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.
Be Like Kelly. #KellyFor3 #TheBounceisReal pic.twitter.com/GuP0644kSr
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 27, 2016
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After Boston Celtics third-year big man Kelly Olynyk splashed his second 3-pointer on Monday night against the Washington Wizards, Boston’s Twitter account sent out a note promoting Olynyk for inclusion in this year’s 3-point contest with the hashtag, “#KellyFor3.”
Having shuffled all the way up to No. 6 in the NBA, connecting on 43.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, Olynyk is on board with the idea, particularly given how the game will be played in his native Toronto.
“That’d be fun,” Olynyk said, “especially in Canada.”
ESPN Boston – Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk shooting for 3-point contest inclusion
Olynyk scored 13 points off the bench for Boston and went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. He’s one of the hottest three-point shooters in the NBA right now, and is now shooting 51.1-percent from three-point range in January. For the season, he ranks 6th in the NBA at 43.4-percent.
Olynyk shot 35.6-percent from three-point range in November and 46.3-percent in December. As we get further and further along into the season, he’s becoming a much bigger threat.
CSNNE – Olynyk feeling confident as three-pointers fall
As detailed in yesterday’s Morning Dump, Kelly Olynyk has become a genuine weapon from long range this season. Now, as seen in the tweet above, the Celtics are trying to get KO invited to the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend in his hometown of Toronto.
It’s not clear if retweeting the Celtics’ tweet will lead to anything, because there’s no voting like there was for the All-Star starters. Perhaps it’s more of a feel-good awareness campaign. The stats say Kelly deserves an invitation. We’ll just have to wait and see if he’s included when the participants are announced in the near future.
By the way, nice stick figure. Lifelike.
On Page 2: Tough break
You may have heard yesterday about the tough break suffered by an NBA player. No, not that one – this one:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0h1e4liCMs]Although accidental, that was a hard hit for Bradley Beal to absorb in a vulnerable spot. It didn’t look truly bad in real time or even in the initial replay. We hope Beal gets well soon (and we’re relieved that this time it wasn’t Smart getting injured).
Boston.com – Wizards’ Bradley Beal enters concussion protocol after getting nailed in the nose by Marcus Smart
Related: Herald – Marcus Smart sparks intelligent discussion
And, finally: A legend demonstrates how to break a hand
The Blake Griffin fiasco reminded us of the time that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand while punching Milwaukee rookie Kent Benson (who was only a couple of minutes into his first NBA game, no less). Watch for a sneaky elbow from Benson, and then Kareem’s windup.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnPc6eA4wdc]The NBA of the ’70s was not for the meek, and fights were tolerated; imagine the national meltdown if that incident happened today. Kareem missed 20 games with the injury (despite the title of the video, he wasn’t suspended) and was fined a paltry $5,000. Benson gave more background from his viewpoint a few years ago in this interview.
The Rest of the Links:
Sporting News– All-Stars who won’t be All-Stars: Our starting five that should be Toronto-bound (includes Crowder)
CSNNE – Celtics-Nuggets Preview: Celtics in elite company
Globe – Avery Bradley a true student of life
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