Boston Celtics Daily Dish: Team USA’s Recipe For Success
Morning, Celtics fans!
I know I have already thanked all of you readers for making this the month successful month Hardwood Houdini has had since I became editor, but the site has gone on to do far better than I ever thought it would during an offseason month, so again – thank you! We work hard here to entertain and inform Celtics fans everywhere, and we’re always trying to do better. We look forward to continued growth as the 2014-2015 approaches!
Now for the links!
Recent Team USA squads have enjoyed great success when putting two small forwards out on the floor at the same time. John Schuhmann over at NBA.com is pleased to report that this year’s team is more than prepared to repeat that winning formula:
"On the 2008 Olympic team, the starting forwards were LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. On the 2010 World Championship team, it was Andre Iguodala and Kevin Durant. And at the 2012 Olympics, it was Durant and James.One reason is that the international game requires more shooting on the floor than the NBA game, where you can have offensive success with two traditional bigs. Under FIBA rules, defenses can play zone and pack the paint.The other reason? Well, the U.S. is really freaking talented at the small forward position.When you have the two best players in the world on the same team, you’re not going to have them backing each other up.This year’s edition of the National Team has Durant playing next to Paul George, one of the best two-way players in the league and an MVP candidate through the first half of last season. With those two teamed with Anthony Davis, the U.S. starting frontline is pretty much set in stone."
Boston Celtics fans have known that the Cs were out of the running for Kevin Love a while ago. However, not it seems like every team not named the Cavaliers has been uninvited to the party, too.
"The Denver Nuggets. The Boston Celtics. The Golden State Warriors. The Cleveland Cavaliers. At various points this offseason, those four teams — and perhaps others — have been involved in talks to acquire Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love. That list has apparently been narrowed to just Cleveland as a seemingly inevitable pairing of Love with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving grows closer."
So much for drama!
Finally, when the Celtics used the sixth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft to select Mrcus Smart, Twitter instantly erupted in a slew of Rajon Rondo trade rumors. Understandable – but what if Marcus Smart can reinforce, instead of replace, Boston’s starting point guard?
"From the outside, it appears that Boston sees the writing on the wall and figures Rondo may leave for a winning situation. The Celtics are preparing themselves one year early by replacing him with another potential franchise floor general.But Boston needs to delay the thought of replacing Rondo with Smart as long as it can. Instead, the C’s should fortify their captain’s skill set by letting the two play together for at least the next four or five years. It’s not hard to find ways in which Smart can complement Rondo, and there’s a great chance that Boston wasn’t doubting Rondo’s future when it made the pick, so much as they just wanted to acquire the best player available."
Enjoy the reads, and make sure you take or new poll today!!! Thanks!