SAN ANTONIO — Torrey Craig hasn’t gotten an excessive amount of run since he signed with the Celtics in early March. However you gained’t discover him complaining concerning the state of affairs.
Up to now, Craig’s tenure in Boston has been every little thing he anticipated, “and far more,” he advised CelticsBlog at shootaround in San Antonio on Saturday morning.
“The blokes are nice, the coaches are nice, and it’s a successful tradition,” Craig stated. “I’m glad to be part of it.”
This season, Craig has appeared in 12 video games with the Celtics, averaging 8.9 minutes an evening. He’s taking pictures 40% from three-point vary and has made crashing the glass a precedence, averaging 4.1 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes, good for second-best on the workforce.
Above all, he’s made an impression amongst Celtics followers as one of the raucous sideline celebrators.
“I get caught up within the recreation,” Craig stated with a smile when requested about his endless power on the sidelines. “I be excited for my teammates, for our workforce, and I identical to to have enjoyable.”
Adjusting to a brand new workforce midseason
It’s not the primary time Craig has joined a brand new workforce in the course of the season — in 2021, he was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Phoenix Suns midseason, and subsequently turned a key member of the Suns workforce that went to the Finals.
However every workforce and every acclimation course of is completely different, and with the Celtics, the largest adjustment has been studying all the workforce’s defenses.
“Coming right here, there’s extra consideration to particulars of switching defenses occasionally, and the best way they guard guys and the best way they recreation plan for groups,” he stated. “In order that’s been essentially the most tough half — attempting to be taught every little thing on the fly. However, I’ve been right here lengthy sufficient now, I just about obtained to understanding of how they do issues, and I’m just about caught up.”
Torrey Craig has nearly instantly grow to be one of many Celtics’ autograph-signers
One thing I observed as quickly as he signed with the workforce pic.twitter.com/m4MCe677l8
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) March 15, 2025
Joe Mazzulla has favored what he’s seen from the veteran wing.
“I at all times admire guys like him — been within the league a very long time, come to a brand new state of affairs, and simply have persistence and form of understanding what we’re attempting to do,” Mazzulla stated Saturday earlier than the Celtics beat the Spurs.
“He’s performed in significant minutes, he’s performed on the finish of video games, and he actually simply needs to play and desires to compete at a excessive stage. He’s understanding our defensive schemes higher, making reads, speaking, performs with a ton of power, and accomplished a very good job flattening open photographs.”
Nonetheless, it’s rookie Baylor Scheierman who has crammed in backup wing minutes for the Celtics, averaging 18.9 minutes throughout 9 video games in March. Scheierman is taking pictures 47.4% from three in March and has proven off his playmaking, too.
The rookie’s emergence has meant that Craig on-court alternatives have been restricted. So, each time he does get an on-court stint, he’s been useless set on discovering a solution to contribute to successful, no matter what that appears like.
“If I do know I’m not enjoying that a lot, I simply need to determine methods to influence the sport, whether or not it’s offensive rebounds, getting a block, getting a steal, making a shot, enjoying protection, getting the deflection,” he stated.
“I need to influence the sport in each method I can. So, if I’m not making photographs, then I’m gonna have an effect on it one other method. If I’m not getting rebounds, then I’m gonna do that. I simply attempt to discover alternative ways to influence the sport straight away.”
As Craig mirrored on his evolution with the workforce, Jordan Walsh, the Celtics’ youngest participant at 21-year-old, interrupted the interview.
“OG!!!” he belted, squeezing Craig’s shoulders.
The 2 backup wings have shaped good rapport on the bench, each recognized for his or her wild celebrations when the Celtics rating.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s regular strategy has made it simpler for a man like Craig to seek out his footing on the squad.
“I simply admire their demeanor, how they arrive to work day by day,” Craig stated. “They don’t get too excessive, get too low. They form of keep the identical, you already know what I’m saying? They’ve been round for a very long time, and been in lots of clutch video games — been in lots of video games, interval. They simple guys to suit together with.”
Craig may see postseason minutes if the matchup requires it. His intensive playoff expertise (75 video games, 16.3 minutes an evening) separates him from Scheierman and Walsh.
However, no matter what occurs, he’ll be a beacon of pleasure on the sidelines.
“Stuff like that’s contagious, you already know?” Craig stated. “When everybody’s having enjoyable, celebrating your teammates’ success and simply attempting to be a constructive vibe on a regular basis for everyone.”
