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.
Ainge, like every follower of the club, is interested to see how the Celtics respond Wednesday night against the Wizards. For now, the fact his lads may have gotten too high on themselves is not a grave concern. And, truth be told, the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett Celts had occasional problems along these lines.
“I think it’s a problem with every team,” said Ainge. “I remember in 1986 we had this issue. I mean, every now and then, you’ve just got to get knocked on your tail and realize what it takes. […]
“We’re still trying to improve our team, and we know that we have some holes, but that’s not the reason why we’re not putting forth the effort that we need to, and I think that Sunday night, to me, rather than overreacting, is a good awakening for our players.
“We’ll see what happens. Especially when our team gets healthy, I’m really anxious to see our group have a chance to develop some cohesion and get our top 10 guys together healthy in one night. We’re still waiting on that.
“I think Sunday we just played poorly, and they shot the ball extremely well. It was a combination of our poor play and their excellent shooting. But you have those nights. It was a bad one, and I think that the good news is that it’s good to be humbled sometimes and to have to pay attention to the details that matter.”
Herald – Bulpett: Danny Ainge OK with Celtics learning the hard way
Ainge is a realist. Sometimes your team produces a lemon. Except, instead of complaining like we fans tend to do, Danny just makes lemonade.
The Celtics have lost two straight, both without injured Horford/Crowder/Olynyk. In the first loss, they scrapped and clawed as usual against the champion Cavs, but in the other they put forth shockingly little effort while allowing the unremarkable Nuggets to walk all over them. Tonight the Cs face Washington, which is 1-5 and no doubt desperate for a win at home. So…
Will the Celtics respond to the challenge as they did in Cleveland, or will they no-show again? Are they a finesse team (in other words, “soft”) as Brad Stevens called them in Sunday’s post-game? The answers to those questions might be more important than tonight’s final score.
Related: MassLive – Al Horford (concussion), Jae Crowder (ankle) not on Boston Celtics trip to meet Washington Wizards
On Page 2: The Little Ticket
During the debut of Kevin Garnett’s “Area 21” segments as part of the “NBA on TNT” broadcast last week, the Big Ticket offered some hefty praise for the Boston Celtics’ pint-sized point guard.”
Isaiah’s got so much heart and he plays so big. Very gritty, very tough,” Garnett said during a segment with Rasheed Wallace in which the former NBA stars debated whether they would rather have Thomas or Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving taking a final shot. “It’s a point guard league. The point guard matchup is very difficult. … I love Isaiah’s heart. Your point guard, a lot of times the identity of your team starts with your point guard. Isaiah, I love his heart and how he plays.”
Apprised of Garnett’s comments after Boston’s practice on Monday, Thomas was genuinely appreciative of the praise.
“I’m the 5-9 Kevin Garnett. That’s who I want to be,” said Thomas. “[Garnett’s praise] means a lot. For a guy I looked up to, who I knew I would be nothing like [in size], but just the way he prepared himself, the way he didn’t back down from anybody, and how he was so locked in. It was amazing to see that up close. For him to say that about me, that says a lot.”
ESPN Boston – The Little Ticket? Isaiah Thomas on KG praise: ‘I’m the 5-9 Kevin Garnett’
When Kevin Garnett gives you the stamp of approval, you are legit. And KG is right on. There’s no question IT has become the face of the Celtics franchise off the court, and its heart and soul on the court. As well as The Little Guy played last year, he’s off to an even better start this season. He’s currently averaging 26.2 points (22.2 last season) and 6.8 assists (6.2), with a true shooting percentage of .553 (.488). Basketball-Reference.com has the full stats.
Isaiah is also ranked No. 29 in ESPN’s list that’s being rolled out this week. Last year he was No. 65. (Note: Al Horford is No. 22.)
On Page 3: Ray speaks
Ray Allen was recently interviewed on the Dan Patrick Show, and he spoke about leaving Boston and why he didn’t speak to Paul Pierce. Fast forward to the 8:25 mark for those comments. (Hat tip to @MrTrpleDouble10 for finding the video.)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOJoiBF-m44]
In related news, Brian Scalabrine recently gave his thoughts about whether or not Ray’s number should be retired in Boston. Scal sort of said what we did on Monday.
And, finally: Plays of the Week
Check out the Top 5 Plays this week, highlighted by some of the C’s young core. pic.twitter.com/USsT7rergZ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 8, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe Rest of the Links:
Boston.com – Celtics player power rankings: Defensive struggles may force Brad Stevens to shake things up
CSNNE – C’s Suddenly Having Defensive Problems, But Stevens Has Seen It Before
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