Your Morning Dump... Where The Celtics Keep Rolling, Now on Pace for 53 Wins

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.

Thomas joked that he should get a starting nod [in the All-Star Game] now that his coaches are in control. That is not allowed, of course, but perhaps he will have some influence regarding playing time. [Assistant Coach] Micah Shrewsberry said that Thomas’s value to the Celtics might actually have the reverse effect in New Orleans.

“Brad will probably put him in a bubble,” he said, smiling. “We play Toronto right after the All-Star Game, so we’ll probably play [Kyle] Lowry and [DeMar] DeRozan all 48 minutes.”

…

“If they need me to rebound for three days, I’ll do it,” [assistant coach] Alex Barlow said. “I’m up for anything. I’m just happy to be there.”

“It’s definitely cool to be able to go and be with all the best players in the world and represent our team, represent the Celtics,” assistant coach Walter McCarty said.

Boston Globe

The Celtics assistant coaches are embracing their opportunity to coach the All-Star Game. The three day experience allows Brad Stevens to interact with the best players in the world.

Players from other teams have spoken highly of Stevens. According to the Suns Jared Dudley, players were buzzing about his coaching prowess last season. During the Cavaliers-Celtics playoff series from 2015, Lebron James called the Celtics an “extremely well-coached team.” Commenting on trade rumors while with the Timberwolves, Kevin Love said he was “intrigued” by Boston because of Brad Stevens, and later called him “an awesome coach.”

Isaiah used last year’s All-Star weekend to pitch Boston to Al Horford. Brad Stevens and his staff have the opportunity to showcase the Celtics organization before the NBA’s royalty. He will not directly recruit these players to the Celtics, but he can build relationships, which is especially important for an NBA outsider like Stevens. I expect that players will continue to shower praise upon Stevens, and if that praise comes from Paul George or Jimmy Butler, the internet (specifically the Celtics blogosphere) will react accordingly.

Ultimately, coaching does not matter in the All-Star Game, thus, Stevens cannot flaunt his greatest skill: coaching. Hopefully he draws up a few high degree-of-difficulty side-out plays, something crazy that would take advantage of the East’s athleticism. I can see Brad secretly salivating over the opportunities to run such plays, envisioning what he could do with Giannis or Lebron.

Page 2: James Young sees the Rotation

Young hardly sees court time other than when he arrives early to work on his ball-handling, shooting, or defensive positioning with one of the assistant coaches.

He says all the time that he’s ready to play whenever coach Brad Stevens decides to put him in the game.

…

He has leaned on the team’s veterans for help navigating this portion of his career, with Gerald Green being someone he has confided in often on the subject of handling limited minutes.

“I talk to G [Green] a lot,” Young said. “he’s been through some of the same stuff. Me and him talk about the little things…staying ready and my opportunity is going to come. That’s all I can do; I can only control so much. I have to stay ready.”

…

“I’m blessed to be here in the NBA,” Young said, adding that it’s something he does not “take for granted.”

CSNNE

James Young played maybe the best game of his career against Utah, shooting 4/7 in 15 minutes and scoring 10 points — only the third time he’s ever reached double figures. He was part of the Celtics “bench mob” that produced 50 points, the team’s second highest mark this season.

The team will gladly take any production he offers — James Young has been a huge disappointment since the Celtics drafted him 17th in 2014. Yes, he’s always on the outskirts of a crowded guard rotation. He was never given playing time to work through mistakes like many other first-round talents. Nonetheless, he was drafted over Rodney Hood, Clint Capela, and Gary Harris, all rotation players with upside.

Despite Young’s reputation as a shooter, he could not find minutes on the three-point gunning Celtics throughout his first two years. Evan Turner’s departure meant a hole at backup small forward, and while Young had a two-year head start on understanding the Celtics offensive sets and defensive system, journeyman Gerald Green and rookie Jaylen Brown have both eclipsed him in the rotation.

Ok now I’ll stop shitting on James Young. He had a good game and was a major reason why they shredded Utah’s elite defense. The bench was thin and the team needed a spark. When Young plays, I’ve noticed he exerts more defensive effort and generally plays with higher energy. He’s working harder, which ties back to Danny Ainge’s ultimate backhanded compliment of Young after winning the final roster spot, saying “I think this is the first time he’s earned anything in his life.”

Page 3: Gerald Green the Elder Statesman

And Green, as it turns out, relishes this role as the well-traveled, world-weary veteran.

“I have accepted that role,” Green said. “I know James is a kid who reminds me of myself early in my career, trying to figure out a way to step on the floor, playing behind good players. The difference between him and me is I wasn’t on a team that was very good. He’s on a team that’s really good.

“I tell him to stay ready, keep doing the things you need to do, keep preparing yourself as if you’re going to play every day, and one of these moments we’re going to need you to win a game. And this was that moment for him. He came in the second half — that’s tough, I know. But he came in, and to guard the way he was guarding and knocking shots down, he’s one of the reasons we won.”

Overall, though, Green is impressed by everyone in the C’s locker room, for a very specific reason.

“This group is resilient, man. A lot of times we just don’t give up,” he said. “A lot of times we ease up, but we don’t give up. We just keep going, fighting. Someone in this locker room is always trying to figure out a way to get better — even the coaching staff. I’ve been on teams in Indiana and Miami that were pretty good too, but as far as trying to get better, this team is the same. We still have a long way to go, but I love the mentality we have.”

Boston Herald

Gerald Green’s emergence as the team’s mature veteran represents an extraordinary reinvention, considering Green has dealt with the “immature” label since his first stint with Boston. A google search of “gerald green maturity” yields several stories detailing his younger days and subsequent personal development.

I remember feeling ecstatic way back in 2005 when the Celtics drafted him 18th overall. He was projected as a lottery pick in many mock drafts, and you could see why — his combination of athleticism, length, and scoring prowess resembled the skill-sets of elite wings like Kobe and T-Mac. But Green’s lack of basketball IQ seemed to justify his draft fall. His inspirational comeback story through the D-League and with the Phoenix Suns eventually led him back to where it started.

Green struggled in his early days because he had a thin frame and did not understand the nuances of an NBA game. James Young struggles for similar reasons. It’s no surprise the two have grown close. Young’s NBA future is uncertain, but Green is the blueprint for how things can initially go wrong, and what must be done to overcome your failures.

Since the end of December, Green has solidified his place in the rotation as a heat-check/isolation scorer off the bench. He still gets the occasional DNP-CD, but regardless of the playing time, he embraces his veteran savvy and mentors younger players through tough times — Young, Brown, and Rozier in particular.

Page 4: The Analytics of Hair Styles

Through 47 appearances this season, Olynyk is averaging more than twice as many points with a man bun (10.9) than with a headband (5.1). What’s more, his shooting percentages are much higher with the bun (54.1 percent overall) than without (39.2). Olynyk is plus-79 in plus/minus over 32 games with the bun and minus-53 with a headband over 15 games.

Presented with this season’s splits, Olynyk laughed and admitted the numbers were hard to ignore. But pressed on whether the headband look could be hindering him at all, he presented a solid counterargument.

“I don’t think so because all throughout college I never wore a man bun once,” Olynyk said. “If you look at the college numbers, I would say [the hair] wasn’t in the way.”

Olynyk seems to be sticking with the man bun more often lately. He has worn a headband just twice (both wins) since the start of the new calendar year, while the bun has been featured in 16 of his past 17 games.

ESPN Boston

Yes, the age-old question that cannot escape Olynyk: man bun or no man bun? With the help of empirical data, it’s clear he should commit to the man bun. If the Celtics re-sign him, there needs to be a clause in his contract that prohibits his long hair unless presented in man-bun form.

The Celtics should create an algorithm or formula identifying how optimal combinations of Kelly’s hair styles and Brad’s ties can maximize team production. GE, the team’s ~~newest revenue source~~ data & analytics partner, needs to get on this.

And Finally…

Portland sends Mason Plumlee a 2018 second round pick for Nurkic and a 2017 first-rounder (via Memphis), league sources tell @TheVertical

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 12, 2017

I’m surprised Portland got this return. Jusuf Nurkic is a third year bruising center with elite rebounding numbers and shows potential as an interior defender. Yes, the Celtics are streaking, but Nurkic fills specific needs and he’s on a cheap rookie contract. The Celtics could have easily matched this offer, or offered less, so Denver would not have to relinquish a 1st rounder.

There are reasons to not make the trade: (1) Ante Zizic will play the same position/style next year, (2) Nurkic hasn’t shown much improvement since his rookie year, (3) He may have some attitude problems. The front office is surprisingly indifferent to the team’s rebounding and defensive issues. This trade might be inconsequential in the long-run, but here’s another instance of a good player traded for little in return, and the Celtics — with the deepest collection of assets in the league — stand pat.