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.
And even if you believe Rondo is bound to leave for a more competitive situation, it’s not as simple as posting a For Sale sign and sifting through the bountiful offers. While he is, indeed, one of the best handful of players in the NBA when at his best, he would not draw the same reaction in the marketplace as Love.
“You’re not going to get a bidding war over Rondo,” said one NBA general manager. “He’s a great player, and teams have interest in him, but they’re not going to rearrange their world to make a run at him like they would for some people.
“Now, if he comes back next season and takes another step forward after the surgery, that could change things. Teams might want him more, and, you know, Danny could decide to keep him and hope he can re-sign him next summer.”
…
Assuming again they are unable to bring in a major player to pair with Rondo, one source confirmed the Celtics would sooner let him walk away than accept a deal that bogs down their salary sheet just to “get something for him.” If they decide trading Rondo is the best course of action, they will dig in and either get what they need to enhance their rebuilding, or they will let him go and take the cap space benefit.
Don’t mistake this excerpt from Steve Bulpett’s column as an indicator of the most likely scenario in the Celtics future. I just found it to be the most interesting and least talked about.
Bulpett’s column could have been titled, “Everything is in play for Boston.”
The Celtics could…
- Still make a play for Kevin Love or Star Player X
- Trade Rondo
- Keep Rondo
- Realize that Rondo and Smart play well together
- Hire me as a consultant
We’re all inclined to rush to judgement, but maybe we should wait for free agency to begin (July 1) before wrapping a bow on this off-season.
On Page 2, Brad Stevens thinks Marcus Smart can improve his jump shot.
Smart, taken with the No. 6 pick by Boston in the NBA draft on Thursday night, shot 29.9 percent on 3s last year at Oklahoma State and that was an improvement – seriously! – over what he shot as a freshman.
After watching him this past season with the Cowboys, in addition to having him in Boston for a pair of workouts, Celtics coach Brad Stevens believes Smart’s numbers aren’t a reflection of the strides he has made as a shooter.
“He can still improve in that area,” Stevens said. “But unlike a lot of shooters who struggle in college, depth is not gonna be an issue with him. He’ll get good range on his shot. He’s got good arc on his shot. He’s got pretty good mechanics. He’s worked hard on it.”
Smart’s 3-point shooting increased from 29.0% to 29.9% from freshman to sophomore season.
Even at that pace, in just a few seasons he’ll be in the same category as Derrick Rose (31%), Tony Parker (31%) and Russell Westbrook (30%).
The rest of the links:
CBS Sports – Ranking the Top 40 Free Agents | WEEI – FA PGs available | Brad Stevens won’t sell this team short | ESPN Boston – Slow pace could aid rebuild | Globe – Rebuilding Cs to take some time | SI.com – Behind the Body: Marcus Smart
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