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According to reports, Brooklyn Nets forward Blake Griffin has agreed to sign a one-year deal with 2022 NBA finalist Boston Celtics. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported this player acquisition. Griffin will be crucial for the Celtics with injury concerns surrounding centre Robert Williams.
The 33-year-old Griffin averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds last year as he played his second season in Brooklyn. The Oklahoma native has a stellar resume with six All-Star appearances, five All-NBA appearances and the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Griffin has a career average of 19.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 724 career games with the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Nets. He joins the Celtics hoping for a return to the final after last season’s loss to Golden State Warriors.
Addressing the injury issue the Celts are facing as their starting centre and defensive focal point Robert Williams III is expected to miss four-to-six weeks while undergoing a cleanup on the knee that affected him during last year’s playoff run.
Another major issue the Boston Celtics are dealing with has been the suspension of their coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season citing violations of team policies in their announcement. The suspension was handed on immediate effect however the decision about Udoka's future with the Celtics will be made later, the team said. "I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," Udoka said in a statement to ESPN.
"I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment", he added. The Celtics have appointed assistant coach Joe Mazzulla as the interim head coach. Udoka's top assistant coach, Will Hardy, left the team in June to become coach of the Utah Jazz.