Daily Links 2/18

Color me off the Ainge bandwagon and back on the Peter May bandwagon: ramping up toward a No. 1-2 pick is senseless.

Agreed Big_Easy. If we can use the pick in a deal to improve this team then they should do it. Before the deadline. I like Gasol!

A 7 footer in the hand is worth 2 in the lottery. Or something like that!

I agree with you stillacsfan. Doc doesn’t have to try. He blows games with his horrible subs and horrible(non-existent) defensive schemes.

BTW, I am glad to see GG win the dunk contest and get some exposure. I live in SC and the local sports station hates the NBA and were laughing at the dunk contest contestants. To no-one’s surprise they had no clue who GG was(or anyone else, for that matter)…before the contest. Its hell down here when it comes to NBA talk/knowledge.

…anyways, I expect the Cs to play better the last 31 games of the season(not because of Docs coaching but because this is trully a playoff team if no injuries) and finish with the 5fth worst record.

I am not sold on GG yet, and I think he might turnout to be AHouston(best case scenario)if he keeps improving, but it sure makes me glad he is a Celtic and proud to be one. I think the #2(Red) and #7(Dee) he wore made it real special.

Great for GG. But, did you hear how the anouncers were sort of "not excited’ about GG winnning and giving the other names more notoriety. At one point, Barkley lamb basted DA with a comment of how he is changing the Cs into the Clippers. How that refers to GG is beyond me… GG is young and gifted and he showed it last nite but the anouncers could not even put together the Dee Brown outfit saying only it was a kickback to an old Cs jersey. POOOOOOR job of commnetatting by a bunch of ego maniac`s….

From the Worcester Telegram:

‘â€Å"Every day thereâ€â"¢s something with these guys that I get on them about,” Rivers said. â€Å"About spending money, about people around them. You have to. Theyâ€â"¢re young so you have to.” Rivers said he even gets on them for not picking up after themselves in the locker room.’

Some other recent Doc quotes have alluded to his making sure the young guys are respectful to everyone. No one will be more disappointed than I if Doc is brought back to coach next year; but he should be given great respect for taking a ‘father-figure’ role looking after the manners, values and broader life interests of his young players. It’s not just at the NBA and college level, but all the way down the school-boy teams that it is so easy for those with something to gain to exploit these kids. Those of us who follow the League and the team should be grateful to Doc—because otherwise we are indirect contributors to that exploitation.

And by now it should not surprise us that, as the ProJo reports, Doc has been the only one of Amaechi’s former coaches and teammates to call him in support. We might not have seen the best of Celtics basketball these last couple of years, but we may have had one of the highest-character guys in pro sports here coaching. We should recognize, respect and remember that.

stillaceltsfan: I don’t think Al Jefferson is a “homophobe”. Here’s his comment in the Herald (http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/view.bg?articleid=181814)

â€Å"I give him a lot of respect for doing this,” Al Jefferson [stats] said of Amaechi, who last played in the league almost four full years ago. â€Å"The reason is because youâ€â"¢ve got a lot of people who try to be under cover or sneaky. At least he came out and said, ‘Hey, Iâ€â"¢m this. Whatever. Hate it or love it. This is who I am.â€â"¢ So I give him respect for that.
    Ã¢â‚¬Å"But am I with it? No. Iâ€â"¢m totally against it for me. But everybody has to live their own life. I can only speak for myself.”
    Jefferson was uncertain about how teammates and fans would react if a current player came out. Amaechi, like those in U.S. team sports before him, didnâ€â"¢t do so until after his retirement.
    Ã¢â‚¬Å"I donâ€â"¢t know,” Jefferson said. â€Å"Itâ€â"¢s hard to say. I mean, would his teammates want to play on the same team with him? I donâ€â"¢t know. Youâ€â"¢ve got to understand teammates take showers with each other. Theyâ€â"¢re around each other every day. I donâ€â"¢t know. I canâ€â"¢t speak on that.
    Ã¢â‚¬Å"But like I said before, I respect him just coming out and telling people about it. Heâ€â"¢s man enough to do that.”

I think he sounds pretty respectful and sincere. His comments aren’t anywhere near the level of Hardaway’s bashing. He has a “to each his own” mentality, which is how people need to respond to these things. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own opinion on it, he’s just willing to recognize that there are opposing opinions that are ok too.