The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “With 17 assists last night, Rajon Rondo’s numbers in that category are obscene, and when he was asked if Rondo could keep it up, so was Kevin Garnett. ‘[Expletive], why not?’ Garnett said after a 109-86 win over the Pistons. ‘You say he can’t. I say he can, you know. It’s all about the flow and all about if guys are hitting their shots. If he’s in a rhythm or a real good groove, he knows when to attack. He’s picking and choosing when to do certain things. He’s mixing it up really well. He’s keeping defenses off-balance. Who says he can’t?’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Rondo would love to keep his 16.8 assists per game average intact, but even he believes that number will fall over time. ‘More than most likely, it won’t continue to happen like this,’ Rondo said. ‘But if they make shots, it will. I’m not going to put it all on them. But it starts with our initial defense.’ This is Jermaine O’Neal’s first season with the Celtics, so all this dime-dropping by Rondo is new to him. Still, he has seen enough to believe that Rondo is indeed on a historic path as playmaker. ‘I knew Rondo was a pretty good young point guard, but his control and his command of the game … it’s light years ahead of his age,’ O’Neal said. ‘He looks like he’s been in the league 15 years already. It’s rare you find point guards with that type of command.’ … ‘He has an opportunity to be, if health and everything pans out, to be one of the all-time great point guards this league has ever seen,’ O’Neal said.” Read more »

Rondo continued his dominance tonight.

The Pistons were who we thought they were, the Celtics were who we hoped they’d be, and by the time the 109-86 whipping was finished, the once-rowdy Detroit crowd had spent most of the night playing the silent game. My kindergarten teacher’s favorite past-time.

The Celtics’ win was a workmanlike display of efficiency. They shot  51.9%. They assisted on 33 of their 42 buckets. They turned the ball over only eight times (thank God). They scored 122.5 points per 100 possession (!). Not that the Pistons offered much resistance.

On one play Paul Pierce caught the ball in the corner with space galore. He had time to stop, look around, lick his finger to check the wind, microwave a bag of popcorn, pitch a tent and then finally release a three-pointer. He didn’t actually do all that, but he could have. Detroit’s defensive indifference was easily evident. 0-4 after tonight, they already seem like a team resigned to failure. As for the Celtics? There was only one problem: they once again let an inferior team back into the game.

Maybe I’m nitpicking (on second thought, I’m definitely nitpicking), but I sense a pattern developing. The Celtics were winning by 11 points in the second half against Cleveland, then lost by eight. They led by 12 in the fourth quarter against New York, then won by only four. They ended up defeating Detroit by 23, but at one point in the final period the Pistons cut the lead to twelve and forced Doc to reinsert the starters. I sat at my TV like the announcer from Mortal Kombat, hissing, “Finish him.” Again, maybe I’m being too harsh. The Celtics led from start to finish and got solid contributions from every starter (including Jermaine O’Neal). The game was never in doubt, and the Pistons didn’t even cut it to single digits once during the entire second half. I just expect more. I expect a killer instinct that hasn’t always been evident. Okay, deep breath (“Woo-sah”), moving on…

Somehow, it took me this long to discuss Rajon Rondo. What did he do? Oh, just a ho-him 17 assists. Oh, just zero turnovers. Oh, just more assists through four games than any other player in NBA history. Oh, just another night of dominating without scoring double-digit points. Absurdly, that’s become Rondo’s average game. Once upon a time (and by that, I mean last year), Rondo took nights off. He showed the ability to dominate here and there, but there was one thing holding him back from becoming a superstar: he didn’t do it on a daily basis. Rondo would pile up 16 or 17 assists one night, then disappear the next. Sometimes, he’d even disappear from one quarter to the next. Not anymore.

Now it’s as if Rondo is using every quarter, every play, to compile a highlight tape for Coach K: “Hey, Krzyzewski! 24 assists! How do you like them apples? Yo, Coach K! 67 assists through four games! Suck on that!” Rondo has never lacked confidence, but he now plays every night like he believes himself to be the NBA’s best point guard. Or, at least, like he’s trying to prove that point to everybody else.

A few of Rondo’s assists were to Jermaine O’Neal, who exceeded expectations in his first start. O’Neal had a couple nice dunks, blocked a couple shots, and even got the jumper working towards the end of the game. (Shoot on the way up, Jermaine, not on the way down.) He hadn’t shown much (anything?) before tonight, but vowed yesterday that Celtics fans would be happy with his contributions by the end of the season. Then he made good on that vow, at least for one night.

While O’Neal impressed, his backup was more intriguing. Semih Erden’s regular season debut wasn’t anything for the history books, but he should have earned a little bit of Doc Rivers’s trust. He continues to be seven feet tall (“no kidding, Jay, you idiot”) and uses his long frame well. When Pistons drove to the hoop, Erden moved his feet over to stop them. When Pistons took shots in the lane, Erden outstretched his long arms well above his head. He blocked two shots and altered at least a couple more, doing the little things while showing Doc, “Hey, I might not be a seasoned vet, but I know how to play basketball. I know how to play my role.” Erden also fired a nice dime to a cutting Marquis Daniels and finished a solid fast-break dunk. He’s not a star by any means, but Erden can do a lot of things to help a team. (He can also hang on rims with the best of them. I’m still not sure how he didn’t get a technical foul after his dunk.) Of course, he’s also a rookie playing for Doc Rivers, which means he’ll likely spend most of the season picking splinters out of his ass. Knowing that, I’ll now move on to the veterans.

Kevin Garnett did exactly what he’s supposed to do when defended by Austin Daye and Charlie Villanueva. He finished with 22 points, six rebounds, and left the impression, “These skinny, unproven dudes can’t guard me.” Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Glen Davis were also impressive. Pierce scored 21 points, including two fast-break finishes that showed his improved explosion. One was a tough take right into Daye’s chest, and the other was a wide open dunk that Pierce finished with ferocity. Allen did as Allen does, silently compiling 16 points through a variety of leaners, jumpers and swished free throws. The only real blemish on his night was an uncharacteristic 2-7 three-point shooting night. Davis scored in double figures (10 points) for the fourth straight time to begin the season, also adding five boards. He continues to show a newfound maturity to his game. (Although he was the recipient of one of the worst technical fouls in NBA history. Oh, well.) 

Should I be happy that the Celtics won by 23 points, or worried that they still haven’t shown the ability to kick opponents when they’re down? Happy that Boston’s offense shredded an inept Pistons defense, or worried that they allowed the Pistons a lot of easy shots? Happy that the Celtics finally limited their turnovers, or worried that they lost the rebounding battle (for the first time all season) to a team that started Austin Daye?

Oh, who cares? A win’s a win, and the Celtics were dominant. It wasn’t perfect, but tonight’s blowout was all Boston from start to finish. Who am I to ask for anything more than that?

A mild ankle sprain for Avery Bradley? He’s probably out for the season. And yes, I will continue to make Avery Bradley ankle jokes until he finally gets healthy. Which might be never.

In Shaq’s stead, expect Jermaine O’Neal to start. Glen Davis should pick up some minutes in the middle, and Semih Erden could find the first playing time of his career. Doc Rivers is still hesitant to play the Turk, though, and I wouldn’t be too surprised if he found another DNP-CD. After all, Erden didn’t play a single second Friday night even though Jermaine O’Neal got a night off.

I’m trying to get excited to see the Celtics play the Pistons, I really am. But then I just keep thinking about Austin Daye trying to defend Kevin Garnett, and I’m reminded of the one time my high school’s varsity team scrimmaged the JV. I need to get pumped up, fast. Will somebody come to my house and reenact this YouTube clip for me?

It must feel wonderful to be so optimistic.

Yesterday, Dime Magazine published an interview with Rodney Stuckey in which Stuckey was quoted as saying, “On paper, we are the best team in the League.”

Stuckey then explained why he held such a radical belief. “We are deep and athletic,” he said. “All we have to do is play to our abilities. We don’t have the biggest roster, but if we share the ball, we’ll be alright.”

By the way, Ben Wallace’s corpse figures to be Detroit’s starting center. I don’t know what world Stuckey’s living in, but I imagine these are his beliefs:

On paper, Vinny Del Negro is the NBA’s best coach

Stuckey: “Most people think there’s only one thing worse than Del Negro’s hair cut: his offensive sets. But I’ve got to be real with you, folks. Del Negro’s just two steps ahead of every other coach. He’s a visionary. Ten years down the road, when every coach’s playbook becomes marked by confusion and hysteria, remember when I told you there’s no better X’s and O’s coach than Vinny Del Negro. Once Del Negro’s players come to understand his confounding genius, he’ll be alright.”

On paper, JaMarcus Russell is the world’s greatest quarterback

Stuckey: “Never mind that Russell was recently cut, or that he admittedly used codeine, or that his passer rating might as well have been in the negatives. All he has to do is play to his abilities. Russell doesn’t have the smallest waist, but if he ever learns how to stay sober and throw the ball to his own teammates, he’ll be alright.”

On paper, Hassan Whiteside is frontrunner for Rookie of the Year

Stuckey: “Look, guys, I know Whiteside’s offensive game can best be described as ‘non-existent.’ I know even the slightest breeze would blow him over. I know the only thing longer than his arms is the length he needs to climb to become a halfway decent NBA player. Whiteside doesn’t have a clue how to play basketball, but if he ever learns how to put the ball in the basket, he could possibly be alright.”

On paper, Vince Carter is as tough as they come

Stuckey: “Carter gets a bad rap. He mailed in games while playing for Toronto, hasn’t hit a clutch shot in decades, wastes his talents, and could never lead a contender to a championship. But you know what? If I was going to war, Vince Carter would be the first guy I’d want by my side.” (Editor’s note: If I ever went to war with Vince Carter, I’d probably jump on a grenade just to get it over with quickly.)

On paper, the Los Angeles Clippers are the NBA’s greatest franchise

Stuckey: “The Clippers have never won a championship. They rarely ever make the playoffs. Every player they draft either gets perenially injured or sucks major ass. But you know what? People talk about them, all the time. Donald Sterling knows exactly what he’s doing. And things are looking up — they just hired Del Negro!”

On paper, Sam Cassell is gorgeous

Stuckey: “Say what you want to say about Sam. Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder.”

On paper, Michael Sweetney is thin

Stuckey: “Just kidding with this one, guys. Not even I can try to argue this.”

Dennis Rodman was a phenomenal rebounder. He’s also totally, 100% bat-shit crazy. He’s also, also the lucky bastard who flipped his Range Rover three times, somehow walked away from it with nothing but a scratch on his finger, and then declined autographs to the same people who helped him get out of the car. Classy. (TMZ)

TMZ has learned Dennis Rodman was involved in a terrible car accident this weekend — in which his car flipped three times — but walked away with just a scratch on his finger.

We’re told the people who helped pull Dennis out of the wreckage later asked for autographs … but Rodman politely declined.

Okay, before I bash Rodman too hard for failing to give these people autographs, I have to mention another piece of the story that might make it okay for him to be such a prick: His friend was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures. Just precautionary measures, but still: If my friend needed to be taken to the hospital for any reason whatsoever, you’d better not ask me for an autograph. I know I’m the world-famous writer from Celtics Town and my autograph is probably worth a few billion dollars (at least) and you want to keep it under your pillow and kiss it before go to sleep every night, but I will punch you in your teeth if you ask me for a signature while my friend is injured. I don’t care if you just saved my life. It’s called manners, people.

Paul Pierce kindly told a Lakers fan during Game 2 that the Celtics weren’t planning to come back to LA.

Phil Jackson said the Lakers would either like to make him a liar or prove his statement right by winning three straight games themselves. (LA Times)

“We’re going to have to make him a liar,” Jackson said, smiling.

Then again, Jackson was told, the Lakers could win all three games in Boston.

If that did happen, the Lakers, who are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series, would win the NBA championship and the Celtics indeed wouldn’t have to come back to Los Angeles for a Game 6.

“We could end it here,” Jackson said. “That’s right. He might be right with that.”

Some Celtics fans might get mad at Jackson for what he said, but what was he supposed to say? That the Lakers were going to lose three straight, no doubt about it? That they shouldn’t even play Games 3-5 because Pierce’s prediction will come true no matter what? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

As hopeful as Pierce seems to be that the Celtics can win three straight, Marc Spears cautions that the road team has swept the middle three games more often than the home team. Only two teams have done it at home, but three have on the road. (Yahoo!)

Three visiting teams – the 1990 Pistons, 1991 Chicago Bulls and 2001 Lakers – have swept the middle games, which just proves one thing: At this level of the playoffs, it’s hard for any team to beat the other three times in a row.

“It’s extremely difficult to do,” said former Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas, who was MVP of the 1990 Finals when Detroit won three straight games in Portland to close out the series.

“That’s why it’s such a rare feat. Mentally, you have to go in there with the attitude that you can crush your opponent. Our locker room was totally silent before we came out for Game 3. We then ran out with [Bill] Laimbeer first, myself second and Joe Dumars third. I never forget Laimbeer running full blast out of the locker room and running a cameraman over.

“We all got to half court and Laimbeer grabbed the ball and slammed it hard to the floor. The Blazers turned around and looked at us, and I thought, ‘We are going to kick your ass.’ We were the ‘Bad Boys.’ If you’re going to be in a city that long, you have to own a city, make it yours and take it from the home team.”

I can’t exactly see Pau Gasol doing what Laimbeer did. But I DO know exactly what the Celtics should do before tonight’s game to make sure they won’t lose: