Tristan Thompson to Boston: 2 years, $19M, player option to re-up with Khloé Kardashian

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

TT is still the 3rd best 5 on this team, TL holds far more upside and if need be he's filler for a top-notch wing.

He's played well in Cali, but nothings really changed IMO

TT is not the third best 5 on this team right now. I love TL's potential too but he has two huge problems: (1) fouls (as noted above), and (2) for whatever reason, he stands around on defense way too much I'm sure for Brad's liking. He's okay when he's directly involved in actions but for whatever reason, once the ball is in rotation, he seems to lose focus.

I thought his most impressive defensive play was the borderline foul called when he was guarding Lou Williams 1 on 1. TT gave a credible effort, which is why Brad can play him every game. Kanter would have been roasted on that play, which is why Kanter got DNPs for stretches.

We need a 5 that's bigger than DT and who isn't going to get run off the floor by simple PnR action. TT fits both requirements. I don't know if he was the best guy out there or whether he's going to end up being worth his contract, but he's averaging 11.3/13.3 (with 4.3 OReb) per 36 minutes and his DReb% is at 28.1%, which (if continues) would be a career high.

 

[benhogan]

TT is not the third best 5 on this team right now. I love TL's potential too but he has two huge problems: (1) fouls (as noted above), and (2) for whatever reason, he stands around on defense way too much I'm sure for Brad's liking. He's okay when he's directly involved in actions but for whatever reason, once the ball is in rotation, he seems to lose focus.

I thought his most impressive defensive play was the borderline foul called when he was guarding Lou Williams 1 on 1. TT gave a credible effort, which is why Brad can play him every game. Kanter would have been roasted on that play, which is why Kanter got DNPs for stretches.

We need a 5 that's bigger than DT and who isn't going to get run off the floor by simple PnR action. TT fits both requirements. I don't know if he was the best guy out there or whether he's going to end up being worth his contract, but he's averaging 11.3/13.3 (with 4.3 OReb) per 36 minutes and his DReb% is at 28.1%, which (if continues) would be a career high.

Yes, Enes Kanter is not good in the PnR. He plays for the Trailblazers, don't care. Now Theis gets run off the floor in simple PnR, according to what?

TT 11.3pts/36 and 13.3reb/36 is an odd stat to pull since TL is better in both those categories 14.7/13.5. Theis is 14.4/8, yes TT is a better rebounder. Theis is 100x better shooter, plays away from the rim, & opens the floor. TT sits down on the block and grabs boards, & clogs the lane.

Every adv metric shows TL/DT to be better than TT this season, last season, & the season before.
WS, Off Rtg, Def Rtg, BPM, VORP, etc Both DT/TL block and steal the ball at a higher rate. TL hit a foul-line jumper last night. Theis is hitting 3s at 40%. Tristan can barely take an unguarded layup without looking like a train wreck.

Tristan had a decent game against the midget Warriors & made 2 FTs last night, great he's playable. An engaged TimeLord and Theis hitting 3s at 40% can make a real difference come playoff time. That's why I'd rather see them play more during the regular season. TT makes for a decent 3rd string Center, that can defensively play against the beefier centers.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Yes, Enes Kanter is not good in the PnR. He plays for the Trailblazers, don't care. Now Theis gets run off the floor in simple PnR, according to what?

TT 11.3pts/36 and 13.3reb/36 is an odd stat to pull since TL is better in both those categories 14.7/13.5. Theis is 14.4/8, yes TT is a better rebounder. Theis is 100x better shooter, plays away from the rim, & opens the floor. TT sits down on the block and grabs boards, & clogs the lane.

Every adv metric shows TL/DT to be better than TT this season, last season, & the season before.
WS, Off Rtg, Def Rtg, BPM, VORP, etc Both DT/TL block and steal the ball at a higher rate. TL hit a foul-line jumper last night. Theis is hitting 3s at 40%. Tristan can barely take an unguarded layup without looking like a train wreck.

Tristan had a decent game against the midget Warriors & made 2 FTs last night, great he's playable. An engaged TimeLord and Theis hitting 3s at 40% can make a real difference come playoff time. That's why I'd rather see them play more during the regular season. TT makes for a decent 3rd string Center, that can defensively play against the beefier centers.

TL's advanced numbers are so high because Brad picks his spots. For example, he rarely plays against starters (except for AD - Bras seems to think TL can play AD0.

Without a massive leap by TL, he's going to be sitting at the end of games this year. At this point in time, TT is a much better player than TL.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Yeah you can't just compare TL numbers, he's played less minutes in his entire career than Thompson's smallest single season, and most of those are against deep bench units.

A guy's per 36 numbers are really useless when he plays under 400 minutes per season.

 

[benhogan]

TL's advanced numbers are so high because Brad picks his spots. For example, he rarely plays against starters (except for AD - Bras seems to think TL can play AD0.

Without a massive leap by TL, he's going to be sitting at the end of games this year. At this point in time, TT is a much better player than TL.

Couldn't we turn it around and say TT is paired with better players, playing many more minutes with Tatum & Brown. I am interested in seeing how TT performs outside the double BIG lineup.

TL doesn't need a massive leap if he is already playing more efficiently, just needs more games/minutes. I don't see any kind of "Kanter" treatment with TL. Brad just seems to play whoever is going best that night.
My biggest concern with TL is his ability to stay healthy.

Every stat proves TL is the superior player now, and I predict we'll see him getting more minutes by the playoffs. Another 50 regular-season games to figure out rotations for the playoffs and Brad will tinker until the very end.

Yeah you can't just compare TL numbers, he's played less minutes in his entire career than Thompson's smallest single season, and most of those are against deep bench units.

A guy's per 36 numbers are really useless when he plays under 400 minutes per season.

Wade brought up the per/36 stat. How would you like to compare them? I mean TT has had a negative BPM for 9/10 seasons, not like the bar is very high to leap over.

Mostly against deep bench units this season? doubtful

 

[Cellar-Door]

Couldn't we turn it around and say TT is paired with better players, playing many more minutes with Tatum & Brown. I am interested in seeing how TT performs outside the double BIG lineup.

TL doesn't need a massive leap if he is already playing more efficiently, just needs more games/minutes. I don't see any kind of "Kanter" treatment with TL. Brad just seems to play whoever is going best that night.

Wade brought up the per/36 stat. How would you like to compare them? I mean TT has had a negative BPM for 9/10 seasons, not like the bar is very high to leap over.

Mostly against deep bench units this season? doubtful

Most of his career has been against deep bench units, and even this year, he has zero starts, he's playing limited minutes and a good portion of it is against bench units (Thompson has started 17 or 19).

And my issue is the idea that "playing efficiently" in limited minutes scales, it doesn't always (or honestly most times, it's a question of how much it declines) you can't just take a guy double his minutes, play him against starters more, which in turn means less touches and attempts on offense along with facing much tougher offensive opposition, and expect the same output.

As to this year... TL has been better, but it's a tiny sample, and he's got a bit of the reverse of TT in terms of split. His best games all came early, his worst more recently.

It's certainly possible that TL will be the better player, but it's basically impossible to compare two players with such different roles and workloads statistically based on the information we have. It's like comparing a guy who pitches the 6th or 7th in relief 10 times a year to your #5 starter.

TL is intriguing, and he does bring some of the same skills as Thompson, but he also has struggled with consistency among other issues, and just like Theis has his spots, TL and TT will have theirs. None are going to be no doubt matchup proof 5s. If we need shooting it will be Theis, if we need rebounding and experience it will be Thompson, if we need energy it will be Williams. They're all matchup bigs and they all fit different matchups.

 

[Van Everyman]

Also, the eye test suggests TT may be finding his legs a bit. While his offensive efficiency has been subpar to this point of the season, he has had several games on this road trip with multiple hard moves to the basket through contact. He’s not going to be a dominant offensive player but that wasn’t happening earlier this season. He’s also been pretty reliable at the stripe.

I’m as bullish on TL as many are here but his consistency isn’t there still. And Theis, who can stretch the floor a bit, still gets way too many fouls – I’m not sure if it’s technique or what, but he gets rung up constantly for super questionable calls.

 

[RetractableRoof]

Most of his career has been against deep bench units, and even this year, he has zero starts, he's playing limited minutes and a good portion of it is against bench units (Thompson has started 17 or 19).

And my issue is the idea that "playing efficiently" in limited minutes scales, it doesn't always (or honestly most times, it's a question of how much it declines) you can't just take a guy double his minutes, play him against starters more, which in turn means less touches and attempts on offense along with facing much tougher offensive opposition, and expect the same output.

As to this year... TL has been better, but it's a tiny sample, and he's got a bit of the reverse of TT in terms of split. His best games all came early, his worst more recently.

It's certainly possible that TL will be the better player, but it's basically impossible to compare two players with such different roles and workloads statistically based on the information we have. It's like comparing a guy who pitches the 6th or 7th in relief 10 times a year to your #5 starter.

TL is intriguing, and he does bring some of the same skills as Thompson, but he also has struggled with consistency among other issues, and just like Theis has his spots, TL and TT will have theirs. None are going to be no doubt matchup proof 5s. If we need shooting it will be Theis, if we need rebounding and experience it will be Thompson, if we need energy it will be Williams. They're all matchup bigs and they all fit different matchups.

I believe within the elbow, TL is a better shooter, with a better touch than both of the others, and believe he is a better passer in the half court game than both as well. Theis for example had a couple pretty bad passing turnovers when trying to work within the half court offense during the last game. He's shooting outside a bit which helps in spacing, but not as much if he then throws the ball away when trying to reap the value of the spacing with his passes. TL has also had some terrible passes, but he passes quickly and intuitively. I'm not arguing your points, only offering that TL brings more of a game then energy.

 

[chilidawg]

Couldn't we turn it around and say TT is paired with better players, playing many more minutes with Tatum & Brown. I am interested in seeing how TT performs outside the double BIG lineup.

Every stat proves TL is the superior player now, and I predict we'll see him getting more minutes by the playoffs. Another 50 regular-season games to figure out rotations for the playoffs and Brad will tinker until the very end.

Stats don't prove anything, but they do indicate that TL might be the superior player right now.

Totally agree with the first part above, it goes both ways.

 

[benhogan]

basically impossible to compare two players with such different roles and workloads statistically based on the information we have. It's like comparing a guy who pitches the 6th or 7th in relief 10 times a year to your #5 starter.

If you want to say TL hasn't played much, I wholeheartedly agree. That's pretty obvious. Mostly due to injury. Even this season he got COVID and missed weeks. I'd say the biggest strike against TL is his availability.

Agreed, Tristan is an effort beef center that rebounds well. The bar for passing him with skill/ability is pretty damn low. After making room by moving players/picks for the full midlevel, Danny settled on TT after missing out on others (Millsap, Ibaka, Harrell, etc). No big deal, play the hand you're dealt.

We can compare TimeLord to Tristan much like we can compare Payton Pritchard* to Jeff Teague (a former All-Star). No need to conflate baseball analogies. It's obvious which player has more skill and upside.

We can all agree the double BIG (TT/DT) experiment has been crap, right? Brad has 50 games to figure out the 5 rotation of DT/TL/TT. I'd expect fewer minutes for TT going forward and by the playoffs, if healthy, TL and DT will pass TT. I'd just kick start that process now since I'm not terribly concerned about the regular season in the Age of COVID.

*FUN FACT: Payton Pritchard and Robert Williams are 3 months apart in age.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

All 3 are so close in value, why wouldn't you go with youth/upside? With that said, I don't think it matters. Brad's going to continue playing all 3.

I think TL may be gone before the end of the season anyway and even with his youth/upside, we kind of know what he's going to be. If he reaches his ceiling, he's still an easily replaceable big. I don't see him developing a 3 point shot and while he is a creative passer, I'm not sure it's a huge asset.

That said, I don't think playing him 25-30 minutes a game would really improve his trade value or improve the C's chances of winning that much. I'd still prefer it because why not? To use a baseball analogy, batting order doesn't really matter. That doesn't mean you want Barry Bonds hitting 9th.

If I had my way, I'd be trying Grant Williams in a 1 big lineup more often. Size would definitely be an issue but there are trade offs. Grant is supposed to be a pretty good passer (college stats back this up a little bit) and now that he's hitting the 3 point shot... it would be a very different look than the current 3 headed monster.

I'm still not on the Grant bus and never was. I'm coming around though and can see a role for him if he continues to hit the 3 and improves the volume a little. (.380+ on 5.0+ 3PA/36 ideally). I can see a much bigger role for him if he actually is a pretty decent passer and he's allowed to incorporate it more. AKA the Draymond Green comparison, though I think even then the comparison sucks. Grant also has some serious foul issues he would have to work on for a more serious role too. I don't think we'll ever see Grant average 6 or 7 apg like Draymond but he did average 3.2 apg his last season in college. I think he'd have to improve his conditioning a bit and work on limiting the fouls (the 2 are probably linked a bit) but if he really could give the C's 25 mpg, 10-12 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists on .400/.380/.800 shooting,

I don't have a problem with Thompson/Theis/TL, I just see them as mostly having the same value. Since TL has youth and Theis has range, I'd trade away TT or staple him to the bench and go with Grant/TL/Theis.

 

[pjheff]

I think TL may be gone before the end of the season anyway and even with his youth/upside, we kind of know what he's going to be.

Since TL has youth and Theis has range, I'd trade away TT or staple him to the bench and go with Grant/TL/Theis.

Theis is an UFA after this season. He’s obviously the most skilled, and I don’t know what his market will be, but I suspect this logjam will get resolved this summer.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

We can compare TimeLord to Tristan much like we can compare Payton Pritchard* to Jeff Teague (a former All-Star).

I'm sure I'm not going to convince you that TT is better right now than TL so I'm not going to try but the analogy is misplaced. Both PP and Teague are bench players so have similar roles. The better analogy comparing TL to TT would be to compare PP to KW and saying that PP is better because he's shooting better from 2P, 3P, FT, has more OWS, DWS, and WS, and has a better WS/36, is almost equal in VORP, and has a better ORtg and DRtg.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Theis is an UFA after this season. He’s obviously the most skilled, and I don’t know what his market will be, but I suspect this logjam will get resolved this summer.

That's kinda my point. There isn't really a logjam. It's a logjam of mediocrity.

 

[Cellar-Door]

I'm sure I'm not going to convince you that TT is better right now than TL so I'm not going to try but the analogy is misplaced. Both PP and Teague are bench players so have similar roles. The better analogy comparing TL to TT would be to compare PP to KW and saying that PP is better because he's shooting better from 2P, 3P, FT, has more OWS, DWS, and WS, and has a better WS/36, is almost equal in VORP, and has a better ORtg and DRtg.

Also, the samples are tiny, and my point was that comparing one player's 10 year career as a starter to another guy who has played a few hundred minutes a year off the deep bench isn't doing anything.

You can compare their performance this year, and take into account role, but also... it's 14-19 games, the sample is tiny and swings wildly if you take out a game or two here and there for Williams in particular.

 

[benhogan]

I'm sure I'm not going to convince you that TT is better right now than TL so I'm not going to try but the analogy is misplaced. Both PP and Teague are bench players so have similar roles. The better analogy comparing TL to TT would be to compare PP to KW and saying that PP is better because he's shooting better from 2P, 3P, FT, has more OWS, DWS, and WS, and has a better WS/36, is almost equal in VORP, and has a better ORtg and DRtg.

using Kemba as a point of comparison for Tristan? you might as well go back to the relief pitcher analogy

I have had enough of this rabbit hole

 

[Cesar Crespo]

using Kemba as a point of comparison for Tristan? you might as well go back to the relief pitcher analogy

I have had enough of this rabbit hole

I'm fairly confident that PP has actually been better than Kemba this season anyway. I'm fairly confident most people on this board will agree with that statement if they read it correctly.

Kemba Walker also deserves a lot more rope than TT. When fully healthy, the gap between Kemba and PP is far greater than any gap that might exist between TT and TL.

I'm in agreement with you because it reads as if I'm not.

 

[benhogan]

All 3 are so close in value, why wouldn't you go with youth/upside? With that said, I don't think it matters. Brad's going to continue playing all 3.

I think TL may be gone before the end of the season anyway and even with his youth/upside, we kind of know what he's going to be. If he reaches his ceiling, he's still an easily replaceable big. I don't see him developing a 3 point shot and while he is a creative passer, I'm not sure it's a huge asset.

That said, I don't think playing him 25-30 minutes a game would really improve his trade value or improve the C's chances of winning that much. I'd still prefer it because why not? To use a baseball analogy, batting order doesn't really matter. That doesn't mean you want Barry Bonds hitting 9th.

If I had my way, I'd be trying Grant Williams in a 1 big lineup more often. Size would definitely be an issue but there are trade offs. Grant is supposed to be a pretty good passer (college stats back this up a little bit) and now that he's hitting the 3 point shot... it would be a very different look than the current 3 headed monster.

I'm still not on the Grant bus and never was. I'm coming around though and can see a role for him if he continues to hit the 3 and improves the volume a little. (.380+ on 5.0+ 3PA/36 ideally). I can see a much bigger role for him if he actually is a pretty decent passer and he's allowed to incorporate it more. AKA the Draymond Green comparison, though I think even then the comparison sucks. Grant also has some serious foul issues he would have to work on for a more serious role too. I don't think we'll ever see Grant average 6 or 7 apg like Draymond but he did average 3.2 apg his last season in college. I think he'd have to improve his conditioning a bit and work on limiting the fouls (the 2 are probably linked a bit) but if he really could give the C's 25 mpg, 10-12 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists on .400/.380/.800 shooting,

I don't have a problem with Thompson/Theis/TL, I just see them as mostly having the same value. Since TL has youth and Theis has range, I'd trade away TT or staple him to the bench and go with Grant/TL/Theis.

Agreed, Brad should rotate all 3 of the Centers and lean towards youth/upside. TL hasn't played much over his 3yrs here, the good news is that he has improved quite a bit. I'm guessing he could improve with added floor time? A beef Center is the cheapest, most fungible, available player, in the NBA. Tristan is that in my opinion.

I believe PJ Tucker is the type of player Grant can aspire to. Rick Barnes started this comp & it feels apt due to body type/style of play. PJ fires 72% of his 3s from the corner & makes 38%. That stretches the D, especially when he was playing with Harden/Gordon, who liked to fire above the break.

With the Celtics, it's critically important to develop a corner 3pt shooter. ~90% of Brown/Tatum 3s come from above the break this season, where they are highly efficient. Kemba also shoots 95% of his 3s above the break. Grant launching from the corner opens up the floor for them to drive. Super SSS, but Grant is 12/17 from corner 3s this season, which aligns with his 10/17 3pt shooting in the playoffs last year. I suspect during COVID break last year, he set up at Camp Kemba and worked on it. His stroke and pocket look solid.
Brad is wasting JayCrew minutes by playing them with the double BIG clog patrol. Brad should continue exploring Grant's corner 3s by playing him with Tatum/Brown and start one of the three Centers.

As far as using Grant as a Center, I can see it against a guy like Bam for small stretches. BUT Grant's lack of height really gets exposed when the rest of the rotation is small.

The Draymond Green comp now feels kind of pipe dreamy even for this Granite stan
Dray's defense is much better. I thought Grant's D was trending there, but he hasn't been as good on the perimeter this season. Maybe cutting pounds would increase footspeed and help

 

[Cesar Crespo]

As far as using Grant as a Center, I can see it against a guy like Bam for small stretches. BUT Grant's lack of height really gets exposed when the rest of the rotation is small.

Yeah, but the team's lack of height gets exposed regardless. The hope would be the trade off in height on defense would be made up for by shooting and passing on offense. Maybe with this particular team the problem would be even more compounded because of the lack of height already.

It is what it is though. Most of this team's problems are caused by height and poor roster construction. I'd say Grant and Edwards are the most negatively impacted by it.

 

[pjheff]

That's kinda my point. There isn't really a logjam. It's a logjam of mediocrity.

I don’t see Ainge trading TL (your first point) or TT (your second point) when Theis is a FA at the end of the year (my point).

 

[Cesar Crespo]

I don’t see Ainge trading TL (your first point) or TT (your second point) when Theis is a FA at the end of the year (my point).

Maybe. I think he could always just sign some FA in the off season. Time Lord is going to be one of the players targeted by other teams when we look to use the TPE. If the right player is coming back, TL's inclusion isn't going to stop Ainge from pulling the trigger.

 

[128]

nm

 

[lovegtm]

Maybe. I think he could always just sign some FA in the off season. Time Lord is going to be one of the players targeted by other teams when we look to use the TPE. If the right player is coming back, TL's inclusion isn't going to stop Ainge from pulling the trigger.

Yeah, TL is right in that sweet spot where he has positive trade value but also doesn’t really have a path where you end up kicking yourself that you sold him for a limited upside but useful guy.

 

[benhogan]

Mea culpa on TT. He's looked a lot better than I was giving him credit for. Still a beef Center but ferociously active on the Off Boards (although he pads his rebounding numbers with all his missed point-blank shots at the rim).

Separating him and Theis has made both better. The poor guy shows up in Boston and in Game 2 he's guarding Kevin Durant

 

[lovegtm]

Mea culpa on TT. He's looked a lot better than I was giving him credit for. Still a beef Center but ferociously active on the Off Boards (although he pads his rebounding numbers with all his missed point-blank shots at the rim).

Separating him and Theis has made both better. The poor guy shows up in Boston and in Game 2 he's guarding Kevin Durant

I've been saying all year that a lot of his struggles were the coaching staff's fault. When they put him in position to succeed lineup-wise, he's a very competent player. Everyone wants silver bullet advanced stats, but for most competent NBA role players, 80% of the battle is finding the right role for them and having them stick to that.

 

[benhogan]

https://raptorsrapture.com/2021/03/15/toronto-raptors-rumors-canadian-tristan-thompson/ cross posting from TimeLord thread

I'd expect TT trade rumors to swirl over the next 2 weeks.

I respect Tristan, he has value. He came into the season rusty and was put in a bad position (double BIG nonsense). Opponents constantly put him in rotation on the perimeter, clearly not his strength. He's better when he is the only 5 on the floor. BUT I continue to believe TL and Theis are better for the Celtics. I expect Danny could find a cheap/beef/3rd string Center a number of ways over the next few weeks (buyout or EK TPE)

Danny should get something positive (rotational wing/ballhandler) for Tristan and his salary is a good offset. Teams that could use his talents: Nets, Toronto, San Antonio, Phoenix, Lakers (Klutch orchestrated?)

Nice catching up on this thread (re-reading the last few pages)

 

[NomarsFool]

He's looked much better over his last ~20 games than he did over his first ~20, that's for sure. If they do move him, I would imagine there is probably a similar caliber player to be had this summer for a similar cost in salary. As much as I like RW, I don't think they can count on him for 35 minutes a night. They need a someone like TT or DT (but not both) to share the 5 responsibilities. And as the prior post mentioned, get a vet minimum guy as the 3rd string (this does not mean TT or DT are '3rd string centers').

 

[Cellar-Door]

So Jared Weiss was on the Ringer pod and basically said that the Thompson deal ended up happening for the exact reasons we thought:
1. They offered the full MLE to Milsap and he asked for some time to decide before going with Utah
2. They offered to Ibaka, he took the Clippers deal
3. There was nothing in the wing market, so they gave Thompson the full MLE because he was the best option, and the 1-2M overpay made him a better matching piece for trades.

 

[128]

So Jared Weiss was on the Ringer pod and basically said that the Thompson deal ended up happening for the exact reasons we thought:
1. They offered the full MLE to Milsap and he asked for some time to decide before going with Utah
2. They offered to Ibaka, he took the Clippers deal
3. There was nothing in the wing market, so they gave Thompson the full MLE because he was the best option, and the 1-2M overpay made him a better matching piece for trades.

Imagine this team with Ibaka's 3-point shooting. That would have opened up the whole offense.

 

[the moops]

Imagine this team with Ibaka's 3-point shooting. That would have opened up the whole offense.

I don't know
Daniel Theis is shooting 37% on 3.2 attempts per 36
Serge Ibaka is shooting 35% if 4.2 attempts per 36

 

[Cellar-Door]

I don't know
Daniel Theis is shooting 37% on 3.2 attempts per 36
Serge Ibaka is shooting 35% if 4.2 attempts per 36

Ibaka would basically just give them another big who can shoot and defend the 4, he'd be taking a lot of the Semi/GW minutes along with some TT minutes with Theis and TL splitting the rest of the TT minutes.

 

[Devizier]

It's really exactly how it should happen. It's not like Milsap and Ibaka went for less money. They took offers from teams that were in better position to contend.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

It's really exactly how it should happen. It's not like Milsap and Ibaka went for less money. They took offers from teams that were in better position to contend.

It may be more than that (likely is). Boston was significantly favored over Utah to reach the NBA Finals and not far behind the Clippers in the loaded WC.

 

[the moops]

FYI - Paul Milsap resigned with Denver. Not sure why Utah keeps getting brought up

 

[Cellar-Door]

FYI - Paul Milsap resigned with Denver. Not sure why Utah keeps getting brought up

my fault, I had brain freeze and put it in the original post.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

FYI - Paul Milsap resigned with Denver. Not sure why Utah keeps getting brought up

I followed without thinking. Point remains as the Celtics also had lower odds to reach Finals than the Nuggets.

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

Chris Vernon on the Mismatch podcast says that TT isn't testing positive for Covid, he just keeps going out to party and violating the protocols.

https://www.theringer.com/2021/3/23/22346966/trade-deadline-preview-plus-the-bucks-are-back-and-steve-kerrs-comments-on-real-ones

About 17 minutes in. That's a big yikes, hope he's not right here.

 

[Light-Tower-Power]

Wouldn’t we hear of him getting fined if true?

 

[RetractableRoof]

Wouldn’t we hear of him getting fined if true?

I agree, but wouldn't that also devalue his trade market?

 

[Cesar Crespo]

NBA players talk so I'm sure everyone knows if it's true or not.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Wouldn’t we hear of him getting fined if true?

I’m sure there would be a long list if NBA teams made these fines public.

 

[The Mort Report]

I agree, but wouldn't that also devalue his trade market?

His only real value is as salary match/filler. The player has no value to out of contention teams

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Blog boy BS perhaps...?

View: https://twitter.com/FCHWPO/status/1374484846995677184?s=20


View: https://twitter.com/KembaWalker/status/1374487220095086592?s=20

 

[lovegtm]

The only data I know here is:
- Tatum was recruiting TT to the Celtics as early as last year
- He wanted to sign (although to be fair, who knows what the other offers were)
- He played pretty well after getting his legs under him

The flipside is that a lot of players have said how hard the covid restrictions have been (waking up 8/9am a lot of days to test after going to bed late, isolation, etc), and I could see TT getting fed up with that lifestyle when the season started going downhill.

 

[the moops]

His only real value is as salary match/filler. The player has no value to out of contention teams

True but he can be re-routed to a contender for at least some sort of asset.

 

[The Mort Report]

True but he can be re-routed to a contender for at least some sort of asset.

Fair, kinda forgot that he has 2 years and that complicates things/changes his value. I still don’t think the player will effect his place in any Cs possible trades

 

[RetractableRoof]

Blog boy BS perhaps...?

View: https://twitter.com/FCHWPO/status/1374484846995677184?s=20


View: https://twitter.com/KembaWalker/status/1374487220095086592?s=20

Forgive my ignorance, but what does the ballcap mean in Jaylen's response?

 

[EddieYost]

Forgive my ignorance, but what does the ballcap mean in Jaylen's response?

He’s calling him a liar.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Its an odd thing to come out of the Celtics camp. The front office doesn't benefit and if there are locker room issues, this sort of story doesn't seem conducive to mending of fences or alternatively, make it easy for the organization to fix.

Also, speaking only for myself, just the appearance of water carrying is a bad look for Vernon/KOC. Even if its well sourced and confirmed, it seems like something that might come back to bite either/both in terms of player access etc.

 

[DGreenwood]

Forgive my ignorance, but what does the ballcap mean in Jaylen's response?

It's actually a pretty old term, but this song below brought the phrase "no cap" back into popularity a few years ago. It basically means "no lie". So "cap" means "lies"

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTls33S9xbY

And that's way more info than you asked for.