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.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has consistently insisted that no single game is more important than any other. And it is true that the standings will not discriminate at season’s end. But it is also true that a defining road win against the defending NBA champions would be good for confidence, and to show this young Boston team that it belongs amid the league’s elite.
As the season nears the halfway point, the Celtics are 0-8 against teams that currently have a winning percentage of .600 or better.
“We’re going to be ready for them,” said forward Gerald Green. “I think that’s one of those games where you don’t have to get guys up for that game. I think it’s one of those games where people are going to be ready.”
Globe – Healthy Celtics are eager for rematch with Cavaliers
Getting ready to enter a cushy stretch of home games against predominantly sub-.500 teams, the Celtics must first head to Cleveland tonight to take a shot at the class of the Eastern Conference. As far as regular season games go, they don’t get much more intriguing than tonight’s nationally televised tilt. The Celtics are finally starting to play the brand of basketball many expected them to play, and they’ll be fully loaded with a healthy roster tonight.
What to watch for? How much can Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart disrupt Kyrie Irving offensively? Can the Cs get bench scoring again after two straight Ws this week in which Smart, Green and/or Kelly Olynyk all poured in points for the second unit? Can the Cs rebound enough not to let Tristan Thompson take over this game? If the Celtics are in a close one late, can they manage Lebron/Kyrie/Kevin Love and get big shots from Isaiah Thomas?
There’s a buzz around this one. Should be fun tonight.
On page 2, Stevens opines on the Cavs success
Following Kevin Durant’s defection from Oklahoma City to Golden State, the national media’s eye became fixated on the Warriors’ super team, not the defending champs from Cleveland.
Brad Stevens sees that as advantageous for the Cavaliers, who host the Celtics tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.
“How many times does the team that wins the championship enter a new season and everybody else is talking about another team?” Stevens asked prior to yesterday’s practice. “They’ve got the great combination of having achieved something great, and they can still play as a hunter in a lot of ways because of the way people talk about Golden State.”
[…]“I think that, especially with (Kevin) Love, you can see that there’s probably a little bit of a burden lifted off that group. They’re all coming together,” Stevens said. “(In the NBA Finals they) were down 3-1 and figured out a way to win and everybody made big plays late in that game. I just think that probably built the camaraderie and almost a sense of fun playing.”
Herald – Defending champion Cavaliers have the Celtics’ full attention heading into tonight’s game
It’s crazy, but in any other year and in any other game this year, I would have been vehemently cheering against the Cavs… but on Christmas Day against the Warriors, I just couldn’t. I took extreme satisfaction in watching Kyrie Irving drop the deciding jumper in over Klay Thompson for an outcome that mirrored last season’s NBA finals comeback.
Many of you may disagree with me based on an outright disdain for Lebron, but I’d rather see Cleveland defeat the Warriors in a final chapter of the trilogy this June than vice versa. Yes, the Cavs are just as much a “super-team,” but the Durant decision is fresher in my mind and feels far more “can’t beat em, join em” than Lebron’s decision to leave a good thing in Miami for a new challenge back home.
Anyways, get at me in the comments if you must, but I think Stevens is correct in pointing out that while the Cavs continue to roll, no one is really taking notice, or gunning for them. It would go a long way if the Cs can make a statement tonight that this won’t be a cakewalk back to the finals in June.
Related links:
Mass Live – Brad Stevens thinks burden has been lifted off Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
And finally, Brad Stevens on New Years Eve
What are Brad Stevens’ favorite #Celtics moments of 2016? https://t.co/c19u0brzrw
— CSN New England (@CSNNE) December 29, 2016
Scal: Are you a New Year’s resolution guy?
Brad: [deadpans] No.
The part about Stevens having his kids watch the London ball drop 5 hours before midnight and then shuffling them off to bed is incredible. Opinions differ on Scal as an analyst, but his give-and-take with Stevens before games and in this video is quality stuff.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE – As Bradley’s offensive game expands, his ability to cut stands out | Ante Zizic, Guerschon Yabusele expected to play for Celtics next season
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