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.
“We’re having a blast,” Garnett said. “We come in here and bust each other’s [butt.]. Doc he lets us be competitive and be who we are and then off the court we try to get to know each other. It just so happens that we got more people that Tweet more than anything on this team than anybody in the league. That’s why y’all know what’s going on in the locker room, but we’re having a good time. We work hard but also we play hard.”
“Danny [Ainge] hit a couple to me,” Garnett said. “Some I dropped, some I didn’t. Good day. 50-50. I’ll take it. It was fun day. Beautiful day at Fenway. Dream come true. I felt like I was 10 years old.”
“To be honest, the things we’ve done together so far are things that build a championship team,” [Jermaine O'Neal] said. “You can do X’s and O’s all day long, but I’ve never played softball with a team. I’ve never gone to a movie where the team goes, and the staff and coaches. The duck boat rides, the lunch before that.
“As a player who has been around for a long time it becomes about other things, and when it becomes about other things a team doesn’t win,” said O’Neal. “But we came together as a group, and guys are really pushing each other and letting each other know they’re for each other. That’s what’s great about this process so far.”
Herald: Celtics already hit the wall
“My second time on the field at the stadium,’’ said Pierce, who threw out the first pitch when theRed Sox hosted the newly-crowned NBA champions for pregame ceremonies. “That was a lot of fun. This is a close-knit group, with the personalities we’ve got. It’s all team chemistry, it’s all team bonding.
“We have a great group of guys, and that’s one thing you see. That’s why we do things like that. From top to bottom, everyone likes one another and it’s fun when we do things like that. What it’s doing is building our chemistry and our team bonding.’’
Globe: Enjoying a field day at Fenway
Pierce called it one of the best days of his life. So did Glen Davis. KG said he's never heard of other teams doing the things the Celtics are doing.
Quite honestly, I've never heard of this either. I don't know if it's just because Twitter exists now and we're hearing and seeing these things more than ever... but this team just feels different than all the other teams I've seen.
Maybe it's the combination of young guys fighting for spots and pushing the veterans... and veterans who know they've only got a couple of years left so they're going to enjoy every last moment of it. Because there's no doubt they're working hard in practice. We'd hear if they weren't. But even if practice lasts 3 hours... and guys spend another 3, 4 or 5 hours lifting, watching film, and going over plays... that still leaves a lot of down time.
This team is loving life. And I'm not gonna lie... I'm loving this team. It's taken me completely by surprise. But this group of guys has a balance that I've never seen.
This is getting fun for me too.
(photo via Shaq's twitter)
On Page 2... Avery Bradley hits the practice floor
“I felt pretty good,” said Bradley, a rookie guard from Texas. “My teammates helped me out a lot, but sitting on the sidelines I kind of knew the plays - the defensive schemes and the offense. So I felt comfortable. I was just anxious to get out there. But I felt good.”
Knowledge is one thing. Execution is another.
“It’s different sitting on the side and actually getting on the floor to get the reps in, but I was comfortable,” Bradley said.
Herald: Healthy approach for Jermaine O'Neal/Celtics Notebook
Sure... Avery is getting up to speed on the plays... but he's WAAAY behind on things like running in Shaq's shoes, wearing wigs, and rapping with a Halloween mask on.
It's funny... I almost feel like the rookie hazing on this team is NOT making them do crazy things.
"No... you can't put on a wig, a mask and rap! We do fun things, rook. You go only play basketball. We're going to steal street signs now."
It'll be good to see Avery Bradley out there, actually. I'm anxious to see if he'll get a little bit of run today. Although I will not be watching the game live since my little brother is getting married today! Wish him well!!
The rest of the links:
Globe: Shaq takes a day off | WEEI: Doc on Miami rumors: I'm not going there | ESPN Boston: Practice notes: Celtics invade Fenway | Doc on coaching future | J.O. & DWest return, Shaq sits | Celtics Town: Book Excerpt -- King of the Court: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution | CSNNE: Celtics invade Fenway for chemistry lesson |