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.
As for the Celtics, Murphy's interest in the C's peaked following the series of trades Boston made on Thursday.
Prior to that, another league source indicated Murphy had reservations about the C's because he wasn't sure how much he would play.
Boston traded away five players, three of which play power forward and center – Murphy's two positions…
Even if Murphy eventually gets a buyout completed with the Warriors, it's by no means a given that he'll wind up in Boston.
Miami remains in the picture as well.
But one of Murphy's former teammates believes the C's tradition might give them a slight edge in the end.
"A Notre Dame kid named Murphy, a chance to play for the Celtics? Come on, does it get any more perfect than that?" he said.
CSNNE – Source: Murphy leaning towards Celtics
Last night Marc Spears reported that Golden State may not buy-out Murphy. A. Sherrod Blakely says this is very likely a negotiating tactic by the Warriors. Murphy is on the books for nearly $12 million this season and is probably owed about $4-5 million for the rest of the year. The Warriors are clearly trying to shave a few million off the buy-out.
I don't sense a lot of excitement among fans about Murphy. I'm not sure the doubters understand how good of a player this guy is. Here's John Hollinger's scouting report:
+ Lefty sharpshooter who loves to spot up at top of key for 3-pointers.
+ Superior below-rim rebounder who gets great position. Invisible on D otherwise.
+ Subpar athlete. Will shot fake and drive lane but can't finish in traffic.
OK, Murphy isn't going to make the All-Defense team. But in virtually every other respect, he's a heck of a player. Last season he ranked among the top 10 power forwards in rebound rate, pure point rating and true shooting percentage while averaging a double-double for a second straight season. That's a doozy of a combination and explains why he's a quality starter despite the porous D.
So what he lacks in post defense, he makes up for in rebounding and shooting.
Related link: Yahoo! – NBA buyout season commences
In that article, Spears says Mike Bibby is a buy-out candidate and the Celtics may have interest.
On Page 2, one scout's take on Jeff Green.
“He has a really good understanding of the game of basketball, his IQ is very good,’’ one Eastern Conference scout said of Green. “And when Jeff is on, he and his team can beat anybody, anywhere, on any given night. Jeff can switch and guard 3’s with no problem. The negative with him is he is not really consistent and it drives you crazy. I see his upside, my deal is his consistency. But he’s talented. He’s really talented.’’
With Marquis Daniels out, the Celtics lacked a defensive-minded forward. Anthony Parker or Dahntay Jones or any of those spare parts the Celtics could have acquired on draft day would not have filled that role. The biggest gripe about Green is that he is skilled at everything but not exceptional at anything.
That should fit perfectly into Doc Rivers’s philosophy. The Celtics desperately need versatility off the bench, a player who can drop 20 points, as Green has done nine times this season. Too much pressure was being placed on Glen Davis, and the Celtics didn’t like what they saw when Big Baby focused too much on scoring.
Globe – Green just what Celtics needed
High IQ – check. Guard 3s – check. Really talented – check.
The more I think about this… the more I realize Jeff Green is really going to help our bench.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE – Garnett stands to face most pressure without Perk | Rivers hopes Green can fill Posey role | ESPN Boston – Celtics ready to welcome new additions | Celtics/Clippers preview | From D-League to national TV: Chris Johnson's whirlwind debut | The Association, Episdode 3 (entire episode) | Herald – Cs still missing vital pieces | Ainge puts it on the line | Rivers takes brief leave |
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