and got more opportunities, and guys just had to step up. From that being the first game of the season, we had to catch on quick.

On Kyrie Irving: He's a great person. He's a great teammate. He's always working and leads by  example. Any questions that we have, especially younger guys, he's always willing to help and show us things and just talk us through film or anything like that. So he's just an all-around great teammate.

Al Horford conference call with the International NBA media

Al Horford passing the ball during Boston's game vs Houston. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, the NBA had a conference call with select members of the international media as part of the run-up for the 2018 edition of the NBA London Game, slated to take place later this month. It involved a few members of the Boston Celtics, who will face the Philadelphia 76ers for that matchup.

One of those involved is Al Horford. And here are some of his thoughts.

On the Celtics having what it takes to be competitive against Cleveland: "I feel like we've been playing really good basketball. I feel like we have a really young group that our guys just keep getting better as the season goes along. As a group, we're going to keep getting better, and I do feel like we have what it takes to contend for a championship."

On having the chance to play in London (Al missed the chance to play when Atlanta played there a few years ago): "I'm very excited. As soon as we found out earlier this summer we were going to play in London, my wife and I were just ecstatic, very happy about it. I'm really trying to make the most out of the trip. We've been to London before. We love the city. So we're looking forward to spending a couple days over there."

On facing the Cavs: "It'll be a fun matchup tomorrow, to go against Cleveland and see some of the former teammates. It's going to be very competitive. We're excited about the challenge."

On how the young players are able to immediately contribute: "I've been very encouraged by how quickly some of our younger guys have been able to come along and help us as a team. Part of our success is because they've been able to do what Coach [Brad Stevens] is asking of them. They've been put in tough positions, and they've been able to handle it really well. I feel like they're going to continue to get better, and I'll be very eager to see how we're looking at the end of the year because I feel like they'll be much more comfortable and we'll be better as a group."

On playing with Aron Baynes: "Playing with Aron Baynes has been a lot of fun, not only on the court but off the court. He's a great teammate. He's the kind of guy that you want to have on your side because he's going to play the right way. He's going to compete. And he really takes a lot of pressure off of me on the defensive end. I'm able to get out and run a little more and do different things."

On how the team has handled the lineup changes: "I think that one of the strengths of our team is the ability of always being able to change. Coach has challenged us a lot, changing lineups, because of, like you said, injuries or things. But I've felt like our team has handled that really well. Guys are not making excuses. We're stepping up to the challenge, and we're trying to make the most of what we have."

On Kyrie being a factor in improving his game: "Kyrie is a great competitor. He's a guy that has proved that he can play at a really high level, and I think that he's made our team better. He has, in his own way, challenged me to be better, especially to be more aggressive on the offensive end, and just striving to be a better player. So it's been a lot of fun being able to play alongside him."

On Guerschon Yabusele not yet breaking through the main rotation: "I still believe it, he can play. Sometimes in the NBA, some guys are able to figure things out quicker than others. Sometimes it takes a full year for you to totally understand a new system, what's your role, what's expected. But Guerschon, he still impresses me. He has gotten some opportunities in the past couple weeks. It's a long season. I feel like he'll continue to get some more opportunities. But I think that people have to understand that he will be at that level -- he'll be able to play. He'll be able to do a lot of special things. But sometimes it just takes time, and he'll get his opportunity."

On having fun being part of a successful team: "I think the focus always has to be on the night tonight, but I do sit back and look at the big picture. We've had a lot of adversity as a group, a lot of guys that have never played in the NBA that have come in and had an impact. I look at all that and I do appreciate the progress and how well we've played. But then also at the same time, I always bring myself back down, and it's important for us to focus on the game to game and the process and just continue to get better. And I think that's the key for our group."

Boston, Golden State and Miami agree to 4-player trade

c/o ESPN

A 4-player, three team trade was approved on Wednesday involving the defending champions Miami Heat, along with the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. This was first confirmed by Y!'s Woj.

The Warriors, in their search for an upgrade on their backcourt depth, acquired Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks from the Celtics. With the recent acquisition of Jerryd Bayless and the impending return of Rondo, who happened to be sent down to Maine for a couple of hours to get some practice work before being recalled, Crawford became a tradeable asset. Brooks is a throw-in to make salaries work and would complement the team's backcourt depth.

In exchange, the Warriors sent Toney Douglas to the Miami Heat. With Mario Chalmers suffering from an Achilles strain, the defending champions would like have some additional cover if in any case Chalmers, or Dwyane Wade, were to miss games. Although they have LeBron James as a more than capable ball-handler, as well as Wade, the only other point guard on the roster is Norris Cole.

The Heat then sent Joel Anthony, their 2016 second round pick, and a conditional first round pick from the 76ers that Miami acquired when they traded Arnett Moultrie, to the Celtics. Boston also received cash from the deal. Anthony gives them size, championship experience, and a trade chip that they can use in swinging a deal later on. The picks also serve as a possible trade asset. The cash is in play just to make the trade work, cap wise.

Jordan averaged 13.7 points, a career-high 5.7 assists (which led the Celtics) and 3.1 rebounds in 39 games. He started 35 times and was named as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week last month.

MarShon averaged 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds this season, playing a total of 73 minutes in ten games in Boston. His production has dwindled since his rookie year, when he was named 2nd Team All-Rookie.

A free agent signing this past offseason, Toney averaged 3.7 points and a rebound in 24 games for the Warriors.

Joel was a part of the Miami title runs the past couple of seasons, albeit in a limited capacity. He has appeared in just 12 games for the Heat this season, and has recorded a total of six points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 37 minutes of action.

Jeff Green bails out the Boston Celtics.

Found this on Truth on Causeway

.6 seconds on the clock. What can you do? Not much. But Gerald Wallace and Jeff Green found a way...



First things first, great job by Gerald Wallace on the inbound. He was calm enough to check out the available options AND then throwing it to Green, who made such a ridiculous shot, so ridiculous it sort of eerily reminds people of Ray Allen in Game 6 versus San Antonio.

Green finished with 24 points, 5/8 from beyond the arc, in the 111-110 victory by the Celtics.