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.
Danny Ainge made a rare appearance with the media on Friday and announced that the team has claimed forward Jarell Eddie off of waivers. Eddie, a 6-foot-7 swingman, had previously been with the Atlanta Hawks.
“He’s a player that we watched in college in Virginia Tech. He’s a player that we watched in his exhibition games with Atlanta,” Ainge said. “He’s always been a player that’s been intriguing to us.”
Eddie’s arrival in Boston will give the Celtics an opportunity to decide whether their interest will stop at or surpass ‘intrigue.’ The front office will be able to take a long look at him through the weekend at the very least.
“We’re going to watch and evaluate him before training camp ends,” said Ainge. “He obviously won’t learn our stuff that quick… we’ll put him through some workouts after practice and just evaluate him over the next couple of days.”
Eddie Jarell Eddie would have to have the greatest two days of practice in the history of the league to make the Celtics roster. Danny Ainge picked Eddie up for D-League depth. I’m willing to bet his bus ticket to Portland has already been purchased.
Will Bynum is still holding down the 16th roster spot and there isn’t much noise out there about him getting traded. A deal could happen late Sunday as teams have until Monday to set the 15 man roster. I’m expecting a buyout.
A couple of other notes; Rajon Rondo did not talk with reporters after his first full-contact practice and Marcus Smart has missed the last two practices due to illness.
Related: ESPN Boston – Celtics evaluating Eddie | CSNNE – Celtics claim Jarrell Eddie off waivers
On Page 2, Kelly Olynyk is bracing for the league’s best bigs.
“It’s not easy,” Olynyk told CSNNE.com when asked about playing center. “You have to work your butt off. The biggest thing is trying to keep them off the glass, or deep in the paint; try to make it difficult on them. You have to make them guard you at the other end.”
“His weight room work has really helped, and not your traditional weight room work,” Stevens said. “It’s not like he spent all summer on the bench press or something like that where he’s just building up muscle. It’s more about working on his base and being able to play in a stance for longer periods of time.”
“Those guys aren’t going to block a ton of shots,” Stevens said. “But if they’re in the right spots, you can take charges. You can go vertically and at least alter shots. You can do some of those things, and that’s good.”
It’s obvious Olynyk worked hard this off-season. His body is more tone. But fitness aside, KO still needs to focus on boxing out. John called him out for standing around in the last preseason game.
I’m not sure you can teach rebounding. Most athletic bigs can stumble into 8 rebounds a game. But for the undersized and athletically challenged, you need a mix of desire and intuition (with positioning).
And finally… Kevin Love is already grumbling about his touches.
“My entire life I’ve played the game from inside-out,” Love explained to NEOMG. “So the more touches I can get inside to get myself going, the better. I’m not accustomed to starting out a game shooting a three, so it’s just something that I see.
“I’m 26-years-old and I’ve been playing basketball for quite a long time. Just finding ways to mix it up. If anything, keeping it around the basket a little bit more and the offense will allow me to get offensive rebounds. That will be tough for teams with Andy [Varejao] and myself and Tristan [Thompson] in there.”
“We just looked at film and I saw it. I felt it,” he said. “Where I’m very effective is on the low block. That’s where I need to be.”
Grumbling might be a strong word, but I’m willing to pounce on any perceived cracks in the new Cleveland team. Love will likely get his touches because LeBron James is the most selfless superstar in the league.
The Cavs could struggle early. Let’s not forget that Miami hovered around the .500 mark for the first third of the season during LeBron’s first year there.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – November pain in Celtics forecast? | Herald – Rondo’s hand up in the air | Dishing out hope to cancer patients | Globe – Rondo still working towards Opening night |
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