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.
Since returning from an injury in mid-December, the Celtics guard has bordered on unstoppable. Thomas is averaging 32.5 points per game over that 23-game stretch, shooting better than 50 percent from the field and cashing in on 94 percent of his free-throw attempts. He has 34 points or more in 11 of those games, which includes three 40-point games and the 52-point effort. More importantly, the Celtics are 17-6 in that stretch after losing three of four without Thomas. That’s in large part due to Thomas’ heroics. Not only does he lead the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring, he also ranks second behind Russell Westbrook in “clutch time” scoring, defined as during the fourth quarter or overtime, with less than five minutes to play and neither team ahead by five or more points.
NESN – Isaiah Thomas Just Had One Of The Best Months In Boston Celtics History
These are the best days of Isaiah Thomas’ career. He’s delivering one of the most extraordinary seasons in Celtics franchise history, which is saying something. For example:
https://twitter.com/Max_Lederman/status/826420654555721728
If there’s any justice, Isaiah will soon be named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January. How can he be denied? He led the Celts to a 10-4 month and was the NBA’s top scorer while coming within a hair of shooting 50/40/90%.
The Little Guy is the face of the franchise; just earned his second All-Star berth; and is doing it all while being probably no taller than the average Celtics fan. He’s famously become The King in the Fourth, with four 20-point fourth quarters this season, while (per ESPN) the rest of the NBA has seven total! If my math is right, Boston is 98-62 since he came here. IT is entertaining as hell and has made the Celtics relevant again.
And yet…
People tend to suck the joy out of everything, focusing on the negative, tearing down the heroes we’ve just built up. So for every fan or commentator who’s astounded by Isaiah’s accomplishments, perhaps even mentioning him in the MVP conversation, there’s another on Twitter or the radio who’s saying he’s overrated, not a foundational player, you’ll never win with a small guy, etc. IT is being scrutinized for his defense more than other dynamic scorers. The only reason for it is that he’s 5’9”.
This was crystallized in this insightful CBS Sports article, which looks at Thomas’ plus/minus ratings to make the case that his scoring feats don’t offset his defensive liabilities.
I realize this is a lot of statistical analysis that might fly over the head of a lot of people, and to some degree, one could make the argument that if you dig deep enough you could find a problem with anything. At least in this this case, I would disagree. As great as Thomas has been — and he has been great — he does present a problem for the Celtics in that he is very clearly their best offensive player, particularly in money time, and yet, as currently constructed, they are not equipped to compensate for his defensive shortcomings, especially not against the elite teams.
CBS Sports – Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas is a fourth-quarter killer, but which team is he killing?
To be fair, the piece is meticulously researched and presents abundant details about both the positives and the negatives that IT brings to the Celtics. It’s not anti-Isaiah – in fact, he’s praised up and down:
So what is the answer, then? Does this mean that Thomas is just too bad to really rely on and the Celtics should bench him or trade him?
Again, absolutely not. Don’t be daft. He’s Isaiah freaking Thomas, and he’s been incredible. This isn’t about “Isaiah Thomas is bad.” That’s a dumb idea. You can win with Isaiah Thomas, and it’s important to note in the big picture that they have. The Celtics are 30-18. You can build something really good with Thomas in the middle of it, but you have to have the right parts around him.
I’m not challenging the conclusions at all. The article is a fair assessment. What I will say is that, in my opinion, plus/minus is not the most illuminating stat. For instance, look at the box score of this recent Wizards-Celtics game, the one where IT obliterated John Wall all night and finished off the win by scoring 20 in the fourth quarter. Plus/minus results: Wall -2, IT +3. Going by that, how would you know Thomas outscored Wall, 38 points to 9?
Others agree:
This is such an old-guy take, but at some point the Wins-Losses have to matter more than the +/- or NetRtg.
— Handsome B. Wonderful (@JamPackard) January 31, 2017
https://twitter.com/RedsArmy_Chuck/status/826475639209414656
Again, to be fair, the article is not entirely critical of IT – but it’s a sure thing that many readers looked at the headline (“Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas is a fourth-quarter killer, but which team is he killing?”) and the subhead (“It’s asking a lot for Thomas to also be the cure for the very problem he helps create”), skimmed the charts, and never got to the part about “…he’s Isaiah freaking Thomas, and he’s been incredible.”
What have those readers concluded? Probably that IT isn’t awesome after all.
One more point: Everybody has spent the season obsessing about the drop-off of the Celtics’ defense, and with good reason. But, relatively speaking, Boston’s overall production has been in line with last year’s – while improving in the most-important win column. From NBA Stats, here’s a comparison through 48 games:
| Celtics | Off. rating | Def. rating | Net rating | Won-Loss | EC rank |
| 2015-16 | 103.9 | 100.9 | 3.0 | 27-21 | Tie 4th |
| 2016-17 | 109.3 | 106.2 | 3.1 | 30-18 | 2nd |
If I was a statistics analyst, I might say Thomas and the Celtics aren’t getting the job done, but as a fan, I’m excited about more wins. Whatever shortcomings IT has (pun intended), they are far outweighed by his positives. Watching him perform is thrilling, and I’m going to sit back and enjoy it. I encourage you to do the same.
Related: CBS Boston – Isaiah Thomas Closes January With 4th-Highest Scoring Month In Celtics History
On Page 2: Big night shaping up
Last season the Celtics finished with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference but there was just one problem: they were joined by three other teams with an identical record.
Once the tie-breaking dust settled, Boston wound up as a fifth-seed taking on the fourth-seeded Atlanta Hawks who put away the Celtics in six games.
Players vividly remember how disappointing it was to have such a breakout season and, because of a few bad losses late in the season, found themselves beginning their postseason journey on the road.
CSNNE – Celtics Game vs. Raptors Has Potential Impact On Short And Long-Term
While IT and the Celtics have been hot lately, the Toronto Raptors have not, allowing the Cs to catch up in the standings over the past two weeks. The Raps won in overtime last night, so they arrive for tonight’s showdown in the Garden with a 30-19 record, one-half game behind the Celtics (30-18).
This is a must-win, for several reasons:
- The Celts are 0-2 vs. Toronto this season, so they need to demonstrate that they can beat The North.
- A win would leave Boston in second place of the Eastern Conference, and would keep alive the chance to tie the season series (they meet once more, on February 24), which could be important for playoff seeding.
- If the Cs can stay ahead of the Raptors through February 5, Brad Stevens will coach the Eastern All-Stars.
Boston theoretically should have an advantage in tonight’s matchup. Avery Bradley might be able to return from his Achilles tendon injury, while Toronto is not expected to have DeMar DeRozan, due to an ankle injury.
One more storyline is that the Celts and Lakers are dueling for the most wins all-time by an NBA franchise. L.A. won last night, so they are currently ahead, 3,252 to 3,251. Both teams play once more this week before meeting in Boston on Friday night. That game might be the Celtics’ opportunity to take over the lead and never look back.
On Page 3: Plays of the Week
The C's close out January on a 4-game winning streak. Check out the best plays from the week in this edition of Top 5 presented by @JetBlue https://t.co/ePy2kEiqQa
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 31, 2017
And, finally: Moment of the Week
The Celtics annually honor Boston-area military members, and this year’s celebration on Monday produced this touching moment at the Garden. Keep your eye on the soldier’s mom in the blue blouse.
On Seats for Soldiers night at the Garden, an armed forces member surprises his unsuspecting family on the court with his return home. https://t.co/6H0CGzFsOW
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 31, 2017
The Rest of the Links:
CSNNE – Jerebko Trying To Make It Tough To Take Him Out Of Starting Lineup
Herald – Celtics notebook: Group effort on defense to stop big scorers
ESPN Boston – Celtics’ Jae Crowder flirting with 50-40-90 club, more interested in wins
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
