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.
It's just our mentality, man. It's mental. You've got the game plan, guys know what to do night in, night out... it's mental from this point on. I mean, the last two teams... I know we're a better team than those two teams. I know we are. It just mentally coming out and just going out there and having the right mindset. And I don't think we're having the right mindset coming into these games against opponents we're supposed to beat. - Paul Pierce
We just gotta get better defensively. We proved we can do it in sports. And sometimes your team gets bored with the season. That happens with a veteran team and that can happen now. - Doc Rivers
CSNNE: Rivers: Celtics may be "bored"
Bored?
Already?
The season just freakin' started!
Do I need to go into this rant already? The one where fans fill the arena for a reason? The one where fans pay good money to come see you guys play. The one where the money those fans pay directly ends up in your multi-millionaire pockets so can live the lives you lead?
Do you guys think that money magically appears in Wyc Grousbeck's bank account? You think 18,000 people just waltz in there for free?
I expected letdowns during the season. I told myself not to get upset over those letdowns. But I expected them later. I expected the guys to come out hot... THEN get bored in January and February... then start turning it on again before the playoffs. I was prepared to accept that.
I'm not, however, prepared to accept "bored" November losses to an Oklahoma City team at home without its two best players... and a bad Toronto team missing half its roster to a trade.
The season just started fellas. And I don't give a damn about bad officiating because the refs didn't put you in those situations. You did. You sleep-walked through those games and put yourself into a spot where bad calls could hurt you.
And the kicker here is that you guys, because of your boredom, end up playing MORE basketball. Instead of coming out and crushing a team you're supposed to crush and taking the fourth quarter off... you coast, and coast, and coast... and next thing you know you play 38 minutes instead of 28.
So your "bad mentality" and boredom just leads you to play more of what you're bored with.
Wake the hell up, Celtics and recognize what you're doing. Unless you want the fans to tune out too. You just had a record high rating for a meaningless game against Washington... what kind of attention would a record low rating get? A wake-up trade from Danny (remember Eddie House, anyone)? A wake-up call visit from Wyc?
You're pulling the bored act too soon... and we don't like it.
On page 2: KG's just as pissed as I am
“So what, man,” Garnett said of Doc Rivers’ postgame assessment that his team has become a “streaky” defensive one. “We have to play some ‘D.’ These teams we’re playing are very high caliber offensively. We know what they are. We know on paper they might not be whatever, but as far as talent, we have to respect that. I don’t even know (the reason). It’s a new group and we’ll fix it.
“(Things will change) when we decide to play defense. When we put together some multi-stops, we’re able to fuel some offense, but we have to contain. We have to play the whole game like that. We have to start with the relentlessness that we finished the game with.”
When Kevin Garnett is angry, things will change.
I get that there are going to be lapses during games. It would be nice if there weren't, but there always are. What I hate are the 34 minutes of crap followed by 8 minutes amazing when everyone wakes the hell up.
I mean.... a 38 point second quarter? That's quite ridiculous.
KG will let his voice be heard. I have faith in him being able to turn things around.
The rest of the links
Herald: Nate Robinson fills in capably | Globe: Raptors snatch one away | Losses expose veteran traits | Robinson got off to a quick start | ESPN Boston: Tip your cap | Five from afar | WEEI: Down and out in Toronto | Bad trend continues for Celtics | CSNNE: defense tries to flip the switch too late | Robinson plays his game in place of Rondo
