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.
Talk of internal rifts with this club might be considered blaspheme, given how the players refer to each other as brothers more often than they refer to one another as teammates. But even the most tightly-knit groups deal with internal struggle from time to time. The key to avoiding that unwanted chatter is communication, according to Ray Allen.
"You come to the locker room, you look your teammates in the eye, and you [converse]," Allen said prior to the Celtics' practice at the Sports Authority Training Center at Healthpoint on Saturday. "Communication is big, because, on the flip side of it, on bad teams, you come to the locker room and you're mad at everybody. You look at the guy next to you and you say, 'He's doing this, he's doing that, and it's pissing me off,' and you get mad at the coaching staff and that's when the dissension starts.
"On our team, you come in, and you just have the conversations, and you might not even talk about the game last night. You just remember to stay brothers and communicate, whatever it may be, just so you know, 'Hey, we're in this thing together, regardless of what happens.'"
ESPN Boston: Don't expect losses to get to Celtics
We've been frustrated around here over the past few days. I think once we step back, look at this team, and think about what it CAN do… then we'll be ok.
Everything looks big when we put it under the microscope. When you step back and look at the larger picture, you'll see it's not so bad..
Think about what we're pissed about… a team fighting for the #1 seed. A team with new players, players still hurt, and players that are aging.
I'm saying this to myself as much as I'm saying it to anyone else. The Celtics will get players back. The Celtics will wake up. The Celtics will return to a team that is capable of winning it all right now. They seem to be shrugging off some of this frustration… maybe we should try taking some of what's going on in stride too.
Related Links: Herald: Celtics sharing blame | CSNNE: Celtics look to Big 4 to pull them through struggles | Globe: Is the fault in their stars?
On Page 2: The schedule will make what I just said very hard to do
Tonight, at Minnesota, 7 p.m. — The last grueling road trip of the season, complete with a pair of back-to-back turnarounds, begins here. At least the C’s start it against the weakest of the four opponents they will visit on this trip. And Kevin Love, the banger supreme, may be done for the season with a groin injury.
Tomorrow, at Indiana, 7 p.m. — The Celtics are 3-8 on the second night of back-to-back games when that game is played on the road. Indiana is fighting for the conference’s last playoff seed. This game has peril written all over it.
Thursday, at San Antonio, 8 p.m. — No Tim Duncan, which should bring relief. But the Celtics have faltered in games like this already — think Oklahoma City without Kevin Durant, and Houston without Yao Ming or Kevin Martin. The Celtics are also 0-2 on trips to Texas this season, and 1-4 overall against the trio of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The C’s already beat the Spurs in the Garden this season. But avoiding a shutout on Texan soil will be rough.
Friday, at Atlanta, 8 p.m. — The Hawks’ athletic big men are always a problem. And then there’s the road back-to-back issue.
Optimistically I'm thinking this is a 2-2 road trip. Realistically… considering their recent play… 1-3 wouldn't shock me.
I really don't know what other analysis to offer there. Lord knows with the way they're playing, there's nothing I can say that would even come close to what actually happens.
The rest of the links:
Herald: Injured Green get closer | Raising Green | CSNNE: West, Murphy, O'Neals still dealing with injuries | ESPN Boston: Injury Watch: Non-O'Neals edition
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