The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Since the Celtics can't stop Brooks to Scola, they might have had a rough time with Stockton to Malone.

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “In that the game will be against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, the defense will be tested even more. ‘I think we’re breaking down in just one area,’ said Paul Pierce. ‘Our pick-and-roll defense has to get better. I think it’s simple and plain.’ Asked if it was a problem of hustle or technique, Pierce said, ‘I think it’s a combination of both. When you play a team game, a team defense, if one person breaks down, it breaks down the whole team. It’s got to come from all of us.’”

Benbow/Washburn, Boston Globe – “The Celtics have lost three straight at home, abandoning defense but, more disturbingly, making mistakes that a team with so many veterans shouldn’t. ‘It was just point-by-point talk about X’s and O’s more than about who we are,’ said coach Doc Rivers. ‘It really wasn’t a talk about execution, it was a talk about the silly things we did that we don’t do, that were uncharacteristic.’ The Celtics have played their share of close games this season (49 decided by 10 points or fewer) where little things can swing the outcome. ‘Those little things can cause you to lose games,’ Allen said. ‘You take for granted a lot of times the games that you win when you win by a point or you win by a defensive possession, regardless of who the opponent is. This is why the good teams are who they are, because they beat everybody.’”

Peter May, ESPNBoston – “He drove a forklift in a tape warehouse. He worked in a liquor store as a stock boy and cashier. But he played competitively in local leagues and caught the eye of a community college coach, who was intrigued by what he saw. Jim White of Harbor Community College is the man who put Dennis Johnson on the path to a career in basketball, plucking him off the streets of San Pedro and offering him a spot on his team. The rest, as they say, is history. It’s an astounding story. Johnson always had a defiant streak in him and White saw it firsthand. He kicked DJ off the team three times. But Johnson always came back and played enough — and well enough — to get noticed. Harbor won the state title in his second season there. That was good enough to get him a scholarship to Pepperdine, where he played one year before entering the 1976 NBA draft. He was taken by Seattle in the second round, starting a remarkable career that spanned three teams (the Sonics, Suns and Celtics) and included the following: all-NBA first team (1981), all-NBA second team (1980), and from 1979 to 1987, either first-team or second-team All-Defense. He was MVP of the 1979 NBA Finals. He was a five-time participant in the All-Star Game. He won three rings, two with Boston.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “Following Friday’s head-shaking overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, Celtics coach Doc Rivers noted that it would likely be an interesting day of film study. But when the Celtics arrived to practice Saturday, the film being dissected was game tape of the Cleveland Cavaliers. ‘We talked about [the Houston loss],’ said Rivers. ‘I didn’t think we needed to go back there. I thought we needed to move forward. Sometimes you still watch the film, work on it, and then move forward. But with a 1 p.m game [Sunday], we had to chose to move forward. And we have.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘It’s something because of their injuries, and that’s what I’ve been saying with our group,’ Rivers said, comparing the Spurs and Celtics. ‘It’s not age – it has to do with injuries. People don’t realize that just because you’re back playing doesn’t mean your team is right again. When Paul and Kevin (Garnett) first came back, we started running their stuff, and they weren’t ready for it. I told our staff that we still had to run it, because they had to get back used to running it, and the other guys had to get back used to their roles. I actually told our staff in a meeting that (it) may hurt for awhile, but we have to do it. Otherwise we’re running out of time. If it was 70 games left we wouldn’t have to do that, but when everything happened with 43 games left you had to do it. I thought we could win games still, but I was wrong in that part.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Despite the struggles, the Celtics still sound optimistic about their chances of doing some serious damage in the playoffs – even if their play of late suggests that they’re a prime candidate for an early exit. That unwavering faith within the confines of their locker room is what Paul Pierce believes is crucial to them getting back on track. ‘It’s very important,’ he said. ‘The tendency is to start pointing the finger; the tendency is to get mad at each other. But that’s not the case with this team, and that’s what I love. We still believe we can win a championship. We still believe in one another, and that’s why we do what we do after a loss. It’s about handling adversity, and I think this team has been through a lot of adversity this season. For us to still be together . . . I still have a lot of confidence in this ball club.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “The Celtics have shielded themselves this season by placing little overt emphasis on specific games. However, with just seven left before the playoffs and very little result-based evidence to support them, it would seem today’s exercise with Cleveland carries a bit more weight than ‘just one of 82.’ But in that the Celts are often critical of how the media characterizes such outings, it was decided they should be the ones to put this nationally televised game into perspective. ‘I put all the emphasis right now that we have, that we can muster, on (today),’ Ray Allen said. ‘We’ve lost three in a row at home, and you know, it’s a team that we’re going to have to beat if we want to hoist another banner. So I’d like to think the focus is going to be there and everybody will be ready to go.’”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.

Congrats, DJ.

The Boston Globe reports that, according to a source close to the Hall of Fame, Dennis Johnson will be elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame. 

Former Celtic great Dennis Johnson, who helped Boston to two NBA titles, has been elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame, according to a source close to the Hall. The announcement will come Monday at 11 a.m. from Indianapolis and Johnson will be amongst those tabbed.

Johnson, who passed away in February 2007, played 14 seasons in the NBA, four with the Seattle SuperSonics, three with the Phoenix Suns and the final seven with the Celtics. He was the team’s point guard and floor leader during the glory years. Johnson played in five All-Star Games, was the 1978-79 NBA Finals MVP and a seven-time first-team All NBA defensive selection.

It’s about time for DJ to get enshrined.  It’s a shame he didn’t live long enough to see the day he’d be honored as one of the greatest basketball players ever.

Kirk Minihane says Rasheed is great... on Tuesdays and against the Toronto Raptors.

Just read these first two paragraphs. Perfectly sarcastic. (WEEI)

Maybe I should be here in praise of Rasheed Wallace.

I mean, did you watch his performance vs. the Pistons on Monday night? Granted, we are talking about a 23-43 team missing its best player in Rodney Stuckey (and getting just seven minutes from Tayshaun Prince), but that should not take away from the fact Wallace scored eight points (on 3-of-4 shooting) and grabbed four rebounds in the 119-93 Celtics rout. The stuff of legend. Plus, he was active on defense and managed to take only one 3-point attempt in nearly 17 minutes on the court. And hey, no technical fouls! All in all, a real swell effort from the guy that we were told was the missing piece.

Eight points and four rebounds? The stuff of legend. I love that line.

I’m not as big a Sheed-basher as most. I think he actually does some valuable things on the court, even if his shot selection and effort can sometimes make Red Auerbach roll over in his grave.

But if you ARE a Sheed-basher? You will absolutely love this article.

Dennis Johnson, recently selected as a candidate for 2010 induction to the Hall of Fame, could soon be in the Hall of Fame.

But former competitor Magic Johnson wonders why D.J. isn’t in already. (Via the Boston Herald)

“He’s one of the best I’ve ever played against in this game,” former Lakers star Magic Johnson said.

“He has three championships. The guy could play. He hit every big shot. I have to think there are different reasons he’s not in yet, but he has a shot.”

Magic isn’t along among current and former NBA players wondering why D.J. isn’t in the Hall yet. Bill Walton and Paul Pierce agreed.

“As we say every year, Dennis Johnson was one of the most intelligent players of his time,” Walton said.

“His teams won the games. And his teams wouldn’t have won if he was not on those teams. He’s as great a human being as I’ve ever known. It’s mind-boggling that he’s not in there yet.”

Added Pierce: “He’s the guy who has the championships. He was the MVP in Seattle. There’s no doubt in my mind that he should be in the Hall of Fame.”

And players aren’t the only ones rallying behind Johnson. WEEI’s Kirk Minihane wrote a nice column discussing the Hall of Fame merits of Johnson’s career, where even Minihane was surprised by the statistical measures in which Johnson excelled.

I have to confess that I thought I would need to play the intangible card with DJ. You know, look past the numbers, was a winner, all that stuff. But his numbers alone hold up pretty well. And there are just too many important lists that have only Hall of Famers and DJ. Can’t ignore that. Again, I’m not sure that he’s the very best player not in the Hall of Fame, but there aren’t five better. He absolutely deserves his day.

Does D.J. deserve to be in the Hall? If you ask me, most definitely. His averages don’t blow you away, but he remains one of the most respected players to ever put on a Celtics uniform. He won three NBA titles, a Finals MVP, and was named to the first- or second-team All Defense nine years in a row. Nine!

But beyond that, it was D.J.’s legacy that belongs in the Hall. Magic said D.J. was the best defensive player he ever played against. Bird called him the best player he ever played with. He earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and foes alike.

Quite simply, he was a winner. And he SHOULD be a Hall of Famer.

Dennis Johnson, long-time Celtic, has been named a finalist for induction to the 2010 Hall of Fame.
From the Basketball Hall of Fame’s HoopHall website:

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today named an elite list of players, coaches and teams as finalists to be considered for election to the Hall in 2010. Gaining the honor of being named a Hall of Fame finalist is one of the true highlights of a career in the sport of basketball. This year’s list includes two-time NBA MVP and 14-time NBA All-Star Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz and Scottie Pippen, a six-time NBA champion as a member of the Chicago Bulls, both first-time nominees. They will be considered along with previous finalists, such as legendary high school coach Bob Hurley of St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, N.J. and Cynthia Cooper, who helped the Houston Comets win four WNBA titles.

Also headlining the list for 2010 are three legendary teams, including the 1960 United States Men’s Olympic Team, the 1992 United States Men’s Olympic “Dream Team” and the All-American Red Heads, a finalist selected by the Women’s Committee. The announcement was made today in Dallas, Texas, in conjunction with the 2010 NBA All-Star festivities.

The complete list of finalists includes from the North American Screening Committee: players Dennis Johnson, Bernard King, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen and Jamaal Wilkes; coaches Bob Hurley, Don Nelson and Tex Winter; contributor Jerry Buss; and the two USA Olympic teams. From the Women’s Screening Committee: Cynthia Cooper, Harley Redin and the All-American Red Heads team. From the International Screening Committee: coach Vladimir Kondrashin and Brazilian Legend Maciel “Ubiratan” Pereira while Richard Guerin and Gus Johnson represent the nominees from the Veteran’s Screening Committee.

The NBDL’s Maine Red Claws and Austin Toros have begun a petition to help get Dennis Johnson inducted. SIGN IT HERE.

The Maine Red Claws and Austin Toros have joined forces to create a campaign and petition for Dennis Johnson’s induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Johnson served as Head Coach of the Toros for two years. Read more »