Your Morning Dump… Where he looks calm, but Brad is mad

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.

“He was very upset,” Isaiah Thomas said after dropping a 121-97 embarrassment to the Atlanta Hawks. “That’s the most mad I’ve seen him since I’ve been here, and he said that’s as mad as he’s been since his first year here.”

MassLive – Boston Celtics analysis: Brad Stevens sends message after blowout loss to Atlanta Hawks

Then he spent much of the next four minutes giving an uncharacteristically scathing evaluation of his team’s performance, effort, and cohesion. He did not raise his voice or swear or single out individuals, but his message was clear and serious and strong.

“We’re not playing basketball as a team on either end of the floor,” Stevens said. “We’ve had good quarters that have masked our deficiencies, and we need to get back to being a team. We need to get back in one direction. And I think the best way we’ll be able to recognize it is if we guard somebody once.”

Globe – Brad Stevens rips Celtics after lackluster loss to Hawks

Last night the Celtics appeared on TNT for the first time in more than two seasons, since before Brad Stevens came aboard. In hindsight, they should’ve stayed local.

The Celts trailed almost the whole game, then collapsed in the fourth quarter to suffer their second straight bad loss. Atlanta scored 121 points on 45-80 (.563) shooting, including 12-24 on threes. The Hawks also owned the boards, 43-33, and the assist totals, 33-23. Only David Lee, with +4, was on the positive side of the +/- stats.

This was supposed to be a bounce-back game after giving up 111 points in a loss to the Nets. Yet, the performance in Atlanta was even worse than the one in Brooklyn.

It’s no coincidence that these defensive failures happened right after Marcus Smart was injured. But it’s also obvious that lineup changes are needed.

Isaiah Thomas is forcing his offense as a starter and would be better off returning to his 6th-man role, allowing Evan Turner to start.
Amir Johnson has been invisible for the past two weeks; perhaps he goes back to the second team with IT and we see if Tyler Zeller can bring anything better.
RJ Hunter has clearly earned more playing time.
And if Jordan Mickey is ever going to get a chance, now is the time to give him Jonas Jerebko’s minutes.

Temporary relief is coming to TD Garden tonight: the winless Philadelphia 76ers. But the Celtics better be ready to give it the full effort for 48 minutes, because this roster can’t take anything for granted, not even versus a team that’s 0-15. If that game goes wrong, Brad might even yell.

Related: ESPN Boston – Mad Brad: Stevens blasts Boston’s ‘sieve’ defense | CSNNE – Stars, studs and duds: C’s ‘have to reconnect as a group’ | Herald – Celtics stumble in Atlanta

On Page 2: Scouting Simmons

Every year, it seems, the basketball world freaks out about the potential of the best college players. The annual tradition continues now with Ben Simmons, the LSU star who showcased his talents Monday night at the Barclays Center in front of a gaggle of NBA front-office figures.

According to the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola, at least three general managers attended LSU’s 81-80 loss to Marquette, including Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. Despite putting together a team that expects to make the playoffs, Ainge could have a top lottery pick thanks to the Brooklyn Nets. Right now, he’s probably hoping (like a lot of other NBA executives) for the opportunity to draft Simmons in July.

MassLive – NBA Draft watch: Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics brass watch possible No. 1 pick Ben Simmons dominate

Simmons’ game clearly doesn’t fit into a conventional box. At 6’10 and 240 pounds, he’s a point forward who needs the ball in his hands to impact the game. LSU has therefore bent its roster to accommodate his strengths and mask his one glaring weakness. In the process, they’re offering a glimpse at his best long-term fit. NBA GMs must be thrilled.

Simmons hasn’t taken a three-pointer this season, and that’s no coincidence. His lack of shooting ability makes him the inverse of what many NBA teams are looking for in of a contemporary power forward. But when he’s surrounded by shooters and allowed to orchestrate everything around him, Simmons’ unique ability to create looks for himself and others can be a powerful offense by itself.

SB Nation – LSU is showing the NBA how to use Ben Simmons correctly

In that Monday game, Danny saw Simmons tally 21 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists against Marquette. And this:

https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.jsMany pieces would have to fall into place for the Celtics to have a chance at drafting this potential franchise-changer. But it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?

And, finally: Congratulations, John!

Honored to be on this list!! Thanks @GlobeChadFinn https://t.co/sqfJep08hs

— John Karalis (@RedsArmy_John) November 24, 2015

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RedsArmy.com co-founder John Karalis is in the big-time now. He was selected by Boston Globe media columnist Chad Finn as one of the 75 best Twitter follows in Boston sports. John was highlighted in the section, “Five Celtics Writers to Follow,” which also included John’s co-host on the Rainin’ J’s podcast, Jay King of MassLive.com (@ByJayKing).

Only one dissenting voice was heard…

Congrats to @RedsArmy_John for making the cut. Guess no one realizes that I write his tweets. https://t.co/yUTkiazcG5

— Chuck M. (@RedsArmy_Chuck) November 24, 2015