Semi is having a historic season. In the history of the NBA, there are only 6 players who have played more than 80 minutes and scored seven points or less. The list.We saw again how useless Ojeleye is as an offensive basketball player. He really needs to be nailed to the bench except in the cases where there is a favorable defensive matchup for him.
Yeah, based on Grant’s touch and college FT%, it’s likely just one of those things. It usually takes everyone a bit to extend range, but it’s fairly projectable.Small sample size, but I have been surprised at how little GW and Edwards have contributed offensively this season, based on what they showed in the pre-season. I realize GW wasn't asked to shoot threes in college, but it's a shame that he hasn't been able to knock down a few of the wide open 3PAs that he's had this year.
Especially if he is going to get bulshit offensive fouls called against himWe saw again how useless Ojeleye is as an offensive basketball player. He really needs to be nailed to the bench except in the cases where there is a favorable defensive matchup for him.
agree. Grant will be fine, he's finding his way.Yeah, based on Grant’s touch and college FT%, it’s likely just one of those things. It usually takes everyone a bit to extend range, but it’s fairly projectable.
Hey look, we play the Wizards tomorrow!I expect Brad will figure out a way to get them minutes and build up their confidence while not hurting the C's chances of winning.
This really isn’t much worse than the group around Kemba when he led the 11th-ranked offense in Charlotte last year.With GH out, my concern of late is that there are often times when there seems to be hardly anyone on the floor that can put the ball in the basket. Kemba's great, but if he's on the floor with TL, GW, Wannamaker, and Green it's pretty obvious who is going to be taking a shot. GW's obviously a rookie with less than 10 games of experience, but I'd like to seem him bet a bit more aggressive with getting involved in the offense. Sometimes Kemba is able to just take over a game and come down and hit a 3 every trip down the floor, but nobody can do that all the time.
Good pull on the stat. Observationally this is the huge difference I see---both running sets that enable more penetration, and also more aggressivenvess from the players (Brown and Hayward in particular). This will be tougher against the best teams and in the playoffs, but it's a huge sign of progress for the offense thus far.The Celtics have four players averaging 9.6 or more drives to the basket so far this season. Last season, they had only one, Kyrie at 11.4, and no one else even averaged 6.
Kemba 11.9
GH 11.5
Brown 10.7
Tatum 9.6
The three that were with the Cs last year have doubled their amount of drives to the hoop this season. It was a lot easier for other teams to play defense last season when the Celtics stood around like statues and let Kyrie fiddle and diddle. BTW, little Kemba shooting .692 at the rim so far. Celtics 20th in FTA and 17th in FTs, after being 29th and 28th last season. 25% more FTs and FTAs per game this season with these driving fools.
The signed Semi to a deal that guaranteed 4.Well damn, I wish the Celtics had access to his college stats before they signed him to that deal that guaranteed 3 years.
You realize every team has jags at the end of the bench, yes?The signed Semi to a deal that guaranteed 4.
I shouldnt be able to predict what an NBA coach is going to do.The rotations have been very inconsistent. Edwards seemed to be an early substitution for a bit, and then became garbage time only. Maybe it's all just experimentation by Brad, but between Edwards, GW, Javonte Green, and Semi - it seems nearly impossible to predict when they will enter the game.
Brad told us before the season began that he would experiment with many different rotations to start the season. He's followed through with that promise.The rotations have been very inconsistent. Edwards seemed to be an early substitution for a bit, and then became garbage time only. Maybe it's all just experimentation by Brad, but between Edwards, GW, Javonte Green, and Semi - it seems nearly impossible to predict when they will enter the game.
I'm willing to admit that I was Team Strus in the preseason, on the theory that whichever of the two made it wasn't going to play anyway so better to go with the upside guy. The fact that there's a need for Green to play a bench role NOW completely undoes the logic of my prior opinion.Nice article on Javonte Green in Glob today: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2019/11/12/javonte-green-has-real-opportunity-with-celtics/Pv82kibxaVzJz1FU3IFdDO/story.html.
If he can turn into an above-average defensive player (or better), that would really be something. He certainly has the athletic ability but to my eye, he has to learn positioning and get better at anticipating actions to be a defensive stopper. But he's definitely learning so fingers and toes crossed.
ha. Jaylen Brown is the 4 now and MaMo isn't here anymore so all is good in my book with Brad's lineups/I'll be thinking of BH tonight with the micro lineups. Should only be one game, brother.
Just kidding.ha. Jaylen Brown is the 4 now and MaMo isn't here anymore so all is good in my book with Brad's lineups/
Plus I'm on Team Edwards this season
Dawkins and others like him (MLG Highlights, House of Highlights) are basically how I watch most of the NBA.Couldn't catch the game live so I (re-) discovered FreeDawkins recaps. Just a bang-up job of editing, basically done live during the game and posted very shortly thereafter.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smnx7ARZ948
watching an older, slower IT4 get posted by Marcus Smarf last night was sad.If Edwards has to guard Jordan Poole tomorrow evening it'll be a match-up of the shortest shorts in the NBA since the mid-80's.
oh yea, I know I have the label of wanting to ALWAYS play BIG because I liked Baynes/Horford BUT playing "small" isn't a problem when guys play consistent defense, exert effort and rotate.Just kidding.
There were a couple of times tonight where their abject shortness hampered them, but they rebounded and defended well from a height POV. Nice team rebounding night, with everyone getting 2-5 rebounds after Kanter's 9.
Porous defense overall though, particularly off ball. Won't win against good teams defending like that. Theis and TL shouldn't be allowed to travel together. Between them and Hayward being out, it looked like a Western Conference game for much of the night.
NiceNo big deal because the smartest, most successful teams in the NBA, the NY Knicks, Charlotte Bobcats, Brklyn Nets, decided it was smart to pay each of them big money
when anyone says this:Zach Lowe with some love for the Celtics D in his first item today:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28067196/ten-nba-things-like-including-supercharged-celtics
He chose one of my favorite Kemba defensive possessions this year: that stunt/recover at the end of the clip is completely ludicrous athletically.
Of course Lowe finishes with the obligatory "if they upgrade the frontcourt, look out," which seems to be one of those national media narratives that's lagging a couple weeks behind the actual situation.
The only guys who really make sense that I've seen are Favors or Tristan Thompson, and you can't match them without trading all other centers or Smart. Thompson on the buyout market is an interesting possibility.We haven't had much of an opportunity to see Brad's crunch time lineup with everyone healthy, but I wonder how much he'd go super small with Tatum at the 5 against most matchups. If that's the plan, which allows the Celtics to put their best 5 guys on floor (with Marcus Smart in place of the typical 5), then I don't see a need to upgrade the center position, even putting aside the fact that Williams, Theis and Kanter are all playing pretty well and bring complementary skills sets to the table.
While not a true rim protector, Tatum's weakside help defense has come far enough that I think that lineup has potential. Obviously certain matchups (Embiid, etc.) would force the Celtics to play a traditional big, but I think it gets some run once Hayward is back.
It's hard to think of a center who's going to be available who really moves the needle much. The team doesn't need scoring from the 5 spot; the strength of this team is built around 4 or 5 guys who all attack the basket from the perimeter, and can all shoot, pass and defend. A Valenciunas type doesn't fit with that. Steven Adams' contract is an albatross and the C's can't match that salary anyway. Capela maybe, but would the Celtics give up significant assets to pay Capela on that contract, when they have a guy who might become Capela on the roster already? I don't see it. I suppose Favors is interesting if New Orleans decides they want to free up minutes for Jaxson Hayes, but Favors is a guy who needs touches on offense that this team shouldn't probably be giving him.
Do you really think Tristan would choose Boston over LeBron, Klutch, and the Lakers? C'mon now. You may as well pencil TT in right now on the Lakers playoff roster.The only guys who really make sense that I've seen are Favors or Tristan Thompson, and you can't match them without trading all other centers or Smart. Thompson on the buyout market is an interesting possibility.
Basically Theis has played so well that you can't just throw him in for a minor upgrade, especially since the team probably thinks they have a good chance to keep him around at reasonable money for the next 3-4 years. And Smart is fast becoming the best contract in the NBA--this version of him is untradeable except as part of a package for a true star.
Yea he'd head West but TT isn't getting bought out. The EC is so bad that the Cavs have a legit shot at #8Do you really think Tristan would choose Boston over LeBron, Klutch, and the Lakers? C'mon now. You may as well pencil TT in right now on the Lakers playoff roster.
Probably a combination of Brad's continuing to experiment with different bench combinations; Semi's claiming 21 minutes by not being a black hole on offense; Grant struggling the past couple of games; and Brad trying to get minutes for Kanter on the 2nd unit, where he's most effective.GW got his first DNP yesterday. I didn't see anything before the game that said he was out.
Brad displeased with something? Matchup related? Back to back related?
I'm guessing here, but I think with a back to back Brad likes to give a guy a game off and bring him back for bigger minutes. So it would not shock me if Grant played over 20 minutes tonight.GW got his first DNP yesterday. I didn't see anything before the game that said he was out.
Brad displeased with something? Matchup related? Back to back related?
Glad to hear that. Watched the replay four times and never really saw him roll it, at least not the classic way. Was worried that it might be a high sprain, achilles, or foot.