Boston Celtics
George and Conley are officially members of the Celtics. Here are some thoughts on what they had to say.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe
-
New Celtics guard Mike Conley jokes about his first impression of Joe Mazzulla
-
Ty Law stressed patience with Patriots after Week 1, thinks team needs more focus on ‘little things’
The Celtics formally introduced offseason acquisitions Paul George and Mike Conley at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday.
Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Celtics during free agency, missed the press conference due to personal matters.
Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla joined Conley and George on stage, fielding questions about a range of topics before the players held up their jerseys and took photos.
From reactions to the trade that brought George to Boston to the reason why Conley came to Boston, here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s availability.
George has measured response to questions about Brown trade
The decision to trade Jaylen Brown to rival Philadelphia for George and a pair of first-round picks was met with criticism throughout the offseason, especially after LeBron James signed with the 76ers.
Philadelphia had already beaten the Celtics in the playoffs without Brown and James. Now, it appears that they’re in a stronger position.
“Our focus is on us,” Stevens said when asked about the possibility of strengthening the 76ers. “Obviously, we look forward to any challenge. There’s a lot of good teams around the league but we have to do what we think is in the best interest for us.’
George, a nine-time All-Star who turned 36 in May, said he understands fans’ frustration with the move, but hopes to give them reasons to cheer for the team.
“No personal feelings towards the initial [way] it was received here in Boston,” George said. “To be honest, it’s fair. But, you know, one foot in front of the other. Hopefully with how we start this year they understand that this is a new team and one that they can be proud of.”
Conley wanted to play for a winner
Conley, who is entering his 20th NBA season, has spent his entire career with three franchises — Memphis, Utah, and Minnesota — that have never won a title.
Now, in the twilight of his career, Conley comes to Boston, which has an NBA-record 18 championships.
The Celtics’ track record of success was a big draw, he said.
“The culture here in Boston speaks for itself,” Conley said. “The championships, the banners, the fanbase, all that. Looking around it was like what opportunities are out there for me? Boston was a real one. Having the opportunity to play for such a storied franchise, Joe and Brad and all the team, from the players to the staff are A1, top notch … I just wanted to try to do it here.”
Mazzulla looking to leverage ‘desperation’
George and Conley have each been in the league since at least 2010. Neither have won a championship.
The Celtics’ core — Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard — all have championship experience, as does Robinson, who is coming off of a title with the Knicks.
Mazzulla said he plans to take advantage of the variety of perspectives in the Celtics’ locker room.
“Mike hit on it earlier, it’s building on the awareness of the perspectives that we have,” Mazzulla said. “We have a group of us who have been here for a few years who have experienced winning and losing, really both ends of the spectrum. The way we’ve won and the way we’ve lost, which carries wisdom and experience.”
“We have Mitch who is coming off of a win, so we have to take that wisdom and experience. He was around great coaches and great players. And then, Mike alluded to it, Mike and Paul have a different perspective of not getting there yet and that desperation. We need to be able to leverage that as a team and that’s where they can lead and help us.”
George says injuries are behind him
George missed a combined 95 out of 164 possible regular-season games over the past two years with the 76ers due to various injuries and a lengthy suspension.
“I feel great again. I feel like I’ve turned the corner of dealing with various injuries and now I’m kind of re-establishing myself from a physical standpoint again and with that, I can carry it over to the court,” he said.
George caught a stare from Mazzulla while talking about Philly’s playoff win
The Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead for the first time in franchise history against Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs last year.
George was asked what aspects of the game he was able to exploit against Boston and how he might be able to use that experience for Boston’s benefit this year.
He said that he felt some pent up energy from the time that he missed which allowed him to do some things that caught the Celtics “off guard.”
When Mazzulla heard the words “off guard” he leaned over and briefly locked eyes with George, who laughed before finishing his answer.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.