Patient Hunter returns with two-way deal
R.J. Hunter knows a little too much about the NBAGL by now.
This talented shooter, drafted by the Celtics with the 28th pick in 2015 and, during his time in the organization, mainly a productive member of the Maine Red Claws, was on the roster of his sixth G-League team before the Celtics agreed to terms with him on a twoway contract yesterday.
According to agent Mark Bartelstein, a desire to make it back to the NBA — he was briefly on the rosters of Chicago and Houston after the Celtics waived him in October 2016 — is the reason Hunter has remained in the G-League.
“R.J. wants to show the people of Boston that they made the right decision when the Celtics drafted him,” Bartelstein said. “He’s worked really hard. He turned down all kinds of offers from overseas to make his way back to the NBA. I have so much respect for him and what he’s done.”
Hunter will report directly to Maine today, and will not join the Celtics on their three-city trip, which starts tonight in Miami. But Bartelstein believes the Celtics have brought back a far more complete player than the one they waived two years ago.
Hunter was off to a strong start this season for the Erie Bayhawks with a 22.0 scoring average, highlighted by 34 percent, high-volume 3-point shooting. He has averaged 9.4 3-point attempts per game this season.
But Hunter’s shooting prowess is what got him drafted. The other parts of his game, according to Bartelstein, have subsequently filled out.
“He’s worked on his body, and the game has really slowed down for him,” the agent said. “He’s become a better playmaker who can play three positions. On offense he can shoot, pass and think it. That bodes well for him in the league.”
Good for Gordon
Gordon Hayward appears to have cleared another hurdle almost seamlessly. According to Brad Stevens, the forward now can play without restrictions.
“He’s been feeling really good lately. He feels great,” the Celtics coach said. “Has his general soreness and will have that, but I think he just wants to play and continue to build up that with those opportunities right now.”
Easing up on Al
With Aron Baynes back on the floor as soon as next week, Stevens’ roster is close to full strength again.
That’s why the team will continue to monitor Al Horford’s minutes, with an eye to easing the load on the center’s tender left knee.
“We’re trying to keep him within 27, 28 minutes, obviously (he can occasionally) go 29, 30, whatever the case may be,” Stevens said. “But we don’t want to backlog 36minute games back-to-backto-back-to-back, especially coming off the knee and he’s played eight or nine straight off of that. He looks good. We did this with (Marcus) Morris last year, by March Morris felt great and really played well. So it’s a fairly similar plan.”
Though it’s possible Horford still could miss the occasional game for rest purposes, there’s not an immediate plan in that direction.
“There’s nothing we’ve said for certain, no. We always talk about that stuff with the schedule and the density of the schedule,” Stevens said. “Some of that stuff happens naturally with an injury. We probably would have sat Kyrie (Irving ) for a couple of games here but the eye happened and he had a chance to get off his legs for two. We’ll see as this stretch continues. It’s an intense stretch of games against good teams, we’ll see where it leads us.”