Wait, what?
Are you speculating, or is that actually reported anywhere? Didn't find anything just now, after unclutching my heart.
Celtics vs. Heat, Round 3 Discussion
- Thread starter tims4wins
- Start date
Are you speculating, or is that actually reported anywhere? Didn't find anything just now, after unclutching my heart.
Whoever took those pictures of White on a plane is a creep. And Bertrand is even worse for tweeting them.
Is that the same caller that’s always following the players wives around? They really shouldn’t encourage that guy.
Is that the same caller that’s always following the players wives around? They really shouldn’t encourage that guy.
Okay, now it's widely reported.
So... I guess I'm a terrible cranky old man, but assuming there's no health challenges associated with the impending blessing I'd sure have hoped DW would've been okay waiting a day.
And now I'll book passage to hell.
Yes, other teams get injuries, and they helped the Celtics in this case. But the Bucks got to make multiple playoff runs with all their guys healthy in the last 5 years (interestingly, not when they won the title).
I don't know that another team has had worse injury luck with core players:
2018: Hayward, Kyrie
2019: Hayward still not back, Smart hurt initially against Mil
2020: Hayward again, Kemba's knee disintegrates
2021: no Jaylen, no Kemba, no TL
2022: no TL, now no Smart and Horford and White (for 1 game)
It's like if Milwaukee had the Middleton thing happen every single year.
Plus injuries happen. Smart and TL, that’s normal.
The Horford and White situations are just horrible luck.
It’s ridiculous. All this hard work and resilience to get here and then this happens. Over and over again. Oh well, need to win tonight regardless so hope the team rises to the challenge.
Go back further and you have Perkins getting hurt.. Garnett.. Rondo getting intentionally hurt by Wade etc
edit: if there’s one team that has had incredible injury luck with opponents getting hurt throughout history.. it’s the Heat. Someone from every contender has been hurt against them in pretty much all of their runs through the playoffs.. including during the LeBron era. LeBron has had incredible luck until recently with other teams injuries in the playoffs
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You know what? This is all a set-up for the Cs becoming the first NBA team ever to go down 3 games to 0 and then come back to win the series.
Just need to win one of four away.. and hold serve at home. Hopefully all are ready to go on Saturday
I do have more confidence in this team to come back from 2-0 than nearly any Celtics team I've rooted for, just in terms of mental toughness. Bring it on.
But yeah, as noted by others, the post-2008 era has been filled with nutpunches, at an abnormally high level.
Yeah, this is a trash take. We're talking about a basketball game. Have some perspective.
Chris Bosh missed all most of the conference semi's and finals in 2012 (his absence played a role in the Celts going up 3-2 in that series). Kevin Love missed all of the 2015 playoffs, and the Cavs very well might have won the title if him and Kyrie (out for the Finals) both play vs GSW that year.
Didn't the 2020 heat lose Dragic to foot injury for most of the Finals? They're missing their 30M a year point guard right now. Even going back a bit, Wade got hurt in 2005 otherwise they probably beat the Pistons and make the Finals that year.
They're not going to fall behind 3-0.
I have full confidence that even if they lose tonight, they take this to 6 or 7 games.
And if they win tonight, they're winning this in six or fewer.
I once went through all of LeBrons early playoff runs.. each time he won there seemed to be injuries to major players of every major contender that year.. but you raise some good points.
Lowry has only been out two games though? Or was he out against Philly? Hard to argue they’ve had bad luck this year given their run so far and these first two Boston games..
I wonder if Ime will use Nesmith instead of PP for White's minutes. Better defense, and there isn't much difference in their shooting. (Of course, this is assuming Smart can play 35-40 minutes....)
Ugh. My day is ruined 
If for some reason Smart can't go or is limited, who the heck is the next man up at guard? Do we just go with no real ballhandler and let Tatum bring the ball up the floor?
If for some reason Smart can't go or is limited, who the heck is the next man up at guard? Do we just go with no real ballhandler and let Tatum bring the ball up the floor?
I think Nesmith is actually a worse shooter than White, somehow. He had one shot the other night that I don't think even hit the rim.
The big minutes for Pritchard aren’t the problem, per se. With Smart hobbled it means Pritchard and Nesmith. If only Boston could combine them into a single player they’d have something.
Lowry isn't as important to the Heat as Horford or Smart are to the Celtics, but to your point, the 2020 Heat lost both Dragic AND Bam from a couple of finals games.
Go back just one more year to 2017: Isaiah Thomas missed the last 3 games of the conference finals against Cleveland (and scored just 2 points in game 2). Both the Cavs and Warriors were healthy and at the height of their powers that year so it probably wouldn't have mattered, but IT finished 5th in MVP voting and was 2nd team all-NBA, and the Celtics had home-court against the Cavs and had always played the Warriors tough. We had a punchers chance, and the IT injury ended that. Just a brutal stretch of injuries.
Kyle Lowry has been on and off the court all year, and when he’s actually played he’s looked a lot older. The Heat have had a chance to play without him and adjust.
Think it’s a bit different with something like that then with something like Horford/Smart/White (the other examples you listed definitely fit)
It was his first shot and it wasn’t even close. From the moment it left his hand it looked way too long and flat
Complaining that the 2020 Heat lost Goran Dragic is the equivalent to an otherwise completely healthy ‘22 Celtics complaining about the loss of Pritchard. The 34 year old Dragic had already reached the couldn’t defend Kobe to a roomful of Laker fans stage of his career. A defensive team losing its two best defenders and two most reliable ball handlers is just a liiiiiitle difference. (Also, while Lowry is going to make an average $28 million per for his ages 35-37 seasons, it was a bad deal when the Heat offered it.)
The notable thing about the Celtics past 5 years isn't that they've had injuries to top-3 players on the team--that happens to every team at times. it's that they've had those injuries basically every year while going on deep playoff runs in that time.
Yeah Red's unicorn blood ran out long before 2008. Len Bias dropping dead killed the last dynasty. If you're 35 or younger, you've been alive for as many Bruins championships as Celtics ones. And the Bruins owner measures success in empty beer cups.
It seems strange to go from doubtful to questionable forwhen in a the protocol. Like did he pass 1 test and he needs to pass 2 to clear? Like what would change to make him go from doubtful to questionable? I feel like if he cleared some testing/protocol hurdle, it would be doubtful to probable?
One negative test, but still needing a second, was the exact scenario I thought of that could lead to a change from doubtful to questionable.
I’m guessing the NBA is scrambling and letting him play. Likely under the “reduced viral load” vagueness.
Nesmith’s second shot was even worse and he can’t stay in front of his man on the other end. His greatest strength is weak side shot blocking. Such a bizarre skillset he’s developed.
Nesmith doesn’t believe that his shot’s going in at all and you can see it when he shoots. If there’s a defender within closing distance he’s rushing his shot and screwing up his mechanics. When he’s wide open there’s always that hesitation to pull the trigger. He’s regressed badly on offense this year.
The infuriating part is that he’s turned into a much better defender than I expected. If he could get out of his head he could be a decent 3&D guy.
nothing makes sense with the guy
he came with the reputation of a knockdown 3pt shooter with limited athleticism
he bricks it from deep and runs around the floor like he's Carl Lewis
you can live with him as your 10th player in the playoffs, as long as he doesn't shoot and focuses on making energy plays (weak side help and offensive boards)
It's not that he doesn't believe, he's just over-excited. He's not relaxed. He's basically trying too hard as he's bound and determined not to screw up, which is a horrible place for any athlete to be.
He's like if Tony Allen and Javonte Green had a baby and then it took some caffeine pills.
Since it advances the thread, here's Chris Bosh at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday doing a photo shoot with his family. There were like hundreds of people there and only me and one other guy seemed to recognize him. Which is actually great for him.
Edit: @HomeRunBaker
Edit: @HomeRunBaker
He's got 14 blocks in 98 career games (regular season), and has a career average of .4 blocks per 36 minutes. Before game 1, he had 1 block in about 83 playoff minutes. That's not terrible for a 6'5 shooting guard, but if it's his greatest strength he'll never play another meaningful minute again on a healthy team, and he won't get a second NBA contract.
He plays like he's forever filled with the energy and IQ of a guy who just got drafted last week. He overplays everything on defense (which can lead to some blocks if the other team is unprepared, tons of dumb fouls and a total inability to consistently stay in front of his man) and despite good form, never finds the range on offense. Tremendously disappointing that this is where he is at the end of year 2.
Agreed. Which is why he will sometimes drain 4 of 5 in garbage time.
I mostly-ignore the "Tatum doesn't get superstar calls" complaints around here. That's the NBA.
BUT GDIT if Butler is going to get calls on anything that might look like a foul, then Tatum etc SHOULD GET similar consideration.
I don't expect a miracle of Tatum getting the superstar calls, but at least give him the benefit of the doubt.
SO yeah, it pisses me off. At least Giannis was making moves, rather than Hardenizing most of the time.
BTW: One of Butler's greatest abilities is how he can allocate his physical/mental resources to when they are needed. His ability to coast for a while, and then turn it on.
IOW: he can't go all out all game.
Why let that arrogant sob get away with it? When he is coasting mode, ATTACK HIM. Either he is ineffective, or he has to pay attention earlier than he plans.
Either outcome is a good thing.
I think that is his wife but an old picture from before they were married.secondly, if like me you were confused that the person in the picture is clearly not 9 months pregnant, that is not his wife.
Yeah..those 2 blocks were incredible. His shot was absolute shit but no need to discredit some phenomenal individual effort and defense
It would seem a bit odd to have a positive test, followed by a negative test, followed by a positive test again - assuming the negative test was administered correctly.
To put it another way, if he had a negative test, it certainly would seem more likely than not his next test is also negative.