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.
“I don’t know that I played at all,” he said. “It starts on the defensive end, and I wasn’t as aggressive defensively as I should be, but that will change. The first couple of minutes, adrenaline kicked in and I tired quickly, but that’s not an excuse. I have to do a way better job.” . . .
There’s no other way to say it…
Yes, Jeff Green sucked last night. He looked lost and tentative. He looked like the shell-shocked guy who walked into a devastated post-Perk trade locker room.
And suddenly, a lot of people have questions.
I’m not going to go into the horrible overreactions in comments of last night’s recap. But questions are legitimate. After a very encouraging preseason, we all had some pretty high expectations. We forget that the Miami Heat are a tiny bit better than Fenerbahce or Armani Milan. We forget that a duel with Chris Copeland is a bit different from challenging Chris Bosh at the rim or facing off against LeBron James.
I don’t know if you guys noticed, but the speed of last night’s game was a lot different from what you saw in the preseason. Everything was so much faster. The actual NBA season is a lot different from the preseason. Green, and all the new guys, still have to make adjustments. Green’s adjustment is just a lot bigger than most people’s.
The good thing is Green understands it. He saw the same thing you did. He understands that he was a no-show. It was frustrating to watch, but it was probably frustrating for him too.
What we can hope for with Green is that he continues his road back with a steady improvement. Next up is a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s a little better match-up for Green. He has a chance to come out and play well, or at least better. Then we can all move on and understand that this is still part of the process for Green, and that many of us, myself included, expected too much, too soon, out of him.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE: Allen still up to old tricks | Bass does his part | Loss proves they’re still a work in progress | Terry has forgettable debut | Celtics allow Heat to be aggressor | ESPN Boston: KG on Ray snub: “I’m an intense person” | Barbosa one of the only sparks | Rondo flagrant upsets Wade | Rapid reaction | Ray Allen, Heat, set Celtics ablaze | KG gives Ray the cold shoulder | Herald: Heat wave drains C’s | Heat’s on, but Ray’s cool | Celtics opt not to ring in the new year | Storm hits home for Celts | Nothing flagrant about Rondo’s desire | Globe: C’s not at their best, but time is on their side | KG on why he didn’t shake Ray’s hand | KG gives Ray cold shoulder
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