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 can tell (when opponents get frustrated). Sometimes they talk to me,” he said. “They’ll say, ‘You can get back a little bit, you don’t have to pick me up all the time,’ and when they start talking to me like that, that’s when I know I’ve got them.”
Asked if Nelson uttered those words, Bradley paused, smiled and said, “Everybody says it to me. Everybody. I just laugh. I might just look at them. I’m going to keep coming all of the time.”
Herald – Bradley loving the pressure
Asked whether full-court pressure was Rivers’s game plan, Bradley said, “It really wasn’t. But I told Doc, ‘I’m going to pick him up the whole game.’ And he kind of looked at me like, ‘The whole game?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, the whole game.’
“And that’s what I did. I wanted to bring everyone else’s energy up, and I think I did, playing defense like that. And Paul [Pierce] came up and told me, ‘When you play defense like that, it makes us play defense even harder.’ ’’
Globe – The changing of a guard
How embarrassing for Jameer Nelson. He was begging Avery Bradley to let up. Can anyone tell me why Bradley never ran into a jaw-rattling pick by Dwight Howard? That's how you get Avery to slow up. You put Howard's massive frame in the back of his mind.
Anyone who has ever played ball knows what it's like to play against that guy. On the playground, it's usually a pasty kid in a Duke jersey. Your mindset becomes "Do I really have to deal with this all game?"
It's not fair to ask Rajon Rondo to exert that much energy on defense. But it would be nice to see him ball-hawk like Avery in the 4th quarters or for critical possessions.
Related link: Enterprise: Bradley making most of opportunity
On Page 2, is Kevin Love close to an extension?
No final decision from Love on whether to accept the Wolves' latest offer will be made until Wednesday, sources told Stein.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday the two sides had agreed to a four-year, $62 million extension.
The report, citing a person close to the situation, said Love was expected to sign the deal Wednesday afternoon in Dallas.
Love's options, to this point, have been accepting a four-year deal from Minnesota or declining the offer and becoming a restricted free agent in July, with Minnesota then able to match any offer sheet Love would receive in free agency. To reach unrestricted free agency, Love would have to be willing to play out the 2012-13 season on a one-year qualifying offer worth just $6 million.
Love is currently eligible for the same five-year extension worth nearly $80 million that Russell Westbrook received last week from the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Wolves have to this point in negotiations been unwilling to make Love their "designated player" and offer him a five-year max contract, maintaining that they want to keep as much future flexibility as possible as they continue to rebuild their team.
This story has nothing to do with the Celtics… right now. It may be the longest of long shots, but I'm praying Minny screws this up and let's Kevin Love slip away.
Love is a max player. This deal is insulting. Walk away, Kevin. Walk away.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE – Pierce finding his rhythm | Six pack Power rankings | ESPN Boston – Sasha shines in spot start |
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