Now trailing by only 4. That game is a far superior viewing experience.Maine Celtics trailing only by 9 at the half.
Now trailing by only 4. That game is a far superior viewing experience.Maine Celtics trailing only by 9 at the half.
Maybe it won't matter one bit, but I'm not sure heading into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak would be ideal.I’m sure they will tomorrow.
They were fortunate they played in the ECF last year as they were down 2-3 to Philly and had to win G6 on the road to avoid elimination. They were better than Philly and better than Miami, but...OR. they got to game 7 of the ECF and probably would have won if Tatum hadn't turned his ankle in the first seconds of that game... were they as ill prepared as the Bucks who were also title contenders?
So what.Reminder as Light-Tower said, if the starters don't play 20+ minutes on a national game, without a legit injury reason, they get fined. Thanks NBA!
Blame the league. These are 2 marque matchups and I’m pretty sure the FO has been in communication with Wyc about it.All I'm saying is if you want to do this glorified scrimmage/shell drill/ walk through, do it vs the dregs of the league, the ones you're finishing your season up against. I'm not sure falling to two playoff opponents in the last week is important or unimportant (it most likely isn't), but falling behind big in both is a bad look. I just don't agree with the way they decided which games to rest and which to play.
Whatever. It is what it is as someone once said. Everything about the Tatum/Brown era makes me paranoid and everything is an upturned teacup with leaves to be parsed.
So, as an alternative, they show up putting in dogshit effort in a game that doesn’t matter.So what.
My point is, take the fineSo, as an alternative, they show up putting in dogshit effort in a game that doesn’t matter.
Oh lol. Gotta pay Jrue, need that money.My point is, take the fine
Thibs has always been an assholeWhy is Thibs still playing his starters? Bench players could have done equally as poorly without risk of losing the game and without risk of injury.
Only one team wins the title every year.. the idea that the only reason they lose is because of 'maturity'? Jaylen and Tatum have won a shit-ton of playoff games together, but no titles.. there are a ton of 'mature' teams that don't have anywhere close to even that kind of track record.They were fortunate they played in the ECF last year as they were down 2-3 to Philly and had to win G6 on the road to avoid elimination. They were better than Philly and better than Miami, but...
There was no denying they were immensely physically talented, but it wasn't enough. This year's team is a fucking freight train and I have high expectations, but I also have legit concerns on their maturity. And I understand if others don't share those concerns.
They were up in by 4 pts with 4 mins to go, ready ato take a 3-1 lead in the '22 Finals. Instead they lost their composure to a tough veteran GSW team and lost that game by 10 and never won another game in that series. Last year we discussed, but it was a fucking crime they were down 0-3 to a depleted injured 8 seed like Miami. But Miami was a tougher veteran very well coached team. I've noted this teams challenges in OT and close games that a team this good shouldn't have. I have concerns, whether we call it maturity or toughness or killer instinct, doesn't matter. ThOnly one team wins the title every year.. the idea that the only reason they lose is because of 'maturity'? Jaylen and Tatum have won a shit-ton of playoff games together, but no titles.. there are a ton of 'mature' teams that don't have anywhere close to even that kind of track record.
Like I said.. the playoffs can't start soon enough.They were up in by 4 pts with 4 mins to go, ready ato take a 3-1 lead in the '22 Finals. Instead they lost their composure to a tough veteran GSW team and lost that game by 10 and never won another game in that series. Last year we discussed, but it was a fucking crime they were down 0-3 to a depleted injured 8 seed like Miami. But Miami was a tougher veteran very well coached team. I've noted this teams challenges in OT and close games that a team this good shouldn't have. I have concerns, whether we call it maturity or toughness or killer instinct, doesn't matter. Th
I understand you have a different take.
Honestly curious - if the 2022 GSW and Cs played 10 series, how many times do you think the Cs win?They were up in by 4 pts with 4 mins to go, ready ato take a 3-1 lead in the '22 Finals. Instead they lost their composure to a tough veteran GSW team and lost that game by 10 and never won another game in that series. Last year we discussed, but it was a fucking crime they were down 0-3 to a depleted injured 8 seed like Miami. But Miami was a tougher veteran very well coached team. I've noted this teams challenges in OT and close games that a team this good shouldn't have. I have concerns, whether we call it maturity or toughness or killer instinct, doesn't matter. Th
I understand you have a different take.
I think the Celts win 4 or 5 of the 10. I thought it was a toss-up type series going in, GSW slight favorites but I had bought into the Celts as a legit championship team during the regular season. But for that series GSW had veteran smarts, been there before, Kerr, and home court, so Celts were u-dogs in my mind, but maybe with a happy to be here concern. Still IMO u-dogs with a real chance for an upset series win. And IIRC the Celts might have been the only team with a winning record against GSW. They matched up pretty well.Honestly curious - if the 2022 GSW and Cs played 10 series, how many times do you think the Cs win?
I think the Cs win maybe 3 times.
I don't know which team has more "talent" but I think 2022 Finals and the 2023 playoffs showed that BOS, while good, had one flaw that could be exploited - defenders could sag off Smart and Horford and muck up the driving lanes for JT and JB, which bogged the offense down. Brogdon was supposed to help address that - which he did in the ATL and PHI series - but once he got hurt, the Cs were, in POBOBS's words, "Too easy to guard."
Shouldn't be the case this year.
To me, that's not maturity or clutchness or preparation or what-not - that's just basketball. The Cs had to get better. Which they did. Let's hope that they got better enough.
First question - I think GSW wins 7 out of 10.Now two questions for you.
Honestly curious
- if the 2022 GSW and Cs played 10 series, and the Celts are up 2-1 and have a late 4th qtr lead at home, how many times do you think the Cs win?
-if the 2023 Heat (no Herro or Oladipo) and Cs played 10 series, how many times do you think the Cs win?
I certainly hope it doesn't come to something like that with this team. But of course, I'll take it.This year's team is waaay more talented and has a much larger margin of error. Still, it's going to take some luck to win it all - sort of like Kawhi's multiple-bounce shot against PHI when TOR won it all or Steph going supernova against BOS.
Sure - I'll take fo, fo, fo, fo too!I certainly hope it doesn't come to something like that with this team. But of course, I'll take it.
Help me answer your hypothetical: Do we get 100% Tatum, or worn-down-by-a-long-season Tatum?Honestly curious - if the 2022 GSW and Cs played 10 series, how many times do you think the Cs win?
I think the Cs win maybe 3 times.
I don't know which team has more "talent" but I think 2022 Finals and the 2023 playoffs showed that BOS, while good, had one flaw that could be exploited - defenders could sag off Smart and Horford and muck up the driving lanes for JT and JB, which bogged the offense down. Brogdon was supposed to help address that - which he did in the ATL and PHI series - but once he got hurt, the Cs were, in POBOBS's words, "Too easy to guard."
Shouldn't be the case this year.
To me, that's not maturity or clutchness or preparation or what-not - that's just basketball. The Cs had to get better. Which they did. Let's hope that they got better enough.
The hypo I was asking took the teams as they were going into the series so you get worn-down Tatum and hobbled Time Lord for GSW and no Brogdon for MIA.Help me answer your hypothetical: Do we get 100% Tatum, or worn-down-by-a-long-season Tatum?
Do we get fully healthy TimeLord from January to May 2022, or the one who missed playoff games with knee soreness, got pretty hobbled in Game 7 vs the Heat, and was visibly <80% of himself in the Finals?
What about reigning DPOY Marcus Smart, and the foot injury that kept him out of two ECF games?
See, this is my issue with the narrative-based conclusions about how Boston's 2022 season ended. I'd favor a fully healthy 2022 Celtics squad over GSW maybe to the tune of 7 out of 10. Probably the same for the 2023 Celtics vs the Heat - crazy hot 3-point shooting or no, if we have Brogdon with two good arms and Jaylen with no wrist problems, not to mention Tatum not having a freak ankle problem one minute into Game 7, I like our chances just as much. But at that point in the season, a lot of this is decided by who is healthier. And then the media play it up into a morality story, or something about "clutchness" or "who wanted it more".
And that is a lesson that, blessedly, Celtics management has taken to heart this season, giving our two weak points the equivalent of a part-time workload, and really only driving Tatum hard. Our secret weapon the next 2 months is going to be all the rest that we've banked.