|
|
Post by umassgrad2005 on May 15, 2023 19:15:38 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by rjp313jr on May 15, 2023 20:30:19 GMT -5
Sure the Lakers got better, yet you actually think they went from middle of pack to best team in the league? The East was much better this year. The Grizzlies the best team in the West is young, 1-3 in playoffs last 3 years and lost two defensive bigs for the season. That Warriors team wasn't close to last years team, heck Denver isn't close to a great team as a #1 seed. Denver is an excellent team with a lot of talent, including arguably the best player in the league. |
|
|
|
Post by rjp313jr on May 15, 2023 20:31:57 GMT -5
Embiid pretty much calling out everyone except Harden during his presser. He desperately needs Harden to stay. If he walked in FA, then Embiid requests a trade. Harden won’t play for Doc according to reports |
|
|
|
Post by umassgrad2005 on May 16, 2023 10:40:34 GMT -5
Sure Denver is talented, should likely make the finals. Yet they don't have a championship D. I'm looking at history, looking at this from Vegas point of view. Celtics have a better offense and a much better D. Inserting Robert Williams changed everything, outside of Embiid they didn't even try scoring in paint.
As a fan yeah they scare me, Jokic doesn't fold like Embiid.
Yet analytics also can be crazy, the numbers say per ESPN Heat only have 3% chance of winning. I get why, yet that teams D and that coach still scare me. Only D left that scares me. Last year the Warriors D that gave us fits was #1 in the whole league.
|
|
mobaz
Veteran
Posts: 3,049
|
Post by mobaz on May 16, 2023 10:58:02 GMT -5
Doc is fired. Some very successful head coaches on the market this year. I keep hearing about these young assistants being interviewed, but with Nick Nurse, Monty Williams, Kenny Atkinson (and depending on your needs, Coach Bud and Doc) around I'd be shocked if these good teams don't just play musical chairs.
Old Man Rant: Player empowerment has gone too far. There are too many disgruntled superstars all at once. Harden, Kyrie, Durant, Gobert, Westbrook all rewarded for insolence multiple times over the past 2 years. Kawhi plays when he wants, Lebron plays GM then makes veiled threats when HIS guy is a dumpster fire (again). Most of the malcontents are old dudes, but then you have Ja Morant doing whatever he can to sabotage what a year ago was maybe the best young team in the league.
|
|
|
|
Post by FenwayFanatic on May 16, 2023 12:19:33 GMT -5
Sure the Lakers got better, yet you actually think they went from middle of pack to best team in the league? The East was much better this year. The Grizzlies the best team in the West is young, 1-3 in playoffs last 3 years and lost two defensive bigs for the season. That Warriors team wasn't close to last years team, heck Denver isn't close to a great team as a #1 seed. I actually don’t know. I just don’t feel super confident in our team. We were so close to getting iced. I was also at Game 5 of the Hawks series and witnessed that collapse in-person so I’m a bit jaded. |
|
|
|
Post by rjp313jr on May 16, 2023 12:26:36 GMT -5
Doc is fired. Some very successful head coaches on the market this year. I keep hearing about these young assistants being interviewed, but with Nick Nurse, Monty Williams, Kenny Atkinson (and depending on your needs, Coach Bud and Doc) around I'd be shocked if these good teams don't just play musical chairs. Old Man Rant: Player empowerment has gone too far. There are too many disgruntled superstars all at once. Harden, Kyrie, Durant, Gobert, Westbrook all rewarded for insolence multiple times over the past 2 years. Kawhi plays when he wants, Lebron plays GM then makes veiled threats when HIS guy is a dumpster fire (again). Most of the malcontents are old dudes, but then you have Ja Morant doing whatever he can to sabotage what a year ago was maybe the best young team in the league. Is Doc a successful coach? He won here with an All-time team but only once. His stats for failure is insane. The only way he was staying is if Embiid insisted on it. He should have been fired. Monty Williams and coach Bud are two highly questionable fires. Monty has the best record over the last 3 or 4 years I think. They gutted the team to get Durant, which I think was a dumb move, but they got embarrassed twice on their home floor the last 2 years ti end their season so it makes some sense. If I were him, I’d probably be happy to get out of there because expectations are high and they have almost no means to fix that roster. |
|
|
|
Post by umassgrad2005 on May 16, 2023 12:40:56 GMT -5
Doc is a good coach, he's not an elite coach. It's not like he lost and was the more talented team. If I'm Sixers I'm blaming the GM for the Harden trade, lack of a great bench. Embiid looking spent in the first half.
I get why people have doubts, we know the Celtics flaws. Yet every team has flaws.
|
|
|
|
Post by FenwayFanatic on May 16, 2023 13:12:20 GMT -5
The celtics flaw is losing a lot of close games late though. Its been that way a long time.
|
|
|
|
Post by rjp313jr on May 16, 2023 13:59:49 GMT -5
The celtics flaw is losing a lot of close games late though. Its been that way a long time. I don’t have the numbers to back it up but I feel like they were much better at this this year. |
|
ianrs
Veteran
Posts: 2,451 
|
Post by ianrs on May 16, 2023 14:54:58 GMT -5
Fully preparing myself to lose game 1 in OT 110-114 and then win game 2 215-89
|
|
|
|
Post by FenwayFanatic on May 16, 2023 16:53:04 GMT -5
Fully preparing myself to lose game 1 in OT 110-114 and then win game 2 215-89 And Marcus Smart misses a 3 as time expires before it goes to OT. |
|
|
|
Post by jmei on May 16, 2023 17:11:49 GMT -5
The celtics flaw is losing a lot of close games late though. Its been that way a long time. I don’t have the numbers to back it up but I feel like they were much better at this this year. The Celtics were second-best in the regular season in clutch winning percentage (games where the score was within five points in the fourth quarter or OT): www.nba.com/stats/teams/clutch-traditional?SeasonType=Regular+Season |
|
wcp3
Veteran
Posts: 3,862
|
Post by wcp3 on May 16, 2023 21:34:21 GMT -5
Jokic is good.
|
|
|
|
Post by GyIantosca on May 16, 2023 21:58:04 GMT -5
At least we have home court no matter what.
|
|
|
|
Post by Don Caballero on May 16, 2023 23:06:29 GMT -5
Amazing shotmaking from both teams and obviously the elite talent is REALLY elite, but the Nuggets played some ungodly atrocious defense and the Lakers may have found something with Hachimura on Jokic (that sh*t should get exploited with Gordon setting a screen to free a MPJ corner 3).
|
|
|
|
Post by FenwayFanatic on May 16, 2023 23:59:42 GMT -5
Amazing shotmaking from both teams and obviously the elite talent is REALLY elite, but the Nuggets played some ungodly atrocious defense and the Lakers may have found something with Hachimura on Jokic (that sh*t should get exploited with Gordon setting a screen to free a MPJ corner 3). I was watching this on a flight and checked the score while getting picked up and saw LA cut it to 3 at the end… the Nuggets may be a bit too reliant on Jokic playing well. That being said, in the part I watched, the Lakers role players looked kinda bad. |
|
|
|
Post by GyIantosca on May 17, 2023 5:18:13 GMT -5
The lakers are all done, last night was there night to steal one. They were within 3. Lebron missed an open 3, then later he got stripped by Jamal and Jokic.
|
|
|
|
Post by Don Caballero on May 17, 2023 11:13:40 GMT -5
The lakers are all done, last night was there night to steal one. They were within 3. Lebron missed an open 3, then later he got stripped by Jamal and Jokic. Lebron is a bad shooter and he should never have shot that shot. |
|
wcp3
Veteran
Posts: 3,862
|
Post by wcp3 on May 17, 2023 19:40:20 GMT -5
Every big man sets moving screens…and then there’s Bam. It’s insane what he gets away with.
|
|
|
|
Post by philarhody on May 17, 2023 19:46:35 GMT -5
Is it weird that I care less about the Celtics winning the championship than I do about the Celtics winning this series in 4 or 5 games?
|
|
mobaz
Veteran
Posts: 3,049
|
Post by mobaz on May 17, 2023 20:02:37 GMT -5
Not sure I expected Pritchard to be a Game 1 matchup on Butler, even for a few min.
|
|
wcp3
Veteran
Posts: 3,862
|
Post by wcp3 on May 17, 2023 20:16:19 GMT -5
The defensive effort by the Celtics guards has been so bad all playoffs, and it’s extremely confusing. Good shot making by opponents will happen, but they can’t keep letting opposing guards get to the basket at will.
|
|
wcp3
Veteran
Posts: 3,862
|
Post by wcp3 on May 17, 2023 20:21:30 GMT -5
This is better! Make their guards feel the pressure!
|
|
|
|
Post by soxfansince67 on May 17, 2023 20:22:04 GMT -5
Fun game so far - both teams feeling each other out. Boston figuring it out, opened a lead. Strong game by Rob so far.
|
|
