Rate Your Celtics Excitement Level
- Thread starter BigSoxFan
- Start date
Super excited. Can't wait for the games to start (preseason too).
As for The Departed:
Marcus and Rob - pretty gutted about losing both tbh. I think Marcus will be great with Memphis. His decline has been highly exaggerated here. I think he'll be back on form after an off-season of rest. There's a chance he takes much less of a pounding getting out of the meat grinder in the East. I also have a soft spot for Ja; warts and all.
Rob is a G. I wish him all the best and will follow his progress in Portland where I'm sure he'll be a huge fan favorite. I did see the drop-off in performance that others have noted, but I hope he can recover his early form. What a talent.
Thank the lord Brogdon is gone. Loved the pick-up and enjoyed his role, but when the stories emerged about his going dark and being persona non grata over some trade rumors. Adios, jerk. I was not looking forward to this guy needing to be coddled on a team with championship aspirations. Also, relying on the guy to make it through a long playoff run feels like a fool's errand.
Go C's!
As for The Departed:
Marcus and Rob - pretty gutted about losing both tbh. I think Marcus will be great with Memphis. His decline has been highly exaggerated here. I think he'll be back on form after an off-season of rest. There's a chance he takes much less of a pounding getting out of the meat grinder in the East. I also have a soft spot for Ja; warts and all.
Rob is a G. I wish him all the best and will follow his progress in Portland where I'm sure he'll be a huge fan favorite. I did see the drop-off in performance that others have noted, but I hope he can recover his early form. What a talent.
Thank the lord Brogdon is gone. Loved the pick-up and enjoyed his role, but when the stories emerged about his going dark and being persona non grata over some trade rumors. Adios, jerk. I was not looking forward to this guy needing to be coddled on a team with championship aspirations. Also, relying on the guy to make it through a long playoff run feels like a fool's errand.
Go C's!
Marcus Smart is one of my favorite Celtics ever. I think he's significantly underrated offensively, even around here. I was enjoying their success with all the home-grown talent - JB, JT, Smart, Rob, Grant...
But here's the thing. The Celtics have one of the, like, 8 guys in the league who matter, in terms of giving you an opportunity to win a title. A franchise can easily go decades without finding one of those guys. And because they have Tatum, they have to maximize the roster around him, no matter what it takes. I'm more excited for this season, because the team has arrived. They're not biding their time until their assets mature, they're not a young team on the rise with a puncher's chance of making the Finals if things break their way. They're a juggernaut, and the expectations are to win a championship. That's it. The time is now, and there's no more excuses.
That's fun. The team hasn't been at this level in terms of the title window just being thrown wide open since 2008. LFG.
But here's the thing. The Celtics have one of the, like, 8 guys in the league who matter, in terms of giving you an opportunity to win a title. A franchise can easily go decades without finding one of those guys. And because they have Tatum, they have to maximize the roster around him, no matter what it takes. I'm more excited for this season, because the team has arrived. They're not biding their time until their assets mature, they're not a young team on the rise with a puncher's chance of making the Finals if things break their way. They're a juggernaut, and the expectations are to win a championship. That's it. The time is now, and there's no more excuses.
That's fun. The team hasn't been at this level in terms of the title window just being thrown wide open since 2008. LFG.
They might be doing 12 minute cameos because they're already up 40-10 five minutes into the 2nd quarter of games.
I am more excited than I was last year. I was more excited last year then I was during the Kyrie/Gordon year before GH went down.
This team can be a juggernaut, and I'm not even sure Brad is done (albeit, there won't be any "big" moves).
Just stay fucking healthy.
I think what’s exciting about Tatum is he’s still pretty young.. it feels like he’s just entering his prime… so the window should be open for a bit. The core is solid.. and the bench is pretty solid too. This team also has assets where they could add a piece in season. It’s well set up for a run (and has been) for a few years.
I know everyone else will miss Marcus, and I get why. But I'm excited that my Cs fantom will never again compel me to watch a Smart vs Lowry flop-off.
Oh, and the team's really good, I guess.
Oh, and the team's really good, I guess.
I'm more excited now, and I was really excited last year.
I like that Joe will no longer have the option to play Smart (who I loved, don't get me wrong) over White to close out games.
I like that they can be 5-out on offense, and that they will be able to switch nearly everything on defense.
Holiday adds more nasty to this line-up.
PP and Hauser will have clearer roles in the rotation, and will be able to mentally prepare for consistent minutes rather than wondering if they will have to play 2 or 25 minutes night-to-night.
Porzingis' is a top 5 pick and roll defender. He's also the best 3rd option offensively in the league.
It is tough to find weaknesses in this team. There will be a lot of regular season nights where they will essentially end games in the 3rd quarter, giving the starters plenty of rest for the post-season, and will allow the role-players actual NBA minutes throughout the season.
I like that Joe will no longer have the option to play Smart (who I loved, don't get me wrong) over White to close out games.
I like that they can be 5-out on offense, and that they will be able to switch nearly everything on defense.
Holiday adds more nasty to this line-up.
PP and Hauser will have clearer roles in the rotation, and will be able to mentally prepare for consistent minutes rather than wondering if they will have to play 2 or 25 minutes night-to-night.
Porzingis' is a top 5 pick and roll defender. He's also the best 3rd option offensively in the league.
It is tough to find weaknesses in this team. There will be a lot of regular season nights where they will essentially end games in the 3rd quarter, giving the starters plenty of rest for the post-season, and will allow the role-players actual NBA minutes throughout the season.
This. Part of my excitement for this year is that the team is motivated, talented, and professional/experienced enough to put boot on neck and stop the endless "wow, it's back to a one-score game" games in the 82.
The anticipation before 2018 and 2019 (Kyrie/Hayward years) really can't compare. It was exciting because the Celtics were back as a serious contender for the first time in 6-7 years, but the Warriors really sucked all the fun out of those seasons anyway (they were -187 in 2018 and -168 in 2019 to win the title, facts that aren't getting any less insane with time). We weren't real title contenders, even if we were 3rd in 2018 and 2nd in 2019 in the odds.
I'm on the same boat as people that say that last season was more exciting pre-Ime, a little less exciting after. Split the difference and call it equally excited.
I'm on the same boat as people that say that last season was more exciting pre-Ime, a little less exciting after. Split the difference and call it equally excited.
I'm excited, but I still have serious questions about the ability of this team to not clam up with leads in big games and for the Jays (particularly Brown) to not become turnover machines against top playoff defenses. However, the good news is that with the prior iteration of the team I didn't really feel like I had questions anymore, as I thought there was enough data to have answers. And I didn't like those answers.
So I've gone from "don't trust this core to win the championship" to "I'm intrigued/excited to see whether this team can win the championship."
Health is obviously a big concern, but I do believe the Celtics have enough assets to add a few guys for depth, and that guy without the eyebrows showed some real promise, particularly defensively, in rookie leagues. So maybe he can carve out a nice role, as well.
So I've gone from "don't trust this core to win the championship" to "I'm intrigued/excited to see whether this team can win the championship."
Health is obviously a big concern, but I do believe the Celtics have enough assets to add a few guys for depth, and that guy without the eyebrows showed some real promise, particularly defensively, in rookie leagues. So maybe he can carve out a nice role, as well.
Funny to see these two posts practically back to back. I lean much closer to @Ed Hillel ’s opinion on this. And it’s not just leads in big games. It’s for instance being up say 3-1 with a home game 5 and putting that series to bed with no drama.
Yeah, I think people might have forgotten how much hype there was last year. I know that I was super excited...
I guess that the Ime thing put a damper on the excitement, so I can understand choosing "significantly more"
I'm Ron Burgundy walking around the office at full mast. Not only from the transactions, but I'm on team Joe with the belief he'll improve considerably with a full offseason of prep and a complete staff that he and Brad have hand-picked. I don't think we should overlook that.
The intriguing part to watch will be the emotional makeup of the team and player leadership. Guys like Marcus Smart and Grant Williams were BIG voices on the team for better or for worse. I guess we'll find out in retrospect if this was a good or bad thing for the previous squads.
The intriguing part to watch will be the emotional makeup of the team and player leadership. Guys like Marcus Smart and Grant Williams were BIG voices on the team for better or for worse. I guess we'll find out in retrospect if this was a good or bad thing for the previous squads.
I really, really hope that this is just hand wringing and I look like a complete moron 6 weeks into the season....but I do think it's very fair to have some concerns about Mazzulla and how he manages a rotation still.
Last year, he showed very little interest in giving anyone other than the core guys any run at all. I think we can all agree that he needs to give the 7-12 a lot more burn than he did. I am very hopeful that he will but until I actually see it, I can't act like it's a foregone conclusion that it will happen.
More excited, mostly because we got Zinger on a deal that was pretty much a heist. I can't think of a better #3 option for the Jay's.
Holiday is basically the player we hoped Smart would turn into.
The only way they don't have a deep playoff run is chemistry issues developing or health.
Holiday is basically the player we hoped Smart would turn into.
The only way they don't have a deep playoff run is chemistry issues developing or health.
FWIW, your concerns are fair and relatable. That said, I'm optimistic about that a coach who last year a) had the job handed to him at kinda the last minute and b) didn't really have an experienced assistant staff from which to draw experience. He has a year of experience, senior guys on staff, and has the stability of a full offseason to plan.
Jrue has similar turnover issues to Smart (both around 15%). Smart was worse last year though at 18%. The big difference is in assists though. Even throwing out Smart’s earlier career assist rate and only looking at the last 2 years, he’s a 26% assist rate pg. In contrast, Jrue is over 30% for his career and was over 34% last year. That doesn’t make him a player that solves our turnover issues (he definitely doesn’t) but he at least generates assists at a rate that makes his turnovers less problematic (using the rule of thumb that anything over a 2:1 ratio is fine).
I put down significantly more excited. Three main reasons:
1. Love Rob and Marcus, but the ceiling for this team is just so much higher. Once the top 6 clicks, there is going to be some legit basketball porn a lot of nights.
2. I’m sure this team will find ways to frustrate us, but my expectation is it will be new ways of getting annoyed as opposed to another year of games where the offense bogs down and Marcus decides to go “I got this”. I really like the idea of Jrue as a steadying veteran presence that actually has the ability to be a bit more assertive on the offensive side of the ball in a way Horford can’t.
3. The Patriots suck. Not sure about the Bruins yet, but my hopes aren’t high. This very well could be a winter of Celtics or bust.
1. Love Rob and Marcus, but the ceiling for this team is just so much higher. Once the top 6 clicks, there is going to be some legit basketball porn a lot of nights.
2. I’m sure this team will find ways to frustrate us, but my expectation is it will be new ways of getting annoyed as opposed to another year of games where the offense bogs down and Marcus decides to go “I got this”. I really like the idea of Jrue as a steadying veteran presence that actually has the ability to be a bit more assertive on the offensive side of the ball in a way Horford can’t.
3. The Patriots suck. Not sure about the Bruins yet, but my hopes aren’t high. This very well could be a winter of Celtics or bust.
I should have pointed this out more specifically in my thread, but Marcus Smart was a big reason I had lost faith in the team come playoff time. I love the guy and all the craziness he brought, but it seemed the definition of insanity to keep rolling Marcus Smart out as a go-to playmaker, ball handler, and shooter in so many big moments. I just don't think that's the guy you want in that role on a championship-caliber squad. I can't think of many (any?) championship teams who had someone with Marcus Smart's offensive skillset leading the team in big moments to the title.
I also kind of wanted Marcus out so that Tatum could fill in some leadership vacuum Smart's loss would create. I want this to be Tatum's team, and I hope in turn that confidence in being the leader will bring dividends on the court, particularly in bigger moments.
I was trying to say that earlier and it came out "culture change". This is better put. We'll never know for sure 100%, but I think that Marcus's presence clipped the wings of Tatum and Brown a bit. He was always kind of the older brother. Sometimes that was awesome, but we have guys to fill that alpha dog mind. Guys want the "put me on your back" speech to come from the guy who belongs with the team on his back. And if Marcus was sometimes the guy to take charge and land the plane, now it can be someone eminently more qualified.
S-Tier baby.
View: https://twitter.com/KnicksMuse/status/1709657942939636208
The Ringer’s 2023-24 Preseason NBA Team Tiers:
S Tier: 1. Nuggets 2. Celtics 3. Bucks 4. Suns
Knocking on the Door: 5. Lakers 6. Warriors 7. Grizzlies
Fragile Contenders 8. Clippers 9. Heat 10. 76ers
Young and Hungry 11. Knicks 12. Pelicans 13. Kings 14. Cavs 15. Thunder Wild Cards 16. Hawks 17. Mavs 18. T-Wolves
On the Rise 19. Nets 20. Jazz 21. Pacers 22. Magic
Blow-it-Up Candidates 23. Raptors 24. Bulls
The Long Game 25. Rockets 26. Spurs 27. Blazers 28. Pistons 29. Hornets 30. Wizards
View: https://twitter.com/KnicksMuse/status/1709657942939636208
The Ringer’s 2023-24 Preseason NBA Team Tiers:
S Tier: 1. Nuggets 2. Celtics 3. Bucks 4. Suns
Knocking on the Door: 5. Lakers 6. Warriors 7. Grizzlies
Fragile Contenders 8. Clippers 9. Heat 10. 76ers
Young and Hungry 11. Knicks 12. Pelicans 13. Kings 14. Cavs 15. Thunder Wild Cards 16. Hawks 17. Mavs 18. T-Wolves
On the Rise 19. Nets 20. Jazz 21. Pacers 22. Magic
Blow-it-Up Candidates 23. Raptors 24. Bulls
The Long Game 25. Rockets 26. Spurs 27. Blazers 28. Pistons 29. Hornets 30. Wizards
It's all very interesting timing, too. The Patriots are a dumpster fire. The Red Sox just finished another terrible season and fired their GM. The Celtics are title contenders after a major trade, and i would say sucked all the air out of the room, but I'd guarantee all the Sports Radio this week probably spend at least half their air time talking about Mac Jones.
Something that has gotten me extra hype is the way the players and coaches have been talking. There’s almost a sense of disbelief amongst them at just how good the team is.
It’s not your usual fluff.
It’s not your usual fluff.
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I get where you are coming from in terms of homegrown on court talent. But part of the intrigue here for me is watching what I consider homegrown Front Office talent in POBOBS do his thing. I will miss a lot of what Marcus brought to the table and all of what Rob brought to the table (when fully healthy, which I don't think we saw at all last season) but I was feeling pretty resigned to this team having reached its apex as of the spring of 2022. A lot of that has to do with my not seeing Rob being the same player ever again knee-wise, with sides of not being confident in CJM and Marcus understanding he is not part of a Big Three alongside JT and JB. There is no doubt whose team this is now and going forward.