Read what the Celtics said about James Young tonight. They are genuinely happy for him, and they weren’t surprised one bit by his play. pic.twitter.com/Mtjqp0eDBm
— Marc D’Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 13, 2016
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.
James Young shocked the hell out of all of us, but the guys in the locker room were more happy than surprised at yesterday’s outburst, which included a 10 point third quarter that really bailed the Celtics out of a bad performance. Kelly Olynyk is right… and I said it last night…
This is the first time I’ve ever said this… Celtics couldn’t have won without James Young tonight pic.twitter.com/5YaIHOq44h
— John Karalis (@RedsArmy_John) November 13, 2016
Here are his 12 points from last night… the mix of aggressive drives and 3 point shooting is the kind of offense we’ve been dying for from Young for a while.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmWJaeO3-xo]Maybe Avery Bradley is the best example of how we should approach James Young. It feels like Bradley has been in the league forever but he’s still 25 and he’s still making leaps forward as a player. Young, while not as good as Avery, is four years younger and still developing. Maybe the shock of fighting for a last spot AND not having his option picked up is the kicked in the ass he needed to get his game in gear.
And yes, sometimes guys need that. I won’t sit here and pretend Young will give this kind of boost every time he gets in, but even the way he played was different. His actions had more purpose.
Maybe it’s because he knows these opportunities, whenever they present themselves, are his chance to stay in the NBA. These opportunities are what will tell the Celtics, or other teams, that he deserves a spot somewhere.
If it helps the Celtics this year, I’ll take it… and who knows? Maybe a series of trades and/or signings will mean Young sticks around a bit. What a 180 that would be.
Related links: CSNNE: James Young: Feels good to contribute to the team | Scal: Young did the little things to gain confidence | Mannix: Opportunity now in Young’s hands | Young continue to improve, takes big steps in win | ESPN Boston: James isn’t as Young as he used to be
Page 2: Isaiah Thomas’ finger is jacked up
IT hurt finger last game and got worse in 3rd qtr. Asked about next game: “I’m gonna play, just gotta figure out how to shoot!” #CelticsTalk pic.twitter.com/Skc0ow5Pzj
— Abby Chin (@tvabby) November 13, 2016
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Thomas told reporters in Indiana he plans to play through the issue, but added, “I just have to figure out how to shoot.” The lefty opened Saturday night’s win with seven misses in his first eight field goal attempts, but still closed the door on the Pacers with 12 fourth-quarter points, giving him 23 for the game.
Ewww.
So apparently that injury happened against the Knicks but was aggravated last night. It looks pretty bad, and maybe it contributed to his rough shooting night… but he did manage to close the game out nicely and carry the C’s in the 4th quarter.
Still, something to watch moving forward. The middle finger on the shooting hand is a tough injury.
And Finally…
Brad Stevens is just like the rest of us watching Kelly Olynyk play…
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has been imploring Olynyk to shoot when he’s open because of his perimeter ability. And he experienced some of those “Shoot, Kelly!” moments during his debut against Washington. But Olynyk said he’d rather make the right basketball play instead of chucking 3-pointers just because he’s open. It’s a delicate balance.
“It’s easy for someone to say that who’s sitting in the 18th row or sitting on the bench,” Olynyk said of shooting whenever he’s open. “You’re in the flow of the game. You see things differently. You’re reading the game differently. You want to make different plays, get people involved. It’s a different game but I am definitely looking for my shot aggressively.”
That’s the key right there. The last part of that last sentence.
Aggressive Kelly Olynyk can be pretty good. The Olynyk we saw last night is going to be a big help this season… and I think he can be even better. I can’t wait for everyone to get back so we can see how it all works together, but I think we can see now how important Olynyk will be to this team’s success.
The rest of the links:
Globe: Celtics knock off Pacers | After Celtics traded him, Ainge was out for payback
Heald: Celtics make late plays to bounce Pacers | Dinosaur mocks forward evolution
CSNNE: Stevens: Bench came in and did a pretty good job | Ask Mannix: Thoughts on Willie Cauley-Stein rumor
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