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  1. lovegtm

    Joe Mazzulla officially named head coach

    Totally. In fact, when the players bought in hard to alternative lineups, they produced some really good D in games 4-7. (I was fine with the defense in game 7: they didn't give up a ton of points, and were probably unlucky to gave up what they did.) I blame the coaching staff somewhat for not...
  2. lovegtm

    In-season NBA news thread

    I mean....if that story is true, it crosses into some incredibly dangerous territory. Can't have a guy like that in the league, on a number of levels.
  3. lovegtm

    Joe Mazzulla officially named head coach

    I think there was definitely something to the idea that the team had lost its defensive identity. I think the players were mistaken in thinking that double-big was the way to re-find it, outside of specific matchups like PJ "terrified to shoot" Tucker.
  4. lovegtm

    Joe Mazzulla officially named head coach

    The interesting thing, however, is that they keyed the almost-comeback against Miami by going back to smaller lineups, but with more effort, attention to detail, and some new schemes there. My general impression is that there definitely is/was tension regarding defensive philosophy, and...
  5. lovegtm

    Celtics vs Heat ECF Redux Discussion Thread

    This is a good point, and would require either a leap forward from Tatum and Brown, or roster recomposition.
  6. lovegtm

    Celtics vs Heat ECF Redux Discussion Thread

    That's the problem though: the stretch 5 has been missing everything since his "elite shooter" game against Philly, and "utilizing the threat" of a stretch 5 implies that he's going to take and make open 3s if the defense gives them to him......... ......at which point you're back to the...
  7. lovegtm

    Celtics vs Heat ECF Redux Discussion Thread

    The Celtics' strategic options once 3s weren't falling and Tatum was hurt were very limited: - force drives to the paint against a loaded up D - keep shooting somewhat marginal 3s and hope for regression Jaylen and DWhite actually tried option 1. Jaylen turned it over every time. White got...
  8. lovegtm

    Not Being a Joker, We Need A The Finals Thread

    I should also emotionally hedge and say that it would have been very tough for the Cs, particularly the banged-up Cs, to beat this version of Denver. Jokic is just so ridiculously in control.
  9. lovegtm

    The Celtics Offseason

    I think people are scarred because the Celtics traded for (afaic recall) the ONLY star in the last couple decades who explicitly said he'd re-sign with a team and then didn't. It's hard to overstate how much of an anomaly the Kyrie situation was. As you note, that will not affect other teams'...
  10. lovegtm

    Not Being a Joker, We Need A The Finals Thread

    It's pretty wild that the Heat couldn't make open 3s all season, made like 60% of them against Boston to win a 7 game series, and then promptly reverted to who they actually are. Basketball is rough sometimes. I do think that Denver is the better team, with the much better superstar(s?), just...
  11. lovegtm

    Joe Mazzulla officially named head coach

    This is a weird take when you just lost to a team that had no chance to win in games it wasn't hitting like 45% of its 3s. If anything, the Cs problem was that they couldn't generate enough quality 3s against Miami, not that they shot too many.
  12. lovegtm

    The Celtics Offseason

    There are different possible reasons for finding fault, but I generally agree that they need to find some fault. Running it back identically doesn't feel like the answer.
  13. lovegtm

    Jaylen Brown, Year 7

    He's in the convo, but that's hindsight. The question is more interesting/painful when you ask it going forward for a few games.
  14. lovegtm

    The Celtics Offseason

    Yes, the roster constraints of the super tax will clearly be a bigger factor than will Wyc's wallet. Also, these last few years haven't been 2017 fool's gold conference finalist stuff. They legit could have won the title in 2020, 2022, and 2023 with some better injury/gameplay breaks and minor...
  15. lovegtm

    Jayson Tatum's Rise to the Top: The Man is Non-stop

    I've been on Team Jaylen since his Kyrie-interrupted 3rd year, but his limits are really showing.
  16. lovegtm

    Jayson Tatum's Rise to the Top: The Man is Non-stop

    As a general rule, getting your alpha scorer hurt on the first play is not conducive to NBA winning. Even a pregame injury would be better, since you can gameplan and Ewing Theory your way through it.
  17. lovegtm

    Jaylen Brown, Year 7

    If this were a best of 9 series, and you had the option to trade Jaylen Brown to the Heat for Caleb Martin, for games 8 and 9, would you do it? The fact that there will be a lot of "yes"s and "no, but close"s is not great for the Celtics when 5/295 is coming up as a decision.
  18. lovegtm

    Jayson Tatum's Rise to the Top: The Man is Non-stop

    He'd have scored more on his own, the 3 point looks would have been cleaner....
  19. lovegtm

    The Celtics Offseason

    Good point. I'm heated after getting robbed of seeing Game 7 Tatum, so missed that. I also think that, barring an obvious trade, you keep Horford for contract value and shrink-wrap him a bit more.
  20. lovegtm

    The Celtics Offseason

    Agree. I think the only sure thing about this team is that Tatum can be a superstar, and that he probably can raise his game to even further levels if pushed. Everything else is up for grabs.
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