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.
At Washington, Thomas was in command from the start. He led the Huskies to three Pac-10 titles and earned all-league honors each time. His competitive fire was obvious.
In the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, the Huskies trailed Marquette by 15 points with 13:51 left. Darius Johnson-Odom was torching them, and Thomas was furious. During a timeout, he demanded to defend Johnson-Odom. The Marquette guard did not score another basket, and Washington won, 80-78.
“To me,” Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar said, “that just summarized Isaiah’s whole being on the basketball floor.”
In Thomas’s junior year, Washington was in a close game at Washington State. There was a late timeout and Thomas needed to use the bathroom, but he worried that if he left the game he might not return in time. So he asked for a towel and told his teammates to encircle him.
“He put the towel in his shorts and peed on the bench, because he didn’t want to check out,” said Chillious, who became an assistant at Washington. “That was a guy who wanted to compete.”
Even though almost everyone in Thomas’s inner circle encouraged him to return to school for his senior year, he declared for the 2011 draft.
“Everybody was like, ‘What are you doing?!’ ” he said. “But I had my mind made up.”
Boston Globe – For Isaiah Thomas, the long road to success ended in Boston
Now that’s some hardcore desire to win. Isaiah Thomas, needing to urinate so bad that he could taste it, just let it go on a towel… in a huddle. I’m sure there’s some kind of marketing hidden in there but I’m just impressed with his drive and desire to win. Sure, he takes some crazy shots (ok more than some), but he generally doesn’t feel like a guy out there just padding stats. His will to win is evident and there’s no question it’s rubbed off on this team and this city. He’s a liability on defense, without question, but there are a lot of players (including superstars) that have thrived while being useless at the defensive end.
It’s a great read by Adam Himmelsbach of the Globe, and includes some quotes from fellow Washington NBA’ers Jamal Crawford and Jason Terry. Terry, by the way, gave him the wonderful advice to sign with Phoenix to form the triad-PG system. Maybe we should thank Terry for finally helping the Celtics since it eventually worked out in their favor. The story also details the assist that ex-Piston and Hall-of-Famer (and one time Celtic killer) Isiah Thomas gave him in terms of selling him on Boston. Just let that thought simmer for a bit. Yes, THAT Isiah, in effect, recruiting players TO Boston.
Danny Ainge himself sacrificed a higher draft pick (likely a lottery pick) by not waiting and acquiring Thomas now, instead of waiting. So far it’s been well worth it, and the beginning of another Ainge-coup story you share with friends at a bar. He’s excited to play in the playoffs and I’m excited to see how he (and the rest of the team) performs. Playoffs are a different beast, and the best of the best bring it when it matters most. Isaiah has his chance to urinate in the clutch for the C’s… in a good way, in a way only he can.
On Page 2, Brad Stevens wallpapers his house with basketball charts and diagrams
Brad Stevens – I’ve got blank sheets of basketball court diagrams all over the place, by every TV and every coffee table… my job is to study
The Dan Patrick Show – Brad Stevens: Rondo trade opened up opportunities for others
At about the 7:30 mark in the interview above, Brad Stevens is told (by Chris Mannix) of some nice remarks that Erik Spoelstra had for him. Stevens replies by saying he has diagrams and the like all over his house… TV, coffee tables, bathrooms, garage, storage closet. I’m willing to bet he has his own film room/office that essentially replaces wallboard with TV screens displaying NBA games, college games, European games, high school games and classic games. He then has network cables and HDMI cables plugged directly into his brain, where all of the data is uploaded. Let’s face it, Stevens is a hoops cyborg and is preparing to execute “Order 66” on the Cavs. Will it happen? Highly unlikely, but I’m more than happy knowing that the coach is a hoops cyborg always absorbing intel.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Can Sullinger be Boston’s X-factor? | Stevens named coach of the month | Boston Marathon: Two years after tragedy, stepping stronger than ever | Eastern Conference playoff preview
Boston Globe – Brad Stevens relishes chance for a postseason trip | Wrong Boston team made the playoffs
Boston Herald – Brad Stevens keeps surprising Celtics in focus | Celtics Notebook: Brandon Bass sees opportunity for young, old | Bars see green thanks to Celtics
CSNNE – Addition by subtraction has fueled Celtics playoff run | Five paths that could lead to Celtics upsetting Cavs |Ainge: ‘I’m excited to see how our guys step up’ | Ainge wasn’t upset with Jae Crowder game-winning shot | GM of the year? Ainge backs Warriors’ Myers | CSN announces Celtics vs. Cavs first round playoff schedule | The best of the C’s surprising season
MassLive – 2015 NBA Draft order: Boston Celtics’ picks now mostly set | David Blatt on Boston Celtics: ‘Not a simple first round matchup at all’ | Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for April
SB Nation – The NBA’s brightest young coach got the Celtics to the playoffs
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