wcp3
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Post by wcp3 on Jan 1, 2021 19:37:34 GMT -5
Stevens is determined to make this two big lineup work. It makes no sense whatsoever, and it’s putting the Celtics at a disadvantage. Coaching malpractice.
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wcp3
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 30, 2020 19:55:20 GMT -5
Why is Robert Williams coming out after 4 minutes when he’s playing really well? These rotations are kind of a mess.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 29, 2020 22:20:59 GMT -5
Small sample size, but Pritchard looks like he’ll be a nice surprise.
Tonight was a nice win, but honestly this team just makes it way too hard on themselves with these disastrous third quarters. Clean up the defense, and the wins should follow.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 29, 2020 16:29:02 GMT -5
I think it has to do with Nesmith being a mess on D. That’s not unique for rookies, but he does seem to have a bit more work on that end than the likes of Pritchard this year and Grant last year.
The criticism re: Stevens and young players that I think is fair is how he seems to have completely different sets of rules and standards for young players than he does for veterans. I get being harder on young players and having shorter leashes to try to break down bad habits/build up good habits, but his approach seems inconsistent. For instance, he seemed to be a lot harder on guys like Jaylen and Rob Williams than he was with Tatum and Grant Williams, and it was never clear why.
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wcp3
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 27, 2020 22:28:51 GMT -5
Tonight was coaching malpractice. How does Grant Williams (who played possibly his worst game as a Celtic) play more minutes than Robert Williams (who played arguably his best game as a Celtic)? And how is that Tatum shot what they drew up for the last play down 1? And don’t even get me started on the third quarters.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 27, 2020 21:36:46 GMT -5
The third quarters have become a complete joke at this point. Hard not to blame coaching when the same problem happens with every single roster.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 26, 2020 13:30:22 GMT -5
So they shouldn’t try to upgrade the roster and put themselves in a better position to compete? What if someone like Orlando wants to rid themselves of Gordon’s contract, and the Celts can take him on without giving up a ton? (Personally, I’d much prefer Gordon’s skill set to Barnes’ for this roster, particularly because of the cap implications. But either player makes them better.) The Celtics don’t look like a team that can win the Eastern Conference right now, never mind the NBA championship. But similar things were said about last year’s Heat team and the 2018-19 Raptors. While you don’t want to bank on injuries from other teams, they can happen and open up unexpected pathways to a title. However, this current roster isn’t good enough even if that happens. Also, I know it feels like the window is pretty large with Jaylen/Tatum just now approaching their primes, but championship windows in the NBA have a way of closing faster than expected. I’m against making desperation moves like you are, but I do think Ainge needs to be more aggressive than he’s been in the past, even if it means a “fair trade” instead of fleecing another team in a trade. I think he needs to be selectively aggressive and now isn’t the time for that. I don’t think there’s a move out there that puts them over the top. Harrison Barnes does nothing for me. I wouldn’t complain about Aaron Gordon but I don’t think he really turns them into a contender. You do make a good point about last years heat though I do think this offseason is the time to get aggressive and then you have about a 5 year window of being major competitors in Jaylen/Jaysons prime. Hopefully they acquire somebody who fits their timeline. This year I’m rooting for continued development of those 2 and the emergence of some young guys as legitimate rotation pieces. I’m expecting a playoff birth and maybe a series win but not much more than that. If let’s say 2 of Grant/TimeLord/Nesmith/Langford/Pritchard emerge as legitimate pieces that makes the build to a title team a lot easier. umass took the words out of my mouth. The only thing I’ll add is that banking on a 5-year window with Jaylen/Tatum sounds a little high to me. It could be that long (or even longer), but there’s just no guarantee of that - particularly if they remain a perennial second round/ECF team. Not saying Ainge should get desperate and overpay with picks and young players, but I like the term you used in “selectively aggressive.” I just think they should aim to make a move mid-season rather than next offseason.
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wcp3
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 26, 2020 10:31:08 GMT -5
Glad to get one win out of the first two games They’re not gonna win a title this year so I don’t get why people want to make panic moves for guys like Harrison Barnes So they shouldn’t try to upgrade the roster and put themselves in a better position to compete? What if someone like Orlando wants to rid themselves of Gordon’s contract, and the Celts can take him on without giving up a ton? (Personally, I’d much prefer Gordon’s skill set to Barnes’ for this roster, particularly because of the cap implications. But either player makes them better.) The Celtics don’t look like a team that can win the Eastern Conference right now, never mind the NBA championship. But similar things were said about last year’s Heat team and the 2018-19 Raptors. While you don’t want to bank on injuries from other teams, they can happen and open up unexpected pathways to a title. However, this current roster isn’t good enough even if that happens. Also, I know it feels like the window is pretty large with Jaylen/Tatum just now approaching their primes, but championship windows in the NBA have a way of closing faster than expected. I’m against making desperation moves like you are, but I do think Ainge needs to be more aggressive than he’s been in the past, even if it means a “fair trade” instead of fleecing another team in a trade.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 25, 2020 20:38:37 GMT -5
I see people always on Stevens when they play like this, but doesn't Ainge deserve some of the blame too? He is the one that put this team together. The past 6 years or so he had a treasure trove of draft picks to work with and has yet to get an NBA finals appearance to show for it. There are no more draft picks left to work with, so barring some blockbuster trade what you see now is likely what you get for awhile. They are short at most every position and that shows up in the rebounding. Too many offensive rebounds given up and not enough gotten on offense. They got to the line pretty good tonight, but most nights it seems they fall short there too. Ok, I am finished with my frustrated griping. He absolutely deserves some of the blame. I’ve always been an Ainge defender - and stand by it - but this roster simply isn’t good enough. He needs to turn that trade exception into a valuable contributor.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 25, 2020 19:27:48 GMT -5
Figure out a way to get someone like Aaron Gordon or Harrison Barnes. They just don’t have enough talent right now.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 25, 2020 18:52:34 GMT -5
Oh look, Brad waiting for his team to be down double figures before using a timeout. And how about going to Javonte Green for no reason when Semi is actually playing good basketball?
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 25, 2020 18:41:39 GMT -5
This has been one of the worst officiated games I’ve ever seen, which is saying a lot for the NBA.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 24, 2020 10:06:32 GMT -5
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 24, 2020 9:13:29 GMT -5
Joffrey Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, the Mountain, the Hound, Brad Stevens, Chad Ford . . . This is offensive. Chad Ford is way worse than all of them.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 24, 2020 8:29:36 GMT -5
I watched the game this morning. A couple things that stood out on the positive: 1. No lousy 3rd quarter that was a trend last year. 2. Semi’s second quarter was the best basketball he’s ever played that I’ve witnessed. Guy had a smooth Euro step finish. A lot of us wondered early where the college guy who could get to the hoop was, maybe he’s starting to gain confidence and can get there. 3. Teague looked really good - just one game but it’s understandable to see why they wanted him over Wannamaker. 4. Pritchard looks like he belongs. Wasn’t great or anything but first game for a rookie that’s a good sign. As comfort sets in I think the shot will too. 5. Thompson should be a good addition. Where in the world has last night’s Semi been the past three years? He was decisive offensively, and threw in a coast-to-coast Euro step and a no-look dime for good measure. Also, my position on Stevens has always been consistent - he’s really good at building a team over the course of the season, but he’s a bad in-game coach. Last night looked like more of the same. And yes, every team in the NBA blows leads, but not every team loses leads as quickly and as often as the Celtics (ie from 16 to 2 in less than 5 minutes). The same issues keep happening every year and never seem to get addressed.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 23, 2020 21:37:48 GMT -5
The Celtics have turned there roster over multiple times, but the same exact problems persist. It’s very clearly a coaching issue.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 23, 2020 20:15:59 GMT -5
Stevens is not good.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 23, 2020 19:45:16 GMT -5
Lol, Stevens doing a great job getting the team ready yet again.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 19, 2020 11:47:07 GMT -5
Glad to see Brad is wasting preseason minutes on Semi over Nesmith and Theis over Robert Williams. Way to develop your young talent and bench. They have two preseason games to get everybody ready for the season and having a feel for the game, this isnt “development” time. Everybody gets run I’m also not gonna read too much into nba preseason games but that’s just me If you want to whistle past the graveyard, be my guest. The East is no longer a cakewalk, and there are some real talent deficiencies on this team until Kemba and Thompson return. To make matters worse, Brad is showing little interest in developing some of the team’s younger talent. There’s no reason Semi and Javonte Green should be getting minutes over Nesmith, Pritchard, and the Williamses.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 18, 2020 22:29:19 GMT -5
Nesmith is your 6th or 7th best player. You’ve got to play him. A competent coach would. We’ll see if Brad does so, or if he continues to repeat the same mistakes year after year.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 18, 2020 20:45:44 GMT -5
Glad to see Brad is wasting preseason minutes on Semi over Nesmith and Theis over Robert Williams. Way to develop your young talent and bench.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 18, 2020 20:19:17 GMT -5
Good to see Marcus is still allowed to take awful shots with zero repercussions.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 12, 2020 12:33:28 GMT -5
I don't see great D, which is why I feel he needs more offense. I see a good smart team defender that can get destroyed by guys like Siakam. Rookies are traditionally bad defenders, with some rare exceptions (aka guys who turn into all-league defensive players). I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect Grant to turn into a good, versatile defender. He certainly showed flashes of it last year.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 10, 2020 22:51:19 GMT -5
Is he or does he know Cam can’t do anything else? And if he can’t, then imagine what Stidham looks like in practice I imagine we’ll be seeing more Stidham from here on out.
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Post by wcp3 on Dec 10, 2020 21:18:00 GMT -5
McDaniels is dreadful.
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