Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
The 24-year-old guard is rather unflappable. It’s maybe his strongest trait, even beyond his shooting prowess and evolving point guard skills. This is a monster summer for him, and he seems purposely oblivious to his situation.
“I’m just trying to play, just trying to play hard and trying to get better,” said Moore. “That’s all I can control. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
Moore’s fearlessness is what endeared him to the Celtics even though he didn’t have last summer to showcase his skills before his rookie campaign due to the lockout. JaJuan Johnson, a lifelong friend and college teammate at Purdue, can’t remember a single time his pal has showed a hint of nervousness on the basketball court.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when he’s not confident,” said Johnson. “He’s always been confident, he’s always been the better player, the leading scorer. I think that’s good for him. I’ve never seen him really get down in the game; he’s always focused on the task ahead.”
ESPN Boston: E’Twaun shooting for Moore action
I’ve mentioned it my recaps of both summer league games… E’Twaun’s offense isn’t going to be the issue, really, for the Celtics. E’Twaun needs to be better defensively so he doesn’t cause full-scale breakdowns as people try to rotate and help… pulling themselves out of position. He did a better job in the second game of that, but he still needs work.
There are things to consider in summer league, though, that don’t exist in the regular season.
He’s not only running the team, he’s running a team where at least half of the players know they’re auditioning for someone else. That’s not easy to do. Dionte Christmas won’t be with the Celtics this season. He won’t even be on the Vegas squad.
He’s also not going to be playing WITH those guys on the floor every night. Getting a pass from Rondo while KG and Paul Pierce are on the floor is a LOT different than getting a pass from Jonathan Gibson while Sean Williams and Jamar Smith are on the floor. The spacing is different. So is the pace of the game.
I don’t know what the Celtics are thinking with E’TWaun. I think he can grow into the job. He was screwed out of summer league and training camp last season, so this is basically his second rookie season in Boston. He has the ability to be a contributor at some point. The question, really, is whether that’s this season with this team.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston: Gibson stands out in summer crowd | Bradley undergoes right shoulder surgery | WEEI: Moore paces summer league victory | E’Twaun Moore’s big summer | JaJuan Johnson’s fresh start and other day 2 summer league observations | Herald: JaJuan Johnson gets summer crash course | Fab Melo lands on feet | Ray Allen leaves Boston a class act | Globe: Plenty of blame to go around
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