Celtics Stash Prospect Named EuroLeague Rising Star

Given the Boston Celtics’ plethora of guard talent, it’s easy to forget that the team also has one of Europe’s most promising youngsters under team control too.

Yam Madar, 22, has spent this past season with Partizan Belgrade, playing under highly respected EuroLeague coach Zeljko Obradovic, as the young guard looked to face an increased level of competition after multiple years of playing for Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel.

It would appear that Madar’s decision has paid dividends, as on May 12, the EuroLeague announced that Madar had won the Rising Star award, making him the fourth first-year player to win the award in the history of the competition.

Madar participated in 38 games for Partizan this season, starting 24 of them, and has averaged 5.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest while shooting 52.8% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range.

Unfortunately for Madar, he is unlikely to crack the Celtics’ rotation in the near future, as their current depth at the guard position would make it incredibly difficult for him to earn a role in the rotation. Furthermore, the impressive G-League play of 2022 draft pick JD Davison has added an additional roadblock for Madar to overcome.

Derrick White Discusses Being Benched in Game Six

Derrick White is one of Boston’s core guard rotation, but even he found himself starting game six of the Celtics’ second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. When speaking to the media on May 12, White opened up about head coach Joe Mazzulla’s decision to start him on the bench in favor of a double-big lineup.

“I was all for it,” White said. “I’ve always been that it’s all about the team. It’s not about me.”

White ended the regular season playing some of the best basketball of his career. However, he has been unable to replicate that for the majority of the postseason, averaging 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 50.9% shooting from the field and 42.6% shooting from deep during 12 playoff games thus far.

Marcus Smart Praises Joe Mazzulla’s Adjustments

When speaking to the media following Boston’s May 11 victory over the Sixers, veteran point guard Marcus Smart praised Joe Mazzulla‘s decision to change the starting lineup.

“I was ecstatic about it,” Smart said. “To be able to have Rob in there; he changes the game a lot. Being able to have a lob threat, a rim threat, to be able to protect the rim on the other end. He’s huge for us. And I was proud to have him on the court. And, that just goes to show, you know, Joe’s learning. Just like all of us. I know he’s been killed a lot – rightfully so. He needs to make some adjustments, and he did that, and that’s just all you can ask for; just continue to be the best that he can be. And it takes a full team effort.”