Is Brad's plan for the top 6 players of this team to never be able to all participate in the same game until the playoffs start?Kemba active tonight. Smart available, Tatum likely not.
OTOH-- (and maybe to further the analogy), that might lower the pleasure of driving to your destination, but it makes it less likely that you'll crash on the way.I say this knowing that it is likely due to nagging injuries or general rest from the grind of a long season, but damn it's like having a sports car and never being able to cut it loose at top speed.
Really excited to be in the house to see a G League game break outTonight in Cleveland should be interesting.
Tatum - Out
Kemba - Out (rest)
Jaylen - Doubtful (ham)
Hayward - Doubtful (knee)
Smart - Possible Suspension
Grant and Theis were not good matchups for the lineups the Nets has out there. They are loaded with guards/wings who can beat you off the dribble and we literally lost all of our guards/wings ahead of Green on the depth chart to injury.The team looked pretty awful last night. The vast majority was just really bad luck with Hayward and JB going down with injuries. But, I didn't understand the Javonte Green love all of a sudden out of the middle of nowhere. Sometimes it seems like the Celtics treat games like they are in Spring training. I was a bit surprised to see not so much Grant Williams, and Theis could also have played more, I think. Just a brutal, ugly loss.
As recently as last week I was strongly considering buying tickets and driving 2 hours each way to attend, since that'd be the only game I get to see in person this year.Really excited to be in the house to see a G League game break out
More touches for Tatum.As recently as last week I was strongly considering buying tickets and driving 2 hours each way to attend, since that'd be the only game I get to see in person this year.
I'm now rather glad that I didn't. Even if I had the tickets as a sunk cost now, it'd be a real question whether I'd want to put that amount of time, to go to Cleveland, just to see the likes of Javonte Green.
Really challenging stretch coming up, too, especially if Hayward is out, too.Jaylen out a week minimum. Just get healthy in April I guess.
It was worth it.As recently as last week I was strongly considering buying tickets and driving 2 hours each way to attend, since that'd be the only game I get to see in person this year.
I'm now rather glad that I didn't. Even if I had the tickets as a sunk cost now, it'd be a real question whether I'd want to put that amount of time, to go to Cleveland, just to see the likes of Javonte Green.
It’s too early to tell, but Luca Doncic without Jaylen Brown’s athleticism may still end up being better then the other three choices.It has to be Westbrook right? His MVP year he averaged 32 11 and 10 even though he was at best a mediocre shooter that year. If we're giving him peak ray allen shooting numbers his 32 jumps to somewhere in the high 30s, probably even higher because he'd shoot even more.
Westbrook is the one I wouldn't choose (along with Drummond). Give Westbrook Ray Allen range and he's still a stat chasing turnover machine who doesn't seem to play well with others. Curry with Tatum's height is a difficult player to imagine, because unlike the others he'd look totally different (as opposed to Luka being more athletic, Westbrook with a good outside shot and Drummond being more skilled). Can a guy grow 7 inches and not lose any quickness? If he keeps the lightning release and excellent handle he'd be Durant with better range and attitude. I'd have to take Luka, if only because I have to imagine some tradeoff with Curry's height and speed. Give Luka Brown's athleticism and he's a cross between Jordan and Lebron, at age 21.It has to be Westbrook right? His MVP year he averaged 32 11 and 10 even though he was at best a mediocre shooter that year. If we're giving him peak ray allen shooting numbers his 32 jumps to somewhere in the high 30s, probably even higher because he'd shoot even more.
He can stat chase all he wants on my team if he's putting up pretty much the best offensive seasons since Wilt Chamberlain.Westbrook is the one I wouldn't choose (along with Drummond). Give Westbrook Ray Allen range and he's still a stat chasing turnover machine who doesn't seem to play well with others.
It should be Andre Drummond with Davis Betans 3P shot. He'd still be behind the others though.Not sure if this should be in a separate thread but it's a fun question to discuss potentially. Four stars, each with a weakness in their game. So let's fix the weakness and then decide which more complete player is the best.
Luka Doncic but with Jaylen Brown's athleticism.
Russell Westbrook but with Ray Allen's outside shot.
Steph Curry but with Jayson Tatum's height.
Andre Drummond but with Kevin McHale's post moves.
Which player is the best now?
It says a lot about Andre Drummond, Max Player, that you could give him Kevin McHale’s post moves and people are still like, “ehhh, I guess.”It should be Andre Drummond with Davis Betans 3P shot. He'd still be behind the others though.
Doesn't it say more about today's NBA? Also says something about how overvalued the 3P shot is?It says a lot about Andre Drummond, Max Player, that you could give him Kevin McHale’s post moves and people are still like, “ehhh, I guess.”
I’d just worry about the 5 mostly, and having Porzingis and Bam hold up to the banging. I might choose a more lunchpail guy from the rest of the league. If I weren’t worried about health/age, someone like Baynes would be ideal.On a somewat related note. Dunc'd on had an interesting hypothetical this past week. Would a 10 man rotation, made up from all players in the league who have never been on an all-NBA team (including ones who were likely to get on there this year), win the title this year. So would need ot beat Clippers/Lakers/Bucks/etc.
Their starting 5 was Jrue, Booker, Tatum, Simmons, Porzingis. With a bench of Morant, Jaylen, OG, Zion, Bam.
Was some good discussion about not including guys like Mitchell, Richardson, Milsap, Myles Turner, etc.
So...agree with that 10 man rotation?
Waiting patiently for out resident Baybes expert and lover to chime inI’d just worry about the 5 mostly, and having Porzingis and Bam hold up to the banging. I might choose a more lunchpail guy from the rest of the league. If I weren’t worried about health/age, someone like Baynes would be ideal.
Isn't that exactly what Porzingis does?A guy who can defend the paint and stretch the floor like Turner would be a better fit for that starting 5 than the Unicorn.
I’d just worry about the 5 mostly, and having Porzingis and Bam hold up to the banging. I might choose a more lunchpail guy from the rest of the league. If I weren’t worried about health/age, someone like Baynes would be ideal.
The general concept there is you get to put shooting around Simmons and defense around Booker, with Tatum shrinking the floor hard and functioning as a floor spacer or late-clock option.
It’s hard to win a title with that team since experience does matter, but it’s definitely a contender.
Oh man, I hadn’t thought of Lopez. I’d take him over Bam on this particular team, even though I’d much rather have Bam if I were building a roster.I agree with their take. I would much prefer Porzingis and Bam over Sabonis, Turner, Lopez, Baynes, etc.
Sabonis defense is just not good enough, IMO. You need a rim protector, and he most certainly not
Stretch the floor, certainly. I've just never had the impression that he's really a defensive force.Isn't that exactly what Porzingis does?
They had Marcus Smart as one their 5 best contracts in the league. They have come aroundSimmons doesn’t (just like Marcus Smart didn’t, who they always disliked) so they undervalue him.
I agree with your overall assessment of Simmons's skills but he is also a weird player himself.Just listened to the podcast...was surprised how un-excited they are about Simmons offensively and defensively. Is that just them? Ben Simmons is a really f-ing awesome player, stuck on a weird roster. They were like “yeah, maybe he’ll make All-NBA one day, I guess.”
agreed—but only when he started hitting more threes!They had Marcus Smart as one their 5 best contracts in the league. They have come around
Marcus Smart without a 3 pt shot is not a super great contract thoughagreed—but only when he started hitting more threes!
As long as he's either hitting them or not taking them, it's a great contract.Marcus Smart without a 3 pt shot is not a super great contract though
I love shitting all over Simmons, but this isn't really fair. His counting stats (points, rebounds, assists) have stayed pretty still but even while refusing to expand his range he's become a more efficient scorer. His FG% has gone from .545 to .563 to .585, and his FT% has gone from .560 to .600 to .627. He's also improved on defense, to the point where he's leading the NBA in steals and one of the very few who is an above average defender against 98% of the league.I agree with your overall assessment of Simmons's skills but he is also a weird player himself.
Aside from the total lack of a jumper, he has shown almost no statistical progression during his 3 years in the league. While 16.5-8-8 is obviously very impressive, it is strange to see how identical his stat lines have been over his age 21-22-23 year old seasons.
Yeah, and this is even before you get into the effect that the shitty ecosystem has had on him.I love shitting all over Simmons, but this isn't really fair. His counting stats (points, rebounds, assists) have stayed pretty still but even while refusing to expand his range he's become a more efficient scorer. His FG% has gone from .545 to .563 to .585, and his FT% has gone from .560 to .600 to .627. He's also improved on defense, to the point where he's leading the NBA in steals and one of the very few who is an above average defender against 98% of the league.
Who is this guy? I'd be terrified if he was my team's GM:Interesting Keith Smith article, interviewing rival teams about the Celtics.
·From another Eastern Conference front office executive: “The rookies? They’re all whatever. The kid who is going to be special is Robert Williams. He had some issues in college, which caused him to drop in the draft. Then he started out poorly in the NBA. Boston took care of that and now he’s on track. It’s hard to find bigs who can do what he can athletically, but also have feel for the game. That kid is a great, I mean great, passer. He’s got a lot further to go, but he’s like a more athletic Al Horford for them, minus the shooting. I think you can run some offense through him eventually.
Also, I bet Vincent Poirier has moments next year. It was a really hard transition for him.