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.
#Celtics coach Brad Stevens tells Globe he’s considering lineup changes & center could be a target. “We’re 4-9. We’ve all gotta play well.”
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) November 29, 2014
Another possible clue coming out of yesterday’s practice, was Tyler Zeller was seen wearing a starter jersey, while Olynyk had switched to the reserve white uni. Maybe that means nothing, but it could be a clear indicator of the switch Stevens is hinting at. With a pretty blatant inability to guard the paint, it feels like time to see what Zeller can do in the starting role. Besides getting a minor upgrade defensively, we’d also get to see more of the Rondo-Zeller pick and roll, as a switch to starting center should open up more playing time for the duo. During the Bulls game, I believe Tommy mentioned how great their chemistry has been so far, and it really has been. Even though Zeller’s crazy high shooting percentage has returned to atmosphere, he still can roll to the basket well and catch tricky passes from Rondo on a consistent basis.
If the switch is made, I’m not sure where that’d leave the Sullinger and Olynyk frontcourt moving forward. Though they’ve shown promise on the offensive end, the reality is that we can’t afford to play them both simultaneously and expect to be decent defensively. Even though they’re three inches apart, they’re strengths and weaknesses are too similar, leaving the C’s with clear problems at times. Adding Zeller into the mix won’t fix everything, but it’d give us a much needed new look in the frontcourt.
Page 2: Charlotte has regressed this year, could it open up a trade with the C’s?
The Hornets got blasted last night by Atlanta (at one point it was 40-81), which puts them at 4-14 and 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. They were expected to be a lot better with Lance Stevenson added in the mix, but it’s been an awkward and ugly fit so far. That’s not to say he won’t help eventually, but the hole Charlotte’s is in starting to get deep fairly fast. They have solid depth at all positions but small forward, though their scoring has been pretty spotty (26th in the league in ppg). A wing scorer like Jeff Green could certainly help, and although Green’s preference is to stay in Boston, it may not make sense for us to keep a small forward in his prime if we’re not realistically contending this year. Charlotte has some intriguing pieces in Noah Vonleh and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but there isn’t really a ton outside of them two — and even that package isn’t thrilling given Green’s productivity this year. Still, it’s something to think about as under-performing teams begin to panic.
And finally, here’s Jared Sullinger rocking some shades
Jared Sullinger rocking some sweet goggles in practice. pic.twitter.com/YiUsqXUzKa
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) November 29, 2014
Apparently he was hit and scratched on the eye sometime during Friday’s game. Or maybe he’s was hungover. Still not as cool as these:
The rest of the links:
Grantland – The art of the wildly efficient Dallas Mavericks
Boston Herald – Celtics Notebook: Work is only cure for foul-line illness
