Credit: Adam Himmelsbach. Also, you’re a little depressed seeing this now, aren’t you?
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.
Thomas is hoping the team will have a chance to build on this season, but understands that things could look very different next season.
“One thing I do know, I ride with these guys until the wheels fall off,” said Thomas. “This is a special group. Hopefully, we can all stick together and have something special in the future. I love those guys in the locker room. Hopefully, we can keep this together.”
The Celtics limped to the finish line of the season battered and bruised. Thomas dealt with ankle and wrist issues late in the year while Crowder endured a high ankle sprain in March that might have been the biggest culprit in Boston being unable to snag homecourt advantage in the playoffs.
You know, it’s kind of funny–after a season in which no one on the roster was traded, lots of guys ended the year talking about how different the team could look next year. Trader Danny has given these guys PTSD.
And, hey, things could be worse. A lot worse.
Let’s look at some teams that won 45+ games the past few years:
Wizards: 29 wins, 44 wins, 46 wins… and this year? 41-41 and out of the playoffs, fired coach, and they just hired Scott Brooks because they think that’ll help them land Durant.
Clips: 40/56/57/56/53, Griffin & Paul out and they’re looking at possibly exiting the first round in six, just like the Celtics!
Rockets: 54/56/41, without a coach, and basically rudderless
Grizzlies: 56/50/55/42, and what do they have to look forward to? Being fondly remembered for a time for a very particular style of basketball that never quite took them far enough–this decade’s answer to the 80s Bucks and Trail Blazers, or the seven-seconds-or-less Suns?
Bulls: 50/45/48/50/42, and having to make some tough decisions about Derek Rose, and just who they are as a team.
Nets: 49/44/38/21
Would you trade the Celtics’ roster, picks & prospects for any of those? What about the Bucks? Remember when they were going to be awesome?
And look at the Nets! They traded three picks to Boston, plus the right to swap a fourth and in their best year only won a single game more than Boston did with players that Ainge found at a flea market.
Page 2: Where Evan Turner can read the writing on the wall
“I love playing for the Celtics,” Turner said. “I love the city and everything. It’s definitely been a blessing. Hopefully it’s not my last game in a Celtics uniform. The coolest thing is to wear the uniform. I don’t take that for granted. The tradition and opportunity and the energy around it is great.”
Despite all that, Turner understands the situation. He helped plenty during his two years in Boston, but all the other perimeter players in the rotation are under contract for next season, and team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge will try to target big stars.
Evan Turner looks like he’s going to be joining the Brandon Bass club–a likeable player who just doesn’t fit with where the Celtics are going. As far as I understand it, if the Celtics are going to land two max contract players, they will need to renounce their rights to re-sign Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko and Evan Turner. But even if the Celtics only sign one big time free agent, the crazy money flying around this year might mean an offer to Turner that the Celtics just don’t feel comfortable matching.
At any rate, for Turner, as with a lot of former players, time will go by and eventually he’ll retire and then the craziest thing will happen. If Turner wants, he can become a Celtic all over again, and for as long as he wants. That’s just the odd way this team and its fans operate.
Page 3: Where it’s an opportunity league
Ainge also hinted that some of what can help the Celtics may already be here.
“It’s an opportunity league, and there’s a lot of guys that get an opportunity and they shine,” he said. “And we have some guys on our team that really haven’t had an opportunity yet, so we have to evaluate all 15 of our guys and the draft and free agency and the entire league.
“So we’ll be preparing for the draft and watching the playoffs, and we’ll continue to evaluate the players in the NBA on film and so forth. It’s a very busy time for us.”
Steve Bulpett buttonholed Ainge after the game and got some rather unfiltered comments on the team.
Although, Ainge used the phrase above to describe guys on the end of the bench, it’s certainly an apt description of the misfits that earned playing time this year as well.
Page 4: Where here are the lottery odds
1 – 15.6%
2 – 15.7%
3 – 15.6%
4 – 22.6%
5 – 26.5%
6 – 4%
So basically, Boston’s got a just about 50% shot at a top three pick and a 96% shot at a top 5 pick.
Posting this in case you’re bummed out about the Celtics being unable to beat Atlanta with one hand metaphorically tied behind their back.
Finally: Life lessons from an ex-Jackrabbit
“This is what living feels like. Most people don’t try, and live in the middle and don’t put their hearts out there. They protect themselves. When you do this, and put your heart out there in front of all these people — sometimes it’s unbelievable and very exhilarating and sometimes it’s incredibly painful. But that’s what living feels like. I hope they live the rest of their lives that way.”
Scott Nagy was the coach at my alma mater up until about a month ago. That quote was from a one point loss in the conference title game last year. It seems an appropriate message for today. And a reminder that happiness in sports is often a zero sum game.
(You’ll have to skip ahead to 6:40 in the video below for the full remarks because apparently WordPress doesn’t let you embed a start time in a YouTube URL)
The rest of the links
Glutton for punishment stuff
Boston.com: Celtics’ season ends with 104-92 loss to Hawks
NESN: Celtics’ Chemistry Couldn’t Overcome Lack Of Firepower Against Hawks
Boston Herald: Borges: Celtics not good enough to beat Hawks
WEEI: Teary Thomas: ‘This should hurt everybody’
Other stuff
MassLive: Atlanta Hawks Kyle Korver on Avery Bradley’s absence: Boston Celtics guard ‘a great shooter’
CSNNE: Scalabrine: Reasons for Celtics to be optimistic | C you next season?: Future is unclear for several Celtics | With season over, time for Celtics to hit recruiting trail
