Getty Norvel Pelle #14 of the Philadelphia 76ers blocks a shot by Dewan Hernandez #20 of the Toronto Raptors.
Another day, another new addition to the Boston Celtics‘ depleted roster. Scratch that, two new additions. According to The Athletic’s Sham Charania, the Cs are planning to sign both Al-Farouq Aminu and Norvel Pelle to a 10-day hardship deal.
The two moves come in response to Enes Kanter Freedom entering Health and Safety Protocols on December 23rd, which further decimated an already thin frontcourt. Freedom is the latest of eight Celtics players to enter protocol, joining the likes of Grant Williams, Al Horford, Juancho Hernangomez, Sam Hauser, Jabari Parker, Josh Richardson and Brodric Thomas.
What the Celtics are Getting
Aminu, 31, is an 11-year NBA veteran who most recently spent the preseason with the San Antonio Spurs. In 2020-21, the Georgia native appeared in 23 total games spanning across stints with the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls. The No. 8 overall selection in the 2010 draft out of Wake Forest, Aminu has also spent time with the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers throughout his career. His most prolific showing came in 2015-16, when he averaged a career-best 10.2 points per game for a Blazers team that reached the Western Conference Semifinals. His career averages check-in at 7.5 points and 6.0 rebounds over 711 games (445 starts).
Pelle boasts a far less decorated pro resume when compared to Aminu. The 28-year-old has appeared in a total of 37 games since going undrafted in the 2014 draft. Checking in at 6-foot-10-inches and 231 pounds, Pelle finally cracked an NBA roster in 2019 with the Philadelphia 76ers, going on to appear in a career-high 24 games that season with the Sixers. He’s since spent time with the Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks over his two-year NBA career. This season Pelle has been putting in work for the Cleveland Charge of the G League, averaging 8.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per contest.
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Joe Johnson: ‘Just Work’
Aminu and Pelle are the latest players to earn a 10-day contract due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak. The team also signed wing Justin Jackson, 15-year veteran C.J. Miles and 40-year-old Joe Johnson all within the past week. Understandably, none of these players have made much of an impact on the floor as of yet, totaling just six minutes of court time between the trio. Still, the Celtics are ecstatic to have an influx of veteran leadership added to the locker room.
“In Atlanta, I got to go to a lot of those games,” said Georgia native Jaylen Brown, reminiscing on Johnson’s playing days with the Hawks, via Boston.com. “I remember when it went to seven games, the Hawks went to seven games with KG, Paul Pierce, I remember that was a big deal in the city. So definitely a childhood icon, and having him here in the locker room is great. We need some vet leadership, we need some guys that kind of get the energy, the tone, the pace, the maturity level to where it needs to be, so I’m all for it.”
Johnson, who prior to landing in Boston hadn’t appeared in an NBA game since 2018 and is now the second-oldest player in the league (behind Miami Heat big man Udonis Haslem), admitted to reporters after his latest Celtics debut that he wasn’t all too optimistic of getting another chance in the league. With that said, it doesn’t mean he was going to stop working towards it.
“I wouldn’t say give up, but I didn’t have high hopes,” Johnson said, via ESPN. “My son’s 14, so he keeps me in the gym. We work and work and work, and I always talk to him [and say], ‘Just work. Even when you can’t see what’s next, you just gotta continue to work.'”
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