Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
KG welcomes @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & @paulpierce34 to #KGArea21! pic.twitter.com/gz8eLX4JjB
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
.@paulpierce34 discusses his final season in the @NBA with @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & KG. #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/ldHWS9GLsQ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Doc Rivers got a retirement gift for @paulpierce34… 😂 #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/SkRf2AmmjQ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
“It was more than basketball for us… It felt like a sour breakup.”
Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk share their thoughts on Ray Allen. pic.twitter.com/8JYRWmxm0i
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
https://www.instagram.com/p/BT2bRNLAQII/?taken-by=paulpierce
There are more videos on the Area21 home page
You know what? Those guys won only one title, but can you think of any group of players that have had more fun not only in the moment, but also since? You ain’t gonna see LeBron, Wade and Bosh laughing like this anytime soon. LeBron’s about two things: LeBron, and convincing you he’s not all about LeBron. Yeah, the Spurs have enjoyed themselves, but in a very different manner. And the Warriors? Please. Those guys are about as authentic as a Canal Street Rolex.
So yeah, on a day where you can’t do anything but stew over the current Celtics’ predictable unpredictability, kick back and enjoy these clips.
Page 2: Where MATH!
Q: My friend is a fan of team [X], and they don’t have a stats column on their website. Do you know what their chances are of getting pick [Y]?
MZ: Yeah, sure. Below is the complete table of lottery odds, available exclusively (at least as of the time of this article’s posting) via Celtics.com. It’s worth noting that these numbers change from year to year, since teams whose records are tied at the end of the season split the number of combinations for the two spots they occupy.
Yes, there’s a real nerd streak in the Celtics front office. Mike Zarren and David Sparks, the two top nerds working for Ainge, have compiled as comprehensive a draft lottery summary as you’re likely to find anywhere. If you’re looking for all of the odds for every team for every pick, in numbers and fancy graphs, this is the place to go.
But, for the stuff we really care about, to reiterate:
Going into the lottery, Boston has a one in four shot at landing the number one pick. After the first pick is chosen, if Boston is not given the first pick, their odds for the second and third pick depend on which team got the first pick. It could be as high as 31% or as low as 25%, and it gets even more complicated if they fall to third. If they don’t pick 1-3, then they pick 4, because the order from 4-14 is based strictly on record.
Finally… What’s Ray up to these days?
And now the 41-year-old former shooting guard is on the governing board of the museum where he first found his cause. Officially sworn in Tuesday, four months after being appointed to the position by President Barack Obama, Allen raised his right hand and took the council member’s oath in a ceremony at the museum during Days of Remembrance, the nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust.
“I am proud to serve in this role and to continue to share the important messages and lessons we all need to remember from the Holocaust,” Allen said in a statement. “I want to inspire people to break down stereotypes, and treat one another — regardless of race, religion or anything else — like family. It’s more important now than ever.”
I think it’s been pretty well established that Ray Allen was an … odd … teammate, but these guys have lives before, after, and outside of basketball, and in those areas, Ray has generally been a solid, if golf-prone, citizen. And I think the rest of the ’08 team is coming around to burying the past.
Paul Pierce on Instagram live just now: "we gotta call Ray… We gotta settle this"
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) May 8, 2017
Kendrick Perkins on Ray Allen on Area 21: "“I just feel like, it ain’t what Ray did, it’s how he did it.” pic.twitter.com/qB6RmOSzK3
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) May 9, 2017
“Sometimes all it takes is for you to actually see your brother on the pass-by” – Yeah, Perk says Ray has to reach out, but I’m pretty sure it’ll end up being Pierce getting everyone together to squash the beef.
I get that some of the younger Red’s Army staffers like that KG and Rondo are keeping this going. But I think I’m getting soft in my old age. If you need to dislike someone or some team to get yourself up for a game, fine, but once you’re out of the league, or they’re out of the league, or you’re both out, why keep that going? If you’re still going on about some guy that crossed you in college, and you’re in your 30s, people are going to look at you weird. But if it was some sports rivalry that some player is still taking serious five to ten years later? I guess that’s different?
The rest of the links:
CSNNE: Doc Rivers makes a surprise visit to KG’s mini-Celtics reunion
Boston Globe: Celtics help Isaiah Thomas look for escape route
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