Analysis of Celtics Games, '21-'22 Season

[RorschachsMask]

Alright, now their defensive FG percentage, and the differential between the oppositions regular FG percentage.

Romeo- 39.7/-4.2
Rob- 41.6/-4.5
Tatum- 42.1/-3.0
Horford- 43.1/-3.1
Schroder- 44.2/-0.1
Smart- 44.7/-0.1
Jaylen- 46.4/+1.2
Grant- 47.1/+1.8
J-Rich- 48.1/+3.9

J Rich surprised me a bit, and damn Romeo/Rob are good on that end.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

I was thinking about something similar looking at Celtics twitter melting down about the idea of trading Smart, including some usually reasonable people like Bernardoni. If you're not willing to trade the 4th best player on a .500 team.... you're almost certainly never going to be a contender. That's how you get upgrades is packaging your 3rd or 4th best player with a bunch of picks and filler.

I'm skeptical that this sort of deal is out there for Smart. What sort of upgrade do you imagine getting? No matter what (available) deal you make, the Celtics take a defensive hit. When someone like Bernadoni opposes Smart, it's because he does not see feasible a deal out there that would be an upgrade. He could be right or wrong about that, but his position is not because of some sort of moral opposition to trading a 3rd or 4th best player.

I think that if the Celtics simply want him gone, a deal would be easy to find, but it would make the team worse.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

To piggyback on this, I heard Tjarks recently mention that there are really only 40 players, if that, who matter in the league. Everything else is just window dressing. Role players can only do so much.

While I don't disagree with Tjarks, I also recently heard someone say that getting the correct fitting players around those 40 players who matter can really make or break a season. As an example, this person pointed to GSW. I haven't looked into this at all but conventional wisdom sees to be suggesting that upgrading whomever was playing for them last year to Payton Jr. and Porter is a lot of the reason they have gone from play-in to prohibitive favorites.

To argue against myself, Porter was once a max contract guy so maybe he's not a role player.

 

[Cellar-Door]

I'm skeptical that this sort of deal is out there for Smart. What sort of upgrade do you imagine getting? No matter what (available) deal you make, the Celtics take a defensive hit. When someone like Bernadoni opposes Smart, it's because he does not see feasible a deal out there that would be an upgrade. He could be right or wrong about that, but his position is not because of some sort of moral opposition to trading a 3rd or 4th best player.

I think that if the Celtics simply want him gone, a deal would be easy to find, but it would make the team worse.

I don't know that one is out there at the moment, but that's kind of the framework of a deal that happens a lot, a ton of picks for a guy, some expirings and one solid player who can either play or be flipped.

Bernadoni... I don't know, he really doesn't seem to think they should trade Marcus in any deal, which is crazy to me, and I also fundamentally disagree with his thesis of the next Celtics title team. Having a great defensive PG is nice... but it's far from essential. As long as the PG isn't an anchor, it seems clear that being able to run good offense and score is far more important, as is rim protection. His imagined team where the Celtics play lock down D and then scrape enough points out of a bad offense 4 time in 3 straight rounds does not seem to fit with what we generally have seen. Scoring is important, more important that "lockdown" defenders, because at some point you're going to run into a team on fire from 3, and PG D won't stop that.


Edit- I'd also say, that if Marcus isn't a guy teams would want in a star deal, there is a case for moving him laterally for a better fit who might be more attractive to teams in a star deal.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

I don't know that one is out there at the moment, but that's kind of the framework of a deal that happens a lot, a ton of picks for a guy, some expirings and one solid player who can either play or be flipped.

Bernadoni... I don't know, he really doesn't seem to think they should trade Marcus in any deal, which is crazy to me, and I also fundamentally disagree with his thesis of the next Celtics title team. Having a great defensive PG is nice... but it's far from essential. As long as the PG isn't an anchor, it seems clear that being able to run good offense and score is far more important, as is rim protection. His imagined team where the Celtics play lock down D and then scrape enough points out of a bad offense 4 time in 3 straight rounds does not seem to fit with what we generally have seen. Scoring is important, more important that "lockdown" defenders, because at some point you're going to run into a team on fire from 3, and PG D won't stop that.

Through the entire IT/Kyrie/Kemba era, playoff Celtics basketball has involved a steady diet of scoring wings hunting our PG, quite successfully.

Edit- I'd also say, that if Marcus isn't a guy teams would want in a star deal, there is a case for moving him laterally for a better fit who might be more attractive to teams in a star deal.

Lateral move shipping Marcus out means you are trading defense for offense. Not a trade I would make.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Through the entire IT/Kyrie/Kemba era, playoff Celtics basketball has involved a steady diet of scoring wings hunting our PG, quite successfully.
Lateral move shipping Marcus out means you are trading defense for offense. Not a trade I would make.

Kyrie wasn't bad, and his defense wasn't why we lost.
Also I would note... there is a really wide gap in between Marcus Smart and IT/Kemba. You don't have to either have Marcus or one of the absolute worst massively undersized PG defenders in the league, you can have a middle ground PG option.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I think the starters are going to get some 4Q pine time tonight. Kings will be pulling soon with a game tomorrow night in Atlanta. Don’t look now but the Wizards are blowing a 32-pt lead.

 

[mcpickl]

I'm skeptical that this sort of deal is out there for Smart. What sort of upgrade do you imagine getting? No matter what (available) deal you make, the Celtics take a defensive hit. When someone like Bernadoni opposes Smart, it's because he does not see feasible a deal out there that would be an upgrade. He could be right or wrong about that, but his position is not because of some sort of moral opposition to trading a 3rd or 4th best player.

I think that if the Celtics simply want him gone, a deal would be easy to find, but it would make the team worse.

I agree with this. I'm in the top 1% of Smart fans and even I don't see him as having some huge value in a trade, mostly because he'd be most valuable to contenders. Contenders aren't going to send you back a better player in any Smart package, because they're trying to win right now. You're going to be looking at late first(s).

To give an idea of what at least some national guys have pegged as Smarts value, I listened to the most recent Nate Duncan and Danny Leroux podcast and they threw out as offers, a first round pick and an expiring contract for matching salary.

No thanks.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

I agree with this. I'm in the top 1% of Smart fans and even I don't see him as having some huge value in a trade, mostly because he'd be most valuable to contenders. Contenders aren't going to send you back a better player in any Smart package, because they're trying to win right now. You're going to be looking at late first(s).

To give an idea of what at least some national guys have pegged as Smarts value, I listened to the most recent Nate Duncan and Danny Leroux podcast and they threw out as offers, a first round pick and an expiring contract for matching salary.

No thanks.

yeah, though they have a proven track record of being pretty bad at assessing guys who don’t fit a Warriors-style scheme. So Smart is the epitome of someone they will (and have, in the past) missed on

 

[ManicCompression]

While I don't disagree with Tjarks, I also recently heard someone say that getting the correct fitting players around those 40 players who matter can really make or break a season. As an example, this person pointed to GSW. I haven't looked into this at all but conventional wisdom sees to be suggesting that upgrading whomever was playing for them last year to Payton Jr. and Porter is a lot of the reason they have gone from play-in to prohibitive favorites.

To argue against myself, Porter was once a max contract guy so maybe he's not a role player.

I actually don't think that this contradicts much.

Firstly, RE: GSW, I'd say that Draymond being in shape and returning to form as an all-world defender is a huge part of why they're back to being a top team. If Marcus Smart had that kind of impact on D, which would be near impossible because he's not an interior defender, the conversation is much different. Or if Marcus Smart played with distributors who were as good as Curry or Draymond, the conversation would be much different. Plus they didn't just replace players from last year, they actually got quite a bit deeper (helps to not be hard-capped like they were) - much deeper than our current 7 man rotation.

But more importantly, GSWs top stars make it easy to find role players. That's what made/makes them such a great team. The ask of guys like Wiggins and JTA and Payton Jr. and Porter is pretty minimal - play hard defense, make open threes and/or make smart cuts. That said, if Andrew Wiggins shot 10% lower on 3s (the Marcus Smart range) and gummed up the offense because it limited lineup flexibility - playing him with Draymond puts two bad shooters with Steph with average to below at other positions - you would pretty much have to look for an upgrade there because Draymond is a star on your team and the other players don't have a large enough role. Also, you wouldn't be afraid to trade him just because he's your fourth best player.

The main difference is that our lineup is inverted - we don't need big wings because we have two who play 35 mins a night. We need a real point guard - or something approximating one - and it's really hard to find one who brings positive value on O and D.

 

[RorschachsMask]

So that game will definitely help the starters already stupid good net rating.

 

[RorschachsMask]

Per cleaning the glass, Celtics up to 9th in net rating, 4th in defensive rating, and even 18th offensively.

 

[benhogan]

So that game will definitely help the starters already stupid good net rating.

the funny part is Horford and Smart were rubbish

this team goes as the JAYs go

 

[NomarsFool]

the funny part is Horford and Smart were rubbish

this team goes as the JAYs go

i thought Smart had some nice passes at least. Tatum made a stylish pass to Horford where he continued to build his brick house (props to whoever came up with that term, love it)

 

[RorschachsMask]

Celtics starting five now have a net rating of +21.6, which is just incredible.

They seem like a team primed for a really nice run, but I still need to see more consistency.

 

[lexrageorge]

the funny part is Horford and Smart were rubbish

this team goes as the JAYs go

Marcus was +34 in the first half and finished with 6 assists. That’s not rubbish on a night they didn’t need him to score.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

I think I could have potentially scored 10 points on the Kings tonight (I probably would have given up 70 to the guy I was guarding, but you get my drift).

My buddy, who I went to the game with was telling me in the car how much he wants Buddy Hield. I said to him that he needs to watch Buddy play defense.

By the 3rd quarter, he said he wouldn't trade Buddy Hield for the watered down beer he was drinking. That may have been the worst display of NBA defense, both Buddy and Kings team-wide, that I've ever fucking seen. I think the Patriots, playing basketball, could have put up 80 on the Kings tonight.

 

[Cellar-Door]

So that was a good win. The rotations were weird early, but he made up for it some by giving the bench the whole 4th, and they responded by extending the huge lead against their fellow deep bench guys.

First half concerned me a little, in that he went to Smart/Schroder rather than give Romeo minutes, but... Schroder might well not be here in a couple weeks.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

For those who complain about the switching defense, tonight is reason #1 why teams play it. SAC came into game, according to Ime pre-game, #1 in NBA in offense over last 10 games. They don't have a dominant center but use the PnR to get the ball into the lane and let their guards dish to open shooters. But with the switching scheme, Cs switched on PnR; bigs were able to keep ballhandlers in front of them (thought GW was generally very good on that and he even managed to block a jump shot); and SAC didn't get many open shots on initial possessions (did get some off OReb). Yes SAC missed some open shots but BOS didn't let them get into any rhythm either. And TL was a monster.

 

[benhogan]

Marcus was +34 in the first half and finished with 6 assists. That’s not rubbish on a night they didn’t need him to score.

a perfect example of why one game of +/- is next to useless.

It was a great game by the C's no complaints, but I wasn't exactly breaking news by saying its the JAYs team

 

[Eddie Jurak]

Not too much to say about today's game. Mostly a solid wire to wore effort by everyone. If I wanted to criticize the Celtic it would be that they were hitting shots (20 of 45 from three) but not really driving the way they have in past games (only 7 FTA all game). This was just the Celtics with their shots falling absolutely laying a beating on the Kings. The Kings came into this game 18-30 and were without top player DeAaron Fox (they are 1-5 in the 6 games he has mised including last night).

Still, this was winning a game they are supposed to win in convincing fashion.

Tatum and Brown combined for 66 points in the first 3 quarters and did not play in the 4th - none of the starters played in the 4th.

After them, Rob was a real presence. He had a 13/17 double-double, to which he added 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. No turnovers. 27 minutes. The Kings shied away from challening him all game.

Marcus shot 0 for 3 but had 7 assists and was a +36 in 24 minutes.

Grant hit a pair of above thre break threes and shot 2-3 overall from 3 plus added 3 assists.

Richardson, Nesmith, and Pritchard combined for 33 points off the bench, although the vast majority of that came in the garbage time 4th quarter.

Celtics starting five now have a net rating of +21.6, which is just incredible.

They seem like a team primed for a really nice run, but I still need to see more consistency.

Their startting lineup: Smart-Brown-Tatum-Horford-Rob hasn't played together much due to various injuries, but they are tops in the league in defensive rating and top 4 in the league in overall net rating. As much as the Celtics have struggled this yeasr, it hasn't been because of the on court play of the 2-big lineup. (As noted by others here the impact on substitution patterns could be a different story.

For those who complain about the switching defense, tonight is reason #1 why teams play it. SAC came into game, according to Ime pre-game, #1 in NBA in offense over last 10 games. They don't have a dominant center but use the PnR to get the ball into the lane and let their guards dish to open shooters. But with the switching scheme, Cs switched on PnR; bigs were able to keep ballhandlers in front of them (thought GW was generally very good on that and he even managed to block a jump shot); and SAC didn't get many open shots on initial possessions (did get some off OReb). Yes SAC missed some open shots but BOS didn't let them get into any rhythm either. And TL was a monster.

It's not just playing the switching D but having the players to do it, particularly at the point and at center.

 

[NomarsFool]

It was strange to see Nesmith out there as early as he was and strange not to see Romeo until so late (same with Pritchard).

 

[HomeRunBaker]

It was strange to see Nesmith out there as early as he was and strange not to see Romeo until so late (same with Pritchard).

Showcase?

“Look see? We’re not afraid to use Aaron early. He’s wicked good like I’ve been telling you!”

 

[128]

It was strange to see Nesmith out there as early as he was and strange not to see Romeo until so late (same with Pritchard).

Perhaps the coaches like the energy Nesmith brings.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Their startting lineup: Smart-Brown-Tatum-Horford-Rob hasn't played together much due to various injuries, but they are tops in the league in defensive rating and top 4 in the league in overall net rating. As much as the Celtics have struggled this yeasr, it hasn't been because of the on court play of the 2-big lineup. (As noted by others here the impact on substitution patterns could be a different story.

It's not just playing the switching D but having the players to do it, particularly at the point and at center.

The starting lineup, according to this BRobb article, allows just 91 points per 100 possessions. (Note BRobb says that they have the second best net rating but I can't look it up right now.)

Agree that personnel matters and having Smart and TL, both of whom can guard most guys in this league, really helps. But we all figured that this team - even with second unit guys like JRich, DS, and RL sprinkled in - should be a defensive terror and it's good to see that this rounding into form.

And I can only imagine how good the starting five would be if Al and JT could get close to their career averages on 3Ps.

It was strange to see Nesmith out there as early as he was and strange not to see Romeo until so late (same with Pritchard).

Ime is still looking for shooting and trying to reward AN for the good stint he had before he went out with the ankle injury.

That being said, AN's big problem is playing PnR defense. His lack of lateral quickness means that there's a ton of separation when he tries to go over a pick. At least he tries, unlike some other guys around the league who are known for their shooting (cough Buddy Hield cough).

 

[lexrageorge]

a perfect example of why one game of +/- is next to useless.

It was a great game by the C's no complaints, but I wasn't exactly breaking news by saying its the JAYs team

It goes back to what do we expect of Marcus Smart. I saw a guy spending the first half facilitating the big guns on offense while playing lockdown defense the other way. He took 3 shots, missed them, but then stopped shooting, which is what you want him to do when he's not connecting.

But, yes, as Tatum & Brown go, so does the team. As notes, Smart is the 3rd or 4th best player on the roster, and I do think his roster spot needs an upgrade for this team to be a serious threat. But the time to do that is this offseason, when Stevens will need to get creative to earn his salary and title.

 

[Cellar-Door]

I'm very curious where this team goes at guard.
Smart is going to start as long as he's here and I think he's here the rest of the year (while I have said I think long term he's the guy who gets moved, I don't think in season is when the right player will be available).
Schroder though..... Ime has gone away from pairing Smart and Schroder hard in the last few weeks, as he should, they don't work (he basically has only used them when Jaylen gets in foul trouble). That means two things to me though:
1. Schroder is seeing less minutes
2. Schroder isn't going to be here long term no matter what, with the salary limitations it was unlikely, but the fit is such I doubt they want him back even at a salary starting at $7M.

So, they need to decide if they are running it out with him, or moving him.

If they do move him, who benefits?


The logical thought is PP, BUT... he's been terrible, and he's definitely a massive defensive weakness.
There are two other options:
1. They add a different bench PG, probably a vet, either through a trade or a buyout.
2. Something we saw them experiment with in the POR game... no true PG. Put Romeo out there more and run offense through Tatum.

#1 is the safe play,
#2 is maybe the upside play. Romeo's defense has been really good for most of this year, that unit is a monster defensively, and in limited minutes running Point Tatum has been pretty effective. It also lets you be more flexible, you can play Romeo or Richardson. If the rumors of looking for another shooter at the wing or swing spots (Holiday, etc.) are true, that fits this as well. We have a lot of wings, but if you're not playing a true PG behind Smart you have room for more secondary ballhandler/shooter wings.

 

[RorschachsMask]

View: https://twitter.com/lissmx14/status/1486347512323526660?s=20


And damn, advanced stats still love Smart. He rates highly on EPM and DPM, as well.

 

[Jimbodandy]

That being said, AN's big problem is playing PnR defense. His lack of lateral quickness means that there's a ton of separation when he tries to go over a pick. At least he tries, unlike some other guys around the league who are known for their shooting (cough Buddy Hield cough).

Yeah some of that is probably his lateral agility, but part of it is just inexperience in hugging/fighting through those screens. It's not at all unusual for young guys to have to learn to get better at that. More minutes and some hands on coaching will help. Pritchard gets hung up badly on screens too.

 

[reggiecleveland]

Yeah some of that is probably his lateral agility, but part of it is just inexperience in hugging/fighting through those screens. It's not at all unusual for young guys to have to learn to get better at that. More minutes and some hands on coaching will help. Pritchard gets hung up badly on screens too.

It is surprising how much trouble he has. Usually, small guys are paranoid about running into screens. Rick Robey would put him on the DL. When he and Freedom are in a PnR I find myself relieved if it is just 2 points, and not an and 1.

 

[benhogan]

It goes back to what do we expect of Marcus Smart. I saw a guy spending the first half facilitating the big guns on offense while playing lockdown defense the other way. He took 3 shots, missed them, but then stopped shooting, which is what you want him to do when he's not connecting.

But, yes, as Tatum & Brown go, so does the team. As notes, Smart is the 3rd or 4th best player on the roster, and I do think his roster spot needs an upgrade for this team to be a serious threat. But the time to do that is this offseason, when Stevens will need to get creative to earn his salary and title.

Two blowout wins, driven by Jayson Tatum going supernova, against spiraling teams, will pervert +/- numbers for everyone on the floor with him. Al (+19) kind of stunk, going 1 for 9 on many open looks. Yea rebounds but Sac shooting created plenty of those. Smart was OK, my "rubbish" comment was too harsh. Agreed, when he limits his shots and distributes/moves the ball that helps. His passes were a hair loose, he could have easily had more than his 3 TOs against a Sac defense that barely tried. 7 assists is fine when you are passing to 3 guys that barely miss on the night.

I like Marcus but believe pairing him with picks/young players is the path to that +++ball handler/PG (probably this summer's business). The Celtics would miss him but some of his production could be replaced by JRich/Romeo. Brad has to "give to get", so selling high when Marcus adv metrics are up is probably the trade chip that can move the needle for a team that has stalled for 2 years

Right now, TimeLord is the team's 3rd best player, is a defensive difference-maker, and is still improving. His ascending timeline and skillz fit well with the JAYs, which is critically important to the C's. The sooner Brad can build around the JayLord, the better.

 

[bakahump]

How would we rank the teams players currently.

Tatum
Brown
(Does it get dicey here)
RWilliams
Smart
(or Here)
Grant
Al
(or here)
Jrich
Schroeder
Freedom
Romeo
AN
PP
Joe Johnson (yes I know)
(at this point who cares)
Brod Thom
Bruno
Hauser

 

[Cellar-Door]

How would we rank the teams players currently.

Tatum
Brown
(Does it get dicey here)
RWilliams
Smart
(or Here)
Grant
Al
(or here)
Jrich
Schroeder
Freedom
Romeo
AN
PP
Joe Johnson (yes I know)
(at this point who cares)
Brod Thom
Bruno
Hauser

I'd probably say:
Tier 1: Tatum
Tier 2: Brown
Tier 3: TL, Smart
Tier 4: Horford/JRich/Grant
Tier 5: Schroder
Tier 6: Romeo, Freedom, Joe Johnson
Tier 7: AN/PP/Bruno/Hauser

 

[HomeRunBaker]

It goes back to what do we expect of Marcus Smart. I saw a guy spending the first half facilitating the big guns on offense while playing lockdown defense the other way. He took 3 shots, missed them, but then stopped shooting, which is what you want him to do when he's not connecting.

But, yes, as Tatum & Brown go, so does the team. As notes, Smart is the 3rd or 4th best player on the roster, and I do think his roster spot needs an upgrade for this team to be a serious threat. But the time to do that is this offseason, when Stevens will need to get creative to earn his salary and title.

You didn’t need Marcus Smart to facilitate against that Sacramento level of resistance (I can’t even call that thing they did defense). It all depends on what is on the table. You don’t HAVE to move Smart at the deadline but if you decided Jaylen stays and we are building around him and Tatum it is pretty important to make dramatic changes to this supporting cast. Smart’s value isn’t going to return more than a similar level player but change is needed by the end of next summer. I can’t even imagine going into camp with Tatum/Jaylen/TL/Smart/J-Rich/Grant.

 

[Van Everyman]

I'd probably say:
Tier 1: Tatum
Tier 2: Brown
Tier 3: TL, Smart
Tier 4: Horford/JRich/Grant
Tier 5: Schroder
Tier 6: Romeo, Freedom, Joe Johnson
Tier 7: AN/PP/Bruno/Hauser

I like that -- but even if the fit is hinky from time to time, I would put Schroder in Tier 4.

The Smart stuff combined with the defensive improvements and Tatum starting to look periodically like Jayson Tatum makes me think that some of the things that Ime has been preaching to these guys may be starting to sink in. I hope anyway.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

You didn’t need Marcus Smart to facilitate against that Sacramento level of resistance (I can’t even call that thing they did defense).

Truth.

 

[GB5]

unbelievable article on former Celt and All of Australia, Aron Baynes on ESPN.Com. Scary stuff. Not sure how to link, but worth the read.

 

[128]

unbelievable article on former Celt and All of Australia, Aron Baynes on ESPN.Com. Scary stuff. Not sure how to link, but worth the read.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33153946/the-mysterious-fall-harrowing-story-nba-center

 

[NomarsFool]

Wow. I feel like we haven't heard about that at all.

 

[benhogan]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33153946/the-mysterious-fall-harrowing-story-nba-center

thanks for posting, had no idea

 

[HomeRunBaker]

thanks for posting, had no idea

Are you ok?

 

[benhogan]

Are you ok?

FREE Baynes, Al at the 4

Funny that I've completely flipped my position on 2BIGz 3 seasons later

Man that was a scary story, it just kept on getting worse for ALL of OZ

 

[128]

Brown (7) and Tatum (5) combined for three-quarters of the C's 16 turnovers tonite.

 

[radsoxfan]

Every time I start to convince myself this could possibly be something other than a .500, play-in, 1st round exit type of team....

I am reminded that's a stupid thought.

 

[benhogan]

Brown (7) and Tatum (5) combined for three-quarters of the C's 16 turnovers tonite.

The Hawks aren't exactly a defensive juggernaut

It's the same 5-step process every game:

1. JAYs dribble into the lane
2. 2-4 defenders collapse (because none of the other guys can shoot)
3. JAYs stripped/bad pass. Turnover.
4. JAYs fall to the ground
5. Celtics give up easy transition basket

The good teams really turn it up and feast on the TOs. Miami will have a field day on Monday

 

[Cellar-Door]

The Hawks aren't exactly a defensive juggernaut

It's the same 5-step process every game:

1. JAYs dribble into the lane
2. 2-4 defenders collapse (because none of the other guys can shoot)
3. JAYs stripped/bad pass. Turnover.
4. JAYs fall to the ground
5. Celtics give up easy transition basket

The good teams really turn it up and feast on the TOs. Miami will have a field day on Monday

this is unfair... a good half of Jaylen's turnovers involve nobody collapsing and him just having a loose handle or trying to kick without looking. Tatum turns it over because he forces things or the defense triples him. Jaylen is a bigger problem, he has a subpar handle and tunnel vision

 

[HomeRunBaker]

this is unfair... a good half of Jaylen's turnovers involve nobody collapsing and him just having a loose handle or trying to kick without looking. Tatum turns it over because he forces things or the defense triples him. Jaylen is a bigger problem, he has a subpar handle and tunnel vision

Yet our coach wants to run motion and have him being a primary playmaker. That’s how you play to your personnel coach! Sigh.

 

[benhogan]

this is unfair... a good half of Jaylen's turnovers involve nobody collapsing and him just having a loose handle or trying to kick without looking. Tatum turns it over because he forces things or the defense triples him. Jaylen is a bigger problem, he has a subpar handle and tunnel vision

My 5-stepper was kind of dripping with sarcasm.

Agree. JB's vision is problematic on both sides of the ball and the handle is predictable. That was one of the worst 26/12 performances you'll ever see. Guess he deserves some credit for taking advantage of the Huerter matchup

Horford has been completely nubbed, looks like a 35yr old run straight into the ground. His last 16 games/month have been bad, no matter what some adv metric says.

That was a terrible performance from the starting lineup, save Marcus Smart.
The bench was even more awful. Could Grant, JRich, DS, AN play any worse?
Romeo was OK, needs to be in the main rotation

Yet our coach wants to run motion and have him being a primary playmaker. That’s how you play to your personnel coach! Sigh.

Jaylen looks uncomfortable dribbling the ball up past the half-court with nobody guarding him. At any moment he will dribble it off his foot, followed by him looking at his hands, paralyzed by shock while the other team scoops it up for a transition hoop. Mediocre PGs in college handle the ball with more confidence

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Yet our coach wants to run motion and have him being a primary playmaker. That’s how you play to your personnel coach! Sigh.

Yeah, the offense remains a mess. One thing that has really improved the last couple weeks is being more aggressive driving to the hoop—but as you note it’s not always something they can execute. They also remain on the low side of shooting ability overall

 

[Eddie Jurak]

This Celtic team continues to have a glass jaw. Punch them in the mouth anf they fold. This happened twice in this game - late in the first when they began to fall behind by a lot and then again in the fourth once they had battled back to cut the Atlanta lead to one.

They shot poorly from three, as is typical when they lose. All the usual bad habits resurfaced: taking and missing a lot of early clock threes and sloppiness with the ball.

Today Nesmith was the young guy off the bench in the first half while Langford sat. He had little impact, missing a three by a mile (not unlike the rest of the team). He had one nice bucket in the paint where he found a way to get his shot up past despte being covered well. In the third, Langford came in made more of a positive impact on the game with his defense. He was on the court for the one run the Celtics made to come from behind in the one quarter where there defense was effective (held Atlanta to 18 points on the third), but he was also on when Atlants put them away in the 4th.

The best starter today was Smart, who scored 17 points on 6 of 8 shooting, 2-4 from three.

Schroder was also part of the lineup that came back in the 4th, so Ime decided to give the Smart/Schroder pairing another look, and the results were predictable. Schroder was a team worst -18 in just 15 minutes. Smart and Young check in with the Celtics down 3, and over the next 2.5 minutes Atlanta goes on a 10-2 run with 5 points each from Young and Bogdanovic. Young shot 8-25 in the game but hit both of his shots there.

Langford and Horford were the only non-garbage time Celtics to be plus. Grant -14 in 23 minutes was nearly as bad as Schroder.

There were 16 Celtics turnovers, 12 from Brown (7) and Tatum (5). They also combined to shoot 4 of 17 from 3.