Celtics in 18-19

[Eddie Jurak]

One thing I love about this team is the number of guys who can run the offense.

Against the Bucks, they had 30 assists led by Horford (8), Irving (7), Hayward (5, in 27 minutes), and Tatum (4). They let Hayward run the offense a liittle more than they have in the past and he just kept setting guys up for wide open 3s, a few of which were missed. Al shot 4-9 from three, with most of those being his trademarked wide open looks.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

I read somewhere that defending the arc has been a trademark of the Brad Stevens Celtics, and even the Doc Rivers Celtics were good at it.

It was on the broadcast the other night. And here's an article that points out that the Cs have been top 5 in 3P% against the last 11 years: http://www.nba.com/article/2018/09/25/one-team-one-stat-boston-celtics-3-point-defense

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

You shifted the goal posts. I didn’t argue picking up the option was bad. He seems tradeable.

It’s exactly because the Celtics see him every day in practice and don’t play him over anybody that I think it’s fair to assume he hasn’t had a big leap in development yet, which was the original point.

No I didn't. Your point is that his lack of playing indicates a lack of development. I'm arguing that on this team, Yabu could be much better than he was two years ago but still not play over Theis (who only has 61 minutes anyways) and particularly Morris. I'm also arguing that if Yabu was James Young - who didn't develop at all - they wouldn't have picked up his option even though he has potential.

From summer league, Yabu is certainly a better player than he was two years ago. That's more a testament to how raw he was but he's still gotten better. And hopefully he will continue to do so.

 

[lovegtm]

One thing I love about this team is the number of guys who can run the offense.

Against the Bucks, they had 30 assists led by Horford (8), Irving (7), Hayward (5, in 27 minutes), and Tatum (4). They let Hayward run the offense a liittle more than they have in the past and he just kept setting guys up for wide open 3s, a few of which were missed. Al shot 4-9 from three, with most of those being his trademarked wide open looks.

I don't know what this team's ceiling is but they held the Bucks to 31% from three which is actually about 3.5% points above their season average thus far. Milwaukee actually shot a pretty hefty 48.2% FG% but that was a function of Giannis getting what he wanted near the rim more than anything else. The point is, if they can defend the three point like this all season, they are going to be extremely difficult to beat in a five or seven game series. In addition, their depth is staggering - with no Brown or Theis they still managed to trot out six players (Semi!!!!) who scored in double figures - and though they won't shoot 43.6% from deep on the regular, they did it against the second best 3P% defensive team in the league tonight.

As crazy as it is, they actually missed a lot of wide-open 3s. The shot quality was amazing. One of Hayward's assists was a ridiculous laser off the bounce to Kyrie in the left corner, that just highlighted how elite a passer Hayward can be. As far as Milwaukee's 2nd best 3P% defense goes...Kyrie was actively calling the Bucks out for being a defensive joke after the game.

I've seen lots of NBA offenses with better top-end scorers, but I can't recall an offense that was this deep in terms of endless waves of 40%ish 3P guys.

 

[Jimbodandy]

As crazy as it is, they actually missed a lot of wide-open 3s. The shot quality was amazing. One of Hayward's assists was a ridiculous laser off the bounce to Kyrie in the left corner, that just highlighted how elite a passer Hayward can be. As far as Milwaukee's 2nd best 3P% defense goes...Kyrie was actively calling the Bucks out for being a defensive joke after the game.

I've seen lots of NBA offenses with better top-end scorers, but I can't recall an offense that was this deep in terms of endless waves of 40%ish 3P guys.

Not sure how much it translated to TV, but Kyrie was pretty ornery all night. I wasn't surprised to see him sparring with Divincenzo, since the latter has an instigator rep. But he seemed to be pushing Brogdon a lot as well. Something about that team irritated him.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

As crazy as it is, they actually missed a lot of wide-open 3s. The shot quality was amazing. One of Hayward's assists was a ridiculous laser off the bounce to Kyrie in the left corner, that just highlighted how elite a passer Hayward can be. As far as Milwaukee's 2nd best 3P% defense goes...Kyrie was actively calling the Bucks out for being a defensive joke after the game.

I've seen lots of NBA offenses with better top-end scorers, but I can't recall an offense that was this deep in terms of endless waves of 40%ish 3P guys.

And here is what our waves of 3P guys are shooting:
JT = .323
KI = .354
Al = .310
JB = .321
GH = .407 (up after a slow start)
Terry = .375

And then there is MM, who is shooting .513, and Marcus, who is shooting .150.

It's going to be fun to watch as the .348 3P% that the Cs are currently shooting as a team gets back to the (for example) .377 that they shot last year.

 

[Gash Prex]

A couple of notes - they are still missing a lot of open 3s and it will only get better - they had 47 open or wide open 3s last night. I thought the offense looked much more in-sync and executing the plan to perfection. They made a choice to play Giannis straight up to contain the 3's by the Bucks which worked...except that Giannis can get his own and calls when he wants. I thought the C's made some bad plays at the end, but still pulled it out. I don't buy the Bucks claim they played a "C" game and still were in it - they didn't know how to defend the dribble kick out.

Tatum looked disinterested at the offensive end and I think he needs to start going back to his role last year as a spot up 3 shooter and driving when open. He still added value but I think he needs to be more thoughtful on the offensive end going forward.

The C's have played the toughest schedule so far which bodes well - only bad loss was Orlando.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

Robert Williams assigned to Maine.

 

[bigq]

Robert Williams assigned to Maine.

I guess he needs playing time. A lot of DNPs so far this season and even when he gets in it’s only for a handful of minutes.

 

[lexrageorge]

Robert Williams assigned to Maine.

This is a positive development, IMO. He wasn't going to get much playing time on the bench, and the Celtics are not exactly in developmental mode right now. Get him some playing time while having him work on a few aspects of his game. Still cannot rule out his making a contribution later this season.

 

[theapportioner]

Plus gives the Celtics more of an opportunity to see what Semi and Yabusele can do with Theis also out.

 

[HowBoutDemSox]

Plus gives the Celtics more of an opportunity to see what Semi and Yabusele can do with Theis also out.

And Semi looked good last night, hitting some 3s, throwing down some dunks, doing his thing on the defensive end against Giannis. Maybe he doesn’t see as much time when Jaylen is back, but Semi turning into a legit 3–and-D guy would be a nice development.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

A couple of notes - they are still missing a lot of open 3s and it will only get better - they had 47 open or wide open 3s last night. I thought the offense looked much more in-sync and executing the plan to perfection. They made a choice to play Giannis straight up to contain the 3's by the Bucks which worked...except that Giannis can get his own and calls when he wants. I thought the C's made some bad plays at the end, but still pulled it out. I don't buy the Bucks claim they played a "C" game and still were in it - they didn't know how to defend the dribble kick out.

Tatum looked disinterested at the offensive end and I think he needs to start going back to his role last year as a spot up 3 shooter and driving when open. He still added value but I think he needs to be more thoughtful on the offensive end going forward.

The C's have played the toughest schedule so far which bodes well - only bad loss was Orlando.

My takeaway after just now watching this game was the first bolded was not coincidentally a product of not having an additional player on the floor requiring touches (Jaylen) with the second being a young kid reading too many of his press clippings in returning to his style of play in HS and at Duke. I've said this before about Tatum and believe it as strongly as ever.....he isn't physically ready to be a 1-2 option at this point and much more efficient in a complementary role. There are still some things to figure out in this offense as the veterans take iso touches away from Tatum/Jaylen and how well they adapt to it. It seems like Hayward will be fine as he plays so well without the ball and seems to be settling into his role of lesser usage than what he was accustomed to in Utah as the pure #1 option.

 

[Koufax]

Agree and had the same thought regarding Jaylen while watching the game last night. Brad just has too many mouths to feed. First world problem for sure, but a problem. Brad's a smart coach and he'll figure it out. Selling it to JB and Tatum may take some work though.

 

[RedOctober3829]

My takeaway after just now watching this game was the first bolded was not coincidentally a product of not having an additional player on the floor requiring touches (Jaylen) with the second being a young kid reading too many of his press clippings in returning to his style of play in HS and at Duke. I've said this before about Tatum and believe it as strongly as ever.....he isn't physically ready to be a 1-2 option at this point and much more efficient in a complementary role. There are still some things to figure out in this offense as the veterans take iso touches away from Tatum/Jaylen and how well they adapt to it. It seems like Hayward will be fine as he plays so well without the ball and seems to be settling into his role of lesser usage than what he was accustomed to in Utah as the pure #1 option.

I think in the postseason Tatum will end up being the #2 scoring option behind Kyrie. He is that talented of a scorer. Hayward and Horford will have their nights of being the man, but will feed off of Kyrie and Tatum for the most part. Both of those guys can do so many other things to help the team win in addition to scoring but Kyrie/Tatum need the ball in their hands. At the end of last year, Tatum was used to being the primary guy with Kyrie and G out and it will get some time to get used to having Kyrie/G back but I have full confidence he will be fine.

In Jaylen's case, he may be better suited coming off the bench and keeping Morris in the lineup. He may be able to develop better being the man on the 2nd unit rather than the 4th option with the starters. He'll still get his usual minutes, but may be structured in a way where it's better for him. Morris would add some toughness to the starting lineup and at times good outside shooting.

 

[Jimbodandy]

Agree and had the same thought regarding Jaylen while watching the game last night. Brad just has too many mouths to feed. First world problem for sure, but a problem. Brad's a smart coach and he'll figure it out. Selling it to JB and Tatum may take some work though.

Once the offensive identity of this team solidifies, I'm confident that everyone will play ball. I get that HRB and others are worried that TR and MM are worried about their next contract, but Brad can handle that. JT and JB will find their lanes, with Kyrie, Al, and GH hitting the open guy for the right shot. When the three top dogs are unselfish, it is an easy sell. And secondary scoring is all that they really need with everyone healthy.

The offensive improvement is steady, not just last night. We see more actions added, as the team has more practice time together. They're getting better and better looks every game.

The panic button was and is unnecessary.

 

[Jimbodandy]

P.s., I couldn't disagree more with the idea of Morris as starter. His swagger and shot creation off the bench is gold. The second unit needs it.

 

[lovegtm]

I think in the postseason Tatum will end up being the #2 scoring option behind Kyrie. He is that talented of a scorer. Hayward and Horford will have their nights of being the man, but will feed off of Kyrie and Tatum for the most part. Both of those guys can do so many other things to help the team win in addition to scoring but Kyrie/Tatum need the ball in their hands. At the end of last year, Tatum was used to being the primary guy with Kyrie and G out and it will get some time to get used to having Kyrie/G back but I have full confidence he will be fine.

It's going to be tough for Tatum to be a better #2 option than a healthy Hayward. Hayward is at a completely different level in terms of running PnR, making reads, and finding advanced passes. I think Tatum can get there with time, but HRB is 100% right that he needs to stop reading his Duke clippings and stop sniffing his own jockstrap. He's not making many plays for others, and he's killing possessions with clanked mid-rangers. Even if he cleans that up, however, Hayward is still a superior playmaking option.

I'm almost less worried about Jaylen than I am about Tatum. If Jaylen's shot is falling from outside, and he's playing tough defense and running in transition, he'll feel integrated. I think the defensive rule changes are affecting him more than the offensive stuff tbh.

And here is what our waves of 3P guys are shooting:
JT = .323
KI = .354
Al = .310
JB = .321
GH = .407 (up after a slow start)
Terry = .375

And then there is MM, who is shooting .513, and Marcus, who is shooting .150.

It's going to be fun to watch as the .348 3P% that the Cs are currently shooting as a team gets back to the (for example) .377 that they shot last year.

Yeah...when I say waves of shooters, I mean quality of looks for guys who should be good shooters. The Cs are generating really, really high quality looks when the offense is humming, and the ball is finding guys who should be knocking it down when open.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

A couple of notes - they are still missing a lot of open 3s and it will only get better - they had 47 open or wide open 3s last night. I thought the offense looked much more in-sync and executing the plan to perfection. They made a choice to play Giannis straight up to contain the 3's by the Bucks which worked...except that Giannis can get his own and calls when he wants. I thought the C's made some bad plays at the end, but still pulled it out. I don't buy the Bucks claim they played a "C" game and still were in it - they didn't know how to defend the dribble kick out.

Tatum looked disinterested at the offensive end and I think he needs to start going back to his role last year as a spot up 3 shooter and driving when open. He still added value but I think he needs to be more thoughtful on the offensive end going forward.

The C's have played the toughest schedule so far which bodes well - only bad loss was Orlando.

Didn’t realize thar the Cs came one short of tying NBA record for most 3Ps. Read that Brad knew this because Bucks keep big men back on PnRs so shooters were going to be open.

i hope we get MIL in playoffs if they keep running that scheme.

 

[benhogan]

I like how Brad used Semi last night. Starting him to match up with Giannis (opposed to starting MaMo) worked out well. Obviously, MaMo is the vastly superior offensive player to Semi, but that's not needed when you run Al, Kyrie, Gordon and JT w/Semi. I like the idea of balancing lineups with one defense first, #5 option on offense (lunch pail player) on the floor. I'm not a fan of playing 2 lunch pail players at the same time for extended periods of time. I'd like to see Brad rotate them with 4 skilled offensive players as much as possible.

Celtic lunch pail players: Baynes, Smart, Theis, Semi... eventually Williams

 

[Eddie Jurak]

This is a positive development, IMO. He wasn't going to get much playing time on the bench, and the Celtics are not exactly in developmental mode right now. Get him some playing time while having him work on a few aspects of his game. Still cannot rule out his making a contribution later this season.

Yes. I imagine he'll be up with the C's quite a bit anyway.

 

[mcpickl]

No I didn't. Your point is that his lack of playing indicates a lack of development. I'm arguing that on this team, Yabu could be much better than he was two years ago but still not play over Theis (who only has 61 minutes anyways) and particularly Morris. I'm also arguing that if Yabu was James Young - who didn't develop at all - they wouldn't have picked up his option even though he has potential.

From summer league, Yabu is certainly a better player than he was two years ago. That's more a testament to how raw he was but he's still gotten better. And hopefully he will continue to do so.

Maybe they would've, since the Celtics did pick up the third year option on James Young.

 

[amarshal2]

I really just think Tatum is taking too many difficult mid to long off-the-dribble jumpers. He doesn't have the first step to beat guys to the basket without a move and most of his moves are designed to finish with a moving jumper. He either needs to turn into KD from mid range or he needs to work more at getting better looks or passing out. Most everything else, including his passing, is good and looking better than last year.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

I'm not worried about Brown or Tatum at this point.

Brown is already getting the defense part figured out - he did some nice work on Blake in the Detroit games. He can hit the open catch and shoot 3 and drive closeouts, and he'll get a lot of those looks. He needs to adjust to playing in an offense where Kyrie, Gordon, and Al run the show, but all we've seen so far is that it will take him more than 7 games to fully get there.

Same thing for Tatum. Shifting from being the #1 option in the playoffs, and delivering in the role, to more like the #3 option in a star-studded lineup is also going to be a challenge. But, like Brown he can shoot so he'll get his looks, and as the Celtics get their offense together he will figure things out (and will benefit from the increased attention drawn by Kyrie and Gordon).

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Maybe they would've, since the Celtics did pick up the third year option on James Young.

I don't think the Cs would be paying James Young $3.1M plus luxury tax on this team but YMMV. Still the point is that lack of playing time on this team ≠ lack of development in all circumstances.

YMMV.

 

[BaseballJones]

It doesn’t feel like they’re playing very well at all and yet they’re 6-2 with victories over Philly, OKC, two over Det, and one over Milwaukee.

That’s pretty impressive for a team just feeling it’s way at this point.

 

[joe dokes]

It doesn’t feel like they’re playing very well at all and yet they’re 6-2 with victories over Philly, OKC, two over Det, and one over Milwaukee.

That’s pretty impressive for a team just feeling it’s way at this point.

"Feeling their way" is about right. Throw in Hawyward's decreasinlgy sore ankle and Brown's increasingly sore foot, and i think you end up running a bit roughly. I thought theyd be losing a few more of these shakeout games.

 

[lovegtm]

"Feeling their way" is about right. Throw in Hawyward's decreasinlgy sore ankle and Brown's increasingly sore foot, and i think you end up running a bit roughly. I thought theyd be losing a few more of these shakeout games.

Win or lose, I keep reminding myself that we won't remember any of these games when April rolls around. I just try to focus on enjoying each play: the results will be fine with this team.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Win or lose, I keep reminding myself that we won't remember any of these games when April rolls around. I just try to focus on enjoying each play: the results will be fine with this team.

Exactly. We are one of the small handful of teams whose season truly begins in April. In the big picture the rest is simply preparation

 

[lovegtm]

Exactly. We are one of the small handful of teams whose season truly begins in April. In the big picture the rest is simply preparation

One crazy thing this year is that, in the West, the list of teams that can chill is: Golden State. Everyone else is going to have to compete their asses off every night, or risk missing the playoffs.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

One crazy thing this year is that, in the West, the list of teams that can chill is: Golden State. Everyone else is going to have to compete their asses off every night, or risk missing the playoffs.

Well, DEN is probably a lock to make the playoffs and I assume Utah and POR are too. And the Kings of course.

 

[DJnVa]

Marcus Smart raps: https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/sports/marcus-smart-raps-52-million-contract-new-nsfw-music-video-190335649.html

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

For people who don't reaf Celtics Blog, fun story on the Celtic who won a professional league slam dunk contest in 2010.

Videos are neat. And I would never have guessed who it was, even after going through the entire roster.

Spoiler: Slam Dunk Champion

https://www.celticsblog.com/2018/11/2/18053286/aron-baynes-2010-lkl-slam-dunk-contest-nba-twitter-boston-celtics-world-wide-wob-joel-embiid

 

[amarshal2]

Reposted from game thread


I was hoping for top 5 this season.

The shot selection is better. The passing is okay I guess. The open 3s will fall. The points in the paint and free throws killed them again. That’s the thing they need to address.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

Last night was like 2 different games. In building up a huge lead early, they were doing everything right. Purposeful ball movement, attacking the rim, kicking out to open shooters. It was like they were putting on a clinic. Brad started subbing out the starters late in the first, eventually going to an all-bench unit (the Marcuses, Rozier, Baynes, and Semi) that had (very predictably) no offensive flow and killed all the momentum. When the starters returned, they went full Heroball, and only Kyrie was able to deliver.

 

[Eagle3]

Last night was like 2 different games. In building up a huge lead early, they were doing everything right. Purposeful ball movement, attacking the rim, kicking out to open shooters. It was like they were putting on a clinic. Brad started subbing out the starters late in the first, eventually going to an all-bench unit (the Marcuses, Rozier, Baynes, and Semi) that had (very predictably) no offensive flow and killed all the momentum. When the starters returned, they went full Heroball, and only Kyrie was able to deliver.

The Law of Averages came into play. The Celts started out hot in the first (14 - 24 from the field, 58%, 4 for 7 from 3) and other than Murray Denver was cold (8 for 22, 36%). Then it reversed as both teams came back toward their norm and they met in the middle until Murray took over late and the Celts missed a bunch of 3s in the 4th. Besides Murray going off, the big difference was Denver got to the line and the Celts didnt.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

The Law of Averages came into play. The Celts started out hot in the first (14 - 24 from the field, 58%, 4 for 7 from 3) and other than Murray Denver was cold (8 for 22, 36%). Then it reversed as both teams came back toward their norm and they met in the middle until Murray took over late and the Celts missed a bunch of 3s in the 4th. Besides Murray going off, the big difference was Denver got to the line and the Celts didnt.

It’s not merely law of averages. Their play was different, they weren’t just missing shot’s they’d been hitting before.

 

[bankshot1]

It was the 2nd night in a row, the starters built a nice lead only to see it pissed away in Q2. To my eye it seems like lack of ball movement/flow, and settling for a shot, rather than a more purposeful attack. Murray killed them with 48, and a hot Q4, but this game was lost before that.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Well, DEN is probably a lock to make the playoffs and I assume Utah and POR are too. And the Kings of course.

Right but all of these teams, particularly Denver, is looking to establish themselves while finding a contender-type identity. This regular season is a huge one for Denver to make a leap. I agree with lovegtm on the Warriors being the only team in position to use the regular season as a true prep toward the tournament.

 

[amarshal2]

The Law of Averages came into play. The Celts started out hot in the first (14 - 24 from the field, 58%, 4 for 7 from 3) and other than Murray Denver was cold (8 for 22, 36%). Then it reversed as both teams came back toward their norm and they met in the middle until Murray took over late and the Celts missed a bunch of 3s in the 4th. Besides Murray going off, the big difference was Denver got to the line and the Celts didnt.

The law of averages says that they would play at their average going forward. I don’t think blowing an 18 point lead and losing by 8 or whatever in less than a game is representative of the steady state between the two teams.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

It was the 2nd night in a row, the starters built a nice lead only to see it pissed away in Q2. To my eye it seems like lack of ball movement/flow, and settling for a shot, rather than a more purposeful attack. Murray killed them with 48, and a hot Q4, but this game was lost before that.

It was a one-point game with 9 to go prior to Murray scoring 18 points over the next 7 minutes. I mean sure the Nuggets got back in the game in the 2nd quarter but we also came back early 4th to make it a one possession game. B2B in Denver is one of the toughest spots in the NBA to get a win...….for us to be one Jamal Murray career quarter away from winning is pretty darn impressive from my seat.

The law of averages says that they would play at their average going forward. I don’t think blowing an 18 point lead and losing by 8 or whatever in less than a game is representative of the steady state between the two teams.

Exactly. These were all normal runs within the course of an NBA game. 18-point leads are only a 6-possession game.....you're literally a minute away from a run chopping that lead in half especially how todays game is played with pace and 3-point shooting. You're going to see MORE 18-point leads disappear than ever before and it wasn't infrequent in the past.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Seeing the Marcus Morris interview, Kyrie and the fans reaction to Murray's end of game shot to get his 50. Hey Celtics (or any team who puts themselves in this position), if you are all bent out of shape about an opponent taking a meaningless shot at 50 after outcome has been decided maybe try to not let him get 48 prior to that! Bitching about this shot is as bad a look as it was for Murray to go for his 50......probably more since he put himself in a position to accomplish this personal feat.

 

[bankshot1]

HRB-my point was, perhaps inartfully stated, was the depth of the Celts should be a big advantage, an opportunity to tack on leads, and for 2 nights in a row it hasn't been an advantage. I'm not upset that Murray killed us with a semi-historic great game, and was scorching hot in the Q4, shit happens, but that the Celts had lots of opportunities in the 1st half to beat a good team on the road and they squandered it, with poor and IMO selfish 2nd team play.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Seeing the Marcus Morris interview, Kyrie and the fans reaction to Murray's end of game shot to get his 50. Hey Celtics (or any team who puts themselves in this position), if you are all bent out of shape about an opponent taking a meaningless shot at 50 after outcome has been decided maybe try to not let him get 48 prior to that! Bitching about this shot is as bad a look as it was for Murray to go for his 50......probably more since he put himself in a position to accomplish this personal feat.

I can see being annoyed by it after a hotly contested game but throwing the ball into the stands was an awful move by Kyrie. He absolutely chunked that ball and it could have easily hit a little kid in the head or something.

 

[Eagle3]

Seeing the Marcus Morris interview, Kyrie and the fans reaction to Murray's end of game shot to get his 50. Hey Celtics (or any team who puts themselves in this position), if you are all bent out of shape about an opponent taking a meaningless shot at 50 after outcome has been decided maybe try to not let him get 48 prior to that! Bitching about this shot is as bad a look as it was for Murray to go for his 50......probably more since he put himself in a position to accomplish this personal feat.

I know it was 30+ years ago and times have changed, but any Celtics fan upset about Murray should go watch the end of Bird's 60 point game against the Hawks. The C's were blatantly going out of their way to get him the ball in the last couple minutes, and he made a shot at the buzzer to get to 60 and win by 11. Side note: 60 points with only one 3!

 

[Big John]

My two takeaways from the Denver game: 1. The Celtics' offense is not right. Too much dribbling, not enough passing. 2. This Nuggets team is the real deal. They are deep, talented and well-coached. Yes, Denver teams are usually more beatable at sea level, but this one is a handful at any altitude with all of those good shooters and excellent ball movement.

 

[BigSoxFan]

My two takeaways from the Denver game: 1. The Celtics' offense is not right. Too much dribbling, not enough passing. 2. This Nuggets team is the real deal. They are deep, talented and well-coached. Yes, Denver teams are usually more beatable at sea level, but this one is a handful at any altitude with all of those good shooters and excellent ball movement.

Agreed. Denver looks like the West’s Bucks, a good team that is making a leap to very good. Very good news for the NBA. The playoffs are going to be amazing.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Agreed. Denver looks like the West’s Bucks, a good team that is making a leap to very good. Very good news for the NBA. The playoffs are going to be amazing.

Aside from having Over 47.5 for their win total I made a throwaway $30 wager on them to win the WC at 50-1 prior to the season on the flier a couple Warriors go down.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

HRB-my point was, perhaps inartfully stated, was the depth of the Celts should be a big advantage, an opportunity to tack on leads, and for 2 nights in a row it hasn't been an advantage. I'm not upset that Murray killed us with a semi-historic great game, and was scorching hot in the Q4, shit happens, but that the Celts had lots of opportunities in the 1st half to beat a good team on the road and they squandered it, with poor and IMO selfish 2nd team play.

I'm honestly curious. What makes you think the second unit was more "selfish" than it has been? Two of the reasons BOS's second unit hasn't been tacking on in the last two games like it did in the first several games is that (1) IIRC, IND had third best net bench rating up to that game (BOS was 2nd), and (2) I don't have any stats for DEN's bench but I agree with HRB that they look pretty solid.

 

[bankshot1]

It my eye-test. If I see ball movement, passes to find the open guy with a clean look, good things usually happen. The eye test is leaving the impression that there's too much iso-ball, with 4 guys not fully engaged, waiting for something to happen. I like a more attacking, pro-active style. It puts the defensive team on its heals and good things can come from that too,

And I understand losing to good teams on the road is the NBA, but a very good team losing big leads, should be preventable, I think Brad's still figuring out roles and rotations on a very deep and talented team, and they'll get it right.