Celtics in 18-19
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
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I've long been of the belief that Al is not going to shoot for one last mega contract and would instead sign a Spurs-esque sweetheart deal to stay in Boston, barring a trade scenario of course. Just a gut feeling.
Given their respective ages, would you rather have Al at 3/60 or Morris at 4/55?
AD could make this all moot, but if he signs the DPVE, and TimeLord looks like an NBA starter, I'd probably rather have Morris.
Al's 33, 34, 35yr old seasons for $20M/yr.
MaMo's 30, 31, 32, 33yr old seasons at $14M/yr.
If Brad continues to play Al strictly at the 5 for 30mins/gm he won't last long. Put me down for MaMo and sign a cheap defense first 5 with the savings.
Figured it was another reference to Kyrie’s whole Third Eye ethos/brand/lifestyle thing. He did a different variation with Jaylen last year. Namaste.
True....however the 6 teams we scored 120+ against have been New Orleans, Cleveland, Knicks, Chicago, Washington, and Atlanta...….ranked 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 12 in DefRating. Context matters.
Will Brown, Tatum, and Hawyard ever be able to play well together? As 60% of the starting lineup early in the season, they struggled, and the last few games where Brad had them on the court together, it was pretty gristly. I don't know if it's because GH and JB are both struggling with the threeball this season.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Tatum, Hayward, and Smart have a +15 net rating in a limited 60 min sample with nice 110+ o rating and sub 100 d rating
Tatum, Hayward, and Brown have a -4 net rating in a 194 min sample driven down by a 95 o rating
I wouldn’t take any of these too literally given the noise and sample size. The Brown lineup was struggling all the way through early on pand certainly they’ll play better when shots fall. But it’s possible the latter will struggle to match the former offensively. Like 2018 Brown, Smart can’t shoot but he can pass and the ball movement has been a big reason they were up near 120 every night IMO. Brown actually can shoot and once he remembers that the lineup should bounce back with Kyrie and Al (both strong passers) on the court.
TLDR it’s possible they are never the strongest lineup but I suspect the original starting 5 will at least play well together once shots fall more consistently for Brown/Horford/Hayward
Baynes out indefinitely with a broken hand.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25576325/aron-baynes-boston-celtics-indefinitely-broken-hand
With Horford’s ongoing knee issue, the Celtics will have to heavily rely on Theis and Time Lord.
The Celtics got destroyed on the boards in a losing effort by a generally poor rebounding Suns team tonight.
Celtics depth being tested.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25576325/aron-baynes-boston-celtics-indefinitely-broken-hand
With Horford’s ongoing knee issue, the Celtics will have to heavily rely on Theis and Time Lord.
The Celtics got destroyed on the boards in a losing effort by a generally poor rebounding Suns team tonight.
Celtics depth being tested.
Jaylen has been sub-replacement level this season. He can’t shoot. He doesn’t rebound. He makes bad decisions with the ball. And his defense is more or less average — he hasn’t developed into the plus defender we thought he’d be. I’m not giving up on him, but as far as this year’s team goes, he’s unlikely to be more than a serviceable 2nd-unit guy. He’s one of the guys I’d expect to lose a lot of minutes when Brad shortens his rotation for the playoffs.
I love the guy, so I really hope I’m wrong.
Updated: left ring finger, out for at least a month.
Boston Globe SportsVerified account @BGlobeSports 23m23 minutes ago
Celtics center Aron Baynes broke a bone in his left ring finger against the Suns on last night. According to a league source, Baynes’s injury will require surgery and the center will likely be sidelined for at least one month.
It's because both GH and JB are both struggling this season and neither of them are consistently beating their guy off the dribble.
Other than Kyrie and JB in the 1Q, the Cs looked very guardable last night. I don't know if it's effort or execution or just a mind-set but after the 1Q, they didn't seem to have any mismatches they could attack other than KI. Which is particularly worrisome if you don't think that JJ or Oubre (etc.) are good defenders.
Maybe Ayton being in the lane had a lot to do with it. Brad had a particularly difficult choice with regards to Ayton because Theis couldn't guard him but when TL was in, Ayton just stayed in the lane. Baynes would have been very useful in this game.
This is what I was seeing as well. Even Irving struggled in the 4th driving because Ayton was back there waiting for him and ignoring RW. Brad said afterwords that RW passed up some opportunities on the offensive end, that'll be something to watch going forward. -13 for the game for the TL.
I may be misremembering, but did Baynes break his finger on one end, run the floor and get a transition dunk on the other?
Also Kyrie struggled in the 4th because he had to take the team on his back and desperately try to win the game, because with JB and Gordon disappearing, and Horford being out, there was nothing left to do. He basically had to get in the lane on his own via screens and that can only do so much, even with a talent like Kyrie.
The JB and Gordon issue could get ugly pretty quickly unless Brad finds a lineup that can get them back in action.
I don't know nearly as much about NBA basketball as most of the posters here and a lot of the Celtics games aren't available on my cable system, so I don't get to see them that often, but weren't we all expecting Tatum to be more of an option this season? People were talking about him as a perennial All Star last season but this year he hasn't seemed to do much. He's not bad the way Hayward and Brown have been, obviously, but he seems like he's not the player he was down the stretch last season either.
That is a cop out excuse imho. Kyrie will be paid a max deal by us or by someone else because he has shown to be fully capable of taking over the 4th quarter of games. I mean he did this against playoff prepared defenses in the past......are we really giving him a pass because he's facing a Devin Booker-led Phoenix Suns defense? C'mon now.
Tatum's Usage has increased while his shooting and scoring has been maintained which is a very good sign. He's rebounding the ball better than last year too likely due to adding some strength in his first offseason. Yes, Tatum had a strong finish to last year after injuries took their toll on the teams other scorers and his usage increased but from post-ASB to this year his numbers are similar despite the Celtics having more offensive weapons on the floor with him that should be taking touches away.
Anyone expecting him to become an All-Star in Year 2 as a 20-year old had unrealistic expectations for a kid who remains slight in build (comparatively speaking to his adult counterparts) that will take a few more years to fill out. Check back in 2021 and you'll see a much different body and better player than his Age 20 version.
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Post all-star game last year per game #s
TS 58%
USG 22.8%
15 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST
This year
TS 57%
USG 22.3%
17 PTS, 6.5 REB, 2 AST
Seems like he is basically the same guy. You would have liked to see an improvement, but I think this is a typical arc for a very good rookie. 2nd year, the league adjusts, and so even with improved skills/strength/awareness, numbers don't change. 3rd year tends to be the real telling year, IMO
TS 58%
USG 22.8%
15 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST
This year
TS 57%
USG 22.3%
17 PTS, 6.5 REB, 2 AST
Seems like he is basically the same guy. You would have liked to see an improvement, but I think this is a typical arc for a very good rookie. 2nd year, the league adjusts, and so even with improved skills/strength/awareness, numbers don't change. 3rd year tends to be the real telling year, IMO
Well, it won't happen every game no matter how great the player, and I think it's that much more difficult when the other team can see your hand. And yes, the Suns aren't good but they just got Oubre who has always posed a problem for these Celtics, they are on a run, and he and Ayton killed them last night. This was a bad loss and you can pin it on different players but Kyrie is like 5th on that list at least.
FWIW here's a shoutout for Danny to acquire any available big tout suite:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2018/12/20/danny-ainge-needs-add-big-man/eiL4yJpiiun2iGhLOlCeJN/story.html
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2018/12/20/danny-ainge-needs-add-big-man/eiL4yJpiiun2iGhLOlCeJN/story.html
Wish I had the last 90 seconds of my life back. Horford will be back any game and Baynes will be 4-5 weeks. My favorite part was after throwing out names like Zeller and Wright as answers it is followed up by blaming our lack of bigs on the elevated number of 3-point attempts LOL!
Hey it’s all in the name of clickbait these days.
Not that it means much but the question was posed to Danny during his call in to T&R this morning whether he was now looking to bring in another big man from the outside and Danny’s response was no as he felt reasonably confident that Horford and Yabusele are close to being ready to return to the court (paraphrasing).
Well, they aren’t the Warriors by any means but the C’s should be playing and building with an eye towards the playoffs. I’d prefer the 2 seed but will take the 3. If the Celts are playing well, seed shouldn’t be the deciding factor. The Red Sox and NYG each won multiple championships without home field advantage. IMO if the Celts are clicking, they can go to the finals out of the 3 spot.
A single tear rolls down BH's cheek. Baynes will be missed, but we are plenty deep enough at the 5. No need to make any trades.
If Theis/TL can set physical screens, box out, help defend the lane/hoop then the Celtics should be fine. We don't need much scoring from the 5, we have enough wings/ball handlers looking for their shot.
A bigger problem we face is when MaMo isn't there to play the 4. We need MaMo's size and physicality to help our BIG. Of course, Brad could play Horford at the 4 with Theis/TL for some minutes and that would help.
here comes HRB... 3... 2... 1...
Unless we were waiting for confirmation that Baynes had a broken bone in his hand, this isn't news. 4-6 weeks is standard broken bone healing time.
You keep harping on this but it makes absolutely no sense. If you can, Brad did a segment on Sports Hub yesterday and spoke about spacing and methods of attack a bit in the modern NBA and you should give it a listen.
Horford just can’t keep up with a modern 4 defensively. You guys keep citing trying to reduce wear and tear on him but he’s going to accumulate more trying to extend to the 3 point line even more on defense and having to guard a more credible shooter. Whether he likes it or not, C is the only real position left for him on an NBA floor
There will always be matchups or points in a game where we can go big because we feel we can guard the other teams unit on the floor but this notion that we can roll Horford with another big center regardless of matchup would be suicidal.
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On Tatum....
2017-18 vs. 2018-19
2017-18: 30.5 min, .475 fg%, .434 3pt%, .538 eFG%, 5.0 reb, 1.6 ast, 13.9 pts, 15.3 PER
2018-19: 31.3 min, .454 fg%, .395 3pt%, .530 eFG%, 6.5 reb, 1.7 ast, 16.7 pts, 16.5 PER
So it feels like he's not been better this year, I think mostly because our last memory of him last season was as a dominant scorer in the playoffs. But he has actually been better this year. It's just that the Celtics have Kyrie and Hayward back and we knew that would reduce Tatum's numbers from the playoffs.
The guy is having a terrific sophomore season, plain and simple. And the good thing is we know that if need be, he can be an alpha scorer, based on the playoffs last year. There's nothing at all to be concerned about with Tatum.
2017-18 vs. 2018-19
2017-18: 30.5 min, .475 fg%, .434 3pt%, .538 eFG%, 5.0 reb, 1.6 ast, 13.9 pts, 15.3 PER
2018-19: 31.3 min, .454 fg%, .395 3pt%, .530 eFG%, 6.5 reb, 1.7 ast, 16.7 pts, 16.5 PER
So it feels like he's not been better this year, I think mostly because our last memory of him last season was as a dominant scorer in the playoffs. But he has actually been better this year. It's just that the Celtics have Kyrie and Hayward back and we knew that would reduce Tatum's numbers from the playoffs.
The guy is having a terrific sophomore season, plain and simple. And the good thing is we know that if need be, he can be an alpha scorer, based on the playoffs last year. There's nothing at all to be concerned about with Tatum.
Went looking at ticket prices for upcoming Celtics games to take the wife. Boy, do I long for the days of living in Charlotte and catching a Bobcats game for $30!!!
suicidal? that's a bit extreme.... You know what was terrible, that small ball lineup we rolled out to start the season. 5 offense-first players on the perimeter, tons of space and little to no picks, screens or cuts.
Al was very efficient playing the 4 last season, it worked. Game pace is up a few possessions a game this season, but the game hasn't changed that much. What "modern 4" can't Al guard in the NBA?
It's a long season, injuries will continue to happen and players will be asked to play different positions/roles. Limiting Al to one position/role is too inflexible. We'll see how it plays out.
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Yes he is having a great year but one difference is that he was 5.0 FG /10.4 FGA last year and he's 6.2 / 13.4 this year.
But the bigger issue to me is that he's not only taking additional degree of difficulty shots, his moves take a long time so the offense bogs down when he does his Kobe impression.
I mean, this narrative is getting out of control.
He played all last season mostly as the 4, and was awesome. Six months later, with by my count 18 of the exact same guys on opponents starting at the 4 that did last year, and another 4 or 5 starting similar style and/or sized guys to last year, and he now can't play the 4 at all? Against mostly the same dudes?
This is just getting crazy.
So they have to ship Rozier out for a future. Hayward needs to play less, TL needs to play more and they have to be patient with Jaylen. Or, do they have to admit this is never going to work and bundle what they can for a larger move? Whiffing on KL looks bad now but that was an enigma who might leave anyway. It's just sooo frustrating right now.
Danny ain’t going to do anything big until he knows what AD is doing. Other than maybe shipping out Rozier just to be rid of his useless ass, this roster is what we’re rolling with.
Look everyone, this roster was built to create mismatches on offense and minimize mismatches on defense. Problem is that we're being punished by mismatches on the defensive end and not capitalizing on mismatches on the offensive end.
Without Al, MaMo, and Baynes they are going to have problems. Embiid must be pretty excited to go.
At least JB seemed to find something. Let's hope he can build on that.
Without Al, MaMo, and Baynes they are going to have problems. Embiid must be pretty excited to go.
At least JB seemed to find something. Let's hope he can build on that.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Give Brad the 2 or 3 seed as well as a healthy team and let’s see if they can make some hay.
They should just give John a show on 98.5 now. It would do well.
I'm on the trade Rozier train, if they can get some kind of value for him. In the last few games, it seems that the defense falls apart completely when he checks in. The offense seems pretty scattershot as well. He's dreadful at the moment.
I'm on the trade Rozier train, if they can get some kind of value for him. In the last few games, it seems that the defense falls apart completely when he checks in. The offense seems pretty scattershot as well. He's dreadful at the moment.