If they can't beat the Bucks at home, the only way they'll make the playoffs is by everyone else sucking worse. I'm rooting for the number 9 pick a at.this point.
That game was bullshit. The officiating, well, you will not see worse. I am not even saying the officials cost the celtics the game, I am saying that game gives you garbage data to evaluate because the officials got more calls wrong than they got rightchilidawg said:If they can't beat the Bucks at home, the only way they'll make the playoffs is by everyone else sucking worse. I'm rooting for the number 9 pick a at.this point.
Raptors twice and Cavs twice in the last 6, I don't see them making it. The heat have a much easier schedule.chilidawg said:If they can't beat the Bucks at home, the only way they'll make the playoffs is by everyone else sucking worse. I'm rooting for the number 9 pick a at.this point.
Raptors on the 2nd night of a back to back they may be sitting a lot of guys tonight.Cellar-Door said:Raptors twice and Cavs twice in the last 6, I don't see them making it. The heat have a much easier schedule.
It was the worst officiated game I've seen this year. Truly terrible. It drove me nuts watching celtics games when they were actually good. At least now I really don't give a shit due to no expectations.luckiestman said:That game was bullshit. The officiating, well, you will not see worse. I am not even saying the officials cost the celtics the game, I am saying that game gives you garbage data to evaluate because the officials got more calls wrong than they got right
If they can beat the Raptors on the road they've got a solid chance at a good run.chilidawg said:If they can't beat the Bucks at home, the only way they'll make the playoffs is by everyone else sucking worse. I'm rooting for the number 9 pick a at.this point.
There are 5 teams each at least 6 games below .500 "fighting" for 2 playoff spots. It's very likely the result of their games will be a loss unlike a traditional playoff race where .500 play leaves you on the outside looking in. Here, .500 play gives you a decent chance to get in!!chilidawg said:If they can beat the Raptors on the road they've got a solid chance at a good run.
Clearly I can't get a handle on how good this team actually is.
BigSoxFan said:Atlanta would methodically dismantle us but, hey, playoff basketball is playoff basketball. Given our schedule, I still think we're on the outside looking in unless we figure out a way to beat Cleveland somehow.
During the regular season Boston can exploit its 12 sixth men by walloping opposing benches when those coaches sub out en masse. That doesn't happen during the playoffs, so those wins go away. If Boston won two games it would be an upset akin to the Pirates beating the Yankees in 1960.wutang112878 said:If the season ended today we'd play Atlanta, I'd be curious to hear the opinion of others on how we'd do.
Is Silver going to implement perimeter defense rule changes prior to the tournament beginning? The one guard one our roster with a chance of keeping the quickness of Teague andwutang112878 said:So it seems its a landslide of 'Celts have no chance'. But let me ask a different question: What do you think would happen to Atlantas offense if they couldnt drive to the basket?
HomeRunBaker said:Is Silver going to implement perimeter defense rule changes prior to the tournament beginning? The one guard one our roster with a chance of keeping the quickness of Teague and Schroeder in front of them is Pressey and he won't likely be playing. Aside from dribble penetration they move the ball extremely well at all positions and have tremendous spacing which opens up Korver and Carroll.
We'd have a shot in Game 3 coming home I suppose but we are really overmatched in personnel.
And Turner would be on the court a lot. But primarily Horford is just one of those under radar top 12 guys that everyone ignores because his numbers aren't gaudy. But he's the complete package at the 4/5. There are just no exploitable holes in his game (aside from maybe height, but Boston doesn't have The Boogieman to attack with) and he's good enough at everything to exploit whoever you throw at him.Cellar-Door said:It's almost impossible to consistently prevent penetration by good guards.
However even if the Celtics started off with great D from Smart and Bradley Atlanta would just post up Horford on Zeller, and attack Turner whenever he gets on the court. They have too many weapons and move the ball exceptionally well in and out of the post.
Bradley isn't smart (no pun) enough as he applies too much pressure outside 30 feet from the hoop they gets him in foul trouble. Avery hasn't yet adjusted to the NBA rules in this regard which is kinda concerning at this point. Smart doesn't have the quickness to keep the blurs like Teague in front of him as he's most effective defending wings.Erik Hanson's Hook said:
You don't think Smart/Bradley could D up Teague/Schroeder? (no snark/honest question) I happen to think the Celts, minus IT - who I love but is too small to play good defense - have some of the best defensive guard play in the league.
Is Atlanta too quick off the dribble for us?
edit: format
0 for 2 on those. They'll have to play really well to make the playoffs, which is as it should be.JohnnyTheBone said:If Brooklyn loses at home to Portland tonight, and Charlotte beats Miami tomorrow, the C's are sitting pretty. If those two outcomes materialize, I've got to believe the Celtics will find their way to the playoffs.
fenwaypa'k said:I find it easier to enjoy the playoff push, knowing that if the team comes up short, the consolation prize is a slightly better draft position and the possibility of lottery night magic. Go Celts!
wilked said:Something tells me if you could get odds in Vegas at Celts making playoffs, they would favor them not making it
Looks like both, per LeBron's paid stalker:mikeford said:Clevo locked into the 2 seed with their win tonight. Maybe Lebron sits one (or both) of these games against us coming up. That would go A LONG WAY to helping secure a playoff spot if we won one of these Clevo games.
Final 4 games do not look kind to the green.
@Clevo/Clevo/Toronto/@Bucks
@WindhorstESPN: Though not finalized, LeBron James hinted he'll sit the next 2 games. Both are against Celtics so it could affect playoff race/seedings
shawnrbu said:Huge loss for Miami tonight. I feared them running the table with 3 in a row at home and Philly on the road.
How would 7 through 10 look if Boston, Brooklyn, Indiana and Miami all finish at 38-44?
At no time this year, especially post-Rondo, would I have ever imagined this sentence being written as such. Wow.amfox1 said:Realistically, BOS cannot get into the 6 spot.
Can you also please predict the Celtics will lose in the first round? Many thanks!BigSoxFan said:That would be huge. I think we lose in Cle no matter what but Sunday's game at home would be very winnable without LeBron. We really need to take 1 of these next 2.
Ahem.GeorgeCostanza said:Can you also please predict the Celtics will lose in the first round? Many thanks!
You saw James at full speed for what, eight or nine minutes tonight? He won't play at all Sunday. Irving probably sits again too. And Cleveland gets a cakewalk into the second round.nighthob said:I think the Cavs want Boston to finish in the seven seed and not a team like Indiana that could potentially beat them.
hob, I respect the piss out of your basketball knowledge, but I respectfully disagree. It ain't gonna be no cakewalk. That was Boston's sixth straight road win, snapping the Cavs 18-game home winning streak. Boston has the 3rd best record in the NBA since the All-Star break. Brad Stevens is obviously a great coach that plays match-ups extremely well and is maximizing the talent on his roster. The Cavs can go ahead and tank for Boston if they wish, all I'm saying is there's easier teams to f*ck with than the Celtics.nighthob said:You saw James at full speed for what, eight or nine minutes tonight? He won't play at all Sunday. Irving probably sits again too. And Cleveland gets a cakewalk into the second round.
The Cavs want Boston in the seventh seed. It's why they didn't exactly give a lot of effort tonight, while sitting their second best player. On Sunday their two best players will be out. They don't want Indiana reaching #7 and giving them a first round dogfight. Cleveland won't be playing their starters 25 minutes in the playoffs. And you won't see the Cavs resting starters and playing 11 men in the playoffs.JohnnyTheBone said:hob, I respect the piss out of your basketball knowledge, but I respectfully disagree. It ain't gonna be no cakewalk. That was Boston's sixth straight road win, snapping the Cavs 18-game home winning streak. Boston has the 3rd best record in the NBA since the All-Star break. Brad Stevens is obviously a great coach that plays match-ups extremely well and is maximizing the talent on his roster. The Cavs can go ahead and tank for Boston if they wish, all I'm saying is there's easier teams to f*ck with than the Celtics.
Cavs and Bucks are probably going to be resting their main guys in their games against us (Bucks to rest, Cavs to lose so they play us in the playoffs). Looking good.Tito's Pullover said:Heat still have a remote chance as they hold the H2H tiebreaker over Boston. Magic numbers are 3 over Brooklyn, 2 over Indiana, and 1 over Miami.