#37 Semi Ojeleye

[benhogan]

+1 Eddie J. Semi has one specific role: Body up, get under and play physical defense on Giannis, Simmons or LeBron for 15-20mins/game. Hopefully, he can stymie, frustrate, and exhaust the other team's star.

I have to think Baynes starts vs Philly, to handle Embiid's muscle. (with Al being the primary defender on Simmons in the halfcourt to start the game)...BUT we'll see a fair amount of Semi guarding Simmons in this series.

 

[lovegtm]

Pretty sure this is all just a proxy for London's frustration over the Sixers getting screwed on the Fultz trade. Which is totally understandable, but let's not take it out on a wonderful man with a thick, jacked frame who can guard Giannis and can't shoot.

 

[Van Everyman]

...yet.

 

[Soxy]

If by trolling you mean,

Giving some independent thought when people are getting a little carried away is trolling then yes I sure am.

These are not game threads, if it's a gush about a player or don't take part thread then so be it. But I think you are all better than that.

If you can't take an independent thought saying, hey I can see why you like him but he has been a bit beyond he needs a better three point shot from being anything you can play past matchups defensively. He has been stand out terrible offensively. Far more than offsetting his average defense .(average for a rookie being good before anyone gets upset or I'm trolling) what's the point of calling it a discussion?

Its not even an insult about him, I just said calm down basically.

But whatever

There are articles out today, written by actual sports journalists, with titles like "How Semi Ojeleye Saved the Celtics Season." And yet you are upset that posters here are heaping praise on him. Huh.

If you want to post constructively and have an actual discussion, a snarky one-liner isn't the way to do it. Maybe something like, "The defensive performance against Giannis was impressive, but are you Celts fans worried that his offensive liabilities will hurt you against the Sixers? The Celtics are already prone to long offensive droughts. When Semi is in the lineup, the opposing defense really doesn't have to worry about him and it hurts your spacing. Isn't that a problem? Or is it basically just ride-or-die with defense at this point, and the offense is what it is?"

That would be a legitimate point of discussion. Throwing out a one-liner saying, "Whatever, he was the worst player in the league by PIPM [fart noises]" isn't.

I lurk in this forum more than I post, but I think everyone is getting a little tired with your Sean Berry-esque act. People are more than willing to cut slack to fans of opposing teams, so long as they post in good faith, because they're always going to be outnumbered here. There are literally too many posters to name who would be a testament to that. But if you're going to actively troll and then get defensive and play the victim/pile-on card when people rightfully call you out.... I mean, wtf dude. You're better than that.

(Sean Berry wasn't, he sucked, and we're all better off that he took his ball and went home years ago. But I honestly think highly of you as a poster, London, and believe that you are better than this. And I don't think anyone wants to see a bunch of threads devolve into an Everyone vs. LondonSox pissing match.)

 

[Saints Rest]

I think Semi was a great decision by Brad, but one that was made a bit out of desperation. He had to figure out a way to make GA work and Semi fit the bill. I’m guessing that Semi will go back into semi-hibernation (pun intended) unless the regulars can’t contain Simmons.

 

[benhogan]

I think Semi was a great decision by Brad, but one that was made a bit out of desperation. He had to figure out a way to make GA work and Semi fit the bill. I’m guessing that Semi will go back into semi-hibernation (pun intended) unless the regulars can’t contain Simmons.

Talking about hibernation I wonder if we'll see the dancing bear more as a defensive specialist on Embiid? I'm not very bullish on Monroe in this series, Embiid will ruin the slow-footed Monroe by blocking his lethargic shots and unleash fast breaks galore for the Sixers. I was an advocate of that Monroe signing but we would have been much better off with Ilyasova than Moose.

 

[LondonSox]

Whatever the post directly above mine was

All while Jordan Bell played 3 minutes versus the Spurs. Ainge and Brad know what they're doing. Defense, defense, defense. Jaylen recently said it in the JMac artcle, play defense and Brad will play you. Semi is going to be a Celtic for a while and if he can gain any confidence in his 3 point shot, watch out!

"Semi if going to be a Celtics for a while and if he can gain confidence in his three point shot, watch out"

to which steady on he has been a car crash this season not "some confidence" from being really good (or as good as Jae as the thread is full of)

It's not that complex, I was pushing back on he's some confidence from being really good.

He's not

Now the response to that fairly throwaway comment backed with an interesting stat has been mainly Fultz and claims that I'm trolling.

Oh ok. Sorry for bringing anything to the thread at all.

I do love that any time I'm high on a prospect I'm a homer and any time I talk about Celtics prospects I'm a troll, despite the immediate response here to be to bring up Fultz or to attack a stat for being a stat. On fucking SoSH stat shaming. LMAO.

Every time I say anything people attack Fultz regardless of topic, and I'm trolling
K

I've been in the thread before, I liked the pick I have posted about the defense being better than expected immediately.

I wasn't aware the thread was a safe space for Celtics fans.

 

[Infield Infidel]

Whatever the post directly above mine was



"Semi if going to be a Celtics for a while and if he can gain confidence in his three point shot, watch out"

to which steady on he has been a car crash this season not "some confidence" from being really good (or as good as Jae as the thread is full of)

It's not that complex, I was pushing back on he's some confidence from being really good.

He's not

Now the response to that fairly throwaway comment backed with an interesting stat has been mainly Fultz and claims that I'm trolling.

Oh ok. Sorry for bringing anything to the thread at all.

I do love that any time I'm high on a prospect I'm a homer and any time I talk about Celtics prospects I'm a troll, despite the immediate response here to be to bring up Fultz or to attack a stat for being a stat. On fucking SoSH stat shaming. LMAO.

Every time I say anything people attack Fultz regardless of topic, and I'm trolling
K

I've been in the thread before, I liked the pick I have posted about the defense being better than expected immediately.

I wasn't aware the thread was a safe space for Celtics fans.

I'm not even a Celtics fan (Sonics 4Lyfe) but seriously just stop. I want to like you, you seem like you want to be a good guy but are failing miserably at it. Posters are mostly talking about Semi having a couple good games on defense in the playoffs, they all know his stats from regular season, which, during the playoffs, are meaningless. The playoffs are about constant matchups against the same team, not back-to-backs and 3 games in four days against 3 different teams. Besides being on 94 feet with 10 foot baskets they might as well be different games. And sometimes a player who is barely useful in the regular season can be extremely useful in a playoff series because the matchup is favorable. If you're in the ALDS, and a lefty slugger can't lay off a lefty slider, and your shitty lefty reliever has a decent slider, no one cares what his ERA+ was in the regular season. You bring him in late every game until that slugger can hit him.

 

[Montana Fan]

Breath, why waste it.

 

[benhogan]

Whatever the post directly above mine was



"Semi if going to be a Celtics for a while and if he can gain confidence in his three point shot, watch out"

to which steady on he has been a car crash this season not "some confidence" from being really good (or as good as Jae as the thread is full of)

It's not that complex, I was pushing back on he's some confidence from being really good.

He's not

Now the response to that fairly throwaway comment backed with an interesting stat has been mainly Fultz and claims that I'm trolling.

Oh ok. Sorry for bringing anything to the thread at all.

I do love that any time I'm high on a prospect I'm a homer and any time I talk about Celtics prospects I'm a troll, despite the immediate response here to be to bring up Fultz or to attack a stat for being a stat. On fucking SoSH stat shaming. LMAO.

Every time I say anything people attack Fultz regardless of topic, and I'm trolling
K

I've been in the thread before, I liked the pick I have posted about the defense being better than expected immediately.

I wasn't aware the thread was a safe space for Celtics fans.

It's not a so called "safe place", Celtic fans torch each other all the time with differences of opinion. Thats what makes it fun, interesting and you can learn a lot from the different opinions around here.

Fultz gets brought up because he is the very definition of a car crash this season. You want to look away but can't.

Semi was a 2nd round pick that was a gawd awful offensive player this season (close to the worst offensive player). Not one person here will argue that. Can he improve over the next few years? absolutely, he can only get better from this low point. He works with Sean Hanlan at Pure Sweat, so Semi wants to work on improving in the offseason. Thats a huge plus in my book. Can he add situational defensive value in the meantime? Yep... At the very least he has actually played meaningful minutes, Fultz cost the Sixers Tatum and another first rounder. And Markelle is unplayable in any key spot. Can Fultz improve next season? absolutely, much like Semi he can't get any worse. Probably why they are getting lumped together.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I'm not even a Celtics fan (Sonics 4Lyfe) but seriously just stop. I want to like you, you seem like you want to be a good guy but are failing miserably at it. Posters are mostly talking about Semi having a couple good games on defense in the playoffs, they all know his stats from regular season, which, during the playoffs, are meaningless. The playoffs are about constant matchups against the same team, not back-to-backs and 3 games in four days against 3 different teams. Besides being on 94 feet with 10 foot baskets they might as well be different games. And sometimes a player who is barely useful in the regular season can be extremely useful in a playoff series because the matchup is favorable. If you're in the ALDS, and a lefty slugger can't lay off a lefty slider, and your shitty lefty reliever has a decent slider, no one cares what his ERA+ was in the regular season. You bring him in late every game until that slugger can hit him.

He knows this. He is just trolling and we are indulging him.

Again, he cited a stat that rated Kadeem Allen and Markelle Fultz ahead of Ojeleye as a basis for arguing that the subject of this thread wasn't very good which, at this point in time, isn't even a point of contention amongst Celtics fans here/elsewhere. Nobody claimed that Ojeleye was anything other than a decent defensive match-up from some players.

In the end, its disingenuous crap like baiting posters and then claiming victimhood that makes it hard for a poster like London here. Not the team he roots for nor his more thoughtful posts about his team or the NBA. Ignore is probably our best option for the next few weeks and beyond if the 76ers advance.

 

[Sam Ray Not]

All while Jordan Bell played 3 minutes versus the Spurs.

I'm agnostic on Ojeleye v. Bell — haven't watched Semi enough, plus it's too soon to say — but it's worth noting that Bell had a gruesome-looking ankle injury late in the season from which (eye test) he still hasn't recovered. That plus the crazy blossoming of Kevon Looney (last seen doing a reasonably good job against the Brow in his 24 minutes, and forcing Chuck and Shaq to ponder the meaning of plus-minus) has left Bell out of the playoff rotation, a la Zaza and Casspi.

But overall, Bell had a fantastic rookie campaign: 11.7 pts on .641 true shooting / 9.2 rebounds / 4.5 assists / 1.6 steals / 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes, in 809 total minutes played.

 

[LondonSox]

Ok fine it's entirely my fault and no one over reacted to a comment literally saying he's been pretty bad this year maybe calm down.

Cool.

As I'm now established as a troll and the bad guy including by neutrals

Fuck the Celtics. Sixers in 5

 

[Van Everyman]

Can I briefly push back against the idea that Semi was this offensive disaster this year? He played a third less minutes than Smart who sat out the last three or four weeks of the season, took less than 200 shots. The guy was mostly in the back quarter of a long rotation until he was needed. The idea that he was used as some kind of offensive option at any point in the season just shows that London Sox never watched this team. He had a few big three’s during the season (and one last night) but he was literally the last option on the floor.

Supposedly he was good offensively in college. Combined with the fact that he’s a rookie who gave the Celtics useful minutes against one of the league’s elites offensive players (and did the same against others during the season) should be reason for optimism, not scorn or pushback.

 

[LondonSox]

Eye test Twitter hits the forums.

Forget stats, he hit big shots and stuff. Is he clutch too? Should we ignore he was sub 100 offensive rating per 100 all year and a -10 net, a PER of 4, horrible steal, block, assist, 4* the turnover % as his assist %
In the playoffs his offensive rating is lower and his defensive rating is higher he's a -22 net rating.

(This is trolling AND accurate)

 

[tbrown_01923]

I dunno - go back to page one and look at some of the videos. He doesn't seem to have the capacity to get tot he rim in any sort of fluid fashion - there is a ton of work to be done there. Euro step might be huge for him, but his handle is horrible too. I suspect his three settles in at 33% or so as he gets used to the game speed, role in the offense, and reps from the right distance. But it is extremely unlikely he ever becomes effective at creating space for himself to get a jumper off.

The one thing I didn't see this season was his leaping ability (see video in post 46). I would think some back door baseline cuts combined with those ups would be good for a couple of baskets a game.

It is fun to root for him because second rounders rarely amount to anything. And as a rookie to be able to contribute anything in the payoffs (even JUST defense) is an accomplishment. Semi has seemingly had the Freaks number all season. I would be surprised if he was able to do the same thing to Simmons, but who knows Simmons and Antekuompo are similar players.

 

[EddieYost]

I enjoy watching Semi play defense. I think he is a useful bench player who fills a niche.

It’s dumb to spend time debating with a guy who obviously likes to pick fights with Celtics fans.

 

[Marceline]

I don't think anyone is ignoring he is terrible on offense.

The guy is a 2nd round pick rookie who has contributed valuable minutes on a playoff rotation due to his defense. I highly doubt he'll ever be more than a useful bench player for certain match ups but it's nice to see a positive contribution from a 2nd round pick.

 

[luckiestman]

https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-avoid-being-drained-by-energy-vampires/

“Have you ever had the experience of having the life sucked out of you by spending time with a particular person?

I’m talking about feeling exhausted, bored, irritated, stressed, anxious, threatened, overwhelmed or depressed after just a few moments in that person’s company.

There may have been times where you felt guilty for having negative thoughts about that person — which made you feel even worse. You may even have thought there was something wrong with you, such as feeling a headache coming on or stressing over a work deadline. Either way, you didn’t understand why you felt so out of sorts.

If that describes a familiar experience, chances are you have been in the company of an energy vampire.


Energy vampires are emotionally immature individuals who have the sense that the whole world revolves around them. They are almost incapable of seeing things from another person’s perspective. They often lack empathy. They believe that they must take everything they can get from others and that giving anything will deprive them of essential resources. It’s as if the whole world exists just to serve them and you are the latest object upon which they have set their sights for exploitation.”

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Ok fine it's entirely my fault and no one over reacted to a comment literally saying he's been pretty bad this year maybe calm down.

Cool.

As I'm now established as a troll and the bad guy including by neutrals

Fuck the Celtics. Sixers in 5

Even though you've gotten personal with me in the past because we disagreed over something (I cannot remember exactly but it isn't important anyhow), I never considered you a troll until now. Quite the contrary in fact.

Nobody claimed that Semi was any good or "clutch" - a poster remarked that were he to improve his game and on offense in particular, that he would be useful. This is a fair statement while, at the same time, it acknowledges what your point. Yet you felt the need to chime in with a straw-man argument. And when posters here pointed that out, you trotted out your victimhood, the Celtics fans homerism and their being triggered. And here some posters were thinking we could have a somewhat rational discussion of the upcoming 76ers/Celtics series.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Even though you've gotten personal with me in the past because we disagreed over something

.

Glad I'm not the only one. His act is older than Brick and Rondo.

 

[DJnVa]

I wasn't aware the thread was a safe space for Celtics fans.

You suck at being a martyr. Calling out a "Safe space" when you needed to take time off earlier this season?

You bring some knowledge but with your thin skin perhaps a board that skews heavily to Boston isn't the place for you.

You're now taking things off the table in this forum.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

His most realistic path to offensive value is as a floor spacer. If he can eventually hit open threes, then he'll have a long NBA career as a 3&D specialist. If he can't, he'll be useful in certain matchups, as he was in this series.

 

[LondonSox]

The post above me, again, was he just needs some confidence in his 3 point shot and watch out.

I responded that this was generous, as he was REALLY bad. To which rains of trolling accusations and Fultz attacks came.

I have defended myself. You have all decided that I was trolling and being a dick. I wasn't, I'm happy to be the heel now, I'm playing up to my label.

And I don't see anyone arguing the stats, just accusing me of trolling. His defensive rating got worse in the playoffs.
He saved the Celtics season with a -22 net rating this series? Explain. Because that doesn't fit your shitty narrative.

You want to talk eye test and be excited and ignore the data and the whole year. Please continue.

I don't remember attacking you personally DJ if so I appologize but I'm not gonna just be pushed into shutting up by eye test bullshit sorry.

 

[LondonSox]

His most realistic path to offensive value is as a floor spacer. If he can eventually hit open threes, then he'll have a long NBA career as a 3&D specialist. If he can't, he'll be useful in certain matchups, as he was in this series.

So why was he a net rating of -22 if he was useful this series?

 

[JakeRae]

I think London was trolling. I think London should know that coming into a thread about a rookie who just had a significant defensive impact in a playoff series and noting that he was terrible in the regular season (he absolutely was) is not engaging in the immediate conversation in good faith. What that would've looked like would've been questioning his overall impact because of his offensive contribution in the playoffs.

That said, the response was about 10 times worse. Nothing London said called for derailing the thread by antagonizing him about Fultz. If people need to respond to trolling, and the best response, as always, is just to ignore it, then do so by being better, not by being worse. There are currently at least half a dozen threads on this board that have devolved into Celtics fans noting how bad Fultz was this year in response to something London said that was a bit trolly, but was on topic for the thread. That's terrible posting and this community is supposed to be better than that.

 

[LondonSox]

You suck at being a martyr. Calling out a "Safe space" when you needed to take time off earlier this season?

You bring some knowledge but with your thin skin perhaps a board that skews heavily to Boston isn't the place for you.

I appologize to you for suffering from extreme depression and needing to take some time to myself.
Getting into pointless debates was making my illness worse. I am sorry if you think that my mental health needing some time to improve is an impendiment to you in some way.

If you think that makes me a weak person good for you. Stay classym

 

[DJnVa]

I appologize to you for suffering from extreme depression and needing to take some time to myself.
Getting into pointless debates was making my illness worse. I am sorry if you think that my mental health needing some time to improve is an impendiment to you in some way.

If you think that makes me a weak person good for you. Stay classym

That was my point dude. It's disingenuous to call out a safe space shit when you know how this can affect someone.

I'd buy you a drink if we ever found ourselves in the same place, but your internet persona is really weak right now.

 

[LondonSox]

I think London was trolling. I think London should know that coming into a thread about a rookie who just had a significant defensive impact in a playoff series and noting that he was terrible in the regular season (he absolutely was) is not engaging in the immediate conversation in good faith. What that would've looked like would've been questioning his overall impact because of his offensive contribution in the playoffs.

That said, the response was about 10 times worse. Nothing London said called for derailing the thread by antagonizing him about Fultz. If people need to respond to trolling, and the best response, as always, is just to ignore it, then do so by being better, not by being worse. There are currently at least half a dozen threads on this board that have devolved into Celtics fans noting how bad Fultz was this year in response to something London said that was a bit trolly, but was on topic for the thread. That's terrible posting and this community is supposed to be better than that.

Yeah I honestly didn't mean to be trolling in that first post, it was a bit of a throwaway calm down and an interesting stat. I didn't think people would like it but it wasn't meant to be more than a don't get carried away
Which I guess some people might take as a troll but wasn't intended.

After this I responded in kind with the tone given back, so be it .

 

[JakeRae]

So why was he a net rating of -22 if he was useful this series?

He was +3 since game 5, when Stevens shifted to using him as a starter and stopper on Giannis. Giannis was -1 during those three games. I'm not sure that we can draw much from that small a sample, but it is the one that it makes sense to look at, not the whole series, because Semi wasn't used in the role people are crediting him for exceling in until Game 5

 

[Dr. Winston O'Boogie]

So why was he a net rating of -22 if he was useful this series?

Covered

 

[LondonSox]

That was my point dude. It's disingenuous to call out a safe space shit when you know how this can affect someone.

I'd buy you a drink if we ever found ourselves in the same place, but your internet persona is really weak right now.

How is saying the thread is a safe space for Celtics fans where their players can't be criticized (which is what I meant) akin to depression? It wasn't personal it was a comment on the thread's reaction to a MILD point based on a stat. People attacked the stat, and Fultz etc.
Perhaps it poorly worded but I think comparing this to an individual being depressed, which by the way I had multiple people attack me personally in thread and via pm is a bit much.

If I have hurt anyone's mental state with my comments this was obviously not intended, and I appologize

 

[Cesar Crespo]

How is saying the thread is a safe space for Celtics fans where their players can't be criticized (which is what I meant) akin to depression? It wasn't personal it was a comment on the thread's reaction to a MILD point based on a stat. People attacked the stat, and Fultz etc.
Perhaps it poorly worded but I think comparing this to an individual being depressed, which by the way I had multiple people attack me personally in thread and via pm is a bit much.

If I have hurt anyone's mental state with my comments this was obviously not intended, and I appologize

LOL, you are the one who attacked people. I still have the messages. The reason people don't like you is because you point to Fultz 3 point % in college as a reason to be positive while ignoring his FT%, while you ignore Jaylen Brown's 3 point % and focus on his FTs. You are also ignoring Semi's 3 point % in college. You are disingenuous and inconsistent. And as everyone else has said, you play the victim even though you are the attacker.

 

[LondonSox]

Because he was covering one of the best players in the game? I’m sure he’d be the fourth best option on a super team like the Sixers.

I’m sure you were pumping the defensive efficiency of the Sixers as they were going up against a dominant offensive team led by Kelly O.

Actually no I wasn't, I been saying they've been playing badly, but again this isn't about the sixers ffs.
I think it's a valid question to ask if he was so good in the series why the Celtics lost so badly when he was on the floor, and yet won the series.

The better answer is there was an inflection point horrendous early, decent later. Which is a kind of crazy flip btw and would be A MUCH MORE INTERESTING thing to look at and discuss.

This is how discussion works.
Point A
Well not really here's some evidence against that
Hmm here's some evidence showing that there was a turning point
Wow that's interesting what changed at that point

Lessons are learnt takeaway can be made.

Or we can do
Point A
Troll, Fultz eye test
Ok that's nice point A remains, here's also points B and C and evidence
Troll and trade insults ad infinitum

Shrug

 

[LondonSox]

LOL, you are the one who attacked people. I still have the messages. The reason people don't like you is because you point to Fultz 3 point % in college as a reason to be positive while ignoring his FT%, while you ignore Jaylen Brown's 3 point % and focus on his FTs. You are also ignoring Semi's 3 point % in college. You are disingenuous and inconsistent. And as everyone else has said, you play the victim even though you are the attacker.

People don't like me on the internets oh noes

And no. I said that Fultz deserves an offseason to try to recover his shot before it's clear he's trash. Again though this is a semi thread no?
As for attacks you were pretty clear saying you thought I was a pussy and depression was no excuse as you have issues and can post just fine.
Once you attacked me for having depression I blocked you and sent you a message saying f u for being such a horrible person.

I stand by it. If people want think I'm horrible for my posts here please do so. Think that's a but odd but whatever

 

[mauf]

I think London was trolling. I think London should know that coming into a thread about a rookie who just had a significant defensive impact in a playoff series and noting that he was terrible in the regular season (he absolutely was) is not engaging in the immediate conversation in good faith. What that would've looked like would've been questioning his overall impact because of his offensive contribution in the playoffs.

That said, the response was about 10 times worse. Nothing London said called for derailing the thread by antagonizing him about Fultz. If people need to respond to trolling, and the best response, as always, is just to ignore it, then do so by being better, not by being worse. There are currently at least half a dozen threads on this board that have devolved into Celtics fans noting how bad Fultz was this year in response to something London said that was a bit trolly, but was on topic for the thread. That's terrible posting and this community is supposed to be better than that.

Very much this. It’s past time for everyone to move on.

 

[LondonSox]

He was +3 since game 5, when Stevens shifted to using him as a starter and stopper on Giannis. Giannis was -1 during those three games. I'm not sure that we can draw much from that small a sample, but it is the one that it makes sense to look at, not the whole series, because Semi wasn't used in the role people are crediting him for exceling in until Game 5

Thanks for this, this was interesting.

 

[TripleOT]

The Celtics were getting blown out in Game 4 in Milwaukee, after getting blown out in game three there. Brad turned to Semi with 8 minutes left in the third, down 16, and he put enough defensive pressure on GF to slow down the Bucks offense. Boston outscored the Bucks 58-44 and were a play away from stealing a game in Milwaukee.

Semi then helped hold GF to only 10 shots in a big Game 5 win, an last night bodied and harassed the Freak into foul trouble, and the Celtics won a Game 7 comfortably, despite getting nothing from Jaylen Brown.

Anyone who watched the series and didn't see how the Celtics defense stiffened with Semi on the floor must not have been paying attention. Semi being strong and quick enough to parry GF's driving was very important, as was his ability to switch and effectively guard smaller players in pick/roll.

Not many rookies have the defensive chops to be counted on in crunch time in the playoffs. Semi is challenged offensively, but players tend to become more efficient offensively as they get more seasons under their belt. Semi had 89% of his baskets assisted this season, and didn't even average a basket a game, and still managed to be a contributor to a 55 win team that is advancing to the second round. There's a lot of room to grow offensively, obviously.

 

[bankshot1]

How many end of the bench rookies, with no obvious offensive skills, and an unheralded rookie, are asked to step up and play meaningful minutes in games 5-6-7, to defend the oppo's best player?

Not many.

And fewer succeed.

That Celtic fans are both psyched and hopeful that Semi may one day become a 2-way player seems pretty natural. But the discussion as best as I can tell was about his job defending GF.

and fuck the 76ers

 

[Eddie Jurak]

So why was he a net rating of -22 if he was useful this series?

He wasn't -22 relative to the alternatives available to Brad Stevens in this series.

 

[nighthob]

I dunno - go back to page one and look at some of the videos. He doesn't seem to have the capacity to get tot he rim in any sort of fluid fashion - there is a ton of work to be done there. Euro step might be huge for him, but his handle is horrible too. I suspect his three settles in at 33% or so as he gets used to the game speed, role in the offense, and reps from the right distance. But it is extremely unlikely he ever becomes effective at creating space for himself to get a jumper off.

I don’t think that anyone expects him to be anything more than a 3&D guy. And those guys are rarely good at creating space, they function in the space created by being the other guy on the floor. He’ll be out there with two or three of Irving, Hayward, Tatum, Brown, or Horford, so defenses will rarely have the ability to key on him.

If he had shown the ability to do more the odds are that he would never have made it to #37. I think that he’ll probably eventually become a 37% trey shooter. On draft night I think I called him a longer more athletic Jae Crowder, and I haven’t seen anything to dissuade me of that yet.

 

[nighthob]

So why was he a net rating of -22 if he was useful this series?

But he was +3 in games 5-7 when they threw him into the fire.

 

[JakeRae]

I don’t think that anyone expects him to be anything more than a 3&D guy. And those guys are rarely good at creating space, they function in the space created by being the other guy on the floor. He’ll be out there with two or three of Irving, Hayward, Tatum, Brown, or Horford, so defenses will rarely have the ability to key on him.

If he had shown the ability to do more the odds are that he would never have made it to #37. I think that he’ll probably eventually become a 37% trey shooter. On draft night I think I called him a longer more athletic Jae Crowder, and I haven’t seen anything to dissuade me of that yet.

The fact that he's basically the same length as Jae (he's an inch taller and they have identical wingspans) and isn't more athletic didn't dissuade you from holding this opinion?

I think there are good reasons to think he will develop the ability to shoot in the NBA. His college stats included good FT shooting and very good 3P shooting on high volume. He failed at translating either of those this year, but there is reason for optimism.

This off-season, he needs to work on his release (getting shots off at NBA speed) and his hands (he needs to be able use his arms on defense to complement his excellent footwork). Right now, his skills make him useful only against dribble penetration wings. That's pretty valuable in the east, but it's still a very limited skill set.

Ultimately, I don't think Crowder is a good comp as Crowder has a strong ability to attack closeouts that I doubt Semi will ever have and has very good hands on defense. Semi is going to be more of a pure weakside shooter on offense if things work out. He also is a liability defensively against almost all matchups because he cannot contest shots or dribbles, all he can do is stay in front of his man.

We shouldn't let the fact that both Giannis and Simmons play to his strengths and allow him to have value obscure that he is an extremely limited player right now.

 

[nighthob]

The fact that he's basically the same length as Jae (he's an inch taller and they have identical wingspans) and isn't more athletic didn't dissuade you from holding this opinion?

He actually is more athletic. He has a better vertical even if he doesn’t ever leave his feet (but it does demonstrate his better athleticism, which you see in his quickness). Ojeleye’s lane agility times were more than a second quicker and he was also faster on the three quarter court sprint. And his standing reach is two or three inches greater despite the wingspans (Crowder’s wingspan is a function of his broad shoulders, Ojeleye has longer arms).

So, yeah, a longer, more athletic Jae Crowder. And like Jae it’s going to take him a couple of years to get there as a player.

 

[Fishy1]

Guys, give it a break. For the love of God. I know we're petty creatures but if we could take a break from delighting in reverse-trollimg that'd be great.

Jae is actually a really interesting comp. Another four year college player and second rounder with terrible percentages his first year in the league (who also took the majority of his shots from 3) who made his hay defensively. The difference is that Jae is definitely the worse athlete, is, or appears to be, far more of an aggressive personality, and is far more active in terms of getting deflections.

I actually haven't gotten the impression that Semi's handle is any worse than Jae's, but instead that his decision making off close outs is terrible. He drives to the rim and consistently tries to take the opposite of whatever the defense is giving him. It seems far more like a case of someone lacking confidence or BBIQ Than it does a lack of talent or athleticism.

Semi got substantial minutes this year but he's going to struggle next year to break out in the same way with Hayward back.

 

[mauf]

Ok, I deleted a bunch of posts, issued a couple warnings, and gave one participant who is habitually shitty poster a two-week vacation. Anyone who still insists on continuing this digression can expect the same.

 

[nighthob]

I actually haven't gotten the impression that Semi's handle is any worse than Jae's, but instead that his decision making off close outs is terrible. He drives to the rim and consistently tries to take the opposite of whatever the defense is giving him. It seems far more like a case of someone lacking confidence or BBIQ Than it does a lack of talent or athleticism.

Yeah, offensively the more he has to do the more terrifying he is. To Celtics fans, not the opponents. I’ll settle for his improving his release enough to be an effective weak side catch & shoot player. There’s real value in that for a player with his strength, quickness, and defensive footwork.

It’s going to take him some time to develop the defensive anticipation to make use of his athletic gifts, but I’m cautiously optimistic that he’s going to stick for a long time as a higher end 3&D guy.

 

[Fishy1]

Yeah, offensively the more he has to do the more terrifying he is. To Celtics fans, not the opponents. I’ll settle for his improving his release enough to be an effective weak side catch & shoot player. There’s real value in that for a player with his strength, quickness, and defensive footwork.

It’s going to take him some time to develop the defensive anticipation to make use of his athletic gifts, but I’m cautiously optimistic that he’s going to stick for a long time as a higher end 3&D guy.

Yeah, I mean Jae has made his bones with basically one move - fake the three, one dribble drive, and lean into the defender as you lay it up with your right hand.

Semi is already well above average at one thing. If he adds something each offseason, he'll be a positive add rotation player by the end of his contract.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

John Karalis on the Locked On Celtics podcast just provided a fun fact about game 7.

Ojeleye matched up with Giannis on 43 possessions. On those, Giannis shot 5-11, scored 10 points, had 2 assists, 1 turnover.

 

[Devizier]

What do people think about Semi's upside? A small power forward who doesn't rebound and makes his bones on defense and the occasional outside shot. Almost entirely a product of the modern NBA, I feel like he wouldn't have gotten run in any previous era unless you go way back to the 60s.

Maybe Scalabrine? Semi's smaller than that, though.