Celtics Offseason 2024 - Wake Me Up When September Ends

snowmanny

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Tatum is also a marketing machine. Sour grapes over not playing as much as you wanted, or even as much as you deserved, doesn’t help his Q Score.

Not having minutes for a three time first team all NBA, do it all wing with size, even with LBJ and KD, is ridiculous. Kerr played smaller guys, and if not for some ridiculous shooting heroics from the guy who has been carrying his coaching career, he’d be flying home a national joke.

All the talk about Tatum not being right for certain guard match ups against Serbia and/or France is idiotic. Most of those players have been successfully guarded by JT in the past, and ones he hadn’t had experience with are not as good as the ones he played against in the NBA.

Tatum was struggling shooting the ball. So was Curry. Stef was allowed to play his was out of his shooting funk. Tatum wasn’t. JT didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. He’s been a good soldier for USA basketball from before he could drive legally, and has always been one of the most committed and better players. He should be bitter, it he should leave if back in Paris, at least publicly.
Thank you.
 

JakeRae

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Team USA will also need Tatum in 2024 with Lebron/KD/Steph all likely gone (Embiid likely to be well past his prime too) and Wemby entering his prime. If he doesn’t play in 2028, Kerr may cost Team USA a gold despite winning this year.
 

The Social Chair

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Tatum is also a marketing machine. Sour grapes over not playing as much as you wanted, or even as much as you deserved, doesn’t help his Q Score.

Not having minutes for a three time first team all NBA, do it all wing with size, even with LBJ and KD, is ridiculous. Kerr played smaller guys, and if not for some ridiculous shooting heroics from the guy who has been carrying his coaching career, he’d be flying home a national joke.

.
Spot on. Also, Tatum is better than Durant and LeBron in 2024. Let a coach yank them around and mess with their role and minutes, and see how well they perform. They both probably would have flown home during the tournament.

Durant and LeBron both got swept in the first round of the playoffs. Sure, they look good passing to Curry, but who doesn't? Congrats for squeaking by as heavy favorites. It'll be the last time Curry, Durant, and Lebron win anything as the lead guys.

Kerr and Hill should have been honest and said the Olympics were a sports fantasy camp for aging legends and not about fielding the most competitive team possible.

That's my homer rant.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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On paper this summer couldn't have gone any better for Celtics fans. They won, they are bringing everyone back and both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum probably feel a lot of disrespect given the "recognition" for all their accomplishments (or they were both on the wrong side of big basketball politics with regard to the roster and usage). As any human knows, reality rarely matches expectations so we will see but I think these two may feel they have more to prove than they did last season. That should bode well for those of us who enjoy Celtic wins.
 

DGreenwood

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He needs to get a new Nike rep. His Jordan brand shoes are horrible.
Have you seen the new ones he started wearing in the quarterfinals? I really like them. I heard Jeff Teague and the Club 520 Podcast guys discussing whether the black and white 3s are the best signature shoe in the league.

This whole clip below is about Tatum and JB's revenge tour but I'm starting it where they discuss his new shoes.

Teague says he has the inside scoop and Tatum is going to be on a mission this coming season after what happened in Paris (at around the 6:25 mark).

View: https://youtu.be/GBeigV5ZDjw?t=192

 
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bankshot1

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Did Kerr Ruffle Tatum?

87021

JT's Flamin HotTM !

I see an add with JT and a huge chip on his shoulder


These bags are about to go on sale as they've been sitting too long.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Have you seen the new ones he started wearing in the quarterfinals? I really like them. I heard Jeff Teague and the Club 520 Podcast guys discussing whether the black and white 3s are the best signature shoe in the league.

This whole thing is about Tatum and JB's revenge tour but I'm starting it where they discuss his new shoes.

Teague says he has the inside scoop and Tatum is going to be on a mission this coming season after what happened in Paris (at around the 6:25 mark).

View: https://youtu.be/GBeigV5ZDjw?t=192

I really don’t like those. But there’s a rumor he is helping to design a Tatum Jordan 1 with a Boston/celtics theme.
 

NomarsFool

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The only thing I really care about is that Tatum wasted time in Paris he could have been muscling up and continuing to work on his game. At the end of the day, I guess it was just a few weeks - so probably NBD - but he had a short offseason as it is.
 

HomeRunBaker

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The only thing I really care about is that Tatum wasted time in Paris he could have been muscling up and continuing to work on his game. At the end of the day, I guess it was just a few weeks - so probably NBD - but he had a short offseason as it is.
It wasn’t only a few weeks though. Team USA began training camp in Vegas prior to summer league even beginning there so July 5th or 6th(?) with their first exhibition on July 10th. This has been a 6-week commitment for a guy who had less than 3 weeks off from winning a Championship and now will have just 6 weeks or so until camp begins.
 

TripleOT

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It wasn’t only a few weeks though. Team USA began training camp in Vegas prior to summer league even beginning there so July 5th or 6th(?) with their first exhibition on July 10th. This has been a 6-week commitment for a guy who had less than 3 weeks off from winning a Championship and now will have just 6 weeks or so until camp begins.

Maybe Joe Mazzulla will follow the Steve Kerr Coaching Method. That way, Tatum can get plenty of rest during the season.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Maybe Joe Mazzulla will follow the Steve Kerr Coaching Method. That way, Tatum can get plenty of rest during the season.
Much of the recuperation has to do with the mental rest that comes with a full offseason but I think that would be a good way to handle JT, Jrue and Derrick under less than ideal circumstances. Like when you have a day off followed by a B2B then two days off…..you can get one of the guards a 5-day rest. I mean these guys may not even get the All-Star break week certainly not Tatum.
 

RorschachsMask

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lol yeah he's definitely pissed
It’s so very clear that he feels incredibly disrespected.

I think it’s been funny to watch double digit current and former players say he’s been disrespected, while the nerdy ass blog boys say he shouldn’t feel that way, and shit on him for it.
 

HomeRunBaker

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It’s so very clear that he feels incredibly disrespected.

I think it’s been funny to watch double digit current and former players say he’s been disrespected, while the nerdy ass blog boys say he shouldn’t feel that way, and shit on him for it.
He should feel this way. Never in his life has he lost minutes in a competitive situation except when Coach K move him to the bench for a couple games his after his poor debut as a Freshman. When you aren’t accustomed to facing adversity it is difficult to deal with what you don’t know.

If the names were omitted from that stat sheet and someone asked any of us who is the player who is at risk of losing hit role there is one guy who sticks out like a sore thumb though.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Bet MGM has DAL tied for 3rd with MIN: Dallas Mavericks Odds: Futures, NBA Championship, Division (betmgm.com) .

I get the theory of adding Klay - given how ball dominant Luka and then Kryie are, why not get a guy who doesn't need the ball in his hands to score?

Although Klay flying around picks while Luka pounds the ball is not the same as GSW's motion offense.

Also, the trade-off comes on the other end - I don't think DAL is going to be top-ranked for any stretch of games in which Klay, Luka, and Kryie is in the closing lineup.

So I'm personally down on their chances this year but what do I know?
 

The Social Chair

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I don't think the Wolves are getting back to the conference finals. The Tatum discussion overshadowed how bad Edwards played in the conference finals and Olympics. He's overrated going into the 2025 season.
 

lovegtm

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The actual schedule isn't out yet, right? I want to buy up tickets for the west coast swings once it is.
 

snowmanny

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I do not think he will win mvp lol, but this is a real talking point in nba circles.

View: https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1823034816851218437
Well him winning MVP depended on him winning a title (done) and some sort of pre-season discussion about him being MVP (apparently happening) and now depends on him fixing his shot (we will see) and the Celtics having the best record -or close to it - again (we will see) and the Celtics PR machine educating the press on everything he does offensively and defensively (pretty sure they will try).

I do predict the “MVP” chants start banner night.
 

Euclis20

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I'm curious---do people here think of Dallas as a primary threat/contender? I do not have them higher than third in the west, but others may think more highly of their chances?
Yeah I'm not high on them at all. Luka has gone incredibly far without being in shape or being close to average defensively (and he's still just 25), but is there any indication that he's about to start taking his off the ball (and off the court) responsibilities seriously? Kyrie is still a decent #2, but even if he continues to behave himself, he's a 32 year old small guard who hasn't played 70 games in a season since Cleveland, and hasn't played over 60 since Boston. I like Klay as a fit on offense, but they're getting themselves into the same trouble as LA - too many role players that can't play both ends of the floor. It's an odd thing to say about a team that had what was statistically a really difficult road to the finals (they beat 3 50+ win teams, which I believe hasn't been done in over a decade), but they lucked out a bit in that they didn't have to play Denver, and they caught OKC when they were really, really young. I 100% have them behind OKC and Denver, and probably behind Minnesota, too. It wouldn't surprise me if one of the older teams (Lakers/Suns/Warriors) caught some breaks and passed them as well, nor would Memphis be a shock. It just feels like Dallas has a serious talent deficit beyond their top 2, and literally no one on their roster is an above average player at both ends. That can work when everyone is comfortable in their roles and things are going great, but can collapse like a house of cards when under pressure (which we saw in the finals).

I don't think the Wolves are getting back to the conference finals. The Tatum discussion overshadowed how bad Edwards played in the conference finals and Olympics. He's overrated going into the 2025 season.
I do think he'll be overrated (unless he keeps shooting 60% on contested mid-range jumpers, he's got a ton of work to do on defense and how to handle double teams before he gets to that top level that a lot of people want to put him in), but he was the youngest guy on the team and had plenty of big moments. These games went as well as they realistically could have for him. He sucked out loud in the WCF, but he's super young, it was his first deep playoff run, and clearly didn't pace himself (those postgames where he was clearly winded were a bit embarrassing, but fixable). I still think it's another year before he legitimately belongs in the top 10, but he's on his way.
 

Jimbodandy

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Much of the recuperation has to do with the mental rest that comes with a full offseason but I think that would be a good way to handle JT, Jrue and Derrick under less than ideal circumstances. Like when you have a day off followed by a B2B then two days off…..you can get one of the guards a 5-day rest. I mean these guys may not even get the All-Star break week certainly not Tatum.
Agree with this completely. They should already be selling everyone in the top 6 about the idea of rest time, especially the guys who went to the olympics. Make it happen. Keep the same minutes rotations but more days off. Lots more.

If the names were omitted from that stat sheet and someone asked any of us who is the player who is at risk of losing hit role there is one guy who sticks out like a sore thumb though.
I'm beating a dead horse here, but that's the problem with using the stat sheet as a guide to what people contribute to winning. It basically only counts one end of the court.
 

TomRicardo

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I'm curious---do people here think of Dallas as a primary threat/contender? I do not have them higher than third in the west, but others may think more highly of their chances?
I think there are three main factors for Dallas:

1) Did Luka learn his lesson?
2) How long can Kyrie stay behaved especially with the new team owner...
3) What is Derek Lively's ceiling and what does his next step look like?

I don't think Klay really moves the needle if Kidd uses him correctly (should be getting a ton of burn whenever Luka or Kyrie is not on the floor, the three of them used limited unless Luka makes a huge step forward on D) unless Dallas trades Kyrie though a Kyrie trade is really tough to see. Maybe Butler starts acting up without a contract and Kyrie starts leaving some pro Palenstine reading in the locker room?
 

HomeRunBaker

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I'm beating a dead horse here, but that's the problem with using the stat sheet as a guide to what people contribute to winning. It basically only counts one end of the court.
That one end matters a lot when you’re putting up Matisse Thybulle numbers on the other end.
 

TomRicardo

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He should feel this way. Never in his life has he lost minutes in a competitive situation except when Coach K move him to the bench for a couple games his after his poor debut as a Freshman. When you aren’t accustomed to facing adversity it is difficult to deal with what you don’t know.

If the names were omitted from that stat sheet and someone asked any of us who is the player who is at risk of losing hit role there is one guy who sticks out like a sore thumb though.
If you looked at stat sheet Bam would have been the guy you pulled. He didn't rebound.
 

bigq

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Pritchard and Hauser should both see career highs in minutes and points.
Barring injury this seems like a safe bet. They saw career highs in both last season and should get ample opportunity for continuing growth in the coming season. The same goes for Kornet. I would not be surprised if Tillman hits career highs for both this year as well. With KP out until sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas and Horford not playing in back to backs and generally getting the bubble wrap treatment there are going to be a lot of minutes at the 5 available.
 

TomRicardo

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Pritchard and Hauser should both see career highs in minutes and points.
With Springer and Scheierman you could see a break out and either one getting serious minutes. Springer is a bit more likely but I would guess Scheierman is going to get more burn than Oshae did last year especially with Svi gone (some of this due the second apron)
 

lovegtm

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With Springer and Scheierman you could see a break out and either one getting serious minutes. Springer is a bit more likely but I would guess Scheierman is going to get more burn than Oshae did last year especially with Svi gone (some of this due the second apron)
Yeah, it would be really, really helpful if one of those guys popped a bit in the next year.
 

chilidawg

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Yeah, it would be really, really helpful if one of those guys popped a bit in the next year.
Very helpful. Repeating is hard. You've got to get a little extra juice from somewhere.

My guess is that Baylor gets minutes in Maine to start, and hopefully ramps up into some big league time. My guess for breakout guys would be Springer or Queta.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Baylor is going to need to get better defensively (I think he's going to have to get stronger) to see real minutes in BOS. He got pushed around a lot in Summer League.
 

Jimbodandy

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Baylor is going to need to get better defensively (I think he's going to have to get stronger) to see real minutes in BOS. He got pushed around a lot in Summer League.
Agreed. What will be interesting is how quickly he can do it. Hauser got stronger and became competent at that end in a year. Took Pritchard a bit longer. Many variables. Thought Baylor looked bad in SL too, but haven't seen enough of him to know his starting point.
 

Ed Hillel

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He didn't shoot great overall, but Ant put up 25/9/8 with 41% from three. He wasn't that bad
It’s not just about shooting numbers with him. Right now, he totally kills the offense when he has the ball, and does little to nothing to create opportunities for his teammates. He’s a major ballhog.