Celtics Vincent Poirier, Daniel Theis square off in FIBA World Cup

Celtics Vincent Poirier, Daniel Theis square off in FIBA World Cup

By Chris Forsberg September 01, 2019 3:20 PM

Call it a tiny preview of Boston Celtics training camp.

Early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s FIBA opener between France and Germany, Daniel Theis caught a lob above Vincent Poirier and threw down an alley-oop jam as Poirier crashed to the floor beneath him.

A short time later, Poirier and Theis found themselves chasing the same rebound. Poirier, the incoming Celtics rookie signed to a two-year deal this summer, crashed hard from the 3-point line and Theis got whistled for a foul when he sent Poirier spilling beyond the baseline while trying to prevent the offensive rebound.

For Celtics fans, it was a neat little glimpse of two players that could push each other for minutes this season in Boston’s wide-open competition for frontcourt minutes.

While the focus of most Boston fans Sunday was understandably on Team Shamrock — the four-man Celtics contingent comprising a third of Team USA’s roster as it opened group play against the Czech Republic at the FIBA world championships — the France/Germany game in the same time slot offered a convincing reason to click over.

While Kemba Walker dazzled in Team USA’s win, reminding again that there might not be a tremendous drop off as the Celtics swap him in for the departed Kyrie Irving, there remains an obvious void in Boston’s frontcourt after Al Horford signed in Philadelphia and Aron Baynes got dealt to Phoenix.

The Celtics are hopeful that Enes Kanter can give an offensive jolt up front and 2018 first-round pick Robert Williams will get every opportunity to show he’s ready for a bigger role. But both Poirier and Theis will have a shot to prove they deserve big minutes as well.

In Sunday’s small sample, Poirier had the louder day. He finished with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting over just 9:28. Poirier’s scoring burst included him swooping in over three red shirts to slam home a putback, then he leaked out behind the German defense later in the first half for another emphatic two-handed slam.

Poirier finished with four rebounds but was also a minus-8 in his floor time. While his offensive talents are obvious, with him eager to rumble towards the rim after setting screens or in transition, the defensive end remains a work in progress for the 7-footer. 

Theis never found his shot, missing four of the five shots he put up over 11:47. He did grab eight rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, but was minus-14 overall. Neither Theis nor Poirier were on the court for the final minutes as France stiff-armed Germany’s comeback attempt.

It’s easy to forget that Theis was starting to emerge two seasons ago before the meniscus tear that ended his 2017-18 season and forced him to miss Boston’s playoff run. Theis played only 908 minutes this past season but had one of the better net ratings on the team at plus-7.4 points per 100 possessions. Theis shot 38.8 percent beyond the 3-point arc and can make himself quite valuable as a floor-stretcher if he keeps shooting like that.

The Celtics imported Poirier with an obvious need for pure size with Baynes’ departure. Fellow rookie Grant Williams could be an undersized option in the frontcourt but there are minutes to be claimed by whoever wants them most.

The Celtics are likely going to have to mix and match a bit. Theis had good stretches last year but also got feasted on by stronger 5s like Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. Poirier has the size and strength to joust a bit more but will have to earn coach Brad Stevens’ trust on the defensive end.

Asked about Poirier last month, Stevens offered a short scouting report while acknowledging Boston’s diversity at the position.

"I worked out Vincent a few times when he was here in his travels, just upon signing the contract as we were recruiting him to come, spent some time with him,” said Stevens. "Good athlete, plays way above the rim on his rolls, and, that center position for us is going to be -- you know, each of those guys brings a unique versatility to us. And we’re going to lean on all of them.

"So that will be a fun group because it’s not like maybe we’ve had in the past where you have a guy like Horford, who you play through at the 3-point line so much. And you’ve got to play through other guys in different ways.”

All six of Boston’s players at FIBA play again Tuesday morning. Germany goes against the Dominican Republic, France dances with Jordan, and Team USA jousts with Turkey (whose roster includes former big man import Semih Erden).

BLAKELY: More to FIBA than Team USA for Celtics fans>>> 

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Will Team USA be launchpad for Celtics' Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown?

Will Team USA be launchpad for Celtics' Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown?

By Chris Forsberg August 29, 2019 8:30 AM

Go back and read some of the coverage of Team USA before the 2010 FIBA World Championship and you’ll marvel at the similarities to what’s being said about the current squad that’s set to begin play in China this weekend.

Nine years ago, on the heels of the Redeem Team's gold medal showing at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, all 12 members of Team USA punted on playing in the 2010 FIBA tournament. The young roster that Team USA eventually cobbled together was dubbed the "B-Team” because of the lack of established star power, and half of the 12-man roster was aged 22 or younger.

There was no LeBron, no Kobe, no D-Wade. And while a 21-year-old Kevin Durant had already firmly established himself after winning the NBA scoring title during the 2009-10 season, he was the only All-NBA player on Team USA’s 2010 roster.

Masked by all the hoopla surrounding who wasn’t playing, that 2010 squad quietly boasted an entire fleet of soon-to-be NBA superstars. Four of those under-22 players would claim the MVP award over the next seven NBA seasons. In fact, Durant (2014), Derrick Rose (2011), Stephen Curry (2015, 2016), and Russell Westbrook (2017) accounted for every non-LeBron MVP in that span.

Which brings us back to this year’s entry. For all the understandable consternation about Team USA’s starless 2019 squad and the daunting challenge that awaits this ragtag group in China, there’s a strong chance that some of the youngest talent on this year’s roster eventually could emerge as the future faces of the league.

Which is why Celtics fans have a particularly vested interest in this year’s tournament. Even if this is more like the “C Team” — given the presence of four Celtics players, including incoming All-Star Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart — the focal point here is obvious for Boston fans: 22-year-old Jaylen Brown and 21-year-old Jayson Tatum.

Can Boston’s young guys use Team USA as a springboard to stardom like the youngest members of that 2010 squad? 

Near the end of Boston’s playoff run last season, Celtics coach Brad Stevens marveled out loud at how Tatum and Brown had carried themselves in the face of lofty expectations and constant scrutiny.

"I was 30 before I was in a position where anybody really cared about anything I did,” said Stevens.

After Tatum and Brown starred in the Celtics’ improbable Kyrie Irving-less playoff run of 2018, expectations for both players rocketed to impossible heights. When the Celtics floundered throughout a disastrous 2018-19 season, much of the criticism fell on the “young guys,” as Irving so often referred to them (and not always with the most positive connotation).

Some of that criticism was fair. But Tatum and Brown were far from the only ones to believe their own hype. Brown was able to shrug off a rough start and emerge as one of Boston’s most consistent players late in the season. Tatum put up some of the best advanced numbers on the team, but his dip in efficiency suggested a player that stalled in his sophomore season.

The prevailing narrative after Boston’s second-round playoff exit: Maybe Boston’s “young guys” didn’t have quite as high of ceiling as it seemed.

All of which the Celtics' brass scoffed at a bit. Despite the departures of Irving and Al Horford this summer, part of what kept Boston decision-makers invigorated about the future was the opportunity to see what Tatum and Brown can do as focal points of this team. Yes, the addition of Walker and a healthier Gordon Hayward still leaves Boston with roles to identify and shots to properly distribute. But there’s genuine intrigue in the organization to see if the “young guys” can rise again with running mates who are genuinely eager to empower them.

What the entire NBA world sometimes lost track of with Brown and Tatum is just how young they still are. While the duo did not reach their lofty outside expectations last season, perspective can be found when comparing Brown and Tatum’s production compared to other current star players at similar age/experience levels.

For instance, take a look at Jaylen Brown’s numbers to those of Kawhi Leonard during both players’ age 22 season, per Basketball Reference:

Brown is undeniably less efficient and doesn’t impact the entire box score the way Leonard did at the same age, particularly when you remember the Spurs were a championship team in Leonard’s third season. Still, comparing both players and their per-36 production in their age 22 season is an interesting exercise. Remember, too, Leonard was Finals MVP that season.

This isn’t to suggest that Brown is the next Leonard. Brown needs to make tremendous strides to even get in Leonard's ballpark in terms of consistently impacting the game at both ends of the floor. It’s simply a reminder that players are not finished products in age-22 seasons and development is not always linear.

Bringing the conversation back to Team USA, it’s difficult to compare Brown and Tatum to the sub-22 crowd from the 2010 roster, though comparing per-36 numbers for the age-20 seasons of Tatum and Durant is yet another interesting exercise (via Basketball Reference):

The reminder here is simply this: Tatum and Brown are still insanely young and the potential is undeniable. The 2018 playoff run left all of us hitting the accelerator on what they could become and how fast they might get there. Team USA offers a chance for them to remind the rest of the NBA why there was so much hype before last season.

Just to grease the tracks for the "young guy” hype train that could depart the station during the FIBA tournament, consider what Team USA coach Gregg Popovich said of Brown after he scored a team-high 19 points in Team USA’s final exhibition tuneup against Canada earlier this week.

"Jaylen, he’s just a hard-nose player,” said Popovich. "He understands what has to be done. He doesn’t care about anything, except playing with his teammates, winning, playing aggressively all the time, and he’s consistent in that regard. He does it all the time. He’s confident in his shot. He’s tough underneath. So, he’s been one of our more consistent players, along with Myles [Turner].”

It seems a fair bet that at least one of Team USA’s sub-23 contingent is going to make their first All-Star team next season. That group is comprised of Tatum, Brown, Turner, and Donovan Mitchell. In 2027, we probably won’t reflect on this foursome quite the same way we do now with Durant/Rose/Westbrook/Curry, but the young talent on these Team USA rosters has consistently been a pretty good bet to pan out. Consider that sub-23 talent on the 2014 FIBA roster included 22-year-old Kyrie Irving and 21-year-old Anthony Davis.

Even if Tatum and Brown don’t kick down the door during the FIBA tournament, there is value to be gained by simply being part of the experience. The duo has gotten to bond with Smart and Walker and started the chemistry-building process for next year’s Celtics. Maybe more important are the bonds being made with the eight other players on the roster. 

One need only rewind to that 2010 team again. That’s where Durant, Curry, and Andre Iguodala first bonded, as the relationships built in Turkey that year aided the Golden State Warriors in luring Durant to the Bay when he reached free agency.

September is usually a slow slog to training camp and Celtics fans haven’t had much reason to perk up about international play (2010 might be best remembered in these parts for Rajon Rondo’s withdrawal before the start of the tournament). That changes this year, and not only because of Team Shamrock: Celtics big men Daniel Theis (Germany) and Vincent Poirier (France) are competing in the tournament as well.

Still, it’s Tatum and Brown in the spotlight. The absence of established stars in China gives them a perfect opportunity to show they are truly next in line.

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Jaylen Brown shuffles higher on 2020 NBA free agent list again after Caris LeVert's extension

Jaylen Brown shuffles higher on 2020 NBA free agent list again after Caris LeVert's extension

By Chris Forsberg August 26, 2019 10:46 AM

Scratch another name off the list of top potential 2020 free agents.

Brooklyn Nets wing Caris LeVert reportedly agreed to a three-year, $52.5 million extension Sunday, according to ESPN. With the just-turned-25-year-old LeVert locked up, Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown shuffles another spot higher on an already thin list of potentially available players next summer.

Both LeVert and Golden State's Draymond Green have taken less-than-max money this summer in the quest for long-term security. Assuming Anthony Davis re-signs with the Lakers after this season, that leaves the likes of Pascal Siakam, Brown, and New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram as potential top options — though all are restricted — next summer.

How might LeVert’s extension impact Brown?

At an average annual value of $17.5 million, the Nets seemingly got a sweetheart of a deal. But Celtics fans shouldn’t expect to get Brown at a similar number unless he has an underwhelming 2019-20 season. For all of LeVert’s potential, he’s two years older than Brown and has an injury history.

While many teams will likely hoard cap space for a potentially loaded 2021 summer, there are still going to be deep-pocketed suitors who could do worse than to splurge big money on a 23-year-old Brown, who has played some of his best basketball in each of the past two postseasons.

Just hours after reports of LeVert’s extension, Brown put up a team-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting while helping Team USA to an exhibition win over Canada on Monday.

The Celtics and Brown have until the eve of the 2019-20 season to examine an extension and Brown can force the issue a bit with a loud showing at the FIBA championships in China. Team USA opens World Cup play on Sept. 1 against the Czech Republic.

In Team USA’s four exhibitions, Brown has registered 47 points on 20 of 28 shooting overall (71.4 percent). He’s third on Team USA in scoring behind only Celtics teammate Kemba Walker and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. 

Brown can position himself to make upwards of max money by showing his progress both at FIBA but especially during the upcoming season. The Celtics have to decide if they are willing to commit a big-money offer to Brown before the start of the season or run the risk of letting him get to free agency.

With the right to match any offer, there’s limited risk for Boston, particularly if Brown’s price tag is already high. It might help Boston, too, to have a player motivated to show he deserves max money.

The Celtics have rarely extended rookies but have routinely made strong offers to extension-eligible players, including Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart. With a big payday looming further out for 2017 draftee Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have to be diligent in the money they commit moving forward, particularly if they desire to be players in the summer of 2021 when they could potentially hunt another star before committing big money to Tatum.

Only Walker ($36 million) and Marcus Smart ($14.3 million) are currently on the books for big money after the 2020-21 season.

Smart uses a gritty metaphor to describe the Celtics>>>

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