2023-24 Celtics

bigq

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Just for fun and it doesn't mean much but the 2008 and 1985 teams had just 3 double digit losses during the regular season. The 1983 team had 4.

I'm not going to get discouraged if the Celtics get blown out a couple few times in their remaining 26 games because the regular season really doesn't matter and I would be happy to see CJM continue to experiment and tinker with things.

This year's team is indeed a wagon and I like where they are headed.
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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They aren't a lock but if they are healthy they have no material weaknesses or obvious points of attack. Stevens and staff fortified the bench - we will probably see Tillman in the playoffs but even Springer has a potential role - and the rest of the rotation looks locked in. All the roles are defined - this is a pretty complete squad.

Also, Mazzulla feels way more comfortable in that seat. And while I know some here still think he is ill qualified to coach and was handed the keys to a superteam, you cannot argue with his results. Well if you do you are arguing with the scoreboard - good luck with that approach.

Absent a key injury another banner should be the expectation at this point.
 
F

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Jimbodandy said:
This team has 2008 levels of focus with deeper talent. Nothing is a given, and I'd understand folks betting the field of course, but this is theirs for the taking.
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And this is after trading 4 out of the playoff rotation from last year. Too bad this team lacks a quality bench :rolleyes:...
 
MyDaughterLovesTomGordon

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
They aren't a lock but if they are healthy they have no material weaknesses or obvious points of attack. Stevens and staff fortified the bench - we will probably see Tillman in the playoffs but even Springer has a potential role - and the rest of the rotation looks locked in. All the roles are defined - this is a pretty complete squad.

Also, Mazzulla feels way more comfortable in that seat. And while I know some here still think he is ill qualified to coach and was handed the keys to a superteam, you cannot argue with his results. Well if you do you are arguing with the scoreboard - good luck with that approach.

Absent a key injury another banner should be the expectation at this point.
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There is where I am.

The only teams I think can give the Cs trouble are those big enough that Tatum/Brown can't reliably switch into bully-ball mode and Porzingis doesn't have to worry about someone who can guard the rim against him.

I think the Timberwolves have the size to be annoying. Gobert can bother KP or sure and I think they can just switch KAT onto him on the perimeter, so it's not like he drags Gobert out of the paint, really. Turns into a three-point shootout and a transition game and there's lots of danger there. Lakers with a fully engaged Brow and Bron also have some size to be annoying and they're over 40% as a team from 3 lately. But I don't see anyone in the east.
 
Koufax

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Denver would be a problem. I don't think any other team could beat them, although the Clippers could make it a series.
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Koufax said:
Denver would be a problem. I don't think any other team could beat them, although the Clippers could make it a series.
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Oh I worry about Denver, like @MyDaughterLovesTomGordon I think its right to be concerned about a match-up with the T-Wolves, I will be alone on my island worrying a bit about the Thunder and honestly the Clippers concern me the most. Healthy, they have the roster talent and coaching to give the Celtics a really tough series.
 
Euclis20

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Koufax said:
Denver would be a problem. I don't think any other team could beat them, although the Clippers could make it a series.
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Denver is easy to be worried about because we know what they look like at their best, but any team that makes it through the west [healthy] is going to be pretty formidable. All of the veteran teams in the WC playoff picture have some combination of health/chemistry/skill issues, but if any of the Warriors/Lakers/Clippers/Suns make it through three rounds out West (and likely beating Denver), that would mean they've solved whatever problems exist now, and whoever it is would have a bunch of HOF'ers still playing at an all-star level. If either OKC or Minnesota make it to the finals, it means they've largely overcome whatever hurdles presented themselves due to youth and inexperience, and are unlikely to be intimated by the lights at that stage. I can't even really fathom Dallas/NO/Sac making it, but if one of them does, they've probably figured some stuff out as well.

There's no problem with speculating who we would and would not match up with well out west, but I don't see much point to it yet personally - unless it's Denver, we just don't have any idea what it will look like.
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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the moops said:
The field is still way more likely to win a title than the Celtics.
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100% agreed - my expectation may not line up with the odds or reality.

That said, I like having objectives and another banner is the only one for this team. Anything short will be a major disappointment.
 
lexrageorge

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The field may be favored, but I would call the remaining teams overwhelming favorites either. Talent matters in the NBA playoffs, and the Celtics have more of it than any other team in the East, and it's not particularly close either. Still a long ways off, but it would indeed be hugely disappointing if the Celtics are not the last team standing.
 
lars10

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Pretty rough stretch of games coming up - 2/27 Philly (they did just beat Cleveland even without Embiid), 3/1 Mavs, 3/3 Warriors, 3/5 @Cavs, 3/7 @Nuggets, 3/9 @Suns -

Into a decent stretch with @Trailblazers, @ Jazz, Suns again, @Wizards, Pistons, BUCKS, @Pistons, @Bulls, @Hawks x2, @Pelicans, @Hornets

THUNDER, KINGS, Blazers, @BUCKS, KNICKS, Hornets to close out the season.
 
chilidawg

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And a sweet piece from Jared Weiss at the Athletic.

When the opportunity presented, for me at least, I said this is gonna work, 100 percent,” Porziņģis said after the Celtics beat the Knicks 116-102 to lead the East by eight games.
“Or we’re gonna figure it out sooner than later,” Porziņģis said. “And it just worked right away because of the fit, because of where I am in my career, and adding Jrue (Holiday), D. (Derrick) White’s playing an incredible level, and not even saying anything about JB (Jaylen Brown) and JT (Jason Tatum). Those guys are always on top of their game. So just overall great players but also great people and that makes the team connect very easily.”

https://theathletic.com/5297818/2024/02/25/celtics-defeat-knicks/
 
bigq

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chilidawg said:
Key stretch of the game was after the Knicks cut it to 9 (99-90), C's miss but get multiple offensive rebounds from Pritchard and Horford to finally score. Turns into a 10-0 run, game over. Horford had a great 4th quarter.
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He sure did. 6 points on 3-5 shooting with 5 boards (4 offensive!) and a block in just under 8 minutes. Al still has it.
 
Bunt Single

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lars10 said:
Pretty rough stretch of games coming up - 2/27 Philly (they did just beat Cleveland even without Embiid), 3/1 Mavs, 3/3 Warriors, 3/5 @Cavs, 3/7 @Nuggets, 3/9 @Suns ...
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At least this stretch allows for a day of rest at each beat.
 
lovegtm

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I liked the play at about 3:20 in the 4th where they set up like it was the "chin" set where Tatum screens for DWhite and KP passes to one of them. Instead, they ran a DWhite/KP empty-side PnR for an easy lob dunk. Tatum's gravity and the expectation of chin kept Hart pulled up really high and out of the play. Link to the timestamp below:

View: https://youtu.be/AYd-xrpqhag?si=Mhumiznt66Y60Jbc&t=209
 
DJnVa

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How Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have shaped Joe Mazzulla’s system with Celtics

Mazzulla wanted to slowly challenge the idea that offense and defense exist on their own planes. Over the past decade, both basketball and soccer have grown more into transition sports valuing versatility.

The Celtics coach embraced making every play more improvisational, where everyone on the floor can do a little bit of everything. The game became more about finding small advantages and pursuing them. But that meant understanding how an advantage came to be.

When you see a big man posting up a smaller guy on one end, it starts with how the previous possession ended. It’s all one cycle.
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“Everybody tries to break basketball up into offense and defense, but it’s one game,” Mazzulla said. “If your transition defense sucks, everybody talks about your transition defense. But it’s your spacing and your decision-making and your shot selection, then it’s your transition defense. I think where basketball and soccer are the same is the transition is happening so fast. You can be on offense and two seconds later, you can be on defense. So the game is constantly changing.”
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Jed Zeppelin

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chilidawg said:
Key stretch of the game was after the Knicks cut it to 9 (99-90), C's miss but get multiple offensive rebounds from Pritchard and Horford to finally score. Turns into a 10-0 run, game over. Horford had a great 4th quarter.
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Pritchard is one of those guys that you wish you could see if he were 6'8". If you made him 6'8" with everything else being the same I think you basically have Gordon Hayward.

His rebounding instincts are incredible.
 
Euclis20

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Jed Zeppelin said:
Pritchard is one of those guys that you wish you could see if he were 6'8". If you made him 6'8" with everything else being the same I think you basically have Gordon Hayward.

His rebounding instincts are incredible.
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That would be great to see, though he's a far better shooter than Hayward.

Even at 6'1, his offensive rebound rate is better than anyone in the top 9 other than the centers.
 
The Mort Report

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RorschachsMask said:
I noticed it during the game. Tatum was at the table set to check back in with the other starters, but after the timeout he was sitting back down.

View: https://twitter.com/NoaDalzellNBA/status/1762091292366938375
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I noticed it too and wondered in the game thread if this was the case. The vibes with this team are off the charts. It's kinda the Tom Brady affect, when the two superstars are sacrificing and putting the team first, it's hard not to fall in line, not that anyone on this roster seems like they would rock the boat anyways

edit yikes I'm dumb
 
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NickEsasky

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Sorry if I missed it elsewhere but PP and DWhite were both on today's Pardon My Take podcast for anyone that doesn't usually listen.
 
slamminsammya

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The Mort Report said:
I noticed it too and wondered in the game thread if this was the case. The vibes with this team are off the charts. It's kinda the Tim Brady affect, when the two superstars are sacrificing and putting the team first, it's hard not to fall in line, not that anyone on this roster seems like they would rock the boat anyways
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man I love Tim Brady
 
The Mort Report

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slamminsammya said:
man I love Tim Brady
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Woof, I'm usually ultra careful about re-reading my posts, hell I Googled affect vs effect to make sure I got the right word following that. Guess no dotted red line made me ignore it. I feel like I need to turn in my Pats fandom card, or at least temporarily suspended
 
mwonow

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The Mort Report said:
Woof, I'm usually ultra careful about re-reading my posts, hell I Googled affect vs effect to make sure I got the right word following that. Guess no dotted red line made me ignore it. I feel like I need to turn in my Pats fandom card, or at least temporarily suspended
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That's okay, you got the affect/effect thing backwards, too!
 
The Mort Report

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mwonow said:
That's okay, you got the affect/effect thing backwards, too!
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LOL damn it. Like as soon as I read this I'm like duh yup. I swear I'm not really built for the internet, I over think everything I try to type, I usually just end up deleting half my posts before sending them. However, I have a marketing degree and a bartender, in person you can drop me into almost any social situation or conversation and I'm fine. It sometimes weirds people out when they first meet me haha
 
Red Right Ankle

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If you have e a bartender, I can see why you are fine in any social situation.

"Harry, these people are taciturn. Ply them with liquor until they are prepared to converse."
 
DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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NickEsasky said:
Sorry if I missed it elsewhere but PP and DWhite were both on today's Pardon My Take podcast for anyone that doesn't usually listen.
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As you probably heard, it was kind of a meh interview as the PMT guys are casual basketball fans.

To me, the two take-aways of interest to the forum are likely the answer to the question about the differences amongst the last three C's coaches (with PP taking the lead given that he has experienced all three) - Brad was described just like you think - brilliant with Xs and Os but the most laid back. Ime was the most intense. And interestingly enough they said that Mazzulla was in between those two in that he has Brad's Xs and Os approach with a focus and edge similar to Ime.

Also, because PMT is friends with Blake Griffin they ended up FaceTiming him and its pretty apparent that the team has been recruiting him to join all season. He sounds good where he is btw.
 
nighthob

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FireChief said:
And this is after trading 4 out of the playoff rotation from last year. Too bad this team lacks a quality bench :rolleyes:...
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In fairness their bench is helped by the fact that Jayson Tatum and any four guys will have a positive net rating.
 
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