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.
“I think now he has to be a little more sound fundamentally,” Ainge said. “He’ll have to do it more, because he’s not the same athlete. He’s had some adjustments to make, for sure. KG’s got to do a better job of keeping guys in front of him because he can’t catch up. But that’s the case with everyone on our team.”
The question is whether Garnett can perform as well as the Celtics need him to in the postseason.
“Yes,” Ainge said. “Absolutely.
“The bottom line is he and Paul (Pierce) and (Rajon) Rondo and Marquis (Daniels) and everybody, I mean, it’s up to all of them to play great. I don’t think KG is going to carry us by himself, so I don’t expect him to. But KG is making his shots and playing the good team defense. Other guys have to help him, too, for us to be successful.
“I just think we give KG too much credit, and we give him too much (scrutiny) when things are not going right for us.”
Herald: Danny Ainge: KG can't do it alone
Danny makes an interesting point right off the top of that quote. Mega-star guys like KG can get by on their ridiculous athleticism for a long time. They are fundamentally sound, but they're not often as good fundamentally as other players because they don't have to be.
So KG has to do some work now on things that he used to be able to ignore. In the meantime, everyone on the team has to step up, because ALL of our superstars aren't what they used to be. So everyone needs to play a little better to make up for it.
Getting old is a bitch, huh?
Coming up, Page 2... where Doc is going to be hearing it from Nate today
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty ImagesESPN Boston: Bragging rights for Doc, NateRivers, a Marquette product, and Robinson, a Washington product, have certainly broken down the matchup over the past couple days with some verbal sparring. Rivers stressed before Wednesday's game against the Knicks that Marquette had to win that game to avoid hearing an earful from his backup point guard.
"We don't bet, of course," Rivers said with a smile when asked if the two had a friendly wager on the game. "But we have discussed the Marquette spanking of Washington [Thursday]. We have definitely talked about it -- and Nate has talked about it quite a bit, as you might imagine. We have to win that game, that's very important."
You didn't, Doc.
Now you're going to see this in your face....
... a lot....
... and for a long time.
And you're nuts if you don't think these guys have money riding on these games. Doc's buying Nate something... dinner, a Rolex... something.
The rest of the links:
Herald: Scouting report - Celtics at Nuggets | Globe: Celtics survey playoff picture | A Doc-umentary on Chicago hoops | Road test awaits Celtics | MWDN: Celtics seek validity in wild west trip | Camerato: Scalabrine responsible for his own opportunities | Celtics Blog: first round fun n' games | Celtics Hub: Nate Robinson: Boorish Clown or Righteously Angry | CSL: Gang Green 3-21