Analysis of Celtics Games, '21-'22 Season

[Cellar-Door]

I like the Hayward comparison for his role on the Celtics.....definitely something this team has been lacking since GH left. An all around player who can make the right play, initiate the offense, etc. The difference between guys like Romeo and Nesmith playing next to the Jays and guys like Hayward and White is startling to watch.

White lacks the upside and scoring Gordon had when he left the Jazz (hence the max contract for Gordon) but otherwise their overall value isn't very different. I certainly wouldn't call White currently a very poor man's Gordon Hayward.

I wouldn't say very poor, but I get the process. Gordon Hayward is never healthy for long, but when he's healthy he's a terrific 2 way player (hot take... he's a better player than Jaylen Brown on both ends), White is more a "good" player on O and very good (but somewhat positionally limited) player on D. Both are guys who defend multiple positions well, can score some (Hayward a lot more), rebound, pass well, and fit into an offense by picking up whatever area their teammates need them to.

 

[ugmo33]

One of the things that stuck out yesterday was that once they got the lead, the forced Young off the 3point line a few times and just generaly played him tight and dared him to drive. It appeared to be a concerted effort at "2 is better than 3," that they didn't abandon after Young made a couple of nice plays. To me, that's where the "falling apart" had been -- they would sort of give up after something "didn't work" once or twice.

This play really stood out to me as a defining moment
View: https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1492962675227246593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1492962675227246593%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnba%2Fceltics%2Ftop-stories%2Fwhat-stood-out-in-celtics-win-vs-hawks-bostons-defense-jayson-tatums-38-points-lead-to-eighth-straight-victory


Tatum is as pumped up as when he gets a dunk. I love it

 

[radsoxfan]

I wouldn't say very poor, but I get the process. Gordon Hayward is never healthy for long, but when he's healthy he's a terrific 2 way player (hot take... he's a better player than Jaylen Brown on both ends)

Are we talking about 2016 Utah pre ankle dislocation Hayward? Or 2022 Hayward?

Currently Jaylen is a far superior player, I don’t think it’s remotely close.

I do think people forget how good Hayward was pre-injury, his career could have had a very different trajectory.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

Well, certainly it would be a mistake to put Derrick White in a “better player” conversation with Hayward and Brown. But I think the idea that White gives the Celtics a versatile jack-of-all-trades option they haven’t really had since Hayward is correct.

 

[Jimbodandy]

Are we talking about 2016 Utah pre ankle dislocation Hayward? Or 2022 Hayward?

Currently Jaylen is a far superior player, I don’t think it’s remotely close.

I do think people forget how good Hayward was pre-injury, his career could have had a very different trajectory.

Out of curiosity, I checked DARKO.

Well, certainly it would be a mistake to put Derrick White in a “better player” conversation with Hayward and Brown. But I think the idea that White gives the Celtics a versatile jack-of-all-trades option they haven’t really had since Hayward is correct.

Yes, this.

 

[reggiecleveland]

This play really stood out to me as a defining moment
View: https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1492962675227246593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1492962675227246593%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnba%2Fceltics%2Ftop-stories%2Fwhat-stood-out-in-celtics-win-vs-hawks-bostons-defense-jayson-tatums-38-points-lead-to-eighth-straight-victory


Tatum is as pumped up as when he gets a dunk. I love it

This play was the bad side of young. His teammates stand around while he dominates the ball and puts on a ballhandling display. This is only a good play if he scores. the Cs are locked on all of his passing options.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

In terms of short-term (this season), building on the defense isn't a bad way to go.

They are now sole occupants of 6th place (which is what you need to avoid the play-in). They play the sole occupant of 5th (Philly) tomorrow before heading into the All Star break with a game vs league-worst Detroit.

 

[the moops]

In terms of short-term (this season), building on the defense isn't a bad way to go.

They are now sole occupants of 6th place (which is what you need to avoid the play-in). They play the sole occupant of 5th (Philly) tomorrow before heading into the All Star break with a game vs league-worst Detroit.

I just hope they get to play CLE in the first round. I am not sold on that team and think that is the only matchup that I would favor them in.

 

[RorschachsMask]

I just hope they get to play CLE in the first round. I am not sold on that team and think that is the only matchup that I would favor them in.

We are an absolute nightmare matchup for the Bulls. I know they get Patrick Williams back in March, but they are horrible defensively on the wings, and their rim protector is Vuc.

 

[Cellar-Door]

The teams I want to avoid are:
BKN- We have no answer for KD, never have.
PHI- I have concerns about our ability to handle Embiid
MIL- Giannis.

Anyone who doesn't have a guy who is just unguardable I think we can drag down into a rock-fight type game and have a solid chance at.

 

[radsoxfan]

I wouldn't say very poor, but I get the process. Gordon Hayward is never healthy for long, but when he's healthy he's a terrific 2 way player (hot take... he's a better player than Jaylen Brown on both ends), White is more a "good" player on O and very good (but somewhat positionally limited) player on D. Both are guys who defend multiple positions well, can score some (Hayward a lot more), rebound, pass well, and fit into an offense by picking up whatever area their teammates need them to.

Out of curiosity, I checked DARKO.

View attachment 49388

That injury really took the sails out of GH's career. Not surprisingly.

I'm glad he was able to return at all and be an above average NBA player, it could have been worse. But we'll never know what GH's could have been.

Currently, Brown is clearly the superior player.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Here's an article that breaks down a bit the Cs defense: https://onlydownone.substack.com/p/watch-out-for-the-boston-celtics. Nothing new here but thought it was interesting to read/see. One stat that it mentioned that I didn't know is that the Cs give up the 4th fewest shots at the rim. I also liked the point about teams in the playoffs generally switching out of necessity but the Cs do it by identity. And then there is this:

Boston, like other successful teams this season, has leaned into size. They’ve started two bigs, Robert Williams III and Al Horford, all season, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have 7’0 wingspans. In 360 minutes with those four players on the floor, the Celtics’ defensive rating is 94.7. Add Marcus Smart and you have the NBA’s best defensive lineup: 88.8 defensive rating, five points better than the next-best (minimum 100 minutes played). ​

​

Maybe Ime is still learning but it seems like he can coach defense.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

I remain not super confident in the offense, but Ime's switching defense, and the adjustments in how Horford and TL matchup, inspire great confidence in him as a defensive coach.

There's a lot of reason to be optimistic the team's identity can be defense-first and that they may already be elite there. It's a piece of the puzzle for sure

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

I remain not super confident in the offense, but Ime's switching defense, and the adjustments in how Horford and TL matchup, inspire great confidence in him as a defensive coach.

There's a lot of reason to be optimistic the team's identity can be defense-first and that they may already be elite there. It's a piece of the puzzle for sure

May already be elite?

Since 12.30, the Cs DRtg is 101.1, which leads the league. #2 is DAL, which has a DRtg of 103.8. #3 is PHI at 106.7. The difference between the Cs and PHI is bigger than the difference between #3 and #16 (which is MIL at 112.1). That's a month-and-a-half or 23 games (Cs are 17-6 and their NRtg is 11.7).

I think 26 games is a pretty big sample size on the season. Note that in the 29 games prior to that, the Cs had a DRtg of 107.4. Also note that in the same time period, while GSW was going 22-6 and people were raving about them, GSW had a DRtg of 102.3 (NRtg of 10.6). So for the last 23 games, the Cs have basically been playing the same kind of ball that GSW played at the beginning of the season. But they are getting a lot less press about it.

And just for fun, I looked at the stats starting January 22 (Marcus came back on 1.23). The Cs have played 11 games and their DRtg has been 94.9, which is a full 10 points lower than #2 (CLE at 104.9). 94.9 is pretty insane. Sure the Cs have played teams missing their best player(s) but so has everyone else. The difference between the Cs and the CLE is bigger than the difference between CLE and #21 CHA (113.9). I should probably also note that the Cs NRtg is 19.2, which is 9.2 points higher than #2 (MEM).

My only point is that if the Cs keep playing their top 8, they will have the best defensive team heading into the playoffs. That's something great to lean upon in a 7 game series.

 

[Cellar-Door]

well between TPE and salaries, the Celtics are gonna be able to make just about any deal they want work under the cap in the summer at this point:
View: https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1493364591065190403

 

[Eddie Jurak]

The Boston "Trade Exceptions":

C: Bol, Brown, Fernando, Freedom
PF: Thompson, Juancho
SF: Dozier
SG: Fournier
PG: Kemba, Schroder

A little top heavy.

 

[Cellar-Door]

The Boston "Trade Exceptions":

C: Bol, Brown, Fernando, Freedom
PF: Thompson, Juancho
SF: Dozier
SG: Fournier
PG: Kemba, Schroder

A little top heavy.

you forgot Richardson and Romeo, brings some wing depth

 

[RorschachsMask]

Hawks players were 2-14 against Tatum, god damn.

In fact for the year he’s holding players to 40.9% shooting, -4.3 behind their regular FG%.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Hawks players were 2-14 against Tatum, god damn.

In fact for the year he’s holding players to 40.9% shooting, -4.3 behind their regular FG%.

You see the data that BBI has for lineups etc. - their D had been trending to elite status before they added White and Theis, both of whom should constitute upgrades on that end. I would not be surprised if they finish in the top three defenses overall. They can pretty much slow anyone except maybe problem sized players like KD or Embiid.

This Celtics are still bricklayers but they are doing masonry for jails, not homes.

 

[Jimbodandy]

The Boston "Trade Exceptions":

C: Bol, Brown, Fernando, Freedom
PF: Thompson, Juancho
SF: Dozier
SG: Fournier
PG: Kemba, Schroder

A little top heavy.

Lot of 2bigz possibilities there.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Dan Greenberg at Barstool looked at matchup data for the Cs lasf 2 games: https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3405957/it-sure-looks-like-the-celtics-now-have-themselves-an-elite-two-headed-defensive-monster-in-their-backcourt. While he includes specific matchup stats (e.g., White matched up against Trae on 12 possessions and gave up 0 pts and Smart matched up against Trae on 22 possessions and gave up 6 points), here's the bottom line:

​

So, against the 3rd ranked offense of the Atlanta Hawks, Smart/White had 124 defensive possessions and gave up a total of 28 points. Against the 7th ranked offense of the Denver Nuggets, they had 137 defensive possessions and gave up a total of 25 points. ​

And what happens if they get better with time?

 

[lovegtm]

...
And what happens if they get better with time?

White had 2 bad defensive miscommunications on switches against Atl that led to two open 3s. Stuff like that will get cleaned up.

If healthy, this can be a historically good defensive group. The overall defensive talent in the top 7 is ridiculous, and it's well balanced across positions/matchups now.

 

[lovegtm]

well between TPE and salaries, the Celtics are gonna be able to make just about any deal they want work under the cap in the summer at this point:
View: https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1493364591065190403

Yup, the tricky part will be staying under the hard cap if they do a S&T that doesn't involve Smart.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

May already be elite?

Since 12.30, the Cs DRtg is 101.1, which leads the league. #2 is DAL, which has a DRtg of 103.8. #3 is PHI at 106.7. The difference between the Cs and PHI is bigger than the difference between #3 and #16 (which is MIL at 112.1). That's a month-and-a-half or 23 games (Cs are 17-6 and their NRtg is 11.7).

I think 26 games is a pretty big sample size on the season. Note that in the 29 games prior to that, the Cs had a DRtg of 107.4. Also note that in the same time period, while GSW was going 22-6 and people were raving about them, GSW had a DRtg of 102.3 (NRtg of 10.6). So for the last 23 games, the Cs have basically been playing the same kind of ball that GSW played at the beginning of the season. But they are getting a lot less press about it.

And just for fun, I looked at the stats starting January 22 (Marcus came back on 1.23). The Cs have played 11 games and their DRtg has been 94.9, which is a full 10 points lower than #2 (CLE at 104.9). 94.9 is pretty insane. Sure the Cs have played teams missing their best player(s) but so has everyone else. The difference between the Cs and the CLE is bigger than the difference between CLE and #21 CHA (113.9). I should probably also note that the Cs NRtg is 19.2, which is 9.2 points higher than #2 (MEM).

My only point is that if the Cs keep playing their top 8, they will have the best defensive team heading into the playoffs. That's something great to lean upon in a 7 game series.

I made the same point earlier, I thought?

As to whether they are elite RIGHT NOW or not, I am more cautious than you about competition and the impact of COVID. To me, an elite defense can reliably stop top-tier offensive teams in the fourth quarter. This team may be able to, but we simply haven't seen it since so many teams are hobbled these days. I am quite optimistic, but we're not there yet, imo.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

I made the same point earlier, I thought?

As to whether they are elite RIGHT NOW or not, I am more cautious than you about competition and the impact of COVID. To me, an elite defense can reliably stop top-tier offensive teams in the fourth quarter. This team may be able to, but we simply haven't seen it since so many teams are hobbled these days. I am quite optimistic, but we're not there yet, imo.

Yeah, just being a little playful. As for 4Q, since 12.30, Cs are 4th in DRtg (103.8; OKL is firdt at 97.3) and 4th in NRtg (7.0; PHX is 1st at 13.0 followed by LAC and LAL).

Since 1.23, Cs are 3rd in 4Q NRtg at 9.8 (UT is first at 15.5 followed by LAC), and 2nd in DRtg at 96.7 (OKL is first at 94.8).

Their improvement in the 4Q is probably the main reason they have flipped the switch.

 

[BringBackMo]

Out of
View attachment 49388



Yes, this.

For those of us who are unfamiliar with DARKO, is it an accurate reading of this graph that, starting around game 175 or so, Brown by this metric has been every bit as good as GH ever was? It even appears as though, Brown right now is playing at a higher level than GH ever did. Is that the correct way to read this graph?

 

[Jimbodandy]

For those of us who are unfamiliar with DARKO, is it an accurate reading of this graph that, starting around game 175 or so, Brown by this metric has been every bit as good as GH ever was? It even appears as though, Brown right now is playing at a higher level than GH ever did. Is that the correct way to read this graph?

It's based on player impact, on-off modeling. In this case it's saying that Brown's impact to his team while on the floor is just as big as Hayward to his at his peak.

 

[radsoxfan]

For those of us who are unfamiliar with DARKO, is it an accurate reading of this graph that, starting around game 175 or so, Brown by this metric has been every bit as good as GH ever was? It even appears as though, Brown right now is playing at a higher level than GH ever did. Is that the correct way to read this graph?

It looks like Brown's value and Hayward's value from game 175 to game 400 in their respective careers followed very similar paths.

Hayward then had a major career threatening injury, and when he came back was still a good player but not on the same trajectory as before. He never again reached his end of Utah peak.

If you look at the individual datapoints, you can see peak Hayward pre-injury was actually higher than anything Brown has done so far. The "best fit" line smooths out those higher data points in games 450-500. Seems to sell Hayward's peak a little bit short in the name of easy visualization. This doesn't usually matter as much but for Hayward it does because you can see the massive sudden cliff he fell off.

Let's hope for no catastrophic JB injury and that he still has a few more years of climbing left in him.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

It looks like Brown's value and Hayward's value from game 175 to game 400 in their respective careers followed very similar paths.

Hayward then had a major career threatening injury, and when he came back was still a good player but not on the same trajectory as before. He never again reached his end of Utah peak.

If you look at the individual datapoints, you can see peak Hayward pre-injury was actually higher than anything Brown has done so far. The "best fit" line smooths out those higher data points in games 450-500. Seems to sell Hayward's peak a little bit short in the name of easy visualization. This doesn't usually matter as much but for Hayward it does because you can see the massive sudden cliff he fell off.

Let's hope for no catastrophic JB injury and that he still has a few more years of climbing left in him.

Very similarly rated players from my seat. Hayward in his prime and Jaylen now are both in that low-tier All Star/snub range at the same position.

 

[jmcc5400]

"Poor man's Gordon Hayward." Obviously, different players but White is a reasonable facsimile of Celtics (i.e., post injury) Hayward, and is hopefully still climbing (Chart is based on age rather than games played):

 

[radsoxfan]

Very similarly rated players from my seat. Hayward in his prime and Jaylen now are both in that low-tier All Star/snub range at the same position.

DARKO would agree.

Jaylen now and Hayward now is clear edge to Jaylen.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

It looks like Brown's value and Hayward's value from game 175 to game 400 in their respective careers followed very similar paths.

Hayward then had a major career threatening injury, and when he came back was still a good player but not on the same trajectory as before. He never again reached his end of Utah peak.

If you look at the individual datapoints, you can see peak Hayward pre-injury was actually higher than anything Brown has done so far. The "best fit" line smooths out those higher data points in games 450-500. Seems to sell Hayward's peak a little bit short in the name of easy visualization. This doesn't usually matter as much but for Hayward it does because you can see the massive sudden cliff he fell off.

The ultimate Hayward-related FU from the baskteball gods to the Celtics was the bubble experience in 2020. Hayward looked as good as he has as a Celtic during the 8-game tuneup before the bubble playoffs started, then got injured in playoff game 1 and didn't return until the Celtics were down 0-2 in the ECF (and was clearly still hurt and less than 100% when he came back).

 

[BringBackMo]

It's based on player impact, on-off modeling. In this case it's saying that Brown's impact to his team while on the floor is just as big as Hayward to his at his peak.

It looks like Brown's value and Hayward's value from game 175 to game 400 in their respective careers followed very similar paths.

Hayward then had a major career threatening injury, and when he came back was still a good player but not on the same trajectory as before. He never again reached his end of Utah peak.

If you look at the individual datapoints, you can see peak Hayward pre-injury was actually higher than anything Brown has done so far. The "best fit" line smooths out those higher data points in games 450-500. Seems to sell Hayward's peak a little bit short in the name of easy visualization. This doesn't usually matter as much but for Hayward it does because you can see the massive sudden cliff he fell off.

Let's hope for no catastrophic JB injury and that he still has a few more years of climbing left in him.

Very similarly rated players from my seat. Hayward in his prime and Jaylen now are both in that low-tier All Star/snub range at the same position.

Thanks for the help interpreting what DARKO is telling us. JB's development really is incredible. It's easy to forget how controversial a pick that was at the time.

 

[DJnVa]

 

[NomarsFool]

Ugh. I assume Theis is now cleared to play?

 

[Cellar-Door]

Ugh. I assume Theis is now cleared to play?

yes but with a minutes cap since HOU had him sitting to avoid screwing up the tank.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

John Karalis had a good article about some of the things White does off ball and some of the plays the C's run with him.

https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2022/02/15/video-breakdown-derrick-white-does-a-little-big-of-everything-in-first-two-games-with-boston-celtics

For example, he breaks down what White does on this play:
View: https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1492325569702203393?s=20&t=ZSLVWW5OvmHUBwJSnmsVcQ

Let’s go step by step.

- Jaylen Brown probes, finds nothing, but gets the all-important paint touch. Now the defense collapses.

- Swing to Marcus Smart and now there's one defender trying to cover two guys. Quick swing to Jayson Tatum. Notice White sliding up from the corner. He’s clearing a defender away so Robert Williams can slide over to the right side on a Tatum drive and catch the pass without help behind him.

- Tatum drives. Rob stays put. White’s defender has left him. Brown backs up to the 3-point line. Here’s the critical part of the play: White recognizes the poor spacing and now the need for someone in the right corner, so he hustles over there. Tatum is stuck in the air and White’s quick thinking gives Tatum an outlet. From there, it’s once again one defender stuck with two guys, so White swings it quickly, Brown up-fakes two guys out of the play and drives, forcing the defense to step up. That opens up the lob to Rob.

Simple recognition by White saves the play, keeps the ball moving, and ultimately leads to a brief 5-on-3. If White was lazy or didn’t see things unfolding, Tatum would have had to force a tough shot in the middle.

He shows examples of White making plays in the pick and roll as the ballandler and as the pick setter. They also have him setting off ball picks, showing an example where he sets a pin down screen for Tatum, both defenders go with Tatum and White gets a wide open three.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

The Celtics destroyed the Harden-less Sixers so badly that I am writing this with 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter. But this game was interesting because various things did not go their way and with one brief exception they did not miss a beat.

Rob Williams did not play in this one, but Daniel Theis did. Marcus Smart got injured in the game (sprained ankle?) and did not return. Hopefully not as bad as it looked. Grant started for Rob, White started the second half for Smart, all the starters and White left the game for good before the end of the 3rd.

With Rob out, the obvious plan was going to be for Horford to guard Embiid, and the Celtics raced out to 9-2 lead. But Horford picked up 2 quick fouls and left, replaced by Theis. Would Embiid go crazy? No. He got to the line a lot, fouled by all sorts of different C's, but at the end of the quarter the Celtics were up 32-22.

With Rob out, Theis in, Horford missing time with foul trouble, both Pritchard and Nesmith got to play in the second quarter. Nesmith even hit hit first three attempt, though his second, a corner three, was off the mark. The Celtics ran their lead up to 27, 58-31, when Marcus Smart drove against Embiid, turned his right ankle, and went down in a heap. Embiid was called for a foul that he very much did not appreciate. The Celtics called time out and Smart was carried off the court putting no weight on the ankle. Then he hobbled back onto the court and bricked his 2 free throws, was assisted off the court, and did not return. The classy Philly fans applauded Smart's injury.

After Smart went out, the Celtics went into a bit of a funk, and Philly took advantage with a 10-0 run, cutting the lead to 17. The Celtics snapped it when Tatum drove into the paint, and kicked it to Nesmith, who drive the close out and finished with a nice floater. Then they blasted Philly over the rest of the half, running the lead up to 69-42. Celtics nearly doubled Philly up in the quarter, 37-20.

Celtics DID double Philly up in the third, 32-16. Ime went long with his starters, not pulling any of them out until the final couple of minutes, knowing they would be able to sit out the 4th. At the end of 3, Celtics had a 101-58 lead.

The 4th quarter was all garbage time, with the exception of a couple of Daniel Theis minutes, presumably because Ime wanted to get him some work. The Celtics extended the lead to 48 and Sam Hauser missed a late three that would have made it 51.

The Celtics as a team shot 25-45 from three. Brown 5-7, Grant 4-5, Tatum 4-8. The only Celtics not to hit a three were White and Kornet.

Brown led the team with 29 points, Tatum added 28 plus 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Theis played 20 minutes and was good: 5 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks. Also 5 fouls, so the War on Theis is still ongoing. But he looked good. I think He'll be in the regular rotation, as backup C, and they will try to get Grant some minutes at the 3 and 4. Whotes numbers were not impressive (4-9 fromthe field, 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover) but he was somehow a +41 in 28 minutes.

The garbage time heroes were Nesmith, Pritchard, and Hauser. Nesmith had 13 points in the quarter (and 18 for the game). Now that Langford is gone, I think his haters have moved over to Nesmith, but I still think the kid can play. He has some decent offensive skills beyond three point shooting, just no consistency with any of it. Pritchard had 5 points and 6 assists in the quarter (and finished the game with a team-leading 7 assists). Hauser shot 3 for 5 from three in the quarter and added 3 assists.

The only other thing we learned in this game is that when it comes to finishing lobs, Luke Kornet is no Rob.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

We get rid of 2BIGZ for one game and we win by 48. Coincidence @benhogan? I think not.

This team is last years Hawks but with better talent. It’s all beginning to come together for a nice run.

 

[NomarsFool]

An absolute smackdown. There were a few instances where the Celtics seemed to get lazy and settle for 3 pointers. Actually, a lot of times - but they were absolutely killing it from downtown - so no harm done. When you're up by 30 - 40 points, it's pretty understandable not to drive to the hoop to get contact and instead settle for open 3s.

Nesmith actually had a few nice plays even before garbage time. Maybe there's some hope yet.

 

[Jakarta]

An absolute smackdown. There were a few instances where the Celtics seemed to get lazy and settle for 3 pointers. Actually, a lot of times - but they were absolutely killing it from downtown - so no harm done. When you're up by 30 - 40 points, it's pretty understandable not to drive to the hoop to get contact and instead settle for open 3s.

Nesmith actually had a few nice plays even before garbage time. Maybe there's some hope yet.

The opportunity will certainly be there for Nesmith (and PP) if Smart is out for any extended period of time. Hope he can build on tonight’s game and show himself to be the shooter he was expected to be when he was drafted.

 

[nighthob]

Nesmith will get some run in tomorrow night's exhibition game. Hopefully he builds on tonight. It would be nice if he played his way into a trade asset.

 

[Saints Rest]

Was the end of the game with Kornet/ Theis, Pritchard, and Hauser the most white guys on the floor at once since the days of Walton, McHale, Bird, Ainge, Wedman?

 

[benhogan]

We get rid of 2BIGZ for one game and we win by 48. Coincidence @benhogan? I think not.

This team is last years Hawks but with better talent. It’s all beginning to come together for a nice run.

you're god damn right...I need to go back and delete my 2BIGz mea culpa

More Granite from the Corner please!

The reality is this team goes as the JAYs go. Tatum/Brown were otherwordly. The White acquisition just makes the Celtics' success even more geared to the JAYs offense (which is good).

go to 2:00....we know how to lock Patty-azz up

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZrTDYT-EmI

 

[BigSoxFan]

Nesmith will get some run in tomorrow night's exhibition game. Hopefully he builds on tonight. It would be nice if he played his way into a trade asset.

I’d rather he play his way into a rotation player who’s knocking down 38-40% of his 3’s

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Cs held PHI to 28.8% shootimg, which I believe is the lowest in thevleague so far.

It was actually interesting the differences between the two teams. PHI tried various people on JT and JB, and other than Thybulle (kid of), they didn't have anyone. (Danny Green did not look good on the court.) And when PHI tried to load up on them - like the last game after which Embiid talked about how easy it was to guard the Cs - the ball moved to some wide open shots.

Contrast that to PHI who - other than Embiid - could not find a matchup that caused the Cs any problems. What a defense.

 

[Koufax]

Hauser seems to me like the shooter that the team has been looking for. Can he play defense? I have no idea.

 

[lovegtm]

Hauser seems to me like the shooter that the team has been looking for. Can he play defense? I have no idea.

Been awhile since the Celtics had a guy who was drafted as a shooter who actually went to the G-League and shot the lights out.

Here's some video/scouting of him being awful on D and having no lateral quickness. If you play him with 4 other good defenders, might be able to hide that by helping when he's beat around the corner, but it's probably always gonna be a liability.
View: https://youtu.be/yPA9gwr1hZs?t=296

 

[pjheff]

Nesmith will get some run in tomorrow night's exhibition game.

Tonight’s “exhibition” is actually another good test to see how far this team has come. Earlier in the season, this is the type of game that we would too often enter flat and, if the threes weren’t falling, allow the other team to hang around too long, potentially squandering a victory in the closing minutes. There are so many built-in excuses — second night of a back-to-back presumably without Smart and Rob on the last game before the All-Star Break — that they’ll show me something about their improved toughness and resolve if they come out tonight and run the Pistons off the floor.

 

[BringBackMo]

Now that Langford is gone, I think his haters have moved over to Nesmith

This is both funny and true.