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.
The Clippers play in Boston tonight, and Celtics legend Paul Pierce will be wearing LA’s red, white and blue uniform.
Typing that sentence still doesn’t feel right, even though it’s been three seasons since The Truth moved on, first to Brooklyn, then Washington, and now LA.
Although he hasn’t announced anything, Paul has hinted this could be his last year playing in the NBA. If so, that means tonight will be his final game at TD Garden. (Unless the Clips and Cs both make the Finals, so – yeah, it’s his last game here.)
It would take too long to list all of Pierce’s records, achievements, game-winning shots and playoff heroics that occurred while he wore Celtics green. Suffice to say, the captain raised banner 17, was the face of the franchise for all the fans that came on board in the past 15 years or so, and is still helping the Cs today as a result of being traded to the Nets for all the draft picks that will become the team’s future.
Paul Pierce is one of the all-time greatest Celtics, not to mention one of the best in NBA history. We all look forward to the day he’ll come back to put his No. 34 in the Garden rafters. But for now, appreciate every minute he has on the parquet floor tonight.
Related: LA Times – Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce prepare for an emotional return to Boston
On Page 2: The art of the deal
With their wealth of assets, the Celtics are mentioned in every trade rumor that pops up around the league. Hayward, Howard, Carmelo, Cousins, Jabari Parker and probably more have all been rumored as Boston possibilities.
With the trade deadline just eight days away, the current hot name is Al Horford. And reaction from several sources yesterday made it sound like it’s not that far-fetched.
Insider ponders potential moves if Hawks elect to start over. https://t.co/xeaxwo1vIO pic.twitter.com/tfv3GXVW9u
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) February 9, 2016
. @ChrisMannixYS on #Celtics rumors: “Look, I think Horford is a legitimate possibility for the #Celtics.”
— CSNCeltics (@csnceltics) February 10, 2016
. @Scalabrine on #Celtics trade rumors: “If you can upgrade the roster without giving the future away, I would do it.”
— CSNCeltics (@csnceltics) February 10, 2016
Acquire Horford, keep Nets pick, draft Simmons, sign Durant, topple GSW in ’17 Finals, retroactively name Brad Stevens president. Right?
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) February 10, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
That escalated quickly.
Assuming the price was right (i.e., not including this year’s Nets pick), and assuming he would re-sign (his contract is expiring), Horford would be a very attractive addition. He’s a 6’10” nine-year veteran, averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 50% from the field, including the addition of three-point range this year. He’ll be 30 years old next season and would bring leadership without the baggage (immaturity, too old, can’t make free throws) carried by other potential trade targets.
Danny Ainge has a history of being ready to swoop in and capitalize on sudden developments, like the situations where he brought Zeller, Jerebko and Isaiah to Boston while giving up very little. This article reviews the IT deal that transformed the team – note the third paragraph:
It was one of the craziest few hours in recent NBA history. In the moments leading up to last year’s trading deadline, a flurry of frontline point guards rapidly switched teams in a dizzying array of deals.
Though other point guards were dealt in separate moves, the day was defined by what essentially was a five-team swap of interconnected moves: Goran Dragic went from Phoenix to Miami; Brandon Knight went from Milwaukee to Phoenix; Michael Carter-Williams went from Philadelphia to Milwaukee; and Isaiah Thomas went from Phoenix to Boston.
Nearly a year after this giant trade, the results have been mixed. Most of the teams involved aren’t better, some are waiting on draft picks coming later to define the success and only the Celtics really can claim victory.
ESPN – Flurry of point guard swaps at 2015 deadline has yielded mixed results
If anything should happen, keep this angle in mind: tonight’s game is the last one on the schedule through the trade deadline, February 18. So this could be the final appearance for someone in a Celtics uniform. Probably not Thomas, Crowder or Smart, but then again we didn’t see the Perkins for Green trade coming, did we? Buckle up.
Related: Bleacher Report – Which Boston Celtics Should Be Untouchable at NBA Trade Deadline? | CSNNE – Blakely: What will it take for Celtics to land Horford? | MassLive – Boston Celtics trade rumors 2016: Al Horford ‘a legitimate possibility,’ according to report
And, finally: ET the Glue Guy
Evan Turner, G, Boston Celtics: For most teams, there are segments of every game that are just about surviving – scrounging for points until the star is ready to come back in, and manufacturing stops when mismatches shove you onto your heels. It’s the NBA equivalent of plugging holes in a leaky dam.
Turner has done that as Boston’s de facto backup point guard, keeping the offense afloat while Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics’ only other reliable source of dribble penetration, takes his breathers. That is a demotion after Turner started most of last season, but if he’s disappointed to be a backup, he hasn’t shown it.
“We never heard one word,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said. “He just wants to help the team. That’s the most underrated thing about him: He loves basketball. He talks about it all the time. He watches high school games. Everyone likes basketball, but he lives and breathes it, and you never lose sleep over a guy like that.”
ESPN – The fifth annual Luke Walton All-Stars
What the heck is a Luke Walton All-Star? According to Zach Lowe, the concept’s creator, it’s a journeyman or role player who thrives in unexpected ways, “who tailors his game to fit the context of a particular team, and revels in the grunt work. He makes everyone’s life easier.”
In NBA parlance, that’s a “glue guy,” and that applies to Turner. No doubt, his game can be maddening, as he’s turnover prone and can’t make a three-pointer to save his life. On the other hand, he’s amazing on dribble drives and finishing at the rim, and he’s smart enough to have abandoned the three (only one attempt total from the arc in his last 10 games).
When ET plays well, so do the Celtics. When they won 9 of 10 (before last night), Turner averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 boards and 5.6 assists while shooting 54.6% from the field and 90.3% from the line.
You have to wonder how a No. 2 overall draft pick feels about being a glue guy and role player in his sixth year in the league. But ET’s versatility and goofy personality make him both valuable and a good teammate. As Stevens said, Turner “just wants to help the team.”
Related: MassLive – Jared Sullinger explains tight bond, reason why he will attend Evan Turner’s jersey ceremony at Ohio State
The Rest of the Links:
CSNNE – Bradley’s foul spoils Celtics big comeback vs. Bucks | Celtics not blaming loss on Bradley’s late foul | Stars, studs and duds: Turnovers a big problem | Celtics have no answers for Bucks’ Monroe | Crowder: ‘We’re never out of a game’
MassLive – Avery Bradley’s last-second foul hurts Boston Celtics in 112-111 loss to Milwaukee Bucks | Analyzing Avery Bradley’s costly foul, wild final moments of Boston Celtics’ 112-111 loss to Milwaukee Bucks
MetroWest Daily News – C’s bandwagon gaining momentum
ESPN Boston – Fatal instinct: Avery Bradley’s last-second foul costs Celtics
Herald – Celtics winning streak ends in Milwaukee | Celtics notebook: Thomas gets all due respect
Globe – Terry Rozier is keeping tabs on Louisville’s situation
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