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 dump.
“I’m excited, really excited, I think we’re going to do good, big things,” Bradley said.
Bradley participated in teammate Isaiah Thomas’s basketball tournament last month along with Kelly Olynyk and Phil Pressey. Former Celtic Gerald Green, along with boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. were also in attendance.
“I’m telling all of my friends and all of my teammates if we continue to work and prepare for next year, anything is possible for us,” he said. “We made it to the playoffs this year and nobody expected us. Why not get to the championship? No one is expecting us to do it. Why not?”
The Boston Globe – Celtics Avery Bradley: Why not us next year?
Fresh off a surprisingly entertaining last few months of the Celtics 2014-15 season, Avery Bradley has only enhanced his view of his team since being swept out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. So much so, that he told the Globe’s Gary Washburn that he thinks his Celtics can make it to the NBA Finals… next year. As in the 2015-16 season. On one hand, you could kind of see where he’s coming from. The team played great since the All-Star break, winning often (even against teams they shouldn’t have), winning several back-to-backs (more successful than even the best years of P, KG, Ray, Rondo and Doc) and even played Cleveland pretty tough despite getting swept. On top of all that, perhaps the best argument you could make is: geography.
The Eastern Conference is so bad, and if Danny Ainge can manage to acquire some scorers and big men to patrol the paint, then yes, this rebuild could accelerate. One of the things I love from this Celtics team is their confidence. Realistically, for them to vault ahead of all the teams in front of them in the east, they need huge upgrades in talent. They have a lot of nice role players, but they have no star players. They need a Paul Pierce type that they can rely on to score. Until they acquire players of that caliber, AB’s confidence and dreams will remain that: a pipe dream.
On Page 2, the C’s are having a tough time getting top players in for workouts
Sam Dekker, the Wisconsin small forward considered one of the more promising shooters in the upcoming NBA draft, pulled out of a recent Celtics workout that featured some of the better wing defenders on the board, including Virginia’s Justin Anderson and Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
No one wants to look bad at this time of year. And working out for the team with the 16th pick isn’t exactly a popular draw, either. The Celtics worked out six power forwards yesterday, including Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell. All are projected to be available at spots well below No. 16.
As Danny Ainge recently said, “I’ve heard from 18 players that they expect to go in the lottery.”
That’s another way of telling the Celtics not to keep the light on.
Boston Herald – For some, 16 won’t work
This isn’t a reflection on the Celtics as an organization, rather they are just victims of circumstance. When they Celtics were picking sixth last year, they had just about everyone in, save for the projected top-three picks. Now, one of the pitfalls of picking so low, it’s difficult to get the higher projected talent in for workouts. It’s fairly obvious that the Celtics would love to package some picks and move up to get one of the better players, but that just doesn’t happen often in the NBA. They are examples of trading up, for sure, but it’s very rarely the higher slotted team gives up the higher projected talent. It may turn out that way years later, but at the time, it just doesn’t happen all that much. There are a few teams ahead of the Celtics that might not want to go younger, but it’s not about the age, it’s about the talent level.
Finally, the Warriors snap out of their funk and even the Finals at 2-2
After carrying a double-digit lead most of the first half and then being nearly caught from behind by a rejuvenated LeBron James and crew, the Warriors either were going to fold and succumb to the physicality or respond with a dish of their own.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night was the ultimate test for the team that streaked to 67 regular-season wins and was the prohibitive favorite to beat the shorthanded Cavaliers. The Warriors had no choice but to force their style upon the Cavaliers, who mostly dictated the pace of the first three games.
After watching a 15-point lead get whittled to 3, the Warriors countered with their best stretch of the series, using stifling defense and the clutch shooting of spot starter Andre Iguodala to coast to a 103-82 Game 4 win at Quicken Loans Arena.
The series is now tied at 2-2, with Game 5 set for Oracle Arena on Sunday.
Boston Globe – Golden State roars back to even NBA Finals
Prior to last night’s 21-point shellacking the Warriors handed the Cavs, the Finals have been surprisingly very entertaining. But now, the big story of the Finals is the possibility of LeBron James needing to follow a concussion protocol after smashing his head against a camera. Even if LeBron’s head is fine, he looked gassed just as the warriors were waking up. I still think this will be the most incredible Finals win of all time if LeBron can lead the Cavs past Golden State, but I’m just not sure he (or his team) can sustain it for two more games, especially when two of the three are in Golden State.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Celtics trying to build off 2014-15 momentum
Boston Globe – Butler’s Kameron Woods gets taste of the familiar at Celtics workout
Boston Herald – Kameron Woods cut from tree of Brad Stevens
CSNNE – Blakely: Finding trade partner ‘easier said than done’ | Celtics, others aren’t focusing on Harrell’s shooting | NBA Draft: Who’s the player you wouldn’t pick? | Whittington trying to take ‘difficult path’ to NBA | Woods comfortable at Celtics workout with Stevens
WEEI – NBA draft prospect profile: Arkansas PF Bobby Portis
MassLive – NBA Draft 2015: Boston Celtics working out guys in mid-1st round range, ready to get creative with picks | 2015 NBA Draft, Devin Booker: Boston Celtics, Kentucky shooting guard a good fit? | Austin Ainge: Boston Celtics riding momentum of surprising playoff berth
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