Celtics Preseason

DJnVa

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Can anyone tell me what Jaylen Brown's twitter handle stands for: FCHWPO
 

Fishy1

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Thanks for this
After a couple of games, to particularize for Eddie some: Horford and IT4 look very good together. They're as advertised in the pick and roll. IT's talent at slashing was leaving Horford wide open shots when Noel follow IT in the first game, and when Noel tried to play in between, Horford was able to dive to the rim. The other underrated quality about Horford's game (or maybe I just wasn't as aware of it as I should have been) is his ability to bring the ball up on the break. Just one more thing that gets a team that's all about pace into their offense quicker.

AB and Jae both look very good shooting the three, but that doesn't mean anything after two games. AB has also looked a lot better passing out of the pick and roll (reflected in his assist totals), though his dribble drive game is still non-existent.

As for the second unit... Rozier and Young have looked average to bad on defense, which is disappointing for the former and good news for the latter. Rozier isn't getting over screens like I'd hoped he might (watch what Bradley does, young man) and got blown by a bunch (mostly by Ramon Sessions (!)); Young is actually doing a very good job of staying in front of his man most of the time, though he missed at least two backdoor cuts (stop watching Bradley, young man). Brown has been active, fighting through screens and for loose balls, playing aggressive, though he totally failed at least once to ICE on the pick and roll last night.

On offense, Brown has been as advertised on the break and is a much better passer than I knew. Rozier looks good when he's being aggressive, and Young looked good on a few pin-down plays that were run for him around the free-throw line (especially one where he went into Noel's body for a lay-up). Hunter still can't do the one thing he's supposed to be able to do. Smart looks good driving and dishing, but I wasn't watching closely enough to catch how his three point form looked.

Didn't see much at all from Mickey, but I don't think we'll need him in the slightest. Zeller still blows.
 

Fishy1

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Rozier having trouble with Sessions again.

Young with a nice steal, then gets backdoored again.
 

xjack

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Is it just me, or does Marcus Smart look like he's been on the Jared Sullinger diet plan?
 

Jed Zeppelin

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He's always been a pretty stout guy. He'll be be guarding 3s a bunch this season anyway.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Is it just me, or does Marcus Smart look like he's been on the Jared Sullinger diet plan?
Smart added some muscle in the offseason b.c. he's a workoit maniac.

“A little muscle, a little stronger,” he said. “Not really something I tried to do because I’m a big guy, strong already. I look bigger automatically.”

Take it from someone who has trained with Smart.

“He’s a freak,” Brown said. “I’ve seen him do stuff in the weight room, like he’ll be stretching and he’ll do a flip off the top of his head onto his feet, stuff I’ve never seen before, and I’ve only been with him a week. He’s an incredible athlete, strong as an ox, incredibly athletic, versatile.”
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2016/10/celtics_notebook_second_unit_has_some_work_to_do
 

HomeRunBaker

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Is it just me, or does Marcus Smart look like he's been on the Jared Sullinger diet plan?
Smart is going to struggle with this as he ages. It's one of the reasons I've never considered him a potential starting 1 in this league.
 

nighthob

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Is it just me, or does Marcus Smart look like he's been on the Jared Sullinger diet plan?
I wish Jared Sullinger had reported to camp having added more muscle, unfortunately he kept coming in with extra triple bacon cheeseburgers.

Smart looks like an NFL LB, when they have him at the SF spot in small ball lineups I imagine the muscle helps him body up the guys he's defending.
 

xjack

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Watch the end of this video. Smart doesn't look ripped. He looks pudgy.

 

HomeRunBaker

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Watch the end of this video. Smart doesn't look ripped. He looks pudgy.
That's his body. He's not a lean guy and never will be......Smart is thick which allows him to defend 3's physically but hurts him in chasing smaller guards around on the perimeter. Stevens will best utilize him into the system as a valuable role player/2nd unit guy. He has great value in a winning system as he isn't a "numbers guy" even with his propensity to have awful shot selection.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Didn't watch the whole game but Brown just had a hell of a last minute. Drew a foul slashing, drained two to get within one. Took an outlet pass, drove and threw slick behind the back pass to a driving Mickey to go ahead, then drained two more freebies to go up three.

Seen some pretty good D from him too. He stays home and relies on his athleticism and length, good upside on that end as his awareness grows.
 

BigSoxFan

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Al Horford fits so well on this team. Really hope we can use the Brooklyn assets to find a better frontcourt player to complement him with.
 

luckiestman

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Didn't watch the whole game but Brown just had a hell of a last minute. Drew a foul slashing, drained two to get within one. Took an outlet pass, drove and threw slick behind the back pass to a driving Mickey to go ahead, then drained two more freebies to go up three.

Seen some pretty good D from him too. He stays home and relies on his athleticism and length, good upside on that end as his awareness grows.

I'm impressed. Haven't been this optimistic about a rook since Pierce fell to Cs
 

DannyDarwinism

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Yeah, that was a very smooth pass, especially considering it was his off-hand. Loved seeing the vets on the bench go nuts, Jaylen seems like a guy who'll feed off a little Ubuntu.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I'm long on Jaylen but even so I didn't think he'd look this good this soon. Very encouraging.

Now, about Smart's "revamped" jump shot.
 

DannyDarwinism

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Now, about Smart's "revamped" jump shot.
I thought he looked great otherwise, but yeah, his "revamped" jumper looked to be in line with 99% of all the other still-broke-but-somehow-revamped jumpers I've seen from if the "if they only could shoot" set throughout the years.
 

ifmanis5

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I'm long on Jaylen but even so I didn't think he'd look this good this soon. Very encouraging.

Now, about Smart's "revamped" jump shot.
Yes on both. Jaylen looks good, Smart's accuracy is the same if not worse.
Overall the team is now crazy athletic. Can't shoot, but they can defend, run and dunk.
 

Fishy1

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Yes on both. Jaylen looks good, Smart's accuracy is the same if not worse.
Overall the team is now crazy athletic. Can't shoot, but they can defend, run and dunk.
This team is going to rely on winning in transition, just like last year's team. Rozier and Brown, though they can't yet defend on the level of the first unit, will be a boon in that regard. Watching them blaze up and down the floor has been a joy.

In general, the C' are going to heave up a ton of three pointers. The good news is that we don't have to watch Sullinger shoot anymore, the bad news is that second unit may end up spreading the floor better than the first. Ainge himself said he never thought Rozier would be this good of a shooter this fast, and KO and Jerebko are the team's best. Those three should have some fun picking and popping.

The problem is what to do with Smart. I'm happy that the ball will be in Rozier's hands. If Marcus could just make himself into a credible threat in the corner, we'd be golden -- but he's as bad there as he is from anywhere.

I'll be looking to see if there's real improvement from Crowder, too.
 

gammoseditor

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It's not all bad for Smart. He's been terrible shooting threes. He's just 2/14. But when not shooting 3's he is 14/20 in the preseason. He seems to be handling the ball better and his mid-range game looks good.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Haven't been able to watch much at all, but how is Jaylen finishing at the rim? That was his major issue this summer. Funny tho how people thought he'd be in the D league, but it looks like he may get significant time right away. Very encouraging.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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I thought he looked great otherwise, but yeah, his "revamped" jumper looked to be in line with 99% of all the other still-broke-but-somehow-revamped jumpers I've seen from if the "if they only could shoot" set throughout the years.
I think Smart's shot is "in-between" his old shot and his new mechanics. Question is whether he can commit to the improved mechanics so it becomes muscle memory. Easier to do in practise than games. hopefully, he can do it.
 

Koufax

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Wow, Zizic looks like a strong dude. I'm impressed and enthusiastic about seeing him in Green.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Looks to be the epitome of a serviceable big. Zeller's 2017 deal is not guaranteed so would seem to make sense to have Zizic come and fill that role next year for 1/4 the cost.
 

Erik Hanson's Hook

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Horford running the floor after a steal swats Porzingus out of bounds. didn't think he was that athletic
 
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Erik Hanson's Hook

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Weird to think of Bradley as the elder statesman on this team at only 25. He's the only one left who played with the Big 3.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Carmelo schooled Brown a few times tonight. But I think that is to be expected.

But I think this has been a very positive camp for Brown overall. I feel like the big knock on him was "athlete, not basketball player", but in the action I have seen he has shown a good feel for the game. He already makes good decisions in transition, he's getting some steals and blocks, shown some post moves, attacks the basket without being an offense foul machine. A lot of that is the athleticism but not all of it.

Other news from tonight's game.

RJ Hunter was in the zone tonight. Played 14 minutes and is their leading scorer with 17 points on a range of different shots - threes, drives, nice mid range floater.

Demetrius Jackson also had a strong game. Led the team with 6 assists in 13 minutes, also stuck a couple of threes. He'll be a good player for the Red Claws and maybe a good project for the Celtics.
 

luckiestman

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I'm getting a little too fired up for the regular season again this year. This starting lineup is so good and then releasing a fresh Marcus Smart on the opposing team doesn't seem fair.


The roster this year compared to Brad's first year is insane
 

BigSoxFan

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I'm getting a little too fired up for the regular season again this year. This starting lineup is so good and then releasing a fresh Marcus Smart on the opposing team doesn't seem fair.


The roster this year compared to Brad's first year is insane
I'm with you. This is already a very good roster and they still have those picks coming in 2017-2019. And Stevens turns 40 in a week. This team is set up very nicely.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Carmelo schooled Brown a few times tonight. But I think that is to be expected.

But I think this has been a very positive camp for Brown overall. I feel like the big knock on him was "athlete, not basketball player", but in the action I have seen he has shown a good feel for the game. He already makes good decisions in transition, he's getting some steals and blocks, shown some post moves, attacks the basket without being an offense foul machine. A lot of that is the athleticism but not all of it.
Thought it was good to see JB on 'Melo. Yes, Melo schooled him a couple of times but it's good for JB to see this stuff in preseason. There was one sequence where JB deflected a 'Melo pass that turned into a fastbreak; on the subsequent trip, 'Melo got the ball in isolation and wanted to take JB but had to settle for a jump shot.

Some JB highlights here: http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2016/10/jaylen_brown_raw_but_already_s.html. As the article says, he's going to be pretty damn good.

The 4Q was very entertaining. Guys on both squads playing hard to win a roster spot.

Smart is shooing 70% from inside the 3P line this preseason. That's encouraging.
 

ifmanis5

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Team is so deep and athletic. They will boss during the regular season. As long as they are healthy a 2 or 3 seed will be a lock. 4 at the worst.
When it comes to the playoffs and making tough shots under pressure, not sure they crossed that event horizon just yet.
 

cardiacs

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Just watched one of the condensed versions of the game on youtube and a few random thoughts... the c's look really good in transition.. If Bradley can hit baseline jumpers behind a screen regularly that would be nice... Horford fits seamlessly into the system which is just pure joy to see... Jaylen Brown has really impressed me with his basketball IQ. He seems really patient for a 19 year old. There was a fast break with about 5 minutes to go where he didn't force himself too much, changed directions at the last second and got the basket - it was my favorite play out of the footage I saw.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Team is so deep and athletic. They will boss during the regular season. As long as they are healthy a 2 or 3 seed will be a lock. 4 at the worst.
When it comes to the playoffs and making tough shots under pressure, not sure they crossed that event horizon just yet.
Need real bball back in my life ASAP. C's are going to win a ton of games while developing high upside guys like Rozier and Brown.

And as I'm sure everybody here knows by now, following the Nets is my strongest addiction.

That's not even getting into seeing what the Dubs can do, watching the Wolves grow and the Kings explode, spending all season counting up how much money Evan Turner earns per 3 pointer made, and so on. Sick of watching 3/4 of the teams in the NFL put out a terrible product with no redeeming qualities and nothing of interest to follow.
 

BigSoxFan

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I'm with you. I follow the Nets' games as fervently as the Celtics. And their wins probably bother me more than a Celtics loss.
 

DJnVa

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So, who's the handful of college guys you folks think we should keep an eye on this season?
 

Cellar-Door

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So, who's the handful of college guys you folks think we should keep an eye on this season?
Josh Jackson (Kansas)
Harry Giles (Duke)
Jayson Tatum (Duke)
Marcus Bolden (Duke)
Ivan Rabb (Cal)
Markelle Fultz (Washington)
Dennis Smith (NC State)
Jonathan Isaac (FL State)

Those are probably the projected top 10 draft guys in college.
 

rhopkins2323

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A lot will change once we get a feel for how these kid's skills play out at a high level, but a few that project are:

  1. Harry Giles - Duke - Had another knee injury so that could be a concern. 6'10 monster that can really handle and finish. Tough kid to match up with.
  2. Markelle Fultz - Washington - 6'5 combo guard, very skilled.
  3. Jayson Tatum - Duke - Very skilled 6'9 perimeter scorer
  4. Josh Jackson - Kansas - Another 6'8 perimeter scorer. Very athletic. His shot is a concern though
  5. Dennis Smith - NC State - 6'2 PG. He might be best out of everybody. Freak athlete, tight handle, sees floor well and can score from anywhere. Question for Cs is do they want to draft PG when they have IT. Personally, not that it matters, but I would
  6. Bam Adebayo - Kentucky - I am really intrigued by his potential. 6'10 freak athlete. Long. Seems to be pretty skilled for his age and size. He could work his way up to #1 based on his size and potential
There's a few more, but you can Google and check out some videos and reports. And thank you Billy King
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I don't know much about specific players yet but I've read in many places that the top 5-6 guys could potentially represent 1 top tier (or maybe tier 1A/1B), as opposed to last season which pretty much always had Simmons and Ingram alone at the top IIRC.
 

Koufax

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Just watched Monday's pre-season game against the Nets. For a 20-point win, it was rather uninspiring. The only surprise was the play of Demetrius Jackson, who made Danny's decision on who to cut all the more difficult. James Young wasn't terrible either. RJ Hunter, on the other hand, reverted to form on offense with 25% shooting, but he must have done something on defense because his +/- was +11. Jordan Mickey didn't do much. He could be the odd man out, as intriguing as he is. Ben Bentil is another candidate for the chopping block.