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.
The Boston Celtics‘ most common lineup over the past two games? That’d be the small-ball combination of Marcus Smart, James Young, Jae Crowder, Marcus Thornton, and Jared Sullinger.
Yup, two rookies, an in-season acquisition, a bench scorer, and an undersized big man comprise the team’s most utilized five-man lineup over the past two games, but you can’t argue with the results. In 20 total minutes of floor time, that lineup has posted an offensive rating of 132.8 points per 100 possessions, outscored opponents by 16 total points, and given Boston’s previously stagnant offense a much-needed spark.
It’s all part of a movement in which Celtics coach Brad Stevens has embraced small ball and utilized Boston’s glut of guard/small forward talent to invigorate an offense that had previously gone stale.
The Celtics moved Smart into the starting lineup on Tuesday night in New York and shuffled Crowder to a reserve role. Thin on big men with Kelly Olynyk sidelined by an ankle injury, Stevens has leaned on smaller lineups that have often featured Crowder or Evan Turner at the power forward spot and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.
ESPN Boston – Celts dig the small ball
When it comes to taking in a show of ‘small sample-size theater,’ this is a pretty good one. But, it’s good enough to pay attention to during this modest win streak. Those are some monster numbers that Chris Forsberg has pointed out in his post, albeit against two of the weaker opponents in the league. The Knicks have been playing well recently, but they’re still one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Nuggets lost the night before in Philadelphia and head Coach Brian Shaw recently suggested his team was essentially tanking. Keep in mind that prior to that, the C’s returned from a surprising west coast trip and followed it up with three disappointing games.
But Brad Stevens has been attempting to toss things against the parquet to see what sticks, just to give his team any shot of winning. He’s doing his job and his job is to get his team on the floor, that night, to win. These wins are fun and exciting now, during the cold, frozen winter months. But they could be very costly in the long run. No, you never want to see your team go out there and actively throw games, but this team getting a better lottery position is much better than scrapping their way to the playoffs and getting smoked in round one.
There’s still plenty of season remaining and they’re already on pace to finish with a win total in the low 30s. In the NBA, that’s the worst place to be. It’s a good thing Danny Ainge amassed a bunch of assets, otherwise we’d be forced to watch Stevens try to concoct all sorts of small ball and other crazy things just for a chance to win.
On Page 2, Pressey gets sent to Maine and Olynyk is getting better
With Marcus Smart in the starting lineup, the role for Phil Pressey off the Boston Celtics bench has continued to shrink.
Opportunities for him to play meaningful minutes will only lessen which is among the reasons he has been assigned to the Celtics’ Development league, the Maine Red Claws, along with Andre Dawkins.
CSNNE – Celtics assign Pressey, Dawkins to Red Claws
It’s still too soon to know when Kelly Olynyk will be back in the Boston Celtics’ lineup, but his sprained right ankle injury is showing noticeable signs of improvement.
The 7-foot big man told CSNNE.com that he is doing some walking on the ankle and no longer wears a protective boot.
“It’s definitely progressing,” he said. “It’s getting better, slowly but surely.”
CSNNE – Olynyk’s sprained right ankle ‘getting better’
It’s a bit surprising that Pressey is heading to Maine with Andre Dawkins. But it’s the right call. Pressey is a nice end-of-the-roster player, but it’s more likely that James Young will be a bigger piece for this team. It’s time for him to get some meaningful run to see him develop. Pressey lit up Iowa for 34 points in a loss.
Kelly Olynyk seems to be progressing as expected. There’s no need to rush him back, risking further injury. He also doesn’t need to rush to play in the Rising Stars game, but it’s understandable why he’d want to play in it. Olynyk could still be a valuable Swiss (Canadian?) Army Knife-type player to come off the bench and fill in whatever the game dictates. Once he gets healthy, it will be good to see the younger guys getting the most minutes together.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – 2015 Lottery Mock Draft | Pressey, Dawkins to Maine
Boston Globe – For Celtics, schedule crunch has its challenges
CSNNE – Red Claws guard Frazier signs 10-day contracts with 76ers
MassLive –Boston Celtics assign Phil Pressey, Andre Dawkins to Maine Red Claws
WEEI – Marcus Smart earning trust as starting point guard
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
