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.
Many years ago on a postseason flight back from Detroit, Bob Cousy shook his head and said, “You used to be able to count on the effort being there in the playoffs at least.”
That expectation passed into obsolescence long ago. Even your 2008 NBA champions had their moments of ennui in Atlanta. And it’s worse now. Of all the bad things you can say about these Celtics, this might be the strongest indictment. They don’t always give you everything they have.
At the Garden in Game 3, you had a right to believe that wouldn’t be an issue. Yet you couldn’t deny the possibility.
So now Doc Rivers avoids the question in public. “I never really answer that,” he said. “I say something like, ‘Oh, we’ll be fine.’ I never get into that stuff. They ask if we’re all right and how we look, and I say, ‘We’ll be all right.’ That’s about it. That’s all they get from me.”
Enigmatic Celtics leave experts without answers
You've got to follow the link to see how Perk addresses this. It's great... and a little upsetting... at the same time.
This is what it all boils down to, folks. The C's know it. Sometimes they just don't give everything they have. Damned if I know why they don't. If you're not going to try in these games, then when are you gonna try.
Just makes you wonder if sometimes they just can't. Like they're reaching for something that's not there.
Only we know its there because we saw it for most of Games 1 and 2. Then they pull what they pulled in Game 3 and the pundits are already talking about Cleveland moving on.
So a little effort will go a long way today, boys. If you're ever going to come out hard, this is it.
On Page 2, Why the offense wasn't the problem in Game 3
Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images"Listen, if we're going to go over the offense when we just gave up 120 points, then we have a problem," Rivers said a day after his team's 124-95 thumping at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.
"That was not an offensive problem [Friday]. It was a defensive problem. We score off our defense. If you take the ball out every time [after an opposing make], you're not going to score in the playoffs. You have to get stops, multiple stops."Chris Forsberg - Game 4 adjustments? Doc gets defensive
Yeah, it is that simple. You stop them, you get out and run, and you will score. That's always been where the Celtics are most effective. We're not talking about Suns style run-and-gun... but we are talking about getting out in transition and taking advantage of the chaos as guys try to find someone to guard.
Get stops. Get out in transition. Win the game.
The rest of the links:
Herald: Cape fear for Celtics | Runthrough pleases Rivers | Signs point to Rondo | Celtics executive soared despite illness | Globe: Rondos numbers the key | Spotlight on support | Job description weighs on Pierce | ESPN Boston: Hot (LeBron) vs Cold (Pierce) | CSNNE: Lots of problems for C's but only one answer: Play better | Souza: C's on a recovery mission | WEEI: Perkins: without Rondo, we'd be dead | Doc: We've got to get stops | Celtics support Pierce's offensive struggles | CSL: Where the scowl came from