Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“If we win, don’t jump on our bandwagon now,” Sullinger, who thumbed his nose at tank talkers following Monday’s practice, said before last night’s 108-100 win against Milwaukee. “We don’t want wishy-washy fans. As grown men, we play hard and do the best for this team. For everybody else outside the circle, we could care less.”
Sullinger also reiterated his belief that the Celtics could be a playoff team this season. As for those who laugh at the thought of the C’s in the postseason, the forward was dismissive.
“The same guys who are laughing at us are the ones who said we were going to win five games,” said Sullinger, who had 12 points last night. “Now all of a sudden we win some, we lose some, and guys are saying they’re surprised with how the Celtics are playing.”
Considering the Celtics went into last night a half-game behind the division-leading Toronto Raptors, Sullinger considers anything possible. He said he’s offended by anyone who suggests otherwise.
“I’m very insulted by people who think that,” he said. “We work too hard to just play for another year. It’s almost like a business. Why not come out with new schemes and try to make your product that much better by selling it to people and playing hard? But don’t talk about playing for the following year. I don’t believe in it, I’ll never believe in it. Just play hard every day. That’s what we’ve been doing.
“We’re not out of every game. In every game we’re putting up a fight. . . . It’s up to the guys sitting in the huddle, the guys who are playing hard.”
More tough talk from Jared Sullinger. Two days ago he told the tankeratti to kiss his butt.
Now he’s telling that same crowd to stay off the bandwagon.
Easy, big fella. It’s only December.
I was on board Tanking III in training camp. Tanking isn’t so much a directive as it is a result. Losing comes with rebuilding. With losing comes a high draft pick. A high draft pick improves your chances of success. It’s a fairly simple formula.
But I’m not rooting for this team to lose. That goes against my DNA. When I watch this team play, I get caught up in the moment.
The Celtics are in 1st place in the Atlantic Division. They have as many wins as the Knicks and Nets combined.
Excuse me while I enjoy this moment. We can deal with the draft in June.
Related links: Herald – Playoff hopes cause worry for Cs | CSNNE – Celtics not putting much stock in standings | ESPN Boston – Your 1st place Boston Celtics | Sullinger backs up talk
On Page 2, how much will Rondo help the Celtics offense?
When we last saw Rondo, his 13.7 points and league-leading 11.1 assists per game created an average of 38.0 points for the Celtics, and that doesn’t include the new free throw and secondary assist statistics available this season on NBA.com/stats or the C’s increased pace under Brad Stevens.
This season, Jordan Crawford has received 1,301 touches, which ranks 15th among the league’s guards, and the Celtics rank 26th in points per 100 possessions (96.0). It’s safe to assume there’s a correlation there.
Obviously, Rondo’s 38.0 points created per game would be a lot closer to Paul’s production, which nearly doubles Crawford’s. Even if Rondo isn’t at full strength, he could potentially create 10 more points per game given the same number of touches — an improvement that would propel the Celtics into the league’s top five offenses.
A top 5 offense to go with our top 10 defense?
Giddy up.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Lee’s spark, Wallace’s dunk, Hump’s impact | Bradley’s Bird-like shot | Herald – Celtics finally Buck trend | Jordan Crawford’s a big shot | CSNNE – Can the Celtics land a superstar? | Lee looks good in return | WEEI – Bradley can’t wait until Rondo returns | Globe – Progress of Celtics has been outstanding
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