2017-18 Celtics Season Thread

Jeff Van Gundy was one of the analysts for the game and as a former coach who was very successful I listen to what he has to say a little more than most. In his opinion the C's have more talent and are just plain better, he said this before the game. That says alot about the C's youth movement. I can't wait for next season and seeing how good they can be. Yes I know there is still this season but mentally we gave up on this season a long time ago and this is all just gravy, or whipped cream or whatever floats your boat.

Even worse than I thought. That ain't happening again.

Pedro truly superior teams don't get beat down in game one of a series.

Who he's like athletically ? Monroe/Horford mix doesn't sound good.

It’s hard to wrap the head around the fact that Tatum and Brown are really this good already and that’s holding me back on this team.

Cleveland clearly isn't a superior team. LeBron is clearly the superior player though and I think this is far from over.

www.weei.com/blogs/sara-civian/lebron-james-claims-zero-level-concern-after-game-1

My friends I was away during this beautiful basketball game as I was watching at my girlfriend's house and let me tell you that it was awesome. Don't buy into the "Cavs won't shoot this poorly again" talk, people said the same thing about Philly. At some point you just have to respect the best defense in the league. We can guard these guys pretty good and they can't guard sh*t. That's a good recipe.

Nobody on the Cavs can create mismatches against our guys except Lebron. Maybe they can get like Hill on Baynes, but what is Hill realistically going to do? Kevin Love can't post anyone. And the gorgeous part is that everyone on the rotation outside of Rozier and Baynes can guard Lebron for a few possessions and do it well enough. Everyone fights the screens and close on shooters. Unless the Cavs adjust and throw something completely unexpected at us, they're boned.

Now the one thing that scares me somewhat is that this is a pretty young team and their veteran leader is known for having more "timid" game from time to time. They're inconsistent and they could have 4 bad games in a row. I doubt they will coast, but that could happen for like a game and cost them. If, and this a pretty gigantic if as it was against the Sixers, if they remain focused I think this one is going to end up WELL.

There were like maybe 3-4 open 3s the Cavs got today where I think they could have made us pay, other than that it was all smooth. This defense is incredible.

Edit: Oh and one more thing: the refs were bullsh*t on the third quarter and that's the sole reason Cleveland got within 14.

Makes you wonder what it’s going to be like with Kyrie, Hayward, and that second overall pick from the Lakers!

Omg that is incredible. It’s so accurate it’s ridiculous.

Despite all the negative reaction as players went down - how they were dead in the water, who they should trade, why individual players were less than useless - the team reflects quite a few of the core values the Celtics have always had. They stockpiled talent, players took on roles and they stuck to them (yes even Baynes cloging the middle, pulling down boards, and knocking down an occasional three), the coaches installed offensive and defensive schemes that work for that talent, and the players give up individual accomplishments for the good of the cause.

This is what they've done for a very long time. Those old enough to remember Sam and K.C. Jones, Satch Sanders, Paul Westphal and John Havlicek, Wayne Embry, Don Nelson, Dennis Johnson, and many, many, others will know exactly what I'm talking about. I've followed them since I was a kid and Gene Conley played for them. Those values never get old despite the flavor of the month and the drastic changes that the 3-pt. line introduced along with the athleticism of modern players. The focus this team has is unbelievable, unless you remember who the Celtics were, then it fits perfectly.

That to my mind is the real reason why Golden State is so good, because they have all of those elements in place. It's also why this Boston team has pushed aside all the useless chatter so many of the talking heads throw out. I was scanning a piece from SBNation where they talked about how the Celtics weren't as athletic as the 76ers and I immediately stopped reading. Was the writer equating Simmons' height versus Rozier's as athleticism? The guy has great court vision which that height certainly can't hurt, and when he gets to the basket he's almost impossible to stop - that height thing again. But he has no outside shot to speak of so he's literally useless from beyond the arc. Rozier is supremely athletic and when he's on from distance he's deadly. He's just not 6' 10". Certainly Boston has no one like Embiid, with a deluxe 70's post-up game and a modern 3-Pt. twist. Horford's skills are vastly different but very valuable, and Baynes is just a big body who sticks to his knitting for the most part.

But those wings? You've got to be kidding me. Philly has no combo like Brown and Tatum. I still can't figure out why so many people are surprised these gifted young players got better as they got more and more playing time. Westphal sat on the Celtics bench for years before he got his chance in Phoenix and proceeded to torch nets all around the league.

It's the vision thing and it's why we're not coaches. They see a hell of a lot further than we do, to a future that has that talent maturing and wreaking havoc in the regular season and the playoffs. Here we are.