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.
To their fans, they are a good young team that is only getting better. With 11 players back from a 48-win team and the additions of prized free agent Al Horford and top-3 pick Jaylen Brown, their talent level is clearly superior. That, at least, is inarguable to all but the most devoted Evan Turner cultists.
To NBA heads who get off on front office machinations and smart decision making, they are a delight. Danny Ainge has stocked the roster with young talent, hidden gems on favorable contracts, and the aforementioned Horford. It’s enough to make any amateur capologist swoon, and that’s before factoring in the horde of future draft picks that includes the much-discussed bounty from the Nets. Not for nothing did the C’s rank third in ESPN’s future power rankings list behind only the Cavaliers and Warriors.
And to those who care most about the product on the court this very moment, all of those pieces don’t quite add up to the lofty projections that accompany their name. Even with Horford and All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, there still isn’t enough shot creation or rebounding to truly merit those kind of expectations. It would also be nice if the could win a playoff series before penciling them in for the conference finals.
All of those things are true. They are the NBA’s Rashomon.
SB Nation – The Celtics Could Be Anything
I’d never heard of the Rashomon effect, but it pertains to people having different perspectives and how that affects the judgments they make. It appears the Celtics are a case study in that realm.
Regarding perspectives, while many of us are optimistic that this will be another season of progress, others are already saying that the Celtics aren’t meeting expectations. When listening to sports talk radio or scrolling through Twitter, it doesn’t take long to find people who are already critical of the Cs because, OMG, they almost gave it away to Brooklyn, and they lost in Chicago. This is all after three games.
Even prize free-agent signee Horford isn’t immune. The big man is averaging 12 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists, but some fans feel those numbers are too low because he has the big contract. When the Celtics were out-rebounded by the Bulls, some people were saying we sure could’ve used Jared Sullinger. Huh? Again, it’s been three games. And there’s more to it than numbers, because not everything is tangible.
That havoc-inducing style causes opposing coaches nightly headaches, but can it win in the playoffs? To that end, the Celtics added one of the summer’s biggest prizes in Horford, an underappreciated savant who lacks traditional star-caliber numbers, but makes up for it with savvy and skill. […]
What Horford also provides is validity for a rebuild that concentrated on collecting assets first and cashing in on stars second. Horford is a certified star and this can no longer be considered an overachieving team.
There it is: the Cs are no longer overachievers. Therefore, we have expectations. But here’s a suggestion: let’s temper our expectations until we have a chance to see how this team plays over more than three games. Let’s wait until Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk are healthy. Hell, let’s even just see what happens in the Bulls rematch this Wednesday. And it also wouldn’t hurt if we take the approach of this former NBA front office exec:
Always said the NBA is broken up into 10, 8 game seasons. Best to evaluate evaluate the season with that approach and not after 2 games.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 29, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsOn Page 2: Amir, Tyler … or Kelly?
A year ago this time, Amir Johnson was on the verge of unseating Tyler Zeller as the Boston Celtics’ starting center.
Could we be seeing a bit of role reversal now?
The two are once again sharing minutes at the center position with Johnson starting and Zeller serving as his backup, and while it is very small sample size, Zeller has been as good — and in some cases better — than Johnson thus far.
CSNNE – Celtics’ Timeshare At Center Yields Good Competition
Based on the eye test, neither Johnson nor Zeller have been lighting it up yet, but this article – which delves into their respective stats – makes the case that they’ve each contributed in their own somewhat limited way. Regardless, we have to hope that the Cs will eventually get much more out of the center position when Olynyk returns to the lineup.
One preseason question was, will Olynyk start or come off the bench? Since Amir is the best defender among the three, it’s likely that he will remain in the starting five and KO will take the second-unit minutes currently allotted to Zeller (especially while Olynyk works his way back to full strength). One thing we do know: if this happens, Zeller will be the good soldier and return to riding the pine while not complaining about it.
On Page 3: Checking in with Zizic
.@ante_zizic ends the month of October with a solid performance, helps Cibona get another victory. Highlights: https://t.co/sncW3L8eV7
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) October 30, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsFirst-round pick Ante Zizic continues to look good while playing in Croatia. This video is from Tomek Kordylewski, a Celtics fan in Poland who regularly posts highlights of Celtics games and of the draft picks who are stashed in Europe. Tomek is one of the go-to guys for Red’s Army video guru KWAPT, and he deserves a follow on Twitter and YouTube.
And, finally: Happy Halloween
Continuing his acclaimed annual tradition, the former Celtics star and avid Halloweener posted a photo himself as Captain Hook, along with the rest of his family as Peter Pan characters, in front of their decorated home on Saturday.
Boston.com – Paul Pierce continues his esteemed Halloween costume tradition with the rest of the Pierce family
If The Truth wasn’t a basketball star, we’d probably think he’s another Clark Griswold, concocting silly family activities and telling dad jokes. Check the link to see Pierce’s latest costume and a few photos from years past.
The current Celtics are also willing to dress in costume, and as told here there’s more to it than just having fun. It’s about team-building, too.
“We were all just talking one day around [Crowder’s] house, and it came up that Jada was having her birthday party and it was princess-themed. She was just naming off characters, and she kind of told me that’s what she wanted me to be,” said Mickey. “I just did it for her. I’ll do anything for a kid. That’s what she wanted so that’s what I came dressed up as.”
It wasn’t just Mickey who came in costume. Fellow 2015 draftee Terry Rozier and his girlfriend came as Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Their efforts weren’t lost on Crowder, who seemed genuinely touched that his teammates went so far to brighten the day for his own princess.
ESPN Boston – How Jae Crowder’s princess party brought the Boston Celtics closer
The Rest of the Links:
CSNNE – Takeaways From The First Week Of The Celtics’ Season
Globe – Once Terry Rozier idolized Dwyane Wade; now he covers him
Herald – Celtics still missing key pieces off bench
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