Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla made it known soon after the team signed journeyman Torrey Craig in early February that he expected the undrafted forward to have a big role with the squad.
While Craig’s numbers may not jump off the page, Mazzulla sounded just as impressed with the 34-year-old following Boston’s 130-94 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday as he did two months ago.
The University of South Carolina Upstate product had arguably his most impactful game as a member of the Celtics vs. the Hornets, finishing with just two points over 12 minutes, but also five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a game-high +/- of +20.
“He was sick, man,” the head coach said, per Noa Dalzell of CLNS Media. “He doesn’t care — he just wants to play. … And I appreciated watching a guy who, regardless of the scoreboard, just plays at the level that he plays at, and constantly works. And he’s been doing it a long time.”
Craig went undrafted in 2014 and then played in Australia and New Zealand until 2017, when he signed with the Denver Nuggets in July that year. After 172 games (69 starts) across three seasons with Denver, Craig had stints with the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers from 2020-23.
He spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Chicago Bulls and was averaging 6.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in nine contests this season before being waived by the team on February 3. Craig signed with Boston on February 8 and has recorded 2.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 11.4 minutes per contest across 16 tilts (two starts).
Mazzulla Explains Craig-Blake Griffin Comparison
After praising Craig for his play, Mazzulla thought back to the 2022-23 season (his first in Beantown) and compared the veteran to former six-time All-Star big man Blake Griffin.
The 2009 first overall pick spent his final NBA season with the Celtics in 2022-23 and per Dalzell’s report, the coach has credited him on many occasions for “buying into his ‘Stay Ready’ role.”
“(Griffin) came to me during a Stay Ready Group game and asked me what he could do to get better,” Mazzulla said, according to Dalzell. “And when Blake asked that question, it said a lot about him, and it said a lot about the environment. And you start to see guys who hang around a long time and why they hang around a lot — and Torrey’s in that category.”
Griffin Made Impact During Lone Season With Celtics
After a stellar seven-plus season run with the Los Angeles Clippers to start his career, Griffin spent parts of four-plus years with the Detroit Pistons and 82 games with the Brooklyn Nets from 2020-22. The former Slam Dunk Contest winner signed with the Celtics in October 2022 and played 41 regular-season games with the team that season, averaging career lows in points (4.1), rebounds (3.8), assists (1.5) and minutes per contest (13.9).
Griffin only played in one of the group’s 20 playoff tilts and despite some “begging” from guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to return to the Celtics, he eventually announced his retirement in April 2024.
