‘I just want to continue setting the tone for the team’: New Celtic Torrey Craig discusses his role in Boston
Through just 18 minutes of play over two games since signing with the Celtics, Torrey Craig has logged four blocks. Three of those came against the 76ers on Thursday in an epic but brief defensive performance. One of Craig’s swats came against David Roddy in garbage time with less than four minutes remaining. He leaped […]
Celtics
Torrey Craig's strategy with the Celtics is simple: be disruptive defensively. Winslow Townson/Getty Images
By Kaley Brown
February 21, 2025
2 minutes to read
Through just 18 minutes of play over two games since signing with the Celtics, Torrey Craig has logged four blocks.
Three of those came against the 76ers on Thursday in an epic but brief defensive performance.
One of Craig’s swats came against David Roddy in garbage time with less than four minutes remaining. He leaped up from behind the restricted area to deny Roddy at the rim.
Craig, a 34-year-old forward, said Friday that his mindset down the stretch is simple: be disruptive on the defensive end.
“I just want to continue setting the tone for the team, make guys have to work for every basket,” Craig told reporters at the opening of Edgerley Family South Boston Boys and Girls Club’s newly-renovated basketball court. “I want to contest everything and try to block everything that comes to the rim. I want us to have that kind of mindset as a team, and I think we’ll be that much harder to play against.”
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Craig’s three blocks during his nine minutes of court time in Boston’s 124-104 victory over Philadelphia were three more than the 76ers logged all game. The Celtics recorded six blocks total through 48 minutes while Philly recorded zero.
While Craig’s blocking pace may be unsustainable, if he and the rest of the team can be menacing enough defensively, he’s right: Boston can be even more difficult to compete with.
The Celtics currently have a 40-16 record, good for second in the Eastern Conference standings. The first-place Cavaliers possess a 45-10 record while the third-place Knicks don’t trail far behind Boston at 37-18.
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Both teams will play the Celtics at TD Garden before February’s end (vs NYK Feb. 23, vs. CLE Feb. 28). Each contest should prove to be important for all teams with less than two months in the regular season remaining.
Craig knows that if he can contribute to Boston’s success in those games and down the stretch, he’ll be embraced by the city.
“I love Boston. You can just tell this is a great community,” he said. “The fans, they show so much emotion, so much support, so much love.”
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