And just because his legs are made entirely of flubber, a Brown highlight reel after the jump:
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Corny caption alert: Last season knocked Marquis Daniels to the floor. Can he get off it this year?

Why did the Celtics sign Marquis back? Didn’t Danny Ainge watch any of the games last season? – Joe

Look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you Marquis played well last season. He made about as much of an on-court impact in the second half of the season as Dana Barros did. But Daniels is a player who’s been good for his whole career. He knows his role, he doesn’t make mistakes and he normally produces at a solid rate. So what happened last year? It was a combination of injuries and a lack of confidence, I’d say. But we need to pretend like last year never happened. Get out your Men In Black memory eraser thingy and wipe the slate clean. If Daniels can get his head back on straight, he could end up being one of the steals of the offseason. Plus, there wasn’t really much else to choose from. Unless, ya know, you’re a really big Jarvis Hayes fan.

Why is no one talking about Shannon Brown as a possible pick up? He’s a pretty athletic guy but I don’t know if he fits the team. – @carltastic77

First off, calling Shannon Brown “pretty athletic” is like calling Shaq “pretty big.” Secondly, it’s not that he doesn’t fit — the Celtics could always use a super-bouncy shooting guard who can play PG in a pinch. Brown is just likely to get a salary higher than what the Celtics can afford. If Kyle Lowry is worth $6 million a year, there’s no way Brown’s going for the minimum. By the way, the Lakers think they’ll keep Brown even after the Matt Barnes signing. Not to make you want to jump out your window or anything, but they’ve had a damn good offseason. And even though I didn’t mean to, I think I just made you want to jump out your window.

What are the chances that one of the rookies this year makes a huge impact helping the team? – @carltastic77

Huge impact? I’d say zero. But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. Bradley has the potential to be a stud down the road, and Doc Rivers already practically foams at the mouth when talking about his defense. That said, I wouldn’t expect him to play very much for two reasons: 1) Doc loathes rookies and 2) Bradley projects to be a point guard, where he’d probably be behind Rajon Rondo and Nate Robinson on the depth chart.

As for Harangody, I wouldn’t expect much of anything. Not only is he a vertically challenged big man with no athleticism, but he’s a vertically challenged big man with no athleticism on a team that already has one of those. There’s no way Harangody takes any of Big Baby’s minutes, I don’t think, and there’s zero chance both of them could play together.

The last rookie, Semih Erden, is kind of the wild card. He didn’t show much in summer league, but he’s a legit seven-footer with decent athleticism. Even though he’s probably a few years with Clifford Ray away from contributing, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Erden get a little playing time while Perk is down. He’s decent enough defensively that he wouldn’t hurt the Celtics too much. Yuck, what am I saying? If Erden plays any minutes at all, the Celtics are in trouble.

You know, I think you just may be the best free agent left. How would you feel about  coming out of retirement? – Max Hard

I’ve been working out a lot recently, and by a lot I mean once or twice a week. I’m no longer 40 pounds over my playing weight, only about 35. But I’ve been averaging about 20 in summer league (granted, against out-of-shape men and underdeveloped high schoolers), which puts me just about on par with the premier free agents left on the market. I’m willing to listen to offers, but — even at this stage of my career — I’m not a minimum guy. Deadeye jump shooters like myself don’t grow on trees.

Get me questions, people! The turnout for these first few days was weak. You readers are better than that. Email me at jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter. Just do it.

Rye, New Hampshire native Tyler McGill walked all the way from Boston to New York City to win a bet with his friends and receive NBA Finals tickets for Games 3-5.

Just don’t think his quest is done simply because that horrendous, 200-mile walk is over and he’s got the tickets. (Green Street, WEEI)

“I’m going to be in Shannon Brown’s head all day. I’m going to be riding Kobe [Bryant] like a pony out there,” McGill said. “The Celts are going to have an extra man on the court with them at all times.”

For fans both in the Garden and watching on television, look for McGill in a reflective police vest that he picked up from Sherborn police en route to New York as well as a bright neon green Summer Sessions Surf Shop shirt from the store he and his brother own in the Granite State. He says his seats will be at center court across from the benches.

I admire this guy’s heart and dedication to the Celtics — walking more than 200 miles for tickets shows real love for the C’s. But why would he want to be in Shannon Brown’s head all day?

Stick to the big guns, Tyler. Ride Kobe and Pau. God (aka Red Auerbach/Larry Bird) knows the Celtics need some extra help against Pau.

UPDATE: Those tickets would have cost him $36,000.

Ray Allen’s movement off the ball is a lot like Jessica Biel’s swimming scene during Summer Catch; you just want to watch it, savor it, and salivate over its prettiness.

Here’s TrueHoop’s Kevin Arnovitz on how Allen got open so many damn times yesterday.

My favorite part? Obviously, Shannon Brown’s FOMO.

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.

The Rottweiler Celtics are back.

Ramona Shelbourne, ESPN Los Angeles – “But as far as the Celtics are concerned, this series will come down to the same dynamic as the last time they played: ‘They play one way and we play a different way,’ Allen said. ‘That’s what’s beautiful about the Finals because you get a contrast of the two styles. It’s about who can take away that team’s strengths and force that team to play the way you want them to play.’ So yes, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins have grown and matured as players. Ron Artest has given the Lakers a more formidable perimeter defender than the last time they played, Andrew Bynum is healthier, and Pau Gasol has added 15 pounds of muscle. But the Celtics aren’t planning on changing their style of play or their playbook for beating the Lakers much from what worked two years ago. ‘No, we have our game plan,’ Allen said. ‘As players, we’ve got some tough guys on this team and you just play how you play.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “And yet all we hear from Laker Land is how they are going to avenge the ’08 loss to the C’s with more physical play, more toughness, more … of everything they are not. Don’t get it twisted. The Lakers are by no means a soft team. Far from it. But are they this gritty, grimy, beat-you-up-in-a-back-alley type of squad that’s going to overwhelm the Celtics with their increased Pau-wer? Uh, no. Ron Artest’s presence makes you a better team at bullying opponents. And when healthy, and that’s a big if, Lakers center Andrew Bynum can be the type of in-the-paint physical enforcer the Lakers want. But here’s the thing. Physical teams aren’t physical because they have a couple of tough guys. Physical teams smack you around from top to bottom, from superstar to seldom-used backup. And the Lakers, for all the talent they have, are not that kind of team.”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “As much as the Lakers tried to brush aside questions about their fortitude, there is little doubt that the Celtics are the more physical team in this matchup. Jackson compared the C’s to ‘roughhouse’ teams of the past, like the Detroit Pistons of the 1980s and the New York Knicks of the ’90s. ‘You’re not going to be able to counterpunch as much as use your speed and quickness and basketball skills. And you can do that,’ Jackson said. ‘Otherwise you’re going to have a guy riding you all the time and you feel like you’re playing with an extra 150 pounds.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “‘We’re going to be us,’ [Doc Rivers] said. ‘That’s physical and that’s what were going to do.’ Subtlety has a way of going over the cliff once we reach this point — and that was about as subtle as a Kendrick Perkins forearm. But why hide it? There’s a method to all that, mainly to alert the refs about what they’re going to see, but it also has a way of simplifying for his team what can become a shifting set of adjustments and concerns. This is where Rivers has truly excelled, by making big-picture tactical decisions and sticking with them. Against the Cavs, he locked in on Kevin Garnett and practically demanded that Garnett run the game from the low post. Against the Magic, it was Pierce and Ray Allen. Defensively, he and Tom Thibodeau have put his players on an island against the best in the game and not allowed the complimentary players to beat them. There’s a whole bunch of other things that go into that, but the rough outline of the gameplan doesn’t need a three-ring binder. The capital-A “Adjustments” have all come from the other side. Whether it was Mike Brown grasping at rotation straws or Stan Van Gundy preemptively flopping Matt Barnes and Vince Carter, Rivers has stayed constant and consistent which is exactly what his team needs.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “He sees the Celtics as an improved team this year and even from ’08. ‘We’re better because of Kevin (Garnett),’ Rivers said. ‘Last year we didn’t have Kevin playing and (Leon) Powe, so we didn’t get here. The Lakers did and they won the title. And from two years ago, we’re better because Rondo’s better. (Kendrick Perkins [stats]) is better. Rasheed Wallace is a great addition to our basketball team. Glen Davis is better. We didn’t make changes a lot. We just got better with the young guys. That’s what we decided to do as an organization is develop our own guys.’”

Baxter Holmes, LA Times – “Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday he won’t tell Perkins to tone it down, and he more or less expects the center to get suspended in the NBA Finals against the Lakers. ‘Unfortunately, I hope it doesn’t, but you know it’s going to happen,’ Rivers said. ‘Perk is physical, the Lakers are saying they want to be physical now, so the refs are going to react to that, and what’s going to happen is it’ll be a double-technical [foul] that Perk doesn’t deserve and we’re going to have to deal with it. It’s unfair, but that’s the way it is.’”

Broderick Turner, LA Times – “Artest, an 11-year veteran, is playing in his first NBA Finals. ‘I’ve been excited since I was like 8 years old,’ he said. ‘It’s not more I need.’ It was partly because of small forwards such as Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Pierce, that the Lakers signed Artest. Maybe Artest will get excited to play against Pierce, who tore the Lakers apart in the 2008 NBA Finals on his way to being named most valuable player? ‘He’s [Pierce] in the championship,’ Artest said. ‘Those other small forwards are not. He’s been there a couple of years already. He’s been in big games and he’s hit a lot of big shots.’”

Shira Springer, Boston Globe – “The well-documented risks that come with Artest date to his days with the Pacers. There was the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills, the rumored flirtation with retirement, the foray into music promotion, and the trade request. Artest called his behavior with Indiana his biggest regret. ‘We had a chance to go to the championship when I was with Indiana,’ he said. ‘But I wasn’t able to think the game. I was more egotistical, thinking about myself. When we lost Game 6 [of the Eastern finals] and I get a flagrant foul with like two minutes left in the game, what are you thinking about? What are you thinking about when you have a chance to go to the championship and Game 7 is back in Indiana? What could be more important than the game? That hurts a lot, to do that to Reggie Miller. What are you thinking when you’ve got a chance to win one, two, three rings? How do you do that to a team? I never thought I deserved to be in a situation like this. But I knew if I was ever in this situation, I wouldn’t take it for granted.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘I’m feeling better,’ said Daniels, who suffered a concussion in Game 5 vs. Orlando. ‘Hopefully I can play in Game 1. I was a little dizzy, and the noise was bothering me a little bit, but I’m getting better.’ Earlier, coach Doc Rivers had said of Daniels’ condition, ‘It’s just not good yet. It’s a tough one. It’s funny. I talked to him before Game 2 or 3 in the Orlando series and we were assuming it would be the Lakers, and we said, ‘You’re going to be big defensively in that series. We need you to get ready.’ And it was just a freak accident.’ The Celts had Bryant in mind partially when they went after Daniels as a free agent last summer.”

Lisa Dillman, LA Times – “Or, moving on to basketball, the next five people could be wearing Rajon Rondo jerseys. Those odds, on the eve of the NBA Finals, aren’t bad in Boston. ‘Rondo just fired up everything,’ said Collins Leugna, a concierge at a luxury condominium in the Back Bay. ‘He’s the story in town. He’s the guy in the town now. You can see the jerseys, just flying off the shelf. For the last 10 games, he’s been the MVP. He’s unbelievable.’ Leugna, a native of Cameroon, has been here for 14 years, and he thinks the appeal of this year’s Celtics team is the sheer nature of the unexpected, the arrival in the Finals after an injury-marred second half of the season and a fourth-place finish in the East. ‘That’s why the city is fired up,’ Leugna said. ‘Suddenly, the Celtics showed up. And Rondo. Boom!’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “When Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson talked about the C’s ‘smackdown’ style and mentioned Kevin Garnett’s chop on the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference finals clincher, Rivers believes he was simply trying to give the officials a road map to how this series should be called. Rivers smiled at the suggestion that his team is pushing the physical envelope. ‘Well, we just thank Phil for the compliment,” Rivers said. “That’s very nice of him to say. Whatever got us here. We’re not hiding from who we are and we’re going to be that. So that’s never going to change. We’ve said it from Day 1. We are who we are. If you like us, cheer for us. If you don’t, complain. But we’re not going to change.’ As for Jackson targeting Garnett, who will have a big matchup with the softer Pau Gasol, Rivers smiled at that one, too. ‘Well, I think it should be a compliment,’ Rivers said. ‘I think he picks the best player on the other teams or who he thinks is key, so I think Kevin should put that one right up there with his MVP trophy and everything else. I think Kevin should be excited about that. I think Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen) and (Rajon) Rondo, they’re going to be (upset) about it. They were hoping it would be them.’”

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times – “If Bryant’s knee hadn’t been drained, the Lakers might be talking about rejection instead of redemption. They were struggling badly a week into the playoffs, unable to ride the back of their leader because he was supported by one healthy leg. His right knee swelled to the point of extreme discomfort and his on-court ability shrunk accordingly. He then had 1 1/4 ounces of fluid drained from his knee, and the procedure worked wonders for his game. Bryant’s recovery has mirrored that of the Lakers, who are on the doorstep of the franchise’s 16th championship. They begin the NBA Finals on Thursday against the Boston Celtics, who humiliated them two years ago in the championship round. Retribution is now possible mainly because Bryant no longer looks like he’s on his last legs. ‘He’s like Superman,’ forward Lamar Odom said. ‘You can’t hold him down.’”

Andy Kamenetzky, ESPN Los Angeles – “Jackson talked about the matchups with Boston and predictably, Rajon Rondo’s name popped up quite a bit. Kobe, Fisher, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown were mentioned as candidates to check the rapidly improving point guard. (I personally wouldn’t be shocked if LO or Artest got the occasional crack.) But as the Kentucky product remained a topic of discussion, PJ downplayed the idea of any player as the “one” in need of stopping. ‘We look at them as a team. We don’t look at them as individuals. We gotta stop Rondo. We gotta stop [Kevin] Garnett or whatever. We look at the individuals and the strengths they have in how they’re used and say we have to limit whatever their strengths are in any way we can. If we turn the ball over or he gets rebounds, he’s gonna score in transition. It’s what he does. He’s great at that. If we make a lot of mistakes, he’s gonna score more. If he gets a lot of rebounds, you know… That’s kind of the things that happen in a ball game. It’s not about an individual that we’re gonna try to stop.’”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “The best player in the world with the money on the table and the clock ticking down is Bryant. He’s the best player when that is not the situation too, which is part of the reason he’s the best. It’s not important to him whether you’re playing for a dollar or a dowry. Either way the only thing that matters to him is winning. The Celtics accept this, just as they accepted the existence of James’ gifts and Howard’s intimidating style. It is important in life not to live in denial. The Celtics do not (except when playing defense against whoever the world claims is the best basketball player in the NBA). They simply say, ‘So what?’ The Lakers are the third straight team that has been told their destiny is to win the NBA title this year. So were the Cavs and so were the Magic. The Celtics were not, and said, ‘So what?’”

Brian Kamenetzky, ESPN Los Angeles – “Yesterday after practice, Phil Jackson was asked if he thought Kobe Bryant takes things — say a Finals loss capped by a humiliating Game 6 in ’08 — more personally than other players: ‘You know, he devotes so much of his life to this game. It really does take an inordinate amount of time in his daily life. It’s not a pastime to him. This is a devotion, not just an avocation. And when you do that, when you throw yourself into it as deeply as he does, all those things count a little bit more.’ So is it important for him to be recognized as the game’s best player? ‘I can’t answer that for him,’ Jackson said. ‘Personally, I think it is. From his own standpoint, I think he wants to be recognized as the best player in the game. I think he wants to show it. He knows it’s ephemeral, that [it doesn't] last.’”

Mark Kriegel, Fox Sports – “‘What we do is personal,’ said Derek Fisher, the closest thing Bryant has to a confidante among his teammates. ‘It’s our job. The time and the commitment it takes to win and play at this level … It’s very personal.’ Sure. But for Bryant, it’s more so. In Bryant’s case, victory seems an existential quest. No one has played this many minutes, this many games, this young. What’s more, he’s played these last few seasons with contemptuous disregard for his orthopedic condition, the state of his fingers, knees and ankle. ‘He works so hard,’ says Lamar Odom. ‘Whether it’s his game, or studying film. I’ve known him for a long time. I remember when I first met him about 15 years ago, at a top 100 camp in Princeton. You could just tell then how he carried himself, how focused he was, how decisive he was — even though he was only 16 years old.’ ‘How was he different than the rest of you?’ ‘His mindset,’ said Odom. ‘His willingness to compete to be the best.’ ‘You mean, him wanting to be seen as the best there is?’ ‘I think that’s a fair enough assessment.’ Later, Phil Jackson spoke of the upcoming series as a ‘a chance to avenge really an uncomfortable feeling that some of these team members went through in Boston.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “According to the record books, the Los Angeles Lakers are the defending NBA champions and the Boston Celtics are two years removed from being champs. You would think it was the other way around by the much of the attention heading into Game 1 has been on what the Lakers have to do against the Celtics, and not vice versa. ‘Everyone has to understand, L.A. is the champs,’ Garnett said. ‘We’re coming in here, and they’re the defending champs. That’s the motivation. It is the Finals. We’re back here playing the champs. It is what it is.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “There’s the part of Rasheed Wallace that’s unapologetically transparent. The frosty postgame beers sitting in his locker. The Flyers cap in the Bruins city. The unstrapped, unorthodox Air Force 1 sneakers he has worn for 11 straight years, unless you count those six minutes in the first half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals when he went without them. (Why? “No story,’’ Wallace said. “I just left them at home.’’) He is who he is. ‘There’s no hidden meaning or underlying philosophies with him,’ Celtics teammate Ray Allen said. ‘He’s just straightforward. Always.’ [...] ‘He’s a better person and he’s a great teammate, and I don’t think a lot of guys see that in him,’ Rivers said. ‘But everywhere you go, everywhere he’s played, that’s what they tell you. I don’t think you can get that sense until you coach him.’”

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