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.
James is a leading candidate for NBA MVP. He is averaging 28.2 points per game, shooting an absurd 58.7 percent from the field and a career-high 43 percent from the 3-point line, which has been his career shortcoming. Stopping LeBron is out of the question, but slowing down his cohorts has to be the first priority.
Kevin Love is averaging a double-double playing center while Dwyane Wade, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Green provide impressive bench support. Cleveland is still without Thomas and Tristan Thompson, while Jae Crowder, J.R. Smith, and Iman Shumpert are all shooting below 40 percent. That’s likely going to change.
So the Celtics have to continue to win to collect equity, meaning the race for the No. 1 seed has already begun. Boston has played well throughout Cleveland’s winning streak, which may be overrated when you consider the competition. Of the 12 teams the Cavaliers have beaten during their streak (two wins over Charlotte), only two of those teams (Detroit and Philadelphia) currently have winning records. It’s not exactly Joe Louis’s “Bum of the Month” club, but the Cavaliers have gotten themselves right against bad teams.
Globe – Celtics, Cavaliers already in a two-horse race
Six times in the past 10 years, the Celtics have faced LeBron James in the postseason. There were some epic wins and some crushing losses.
- 2008 4-3 win over Cleveland
- 2010 4-2 win over Cleveland
- 2011 1-4 loss to Miami
- 2012 3-4 loss to Miami
- 2015 0-4 loss to Cleveland
- 2017 1-4 loss to Cleveland
Back at the beginning of that run, LeBron was the young superstar who couldn’t quite carry his team past the powerhouse Celtics. Since then, the Cs have been too old or too young to get it done.
Although this season hasn’t yet reached its midpoint, there are several reasons to expect the confrontation to happen for the seventh time in 11 years.
- The records are there: the Celts and Cavs are the top two teams in the East, and pulling away.
- They’ve both rung up double-digit win streaks, when no other Eastern team has won more than five in a row.
- There are so many former Celtics in Cleveland now – Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Jeff Green, Ante Zizic, and head coach Ty Lue (a former assistant in Boston) – that a playoff meeting is almost fated to occur.
For the Celtics to make the Finals, they will almost certainly have to prove they can beat LeBron and Cleveland in a seven-game series. If all things remain equal, they should get that opportunity.
On Page 2: The question of Kyrie and Isaiah
“The best way I’ve come up with to describe that is, you know how when you go to a game and they have that rapid-fire shell game on the Jumbotron? You’ve got to follow the ball? That’s what it’s like with Kyrie. His handle and skill level is just ridiculous even by NBA standards. I’ll take trying to describe it rather than trying to stop it.’’
Grande said Irving’s appeal, even after just 26 games as a Celtic, is as great as that of any player he has seen during his years as the team’s broadcaster. As evidence, he cited a scene from outside the Celtics hotel after a win at Indiana Nov. 25. As the team bus returned to their accommodations for the night, Grande tweeted a picture of a significant crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of the Celtics — and one player in particular.
“I’ve been here for KG [Kevin Garnett], [Paul] Pierce, Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal], whatever, I’ve never seen a crowd like the one outside the hotel to see Kyrie,’’ he said. “Since we’re all older than we think that we are and pretend that we are, I don’t think we fully grasp Kyrie’s appeal to a younger generation.’’
Boston.com – For Celtics voice Sean Grande, Kyrie Irving has been almost indescribable
There’s a narrative that has developed among NBA fans, media and Twitter trolls, supposedly that Boston fans have turned their backs on Isaiah Thomas because we have a shiny new hero in Kyrie Irving. As if we can only love one of them and not both. But it’s just not true.
Have we embraced Kyrie? Absolutely. Have we put it behind us that he was a nemesis with the Cavs? Definitely. After all, when you see his talent on a nightly basis, you can’t help but appreciate it.
But that doesn’t mean Isaiah is forgotten. The love for him has subsided a bit, but that’s only because he hasn’t been playing. There’s no doubt there will be a lovefest and a video tribute the first time The Little Guy steps on the parquet, whether that be on January 3 or February 11. What he did for the Celtics and for the city of Boston will live in the legends.
There’s only one difference for us between Isaiah and Kyrie. IT overachieved so much last year that every game it was only natural to wonder, “Can he possibly do it again?” And he did, unfailingly. We spent the season amazed and stunned at what we were watching as it unfolded.
On the other hand, Kyrie was an established all-star, a man who had won a championship with a three-point shot for the ages in the final moments of a Game 7. Unlike Isaiah, who had to prove last season that he was a legitimate star, Kyrie arrived in Boston with a reputation as a bad man who could not be stopped. We expected him to instantly become the Celtics’ clutch closer – and that’s exactly what he’s done during this 22-4 run.
I’m hoping IT is back sooner than later, and that he is ready to go for that January 3 game. I hope he drops 30 points and taps his finger on his wrist. And then I hope Kyrie hits a three at the buzzer to win it.
And, finally: Missing Kawhi
Leonard will work out with the team both Thursday and Friday, with the final decision hinging on its evaluation of him and how he feels Friday after San Antonio’s morning work at the club’s facilities. “I’m feeling pretty healthy right now,” Leonard said Monday. “I think they told you guys that I’ve been playing 5-on-5. So that’s where I’m at right now. It’s been good. Just still, just gotta go through a few more processes of doing that. I should be back soon.”
The San Antonio Express-News reported Leonard might return Saturday.
ESPN – Sources: Spurs eye Saturday return for Leonard
The Celtics open a three-game road trip tonight in San Antonio, so they will apparently just miss being the team that faces Kawhi in his return. Leonard has yet to play this season due to “quadriceps tendinopathy,” so obviously he also missed the first meeting between the Celts and Spurs. Of course, so did Gordon Hayward.
The Rest of the Links:
MassLive – Jahlil Okafor, No. 3 pick in 2015, will be dealt to Brooklyn Nets from Philadelphia 76ers (report) | Boston Celtics 2018 Draft Big Board 3.0: DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, more in the top five
Herald – Bulpett: Celtics frantic road trip a big December test
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