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 Celts bench was, to quote Donald Trump, “yooge.” The substitutes outscored their Milwaukee brethren, 48-25, paving the path to a 99-83 final in favor of the C’s that for this evening made the Bucks — yes, Mr. Trump — losers.
“We’ve got a lot of starters on the bench,” said Turner, who started the second half when Avery Bradley (bruised left calf) couldn’t make it out after the break and with Marcus Smart (sprained toe) not on the trip. “I don’t think many teams have starters with the experience we have on the bench. As long as we come in with a good energy, a good mindset and ready to run, I think we’ll be tough all year.”
You can change the names, but the results will still be the same. Whomever comes off the bench for the Celtics, outplays the guy(s) he’s replacing. It’s been that clear cut.
Maybe the guys come off the bench with a chip on their shoulder. They have a little more fuel and bit more focus?
Since I don’t have all day to examine stats, let’s look at the scoring difference for guys who have played both roles. Thomas is a +1.3 ppg, Lee is +3 ppg, and Amir Johnson is a whopping +9 ppg in bench roles. Jared Sullinger is one of the few who has fared better as a starter (+4 ppg).
The depth of the bench is also a factor. We’re getting contributions from Jerebko and Hunter, too.
The Celtics lead the league in bench scoring (51 ppg), rebounds (23.5) and steals (4.7). They’re 2nd in blocks (2.8), 3rd in assists (11.2) and 4th in opponents bench points (29.3).
One might argue strong bench statistics merely reveal the weakness of a strong starting unit. Teams like Golden State, Cleveland, the Clippers and Houston are all in the bottom half of bench scoring.
But this team was built on depth and we are starting to see the results of Danny Ainge’s plan. Keep in mind it’s a plan that could change in a heartbeat (Brooklyn is still 0-7).
On Page 2, Evan Turner wants to be the NBA logo.
Evan Turner joked to @tvabby that he’d make himself the logo if he was NBA prez. Redditor u/80sheets made it real: pic.twitter.com/jBQf5UaYsD
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) November 11, 2015
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Tremendous!
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – All aboard the RJ Hunter hype train | Thomas leads Celtics to win | Herald – Zeller knows why time is short | CSNNE – Reserves continue to step up | Globe – Celtics put it together in victory over Milwaukee | Basketball Insiders – Amir Johhson is one of the NBA’s most creative minds
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