2024 Celtic Playoff Prediction Poll

[chrisfont9]

I think theyd probably look at changing the offensive profile. Try to get to the rim more, less 3 pointers.

I know this won’t make me popular amongst the posters here but it they don’t makes the finals,Tatum is the one that’s going to be raked over the coals, and rightfully so. We all hold a higher opinion of him here than regular media but that would be a massive slight on his resume. This team is fucking good and if he can’t lead them to a Finals appearance that reflects most poorly on him

This is the standard view by fans of most top teams -- put it all on their biggest star -- but it doesn't really fit here. He's the youngest starter on the team, and he's not the vocal leader type -- Brown does more of that, though I think it's different voices at different times (now adding Jrue). If he plays great, gets everyone involved like he has all year, defends and rebounds at his usual high level, and people try to pin a loss on him... I mean, this isn't the movies. He can't just get mad and make his teammates better.

 

[SteveF]

The more interesting question, if they don't make the Finals, would "what is the issue?"

Lack of elite shot creation caused by Tatum and Brown simply not being basketball smart enough to make the right plays/passes. The coach being unable to accept that reality and run ATOs/put the ball in White's hands at the ends of games to run PnR with Porzingis.

Another possibility is a potential lack of defensive versatility. Porzingis gets attacked in drop coverage by some guard (Brunson/Lillard/Maxey) that just goes nuclear and the Celtics don't score enough to match.

Another year of make/miss. There are plenty of ways for this team to not get as far as people think they should.

I don't think it will be an easy fix. It's either just bad luck or not having the guy.

 

[mikeford]

This team takes an OUTRAGEOUS amount of threes, it is not unimaginable they go ice cold for 4/7 games and go home.

 

[Auger34]

This is the standard view by fans of most top teams -- put it all on their biggest star -- but it doesn't really fit here. He's the youngest starter on the team, and he's not the vocal leader type -- Brown does more of that, though I think it's different voices at different times (now adding Jrue). If he plays great, gets everyone involved like he has all year, defends and rebounds at his usual high level, and people try to pin a loss on him... I mean, this isn't the movies. He can't just get mad and make his teammates better.

In basketball, the best player is like the QB on a football team. They get the lions share of the credit and the lions share of the blame. That’s just the way it is.

and, no if he plays great and does all of the shit you described, he doesn’t get the blame here. I mean, do you read this board? It’s not like that at all. It’s honestly not like that anywhere. It’s a nice narrative that you created in your own head, but it’s not reality. At all

 

[chrisfont9]

In basketball, the best player is like the QB on a football team. They get the lions share of the credit and the lions share of the blame. That’s just the way it is.

and, no if he plays great and does all of the shit you described, he doesn’t get the blame here. I mean, do you read this board? It’s not like that at all. It’s honestly not like that anywhere. It’s a nice narrative that you created in your own head, but it’s not reality. At all

I'm not following. You said he would rightfully get the blame. I agree that people would do that in the less thoughtful circles (although probably less so here -- I'm more here for Sox than Cs but assume it's a similarly higher-end atmosphere than the alternatives). But I really think it would reflect poorly on anyone just heaping the blame on Tatum in this way. He's not LeBron, large and fully in charge. This team isn't like a lot of the usual championship caliber teams. Are we agreeing?? I can't tell now.

 

[SteveF]

Does it really ever make sense to blame a guy for "only" being the 5th best basketball player on earth instead of the 3rd (or 1st) best basketball player on earth? It can be the reason you aren't good enough to win a title, but in saying so are you "blaming" Tatum for the "failure"? (Failure in quotes because I don't think not winning a title is a failure.)

 

[Euclis20]

This team takes an OUTRAGEOUS amount of threes, it is not unimaginable they go ice cold for 4/7 games and go home.

Yeah it's not at all hard to imagine getting another series like last year's ECF: Celtics go cold, the opponent gets hot, and Tatum and another top playmaker get hurt.

Despite their regular season it will take some luck to get through everything, but champions ALWAYS get lucky at some point. Last year's Nuggest had the 2nd easiest possible draw (8 seed, 4 seed, 7 seed, 8 seed), the 2022 Warriors had an extremely easy trip to through the west (two one man teams in Denver and Dallas, plus Memphis without Ja), the 2021 Bucks were getting handled by the Nets until injuries just buried Brooklyn (and still almost lost on that Durant shot) and then faced a very average Atlanta team, the 2020 Lakers got the 4 month rest midseason (yes everyone got that, but due to their age and injury history they benefited more than most), the 2019 Raptors got the benefit of half of the dynasty Warriors getting hurt in the finals, the 2018 Warriors were down 3-2 in the WCF against Houston before Chris Paul got hurt late in game 5 and missed the last two games, etc etc etc etc.

Luck is indeed the residue of design and the Celtics have put themselves in a great position to capitalize, but it will still take luck. The massive amount of injuries to key players on potential playoff opponents may already be their lucky break.

 

[chrisfont9]

Does it really ever make sense to blame a guy for "only" being the 5th best basketball player on earth instead of the 3rd (or 1st) best basketball player on earth? It can be the reason you aren't good enough to win a title, but in saying so are you "blaming" Tatum for the "failure"? (Failure in quotes because I don't think not winning a title is a failure.)

Not in my opinion. If a game ends in a close defeat, people like to blame the guy who took the last shot and none of the previous 75. Not to mention the fact that at any given time five players are usually doing numerous things (or not) that influence the outcome. There's a long history of game writeups training us all to be this reductive, and sometimes one player actually deserves all of the scrutiny, but the game is so highly evolved and the Celtics are one of several teams that don't depend on their star like in the "olden days," so I wish people would accept Tatum and Brown for the incredible players and people they are rather than sniping at them because other players exist and a very small handful of them are arguably better.

Their playoffs will be determined by consistent high-level play on both ends. They seem to talk in terms of playing "with force," so whatever that means (physicality, hustle, taking initiative), that sounds like what they should be aiming for on both ends. Then their talent should win out, apart from a few bad shooting variance nights.

 

[chrisfont9]

Yeah it's not at all hard to imagine getting another series like last year's ECF: Celtics go cold, the opponent gets hot, and Tatum and another top playmaker get hurt.

Yes and no. Porzingis is the antidote to bad perimeter shooting luck. They can do a lot more now at the rim than a year ago. Remember, their bigs were exhausted Horford and wounded Rob W.

 

[mikeford]

Yes and no. Porzingis is the antidote to bad perimeter shooting luck. They can do a lot more now at the rim than a year ago. Remember, their bigs were exhausted Horford and wounded Rob W.

Sure they CAN

The question is if they go cold WILL THEY actually change up

 

[RG33]

oh boy….thinking like this is just bound to leave you disappointed

I wholeheartedly disagree.

I am just giving my prediction. Everything is gravy for me in Boston sports at this point. I think I am right though. We’ll see.

 

[lovegtm]

Sure they CAN

The question is if they go cold WILL THEY actually change up

I mean....they have changed it up all the time over the course of this season, so.....probably?

 

[slamminsammya]

I think theyd probably look at changing the offensive profile. Try to get to the rim more, less 3 pointers.

I know this won’t make me popular amongst the posters here but it they don’t make the finals,Tatum is the one that’s going to be raked over the coals, and rightfully so. We all hold a higher opinion of him here than regular media but that would be a massive slight on his resume. This team is fucking good and if he can’t lead them to a Finals appearance that reflects most poorly on him

i mean, shouldn’t we at least wait to see how they fail before declaring it tatums fault?

 

[benhogan]

Everything is gravy for me in Boston sports at this point. I think I am right though. We’ll see.

That's how I feel about the Red Sox. I made several deals for 1 championship in my lifetime pre-2004. I'm pretty good with 4 for the next decade.

The Celtics are different, I want multiple Championships over the next 5 seasons. Greed is good.

 

[Ed Hillel]

The Nuggets have the better player, they won last year, they've beaten Boston twice this year, and with Murray in the lineup they're on a 62 win pace. Assuming health I think it would be pretty close to even odds, but I'd bet on most of the pundits going with Denver. The current title odds deficit (+190 for Boston, +320 for Denver) I believe is almost entirely due to Denver's far more difficult path to the finals.

They won last year with one of the easiest paths ever and Miami’s scrubs turning back into pumpkins. They beat Boston twice, but neither was particularly convincing, and I wouldn’t use the wins to evaluate the series any differently than if it had been split 1-1. If they played last year, the series probably would have been a pick em, and Boston has improved far more this season than Denver has. Denver has been very good this season, while Boston has been historically great.

Boston will rightly be the favorite this season over every team in the NBA imo.

 

[lexrageorge]

Assuming no injuries, losing a series to any ECF team would be a massive disappointment. I don't buy the argument that shooting variance alone will cause a team to lose 4 out of 7 games, especially after a regular season in which the Celtics had no such stretch of games. If we end up talking about make/miss, it means something else has happened to go along with poor shooting from the Celtics to cause them to lose a series that they were expected to win (e.g., Miami, which was more than just shooting variance). So I don't expect Brad to sit still if the team finds itself watching the Finals on TV.

Denver is the only team that truly concerns me, as I think Jokic is a nightmare matchup for Boston, much like Steph was in 2022. But Denver needs to get there first, and that is not guaranteed given the upper echelon of WCF teams.

 

[tims4wins]

Did the Celts lose 4 of 7 all year? No. I see no reason why that shouldn’t continue.

 

[chrisfont9]

Did the Celts lose 4 of 7 all year? No. I see no reason why that shouldn’t continue.

Well that (or the underlying reasons) is the case for them. Their shots fall most nights, in which case you have to match them somehow or you are under water.