2018-19 Celtics Season

I’m not sure if you read the rules but around here if you offer up any sort of observation of a coach or player that is not positive and point out anything that wasn’t good then that means you are a hater. If you do this with demigods, like Brad Stevens and Tom Brady then watch out the back last is particularly harsh. Oddly enough, Kyrie is exempt from this rule.

Nope yours is an attempt at biting sarcasm. Nor does your thrust reflect me. I think I'm pretty middle of the road...not all 'heroes or villains' when it comes to our teams. I didn't like Farrell's managing (or that of other Sox managers over the years), or various players on Boston teams. I was critical of spygate and deflate gate...and received negative responses here for saying so from the type of mindset you describe.

I went back in this thread several pages and there were a number of negative comments on Stevens for a variety of reasons. This was likely borne of frustration. I didn't feel he deserved it while others obviously did. Just sayin'.

In regards to the boxscore of the 2nd unit in the last game. If you go look back at the last handful of games you'll find a bunch that was the exact opposite. The second unit was all plus and the starters negative. A big part of that is Stevens does whole sale changes where he puts in 4 subs almost all at once. Usually leaving Tatum in also. That is crazy unique in this league. Most coaches don't do that, they stagger the second unit in. What I've been seeing is other coaches playing on that. Stevens does everything like clockwork. Players come in and out at the sametime in every game. Some teams are leaving the starters in and playing them against our second unit. Now they are talented and Baynes helps. Yet without Horford they lack any type of scoring in the post. Nevermind the second unit is filled with streaky players getting limited minutes. If you really want the second unit to be killer they need another big that can play small ball. A guy like Morris's brother. Thus helping opening up driving lanes for Tatum, Brown, Hayward, and Rozier. Or have Stevens not do whole sale substitutions. While also giving minutes based on how guys are playing, not a pre-game plan like he does.

Stevens has always been a coach that lets his team play through rough stretches. Yea he absolutely waits too long to call timeouts in some games. Though to be fair you also need to look at the times other coaches would call timeouts and the Celtics play there way out of it. Those won't ever stick in your head, but they happen all the time. Given that overall this is a young team that style fits them most games. Where he drives me crazy is waiting till teams go on plus 10 or more runs. You can't allow that all the time and he does. He takes it to the extreme a lot.

Oladipo blew out his knee - that’s a tough break for him... hope he can fully recover

So is the idea that C's have 0 interest in developing any kind of post-game for Williams? I understand why it wouldn't take place during "real" minutes but he's also playing garbage time and I have yet to see an instance where they've fed him in the post (for a set post up).

I do recall a couple of years ago reading that Brad's ideal lineup would have 4 shooters and a rim runner/protector. And while I know he'll never be a shooter, I'd think blowouts would provide a chance to work on some versatility in game.

Not necessarily a complaint. Just strikes me as weird.

I thought about that recently. Yet one big negative. I'm hoping for a rather good player like Kanter. He won't sign a contract like that, no solid Vet will. It would really help if your goal is to go after Davis. Yet it would require you spending a lot of money on a bum, not a good Vet. We'll see but our big advantage in the buyout market is being able to pay guys.

As to Williams. I have to think the Celtics goal is to get him ready for a maybe role late in the season and in the playoffs. So the focus is him knowing the basic defensive and offensive plays and learning the NBA speed of the game. Even if they wanted to teach him a post-game it would likely come in practice or next year in games. Personally I don't think Brad would do that. He'll have the guy practice jumpers, it fits his style more. Has Brad had any big ever practice his post game since he joined the Celtics? Does Danny draft any players that have post games?

Has a veteran that was bought out ever signed a deal like that? Maybe some one has but I'm just not remember a single deal like that.

To make myself clear, you can certainly get a player to sign a deal like that and it makes a lot of sense. I just don't think the top buyout guys you'll want to sign will sign deals like that.

Getting a guy like Kanter could be hard. You won't get him based on the best fit. More like a good shot at winning and the biggest offer. Most likely he'll have a smaller role unless Horford gets injured, yet isn't that true for most of the top teams?

Example reports say Lopez wants to join the Warriors. They won't pay him the most, he'll have a very small role. Its all about winning for him.

Maybe I'm crazy but I like Kanter on our second unit. His scoring ability and rebounding would really add something even if he's a bad defender

I'm worried about Horford, he's the one guy that kills the team if he gets injured. Now Kanter isn't close to Horford, yet he adds a big that can score. Something no one else on the team can do. I also think he has unlocked potential. That's probably wrong, yet he moves well and he should be better defensively than he is. He's not a lumbering big like Monroe. Right now he's my top buyout guy.

He's not my top target though, that is Morris's brother and Vonleh. Heck Vonleh is my top target, but you'll have to trade for him, just like Morris most likely. Yet Vonleh can shoot, pass, and rebound.

I love Baynes, but I look at the top two teams in the East and they don't have true low post centers. The raptors start two PFs and the bucks have Lopez but he's become a jump shooter. A guy like Vonleh could play with Horford, help our size issues, while not hurting our shooting ability. Nevermind it would really change the second unit. It really comes down to how healthy is Horford going to be for the playoffs?

Vonleh would make sense, but he's not an euro. I demand an euro. For me if they're going to trade for anyone, it better be for Vucevic.

Not sure what Vonlehs hold is but I think NYK wants to clear as much space as possible. That being said, they may want to keep his rights until they are able to use the space (so I would think they'd keep him and then renounce his rights later if needed).

I've seen his name floated a lot on sites. They can't resign him without killing cap space and he plays the same position as their best player.