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.
Word is the Celtics intend to keep Tayshaun Prince through next week’s deadline to see if they can make use of Prince’s $7.7 million salary in yet another trade. Only after the deadline passes, sources say, does Boston plan to seriously engage Prince in buyout discussions.
Brandon Bass and Marcus Thornton are two more Celtics who can be made available, as Boston continues to seek to shed salary and stockpile draft picks for the future.
ESPN.com (Marc Stein) – Trade deadline buzz: Nuggets, Magic active
It was a brief mention at the end of Marc Stein’s NBA trade deadline report, but it kind of jumped out a little bit. It’s a bit of an odd move for Danny Ainge to hold on to Prince through next week’s trade deadline. As soon as he arrived, it seemed like he’d be here in a shorter amount of time than Austin Rivers was. But he’s found his way into Brad Stevens’ rotation with his solid veteran play. This has been a good thing and a bad thing.
If you’re on the tanking bandwagon (is that a TankWagon?!?!) then it’s a bad thing. Prince has been taking minutes from James Young, although Young hasn’t done much in the little time he’s played. And if you’re on the side of the fence that wants the team to win, then it’s a good thing. He’s helping this team win. Stein also mentions the other two obvious players that are trade candidates in Bass and Thornton. The problem for these guys apparently is that they make just enough for it to be too much for a contender to give up anything of value. Could either player push them over the top? Maybe. But for now, it’s obvious that they aren’t worth it.
The Celtics head into the newly extended All-Star break riding high after a less than stellar comeback win over the NBA’s best Atlanta Hawks. It’s fun to see this group win some of these games, but I’m not convinced it really matters in the long run. Does making the playoffs as a low seed only to get blasted really do much for the long term? Especially when most of these guys likely won’t be here? I don’t think it does. You can point to several historical examples, one even being the Hawks. Remember the young, exciting Atlanta team in 2008 that took your powerhouse C’s to 7 games in round 1? What did that ultimately do for them? Not much. And there are plenty of other examples to use.
I hope I’m wrong about this C’s team. It would be fantastic if this catapults them to an elite team. Right now, I just don’t see it being sustainable. But hey, it’s fun for a few weeks, perhaps the rest of the season.
On Page 2, NBA.com has some interesting advanced stats for C’s
On Thursday morning, the league publicly released stats categorized by play types, which means we can now see exactly how many points per possession the Boston Celtics — or any of their players — score in several different basketball situations.
A few initial takeaways from the stats:
1. When Marcus Smart entered the NBA, shooting counted as one of his problem areas. He even admitted as much at his pre-draft workout for the Celtics. Half a year later, the rookie is second league-wide behind Kyle Korver in effective field goal percentage during catch-and-shoot situations (minimum 50 chances). Obviously, Smart has developed more quickly than anyone anticipated. What once looked like an issue — his dependency on 3-pointers — now makes him an efficient scorer despite his current inside-the-arc struggles. Smart still needs to improve his handle and create opportunities inside, but at this stage of his development, shot selection serves as a real plus.
MassLive – NBA.com now includes stats by play type: 8 Boston Celtics observations from the new numbers
We’ve all seen Charles Barkley’s hilarious rant against Daryl Morey and analytics, and while he’s right for the most part about what he said, there are advantages for having as much information as possible. Barkley s correct in the sense that Morey is seen as an analytics pioneer of sorts, yet continually goes after the best talent available. That doesn’t take a degree at MIT. But he’s wrong when he says there is no place for them.
In Jay King’s post above, there are some interesting things including the rapid rate of Marcus Smart’s shooting development. Amazing how much he’s improved, when the previous star PG never could at shooting the three. It also points out how bad the Celtics are as a team (including Smart being one of the worst) and driving to the basket and drawing fouls. The analytics can simply re-assure what our eyes and instincts tell us. Most of the things pointed out just emphasize the points being observed, but they do have a place in the game. It never hurts to have too much info, it’s all how you parse it out and make use of it.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Star-less C’s embrace break, hope roster intact when they reconvene | Snapshot: Olynyk training in NYC
Boston Globe – Boston has had many all-time greats | Ailing Kelly Olynyk forced to sit out Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend
Boston Herald – A reason to believe for these Celtics
CSNNE – Hawks’ Carroll recalls his recruitment by Pierce, KG | A win is a win, but it’s not one Stevens loves | Celtics Talk TV: Which player will C’s miss if traded? | Dellavadova replaces Olynyk in Rising Stars Challenge
WEEI – Why Celtics are worth your attention (seriously) in the next 2 months
Toronto Globe and Mail – Celtics’ Olynyk a shooting star with bright future in NBA, Team Canada
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