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.
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) October 18, 2016
“Man, that’s all I can say,” he said. “He’s going to be really special.”
Brown’s just 19. Despite his growing collection of highlights, he still makes silly mistakes every game. He isn’t even close to whatever he will become. How can you be sure he will be really special?
“First of all because he’s just a freak already,” Bradley said. “He comes in every single day, working hard. He just has to learn the game and learn how to work even harder on the defensive end. And I feel like he’s going to prove a lot of people wrong. Whoever thought whatever they thought about him or didn’t know much about him, he’s going to show everybody.” […]
“I wasn’t as smart as him (at that age),” said Jae Crowder. “I wasn’t as heady as he is. Physically I could play basketball, but I just didn’t have the tools up top at the age of 19. I had to go through college and I had to go through a lot more obstacles to get to where I’m at today. But he has his head on right, he thinks properly, he works. He’s become more of a professional earlier than I was.
“(He’s uncommonly mature for his age) for sure because a lot of guys come in and are behind the curve a lot mentally. We’re not talking physical, we’re just talking mental, and the game here at this level is a lot mental. And that’s one thing he brings with him. His mental approach is where it needs to be.”
Jaylen Brown is already a rotation player. He’s logged 22.6 minutes per game in this preseason, averaging 9.7 points on 44.0% shooting. He’s +5.3 in the plus/minus category. His playing time might be affected when Kelly Olynyk returns from injury, but as Bradley and Crowder said, everything about Brown indicates he’s going to keep improving and contributing. Not to be overly optimistic, but we might look back someday and think, “At that draft party, why were the fans booing?”
Related: Herald – Celtics Notebook: Rookie Jaylen Brown opening eyes in camp | Globe – Jaylen Brown’s fast progress being noticed by Celtics
On Page 2: Isaiah would hold Boogie’s hand
But Ainge has the necessary assets to make an even bolder move, for Cousins, one that would undoubtedly get LeBron James’ attention in the Eastern Conference. And, he’s got something else going for him when weighing whether he should roll the dice on Cousins. He has the perfect player to keep him in line: Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics’ All-Star point guard and former Cousins teammate.
“If he came to Boston, that would be good, really good,” Thomas told Sporting News last week, walking near the Barclays Center court in Brooklyn after the Celtics’ preseason win over the Nets. “The thing is, I’ve got his respect. I’ve always had that.”
Sporting News – Isaiah Thomas knows he can keep DeMarcus Cousins in line if Celtics trade for him
When engaged, Cousins is one of the NBA’s best big men, an inside-out force who creates offense and owns the glass. He has too many stretches of lackadaisical play, though, and has long let emotions steer him into regrettable actions. Because of that, the Kings wouldn’t be crazy to at least consider moving him. Some eyebrows raised around the league when the team drafted several big men over the last couple of years.
But Sacramento has held onto Cousins throughout multiple coaching changes, and new head coach Dave Joerger has connected with some flammable personalities in the past. If he can help harness all of Cousins’ talent for good, the Kings would probably want to build around their stud center. If not, well, who knows what could happen. They’re the Kings.
Celtics fans who followed the team during the Antoine Walker years know what it’s like to root for an all-star talent who’s flawed by a volatile personality. ’Toine filled the stat sheet every night; frustrated the fans with his chucking, terrible free throw shooting, and poor demeanor; and pissed off referees so much that he once got a technical just for looking at someone.
Walker was loved by some, hated by others. It would be just like that if DeMarcus Cousins came to Boston – but more so, since Boogie’s talent and volatility surpass even Antoine’s. There are many Celtics fans who think having the talent on the roster far outweighs dealing with the uneven temperament. There are probably just as many (raising my hand) who don’t want the headache, especially since the price of trading for Boogie would be extremely high. But with that said…
There have been instances where talented but disruptive athletes have come to Boston and helped win titles or reach the Finals. Manny Ramirez with the Red Sox, Corey Dillon with the Patriots, and Rasheed Wallace with the Celts come to mind. If – IF – Isaiah Thomas can influence Cousins in the right direction, perhaps it can happen again.
Maybe all Cousins needs to get straight is a little hand-holding in a winning situation. We like to say, “In Danny/Brad we trust.” If Cousins comes here, the new mantra will have to be, “In Isaiah we trust.” He hasn’t let us down yet.
Related: CBS Boston – Isaiah Thomas Has DeMarcus Cousins’ Respect, And Would Really Like Him On Celtics | The Ringer – We Still Haven’t Seen the Best of DeMarcus Cousins
On Page 3: Danny plays the long game
Unbeknownst to the general public, Ainge was working on the KG Plan, concocted three or four years before the summer of ’07. Maybe if fans had known, they wouldn’t have marched down Causeway Street with pitchforks and torches in hand. “‘We’ll be ready. We’ll have enough assets to trade for him if he becomes available. I don’t know if Minnesota will renew him.’ That’s exactly what Danny said,” Grousbeck recalled. “So through all the tough times, the assembling of picks, playing the kids, Doc taking the losses on his record as we lost — it was all toward a goal of building those kids up so they’d become tradable assets where we’d keep some, trade others.”
After years of asset hoarding, Ainge acquired Garnett from Minnesota, pulling off the first 7-for-1 in league history. The Celtics went on to win their 17th NBA title in 2008, came up short the following season, competed for a few years after that, and then tore it down in 2013 by trading Pierce and KG to the Nets for a bazillion unprotected first-rounders and assets.
The Ringer – How to Go All In (or Not), According to Danny Ainge
Fans are generally impatient, always wanting their GM to make moves yesterday. Meanwhile, Danny is playing the long game: “…the KG Plan, concocted three or four years before the summer of ’07…”
Wow.
Just do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to read this in-depth look at how Ainge operates, how he got the franchise to this point, and what might happen next. Then be glad you’re not a Kings fan.
And, finally: The rest of the ‘unity’ story
We know why the Celts hold hands during the anthem now, but why did the ’60-61 team do so? The answer may surprise. https://t.co/6KBHahi7o7
— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) October 17, 2016
“That was just about showing how strong we were as a team,” said Sanders, who addressed the C’s two weeks ago as they were deciding their anthem plan. “It had nothing to do with any real significance in terms of society or any issues of that kind. It was just a team photo. It was another pose. Sort of, ‘Hey, we’re all together.’ That’s all it was.”
He certainly wasn’t stunned by the meaning being attached to the picture in retrospect.
“Because of the way it looks, you can put that kind of interpretation to it,” Sanders said. “But that was not 1952 or ’56 when blacks were just coming into the league and, therefore, it would have had some significance along those lines. But by that time, the Celtics had won three championships, and that was just a unifying look. You know, this is how we do it — all of us together. And you saw that most of the looks were very pleasant.”
Herald – Satch Sanders: Unity behind Celtics’ iconic team photo
Here we thought the pose of the 1960-61 Celtics was about civil rights, but it really wasn’t. Still, the theme was unity, and that’s what the current Celtics were focused on when they adopted the approach of linking arms during the National Anthem. The interview with Satch Sanders adds ample context to the similarities between then and now.
By the way, if you haven’t noticed, the current squad has continued to stand together during the anthem with no apparent backlash.
The Rest of the Links:
CSNNE – NBA GM Survey Shows Celtics Are Well-Respected This Season | R.J. Hunter Making Late Push As Preseason Winds Down
NESN – Jaylen Brown Impressing Brad Stevens, Celtics So Far With Play In Preseason
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