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.
His outlook would seem to make him as much a part of the player development staff as an on-court factor.
“I think so,” Wallace said. “I think I’m more of a coach-slash-player, more of an extension off of coach (Brad) Stevens to be able to talk to some of these guys and share with them what I know and get them prepared, so then he doesn’t have to do as much.”
Still, it seems odd that a player with as much natural desire to play — and play hard — is willingly backing away. His body won’t allow him to play like before as he rehabs from injuries, but lesser players have pushed their career envelope beyond its bounds.
“It’s really not that bad,” the 6-foot-7 forward said. “I’m here. I’m eager to watch these guys grow. And two or three years from now when I retire, I’ll sit down on the couch and watch them play, and I’ll be able to say I helped that guy develop his game and I helped him become the person that he is in the league.
“I still have that bug to be out there. But if I play, I play. If I don’t, I don’t. The main thing about it at this point in my career is you want to be out there on the court, and you want to be able to perform and play every night. But me, knowing myself, I know I can’t go out there and play 48 minutes every night — especially after this surgery. This early in the season and coming off that, I’m not capable of doing some of things I would want to do on the court.”
So he’ll do the things he wants to do off the court, and that may be of even more benefit to the Celtics.
Boston Herald – Gerald Wallace’s job: Make Green a star
After reading yesterday’s piece in the Globe where Gerald Wallace readily admits that he’s in no hurry to get back to 100% health, today’s piece by Steve Bulpett was not huge surprise. Wallace seems quite content to coast the remaining two years of his contract, essentially saying he’s fine with being a player-coach. That in itself wouldn’t be so bad if he were making Walter McCarty’s salary. But to cash in $10 mil per while coasting? That doesn’t help the C’s at all in the short term if they’re trying in any way to jettison that albatrossian contract.
Hey it’s noble of Wallace to be up front about it and to simply have a goal of helping Jeff Green make the all-star team. I kind of like that he’s putting it out there actually. Still, in essence, the C’s are now paying $10 mil for Jeff Green to play and another $10 mil for a personal life coach on the bench. That’s a lot of cash to hopefully make an all-star appearance.
Either way, this mish-mash of a team is still a ways away from making serious moves. The Brooklyn trade was great except for absorbing Wallace’s deal. Such are the pitfalls of these deals. Either way, it makes Brad Stevens’ job much easier by simply eliminating Wallace from the rotation.
On Page 2, Ainge says on the court stuff is secondary for the rookies
Ainge has had to become accustomed to drafting teenagers. That’s the current state of the NBA. Those teenagers are looking for leadership and guidance, and Ainge has to hope those potential cornerstones seek the right mentors.
“We hold them to a high standard,” he said. “The biggest things with these kids is teaching them to be pros and teaching them to be on time and to put in the work and understand what it takes to be a pro. The other stuff on the court is more secondary right now, and James and Marcus [Smart] are both doing very well right now.”
[…]“We have a lot of leaders, including our coaching staff, assistant coaches, all throughout, that are helping those guys have the best chance to succeed and avoid the pitfalls that many fall into,” Ainge said. “We’re just trying to build a championship team and this is the best way for us to do it right now, to get young talent and see if we can develop them into championship players or get a lot of good young players through the draft and trade draft picks and trade for star players. That’s really our only two options.”
Boston Globe – Celtics hopes James Young is wise beyond his years (Sunday Notes)
Interesting stuff here from Ainge. While I get what he’s saying in the sense that Young and Smart are so young that learning life lessons and growing up that way is more essential, the Celtics are also in the position where they need these guys to develop on the court just as fast. It’s a difficult dynamic, but if this were a contending team, Ainge’s comments would be easier to swallow. Look, he’s right, and life skills are always more important than basketball.
The flipside is that these guys are not Avery Bradley circa 2010-2011, where he can sit back and learn from Pierce, KG, Ray and Rondo. It’s not the biggest deal in the world though, since Smart and Young seem to be way ahead of the basketball (and life) curve.
And Finally, Russ Smith honors Rondo by choosing No. 9
Rather than try and strike a deal to get jersey No. 2 from Miller, which is what players often do, Smith has opted to instead wear the number worn by one of his favorite players.“I got a chance to know Rajon and follow him my sophomore year. I’m a big fan of his game,” Smith told WDRB-41 in Louisville, Kentucky. “When coach (former Celtics coach and current Louisville head coach Rick Pitino) asked me to watch film of point guards, he (Rondo) was one of the first people that I watched, along with Steve Nash, to help me prepare for my senior season.”
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Little turnover means chemistry on C’s staff
Boston Globe – Celtics still thrilled about Kelly Olynyk’s upside
Boston Herald – Brad Stevens set to mix and match
CSNNE – Celtics roster gives Stevens many options
MassLive – If Rajon Rondo misses opening night, who starts for Boston Celtics?
MWDN – Murphy’s in a fight to make Celtics
Taunton Daily Gazette – Celtics’ Avery Bradley has found a home in Boston
Buffalo News – How sports writer Bob Ryan took the Boston Express to national prominence
Slam Online – Rajon Rondo, No. 26
Instagram – Marcus Smart at Roster Stores
SXM NBA Radio – Brad Stevens talks about why they drafted Marcus Smart and if Rondo is difficult to coach
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