I’m with you. They are better now and I will be all onboard rooting once the season starts but it sucks to watch homegrown players, particularly Smart, leave without a title when they were so close.Most teams don’t overcome injuries to their best players. They are a better team now but we had a good run of rooting for our guys.
And yet.... Upgraded the defenseTimelord too?
F this shit
Got rid of their 2 best defensive and energy players in the offseason
Hate this off-season so much
I've had an unreasoning Nerlens fascination since he came out in the draft, but whether him or not I do believe we need someone else as well. Love ya Kornet.Hometown kid Nerlens Noel is a FA.
Bismack Biyombo is still kicking around.
Here's the full list of FA, which is sortable by position: https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/current_free_agents
Smart was not one of their 2 best defensive players. And just traded for a guard that's probably better defensively than him.Timelord too?
F this shit
Got rid of their 2 best defensive and energy players in the offseason
Hate this off-season so much
The closing lineup will be Jrue/DWhite/Jaylen/Tatum/KP, right? Completely ridiculous on both ends.And yet.... Upgraded the defense
Yeah, Smart's rep is so out of line with his performance. It's wild.Smart was not one of their 2 best defensive players. And just traded for a guard that's probably better defensively than him.
Missing shot making in the G spotThe closing lineup will be Jrue/DWhite/Jaylen/Tatum/KP, right? Completely ridiculous on both ends.
Jrue Holiday has been almost 60% true shooting for the past three seasons. He makes PLENTY of shots.Missing shot making in the G spot
It’s not so much third big to me as the inevitable 2nd big when we suffer injuries or Father Time finally comes for Horford. At some point he’s not gonna be able to get it done any longer and the end often comes shockingly fast
Not sure the 15 games of healthy, clearly deteriorating Williams is the answer to this either.Bingo.
Jrue and White both shot better than Jaylen last yearMissing shot making in the G spot
So that’s three guys that can’t shootJrue and White both shot better than Jaylen last year
40% from 3 can’t shoot, eh?So that’s three guys that can’t shoot
Great I feel better
What are you talking about, dude? Are you going to actually back any of this up with evidence or are you just shooting from the hip here?So that’s three guys that can’t shoot
Great I feel better
38% for 3 with mid 50s efg and high 50s to 60 ts is can't shoot?So that’s three guys that can’t shoot
Great I feel better
This is truly an incredible job by Portland, when it was looking for months like they might have to accept a much lesser Miami offer.Portland turned a guy who wanted out and threatened not to play into
Deandre Ayton, TL, Malcolm Brogdon, 2 Unprotected ‘29 1sts, (Celtics and Bucks) 24 GSW 1st ‘28 & ‘30 Swaps (Bucks)
that’s good work, especially if they flip TL and Brogdon and get anything at all for them.
I am a casual Celtic fan. Can you please explain Jrue Holiday's game, using examples from something I understand-- say, Lord of the Rings?
Certainly!
Jrue Holiday is the Faramir of basketball. Just as Faramir was a relentless defender of Gondor, Jrue is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game, locking down opponents with his tenacity. Like Faramir's dedication to his people, Jrue prioritizes team success over personal glory, distributing the ball with precision and setting up his teammates for victory.
He may not always steal the spotlight, but his quiet dominance in defense and playmaking is the foundation of his team's success.
- Lockdown Defender: Jrue Holiday, like Faramir, is a lockdown defender. Just as Faramir defended Gondor's borders with vigilance, Jrue guards the perimeter with tenacity, making it incredibly challenging for opponents to score from outside.
- Stealing the Spotlight: Similar to how Faramir's heroics often go unnoticed amidst the grand battles in Middle-earth, Jrue's defensive skills might not always make headlines, but they are crucial to his team's success.
- Distributive Leadership: Faramir's leadership style is centered around the welfare of his people, and Jrue's playmaking reflects this approach on the basketball court. Jrue excels in distributing the ball to his teammates, setting them up for easy baskets, just as Faramir ensures his soldiers are in the best position to succeed.
- Assists as Strategy: Much like Faramir's strategic thinking in battle, Jrue's assists are a strategic tool for his team's offense. He anticipates the movements of his teammates, setting up plays that maximize their strengths.
- Quiet Dominance: Faramir's quiet, determined leadership mirrors Jrue's on-court presence. Jrue may not always draw attention with flashy plays, but his consistent excellence in defense and playmaking is the bedrock of his team's success.
Right on the money I think with how this makes the roster play better. Jrue being in the picture just means everyone else can play the roles they're best suited for. Brown, White, but this will also mean less point Tatum which I think is a good thing.I hated the Smart/KP trade, because I didn't like the fit for Boston(plus I love Smart)
I still don't like it, but am at least soothed by this deal.
For everyone demanding White be the starting point guard, I like him much more as a secondary ballhandler.
White can be a really good point guard, but it also takes away some of his strengths. I love him catching the ball on the move. I love him cutting to the basket. I love him receiving a pass and moving it quickly. I love him catching and shooting it. Having him on the ball all the time gives him less opportunity to do those things. Now having Jrue replacing Smart in the lineup allows White to keep doing that stuff.
Also, think this trade is big for Jaylen Brown. Moving a big out means they should be playing smaller. That should lead to less ball handling/playmaking needed from Jaylen. That's a major plus.
Same as the White trade, I don't like trading a pick so lightly protected(in this case unprotected). But I love Jrue as a fit for this team.
They are comically thin right now. They'll need a couple ring chasers at some point along the way. They need a big now, and a non-big somewhere down the line.
Also, great job getting in an aggregation tradde before that door closes on them next summer.
View: https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1708521566911246533Then it's a good thing that there is only one team in the East with a center, and the Cs just took away the best trade option his team had.
Embiid is going to get triple-teamed if Harden won't play.
Wow, yeah, he knows he is boned.
I think some fans want to win it all with the fully homegrown core, even though there's plenty of evidence they were not good enough.I’m kind of shocked at some of the negativity about this deal. Jrue Holiday is a SIGNIFICANT backcourt upgrade for this team. By a very large margin.
I sort of get this. Like others I have a non-objective passion for Marcus, and, to quote someone here, TL was like a "cheat code" when he was on. Problem is, they didn't win the whole thing two straight years when they maybe could've should've.This just reminds me of how pissed I still am that we choked against the Warriors. God I loved that fucking team and now Smart and Rob are gone for some of the most boring ass players you could ever watch hoop. Never mind losing the coach to a guy that imitated a cow on the sidelines until he got it under control.
Are they better? Probably. But it’s not what I wanted.
No Smart, No TimeLord…what a catastrophe.
He was one of the best defensive guards in the league last yearHis defense is clearly in decline.
Yeah, if "you" think that Jrue is boring to watch, then we definitely have different definitions.If you don't like watching Jrue Holiday play, I don't know what to tell you. I was always TERRIFIED whenever he was defending our point guards.
I like how Brad just evaluated it all, decided it simply wasn't good enough, and came out like a complete killer this offseason.I think some fans want to win it all with the fully homegrown core, even though there's plenty of evidence they were not good enough.
I was kind of thinking that about Griffen. He could eat some more minutes in a limited role.Blake Griffin come on down
Beef Centers that can play aggressive D (6 fouls) and set picks on O can be found. Queta, G-League MVP, will be their 6th string Center. If they need to add during the season they still own picks.
C's just added an All-Star & lockdown defender. Pat Riley is crying in his soup
As mentioned earlier today, once the Clippers were out, the other deals just weren't there. If they get a late 1st+ for Brogdon and TL, that's at least 3 1sts for Jrue.I was kind of thinking that about Griffen. He could eat some more minutes in a limited role.
I'm surprised POR couldn't so a little better. I like this deal a lot for BOS.
They would have dealt Smart and TL for Jrue imo.HOLY SHIT
I am distraught about Time Lord, but I get it, and you can't say POBOBS is too timid to swing for the fences.
I am however far more distraught about the idea that if the friggen Clippers just had the courage of their convictions, we'd have done the Brogdon-based deal for Porzingis and not needed to do this deal, because we'd have kept both Smart and TimeLord (and a LOT of payroll flexibility too). That's the big sliding-doors moment of this offseason.
The pick situation is totally fine, and they have plenty of picks to deal during Tatum's window. They clearly have an organizational philosophy that late 1sts are much better converted into players, when you have a contender.Do these terms (salary match + GSW 1st + unprotected 2029 1st) amount to "going all-in" that we'd been discussing in other threads? We still do have assets in the bank, but now our payroll is an absolute disaster waiting to happen (once you grant Tatum's supermax and start thinking about Zinger and Jrue extensions). Like in the best case scenario where we sign all 3 for a few more years of window and have a very-well-paid Big 4, (A) Wyc is paying through the absolute nose in tax every year, and (B) we have no ability to sign rotation depth other than min-salary space exceptions, draft picks and maybe a (new-CBA-reduced) taxpayer MLE. So it's hard to say that we have any more chips we could push into the table even a year or two down the line if the right deal came along, frankly.
You must be talking about Marcus Smart? I agree.He got totally cooked against the Heat last year. His defense is clearly in decline.
No margin for error after investments in coaching staff & payroll. Brad Stevens won't be able to protect the coach again if they get off to a slow start. Wyc wants his title now.Do these terms (salary match + GSW 1st + unprotected 2029 1st) amount to "going all-in" that we'd been discussing in other threads? We still do have assets in the bank, but now our payroll is an absolute disaster waiting to happen (once you grant Tatum's supermax and start thinking about Zinger and Jrue extensions). Like in the best case scenario where we sign all 3 for a few more years of window and have a very-well-paid Big 4, (A) Wyc is paying through the absolute nose in tax every year, and (B) we have no ability to sign rotation depth other than min-salary space exceptions, draft picks and maybe a (new-CBA-reduced) taxpayer MLE. So it's hard to say that we have any more chips we could push into the table even a year or two down the line if the right deal came along, frankly.