Ainge put this roster together last season. I do not recall hearing any complaints then, other than some folks being opposed to the Kyrie deal. Switching Larkin for Wannamaker and Time Lord isn't the problem.
Well HRB will be the first (now the second) to say that he saw this coming.
It may just be a case of two guys trying to play their way out of town. I did say back in the fall that Rozier’s refusal to sign an extension was a possible problem. Much like Smart last year, he’s forcing things trying to play his way into a big free agent deal. Only it’s worked even worse for him as he’s sacrificed everything for offense.
I was just referring to Tatum's defensive metrics which have shown slippage from last year. His DBPM and D-Rating are both down from '17-18. I completely agree with your larger point about youth having to do a lot with it and also the fact that the league has a book on his tendencies.
I figured that's what you meant. And I'm only going by the eyeball test, so I won't be offended if my take is discounted accordingly. If Morris and Tatum are playing together a lot (and with Kyrie more than ever), I can't possibly imagine how one unpacks those numbers. By the eyeball test, Tatum is bothering shots and passing lanes and gets his share of steals, blocks, and deflections. He does drift a bit for sure, but it never seems like it's from lack of effort (or second/third efforts).
I completely agree that Tatum and Brown are always giving maximum, if not always efficient, effort. Tatum's defense in particular may well be down a bit simply because other teams have a book on him now (e.g. his tendencies on rotations, or whether or not he is prone to back-cuts) and are taking advantage.
It's obvious there are other underlying issues, but to me this is the most consistent and stark difference between last year and this year. I remember times last year when commentators were describing Rozier as a "bulldog" defensively. He IS the smaller, quicker guard we need to fill out the defensive holes of the Kyrie/Smart combo, and last year that was one of his specialties. This year, from day 1, he has appeared totally checked out on that end of the court.
Because a team without an identity has nothing on which to fall back when times get tough in the playoffs.
Good point.
It will help to get Baynes back in the lineup. The Cs are 15-2 when he play more than 15 minutes.
If they think Hayward will get healthier (I do), it’s utterly imperative for chemistry and Hayward’s own confidence that he be the primary guy on the 2nd unit, and the clear #2 when he plays with Kyrie.
You might well end up right JBD. My only counter at this point is that they can seem to turn it on when necessary. Flip the Switch if you will. I may well be giving them too much benefit of the doubt.
Good points. This gives me a bit more optimism. That have largely stepped up a lot against the better teams.
There's obvious differences of course (mostly in track record), but it's a bit like the Patriots not beating teams like the Titans and Lions but beating the playoff teams on their schedule and then (hopefully) simply turning it on in the postseason.
Agreed, but the Pats have an 18 year track record of mostly doing that.
Exactly. The Celtics are a different team with Baynes. He backbones the defense,, protects the rim, mucks up the paint, sets picks, and doesn't need shots. Baynes also allows Theis to play backup PF instead of C, where he is overmatched at times. Anything that cuts Morris' minutes is also a bonus.
This is correct. Theis is basically Baynes-lite, small quibble but I'd rather play Al at the 4 with Theis at the 5.
It is playing big in that none of those guys are best served chasing a stretchy 4 all over the place
A point Ben Hogan has refused to even entertain in one of his 300 posts on the topic. Horford has looked a lot better the last few weeks but having him chasing 4s at the perimeter is a sure recipe to end up with the tiredness Ben Hogan wants to avoid
Still only 2.5 games out of the #3 seed. That would be much better than a 4/5 series against Indiana since you'd be playing a team like the Nets/Pistons with home court advantage.
Boston is barely a net negative on the boards for the year. They are -.7 per 100 possessions. Not ideal but not a huge concern either.
Yeah, I think the 3 seed is a pretty big advantage. I thought the Pacers would fold without Oladipo but they have not. It's a 5 team league.
Agree. I like Baynes a LOT and think there are many useful ways to use him. The problem is that, for all we obsess over Horford’s age/health, Baynes is the early 30s center who hasn’t been able to stay on the floor.
Rarely if ever do teams play a stretchy 4 for 48mpg. AND what classic 4 can't Al Horford guard in the NBA? Al did play major minutes at the 4 last year, where he was very effective and an All-Star. Horford's defensive numbers as a 5 this season are terrible VS. Baynes or Theis advanced defensive #s at the 5 (see below).
You sure?
Do we really want last year’s team though? The current team scores way better and has a better net rating, in a much tougher East.
It was not the same guys and certainly not the same offensive styles. We played them together out of NECESSITY due to multiple frontcourt and backcourt injuries. That is in the past.....we are on the full strength. Sure the defense was better but the offense suffered and was significantly worse. Geez Louise. Baynes has a role on a team but you don’t sit better players while forcing another out of position to force him more minutes.
Elevator malfunctions are uncommon these days, but are not "scary". Most are often resolved in under an hour; the players on the elevator are perfectly safe as long as they don't try anything silly like attempt to force the doors open. Of course, if someone has bad flatulence, that is a different story....
I dunno about that. I can’t imagine their elevator being that large and having a half dozen large athletes cramped in a stuck elevator could easily lead to panic.
I count at least 20 guys that were starting power forwards last year that are starting power forwards again this year. I think that qualifies as mostly the same guys without even taking into account that some of the new guys this year are similarly sized/skilled as the guys they replaced.
Don't know if we want last years team.
It isn't silly because the players and systems are different. Tonight is a perfect example. Last year versus Toronto, Horford was playing the 4 matched up against Ibaka. This year Ibaka is playing the 5 who Horford is matched up against......and Siakam is playing the 4. Why in the name of Wayne Kreklow would we want to match Horford up with Siakam, who is essentially a 3, so Baynes can play Tatum or MaMo's minutes? I don't understand where the "pro 2 center" people are coming from here.....like at all.
Rozier is going to be a starting 1 for someone next year......we should simply give up on him when he's erratic in a role he clearly isn't happy about? As much as the gamethreaders hate to hear this, Brad was never going to do this to lose Rozier when he's going to be crucial to us in the playoffs......especially to force someone else on the second unit to defend opposing 1's. Again, why do so many people want us to place our guys in positions to fail?
At this point, you have to concede that everyone - the players, coaches and the fans - are frustrated and searching for answers. People don't want to place players in positions to fail - they want changes because what they are seeing isn't working. Its entirely fair, even if some of the ideas are hot takey or are not supported by data. To be clear, I am not referring to any ideas put forth on this site - just in general.
If Kyries healthy and Rozier is playing the same role in the playoffs as he is for the team now, why would he be crucial/expected to play better in the playoffs?
I'm saying that the minutes he plays in the playoffs will be crucial in the outcome of those playoff games and he's our only second unit player capable of defending quick 1's even though his effort has been inconsistent in this area during the regular season. Or you could simply give up on his talent and bury him so we can see Wanamaker and Smart play those minutes...….I'm sure the latter would fit right in with what some here want in players being put in less than advantageous positions.
