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.
“It think it gives him confidence to play,” Rivers said of Bradley. “And it’s something that we’ve talked about as a staff at the beginning of the year; we may have to go to a different offense for the second unit, which I don’t do very often.
“Because Avery’s not Rondo. He’s not going to be Rondo as far as running a team. But what he does defensively is so good for us it’s good to have him out on the floor. So if we have to have him out on the floor as a point, then we have to run a different set so that group can function offensively.”
It also means either Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett will have to be on the court with Bradley, “because we’ve run half our offense from the elbows of late.”
Herald: Offense may adjust to Bradley
Translation: I need to play Avery Bradley because his defense is huge, but we have to radically change our offensive sets and rotations to do it because offensively he is making my eyes bleed.
And I know some of you think I'm being hard on Avery on the offensive end… but you can't watch him in the half court and not cringe. So credit Doc for seeing what he has and adjusting to it.
Related links: Globe: Changing of a guard
On Page 2: Doc expects a little tougher challenge from Orlando
Regardless of when the C's would face the Magic again after Monday's record-setting performance, Rivers would expect nothing less than a tougher battle the second go-around.
"It's human nature," Rivers said. "They're going to come in and they're going to want to show us, I guess."
And Rivers couldn't be any more pleased about that.
To play a game where both teams come in with something to prove – the C's want to show Monday wasn't a fluke while the Magic are determined to show they're a better team than the one that scored a franchise-low 56 points – at this point in the season is embraced fully by Rivers.
"I love that," Rivers said. "I think that's great. I wish every game had that feeling. I think that's how each team should play. They're going to come at us. That's fine by us. We're going to do the same. It's a great challenge."
CSNNE: Rivers doesn't expect same Magic in next matchup
The Celtics will have to match their intensity from the last game. And Orlando will have to not cheat.
Oh you think we forgot about that, Orlando?
The rest of the links
CSNNE: Johnson, Moore veterans in each others' lives | Herald: Dwight Howard to Hub? | ESPN Boston: Practice: 3 back for C's | Not Love-in the 2012 Free Agent crop? | Pierce and the amazing expectations | WEEI: 5 restricted free agents to consider | Globe: Celtics owe it to Rivers to shape up
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
