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.
But the idea that ShavlikRandolph would have such an impact seemed far-fetched last month when the 6-foot-10-inch forward joined the team after playing in China. After all, Randolph only became a Celtic to help fill in for other players who were injured.And yet his production in limited playing time — Randolph has grabbed 36 rebounds in 81 minutes — has made the Celtics, who play the the Knicks Sunday at Madison Square Garden, look as if they snagged quite a find.
In fact, Randolph is averaging 21.3 rebounds per 48 minutes, which is the best average among active players this season going into Saturday. New Jersey’sReggie Evans ranks behind Randolph, averaging 21.0. Among other Celtics,Kevin Garnett has the best rebounds-per-48-minute average (12.5).
Granted, it’s a small sample size, and that figure doesn’t mean Randolph would grab 21 rebounds in 48 minutes, but that figure does show how Randolph is rebounding at a rapid pace.
Boston Globe – Shavlik Randolph making his presence felt
Before the On Demand digital content on our TV’s became the norm, you know, scrolling through a list of movies or shows and picking one you wanted to, whenever you wanted to, there were these things called DVD’s. It’s crazy that they seem so outdated now, but when older movies would be migrated to that medium, a lot of them would come with “bonus features” and even better, some would be programmed with these hidden “Easter Eggs.” They were little nuggets that you had to dig deep to find.
For the C’s, Shavlik Randolph would be a fantastic Easter Egg to have. Now, let’s not get too crazy since were clearly dealing with a small sample size. Even during the CSNNE broadcast, Mike Gorman asked at one point if the Celtics had found the center they needed. Now, he meant mainly in terms of rebounding, playing big, hustling and filling in some banging minutes for Kevin Garnett.
While he’s not going to threaten a spot on the all-star team, his qualities as a player can translate into any game. Hard work, hustle, fighting for rebounds, making the most of scoring opportunities and learning the defensive schemes will keep him on the court. Avery Bradley said he’s surprised at how fast he’s picked up the system as Shav seems to be quickly doing the things that Doc Rivers has been pleading Chris Wilcox to do. If Shav can stay healthy and do what Wilcox couldn’t (play consistent), then Danny Ainge may have found his green Easter Egg.
The rest of the links:
Globe – Kenyon Martin finds comfort with Knicks, and produces for them (Sunday Notes) | ESPN Boston – C’s eager to bust Bradley’s offensive slump | Boston Herald – C’s have a score to settle with NY | Jason Terry owes Gary Payton | CSNNE – Rivers to Williams: ‘Be a locomotive’ | Pierce an Green have become a ‘lethal 1-2 punch’ | MWDN – Celtics’ Green proving doubters wrong
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