Celtics 2023 - 2024 Discussion

[jimnance]

It’s hard to really make a Celtics pecking order out of the Olympics. Tatum and Brown are great players, but their skill set is similar most modern NBA stars. I’m not being anti-Jaylen here. Whether it was Mitchell, Lillard, Maxey, Young, or anyone like that, White is the best fit.

The real variable here is that the US really doesn’t have many real point guards who look to pass first, don’t turn the ball over, shoot efficiently, and play great defense. Surely, you’d think, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, can’t be the only American players who are elite at these things, but they essentially are, or at least they’re the only ones who are elite. Halliburton is kinda like them but not at their level. He’s a better pure scorer but trails in everything else. It’s amazing the Celtics just happen to have both of these guys.

The fact that so many people refer to White and Holiday as “role players” just tells you how far away from classic basketball - and into offensive playmaking - people have gotten. Neither one of these guys are “role players” in any sense of the word. They don’t really create shots off the dribble (nor do they try to)…that’s the only reason they get that label. Pressure defense, running the offense, distributing and protecting the ball, moving around the perimeter for an open shot: that used to be the standard job description for a point guard.

I've said it many times: C's have the best backcourt in the NBA.
Repeating is very very hard....
..but if we stay healthy at the right time, I like our chances

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

The GOAT

(not to mention Tom Brady!)

 

[jimnance]

The GOAT

(not to mention Tom Brady!)

Ok, now you've taken it too far

 

[bresna]

Kerr benched Tatum & Haliburton again. I'm not even going to watch the gold medal game. Screw these coaches. I wonder what Kerr's excuse will be this time? They were getting beat for 3 and a half quarters with the players he used. He should have mixed it up a lot earlier.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Kerr benched Tatum & Haliburton again. I'm not even going to watch the gold medal game. Screw these coaches. I wonder what Kerr's excuse will be this time? They were getting beat for 3 and a half quarters with the players he used. He should have mixed it up a lot earlier.

I wouldn’t say Haliburton is benched. More of a healthy scratch.

This seemed like a good matchup for Tatum with his size and length. I don’t really understand this decision today.

Worst game White has played in a while. Got taken out constantly on perimeter screens…not that anyone on USA was able to slow down those 3s. But yeah, White’s smaller frame worked against him a lot today. Holiday held his ground a little better but still got roasted as well.

Curry and Embiid saved an epic disaster. Great games from them.

LeBron sucks.

Booker is a tremendous 2-way player, and willing to play sidekick. Hell of a player.

 

[bresna]

I think LeBron thinks that he needs to play running back instead of power forward sometimes. He bulls his way down low and I am surprised that they don't call him on it every now & then.

 

[1960Pats]

Disrespect makes these guys play better though. Bring it on

On another note, I think we have to start considering where the Celtics’ starting five ranks in all-time NBA history

They're probably in the top ten.

 

[sb1]

.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I wouldn’t say Haliburton is benched. More of a healthy scratch.

This seemed like a good matchup for Tatum with his size and length. I don’t really understand this decision today.

Worst game White has played in a while. Got taken out constantly on perimeter screens…not that anyone on USA was able to slow down those 3s. But yeah, White’s smaller frame worked against him a lot today. Holiday held his ground a little better but still got roasted as well.

Curry and Embiid saved an epic disaster. Great games from them.

LeBron sucks.

Booker is a tremendous 2-way player, and willing to play sidekick. Hell of a player.

I think the argument that Celtics players are a bit tired might be holding water.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I think the argument that Celtics players are a bit tired might be holding water.

I disagree with that. White played 7 minutes. I think White and Holiday (to a lesser extent) just played poorly. Tatum is in the prime of his career. There’s no way he’s too tired to put in a solid 10 minutes minimum.

People gotta stop crying on Twitter that Tatum gets 0 minutes and White gets X minutes. Tatum is competing for playing time with LeBron, Durant, and Edwards. White is competing with LeBron, Holiday, Curry, and Haliburton.

Yes, I had to include LeBron there since he’s the de facto point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center, when he’s in the game. The ball must always be in his hands - and run through him - at all times. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tatum freezeout is more about LeBron being a whiny ***** than Kerr’s actual strategy. No doubt LeBron is wanting to be the alpha and yapping about seniority. If you just watch the way this team plays, you can see he’s the clear problem when it comes to pecking order and lack of leadership. He continues his long standing career streak of never making a teammate better while he’s on the team, while making every teammate worse.

 

[jimnance]

I'm kinda grateful to USA Basketball.
The way they treated JB and JT will remove any feelings of complacency that might be there after finally winning the NBA championship. They were both disrespected. Period.
More fuel.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I'm kinda grateful to USA Basketball.
The way they treated JB and JT will remove any feelings of complacency that might be there after finally winning the NBA championship. They were both disrespected. Period.
More fuel.

I agree with this 100%. The USA will win Gold and we will win a 2nd championship. In 4 years Lebron and Curry will be gone and we will watch Tatum and Brown win a Gold. All is good. What more could be in alignment for a Celtics fan? And we can thank Danny and Brad, both approaches led to this ideal position.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

There’s no way he’s too tired to put in a solid 10 minutes minimum.

People gotta stop crying on Twitter that Tatum gets 0 minutes and White gets X minutes. Tatum is competing for playing time with LeBron, Durant, and Edwards. White is competing with LeBron, Holiday, Curry, and Haliburton.

Tatum is good for 10 minutes - I agree. Kerr has always been very policitical with his comments, and his rotation shows his bias towards James and Curry. But 4 years from now, Steph and LeBron will be gone and it will be the "Celtics' Olympics".

Your distribution of positions is ridiculous. Brown and Tatum can not play 4 positions? Of course they can.

Saying Embiid and Curry were key to the Serbia comeback (the media said this not you) ignores why the USA fell so far behind in the first place. It is all NBA "friends and politics" with Kerr as the coach. Kerr is the opposite of Belichick. Kerr will be out of the league in 4 years, probably a commentator, and the Celtics will win the Olympics Gold.

 

[Zuma]

 

[RobertWeathers]

I disagree with that. White played 7 minutes. I think White and Holiday (to a lesser extent) just played poorly. Tatum is in the prime of his career. There’s no way he’s too tired to put in a solid 10 minutes minimum.

People gotta stop crying on Twitter that Tatum gets 0 minutes and White gets X minutes. Tatum is competing for playing time with LeBron, Durant, and Edwards. White is competing with LeBron, Holiday, Curry, and Haliburton.

Yes, I had to include LeBron there since he’s the de facto point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center, when he’s in the game. The ball must always be in his hands - and run through him - at all times. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tatum freezeout is more about LeBron being a whiny ***** than Kerr’s actual strategy. No doubt LeBron is wanting to be the alpha and yapping about seniority. If you just watch the way this team plays, you can see he’s the clear problem when it comes to pecking order and lack of leadership. He continues his long standing career streak of never making a teammate better while he’s on the team, while making every teammate worse.

Hold on. LeBron's whining/lobbying has nothing to do with JTs off play during the Olympics.

Holiday had and ankle sprain. We have no idea if he is healthy. We know he's played in in 100+ games in the last year. Same as White.

The human body has limits.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

What is worse? Never getting selected to the USA Olympic team (Brown) or getting selected and sitting the bench (Tatum)?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Curry’s defense is an issue these days, but anyone still believing LeBron is that generation’s greatest player is delusional. Curry is the best NBA player since 2000. Hopefully the 4th quarter of the Olympics is the final push needed to cement that correct take.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

 

[Zuma]

 

[maust]

No doubt