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.
He claimed yesterday to be especially surprised by a call Friday night, after drawing what he thought was a foul by Houston’s Corey Brewer while attempting a 3-pointer.
Though Smart clearly kicked out his right leg to deter the oncoming Rockets swingman, he continued to insist yesterday that he was the fouled party.
“I was actually (surprised), because when I’m shooting and they slap my hand, all of my momentum comes forward,” said Smart. “That forces my legs to kick out. I talked to the official, and he said that ball was so far gone that the contact shouldn’t affect me. Once I told him what they were doing, he said he would look at it. I was surprised they called it.
“He didn’t say I was a rookie, but that’s kind of what went through my head,” Smart said. “It’s very frustrating. Then they come back down and the opposing player does the same thing and you get the call because you’re a rookie. It is very frustrating. I’m playing basketball just like everyone else, but because I’m a rookie the other person gets the benefit of the doubt. (But) officials are human, and they miss some calls. I’m not saying it’s happening every game.”
Boston Herald – Celtics’ Notebook: Refs adjust to Marcus Smarts’ unknown
I’d imagine in can be incredibly frustrating to come into the league with a history of being ‘the guy’ on defense, and immediately have to adjust to losing calls because of your tenure. With that said, as far as rookie seasons go, it’s seemed like Smart has had it pretty good. He’s established the fact that he takes charges, swipes at the ball, and contests every shot. It’s impossible to escape the rookie treatment on the court, but it could be worse.
Smart is building a rapport with NBA officials, and it’ll take time. But the good thing is that he doesn’t tend to overreact to any given call. He’ll put his hands up from time to time, but you’ll also see him talking to the refs at time-out, trying to learn what he did wrong and how he can avoid the call next time. My guess is refs appreciate a young kid who doesn’t come off as cocky, entitled, or always assuming he’s right. If Smart can continue to be a menace defensively, having the refs’ respect will only propel his impact further.
Page 2: James Young finds his groove again in Maine
Nice to see Young get some shots up. It’s been a rough month for him since that first 13-point outbreak. He’s spent the majority of his time with the Celtics instead of the Red Claws, but hasn’t gotten consistent minutes, and hasn’t looked too sharp on the defensive end. He could be back with the team for today’s game against the Heat, but I’d be surprised if he logged any minutes considering the 1pm start.
With about 37 games left in the season and an odd/unlikely opportunity to sneak into the playoffs, we may not get to see a ton of James Young this season. Again, after seeing the defense, it’s hard to blame Stevens, and it’s also in Brad’s best interest to win games and establish his position as a capable coach. To do that, he’s better off playing Marcus Thornton 12-15 minutes a game. Things could change pending any trades — but I think slight progress over the course of the rest of this season will be OK for Young, and he’ll have a full summer to wrap his head around it all and be ready for next year.
And it’s that time of year again,
Yes Red’s Army is a basketball site, but this got me too hyped not to share.
The rest of the links:
Grantland – J.R. in Cleveland: and Ohio nightlife guide for the famous NYC party animal
CelticsBlog – Celtics player of the week: Tayshaun Prince
ESPN Boston – Celtics find NFL’s big day to be super, too
