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Tomorrow is the first day of practice and the training camp invites will have precious little time to prove that they can stick around longer than that. The Celtics do have one spot open on the roster and just enough money under the luxury tax to fit in one of these guys. But there's just as good a chance that they'll want to keep that spot open and run with 14 headed into the season.
Here's who's getting invited. Chris Babb, Damen Bell-Holter, DeShawn Sims, and Kammron Taylor.
A lot of people are going to be rooting for Bell-Holter, if only for this article by our own Kevin O'Connor (read the whole thing).
Regardless of what happens in training camp, Damen Bell-Holter has proven he is not just another statistic because he has aimed for the stars and is in the process of achieving his dreams. No matter where his basketball career takes him, Bell-Holter will be a positive influence and role model for children around the world.
Kevin also detailed Sims and Taylor here:
Sims
Sims is a 6'8" forward that went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. That year he played with the Celtics for four games in the Orlando Summer League before signing with the Maine Red Claws. He ended up winning the 2011 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 13 double doubles. Coached by Danny Ainge's son, Austin, it becomes apparent that the Celtics have been interested in Sims' career for quite a while now.
Taylor
Taylor is a point guard that last played at Wisconsin in 2007, and has since taken a tour around the world playing basketball for France, Turkey, Hungary, Venezuela, Cyprus, Spain, and most recently in Germany. Last year with Neckar L'burg, Taylor averaged 13.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.4 turnovers in 28.6 minutes per game. He also shot 42.9 percent on two-point attempts and 30.3 percent from shots behind the arc.
Finally, this blurb on Babb (see what I did there?) comes from Chris Forsberg:
Countdown to camp: Invitation only - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston
One of the more intriguing guy on the list to me is Babb, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound rock of a two-guard. If it wasn't for the crowded field at that position, you wonder if he'd have a better shot at sticking. His stat line doesn't jump off the page from his senior season at Iowa State (9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists), but those numbers don't tell the whole story. According to Synergy Sports data, Babb averaged 1.018 points per play, ranking in the 89th percentile (that included shooting 38.2 percent beyond the 3-point stripe) among all Division 1 hoopsters. Babb thrived in transition and seemed to pick his spots well, offensively. He's got the size to defend NBA bodies at three positions and, while his advanced defensive numbers were not flashy (he allowed 0.756 points per play last season, ranking in the 67th percentile), he was regarded as one of the nation's top collegiate defenders.
So who do you think has a shot to make the squad?