The Celtics the 38-year-old added Mike Conley to provide veteran leadership, and he has already begun the process of mentoring his younger teammates, writes MassLive’s Suichi Terada. Conley, who is preparing for his 20th NBA season, said he has been working closely with Peyton Pritchardoffering advice on how a small guard can survive in the league for so long.
“We talk about the game all the time” Conley said. “I’ve got to shoot the floater; you’ve got to shoot mid-range. How different things that complement his game might not complement mine. I understand that and you just have to know who you’re talking to and that’s specific. I’m excited to get my hands on different opportunities and kind of get my brain working the same way as those guys that are willing to listen.”
Conley, who appeared in 54 games and averaged 18.4 minutes a night with Minnesota last season, will likely have a similar role in Boston. He entered free agency hoping to join a team that would give him a chance to win a championship before he retires, and he believes he found that with the Celtics.
“We have a really deep team, a very deep roster.” Conley said. “Our young guys — who worked really, really hard this offseason — they’ve got a lot of talent. They’re into their games a lot. They love to learn. Very high IQ. I’m just about giving them more and more every day. If I see something, I don’t shut up about it. I’ll just say, ‘Hey, do it next time or look at it.'”
There are more from Boston:
- In his introductory press conference this week, Conley said he used to think of coaching Joe Mazzula was “crazy” based on his reputation for intensity, but he finds out that’s not true since they worked together, Terada adds in a separate story. “He’s not crazy” Conley said. “No, my impressions were what I expected. I think from here, from some of the players that have played for him, just around the league, his ideas, he’s not afraid to push the envelope a little bit to try things. To try different schemes and different reactions for players, different ways to deliver things. It’s refreshing to me.”
- Health is the biggest question around Pavel Georgeand the Celtics got some encouraging news at the same press conference when George said he feel great again, Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe notes in material for subscribers only. Benbow notes that George has missed almost 40% of his team’s games since 2019/20 and has not been available for the season opener since 2023. George told reporters this week that the trade from Philadelphia to Boston was good for him. “Being in a system, in a winning culture, in a winning environment and feeling good, it’s almost like a rebirth,” he said.
- The Celtics organization has passed Jaylen Brown trade, trans Chad Finn of the Boston Globe (subscription required) and he encourages Boston fans to do the same.
