Your Morning Dump... Where the Celtics are just like us

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.

They were the Celtics when everything is going right. A little undersized and a little under talented, they make up with effort (which is admirable) and with defense (which until eight games ago was withering). They are fun to watch in part because their shortcomings are obvious, and the struggle to overcome them is one we all know in life.

There are only a few LeBrons in the world. The rest of us are Avery Bradley or Jared Sullinger. We’ve got some upside and we’ve got some downside and the fight to excel, and at times just to survive, is ongoing. If you wear Celtic green on game nights, you live with this. Like them, you live on the edge.

Boston Herald (photo from this tweet)

There have definitely been better Celtics teams than this one. But as far back as I can remember (1985 or so), I can’t recall a more relatable one. It’s a team full of life long fans of the game like ET here, who thoroughly enjoy playing basketball. It’s a team of mensches who own up to their mistakes for the most part and who win their games by outworking their opponents.

The funny part about all this is that people wondered whether what Brad Stevens accomplished at Butler would translate to the NBA. And here, with everything that’s different about the pro game, this team looks a lot like Stevens’ best Butler teams: A bunch of overlooked guys doing stuff nobody thought they could do.

It’ll be interesting to see what this team does when they get another star player.

Page 2: Jared Sullinger plays for the best team in the NBA. Just ask him.

Sometimes you just don’t want a change of scenery. When you play for the greatest franchise in the NBA and you see all those banners and all the fans, you don’t want to leave that place, because it’s a special place in your heart. It’s the first team I’ve played for in the NBA — hopefully it’ll be my last.

MassLive

I like you Sully. But if Ainge is still the GM when you’re in your late 30s, you’re probably not going to spend your whole career playing for the Celtics. But that’s not going to stop you from being a Celtic for the rest of your life.

Page 3: Dickerson and the other guy stir the pot.

It’s Boston @Isaiah_Thomas we tell it like it is. You are not a foundation player. A very good player but not great. From the other guy.

— Gary Tanguay (@Gary_Tanguay) February 27, 2016

In case you missed it, Greg Dickerson and Gary Tanguay decided to generate some controversy last night by spouting off on Isaiah Thomas. Insisting that your unpopular opinions are facts is the media equivalent of ramen noodles: cheap, easy, and unsatisfying.

These guys used to get paid to talk rationally about the Celtics. Now they get paid to be shouty and obnoxious about them. It’s a job that they’re far more qualified to perform.

Finally: Let’s take a peak at the 1954 edition of Tommy Heinsohn

In 1954, Holy Cross made another strong run to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and defeated Duquesne in the finals to take home the crown. Since the NIT actually meant something back then, Heinsohn and his teammates received a pretty awesome honor: getting introduced on the famous “Ed Sullivan Show.”

NESN