Kemba Walker to Sign 4-Year Deal with Celtics

Kemba Walker has told the Charlotte Hornets of his intention to sign with the Boston Celtics when free agency officially begins. Walker will finalize a formal agreement for a four-year, $141 million deal with the Celtics, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Walker averaged 25.6 points, 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds last season, playing in all 82 games. The 29-year-old three-time All-Star earned All-NBA Third Team Honors last year, his best season as a pro. Walker spent the first eight years of his career in Charlotte, reaching the playoffs just twice. The Hornets failed to put sufficient talent around the talented point guard. Walker is the only Hornets' player to make an All-Star team since he was drafted ninth overall in 2011.

Boston can renounce the rights to restricted free agent point guard Terry Rozier to clear the necessary cap space to ink Walker to a max contract. Walker will replace All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who plans to leave the Celtics after just two seasons to join the Brooklyn Nets. Irving has an agreement in place with the Nets on a four-year, $141 million contract.

All-Star Kemba Walker will sign with the Celtics and replace the departing Kyrie Irving as Boston's starting point guard. (AP Photo)

The Hornets declined to offer the supermax contract to Walker, paving the way for the former UConn star to leave in free agency. Charlotte's unwillingness to move Walker at last season's trade deadline could set the franchise back for years. Walker was the team's only attractive asset, yet management opted to keep him in an attempt to reach the postseason. Charlotte failed to reach its goal and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

As for Walker, he finally gets the chance to play with formidable talent. He is set to join a starting lineup that will include Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and former All-Star Gordon Hayward. 

Hayward has Best Game as a Celtic, Scores 35 in Win over Wolves

Gordon Hayward had his best game since suffering a dislocated ankle in his debut with the Boston Celtics last year. He scored a season-high 35 points Wednesday night as the Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-102 at TD Garden.

Coming off the bench, Hayward shot an efficient 14-for-18 from the field, including 4-of-7 from 3-point territory, in his highest point total as a member of the Celtics. He dished five assists in the victory. Hayward's 35-point outburst came on the heels of a scoreless performance (his first since 2012) on Monday night.

Gordon Hayward scored 35 points, his most since joining Boston. (Charles Krupa/AP)

Terry Rozier started in place of Kyrie Irving, who suffered an eye injury in Monday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and scored 16 points and logged five steals. Rozier posted 11 of his 16 points in the first quarter. The Celtics improved to 2-1 with Rozier starting.

While Rozier was cooking in the first quarter, Hayward had the hot hand the remainder of the night. Hayward scored 13 in the second quarter and 15 in the third. Hayward's 35 bench points were the most scored by a Celtics reserve since Ricky Davis totaled the same figure in 2005. 

Gordon Hayward can't miss! pic.twitter.com/VNFsf3dbAE

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 3, 2019

The Timberwolves, playing without Jeff Teague, Robert Covington and Derrick Rose, were led by Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Wiggins scored 31 points, while Towns registered 28 points and 12 rebounds. Towns had a big third quarter with 20 points and five rebounds, cutting Boston's 22-point lead to just six. But Boston took control of the fourth quarter, ultimately outscoring Minnesota 28-21 in a 13-point victory.

Hayward scored 30 points against the Timberwolves earlier this season, adding nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals in the December victory at Minnesota. 

Boston has not lost to Minnesota at home since 2005. The Celtics return to action on Friday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks.

Irving, Celtics Rally to Beat Grizzlies

Kyrie Irving saved his best for last on Saturday night. After scoring only four points on 1-of-4 shooting with a minus-10 in the first half, Irving totaled 22 points after intermission on 7-of-12 shooting as the Boston Celtics rallied for a 112-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

Kyrie Irving drives past Garrett Temple. Irving's 26 points led Boston to a road win. (Brandon Dill/AP)

Boston erased a 19-point second-half deficit, using an 11-2 run in the closing minutes of the third quarter to cut into the lead. Entering the fourth quarter down by eight, the Celtics outscored the Grizzlies 33-16 in the final period. 

Picking up the defensive intensity after halftime, the Celtics forced the Grizzlies into shooting contested deep range jumpers. The Grizzlies went ice cold from the floor, missing 15 of their first 16 fourth-quarter shots. Boston's Al Horford knocked down two critical threes in the game's final two minutes, putting the contest out of reach. He finished with 18 points—hitting five three-pointers—with six rebounds, three assists and a block in 23 minutes of action. Horford’s five 3-pointers matched a career high.

The Celtics got a strong effort from the bench, led by Gordon Hayward's 14 points. Guerschon Yabusele turned 16 minutes into a plus-11—the second best number on the team behind only Irving—with one made three-pointer, four rebounds and two blocks.

Marcus Morris scored 22 points in the win. 

Mike Conley led the way for Memphis, accumulating 26 points. Dillon Brooks came off the bench to score 19. Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. and former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol added 15 points apiece. Gasol logged 10 assists in the loss.

The Celtics relied on their defense and three-point shooting in their come-from-behind win. After surrendering 64 first-half points, the Celtics limited the Grizzlies to 39 points in the second half. Boston got hot from downtown after intermission, going 9 of 18 from three-point territory.

Celtics Hit Team-Record 24 3-Pointers, Beat Bucks

The Boston Celtics made it rain from downtown on Thursday night, sinking a franchise-record 24 three-pointers in a 117-113 victory to hand the Milwaukee Bucks their first loss of the season.

Kyrie Irving scored a team-high 28 points for the Celtics, making six treys. Al Horford had four triples in an 18-point outing with eight assists and five rebounds, Gordon Hayward added a season-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Marcus Morris posted 17 points off the bench with five treys.

Marcus Morris celebrates after hitting a three-pointer. (Christopher Evans/Boston Herald)

The Celtics topped their previous club record of three-pointers (19) before the end of the third quarter and came one shy of tying the NBA record.

The World Series champion Boston Red Sox were honored at the TD Garden during a timeout in the first quarter.

YOUR 2018 WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON @REDSOX #DamageDone 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Te8bKXUhnV

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 2, 2018

Morris admired the way the Red Sox utilized most of their active roster to capture a title.

“That was special,” Morris said. “I’m a big Red Sox guy. I’d been watching them throughout the playoffs, even throughout the season. The way they came together and won that championship is special. The biggest thing is they had a lot of different guys step up. Even when guys played well, like when Brock Holt made the cycle, he sat out. (Andrew) Benintendi had a couple amazing catches and he sat out a game and they still won. That was special to watch that. They play together.” 

The Celtics have the best bench in the league and will look to take a page out of the Red Sox’s book by relying on their unmatched depth to win a championship. The Celtics' deep roster was on display against the Bucks as six players scored in double-figures, including 10 points from fill-in starter Semi Ojeleye, who replaced the injured Jaylen Brown (sore foot) in the first-unit. Backup guard Terry Rozier filled up the stat sheet with seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in 27 minutes.

Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup after missing one game recovering from a concussion and registered game-highs in points (33) and rebounds (11). But Milwaukee (7-1) played terrible defense all night, allowing Boston to take far too many uncontested three-pointers.

“We got a lot of open looks. We were taking what they were giving us,” Hayward said after playing a season-high 27 minutes.

The Celtics begin a five-game road trip on Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers, while the Bucks return home to host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday afternoon.

Brad Stevens Voted NBA's Best Coach in GM Survey

According to NBA general managers, Brad Stevens is the best coach in the league. In the 17th annual NBA.com GM survey, Stevens received 47 percent of the votes for the league’s best head coach, ahead of San Antonio Spurs five-time NBA champion Gregg Popovich, who earned 82 percent of the votes last season.

Stevens led the Boston Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, despite All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward missing the entire postseason.

Not only was Stevens selected as the league's best coach, he was also picked as the coach with the best in-game adjustments, receiving 53 percent of the vote. According to the survey, Stevens is the third-best manager/motivator of people, trailing Popovich and three-time champion Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors. NBA GM's believe Stevens runs the third-best offense in the league, trailing Kerr and Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni. Stevens was the runner-up in the voting for best defensive schemes, ranking behind Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz.

NBA GM's voted Brad Stevens the best coach in the league. (AP Photo)

Stevens was snubbed in the voting for Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 season. He finished third for the award, which was won by Dwayne Casey, the former coach of the Toronto Raptors and current head coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Last regular season, Stevens witnessed Hayward, the team’s purported second-best player and top two-way player, suffer a gruesome leg injury minutes into opening night. Later in the year, Irving went down with a season-ending knee injury after playing in just 60 games, while backup center Daniel Theis also saw his season cut short after 63 contests. In addition, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart each played in merely 54 of 82 games. And yet, the Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference standings under the tutelage of Stevens.

The Celtics are favored to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. Stevens deserves a lot of credit for that league-wide expectation.

Boston Celtics 2018-19 Schedule Breakdown: 5 Must-See Games

The NBA released its full schedule for the 2018-19 season on Friday. The Boston Celtics, the purported favorites in the Eastern Conference, play 27 nationally televised games this season.

Here are the five most compelling matchups for the Celtics:

5. Oct. 19, at Toronto Raptors

Despite finishing in first in the East last regular season, the Toronto Raptors were an after-thought in conference championship conversation—that was until they acquired Kawhi Leonard. When healthy, Leonard is one of the best players in the league. Leonard, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and former Finals MVP, gives the Raptors hope in winning the East.

A Raptors-Celtics Eastern Conference Finals is a realistic possibility.

4. Mar. 18, vs Denver Nuggets

Isaiah Thomas, who signed a one-year veteran’s minimum contract with the Denver Nuggets, will finally make his long-awaited return to TD Garden. Thomas, a two-time All-Star with the Celtics, finished fifth in MVP voting in his final year in Boston (2016-17) and was selected to the All-NBA Second Team. He spent two-plus seasons with the team, before being dealt in the summer of 2017 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thomas did not get the chance to play in Boston last year. The Cavs visited the Celtics last January and the game fell on the second night of a back-to-back for Cleveland—directly following his comeback from his hip injury—when he wasn't permitted to play on consecutive days. He sat out that contest and then got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, who had already made their only visit to Boston earlier in the year, denying Thomas the chance to play at TD Garden in 2017-18.

Isaiah Thomas will play at Boston for the first time since 2017. (Getty Images)

Although his tenure with Boston was brief, he left his mark in the franchise record books. Remarkably, he is the all-time leader in points per game (24.7) in team history—albeit in a small sample size (179 regular season games played with Boston).

3. Feb. 7, vs Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James defeated the Celtics in consecutive postseasons with the Cavs. After signing with the Lakers in the offseason, he will now be entrenched in the most storied rivalry in league history.

Kyrie Irving versus James brings fireworks. Add in that former Celtics star Rajon Rondo joined Los Angeles in the offseason and the storylines are off-the-charts in this contest.

2. Oct. 16, vs Philadelphia 76ers

Opening night turned disastrous for the Celtics last year when Gordon Hayward suffered a season-ending injury in the first five minutes at Cleveland.

The Celtics begin their season in Boston this time around and face off against a familiar foe in the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics easily dispatched the 76ers in the Conference Semifinals in five games last postseason, despite playing without All-Stars Irving and Hayward for the entire series.

Though Philly was no match for the short-handed Celtics, the series was filled with emotions and physical play between two teams that could play each other in the postseason for the foreseeable future.

The Celtics-76ers rivalry has been revitalized and is rightfully the first televised matchup of the NBA season.

1. Jan. 26, vs Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving are set to battle at TD Garden on Jan. 26  (Noah Graham/Getty Images)

The two-time defending champion Warriors make their lone regular-season visit to Boston on a Saturday night. Irving renews his rivalry with Stephen Curry, as does Kevin Durant with the city of Boston. A potential NBA Finals preview, this is undoubtedly the must-see Celtics game of the year.

Las Vegas Win Projections: Take the Over for Celtics

The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook released its over/under win totals for the 2018-19 NBA season, and the Boston Celtics are placed at 57.5 wins. The over/under of 57.5 victories is the highest in the Eastern Conference and ranks second in the entire league, trailing only the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors (62.5).

The Celtics won 55 games last season, their most victories since Brad Stevens took over the coaching duties in 2013. Because they accomplished this feat with Gordon Hayward sidelined for all but five minutes of the season—in addition to Kyrie Irving missing the final quarter of the year with a knee injury—taking the over total of 57.5 victories seems like free money.

Not only are All-Stars Hayward and Irving returning for the Celtics, their lineup also features Al Horford and two rising stars in 21-year-old Jaylen Brown and 20-year-old Jayson Tatum.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum could help Boston reach 60 wins in 2018-19. — by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Brown is entering his third season in the league, while Tatum will embark on his sophomore campaign after finishing third in the voting for Rookie of the Year.

Both Brown and Tatum could further develop their overall games and may even reach stardom after shining in the 2018 postseason.

Retaining their two biggest free agents, Marcus Smart and Aron Baynes, the Celtics are returning the squad that reached the seventh game of the Conference Finals.

The Celtics should dominate the East, even with the Toronto Raptors’ acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, who brings a nearly-unmatched NBA résumé—but also a lot of question marks and baggage—north of the border.

With its highest projected win total since 2008-09, expect Boston to win over 60 games and earn the top seed in the East for the second time in three seasons.

NBA 2017–18 Eastern Conference Standings Predictions

1. Boston Celtics

The Celtics finished in first place in a historically weak Eastern Conference last season with a 53–29 record. The East got worse and the Celtics improved by adding All-Star forward Gordon Hayward, who is in the prime of his career.

Trading Avery Bradley may present some initial bumps in the road, but the Celtics netted a quality player in Marcus Morris from the Detroit Pistons. A versatile forward, Morris has done a commendable job guarding LeBron James in recent years. Furthermore, the move opens up more court time for second-year guard/forward Jaylen Brown, who will look to play his way into the starting lineup.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers are the three-time reigning Eastern Conference champions, and yet, the franchise is in turmoil. Kyrie Irving demanded a trade, a trade for Paul George was scraped at the last minute and LeBron may skip town (again) next summer.

LeBron James will become a free agent next summer. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Remarkably, the Cavs remain the favorites to reach the Finals for a fourth straight year, even though it’s likely Irving will be moved at some point before February’s trade deadline.

As long as James is in Cleveland, the East is the Cavs to lose.

3. Toronto Raptors

Toronto brought back Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, but lost P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson in free agency. Still, the core of Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Ibaka, Jonas Valančiūnas and the emerging Norman Powell — set to be a starter in 2017–18 following the trade of the underachieving DeMare Carroll to the Brooklyn Nets — makes the Raptors a near-lock to finish in the top-half of the East standings. 

4. Washington Wizards

The Wizards locked up John Wall for the foreseeable future with a supermax contract and re-signed Otto Porter to a max deal to maintain one of the best starting units in the conference. 

The bench, which was terrible a season ago and hampered the team in its postseason run, managed to get worse with Bojan Bogndanovic defecting to the Indiana Pacers via free agency. With that said, they have the conference’s top point guard and have a great shot to win a playoff series for the second straight year.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

A starter in the 2017 All-Star Game, Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA’s must-watch players. ‘The Greak Freek’ showcased his all-around game last year, becoming the first player in league history to finish in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for a single season. Antetokounmpo’s presence alone makes the Bucks a playoff contender in the East. 

The return of forward Jabari Parker — who tore his ACL this past February, abruptly ending his third season in the league — could be the added boost that propels the franchise to its first playoff series win since 2001.

6. Charlotte Hornets

After reaching the postseason in 2016, the Hornets took a step back last year, finishing 10 games under .500 and missing the playoffs all together. 

Kemba Walker was the lone bright spot, as the 27-year-old point guard earned his first All-Star appearance. 

Dwight Howard holding his Hornets jersey in his introductory press conference. (David Foster III/Charlote Observer)

Active in the offseason, the Hornets traded for Dwight Howard, who should fit perfectly in Charlotte’s inside-out offensive attack.

Howard joins a strong frontcourt that includes Frank Kaminsky, Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller and lengthy forwards Nicolas Batum (who actually starts at shooting guard, even though he stands at 6'10") and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a defensive stalwart.

Howard has had a rough-go since forcing his way out of Orlando, but the three-time Defensive Player of the Year actually played quite well for Atlanta a season ago — averaging 13.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest . He should see his role on offense expand for the playoff-bound Hornets.

7. Miami Heat

Miami came up just short in its bid for a playoff spot last season. After a woeful 10–31 start to the year, the Heat flipped the script and registered a 31–10 mark for the second half of the season. 

Returning the same cast of characters with Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson leading the squad, Miami also added former Celtics center Kelly Olynk in free agency. The Canadian sharp-shooting big man bolsters one of the strongest benches in the league — which already includes combo guard Tyler Johnson and guard/forward Josh Richardson. 

Add in that 21-year-old Justice Winslow — who played just 13 games last season after tearing his labrum in his right shoulder —will return to the fold and likely become a major contributor, and it’s hard to foresee a scenario where Miami misses the playoff for a second consecutive year.

8. Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers will be the ultimate wild card team for the 2017–18 season. In all likelihood, health will be the major determinant of success. Joel Embiid, who showed flashes of brilliance last year before his season was cut short after undergoing surgery to address a meniscus tear in his left knee, needs to prove he can stay on the court. Ben Simmons — who sat out the entire season — must also live up to expectations in order for Philadelphia to become a force in the East.

Joel Embiid has played in just 31 games in three years since being drafted by the 76ers. (Aaron Doster/USA Today)

The depth of the 76ers is impressive. J.J. Redick was signed to a 1-year deal in the summer and will likely slide into the starting shoot guard role, while free agent addition Amir Johnson is expected to come off the bench.

If the top overall selection of June’s NBA Draft — Markelle Fultz — joins Simmons, Embiid and Dario Saric in the starting rotation, swingman Robert Covington, one of the league’s most unappreciated players, would anchor a formidable second-string unit.

Philadelphia fans have adhered to the “Trust The Process” philosophy set forth by former general manager Sim Hinkie for years now. This seems like the season their faith in the longterm rebuild is rewarded with a postseason appearance.

Rest of the Pack

9. Detroit Pistons

10. Orlando Magic

11. New York Knicks

12. Indiana Pacers

13. Atlanta Hawks

14. Chicago Bulls 

15. Brooklyn Nets

Bradley-For-Morris Trade Gives Celtics Another Defender vs. LeBron, Paves Way for Jaylen Brown to Start

                In order to make room for Gordon Hayward and his reported 4-year, $128 million max contract, the Boston Celtics opted to part ways with shooting guard Avery Bradley. The Celtics traded Bradley, one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and a 2019 second-round pick to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for forward Marcus Morris.

                Before President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and his team sent Bradley to Detroit, Boston reportedly shopped Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder in trade talks. When the 2017-18 season concludes, Smart will be a free agent—albeit a restricted one—like Bradley (unrestricted), but the popular opinion held that Crowder was the most likely to be moved because he plays small forward, the same position as the newly-signed All-Star forward Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the No. 3 overall pick from June’s NBA Draft. That logic was flawed in many aspects. As evidenced by the 2017 Finals, the NBA is becoming a positionless league—a sentiment echoed by Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.

                “I don’t have the five positions anymore,” Stevens said. “It may be as simple as three positions now, where you’re either a ball-handler, a wing or a big.”

                By Stevens’ definition, Crowder is a wing—one who is fully capable of starting alongside Hayward. Crowder’s contract—which pays him $6.7 million this season, $7.3 million in 2018-19 and $7.8 million in 2019-20—is one of the best in the league and makes him an asset worth holding onto. Furthermore, the 6’9” 27-year-old remains Boston’s top defensive option against Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.

                The Celtics realistically had no shot of re-signing Bradley in the summer of 2018. They just inked Hayward to a massive deal—a summer after signing Al Horford to a monster contract—and still need to pay Isaiah Thomas, a free agent in 2018 who averaged 28.9 points per game last season and finished 5^th in MVP voting. Teams, including the Pistons, will likely offer Bradley a lucrative, long-term deal, perhaps in the $25 million (annual) range, a contract the Celtics will not be able to match.

                Even if the Celtics could fit Bradley in the team’s cap, it’d be senseless to throw massive amount of money at the guard who has sit his ceiling as a player. Not when his understudy Smart, 23 and three years younger than Bradley, can do many of the same things defensively and is still evolving on offense. Smart took a big leap this past season, elevating his scoring and ball distribution on offense, while also improving his off-ball guarding and one-on-one defense.

                Assuming Crowder starts next to Hayward and Horford in the frontcourt and Smart continues to be the first guy off the bench for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown is set to become a permanent member of Boston’s starting-five. Brown played much better as a starter, averaging 9.5 points in 20 starts and reaching double-figures in scoring 10 times. Brown, who saw in uptick in minutes as the season wound down and even managed to be a part of the Celtics’ playoff rotation, has as much upside as any player from the 2016 NBA Draft Class. And while the Summer League is hardly a preview of things to come, it’s impossible to ignore Brown’s dominance in the exhibition contests in Salt Lake City. In the summer league games in Utah, Brown averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

Jaylen Brown looks to build upon a strong rookie season. (Winslow Townson/AP)

               Brown’s insertion into the starting unit also opens up more playing time at the wing positions to rookie Jayson Tatum and the newly-acquired Marcus Morris, a tweener forward who last season averaged 14 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 42 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point territory.           

                The 6’9” Morris is not nearly the player Bradley is, but he provides the Celtics with two things the often-injured Bradley did not: elite durability and a lengthy defender to guard LeBron. Morris has played in 77 or more games in each of the past five seasons and no player guarded LeBron more effectively than Morris in the 2015-16 regular season.

One under the radar positive about Marcus Morris? Durability. Here's his games played totals over last 5 seasons:
77
82
81
80
79

— Brian Robb (@CelticsHub) July 7, 2017

            According to ESPN.com’s Tom Haberstroh, James averaged just 20.5 points per 100 possessions when defended by Morris that season—much lower than his 36.5 points per 100 possessions average on the season.

LeBron James has words with Marcus Morris, then a member of the Pistons. (USA Today Sports/Tim Fuller)

                In this past regular season, Morris ranked 66^th among all players in defensive win shares. The only two Celtics players that ranked ahead of Morris?—the aforementioned Crowder and Smart.

                While it may be tough for the Celtics to wave goodbye to Bradley, who became a solid role player under former head coach Doc Rivers before ultimately becoming a First-Team All-Defense member (2015-16) and reliable offensive player (16.3 points per game in 2016-17) under Stevens, he was the odd man out after a trade became inevitable following the Hayward signing.

                        The Celtics were never going to get equal value for Bradley—not when it became obvious they were looking to deal the guard before he hit free agency—but acquiring another guy for Stevens to throw at LeBron on defense is hardly a major loss. And while Bradley’s tough-nosed defense and underrated shot-making ability will be certainly missed, especially as the Celtics’ newcomers take time to jell with their teammates, his departure opens the door for Brown to potentially become a star, something Bradley will never be.