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.
Prince spearheaded Boston’s monster second quarter in which the Celtics outscored the Jazz by 24. Prince scored 10 points in the frame on 4-of-6 shooting and added a trio of assists. The Celtics were plus-18 in his nine minutes of court time in the quarter.
…
Prince is averaging 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists over 21.8 minutes per game in five appearances. He’s shooting 60 percent from both 3-point land and the floor overall, and is plus-13 in 109 minutes of total floor time.
Maybe more impressive: Boston owns an offensive rating of 107 when Prince is on the floor (that’s 5 ½ points higher than the team’s season average). What’s more, the team’s defensive rating with Prince on the floor is 98.5 (or 5.1 points lower than the season average). Bottom line: Good things are happening whenever Prince hits the court.
A week ago, I suggested the Celtics were using playing time as a buyout negotiating tactic with Tayshaun Prince.
Now it appears Prince has a trump card of his own. It’s the, “I’m gonna play hard and help your team win games,” counter.
His individual numbers over 5 games in Boston aren’t all-star level. But when you were expecting Prince to contribute as much as a ball bag, the impact is a bit surprising.
My head can no longer process this Celtics team. They just went 3-2 out west and one of those losses was a competitive game against the league’s best team.
Are they tanking or vying for the playoffs?
They’re tied for the 8th worst record in the league, but two games out of the 8th seed in the East.
Please help. I don’t know how to react to wins or losses.
On Page 2, Marcus Smart’s cousin was murdered.
Smart left the team Saturday to attend the funeral of his cousin, Vincent Dorsey, 49, who was murdered on Jan. 15 in DeSoto, Texas. Two suspects have been apprehended in the slaying.
Smart said Dorsey was discovered face-down, shot in the back, in his apartment complex. Dorsey was the son of Smart’s aunt.
“I just didn’t say anything about it [after I found out],” he said. “No parent wants to have to bury their kid. They always think they should go before their kid. It’s how you want it to be but sometimes God has a different plan.”
One minute Marcus Smart is enjoying life as an NBA rookie, the next he’s burying a cousin who was shot in the back.
No words…
And on a lighter note, Shavlik Randolph hates Tyler Zeller.
As this season has gone on, the Celtics have developed an even more harmonious dressing room, but there is trouble lurking below the surface now that Duke product Shavlik Randolph has rejoined the team, which now includes Tyler Zeller from rival North Carolina.
“It’s borderline unbearable,” said Randolph, inactive last night with a strained left hamstring. “I think I’m going to have to demand another trade. I don’t know if I can stomach being on a team with a Tar Heel.”
Oh those Dukies. So damn funny.
The rest of the links:
Herald – Ainge plans to stick around | Prince helps Celtics edge Jazz | Globe – Prince leads Celtics past Jazz | CSNNE – Celtics hold on to beat Jazz | WEEI – 5 thingsg we learned as Celtics win out west
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