Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“I was out there trying to make plays and I forgot that we had Rondo out there doing that so I can go back to my customary role of scoring the ball,” Pierce said. “That’s what I tried to do in the second half.”
Pierce calls this, “giving the game what it needs,” and it’s easy to forgive him for that well-intentioned first-half transgression. When Rondo sat out seven games with a severely sprained ankle, Pierce became the team’s point forward, often handling the ball and getting them into sets at the expense of looking for his own offense.
WEEI: Paul Pierce's consistently improving game
I still think people are sleeping on Paul Pierce. As Flannery so succinctly puts it: is putting together his best season in the Big Three era. I laid the same argument out a month ago, and all Pierce did since then was take over the playmaking duties for an injured Rondo, dropped a triple double, and helped keep the team afloat as guys dropped around him left and right.
It's par for the course with Paul. He's always been the kind of "afterthought" of superstars. Goes with playing on a crappy team for so long. Some of it is his fault too… because he had a different mindset when he was younger. He wasn't always this model of efficiency we see scoring 15 points on 8 shots in one quarter.
But he's still one of the greatest Celtics ever. And more than a few of those other greats will tell you Pierce is one of the best, if not THE best, offensive player this team has ever seen. With what he's been doing lately, it's hard to argue.
On Page 2: Shaq on Letterman
This is the whole clip of Shaq on Letterman last night. He name drops Sudbury… saying he Googled "big house Boston" and up popped this estate in Sudbury. He says he'd choose Bill Russell at center for his "all time" team. He jokes about not wanting the Lakers to win and about LeBron. He clearly doesn't like Pat Riley… and he calls KG the funniest guy in Boston.
Related links: Herald: Late night Shaq attack | Globe: Late Night with Shaq
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston: Spurs-Celtics brings buzz to Boston | SC video: Celtics getting healthy | Herald: Tim Duncan, Spurs a likable bunch | Globe: High-level meeting | Hopeful West gets his cast off | Spurs thumbnails | CSNNE: Celtics-Spurs preview: C's expect a challenge | Celtics, Spurs put their own stamp on winning | MWDN: NBA's best to battle tonight
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