Celtics vs. the Lebronaires
- Thread starter DJnVa
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Interesting that Kyrie wasn't in the building for a Game 7. Kinda bizarre if you ask me.
Give Pierce credit. He called it after G4 that the Celtics would have to close it out in Cleveland because a G7 in the EC Finals is a different animal and you're going up against LeBron.
Also, give a TON of credit to Jeff Green who was a 2-way beast tonight.
Seriously. We had the benefit of watching it in slow-mo. I have no idea how he knew to snap his head back like that in real time.
Rozier was awful and I would have benched him. But I think Stevens was out of options...even having Larkin would have helped.
I think Stevens was correct that Baynes would have been abused defensively in fourth, and unless you want him out there you need to gamble Rozier picks it up don’t you? There’s just not enough bodies.
You’re both taking it way too far to absolutes. They just missed too many open looks. Classify that however you like, but outside Rozier, I can’t finger a guy who play poorly in a mental capacity. Shits generally didn’t fall/weren’t hit, but Terry made a ton of bad choices.
Sorry guys, very disappointing last game, but a heck of a season.
I think I might be most shocked by Horford having 4 rebounds in that brick fest I'm 40 minutes. I don't really know how that is possible.
Future is bright, and hopefully my guys will be there fighting you for it.
I think I might be most shocked by Horford having 4 rebounds in that brick fest I'm 40 minutes. I don't really know how that is possible.
Future is bright, and hopefully my guys will be there fighting you for it.
That is a pretty shocking stat but considering Cleveland had just 2 offensive rebounds and Boston had 11 it's hard to really make anything out of it.
He pretty much did. He went out with 8 minutes left, came in for one minute for Jaylen who was also awful, then went right back out for Jaylen. Then he played the last bit of garbage time.
Don't know who else besides Tatum, Horford, Smart and Morris should've been in trailing late. Not a lot of offensive fire power left on that bench.
Oh, I know how it’s possible but let’s not talk about it, long off season to enjoy.
Brown should've stayed in because at least that the defensive mismatches at a minimum, but it's not an easy call. Theoretically Rozier was able to create for others, but it didn't work out like that.
That’s what Smart theoretically does, too, so why they were both out there together in the fourth at any point is a complete mystery.
That was harder to watch than the super bowl and given everything around it I cared a lot less. Just really hard to see a team choke like that. Taking 19 more shots and losing was just atrocious.
Yeah, this is right.
The final loss of a season is always a downer. The team's weakness was offense once both Kyrie and Hayward went down, and that weakness reared its head in Game 7, which is not unusual.
Blaming Brad is just plain silly. Even blaming the players here is a bit harsh.
Still disappointing. Yeah, they would have lost in the Finals, probably in 4 or 5. Granted, some of the experts here said Philly in 5, but we all know there's a huge gap still between East and West. But it's really hard to get to the Finals; it's not automatic next season even with the return of Gordon Irving. Ainge has his work cut out for him this offseason.
Blaming Brad is just plain silly. Even blaming the players here is a bit harsh.
Still disappointing. Yeah, they would have lost in the Finals, probably in 4 or 5. Granted, some of the experts here said Philly in 5, but we all know there's a huge gap still between East and West. But it's really hard to get to the Finals; it's not automatic next season even with the return of Gordon Irving. Ainge has his work cut out for him this offseason.
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Please lock this thread and somehow get it out of my mind for a couple weeks. To not be moving on really hurts.
It was a 4-point game with the ball and 2 1/2 minutes to play when Rozier returned to launch an ill-advised 3 that missed badly then followed that up by sending LeBron to the line on the rebound. Two possessions later, still a 5-point game, he again missed badly on a forced 3 then was removed following our TO once it was a 7-point game with a minute left. It was the critical 90 second stretch when Cleveland took complete control of the game......that isn't garbage time.
I still want to know.....where was Kyrie tonight?
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Next year, with Gordon Hayward as its third option, this team is going to lay waste to the Eastern Conference and go on to win the title.
I agree with HRB regarding TR. Besides Rozier being lousy on offense, they way he was getting abused in the 1/3 p/r when he gets switched on LeBron would have been reason enough to keep him on the bench. Considering how dynamite he played on offense in Game 6, it's incredible that he would shoot 2-14, with 0-10 from three.
You mean Greg Kite. You forgot James Posey, Celtics 08. He was teammate of Shaq on the 06 Heat.
Totally agree. It’s easy to overanalyze this one. Credit to the Cavs’ D, but if the C’s have average shot luck, we win easily. (To be fair, the Cavs missed more than their share of open shots too.)
Only seven guys played last night, and Brad definitely didn’t trust Baynes late. He only had so many options.
As I said above, I would’ve rather seen a rando from the bench than Rozier in that late spot. Terry couldn’t hit water last night if he fell out of it boat, but the offense doesn’t work if he passes up wide-open shots.
Last nights game still really stings. Ugh
If Kyrie was off doing some promo work for Uncle Drew, it's not going to sit well with the fans or Boston's media. This may take on a life of its own if it's not addressed quickly with a photo of Kyrie at a local Boys Club handing out sneakers.
I'm hoping Kyrie was just sick, and the team didn't want his germs in the locker room. Failing that, the most likely explanation is either he needs his knee amputated, or he is part of a 5 team trade for Anthony Davis and Larry Fitzgerald.
Lots of talk about Kyrie and Gordon being out (as there should be), but I think that even Daniel Theis might have made the difference in this series. The Cavs margin here was so thin.
I get it, and less drunk I hear you. But point was...76ers are coming and if they get Bron, they have every reason to believe THEY are the team going forward. Winning this year, diminished as we are, would have set us as the bar for them to surpass.
Sky isnt falling, but we lost a chance to plant the first flag.
Interesting...Tatum clearly thrived in his opportunity and may move up but he still has to show me he’s ahead of the other two on the court.
1-Kyrie (everything flows through him)
2-Healthy Hayward
3-Tatum (don’t think I’m taking anything away from him here just recognizing the greatness of 1&2)
Edit- would be fun to be wrong here!
After Tatum's dunk and three put the Celtics up 1, he had just one shot attempt the rest of the game. The Celtics as a team went 0-8 (and 0-6 from three) while the Cavs went on the 13-2 run that won the game. Going 0-1 doesn't sound as bad as going, say, 0-6 or whatever, but neither Kyrie nor Hayward would have let themselves be held without a shot during the most crucial part of the game.
Which is to say you are right - as of now, Tatum is #3 on that list.
Rozier's 2-14, 0 -10 from 3 shooting was probably more damaging, but Brown's 4 - 17, 2 - 12 (I'm not counting the meaningless, uncontested 3 he made with 10 seconds left) was more disturbing.
I hoped he would step up under pressure but it was just the opposite. Hopefully that was just a setback that he erases with more experience, but it was a major disappointment.
I hoped he would step up under pressure but it was just the opposite. Hopefully that was just a setback that he erases with more experience, but it was a major disappointment.
Last night's disaster aside, the real reason the Celtics didn't move on is because they couldn't win a game on the road. It's crazy that they even made it to Game 7 of the ECF with only winning one game on the road the entire playoffs. I don't know what has to change, and I know winning on the road is tough in the playoffs, but they weren't even competitive in most of their road games during the postseason. Going up early in Game 6 and then having that atrocious second quarter where it looked like they threw everything that worked prior to that out the window for god knows what reason is the most disappointing to me.
The entire team needed to recognize the hot hand in that situation and run the offense through Tatum. Disappointed that they didn’t.
I don't think it's a team failing, so much as it is that Tatum isn't yet ready for that role. Clevalnd no doubt thought "if we cover Tatum, we win", which is exactly how it turned out.
Hopefully a scoring veteran with Kyrie's pedigree will help in those situations. Hayward is going to be huge in general, but we really missed that elite go-to scorer to prevent big scoring droughts.
I’m choosing to chalk it up as the depth issue rearing its head rather than some critical failing of the coach or whatever that I’m sure some people want to ascribe to it.
With Kyrie and Hayward out, not only are you losing a bunch of efficient shooting, you’re losing a ton of playmaking and passing ability. Smart and Horford became the only credible passers on the roster, so you’re pretty much stuck with limited ball movement and one pass straight into ISO offense of one or both of them are off the floor. The amazing thing about Tatum’s night is how hard he had to work to get himself open.
When you add those two guys back, it’s going to be a lot easier to keep the ball movement offense rolling as you can stagger the subs. Tatum will improve in that department too, as he started to show late in the season and into May. Because of opening night, whichever of these sorts of lineup plans Stevens had worked on over the summer were immediately out the window. Now, fortunately, he gets to cook up even better plans knowing the leaps that Brown and Tatum took and the roles they will be able to inhabit.
I also happen to think the starting five is going to be such an offensive dynamo that the bench won’t need to be that great, though the pieces will be there for it to be adequate.
Thanks. I copied the list. But I don’t think it’s actually “forgetting” anyone. I believe it’s intended to highlight at least one player per year, not all of them.
And half a foot from Bellinelli from an 0-fer. Agreed, losing I can deal with but the turtling and non-competitiveness is concerning. But you need horses to win NBA road playoff games, and we get two next year.
What in the serious fuck was this bullshit?
We don't do that here. Seriously.
...said pretty much every opponent Brady has vanquished, as I recall.
Here's where we all died a little:
2:34 Marcus Morris makes free throw 1 of 2 78 - 74
2:34 Terry Rozier enters the game for Jaylen Brown 78 - 74
2:34 Marcus Morris misses free throw 2 of 2 78 - 74
2:31 Marcus Smart offensive rebound 78 - 74
2:29 Marcus Morris misses 26-foot three point jumper 78 - 74
2:23 Marcus Smart offensive rebound 78 - 74
2:21 Terry Rozier misses 28-foot three point jumper 78 - 74
Drive and score (or get hacked). That's all the C's needed down 4. With Smart's gutsy ORs and Cleveland's defense standing around (as they did much of the game, despite commentary's insistence that they were good - they were not), they decided not to drive. Instead, Morris and Rozier threw up 3s (contested in Morris's case, wide open in Rozier's, which of course he missed), and the game was over.
What burns me is the ballwashing by the press afterwards. Lebron had another exceptional game, but his teammates were hot garbage most of the game. He's clearly the best of his generation, and top 5 all time, but he almost seemed upset to be moving on to get pwned by either of the West squads. Unless 2-3 Rockets/Warriors destroy legs or ankles tonight in game 7, it'll be a 5 game series at best.
2:34 Marcus Morris makes free throw 1 of 2 78 - 74
2:34 Terry Rozier enters the game for Jaylen Brown 78 - 74
2:34 Marcus Morris misses free throw 2 of 2 78 - 74
2:31 Marcus Smart offensive rebound 78 - 74
2:29 Marcus Morris misses 26-foot three point jumper 78 - 74
2:23 Marcus Smart offensive rebound 78 - 74
2:21 Terry Rozier misses 28-foot three point jumper 78 - 74
Drive and score (or get hacked). That's all the C's needed down 4. With Smart's gutsy ORs and Cleveland's defense standing around (as they did much of the game, despite commentary's insistence that they were good - they were not), they decided not to drive. Instead, Morris and Rozier threw up 3s (contested in Morris's case, wide open in Rozier's, which of course he missed), and the game was over.
What burns me is the ballwashing by the press afterwards. Lebron had another exceptional game, but his teammates were hot garbage most of the game. He's clearly the best of his generation, and top 5 all time, but he almost seemed upset to be moving on to get pwned by either of the West squads. Unless 2-3 Rockets/Warriors destroy legs or ankles tonight in game 7, it'll be a 5 game series at best.
That ill advised three was a wide open look after a scramble on the missed FT and subsequent missed Morris three (in which Rozier made a hell of a play on the offensive glass to give them a second look).
He then had another wide open look from the corner.
He missed the shots so he sucks, I get it. But you gotta take those shots in those spots and you can't place any blame on the coach when open looks like those are missed.
They had the whole shot clock to create a shot, preferably for Horford or Tatum who were productive. Instead the opted for 2 desperation threes, each shot with 22 seconds on the clock, one contested, the other deep. That's the mark of a team that doesn't think it can create a good opportunity late in a close game.
The press is gonna press, this is hot takes heaven, and Lebron certainly grasps what he is facing in the Finals.
The four-letter is at this point indifferent to the outcome. Either Lebron emerges as a superhero for all the ages, or he gets smoked. If the latter, the narrative will be about how Gilbert mf-ed the franchise and where Bron goes next. But it will also be about how Bron will be 3-6 in NBA Finals.
FYI, Ainge just said that Kyrie had deviated septum surgery and was recovering.
I didn't call that garbgage time. The last 40 seconds went they put him back in was garbage time.
Neither of his shots were contested or deep. Go watch the replay. He missed them, but this team would have been hard pressed to find a better look than those two open shots.
You are correct that one shot, there was 22 seconds on the shot clock (actually 23 somehow), but the other there was 15 seconds.
If Terry shouldn't take those shots, the Celtics shouldn't be playing basketball.
Exactly. You dont pass up open looks like that. The chances of getting a better look are pretty small
My thoughts:
1. Never overreact to how a season ends. All seasons end badly except for one team that wins it.
2. Rozier is a shoot first PG when he is shooting poorly his value plummets. Also there are not too many teams that will have a 275 lb guy coming off ball screens, etc forcing him to switch. He is still a legit starter, but the Cavs were a worst case scenario for him. The Cavs transition D stopped him from getting the 2 or 3 layups he got against philly.
Also Lebron fouled him on the dunk attempt. I was steamed JVG and Jackson discussed the clutch dominance of LBJ while slow mo replays of him grabbing Rozier's are played from different angles.
3. Brown, not that long ago was a guy everyone was wondering about being able to shoot at all. It sucked that he played so poorly, but he has made himself a legit shooter. If all he does is improve his decision making, he is going to be a very good starter. It is hard to imagine he won't improve other aspects. This guy played 5-10 minutes a night in the playoffs last year behind Crowder et al. He played some great d on lEbron, at times, and added strength/increased rep will make him even more effective.
4. Tatum is close to being a star. We have to declare Danny;s draft a win. He looks to be a kid that can do it all. Him dunking on LBJ was big, since his ability to attack the rim was seen
1. Never overreact to how a season ends. All seasons end badly except for one team that wins it.
2. Rozier is a shoot first PG when he is shooting poorly his value plummets. Also there are not too many teams that will have a 275 lb guy coming off ball screens, etc forcing him to switch. He is still a legit starter, but the Cavs were a worst case scenario for him. The Cavs transition D stopped him from getting the 2 or 3 layups he got against philly.
Also Lebron fouled him on the dunk attempt. I was steamed JVG and Jackson discussed the clutch dominance of LBJ while slow mo replays of him grabbing Rozier's are played from different angles.
3. Brown, not that long ago was a guy everyone was wondering about being able to shoot at all. It sucked that he played so poorly, but he has made himself a legit shooter. If all he does is improve his decision making, he is going to be a very good starter. It is hard to imagine he won't improve other aspects. This guy played 5-10 minutes a night in the playoffs last year behind Crowder et al. He played some great d on lEbron, at times, and added strength/increased rep will make him even more effective.
4. Tatum is close to being a star. We have to declare Danny;s draft a win. He looks to be a kid that can do it all. Him dunking on LBJ was big, since his ability to attack the rim was seen