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Getty Ime Udoka of the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics were one of the top two teams in the NBA last season as they made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, they fell short of their ultimate goal as they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
However, Brad Stevens hasn’t wasted any time improving the list this summer. He signed free-agent forward Danilo Gallinari to a two-year deal and made a massive trade to acquire combination shooting guard Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers. That deal saw the Celtics send five players and a protected first-round pick.
Boston has a very complete roster now, according to head coach Ime Udoka. The coach discussed the team’s offseason additions in a July 12 edition of ESPN’s NBA Today. He told Malika Andrews that he now feels more confident on the Celtics’ bench.
“Yeah, more experience, more veteran leadership, those guys have been in the league for quite some time, seen it all and played at a high level,” Udoka explained. “For us, it’s just more consistency off the bench. We feel like we’re really two depths now from all positions.
PlayIme Udoka on the Celtics’ offseason and Finals goal | NBA TodayIme Udoka joins NBA Today to talk about the Boston Celtics’ offseason, what he’s learned from other coaches and more. ✔️Subscribe to ESPN+ espnplus.com/youtube ✔️Get the ESPN app: espn.com/espn/apps/espn ✔️Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE ✔️Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: bit.ly/ SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN ✔️ Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: es.pn/YouTubeTV2022-07-13T01:26:48Z
Additionally, Udoka said Boston’s new players will help provide the team with versatility on both ends of the floor.
New Celtics players ‘will add to the quality’
Udoka expanded on that thought, saying the two players Boston brought in will help the Celtics be more versatile. On top of that, he thinks they’ll both add a nice “competitive presence” to the team.
“Those guys are guys you have to account for. I’ve defended against them, I’ve played against them a few times, and for us, it was just adding to our depth, adding to the quality and versatility of the team, and I think they check a lot of boxes offensively, defensively and just bring that competitive presence to our team. Udoka said.
Both Brogdon and Gallinari are ready to provide the Celtics with very useful skill sets. Brogdon’s ballhandling, playmaking and scoring will help the Celtics on offense, while his strong frame will help on defense. As for Gallinari, his shot and size will help Boston spread the floor.
This wasn’t the only time Udoka praised the team’s offseason moves. During a Summer League interview, he talked about them and said he’s glad the team has a couple more veterans now.
Udoka on off-season moves: ‘I love them’
When asked about Brogdon and Gallinari, Udoka responded by saying, “I love them.” He echoed many of the same sentiments he noted in his NBA Today interview, saying that he appreciates the added versatility and depth of the roster.
“I love you,” Udoka declared. “We’re excited to potentially add them early on, and we’re glad it all worked out. They are two veterans, experienced guys who will obviously solidify our bench a little bit more. Guys that have been there that can add to our versatility across the board. I just love who they are as people, as players, and I feel really good about our depth now.”
The Celtics will now head into the offseason with two new top players and a coach who is totally on board with the team’s additions.
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