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.
Brad Stevens was interviewed by Bill Simmons in a podcast released yesterday, and it was outstanding for two reasons: Simmons called him “President Stevens” (I’d vote for Brad, except I’d prefer that he keep his current job), and we got to hear in-depth commentary about the upcoming Celtics season from the coach we are all convinced will lead the franchise to Banner 18. Here are some highlights:
Most top lottery picks join bad teams, but the Celtics were able to select Brown after a 48-win season. Instead of being handed minutes on a shabby roster, the No. 3 overall pick will need to earn them against a load of proven players. That could pose some issues — Brown won’t receive as much on-court experience as he would with, say, the Sacramento Kings — but Stevens also thinks the talent level will push Brown.
“I think Jaylen’s in a good situation to learn and grow because he’s coming into a team that has some perimeter players who are very established that will make him very uncomfortable in practice every single day,” Stevens said during a recent appearance on The Ringer’s NBA podcast with Bill Simmons. “And they’ll do it on both ends of the floor. For him to have to be matched up against Jae (Crowder) or Avery (Bradley), or if we play him at the 4 some against a Jae (Crowder) or a Jonas (Jerebko), whatever the case may be, those are hard matchups. And that should a great — that should be the best part of the learning curve for Jaylen.”
“One of the things I really like about Marcus is, when Marcus is here, you know he’s here,” said Stevens. “You know he’s in the room, you know he’s in the game, you know he’s in a defensive drill in practice. He’s got a presence about him that he just, he can liven a room. And he’s got a great competitive spirit about him.
“Defensively, obviously, he’s probably as advanced as any guy that I had ever coached at that age. Not just from the standpoint of the physical toughness and strength and athleticism, but also just the understanding of where to be at the right time. He clearly had great coaching growing up, and he just knows the game. Then, offensively, I think that as he continues to progress — and everybody has talked about his shooting, which I know he’s worked really hard on — and especially has continued to figure out where his best options and best shots will come from. But the other parts of his game, offensively, I think have really expanded. He’s been better off the pick-and-roll in Year 2. I thought he did a great job of getting into the paint, finishing, kicking out, making plays, especially during the playoffs.
“But I think his greatest strength will always be that he’s a guy that makes winning plays that sometimes aren’t quantified, whether that’s guarding a [Paul] Millsap for eight minutes, or guarding [Kristaps] Porzingis for six minutes, or guarding the point guard for the next four. He’s just a guy that will do anything you ask to help this team win.”
ESPN Boston – Brad Stevens dishes on Marcus Smart’s impact, Jaylen Brown’s development
There are so many good things from Brad in this conversation. The above articles provide insightful summaries, but if you have an hour to spare, go here to listen to the full audio:
The Ringer – Brad Stevens on Marcus Smart’s Relentless Defense and Boston’s Pitch to Kevin Durant
On Page 2: Vegas likes the Celtics, baby
2016-17 NBA Regular-Season Win Totals
The over/under benchmark for regular-season wins for each NBA team for the 2016-17 season, as determined by the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas:Golden St. 66.5
Cleveland 56.5
San Antonio 56.5
LA Clippers 53.5
Boston 51.5
ESPN Boston – Las Vegas pegs Warriors’ wins at 66.5; Cavs, Spurs at 56.5
How about that? Vegas forecasts the Celtics to be the NBA’s fifth winningest team – and second in the East – this coming season. Furthermore, Boston has been made the favorite to win the Atlantic Division, with odds of 10/11, ahead of Toronto at 5/4.
This is encouraging, because professional oddsmakers don’t screw around with their money. If they say 51.5 wins, you can bet on it.
The Vegas number is close to what Celtics bloggers (including your faithful Red’s Army crew) said when asked by ESPN to predict this season’s win total. No doubt, Celtics Nation would be happy to accept 51 or 52 wins and a second seed for the playoffs.
Also notable: Brooklyn is ranked dead last at 20.5 wins. Lottery balls!
Related: Fox Sports – 2016-17 NBA season win total odds and predictions
On Page 3: Ainge not taking anything for granted
“I feel like we — and when I say we, I mean our players — all know that they need to get better,” Ainge told the Herald. “Our coaches are working tirelessly, and I know that I need to do some things to help our team get better. None of us are satisfied or feel like, ‘OK, this is it.’ But that’s all we can do, right? All we can do is keep trying to get better. So I don’t know what my expectations are. I want to see our team play. I don’t know where we are. I mean, I have a lot of respect for Toronto. I’m curious and anxious to see New York and Chicago. I respect a lot of teams in the East — Miami, Charlotte, Washington.
“I don’t just automatically think we’re the second-best team in the East just because some people think we are. We’ve got to earn that, and that’s not going to be easy. So we have a lot of work to do, and we have to overcome a lot of things and play our best to get to that point.”
Herald – Bulpett: Ainge well aware of what Celtics still need
This is a dose of realism from Danny. For the past two seasons, the Cs have been overachievers, but as the Page 2 item points out, this season they are expected to achieve a higher level. It’s a little scary to think how fans and media might react if the Celtics struggle at all in the first month or two. Ainge is adding some perspective here, and it’s something to keep in mind as the season progresses.
Related: MassLive – Danny Ainge: ‘Not going to be easy’ for Boston Celtics to be second-best team in Eastern Conference
And, finally: IT is the 9th best point guard?
9. Isaiah Thomas, Celtics
Thomas is 5-9. For years, the league had trouble accepting that a 5-9 player could be useful — even one that can score like Thomas should be too much of a liability on the defensive end. Indeed, Thomas is a liability defensively, but he just doesn’t hurt you all that much on that end, especially not with his scoring ability.
Sporting News – Top 15 NBA point guards for 2016-17: Ranking the league’s deepest position
One: Training camps remain a few days away, so we’re still seeing the “we ranked these guys, please click here” type of content on hoop websites. Two: Isaiah Thomas is always ranked too low (and doesn’t hesitate to point that out). Three: It’s happened again.
No one would say that IT is comparable to Curry, Westbrook or Paul, but you could argue he’s better than Conley, Wall and Lowry. On this list, however, he’s behind those latter three. When Isaiah hears about this, the chip on his shoulder will grow yet again.
The Rest of the Links:
CSNNE – Celtics Question Of The Day: How Many All-Stars Will Emerge?
MassLive – Boston Celtics Draft 2017 Big Board 1.0: A much too early look at potential NBA draft picks
Almighty Baller – Analytics Across Ages Pt. 1: Bird vs. ‘Bron
Worcester Telegram – Holy Cross basketball players awed by visit to Bob Cousy’s home
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