NBA Notebook: Celtics two-way players talk playoff routine and watching games with fans

The Celtics' late-season roster moves involved some shuffling at the end of the bench last month. JD Davison earned his long-awaited NBA contract that gives him the chance to potentially make the team next season, with a $2.2 million team option attached. It also earned him a seat on the Celtics' bench. 

Last postseason, Davison found himself alongside Drew Peterson in the TD Garden crowd behind the baseline. Wearing street clothes, getting up to let fans reach their seats and spending more time in Maine than Boston that winter, they became hard to distinguish from other high-profile playoff patrons. They didn't drink beers, chat with fans or sit back to enjoy the game. They join timeout huddles, practice and workout before the games while trying to pull from the postseason action they hope to join one day. Due to overcrowding on the Celtics' bench, their two-way players take in the game from the floor seats.  

The NBA doesn't allow two-way players to dress for playoff games, so this spring, Peterson and new addition Miles Norris needed to find other ways to participate. 

"Routine's the same," Norris told Boston Sports Journal. "Other than suiting up for the games. Go through walkthroughs with the team, watch film, same workouts, lift, get on the court before the game. The routine's been the same since I got here, workout-wise. The only difference is not suiting up for the games. It's good to be here around a playoff atmosphere, first time being with a team in the playoffs. It's pretty exciting, learning a lot, watching a lot. What I took away was playoff basketball, style of play, is way more physical. Refs letting guys play a lot. Just the difference in the physicality of the game, so I'm trying to pick that up when we play five-on-five and stuff, just trying to be more physical, since you can be more physical, I guess. Also, just learning from the guys, being around them every day, learning from coaches, anything I can take away from anybody." 

While Norris watched Games 1-2 in the Orlando series, some fans recognized him and asked for pictures. Others talked to him during the game. Some even asked questions. Norris signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Celtics after the team waived second-round pick Anton Watson, who coincidentally watched round two from the sideline with the Knicks as they upset Boston. That sets up Norris for a return to the Celtics next year, likely in the G-League to start as the team assesses his NBA readiness having spent the start of his career with Memphis' affiliate before playing 35 minutes in Boston this season. With Maine, he posted 14.5 PPG and 5.6 RPG while shooting 38.7% from three on 7.8 attempts per game. 

The Celtics acquired him for his shooting ability and size, attributes they targeted to turn Sam Hauser from an undrafted two-way addition into a bench contributor who logged significant NBA Finals minutes in 2024. Peterson, a player in a similar mold with more playmaking ability, broke into 24 NBA games last year after signing a two-way contract in 2024 and performed well, shooting 39.4% from three. He's now a restricted free agent after going through his second postseason observing the Boston Celtics.

"It's basically the same stuff outside of the fact that we can't dress," Peterson told BSJ. "Same stuff, we're practicing, helping with scout and working out with all the guys who play a lot of live action with the end of the bench guys, and stuff like that, but at least it gives us a little more room to get extra training in, come back at night, stuff like that, and focus a little more on the weight room. So it's basically like off-season for me, a lot of work to be done." 

Peterson also saw the difference between the regular season and playoffs, what moves work and which don't when the game changes into the spring. That added physicality Norris mentioned influenced Peterson's early off-season goal of adding more muscle. Having gone through the playoff run in 2024, he already experienced four rounds of fans trying to talk to him. That faded over time, Norris handling the inside seat, and he preferred the new seats to sitting on the floor near the bench, the typical alternative for training camp invites and two-way players. When fans asked him questions, he told them he can't tell them much. 

Davison laughed remembering the experience. This year, he needed to stay ready in case Joe Mazzulla inserted him into a playoff game. He received 13 minutes at the end of four games, draining a three but missing his other seven shots, tossing three assists and turning it over once. He split one pair of free throws. The learning process continued though, trying to pull from Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Payton Pritchard's playoff experiences. Before Game 6, he and Peterson performed their usual pre-game routine with Maine head coach Tyler Lashbrook, attacking God Shammgod Jr. off the dribble, feeling out the help and hitting Norris for a corner three. Xavier Tillman Sr. and Jordan Walsh also participated in the workouts 2-3 hours before tip-off. 

Davison had fun sitting with the fans in 2023-2024, especially when kids sat beside him and recognized him. The locker room stood out to him most from his first two playoff runs, though. How his teammates all locked in and the regular season banter mostly disappeared. During the open period before games, Davison, Peterson, Norris, Baylor Scheierman and other younger players on the team often sat in a row at their lockers, eating, listening to music and staying out of the way. It became their time to take mental notes, and see how the veterans handled the postseason pressure. 

"The changes everyone makes, the locker room, how everyone's so locked in," Davison said. "It's different from the regular season. The playoffs, it's a different environment, everyone's locked in, the physicality's different, so I just kind of like that stuff. It's fun for me." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Dyson Daniel's breakout season with the Hawks received more recognition with the league naming him to the All-Defensive First Team alongside Lu Dort, Draymond Green, Evan Mobley and Amen Thompson. Derrick White received two first-place votes and finished third behind OG Anunoby and Bam Adebayo among players who did not make either team. The Second Team included Ivica Zubac, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Williams, Toumani Camara and Rudy Gobert. Zaccharie Risacher made the All-Rookie First Team alongside Memphis' Jaylen Wells, Washington's Alex Sarr, Memphis' Zach Edey and San Antonio's Stephon Castle. Daniels is eligible for an extension this summer before entering the final year of his rookie contract, worth $7.7 million. 

Boston: Brad Stevens addressed the media early last week, revealing that the Celtics will try to initially rest Jaylen Brown's partial meniscus tear after ESPN reported he and the team would undergo further evaluation to see if surgery was necessary. Beyond that, Stevens kicked most of the team's future plans forward to his draft availability, saying that the team still needed time to meet with all involved stakeholders while wrapping their heads around the reality that Jayson Tatum will miss most, if not all, of next season. Kristaps Porziņģis will also rest as the team expects him to recover from his post-viral syndrome, as Stevens described it, before EuroBasket in August. Porziņģis plans to compete with Latvia before entering his final season under contract with the Celtics. Boston owns the No. 28 and No. 32 picks in next month's NBA Draft, and Stevens added not to expect fireworks despite reports that the Celtics met with No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg. Steel mogul Aditya Mittal will reportedly contribute $1 billion to the Celtics' new ownership group, becoming the second-largest investor behind Bill Chisholm and the potential alternate governor in the future. 

Tatum made the All-NBA First Team for the fourth consecutive season, a unanimous selection. He finished fourth in MVP voting with 311 points to Giannis Antetokounmpo's 470 in third. 

Brooklyn: As the Celtics likely pursue a payroll reduction this summer, look out for how the Brooklyn Nets manage as much as $55.8 million in cap space this summer. The Nets could lose some of that by re-signing free agents Cam Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe, and enter next month's draft with four first-round picks worth $16.4 million. That leaves roughly $20 million for the team to absorb contracts from other teams. For that reason, don't count on Brooklyn trading for Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porziņģis, but they could take on some salary as a third team in those deals to limit the amount of salary coming back to the Celtics. For example, if the Celtics trade Holiday to the Mavericks, Brooklyn could bring back PJ Washington or Daniel Gafford. Of course, the Nets are also a team to watch for Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Denver (lost 3-4 vs. OKC): Aaron Gordon's injury sunk the Nuggets in Game 7 last weekend, playing through it and combining for only 14 points with Michael Porter Jr. in the frontcourt while Nikola Jokić managed only 20. The Thunder pulled away late, 125-93, sending Denver home before the conference finals for the second straight season. Jokić also fell well short of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in MVP voting, 71-29 in first-place votes, as Jokić missed the opportunity to earn his fourth MVP, which would've placed him in an exclusive class alongside Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Jokić, in total, has finished top-two in MVP voting in each of the last five seasons. Only Jordan and Russell won five MVPs. Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander, Antetokounmpo and Tatum headlined the All-NBA First Team with Donovan Mitchell, who made the First Team for the first time. It marked Jokić's sixth. The Nuggets named David Adelman head coach, removing the interim tag. Former head coach MIchael Malone joined ESPN's West Finals coverage, turning heads in Denver when he called Gilgeous-Alexander the MVP. 

Detroit: Cade Cunningham received a boost in his rookie extension from making Third Team All-NBA alongside James Harden, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Williams and Tyrese Haliburton. He'll now make five years, $269.1 million, starting at $46.4 million next season, rather than the five years, $224.4 million he would've previously, which started at $38.7 million. The Pistons can now operate as a cap space team with $16.9 million available to offer Malik Beasley, at the cost of renouncing free agents Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway Jr., or retain their free agent cap holds while offering Beasley the full mid-level $14.1 million. It's worth watching which path Detroit chooses, as the first would make them a more likely trade partner for the Celtics' salary-shedding efforts. Using the MLE to pay Beasley would hard-cap the Pistons at the first apron. 

Indiana (lead 2-0 vs. NYK): Two wins from the NBA Finals after Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith pulled off arguably the greatest late-game comeback in NBA history in Game 1. Indiana won, 138-135, in overtime after trailing by 17 points with 6:26 remaining in the fourth quarter. Nesmith, the former Celtic, entered the game one minute later and proceeded to hit six of his eight threes in the final five minutes, pulling the Pacers back within two points. He hit two free throws with 12 seconds remaining after the Knicks fouled up by three points, then OG Anunoby missed a free throw the other way, allowing Haliburton to drive, double back to the three-point line and bounce a shot off the back of the rim that flew seven feet in the air before landing perfectly in the basket to tie the game. Haliburton thought he won it, making the choke sign in tribute to Reggie Miller toward the Garden fans and the Knicks. Replay showed his foot on the line, a near-embarrassing moment that Haliburton prevented from happening by dishing a pair of assists and hitting a go-ahead layup late in overtime. The Pacers won Game 2 more comfortably, led by Pascal Siakam's 39 points. Indiana now owns three of the four last-minute comebacks in NBA history since 1998 when trailing by seven points in the final minute of a playoff game -- all this year. 

Lakers: LeBron James made his 21st All-NBA team, extending his NBA record with an appearance on the Second Team this season alongside Steph Curry, Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards and Evan Mobley. James' agent Rich Paul said this week in a radio appearance that he's still unsure whether James will return for the 2025-26 season at this point. He's recovering from a knee injury suffered in the first round and has a $52.6 million player option for his age-41 season. Alperen Şengün, Jaren Jackson Jr. and 

Memphis: Jackson Jr. missing out on All-NBA cost him potential for more negotiating room in his contract extension this summer. The Grizzlies can renegotiate and extend using their cap space this summer, something to watch with Memphis owning relatively more cap flexibility than other teams as a potential Celtics trade partner. They've done the Marcus Smart and Xavier Tillman Sr. deals in each of the past two seasons. Jackson's new deal would be worth four years, $146.8 million without a new salary for next year, where he's due $23.4 million. 

Milwaukee: Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will meet to discuss his future in Milwaukee, Chris Haynes reported, as the next month will likely determine whether Milwaukee plans to build another contender around the star or move on and focus on the NBA Draft. Suitors like the Rockets and Spurs could offer top-10 picks, along with future draft compensation from Phoenix and Atlanta, respectively, but the problem remains that the Bucks do not own control of their first-rounders for the foreseeable future after dealing them to New Orleans and Portland in the Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard trades. Any Antetokounmpo deal would have to align with the Bucks landing in best position to rebuild, or it's worth continuing their partnership at least to begin the 2025-26 season. He's signed for three years, $175.4 million with a 2027 player option, keeping him tied to the Bucks for at least two more seasons. Doc Rivers told TMZ that he and Antetokounmpo have been in constant communication. 

Minnesota (down 0-2 vs. OKC): Look overwhelmed by the Thunder's speed, depth and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to get to the free throw line. Anthony Edwards left Game 1 with an ankle injury before returning and finishing with only 18 points in what became a runaway Thunder win. He's shooting 43.6% from the field between the two double-digit losses as the series turns to Minnesota on Saturday night. Julius Randle, dominant through the first two rounds, fell to 45.8% and scored only six points in Game 2. Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert combined for eight. Jaden McDaniels shot well (55% FG) but none of the other Wolves did against Oklahoma City's suffocating defense, Minnesota only shooting 38.2% from the field and 28.9% from three. Naz Reid scored 14 points combined through the first two games. 

New York (down 0-2 vs. IND): Went from Game 1 winners when Tyrese Haliburton's last-second jumper hit the back of the rim and bounced out to an 0-2 deficit after the ball fell through the net. Tom Thibodeau found an effective lineup early in the series with Mitchell Robinson in for Karl-Anthony Towns while Miles McBride replaced Jalen Brunson in Game 1 for a run that nearly secured the win, turning a one-possession game into a 17-point lead in the fourth. In Game 2, McBride and Robinson replaced Towns and Josh Hart for much of the fourth quarter while the Pacers pulled ahead. Thibodeau wouldn't specify why he made the change beyond putting the Knicks in the best position to win. Robinson turned his ankle in the second half, but played through it, adding to New York's concerns after the series shifts to Indiana on Sunday. The Knicks' starters have lost their minutes badly in the series, the likely reason for the change, after they lost by 9.5 points per 100 against Boston. 

Oklahoma City (lead 2-0 vs. MIN): Health-permitting, the Thunder look like they could roll to their first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named MVP this week, and continues to affirm his dominant season with 29.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 6.7 APG on 47.5% shooting in the playoffs. His foul-drawing ability, attempting 9.6 per game in these playoffs, drew scrutiny to begin the West Finals, but nobody in the league beats their opponents to their spots like he does. It's mastery, even if he does initiate significant amounts of contact. Michael Malone called it impossible to guard. If the Thunder advance to the Finals, it could begin a dynastic stretch in Oklahoma City given their future draft capital. Their 2025 first-round pick Nikola Topić hasn't even played a game yet due to injury. But they face the same financial reality as the rest of the league, and maybe more pronounced as a small-market team. Jalen Williams, named to All-NBA this week, can now command a 30% max rookie contract if he's named to All-NBA again next year. Gilgeous-Alexander can sign a four-year, $293 million deal this summer or a five-year, $380 million super max extension when he's eligible due to service time after 2025-26. Since the Clippers traded Gilgeous-Alexander to Oklahoma, he's not eligible now. 

Philadelphia: Considering options for trading down from their No. 3 pick, according to Jake Fischer, but will not move out of the first round entirely. Despite speculation that they could utilize the pick to trade Paul George's contract, Philadelphia reportedly doesn't have interest in moving on from George despite his disappointing, injury-riddled first season with the team. George is owed three years, $162.4 million through his age-37 season in 2027-28. 

Phoenix: Not ruling out a Kevin Durant return this summer, per Jake Fischer. The Suns haven't fielded trade bids for Durant yet, as new GM Brian Gregory focuses on a wide-ranging search for the team's next head coach that entered its second phase this week. Phoenix will also search for a starting-level center this offseason. 

Portland: Toumani Camara made the All-Defensive Second Team in his second NBA season, an underrated story with the Blazers still sitting outside of the postseason. They'll select 11th in next month's draft, and enter 2025-26 overloaded with young talent. Camara, a Belgian senior from Dayton, went 52nd overall in the 2023 draft to Phoenix before the Suns threw him into the Deandre Ayton salary dump. Now, he's a two-way force for the Blazers playing for $2 million over the next two seasons. Add it to the list of Suns blunders. 

Sacramento: One sentence -- they had Tyrese Haliburton at 21-years-old and traded him.