Your Morning Dump… Where everybody loves Isaiah – including media All-Star voters

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.

Isaiah Thomas averages 10.1 points per game in the fourth quarter. That’s more points than 310 of the NBA's 450 players average overall.

— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) January 17, 2017

What Isaiah Thomas did this summer is become more efficient with his shooting fundamentals. Instead of repeatedly practicing the same habits, Thomas decided to attempt the same amount of shots the right way.

Thomas relied on his natural strength in shooting jump shots and eliminated his propensity of leaning forward to spring himself toward the basket or kick out his leg for more momentum. It appears to be a minor adjustment, but it is the primary reason Thomas is having such an outstanding offensive season.

[…]

The importance of Thomas’s ability to convert the 3-pointer cannot be understated as he puts together an MVP-type season. Thomas scores big in the fourth quarter because he can release his 3-pointer quicker than in the past and he has more body balance, and the results are startling.

He has made 42 3-pointers in his past eight games, including nine against Miami, six against New Orleans, and 17 in the past three games.

“It’s opened up a lot because I like to penetrate,” he said. “And usually [defenders] are trying to take away from me penetrating, getting to the hole. Now I’m able to knock down shots, the defense just has to pick what they want to take away and I just gotta read that and make plays off that.

“So I’m in a really good place right now. My [sprained middle] finger feels good. I can feel the ball and my teammates put me in that position to be me, and that’s all I can say.”

Globe – The 3-pointer gives Isaiah Thomas room to go

It seems like everyone is talking about IT’s explosion during the past month, to the point where we’ve run out of ways to describe what we’re seeing. His stats are eye-popping and his confidence is soaring. If you’re like me, you watch the games now with a sense of calm because, if it’s close, Isaiah is going to take over.

Back in training camp, The Little Guy told us about his summer work to enhance his game: changes in diet, emphasis on getting proper sleep, improving his shot. He wasn’t kidding. And, as described above, IT has taken full advantage of the pace-and-space offense that opens up the paint and forces defenders to pick their poison on defense.

All of this, plus the team’s rapidly growing win total, has propelled Isaiah from “he probably should be an All-Star” to “he’s a starter on my ballot.”

For the first time, the popularity contest has shifted to become more merit-based, as media members and players now will combine to total 50 percent of the vote. And that, it seems, has given Thomas a chance.

In a Globe straw poll that included 24 of the 100 media members invited to vote, Thomas was the leader among guards in the Eastern Conference. He appeared on 16 of the 24 ballots, with Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan (14) close behind. Then there was a significant gap, with Raptors guard Kyle Lowry in third (9), followed by Washington’s John Wall (5) and Irving (4).

“We’re third in the East, playing pretty well, and I’m playing at a high level,” Thomas said, “so as much as some people don’t want to give me my just due, at some point, they have to.”

If Thomas finishes first in the media vote, as the poll indicates he could, he would have a strong chance of being named a starter for the All-Star Game.

In the most recent fan returns, Irving was a runaway leader with 971,362 votes, nearly twice as many as Wade. But Wade did not receive one vote in the Globe’s poll, and would seem unlikely to get much more support among players, either. So it seems safe to eliminate him.

Globe – Globe straw poll: Isaiah Thomas leading media All-Star voting

Should Isaiah Thomas start the All-Star game? 🤔#TheStarters weigh in… pic.twitter.com/103ZQRsW5v

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 17, 2017

A few other factors have surely helped. IT appeared on TNT’s Area 21, where KG put him in the MVP conversation. He’s recently outplayed John Wall and Kemba Walker head-to-head, two competitors for an All-Star spot. He hit the game-winner in Atlanta on national TV (ESPN). The bit about “what time is it?” and looking at his imaginary wristwatch (perhaps he should get a tattoo) have also set him apart from his peers.

So it does appear like Thomas has a legitimate chance to be a starter. We will know this Thursday night when TNT announces the starting five during a pregame show beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time. If IT doesn’t get the nod, his next chance will be when the reserves are announced on TNT the following Thursday, January 26.

On Page 2: Did you predict 52 wins?

This season, with the bulk of last year’s playoff team back and the addition of four-time All-Star Al Horford, Boston was still a middling team early in the year with a 13-12 mark. Only this year, the Celtics got a head start on their seemingly annual playoff push with a 13-3 record over their last 16 games to hit the midway point of the year on a 52-win pace.

“It usually clicks for us after the All-Star break,” veteran guard Avery Bradley said of the trend under Celtics’ fourth-year coach Brad Stevens. “But I’m happy it’s now. We’ve just got to continue to keep that focus and play the right way. Don’t get comfortable.”

That was the coach’s message following Tuesday’s practice as the Celtics looked ahead to a rematch against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

“I think we have to get a lot better,” Stevens cautioned. “We’ve played a lot of close games. We did the math on it yesterday and 34 of 41 [have been decided by] 10 points or less, which is anybody’s ball game.

“We’ve been fortunate to win quite of few of those. We’ve lost a couple that you’d like to have back. But all being told, with the injuries and everything that we went through early, we’ve at least put ourselves in position to keep competing.”

Providence Journal – Celtics getting an earlier start on postseason push

My preseason prediction for the Celtics was 52 wins, which was conservative because I didn’t want to shoot high and be disappointed. Right now, it’s looking pretty good. And they’ve reached this level despite all of the injuries that have forced IT, Horford, Crowder, Bradley, Smart and Olynyk to each miss multiple games.

It would be ideal if they can stay healthy and begin to jell, especially on the defensive end (see the ESPN Boston link below). Their defense has dropped off sharply, allowing 105.8 points per 100 possessions this season compared to 100.9 last season.

In the end, 52 wins should make the Celtics a solid third in the Eastern Conference standings. Anything more and possibly they will push Toronto for second.

Related: ESPN Boston – Lots of positives for Celtics, but defense must improve

On Page 3: Plays of the Week

Check out the high flying clutch plays in this week's Top 5 presented by @JetBlue https://t.co/xZDgmVvVNL

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 17, 2017

And, finally: A wish come true

Cool Make-a-Wish event today as Celtics signed Stephen Register, who has intractable epilepsy, to a 1-day contract. pic.twitter.com/FQEcxe5mFL

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) January 18, 2017

Teaming with Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Boston Celtics signed 11-year-old Stephen Register of Needham to a one-day contract on Tuesday. Register, who suffers from epilepsy, received his own jersey and even had a press conference, fielding questions with the media, after signing with the team.

After Celtics stars Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk showed Register to his locker, which was loaded with Celtics gear and a new pair of kicks, he took the TD Garden floor to hit some shots.

CBS Boston – Celtics Make Local Boy’s Wish Come True, Sign Him To One-Day Contract

The Rest of the Links:

Herald – Celtics Notebook: Knicks may be struggling, but Brad Stevens and Co. still wary of their old rivals

Celtics.com – Crowder Rising Among NBA’s Most Efficient Shooters | Brown Impacts Fans, Teammates with Heartfelt MLK Speech

MassLive – Boston Celtics notes: Terry Rozier staying ready, Avery Bradley feeling good | Would a Carmelo Anthony trade make sense for the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks? New York Post writer thinks so (no, no, no, hell no)

CSNNE – Blakely’s Midseason Celtics Report Card | Bradley (Achilles) ‘Felt Good’ During Return To Celtics Lineup

The Improper Bostonian – Reaching for More: Al Horford is playing the long game

Uni-Watch – Report: Nike Not Planning to Make Sleeved NBA Jerseys (let us hope this means the end of the grey pajamas)

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