Your Morning Dump... Where Brad Stevens is so very excited to be an all star coach

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.

“There’s no politics in it,” Stevens said. “There’s no subjectivity; it’s what your team has accomplished. And that’s a credit to the players in the locker room.”

CSNNE

Click through to watch the video.

From his tone of voice, I can’t tell if Stevens is describing his thoughts on coaching the all star game, or that time he purchased a bag of potting soil at the Home Depot.

Later, Stevens said the most Stevens thing ever:

Stevens on All-Star: "I almost feel bad I’m the one that’s going. I’d rather have another one or two of those guys playing in it."

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) February 4, 2017

Anyway, it would’ve been nice for Boston to clinch that appearance for Stevens with a W, but the Raptors gave it to him somewhere in the middle of the third quarter. Speaking of, they’re now a few tenths of a percentage point behind Washington for the #3 spot in the East.

Apparently the Wizards got the funeral part right, but the team wrong.

Page 2: Where Paul Pierce is saying goodbye to Boston–as a player.

Is it wild to see how much the trade for you has helped the future of the franchise with all these Brooklyn Nets picks?

I haven’t really thought about it, but hey, that’s just me giving back.

Boston Globe

Adam Himmelsbach got quite a lengthy interview with Paul Pierce in advance of Sunday’s game. It’s a good read–especially that comment above. Three and a half years ago people were legitimately worked up because Pierce wasn’t going to play his entire career with the Celtics, but you know what? Tomorrow, we’ll be reminded that Paul Pierce never stopped being a Celtic.

Some people, like Bill Walton, become Celtics in only a couple years. Others, like Rick Fox, can spend six years in Boston without becoming Celtics.

Page 3: Where IT is legit thrilled by praise from Pierce

Paul Pierce has also noticed Thomas’ rise. During an interview with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, the Celtics legend — now playing for the Los Angeles Clippers — called Thomas a “championship-type player.”

“I didn’t know that,” he beamed. “That means everything. From a first-ballot Hall of Famer, a Celtics legend, to say that about me, that means a lot. Like I always say, I don’t care what anybody says but my peers and the people who did it before me. For a guy like that to say that, that’s crazy.”

Thomas never played with Pierce, but has plenty of respect for the star.

“I’m going to try to find his jersey,” Thomas said, “so I can get it signed.”

MassLive

Heh. The way IT says he’s going to try to find his jersey, it almost sounds like he expects he’ll come across it at the bottom of a hamper in the back of the locker room.

Finally: Can you name all seven Celtics All-Star coaches?

1 – Red Auerbach

2 – ?

3 – ?

4 – ?

5 – ?

6 – Doc Rivers

7 – Brad Stevens

(Numbers 1, 6 and 7 are absolute gimmies–even if I didn’t already include them, and it’s not like 2-4 are especially hard either. Five is kind of tricky.)