YOUR LUNCHTIME DUMP... WHERE THE CELTICS ARE AN UNFINISHED PUZZLE

~~Every~~ Almost 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~~ afternoon dump.

With all bodies healthy Friday, Stevens was able to roll out an all-reserve lineup to start the second quarter that featured Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Kelly Olynyk and Jerebko. Alas, that lineup has played only 16 total second-quarter minutes in only seven games this season. That’s still the most minutes of any Boston five-man pairing in the second quarter, and the unit’s net rating of plus-24.5 is an encouraging sign that the all-reserve group can set a quality tone at the start of quarters.

What’s hurt Boston this season is Stevens’ preference to close the second quarter with three-guard lineups that often sub Smart in place of Johnson in Boston’s starting five. While that group has played only 13 total second-quarter minutes this season, it owns a cringe-worthy net rating of minus-72.9. Stevens has admitted there’s a large enough sample size now that suggests Boston simply cannot go with that three-guard set unless there’s a favorable matchup.

ESPN Boston

After Boston’s 96-88 victory against Charlotte, the movement to get Jonas Jerebko in the starting lineup gained significant momentum. However, Brad Stevens declared there would be no permanent changes to the starting lineup, as he plans on using Jerebko as a “spot starter” when the match-ups deem it appropriate.

While the lineup of Thomas/Bradley/Crowder/Jerebko/Horford has stayed healthy for only five games while playing a mere 33 minutes all season, this group has an insane +26.3 net rating. This unit sparked the comeback against the Hornets, and given Jerebko’s past success playing with the starters, Brad Stevens must consider leaning more heavily on this lineup going forward.

The regular starters — with Johnson in place of Jerebko — have a tidy net rating of +9.1, good for 10th in the league out of the 40 lineups that have logged over 100 minutes. As Forsberg mentions in his article, the Celtics are 8-3 when all starters are healthy.

The starting lineup is clearly not the team’s primary issue. The Celtics rebounding woes are well documented, as they struggle to control the glass when Marcus Smart plays small forward. The Thomas/Bradley/Smart/Crowder/Horford group — which before the season many projected to be their best unit — has disappointed, posting an abominable -32.5 net rating while grabbing only 55.2 percent of defensive rebound opportunities. For some perspective, Toronto has the lowest defensive rebounding percentage in the league, and they sit at 74 percent. The Celtics 55.2 percent mark would be the worst in the NBA by leaps and bounds.

Page 2: On the Road Again

Before the Celtics settle into a more home-friendly schedule starting on Dec. 27 against the Memphis Grizzlies, they have one stretch left of five games – four on the road – in eight days, concluding with a Christmas matinee against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

After arriving home late Thursday afternoon from San Antonio, and using a 15-0 fourth-quarter run to rally past the Hornets on the parquet on Friday night, the Celtics were back in the air early Saturday afternoon on their way to Miami for Sunday night’s game against the Heat. Boston is then in Memphis on Tuesday to face the Grizzlies, and Indiana on Thursday to meet the Pacers, before a rematch from last Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night at TD Garden.

Providence Journal

Adding to the list of excuses for the team’s underwhelming first quarter of the season, the Celtics have played the fewest home games of any eastern conference team. The win against Charlotte had hidden importance, as Boston’s upcoming games comprise a grueling road schedule to finish 2016. While Miami should theoretically be an easy win, road match-ups against Memphis and Indiana, along with a home game against Oklahoma City on the second night of a back-to-back, will not come easy.

As it stands, the Celtics 14-12 record puts them on a 44 win pace, and with the upcoming condensed schedule, the team is in danger of having a losing record going into January. The good news: the Celtics started the season 14-12 last year, and despite falling to 19-19 by January 12th, they surged through the January and February and outpaced their win projections.

With the full rotation finally healthy (*fingers crossed*), the Celtics have all opportunities to overcome their difficult schedule and go on a run. Side note: how much of a “green teamer” am I for thinking the this team can still win 54 games?

Page 3: Saved by Noel?

“I never like to hear that stuff, guys complaining about minutes publicly,” an assistant GM told CSNNE.com on Saturday. “But Philadelphia…they have too many bigs and they’re trying to make it work but you know and I know and Nerlens knows, somebody is going to get the short end of things when it comes to minutes. And Nerlens doesn’t want to be that guy.

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And as far as Cousins is concerned, the Celtics’ connection with him has been more fantasy that for real, according to a team source who indicated they have not had any talks at any time with the Kings about acquiring Cousins.

CSNNE

Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel and Sacramento’s Demarcus Cousins — both potential trade targets for the Celtics — made headlines this week for remarks made to the media. Cousins verbally berated Sacramento Bee columnist Andy Furillo regarding a story on the star center’s altercation at a New York City nightclub. More on Cousins, later.

Noel’s mishap was not nearly as harmless. He voiced frustration about only playing eight minutes when the Sixers lost to the Lakers on Friday night. After a promising 2014-2015 rookie campaign, Noel has since been forced to compete for center minutes with Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid in consecutive years. He’s a prototypical modern big who can grab rebounds, finish alley oops, switch onto perimeter players, and protect the rim.

Over the next few months, the Celtics will be mentioned in countless trade rumors, but there is little likelihood a major trade will happen. But Nerlens Noel not only fills immediate holes for the Celtics, he has untapped potential and can be molded into a useful player.

Here’s the issue: he’s a restricted free agent this summer, and with big men earning massive contracts like Timofey Mosgov ($16 mil/year), Bismack Biyombo ($18 mil/year), and Ian Mahinmi ($16 mil/year), you would expect Noel to command a $20 million annual salary. As Danny Ainge has made a conscious effort to open up max cap space for 2017 free agency, the uncertainty of Noel’s contract situation combined with his high market value put Boston’s front office in a conundrum.

But as Noel struggles to improve or even win minutes, his value will depreciate and a team should be able to nab him on the cheap. Would Philly accept an offer centered around Kelly Olynyk? He is also a restricted free agent who may potentially get a big deal (if his shooting improves…).

Page 4: Once Again, We’re Doing the Boogie

“I’m as shocked as anyone,” says The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy. “I thought that trade would be awful. I fully expected to turn him into a punch line and maybe even goad him into slugging me after a game. But he’s been amazing. We had David Ortiz through 2016, and then the Sports Gods gave us Boogie. What can I say? He’s a local hero.”

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“I knew it could be awful,” says Dan Shaughnessy, the longtime Boston Globe columnist. “I fully expected to turn him into a punch line and maybe even goad him into slugging me after a game. And that’s pretty much what happened. I still can’t totally see out of my left eye. But I never thought he’d bring down Danny and Brad.”

The Ringer, Part 1 | Part 2

In a two part satirical column by Celtics super-fan Bill Simmons, he outlines the potential positive and negative ramifications of a Demarcus Cousins trade and details the theoretical fan and media reactions from both outcomes.

In timeline number one, Cousins comes to Boston and is an immediate savior, revitalizing his image while leading the Celtics to their 18th banner. In timeline number two, the Cousins trade destroys the organization, as his prickly personality does not resonate with the city.

The ugly altercation between Cousins and columnist Andy Furillo exacerbated the already unfavorable reputation of Cousins. I’m not defending Furillo, as he took a sensationalist approach with his column and seemed to be attacking the character of Cousins. However, what the Kings star did was hugely unprofessional, and if Cousins is getting this mad at a Sacramento Bee reporter, how will he react when the much tougher Boston media gets under his skin?

Its no secret that Boston needs a superstar. Cousins is playing the best basketball of his career despite being a part of (arguably) the most inept organization in the league. He’s had six head coaches and four GMs in his seven seasons. Despite having top 10 picks in every year since Cousins arrived, the team whiffed every draft, blowing picks on Nik Stauskas, Ben Maclemore, and Thomas Robinson.

Despite his awful situation, many team executives are not taking the “grass is greener” approach, as they believe the losing has worn on Cousins and turned him into damaged goods. It’s a fun read, but a Bill Simmons column, so be sure to clear out 2-4 hours of your day for sufficient reading time.