Udoka set to toughen up Celtics’ culture
Schroder excited about his fit in Green
Ime Udoka has made it his mission, after being asked by the likes of Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart to “coach them hard,” to do just that this season.
CELTICS NOTEBOOK
It fits the first-year Celtics coach’s reputation, and should change the nature of the team’s culture from the start, beginning with the start of training camp today.
“Coached hard. Yeah, I think ‘hard’ looks different for some coaches than other coaches,” Jaylen Brown said during Monday’s media day, comparing the style of his former coach and the new one.
“Getting coached hard from Brad (Stevens) is not really getting coached hard, that wasn’t his coaching style,” he said. “It depends for sure, but I’m looking forward to it. I keep an open mind. So I’m open to any form of teaching and/or learning that exists. Whatever (Udoka) feels the most comfortable with, I think I’ll be able to adapt and gravitate to just having an open communication. To be honest, I think that’s the most important thing. I expect to be in his office a lot talking to him a lot, trying to get the most out of this group.”
The influx of new coaches and teammates considered — in some cases old/new teammates — the cultural change will be ongoing.
“I think that the past is the past. Of course you learn from it, but you also put it behind you at the same time, don’t let it carry over into your future,” Brown said of any lingering bitterness from last season’s disappointing finish.
“This is a new team, a new head coach, we’ve got new people in the weight room, we got old people back in the staff, it’s just a new look in general for the whole organization,” he said. “It’s more diverse and things like that, so I’m excited and optimistic that as we continue to change the culture on the court and off the court, that we continue to just get better as individuals, we continue to strive to make Boston proud, and we win some games in the meantime. I think that’s what it all comes down to. I think that we will. I’m excited. I’m looking forward to it.”
Beat (it from) LA
Dennis Schroder will have a hard time living down where he ended up in free agency — with a $5.9 million contract with the Celtics after turning down a four-year, $84 million extension offer from the Lakers that winter. According to the Celtics guard, that offer was never actually put on the table. He also didn’t feel “100% comfortable” with his fit as a Laker, he added.
“The Lakers told us we are not talking during the season, and at the end of the day, I never had that contract in front of me — that’s one thing,” he said.
“But they wanted to talk and at the end of the day, me and my agent decided not to sign their contract. At the end of the day, I feel like for me, personally, I’ve got to be comfortable in the environment I’m in. I love the Lakers organization and they did great things, but I think for me, and this is just business, I don’t think I fit in 100%. I mean you know you play with LeBron (James) and AD (Anthony Davis), that’s two of the best players in the NBA, and I don’t think I gave them everything that I bring to the table.
“And, I mean for me and my family, I signed a pretty good contract after my fourth year, and my family and myself, we’re gonna be good. I’m 28 years old, and I’m still, you know, playing in the NBA for a long time, and money is not everything at all times. I want to be comfortable in a situation where I know people appreciate me. At the end of the day, that’s it. And that all this stuff happened how it happened, you just gotta look forward and just try to keep improving, and try to show people what you’re capable of, and then everything will come back.
“When free agency hit there were a few days when my agent and me talked a little bit and said listen this is not how we thought it’s going to be, but a few days after I had a couple of options and I was talking to some teams and I think Boston was just the right fit and the right mentality, how the organization works, the system, it’s a winning mentality that was just for me the right move to make. I hope that this is going to be for a long time. But, like I said, this is new to me, I came here yesterday with my family. I just wanted to see how the organization is. I heard a lot of good things, even from Sam Presti, I talk to him a lot. He said great things about this organization and I can’t wait to get further and meet all of those guys.”
Reunited, and it feels so good
It’s been awhile since Al Horford and Schroder played together in Atlanta, but Horford couldn’t be happier with the reunion.
“The one I really got excited about was Dennis, because I honestly didn’t think we had a shot at getting him or anything like that, but that was the one that I was like, ‘Man.’ He has such an edge to him, I know how he can impact the game with his intensity and with his drive and I liked playing with him in Atlanta,” he said. “I just know that being in this position he is in now, he’s going to be great. When I saw that was a possibility, I was really hoping for it. I called Brad, I was like ‘Do we have a shot?’ He was like, ‘I don’t know, maybe.’ When things worked out, I was really happy. So I’m excited to be back with a lot of the guys and I think it’s going to be good. I think our group is going to be good together.”