WALTHAM, Mass. — The Boston Celtics were back on the practice court Thursday for their third day of training camp, and head coach Brad Stevens is beginning to see results.
“I think that like any time you go two-a-days, the fourth of the two-a-day (sessions), you see it,” Stevens said during the team’s pre-practice workout. “They were sore, and it wasn’t quite as crisp as the first three. But we’ve gotten a lot better, especially on the offensive end of the floor in the last two practices.”
Stevens said he has “a decent amount of scrimmage” planned for Friday’s evening practice as the Celtics prepare for their preseason opener Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
— Guard Avery Bradley, known for his play in the defensive end, said his personal goal for this season is to make the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career. He was voted to the All-Defensive second team in 2012-13.
“I’m a defensive player first,” Bradley said. “I let everything else come. I know my team needs me to guard the best offensive player every single night, so that’s what I’m willing to do. That’s my main focus, really. I don’t worry about the offensive game — all that will come.”
Last season was the first time since 2006-07 that the Celtics did not have a first- or second-team All-Defensive representative.
— Stevens said Bradley will be tasked with guarding the ball-handler more often this season, especially until Rajon Rondo returns from his broken hand.
“I think Avery is a guy that can impact the game,” the second-year coach said. “I had a long talk with Avery (on Thursday) morning about how a lot of people can score, a lot of people can handle it, a lot of people can make plays with the ball, but very few people can do those things and change the energy of the game with their intensity level. That’s a hard thing to do day to day, practice to practice. You need him to do it 82 times. But at the end of the day, I think he’s different because of that.
“One of the things that we’re trying to emphasize with our guards generally is playing with that kind of energy and playing with more aggression, because we have to do that, because we’re small otherwise.”
— Stevens said Wednesday that center Vitor Faverani would miss practice to undergo an MRI on his surgically repaired left knee. He amended that statement Thursday to say that Faverani did practice but was limited.
The plan is to have Faverani practice for 40 minutes Thursday, Stevens said, and for fellow big man Joel Anthony, who has been hampered by a groin strain, to participate in all but the scrimmage portions of practice.
— Celtics players wore special patches on their arms during their workout. These were intended to measure their individual hydration needs, according to strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo.
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