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Josh Minott, a youthful, athletic wing player, was signed by the Celtics this week.
After being selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward has played the most of his professional career in the G-League.
He has a 38.5-inch vertical leap and is a long, spirited slasher. During the previous season, he averaged 22 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while playing for the Iowa Wolves.
Minott is a young player at the age of 22. Instead of focusing on his present output, the Celtics are taking a gamble on him because of his potential.
Here are five things you should know about the new forward for the Celtics.
Penny Hardaway coached him in college
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Four-time NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway was Minott’s coach during his one season at Memphis.
In Memphis’ class of 2021, he was ranked third, after Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates.
In 14.6 minutes per game, Minott averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Memphis fell short against Gonzaga, led by Chet Holmgren.
Minott was traded to the Timberwolves on draft night after the Hornets selected him with the 45th pick of the 2022 draft.
He can score, but his 3-point shot needs work .
Last season, the Celtics made an incredible 48.2 3-pointers a game, which was by far the most in the league.
They probably won’t be counting on Minott to take a lot of threes, though. Throughout his time in college, Minott made just 14 3-point shots. He produced two of them.
With 4.1 3-pointers per game the previous season, Minott’s 3-point workload has climbed during his stay in the G-League. But while he was in Iowa, his 3-point shooting percentage was constantly in the neighborhood of 30%. In the NBA, he has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 33.9, but he only makes one attempt per game.
When Minott can reach the rim and exploit his leaping abilities, he performs at his peak. Last season, he had a 50.7% field goal percentage. A dunk is frequently his finest shot.
He has a unique nickname
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The Lawn Mower is a reference to Minott’s motor.
After a 2022 Summer League game, he told reporters that he believed he embodied what energy on a basketball floor looked like.
Overall, Minott remarked at the time, “I felt like I just got into the groove of things.”It just kept going once I started, much like a lawnmower.
He was teammates with another new Celtic
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Luka Garza, a center, was signed by the Celtics on Monday. Garza and Minott performed together in Iowa and Minnesota.
For the Celtics, both players are reasonably priced possibilities. Minott agreed to a $5 million, two-year contract. Garza agreed to a two-year contract worth $5.5 million.
The Celtics prioritized salary reduction this offseason. The Celtics are younger and less expensive now that Minott, Garza, and Anfernee Simons have joined and Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Luke Kornet have left.
He represents Jamaica in international play
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Although Minott is from Boca Raton, Florida, he represents Jamaica in international competition.
He led Jamaica in scoring during the Centrobasket U17 tournament in 2019.
Minott has agreed to play for Jamaica in the FIBA World Cup Americas Pre-Qualifiers this summer, according to the Jamaica Observer.
Norman Powell, the guard for the Clippers, has also pledged his loyalty to the franchise.Although they haven’t decided yet, twin brothers Ausar and Amen Thompson have stated that they are thinking about playing for the Jamaican national team.
Boston.com’s Khari Thompson reports on professional sports. Khari worked as a college football reporter for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, prior to joining the team in 2022.
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