Celtics 2023 - 2024 Discussion

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

It’s seems to me Hauser and Pritchard have nerve issues. Is this the 1st time for them in the finals playing more than garbage time? Maybe the stage is too big for them at the moment or will always be.

Pritchard played well last series and has been bad this series. Hauser played badly last series and good this series. It would be great if they could both bring their A game one more time.

But this is like every team including Dallas. Randomly some players are up, some are down, at any given time.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The current Celtics are like the Patriots without a true WR1. They have several very good WR2’s (when healthy) but no WR1. The C’s will still win the championship because their overall talent (especially the starting 5) is so much higher then other teams.

Tatum and Brown aren't #1s?

 

[Zuma]

Pritchard played well last series and has been bad this series. Hauser played badly last series and good this series. It would be great if they could both bring their A game one more time.

But this is like every team including Dallas. Randomly some players are up, some are down, at any given time.

Guys like Tatum for instance have found other ways to contribute when the shots aren’t always falling. That’s not really the case for Hauser and Pritchard. Let’s hope they both turn that around tonight.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Agree completely and would like to add that the 2008 Celtics would also beat the pants off this current team. They allowed 90 PPG and a FG % of about 41%. That was #1 in the league and they beat teams by over 10ppg. While they ranked 10th if offensive efficiency do we really think this team could beat KG, PP, Ray Allen in a 7 game series?

I do think 2008 wins it but not a cakewalk.

Perk guards KP (assuming he plays)
KG on Tatum
Pierce on Brown
Ray Ray on White
Rajon on Jrue

Bench
2008 > 2024 bench

Coaching
Doc > Maz (but Maz has done a great job)

 

[Kdo5]

Goddamn let’s win it tonight. Hoping our guys bring everything they’ve got to the table. Gotta be poised and play smart basketball.

Return to the stifling defense that won us three games and get back to ball movement.

 

[VrabelJr]

Comparing teams across generations is the most "Old Man Yells at Cloud" thing to do in basketball. Setting aside how much more athletic modern NBA players are the ball skills of modern players are absolutely insane. You can't even play in the modern NBA if you can't dribble, pass, and shoot at a high level. The "3 and D" is the lone limited skillset position left. In comparison the 1986 or 2008 teams would look like they were playing against an entire team of LeBrons in comparison. KG and Rondo are the only two that would look like they belong on the court. Brown, Jrue, and White would be menaces to PP and Ray. KG vs Tatum would be fun to watch but I'd guess Tatum's length is too much on defense and too much speed on offense.

Anyway this topic ls lame. Go Cs! Wrap it up tonight at home.

 

[maust]

I do think 2008 wins it but not a cakewalk.

Perk guards KP (assuming he plays)
KG on Tatum
Pierce on Brown
Ray Ray on White
Rajon on Jrue

Bench
2008 > 2024 bench
'd
Coaching
Doc > Maz (but Maz has done a great job)

Just a generational sports fan discussion to pass the time but for my'old man' 2¢ I'd take '65 over both and arguably over '86, that would be a rock fight though. I just don't think any of them would have an answer for the rebounding of the '65 team. I'd also give them the defensive edge. Line up the entire rosters of the 4 teams, Russell and KC Jones are the best defensive players. Obviously there are no 3 point numbers to compare but the '65 team was lights out from long range with Sanders, Sam Jones and Havlicek all straight up knockdown shooters from downtown.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Just a generational sports fan discussion to pass the time but for my'old man' 2¢ I'd take '65 over both and arguably over '86, that would be a rock fight though. I just don't think any of them would have an answer for the rebounding of the '65 team. I'd also give them the defensive edge. Line up the entire rosters of the 4 teams, Russell and KC Jones are the best defensive players. Obviously there are no 3 point numbers to compare but the '65 team was lights out from long range with Sanders, Sam Jones and Havlicek all straight up knockdown shooters from downtown.

Yea it would be a rock fight.

Don't forget Satch. A defensive pitbull.

They would have a hard time with the '86 team's size.

Russ on McHale and helping Satch on Larry. That would be worth admission.

...and Russ/Walton. The two most talented passing big men to every play the position.

 

[maust]

Yea it would be a rock fight.

Don't forget Satch. A defensive pitbull.

They would have a hard time with the '86 team's size.

Russ on McHale and helping Satch on Larry. That would be worth admission.

...and Russ/Walton. The two most talented passing big men to every play the position.

Satch was beast defensively but I honestly thought claiming he was the 3rd best defensive player out of the bunch might be a stretch. People forget just how great a shutdown defensive player KC Jones was. That'll happen when a guy plays with the greatest defensive player of all time though, how much can someone else's D stand out when Russell is on the same court? Damn, that team was amazing from a defensive standpoint. Heinsohn and Havlicek were great defensive players as well.

Thinking of it now I guess that '65 team kind of fixed my personal definition of a great team, not unlike the 2004 Pats. For both victory seemed as inevitable as the tides and just as remorseless. For other teams it was the death of a thousand cuts playing against them and 'round about the 4th quarter the air just seemed to go out of their opponents.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

Goddamn let’s win it tonight. Hoping our guys bring everything they’ve got to the table. Gotta be poised and play smart basketball.

Return to the stifling defense that won us three games and get back to ball movement.

yep, when the ball moves, they are unstoppable. When tatum decides to go 1on1.... oof.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

Tatum and Brown aren't #1s?

Brown is capable of playing like a #1 when playing next to an actual #1. Tatum is a #1 but disappears far too often on the offensive end, IMO. He is one of the more frustrating #1's in the league to me.

 

[VrabelJr]

Brown is capable of playing like a #1 when playing next to an actual #1. Tatum is a #1 but disappears far too often on the offensive end, IMO. He is one of the more frustrating #1's in the league to me.

Tatum dislikes contact and likes contested 3s.When you're at your peak annoyance with him he makes a successful pass out of a double team that makes you fall in love all over again.

 

[VrabelJr]

Brown is capable of playing like a #1 when playing next to an actual #1. Tatum is a #1 but disappears far too often on the offensive end, IMO. He is one of the more frustrating #1's in the league to me.

Brown has that dog and killer instinct in him that just can't be taught. When you need a hard two point basket he should be the goto guy.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Tatum dislikes contact and likes contested 3s.When you're at your peak annoyance with him he makes a successful pass out of a double team that makes you fall in love all over again.

They flow better when Tatum embraces the inner Pippen and pushes away the inner Jordan.

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

The Celtics big guys (Bird, McHale, Parish and Walton) would have a field day with this Celtics team or any other current team. And they all played good to great defense, including Ainge and DJ in the backcourt.

And I won't get into the Russell teams that won 11 of 13 years, but they were loaded too. They also played much deeper teams than any current teams play.

No way to know for sure. I just think the modern day version would gas those guys, and they would have a great deal of difficulty defending the perimeter.

One thing I know for sure is both teams are phenomenal and I feel blessed to have watched them. 86 gets the nod until this team can finish the job. Then the discussions can really begin.

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

The most laughable response I saw here so far was how Tatum would be too athletic for Bird. That's what the NBA thought when Bird showed up. Boy were they wrong.

Maybe the C's should win another game before we start calling them the greatest team ever.

I agree with your second point.

But I think it's laughable that you think the guys Bird had to defend back then (under the old rules basically allowing you to mug anyone) are in the same stratosphere as athletes of today being defended under today's rules.

I grew up on the 80s Celtics, and they were fantastic and fun to watch. Bird will always be one of my favorite players ever and was a better defender than he was credited for.

Pointless argument as there is no way to find out for sure. You've voiced your opinion and I mine. They differ and that's all good. Not going to clog up the thread with it, as tonight's game should be the focus.

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

The current Celtics are like the Patriots without a true WR1. They have several very good WR2’s (when healthy) but no WR1. The C’s will still win the championship because their overall talent (especially the starting 5) is so much higher then other teams.

I can agree with this to an extent. Brown is the exception for me. He has been the best player in the league for the last month+, Game 4 notwithstanding. If he continues this ascent he qualifies as a true #1 in my book.

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

They flow better when Tatum embraces the inner Pippen and pushes away the inner Jordan.

Post of the day. That sums him up perfectly.

Jordan was other-wordly, but man, Pippen was so damn good at everything.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Hauser and Pritchard so disrespected here