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.
I didn’t feel like they gave us the opportunity to talk to them throughout the game. Guys were complaining but at the same time, if I come up to you and ask you a question, I should be able to talk to you and you should be able to answer back. And we didn’t get that. So I just said what I had to say. I thought like he (referee Justin Van Duyne) should have handled it a lot better.
I get that Isaiah Thomas is frustrated with, among other things, the way the Celtics are being handled by the officials.
But complaining to the media is not a good look. And it doesn’t work.
In fact, it makes it difficult for the Celtics organization to get traction when they use appropriate channels to bring things to the attention of the league’s officiating department.
The league maintains a private website for GMs and coaches to request clarifications and raise issues about the way games are officiated. If there are legitimate concerns about, for instance, Marcus Smart being called for blocks or Isaiah Thomas getting mauled in the lane, then that’s the venue to raise those issues. Let Stevens, Ainge and their staff explain Boston’s perspective on the matter.
The last thing this Celtics team needs to do over the final month of the season is go from ‘scrappy’ to ‘whiny’.
Page 2: Hey Bertrand. You still think we’re lunatics?
If you were the Celtics, would you trade Jae Crowder to the Cavaliers for Kevin Love straight up?
— Marc Bertrand (@Marc_Bertrand) February 16, 2016
@theleadsports Meant solely to expose lunatics. — Marc Bertrand (@Marc_Bertrand) February 16, 2016
I wouldn’t have traded Crowder for Love straight up for reasons that should be abundantly obvious now and which were clear to many of us “lunatics” back at the trade deadline. Crowder isn’t a perfect player for a coach like Stevens, but he’s probably as close to the ideal as anyone on the Celtics’ roster right now. Crowder’s ability to neutralize the best player on maybe twenty teams in the NBA and still generate offense is so important to the Celtics’ ability to win games, given the narrow margin for error they have on the offensive end.
That’s not to say that Crowder would be more valuable than Love on any other team in the league. But he’s more valuable than anyone else on this team.
Finally: Holy crap.
Yet another reminder that happiness in sports is a zero-sum game. If you’re this happy, someone else is that upset.
Need a Celtics tie-in? Okay. Avery Bradley and Kevin Durant both went to the University of Texas for a basketball season.
The rest of the links:
Depressing Raptors coverage
Boston Herald: Celtics continue to go south up north, drop fourth straight in Toronto (someone should tell Mark Murphy that Toronto is only 90 miles farther north than Boston)
MassLive: Isaiah Thomas scores, Evan Turner defends, Boston Celtics still fall to Toronto Raptors, 105-91
CSNNE: Raptors smash Celtics | Thomas: ‘Referees have to be held accountable too’
NESN: Celtics Notes: Isaiah Thomas Rips Refs; Kevin Durant Dispels Rumors
Boston Globe: Celtics hope a good quarter is sign of things to come
Other stuff
Boston Herald: Time for Celtics to step up
MassLive: Jonas Jerebko’s injury leaves Boston Celtics with limited lineup options
CSNNE: Scalabrine: A little worried, but not panicking
NESN: ‘Hesitant’ Celtics Need To Regain Confidence Lost In Jae Crowder’s Absence
ESPN Boston: Celtics slide to sixth in East, need to rediscover their swagger
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