"So it definitely hurts for this organization that he's not here anymore." "I already could see how Rob is that charismatic guy for this group," he said. Porzingis had been in Boston for two weeks working out and getting to know big man Robert Williams III, a defensive anchor whom Porzingis was preparing to play a lot with - and now will not. Down the line, Celtics players were excited about the deal and praised what they know about Holiday, but there was no doubt the team was a little rocked by the adjustment to the adjustment.įor example, guard Derrick White talked about how new assistant coach Sam Cassell came to Colorado this summer to spend some time getting to know him and preparing him for taking over as starting point guard - and then Boston acquired a new All-Star point guard. Then, boom, Jrue Holidaygot traded 24 hours before the start of media day and the snow globe was shaken up again. The arrival of Kristaps Porzingis was a planned adjustment to playing with two big men on the floor most of the time. Joe Mazzulla replaced most of his coaching staff. There was a total change in locker room voices with Marcus Smart and Grant Williams departing. TheCeltics spent the past three months getting used to a new normal. But at the end of the day, you don't win a championship by making a move."Īdded Lillard: "It made me feel good to see that he thinks that way." ![]() ![]() "There's going to be so much hype around us, lot more TV games, lot of conversation about us. "We got to stay locked in," Antetokounmpo said. ![]() So even though this pairing comes with heightened expectations, both stars are approaching the season in similar fashion. Lillard and Antetokounmpo have long admired each other from afar - Antetokounmpo made Lillard the No.1 pick during the 2023 All-Star draft - but what struck them both following their first phone conversation after the trade was how similar their personalities were.Īntetokounmpo said it was like they were both the same person, if different sizes. I'm excited for the opportunity to be freed up and the opportunity to have more space and opportunity to play. I'm excited for an opportunity to play with him. "I'm curious to see how that can be possible with a player as dominant as is. "My whole career has been off-the-dribble 3s, pick-and-roll pull-up 3s, contested. It's the first time either player, both named to the NBA's list of the top 75 players of all time, will play alongside another superstar. Less than a week after being traded for the first time in his 11-year NBA career, reality was still setting in for Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee Buck.īut it was easy for him to get excited about his new running mate, two-time MVP and 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and all the ways they would make life easier for each other on the court. ![]() The Memphis Grizzlies, who grabbed media attention for all the wrong reasons last season, will be confronted with questions about navigating Ja Morant's 25-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league.Īnd most notably, the Philadelphia 76erswill try to manage the drama surrounding James Harden, who did not attend media day as he continues to seek a trade. The Boston Celtics will face some growing pains with a revamped coaching staff on top of the offseason additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. There are still some organizations with serious questions to address heading into the season. The Milwaukee Bucksdebuted recently acquired seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. Other teams got to introduce their biggest offseason additions. The San Antonio Spurs' highly anticipated rookie, Victor Wembanyama, is no stranger to the media as the first overall pick prepares for his first NBA training camp amid expectations he will help lead San Antonio alongside Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson. The 2023-24 NBA season is just weeks away, and as the players and coaches prepare for training camp, our NBA insiders are breaking down some of the biggest things we overheard from this season's media days.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |