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

Michael Wallace, ESPN – “After dominating the Heat early and then watching nearly all of his team’s 19-point lead slip away, Pierce sprinted back on defense, planted his feet and then absorbed the full brunt of James barreling all of his 6-foot-8 inch, 260-pound frame into the lane while going in for a layup. The collision sent Pierce tumbling. By the time he came to his senses, he was in the locker room being treated for a bruised back. Pierce, who would return to finish off the Heat, has a reputation for milking these dramatic moments. But this one was legit. The pain was real. The sacrifice was bold. Never mind that he was called for a blocking foul. Nothing else his team did Tuesday was more symbolic of how uniquely proud, insanely stubborn and breathtakingly defiant the Celtics were on Tuesday. Brick walls don’t even have the audacity to stand in front of James when he’s got a full head of steam. The message that possession sent throughout the building, and likely the league, was that the defending Eastern Conference champions won’t be backing down and handing anything over to the Heat. … New Heat. Same Celtics. And Boston is still stubborn enough to stand in the way.”

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com – “Let’s face it, if there was going to be any clash in this series in which Boston figured to have the Heat’s number, this one was it. The Celtics were at home, their old legs as fresh as they’ll be all season, with most of their pieces in place for more than three years now and determined not to get marginalized so soon by these insta-team upstarts. Did I type f-r-e-s-h? Since bringing together Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in July 2007, the Celtics are 72-10 in games played before Christmas. Miami, by contrast, was playing in a hostile environment, had been thrown together on the fly and remains all parts, no whole. Wade in particular still was hobbled by a hamstring injury that wiped out his preseason.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “With all due respect to the fans who twice got the chant going, Miami is far more ‘Un-der-pre-pared’ than ‘O-ver-ra-ted.’ The Celtics simply did what they had to do to a team they really wanted to do it against. But last night is over. There is no better way to be reacquainted with reality than to wake up in Cleveland just hours after frolicking in the flashbulbs of perhaps the most anticipated NBA opener in history. ‘You always want to start off good,’ Shaquille O’Neal said after recording nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. The Heat are good, too, despite what you saw for most of the opener. For all their talent, the limited game time together earns them a mulligan. For now, they have less cohesion than a Post-It note. ‘Oh, they’ll be so much better,’ C’s coach Doc Rivers said. ‘I don’t know if (Wade) was healthy or not. He did look explosive down the stretch. You don’t miss as much (time as Wade missed) and have rhythm. So yeah, they’ll be much better. . . . Hopefully we will (be) too.’”

Gary Dzen, Boston Globe – “LeBron was LeBron. Dwyane Wade was hurt. So who exactly is Chris Bosh? It’s way, way too early to pile on Bosh, whose 8 points (3 for 11) and 8 rebounds were underwhelming in Game 1 of the 2010 NBA season. It’s too early, and yet it makes more sense the more you read between the lines. Before the game, Ray Allen failed to mention Bosh when comparing these Miami Heat to the Celtics’ Big Three in 2007. In giving Paul Pierce a compliment, Shaquille O’Neal said the Celtics captain was every bit as deserving as “the other two over there” in the Miami locker room. The other two. … And without a superstar-level Bosh, just who are these Miami Heat? Plenty of teams have two star players. The Celtics potentially have four, though admittedly none at the current level of a James/Wade. Bosh’s development could impact the entire complexion of this NBA season.”

Rich Levine, CSNNE – “Ray Allen’s long-range shooting and Paul Pierce stepping up in the clutch were two other bright — if not entirely surprising — spots, but the night’s biggest positive has to be Rajon Rondo. Could any other guard in this league have a 2-for-9 shooting night yet still dominate a game the way Rondo did? Could any other point guard drop 17 assists without anyone noticing? Could any other player go an entire night with the defense playing five feet off of him yet still get to the basket when he needed to? Listening to Shaq and Jermaine O’Neal talk about Rondo after the game, it was like they just went through a religious experience. And you get the sense that might be a common theme as the year goes on. Rondo’s the fastest guy on the court, but he still sees the game in slow motion. He sees things other guys don’t. And that vision is only expanding each night. It’s going to be fun. And honestly, so was watching the Celtics bring the new Big Three back down to Earth; a lot of fun. But in looking at the big picture, I’ll get a lot more satisfaction in what the Celtics did, as opposed to what the Heat didn’t.”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “In the box score, Shaquille O’Neal posted 9 points and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes. His teammates believe his contributions went beyond the stat sheet. ‘He’s huge for us,’ said Paul Pierce. ‘I think the numbers don’t really tell you how big he is for us because I remember at one point in the game going to Ray [Allen], I think it was the third quarter, we looked up and we were six minutes and in the bonus because Shaq drew about four or five fouls. We’re not a team that usually gets in the bonus that early, and that’s the presence that he brings. Hopefully it’s going to be like that all year long, when you get into a penalty and every foul from then on you go to the free-throw line. Just having him, he’s a great finisher . . . We want to take advantage of that night in and night out.  I think that’s where our greatest strength is, on the inside, and I’m glad to have him on our team.’ Kevin Garnett simply echoed, ‘What he said.’”

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports – “There’s never been such a target in the NBA, and that includes the Jordan Bulls, the Showtime Lakers, no one. These Heat are the creation of the digital media age, the time of 24-7 viral assault on your senses. Bosh is right: It isn’t going away. So how do you deal with it all? Eventually, he isn’t going to like something Spoelstra tells him. Or one of Spoelstra’s assistants tells him. He won’t like the way he’s getting blame when the team’s struggling and Wade, the Miami icon, gets a pass. Something will spur him because it always does, and then everyone will find out again about LeBron James’ coping mechanisms. James never has been able to make fun of himself, and he needed a Nike campaign to do it for him. He’d better find a way to take a sobering look at his flaws, his failures and scrub away old stains with a new start on South Beach. What should he do? Take a look around, embrace Riley’s culture and understand that he needs the Heat as much as they need him. What should he do? No more running, LeBron. No more hiding. Finally, there’s someone to confront James. There’s someone who isn’t held hostage, who isn’t terrified of telling him, “No.” Opening night, a sluggish loss to the Celtics, and none of it mattered so much in late October. Cleveland is long gone, and so needs to be the perpetual adolescence of that cocoon. He’s under Old Man Riles’ watch now, and that could change everything for LeBron James. That could complete him.”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “This was the most hyped and anticipated opening-night game in the league’s 65-year history. Everyone with an interest in the sport of professional basketball wanted to see the mighty Miami Heat, the team with the latest Big Three, the team that was going to re-glamorize the NBA, and never mind the fact we have a two-time defending champion located in the glamour capital of the US of A. But if the nation, the world, the uni verse, the galaxy, whatever, tuned in to see the mighty Miami Heat, they were re-introduced to the reality of the Boston Celtics, who have won a championship and have had two legitimate shots at others in the past three years, and who certainly look to be new and improved this season. The mighty Miami Heat could have been given a much easier opening-night foe than the Celtics’ squad that handed them an 88-80 loss to ensure they will not go 82-0.”

Steve Buckley, Boston Herald – “LeBron was asked about giving up the ball. Yep. The man who held his own version of “Judge Judy” to announce the name of his new employer was now being asked about giving up the ball. ‘It’s a feel-out process,’ he said. ‘When you have so many options, it’s something I’m not accustomed to, having that many threats out on the court at the same time. As the cohesiveness gets better, we’ve got to protect the balls more, but we’ll learn where the guys want the ball on the court.’ As his new teammate Dwyane Wade put it, ‘Sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82-0. It just ain’t happening.’ And it was Wade who, commenting on the Garden crowd, said, ‘Well, the hostile atmosphere is fine. We’ve played in hostile atmospheres, environments, before, so that’s respect.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “The opponent and preceding hype considered, Allen admitted to having a flashback to last June. ‘I actually felt like I was in the playoffs – it was the same feeling and energy,’ said Allen. ‘With those guys coming in here the fans were ready. I could hear them when I walked into the building getting on the other team. I look forward to many nights like that.’ That feeling was contagious. ‘I said to Paul as we came out here, ‘Are we in the Finals already?’ ” said Kevin Garnett, who beyond taking Bosh out of the game had a rough time in the last 4:15, when he missed three shots and two free throws, and also committed the offensive foul that set up James’ drive. But Garnett’s late drain was offset in all sorts of ways. Rajon Rondo had 17 assists to Miami’s overall 15. Though Shaquille O’Neal did a nice job of pounding the Heat frontcourt into early foul trouble, Glen Davis was Rivers’ choice as a crunch-time center.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “After the game, Pierce admitted he’s sore after spilling hard to the floor while picking up a blocking foul trying to deny James on a drive to the basket with 3:53 to play in the third quarter. He returned 1:17 into the fourth quarter, then connected on a pair of 3-pointers (while getting fouled in the act of shooting on another) to fuel his offensive outburst. ‘A little sore right now,’ said Pierce. ‘I knew when I got up and started walking around on the court, the back started to spasm a little bit. I had the chance to go to the back, took a few Advils, and put some heat on it and it loosened up a little bit. It was pretty good for the rest of the game, but it’s going to be a little sore [Tuesday] and [Wednesday].’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “Pierce has seen this play out so many times that he’s almost not surprised anymore when Allen takes, and makes, a huge 3-pointer with the game on the line. But take it for granted? No sir. ‘I’ve been a witness to the last three years, and he’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with,’ Pierce said. ‘It’s an honor just to be able to step on the court with him night in and night out. You’ve got a guy that can take that kind of pressure of you, it’s an amazing feeling.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “The Celtics utilized a handful of defenders on LeBron James Tuesday night, but it was Paul Pierce who proved most effective. Pierce was the defender on 14 of James’ 21 field goal attempts and he limited the Heat star to under 43 percent shooting overall. More importantly, Pierce forced five of James’ game-high eight turnovers, including three in the second half. Guarded by Pierce, James shot 42. 9 percent with five turnovers and 11 points scored (includes points via free throws). Defended by the rest of Boston’s roster James shot 57.1 percent with only three turnovers and 20 points scored.”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “Last night, the Celtics coach wanted Davis to close out a tight game, taking the place of new acquisition Shaquille O’Neal. ‘With (Davis), he’s the fifth guy a lot because he knows a lot of our stuff,’ Rivers said. ‘(Rajon) Rondo ran three plays in the fourth quarter that we literally hadn’t run this year in a practice or anything . . . so it allowed us to keep playing. And Shaq will gradually get there, but we’ve got to make sure we milk Baby and tell him.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

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

(AP photo/ Michael Dwyer)

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘I’m so beyond comfortable it’s ridiculous, from knowing the plays to knowing my role just to bring energy,’ said Robinson. ‘I’m not just the point guard – I’m the energy guy. Whenever (Rajon) Rondo needs a breather, I’m going to be the best sub that I can be for him, to make it easier for him to come in and pick up where I left off. It’s like a good tag team in wrestling,’ he said. ‘Come in, do your job, you tag out, you wait, and come in again.’ … ’I’m more relaxed. As Doc says, there’s a time to relax and a time to focus,’ said Robinson, whose own faith in Rivers has been bolstered by the coach’s decision to bring him back last summer. ‘Doc stuck by me, and the thing you learn is to just stay ready. Now that I have training camp and a couple of games behind me it’s much better. I’m just trying to learn all the plays and do whatever I can to help this team. Stay energized and stay focused. It helps me a lot because now, I know the plays now easy. In preseason now it’s easier for me to run the second team, know where each guy is supposed to be. It’s fun. Now I don’t have to worry about, ‘Oh, am I in the right spot?’ because I know where I’m supposed to be.’ … It helps to be on a second unit as good as this one appears to be. Rivers has praised Robinson’s work with Delonte West, in particular, as ‘seamless.’ ‘Our games feed off each other,’ Robinson said, referencing his fellow backup guard. ‘That’s the best thing for us. Even with the way we’re practicing now, we’re going to know what to do once the season starts. He’s real smart, real poised. He plays the game at his pace, whereas my pace is fast, his pace is slow, and as they say opposites attract. The good thing about our game is that we just take what the defense gives us. We’re like counter-effect. Everything counters, like a boxer who isn’t too aggressive and a boxer who isn’t too laid back. When the other guy makes a mistake, that’s when we capitalize.’”

Jim Fenton, Patriot Ledger – “‘So far, so good,’ said Coach Doc Rivers of using Robinson and West together. ‘It’s been seamlessly almost right now. They fit very well. Nate, so far, has been a very good point guard. He’s made a lot of good decisions. When they do get too fast, it seems like Delonte has been the guy that kind of calms the group down, (saying) ‘Slow down, let’s get back to playing at my pace again.’ Defensively, they’ve been a terror. They put so much pressure on the ball. That’s something we really haven’t had. We’ve been able to do it at one (guard) position. When you’re able to do it at two of the guard positions at the same time on the floor, that puts a lot of stress on the other team’s offense.’”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “Year 65 of the NBA. Year 16 of the Fill-In-The-Bank Garden. More importantly, Year 4 of the — I’m going to say it once and once only — Big Three. When this Celtics unit was first assembled, the operative phrase was ‘three-year window.’ … On the eve of the 2010 playoffs, I certainly didn’t think we’d see these guys together again. That 27-27 ending looked very much like the real deal, and there didn’t seem to be any sense in investing more money in what would be a 35-year-old shooting guard (Ray Allen), and if that were the case who knew what would happen with Paul Pierce? At that point Ainge had the very real option of slamming the window shut and proceeding to the next phase of Boston Celtics history. But the events of April, May, and June changed everything. … Year 4. Call it Bonus Year, call it Retribution Year, call it Geezer Year. Call it I Can’t Believe It’s Happening Year. But it’s here.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Even after 14 years in the NBA, Jermaine O’Neal admitted to a case of the butterflies when he stepped on the floor for the first time in a Celtics uniform Sunday. It showed. In just five ticks of the clock, he managed to get whistled for a defensive three-second violation (which resulted in a team technical foul) and, soon after, got called for a rather obvious offensive foul trying to slow down a defender chasing a Boston shooter along the baseline. Then, like so many other times during his career, came a big block that settled O’Neal down. ‘I was a little bit nervous the first minute, a little bit uncomfortable because you want to play well in front of your new team, a new town,’ said O’Neal, who logged seven first-half minutes in which he blocked three shots, grabbed two rebounds and took a charge. He did not attempt a shot. For me, my defense sets my offensive tone; it gets my blood going. Sometimes guys dictate their game by making a shot. Sometimes you’re not going to make that shot, or it takes a while to get that shot. Blocking a shot, taking a charge — that really gets me going.’ … ‘Blocking a shot or taking a charge, I’m there,’ said Jermaine O’Neal. ‘I feel like I’m the best big in the game as far as taking charges. I consider myself a real safety and I can cover a lot of ground quickly.’”

Rob Bradford, WEEI – “Talking after his team’s 91-87 preseason loss to the Celtics on Sunday night at TD Garden, Toronto forward Reggie Evans suggested that his former teammate, Chris Bosh, would be using the motivation derived from being kicked by Paul Pierce during dunk in the midst of a Nov. 27 game last year at the Garden when Bosh’s new team, the Heat, face off with the Celts in the teams’ season-opener. ‘Me knowing Chris, I know he’s got that game penciled in based on what happened last year with the Paul Pierce dunk, with the kick and stuff,’ Evans said. ‘Knowing him, when he has so much ammunition on a team, I know he’s looking forward to that game. He may deny it, but I’m pretty sure he’s looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun to watch.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “The starters may start suffering from guilt. All of the closing has been left to the Celtics reserves the last two games. Last night’s 91-87 exhibition win over Toronto – the Celtics’ third straight – featured a little of everything. Marquis Daniels, who won Thursday night’s game in New Jersey with a 3-pointer, added another trey in a nine-point, 4-for-4 fourth last night. Stephane Lasme broke the stretch open with a house-rattling tomahawk dunk, and Von Wafer drove his way to the line with three free throws in the last 1:23. All, obviously, are attempting to break onto coach Doc Rivers’ radar. ‘I liked that (Toronto) had to put some of their (regulars) back in,’ Rivers said. ‘We came out of a timeout with an iso for Steph and he came through – that was nice to see. Von got to the basket twice in a row. That was nice to see.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “O’Neal sat out of Saturday’s practice, bothered by his hips, and Doc Rivers plans to keep him out of one of the remaining preseason games. O’Neal explained he isn’t focused on his playing time and will do whatever it takes to help the Celtics. ‘My hip is good. I’ve got a little arthritis. A lot of pounding, but we’ve got a great staff here and I’m getting a lot of rest . . . I’ll be fine,’ he said, adding, ‘I’m here as a team player, so if Doc needs me to play big minutes, little minutes, I’m here and I won’t complain. I’m just here to try to help the Celtics get number 18 and help myself get number five.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “One thing that’s obvious is that the Celtics very much enjoy having such a monster post presence and are making every effort to get Shaq the ball every time his defender so much as looks the other way. ‘[Celtics point guard Rajon] Rondo knows that if he goes to the basket and my man leaves me, just throw it at the rim,’ said Shaq. ‘Just throw it at the backboard, throw it up; I’ll get it. He’s a great player and if he can make the pass, then most of the time I can make the catch.’ And, if Shaq can make the catch, more often than not the ball’s going to end up in the hoop (or he’ll end up at the charity stripe). ‘He commands such a presence on the inside that, when I drive the ball or Ray drives the ball, you really can’t come off of him because if you do, he’s going to get to finish,’ said Celtics captain Paul Pierce. ‘On offense, when you give him the ball, he’s such a great passer and guys tend to sink on him, and it’s going to open things up for us on the perimeter.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “It’s not like Jay Triano wasn’t familiar with Rajon Rondo already. Last season was Triano’s first as coach of the Raptors, and Rondo welcomed him to the division with 18.3 points, 10.3 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in their three meetings. But this summer, when he was an assistant on Mike Krzyzewski’s USA Basketball staff, Triano noticed something in Rondo he hadn’t before. ‘He’s a very smart basketball player,’ Triano said. ‘That surprised me. I wasn’t sure about that before. He’s one of the most highly intelligent players in the game right now,’ added Triano before his Raptors fell, 91-87, to the Celtics last night in an exhibition at TD Garden. ‘He knows everything. You cannot make a mistake with him. If you screw up on a scouting report, he knows.’ … Since it’s new assistant coach Lawrence Frank’s job to draw up the scouting reports this season, Rivers is bracing Frank for the task. ‘I’ve alerted Lawrence, this year, you get it right, because the coaches will know and so will Rondo,’ Rivers said.”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “But the truth is, simply walking into the Celtics locker room is the experience West has wanted. It’s been three years since he stepped on the parquet in green and white, and there is a different feeling this time around. Paul Pierce, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo are still there, but players like Gerald Green and Allan Ray have been replaced with the likes of Ray Allen and Shaquille O’Neal. There is no music playing in the locker room before the game. Instead, West notices a sense of focus among the team’s boisterous personalities. ‘I think when I was here, we had a lot of first- and second-year players here and we weren’t really quite understanding what it meant to be in the Celtics locker room,’ he said. ‘I sit in this seat now and appreciate being a part of a team like this. Wearing a Celtics badge is like an honor. It’s like you’re part of something, part of a fraternity.’”

Broderick Turner, LA Times – “Kobe Bryant still is trying to get his right knee stronger after having surgery in July. Andrew Bynum hasn’t begun to practice after surgery on his right knee and might not play until late November or early December. Luke Walton is dealing with a right hamstring injury that kept him out of the first two exhibition games. He’s expected to be reevaluated this week. ‘I just don’t think that Andrew, that there is a chance he’s going to possibly be ready for the season,’ said Jackson, who added that the Lakers also aren’t sure how ready Bryant will be when the season starts. ‘So we have to bring up the game and have a concept on how we want to play the game. That will be done during these next preseason games in the next week and a half.’”

Chris Tomasson, NBA Fanhouse – “Greg Oden claims he doesn’t listen to all the talk about how Portland should have taken Kevin Durant instead with the top pick in 2007 and about how he’s joined Bill Walton and Sam Bowie on an infamous list of Trail Blazers’ injured centers. But there is one thing Oden believes should be heard when he speaks. ‘When I get out there 100 percent, everybody will see what kind of player I am,’ Oden said in an interview with FanHouse. ‘When I get 100 percent and I get to improve on the court, I feel I can be an All-Star.’”

Marc Spears, Yahoo! – “The ball bounced high off the rim and disappeared into Blake Griffin’s hands. In an instant, the Los Angeles Clippers forward was slamming home the rebound for a thundering dunk that brought even the opposing fans to their feet at Arco Arena. Griffin stared at the Clippers’ bench as the roar fell over him. Yes, this was Griffin’s way of announcing his return – or his delayed arrival. After missing all of his first NBA season with a broken left kneecap, Griffin has wasted little time this preseason in showing off the talent and potential that made him the No. 1 pick of the 2009 draft. ‘I’ve been seeing that for like the last three weeks in practice,’ Clippers guard Baron Davis of Griffin’s highlight dunk against the Sacramento Kings. ‘For him to come back the way he did after this injury really says something.’ It says that not only does Griffin look healthy, he also now looks ready to fulfill all that promise.”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

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

One of my favorite pictures ever.

Dave D’Alessandro, New Jersey Star Ledger – “Every time they snap on the tube or log on to the interwebs, they see it. Just like we all do. If this bothers the Celtics, they don’t admit it. LeBron’s beaming visage, D-Wade’s scowl, Riley’s rings — maybe these inescapable images hold their attention for a heated Miami moment or two, but if they’re like most people in the NBA, they figure this is what happens when the hype machine goes into overdrive, and when ordinary men become self-involved to the point of psychosis. The Celtics, after all, are old enough not to be affected by the sensory overload that drives the Miami sound machine. They may not be the team they used to be, but the memories of their own invincibility are still fresh, and sometimes that sustains you in times like these. Because there’s no escaping it: Miami’s the team to watch in the new decade, with $327 million in high-wattage talent that seems destined to make history. And the Celtics, those troglodytes who had to scrap for everything they’ve earned these past three years, are Thursday’s news. ‘Like we supposed to be scared or something,’ Paul Pierce spat, but only half-jokingly. ‘I mean, c’mon.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “The shot splashed through, breaking the tie, and after a couple of Nate Robinson free throws, the rest of the Celtics 96-92 win was a formality. Daniels said at the start of training camp that he spent the summer working on his perimeter shooting. That was the only shot he took from outside all night, and he was able to knock it down. ‘I just tried to make at least 500 to a thousand a day, just 3s,’ Daniels said. ‘Just trying to better myself.’ Daniels has the luxury of playing without the ball now that Robinson and Delonte West are in the back court for the second unit. He went 4 of 8 from the floor and scored 9 points as the reserves carried the load for the Celtics. Rivers said he wants to find more ways to utilize Daniels, who fell out of the rotation at the end of last season. ’He’s healthy, he’s playing pretty hard and it was a big shot for him,’ Rivers said. ‘We want to keep posting him more. I don’t think we’re getting enough of that out of him. We have to go to him, which I didn’t think we did a very good job of. But he has to learn how to hold his position better.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “‘I take what the defense gives me,’ Daniels said. ‘I’m trying to get to the basket, make the best of the opportunity. Last year, with the injury, it affected me. Now I can just come out and play hard.’ Do his teammates see a newfound confidence in his play? Robinson rode a similar roller coaster last season, and while he started to build back his own confidence during the NBA Finals, giving him a ramp to this season, he believes Daniels is simply taking advantage of the opportunity. ‘He’s here now, knowing he’s a part of this team and helping out,’ Robinson said. ‘He’s playing defense; he’s got that little post-up game. He showing he knows how to play this game.’ Daniels is playing with confidence, again.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “The quintet of Davis, West, Robinson, Daniels and Semih Erden then outscored the Nets by 11 in the second quarter. Davis and West had a dozen points each in the frame, and Robinson added nine. The Celts shot 68.4 percent in the quarter. The Celtics starters then pushed a 56-54 halftime lead out to double figures in the first few minutes of the third quarter. Said Rivers of West, ‘I think he saw we were struggling a little bit, and he just basically took the game over for a stretch. It’s nice when you have a guy off the bench doing that.’ West left the game in the third quarter when his back spasms returned. ‘Coming in at halftime, I felt my lower back pinching,’ he said. ‘It’s real minor. The muscles are tightening up, and I think they’re pinching on a nerve. It’s just precautionary.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Before the game, West told CSNNE.com that he was looking to set up teammates but if they needed him to score, he could do that as well. ‘I’m a jack of all trades,’ West said. ‘I don’t do anything great, but I do a lot of things good.’ … ‘I know when I get out there, I have a job to do,’ West told CSNNE.com prior to the game. ‘And that job isn’t always the same every night. Sometimes, I need to score. Other nights, I need to set my teammates up, or rebound, or defend. It really doesn’t matter to me what my team needs. They know I’ll do whatever I have to do to help us win.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “And with that, the BBM era – that’s Boston Bench Mob -  began with Thursday’s 96-92 preseason win over the New Jersey Nets. ‘It’s a beautiful thing. I like it; I like it a lot,’ said Celtics backup Nate Robinson of the nickname. ‘It was Shaq’s idea. He’s the one that comes up with a lot of good ideas.’ … ‘You could pretty much sub our five new guys off the bench,’ said C’s forward Paul Pierce who had 15 points. ‘I think they developed a certain chemistry out here in training camp and in the preseason. You can see, it’s coming along. They’re going to be a unit that’s going to be able to extend a lead, and we’re going to look for them to do that on nights when we don’t get a good start.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “But after watching the Celtics lose to some poor teams last season, [Ray] Allen doesn’t want them to be overly concerned with the NBA iron. ‘We know this is a league of many teams that are capable, many players that are capable,’ he said. ‘We’ve got to beat teams we’re supposed to beat. You play the best teams in your conference four times and two against the other (conference), so we’d be foolish to focus on the good teams. It’s (against) the teams that you’re supposed to beat that you let your guard down and you end up losing games. If we want to do the things we hope we can do, we’d like to have homecourt advantage all throughout the playoffs. It changes things a lot. So it requires us to make sure that we take care of business all around the board and don’t get too fancy free about playing the teams that are supposed to be the ones that are better than us or just as good.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Celtics guard Von Wafer picked up his second technical foul in as many nights after flapping his gums at the officials in the fourth quarter. Wafer, whose contract is not fully guaranteed and who has admitted he’s in a dogfight for a final roster spot, has done little to distinguish himself on the court (other than wearing a pair of Rondo’s bright green Nike shoes). He played for more than nine minutes Thursday and did not put up a single shot, not exactly what the Celtics are looking for from a player whose biggest attribute is supposed to be his scoring. The technical fouls, especially at what turned out to be a critical juncture in the game, didn’t help his cause. ‘I don’t love [Wafer's technicals],’ said a clearly peeved Rivers. ‘I’m just going to stop there.’”

Peter May, ESPN Boston – “Rivers said he is not going to increase Garnett’s playing time this season. If anything, with the anticipated development of the second unit, Garnett’s time might decrease. The goal, as has been the case since 2007, is to have Garnett healthy for the real season in April, May and, the Celtics hope, June. ‘Health is a very big part of why you win,’ Garnett said. ‘Simple as that.’ That should be the game plan. Shaq will help. Jermaine O’Neal will help. Delonte West will help. Semih Erden could even help. But for the Celtics, even with all the new names and big bodies, it begins and ends with defense and, by extension, with No. 5. Garnett might be losing face time to the newer Celtics, but as long as he stays healthy, he is not going to be ceding important playing time. And that’s what still matters the most.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “‘It’s important that we have a deeper rotation [this season], it’s better for the playoffs,’ Rivers said before Wednesday’s game. ‘Last year, there were times when we had [an] eight[-man rotation] and, in the playoffs, we were almost at seven at times. We’ll probably shorten for the playoffs [this year], but to get there, we really need a bench. And we need a great bench. For us to have an honest chance of winning this whole thing, our bench has to be huge during the regular season. They’re going to have to win games for us some nights.’”

Chris Sheridan, ESPN – “High praise trumped high comedy when Shaquille O’Neal made his postgame comments tonight after the Nets’ 96-92 loss to the Boston Celtics, which is notable all by itself. The level of praise was notable, too, because Shaq made quite the comparison in assessing the talents of New Jersey center Brook Lopez. ‘Reminds me of … I’m going to go with Tim Duncan,’ O’Neal said. ‘Classy guy. You’ll never hear about him getting in trouble. Great moves, great composure, and you’re really not going to faze him. A couple guys will probably try to rough him up, but that’s not going to faze him. Good player. Good player.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

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

Ah, complaining already.

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Davis shrugged his shoulders during media day when asked what the addition of veteran big men Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal meant for him this season, then sounded off on his situation. ‘I don’t even know, I gotta find out what my role is,’ said Davis. ‘With Rasheed [Wallace] last year, I had to become a center. Now? I don’t know. Do I become a [power forward]? Do I go back to playing the 4? We’ll see. It’s difficult because, as a player, you kind of don’t understand where [the organization is] going or what they are doing. No matter what I do — I can play great — it’s still not enough. I’m just here to help the team wherever possible, any way I can. Whenever I find my role, I’ll do it to the max, the only way I can.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “‘It feels great to be back in green and white, where I started my career,’ he said. ‘That’s a great compliment, being picked up from a team that’s coming off a Game Seven [of the NBA Finals] and got their eyes set on a championship. To be called to render my services to help this team put up another banner, that’s an amazing feeling.’ The Celtics believe West can bolster their bench and add versatility to their backcourt. ‘He plays both ends of the court, brings great defense, intensity, shooting, passing. He’s a pretty complete player,’ Ainge said of West, who averaged 8.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds last season for the Cavaliers. West hopes to help the C’s by being selfless and sacrificing himself for the betterment of the team. He understands their “we-not-me” mentality and is on board with their championship ambitions. Even though the Celtics only won 24 games the last time West played in Boston, he has no question of their motivation this time around. ‘It’s definitely a different vibe in the locker room,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot more maturity going on around here than last time I was here. You can just sense it in the air — guys want to win. I walk through the locker room, everyone here has that gold trophy in their pupils.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - ”‘I was like, man, looking at the Celtics roster, that’s the first thing I was thinking. I’d love to go back there and help their team win,’ West said in an interview otherwise limited – per team order – to basketball questions. ‘Just watching them play in the playoffs, it was hard not to be a fan of the way they were playing. I’ve always been a fan of coach (Doc) Rivers’ style and the way he likes to get things done. It was always on my mind. I chit-chatted with Paul Pierce a few times over the summer and I expressed how I felt and how I could help the team. It’s definitely a different vibe in the locker room (compared to his previous stint). There’s a lot more maturity going on around here than the last time I was here. You can just sense it in the air. Guys want to win. When I walk through the locker room, everyone here has the gold trophy in their pupils. You can see it. You can feel it. There’s a lot of excitement here. Everyone’s so selfless here. They’re sacrificing for the greater good of the team and that’s the type of player I am any way, so I think I’ll fit in here perfect.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “The tip-off came on Thursday when Ainge mentioned Delonte West several times before the team’s charity golf outing. This was Rivers Monday: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever coached a more competitive human being.’ West will have to sit out the first 10 games of the season to serve an NBA-ordered suspension, but when he is able to come back, the Celtics see him as a multiple-position defender and multi-talented guard. ‘Delonte is huge for us because when you lose a guy like Tony Allen, he was our defensive stopper,” Pierce said. “Delonte is probably going to fill in that role. He brings some versatility to that position that we haven’t had since he left.’ They all wanted West back: Pierce, Perkins and Rondo. Truthfully, they never wanted him to leave and Ainge didn’t really want to give him up. ‘If it wasn’t for such a good player it would have been very difficult for me to trade Delonte,’ Ainge said, referencing the Ray Allen deal. ‘He’s a perfect fit for what we need.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – O‘Neal has laid off hamburgers, fried chicken, macaroni, and cornbread to stay in shape this summer. He clocks in at 345 pounds, a weight he plans on maintaining throughout the season. His teammates have noticed how well he is moving on the court. ‘We’ve played in a couple pickup games,’ said Paul Pierce. ‘He looks good, just him getting up and down the court. In one pickup game, he got three fast-break layups. You don’t really hardly hear about Shaq getting fast-break layups. But he’s looked good. I think he’s looked better than I guess people anticipated. A lot of people say he comes and gets in shape in camp, but he looks really good in the pickup games we’ve playing the last couple of weeks.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “You probably have heard this one before, but on the eve of the final (or second-to-last) roundup, it’s worth repeating. After a week of playing pick-up ball with his aging, but willing, teammate, Paul Pierce is sold on Kevin Garnett. ‘KG is one guy that looks great the way he’s moving, his attitude, he’s over that injury and he’s ready to play some ball right now,’ Pierce said during yesterday’s Celtics media day/training camp kickoff. Similar hopes were floated at this time last year, only to drift off the radar until playoff time. The difference yesterday was that Garnett, who chafed and squirmed at any mention of his surgically repaired knee last season, was his own biggest proponent. ‘Lot more confidence in my leg and body,’ he said. ‘I feel a lot better. I’m eager to start camp. I don’t like us, I love us.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Garnett labored through much of last season while coming off knee surgery that curtailed both his 2008-09 season and Boston’s hopes that season of defending its 17th NBA title. He admitted Monday that, at no point last season, did he ever feel 100 percent, something that wore on him mentally, even when his play improved in the postseason. ‘More mentally than anything, last year was hard for me, just because I knew I was playing through some difficult times,’ said Garnett. ‘I’m not one to make excuses; I’m not one to be out here [expletive] and complaining about things. I’m one to work, to come in here and continue to work, and try to better myself. That’s what I did.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – [Paul Pierce said:] “‘Truthfully, man, I had the same feeling about this team in [before the 2007-08 season], when we got Kevin [Garnett] on the team and Ray [Allen]. The additions that we added — [Shaquille O'Neal], Jermaine [O'Neal], Delonte [West], and some of the other rookies — this is one of the most talented teams, top to bottom. It’s more talented than the teams than I’ve been on since I’ve been a Celtic. We talked about this last week when we all had a chance to play pickup with Shaq and KG. We were talking about the energy that’s around here again. Guys felt it — the urgency to win another championship. Guys were talking about the memories of Game 7, as far as putting that behind us. I know it hasn’t really gotten out of my head. As much as you want to put it behind you, it’s hard. You can’t. The only way to erase that memory is to go out and try to get another championship. Guys are motivated. The energy is back in the building and we’re ready.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘You know, Shaq is going to be Shaq,’ captain Paul Pierce said. ‘All the publicity and all the circus that’s going to come with it, I mean, he’s one of the biggest stars that this game has ever seen, so you’ve got to expect that. I’m happy to say I have a chance to play with him. Just to be in the locker room with him for a year or two or however long he decides to play, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Hopefully I can learn some things from him. I’m just going to enjoy this ride.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “Delonte West was with the Celtics during Rajon Rondo’s rookie season in 2006-07, but was traded that summer in the Ray Allen draft-day deal. Back this offseason via free agency, he says the difference in the starting point guard – entering his fifth NBA season – is striking. ‘He knows who he is. He knows his game,’ West said. ‘He knows what he has to do each and every night to help his team win.’ West considers Rondo the best point guard in the NBA right now – a notion that gained steam last postseason but took a hit after Rondo withdrew from Team USA at the world championships.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “And he’s got some new teammates with whom to rub shoulders. Perkins made a point to approach newcomers Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal recently. He wanted them to know his hits were nothing personal. ‘I kind of approached them in a happy-go-lucky way just to let them know that when they’re on the other team it’s business, but now they’re on my team and I’m the coolest guy they can be around,’ Perkins said. ‘I’m their supporter.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “When you listen to Jermaine O’Neal talk about the Boston Celtics, his respect for the organization is obvious. But as much as he loves them now . . we’ll just let him tell you how he used to feel. ‘I hated their team for so long,’ O’Neal acknowledged during the C’s media day on Monday. ‘But I always admired their team and what they represented. On that court, it was all about winning and playing together and playing hard.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

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.

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston- “Glen Davis didn’t try to sugarcoat it. ’We got our ass kicked, point blank, simple,’ he said. ‘They came out and hit us hard. They beat us mentally and physically. They needed this and they did what they had to do to get it.’ Facing elimination, the Lakers outhustled and outmuscled the Celtics from the opening tip, leaving Boston battered and bruised — both mentally and physically, as Davis noted — after Tuesday’s tilt. Kendrick Perkins suffered a sprained right knee and remains questionable (at best) for Thursday’s decisive Game 7, while Rajon Rondo needed four stitches to close a gash on his chin after absorbing a Ron Artest third-quarter elbow.”

Bill Plaschke, LA Times- “A weathered, brow-wrinkled basketball team in need of an instant makeover pulled one off Tuesday, the Lakers painting themselves in a color as brilliant as it was rare. Desperation. It was brushed on the bloody lips of Pau Gasol, the sweaty glare of Lamar Odom, the floor burns covering Jordan Farmar. It was powdered over a frenetic Ron Artest, streaked across a soaring Shannon Brown and, yeah, dripping from every pore on the angry body belonging to Kobe Bryant.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald- “’This is no different situation for us. There’s not going to be another game added where we’re going to be able to go home and play in front of our building. That’s a comfort that the Lakers have right now. So in order for us to accomplish what we want, we’ve got to do it here in this building on this floor against this team, and it’s got to be (tomorrow).’”- Ray Allen

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald- “Gasol attacked the C’s from all directions with 17 points, nine assists and 13 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. ’Every game the winner has also been the winner of the rebounding battle – it’s really important that we continue that,’said Gasol. ‘It’s something you need to control. It gives you an advantage.’ That especially holds true when the other side disintegrates into the sort of individual lapses that have characterized the worst Celtics losses this season. ’I thought we played an individual game tonight,’ Rivers said. ‘We never had a chance to get into transition and get Rondo going. Everybody was trying to make their own plays. If you try to play a team like the Lakers when you’re desperate, you’re going to lose.’”

“’We take complete responsibility,’ said Ray Allen. ‘You can talk about defense, but it stems a lot from our offense. We didn’t try to make the extra pass. As a starting unit we take responsibility.‘This here is for all the marbles,’ he said. ‘We’ve talked all year long about (getting) into this situation. We’ve been a team that’s operated well when our backs are up against the wall.’”

Steve Buckley, Boston Herald- ”But the Celtics could have wheeled out Perkins and had him stand around for a couple of minutes, and those awful shots would have remained awful. ’Honestly, tonight it wouldn’t have mattered tonight the way things were going, but it would have been nice to have him on the floor,’ coach Doc Rivers said. ‘He’s one of our guys that I think gives us great spirit, gives us a lot of toughness and gives us size. ’You know, I hope he can play. It would be tough if he can’t. Somebody else is just going to have to step forward.’”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe- “Otherwise, the first three quarters were a complete disaster. (The fourth quarter was a formality). The Lakers shot better, defended better, and they annihilated the Celtics on the boards (52-39, with a 15-6 edge in second-chance points). The home team won all the so-called “50-50’’ battles that are so much in vogue. The Lakers were extremely active defensively, making even the most routine entry pass a Boston adventure. And when it came to entertainment, they trotted out Shannon Brown for a dazzling second-quarter alley-oop from Gasol on which he almost certainly created a stir at the LAX control tower.”

Andy and Brina Karnenetzky, ESPN Los Angeles- “It was clear from the opening tip Tuesday the Lakers team taking the floor was different from the group Boston confounded in Game 5. Bryant hit four of his first five shots, and was able to make his way to the rim. Andrew Bynum was a presence inside early, scoring L.A.’s second basket of the game and hauling in more rebounds in the first 3:18 of the first quarter (two) than he did in 32 minutes of Sunday’s game. (Bynum watched most of the second half with an ice pack on his bum right knee after tweaking it again with just under two minutes left in the third, obviously a story to watch.) Ron Artest canned his first jumper of the night, a triple from the right corner, and the Lakers ran out to a 10-point lead after the first 12 minutes.  ’We executed,’ Bryant said. ‘We executed extremely well. You didn’t see us blow too man assignments and [give up] too many easy opportunities, which we did in Boston. Then on top of that, we had a lot of effort behind the execution, and because of that we had a big win.’ Heading into tonight’s game, quite frankly I had no idea how the Lakers would come out. Bynum’s knee was a question mark, and without his presence Gasol has been subjected to an incredible amount of pounding to which he did not respond well on Sunday. Artest was a sinkhole offensively and coming off his worst defensive performance of the Finals. Lamar Odom, to steal metaphors from Bryant, belonged on a milk carton.”

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

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.

Matt Pepin, Boston.com-”There’s nothing new about mayors of cities with teams playing each other for a championship having a friendly wager on the outcome. The stakes are almost always something that represents the city. But give Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa some credit for breaking the “sushi-for-clam chowder” mold for this year’s NBA Finals. According to the LA Times, he’s putting up actor and Lakers superfan Jack Nicholson in a proposal to Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino, and asked that Boston natives Ben Affleck and Matt Damon be on the hook if the Celtics lose. Villaraigosa suggests that the actors would make advertisements touting the city of the winning team.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE- “Bryant led all scorers with 30 points, 14 of which came in the pivotal third quarter when the Lakers took a nine-point halftime lead and more than doubled it. He also had seven rebounds and six assists. Known for playing with assassin-like precision, Bryant’s steely cool demeanor seemed to permeate throughout the Los Angeles roster. You knew coming in that Bryant was going to win his matchup with Ray Allen. But as you went down the line, it seemed the Lakers were victorious from top to bottom. And they did it with a physical brand of basketball, the kind of game that was supposed to be Boston’s calling card, not L.A.’s. ’The Lakers were clearly the more physical team today,’ said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. ‘They were more aggressive. They attacked us the entire night, and you know, I’ve always thought the team that is most aggressive gets better calls. That’s just human nature.’”

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com- “In the two years since they last met in the Finals it seems the Celtics have aged while the Lakers matured. The Lakers all said the beatdown the Celtics gave them in 2008 gave them the drive to get the championship in 2009. I asked Kobe Bryant before the series what they took from beating Orlando. ‘Just the poise,’ he replied. ‘The poise of playing through [adversity] and getting to our ultimate goal, that’s something we’ve carried with us. You don’t see us get rattled by anything.’ Poise. The perfect word to describe the Lakers Thursday night. While the Celtics got bent when calls didn’t go their way, Pau Gasol reacted to a couple of fouls whistled on him with that same disbelieving smirk flashed by Armando Galarraga when the umpire cost him a perfect game. Nor did he get out of character and flex after dunks or yell in Kevin Garnett’s face. He made his point with a 23-point, 14-rebound stat line.”

Peter May, ESPN Boston- “The plaudits carried over to the postseason. He was the best player on the floor in the Celtics’ series with the Cavaliers. (“He’s dominating the series,” LeBron James said after Rondo went for the unthinkable line of 29 points, 13 assists and 18 rebounds in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.) He wore out Jameer Nelson as the Celtics won the first three games of the conference finals against Orlando. And in pretty much every pre-Finals breakdown, aside from the one in the Derek Fisher house, the Celtics were deemed to have the advantage at point guard. But the Lakers had the Celtics on their heels much of the night and while the real story of Game 1 was L.A.’s bludgeoning of Boston on the glass, there also was the alarming lack of cohesion on offense. Fairly or unfairly, that starts with the point guard. The Celtics shot a wretched 43.3 percent. They managed a meager 19 assists, or the same number Rondo himself had in Game 2 against the Cavs. Their 41 first-half points matched their lowest scoring first half of the playoffs. But on the previous two occasions in which they had a 41-point first half, they won (Game 1 vs. Miami and Game 1 vs. Orlando). That’s because they actually played defense in those games.”

Bob Hohler, Boston Globe- “‘I’m better than I was tonight,‘ Garnett said afterward in the glum visitors locker room.’I played like horse[expletive].’’ The game was lost largely in the paint, where the Celtics’ big men, primarily Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, were generally manhandled by Gasol and Co. The Lakers outscored Boston, 48-30, in the paint and outrebounded the Celtics, 42-31. Perkins, who finished with only 8 points and three rebounds, joined Garnett in accepting much of the blame for the loss. Perkins failed to block a shot and was outplayed from the start by Lakers center Andrew Bynum. ‘I didn’t have any impact on the defensive end at all, and it all starts with me,’Perkins said. ‘I’ve got to do better.’”

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