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.
Grantland’s Zach Lowe seems to think Boston will “trade itself down the standings”:
Reality has set in for Boston fans after Gerald Wallace’s rant about effort over the weekend and a listless preseason overall. This is what an NBA offense looks like when every player on a team (save Rondo) tops out as “third option on a contender.”
Is it really that bad already? Or was Wallace simply trying to light a fire under guys’ butts? Granted, the Celtics have had a lackluster preseason, but we all know they’re dealing with a new coach, a lot of new faces and injury issues. Lowe seems to think that the C’s will “scrap” their way through the first 20 games (which are part of a grueling November full of back-to-backs) of the season, but ultimately believes guys like Bass, Green and even Rondo could be on the trading block. Now we all know with Trader Dan at the helm, anyone & everyone are virtually “on the trading block”, but will he really pull the plug and try & get a high(er) first-round pick?
The Celtics wouldn’t mind their young guys getting to experience meaningful late-season games, but the guess here is that the front office would rather have at least one very nice first-round pick in a loaded draft. In other words, look for everyone to be on the table. Bass might be the most tradable guy, since he’s a solid player with just one year left on his contract after this season. But bigger names will come up. Jeff Green has fans around the league, and Rondo’s contract expires after next season. He has to prove his health again, but I’ve never gotten the impression Boston would be stoked to pay Rondo a max (or near-max) deal after 2015.
I personally believe the Celtics would like to build around Rondo, and before any decision is made, they want to see how he rebounds from this, the first major injury of his career. In a perfect world, or in my perfect world anyway, we keep Rajon, muddle through this season as best we can, and get some nice pieces via draft/trade or both to install around him.
In other news..Tyler Hansbrough’s encounter with Metta World Crazy has gone viral:
http://youtu.be/wdwweXTQVoo
And Chris Babb is working into the wee hours of the morning, trying to make the roster.
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