Celtics 2017/2018 Thread

[borg]

Rebounds, assists & FG% are my favourite basketball stats.
Rebounds are especially important on a team with brick-layers like Smart & Rozier chucking it up at 33% for the evening. I would include useless crap like Larkin & Nader, but they only had 5 shot attempts combined (making a whopping 1 of them).

My 2 cents:
Finally, Ainge has built a team that can win the rebounding contest most nights which is huge, especially since the current roster is less accurate from the 3 point arc.
After 8 games, the C's are #6 in rebounding, #4 in steals, #1 in defense.
These improvements are vital considering the team is #22 in scoring and middle of the pack in 3 point % while #6 in 3 point attempts.
My biggest takeaway after 8 games...Brad Stevens may be the best coach in the league....and it might not even be close.
Contrast Boston and Milwaukee: The C's roster was 80% rebuilt this offseason and lost their 2nd biggest player in game 1. The Bucks returned 11 players this year...but after the C's took down the Bucks at the Mecca, it was very clear which team was cohesive, motivated, and coached up to succeed. Jason Kidd is a neophyte compared to Stevens.
Look at Cleveland right now. Big roster turnover....sh*t show. Lue is being exposed for what he is...Lebron's clipboard holder.
Needless to say I'm very excited about the C's future under Stevens

My concerns:
Tatum's athleticism ...I'm not seeing it. Very stiff. Legs lack strength. It almost appears he's still growing taller and is in that gangly stage. I know my worries are premature and Brown certainly has built himself an NBA body after 1 year ....so I have hope.
3 point shooting is a big concern and it appears Stevens will continue to let them all launch...with the goal of rounding into form.

Most pleasant surprise....Semi Ojeleye. Mark my words...this guy will be an NBA force sometime in the near future. Three point stroke is sweet. NBA body. And did anyone notice his defense on the Greek Freak. Stevens is showing a lot of faith in Semi already. How did NBA experts let this guy fall into the 2nd round?
Honorable mention: Herr Theis. ....German efficiency personified. Great get by Ainge.
I also love Baynes' intensity. What a contrast compared to Amir Johnson.

My hope:
Ainge passes on Okafor. I'd rather the team seek out a quality NBA sniper.

Looking ahead:
Can't wait to see this team gel under Stevens.

 

[IllegalContact]

My 2 cents:
Finally, Ainge has built a team that can win the rebounding contest most nights which is huge, especially since the current roster is less accurate from the 3 point arc.
After 8 games, the C's are #6 in rebounding, #4 in steals, #1 in defense.
These improvements are vital considering the team is #22 in scoring and middle of the pack in 3 point % while #6 in 3 point attempts.
My biggest takeaway after 8 games...Brad Stevens may be the best coach in the league....and it might not even be close.
Contrast Boston and Milwaukee: The C's roster was 80% rebuilt this offseason and lost their 2nd biggest player in game 1. The Bucks returned 11 players this year...but after the C's took down the Bucks at the Mecca, it was very clear which team was cohesive, motivated, and coached up to succeed. Jason Kidd is a neophyte compared to Stevens.
Look at Cleveland right now. Big roster turnover....sh*t show. Lue is being exposed for what he is...Lebron's clipboard holder.
Needless to say I'm very excited about the C's future under Stevens

My concerns:
Tatum's athleticism ...I'm not seeing it. Very stiff. Legs lack strength. It almost appears he's still growing taller and is in that gangly stage. I know my worries are premature and Brown certainly has built himself an NBA body after 1 year ....so I have hope.
3 point shooting is a big concern and it appears Stevens will continue to let them all launch...with the goal of rounding into form.

Most pleasant surprise....Semi Ojeleye. Mark my words...this guy will be an NBA force sometime in the near future. Three point stroke is sweet. NBA body. And did anyone notice his defense on the Greek Freak. Stevens is showing a lot of faith in Semi already. How did NBA experts let this guy fall into the 2nd round?
Honorable mention: Herr Theis. ....German efficiency personified. Great get by Ainge.
I also love Baynes' intensity. What a contrast compared to Amir Johnson.

My hope:
Ainge passes on Okafor. I'd rather the team seek out a quality NBA sniper.

Looking ahead:
Can't wait to see this team gel under Stevens.

RE Tatum and Brown......Brown showed up that way.....it was why he was drafted so high.....tatum is 19 and 6'8"/205.....he will add 10/yr for the next 2.......

as for Okafor.....I would take him in a heartbeat......instant offense in the paint and we could use the size for now.....especially considering he could be had for little commitment

 

[IcyPatriot]

Nice win last night in OKC - Morris already paying off as a nice addition.

Stevens has many pieces to get the looks he wants throughout the game.

Average Al is anything but average.

 

[borg]

8-2
5-1 on the road

Stats after 9 games:

21st in FG%
20th in FT%
23rd in scoring

5th in rebounding
5th in steals
#1 in scoring defense

Little doubt how Boston is earning its wins....defense.

With Morris now added to the rotation, it'll be interesting to see how Stevens doles out playing time. Baynes may be affected the most. Morris is much more athletic than I expected.

Note: The NBA schedule this year has been condensed and teams basically play every two days with very little deviation. Practice opportunities will be scarcer than in past years.

 

[rochrist]

RE Tatum and Brown......Brown showed up that way.....it was why he was drafted so high.....tatum is 19 and 6'8"/205.....he will add 10/yr for the next 2.......

as for Okafor.....I would take him in a heartbeat......instant offense in the paint and we could use the size for now.....especially considering he could be had for little commitment

No on Okafor. The guy is the epitome of the Anti-Stevens player, he would take time away from people we need to develop, and we wouldn't be able to resign him anyway. A complete waste of resources.
As for Tatum, he seems to be getting along just fine with his athleticism.

Tatum is hitting 52% from 3, Al 51% from 3, Jaylen 43% from 3, Kyrie 34%.
I think they'll take that.

 

[IllegalContact]

No on Okafor. The guy is the epitome of the Anti-Stevens player, he would take time away from people we need to develop, and we wouldn't be able to resign him anyway. A complete waste of resources.
As for Tatum, he seems to be getting along just fine with his athleticism.

Tatum is hitting 52% from 3, Al 51% from 3, Jaylen 43% from 3, Kyrie 34%.
I think they'll take that.

I disagree.....a 2nd rounder on him is a no brained....even if he doesn’t resign here....adding an offensive post guy to this team is a perfect fit especially in a limited manner......even if it winds up not being this one.... horford needs help and more than just baynes

 

[rochrist]

9 straight. Kyrie with 35, Tatum with 21 and 8 boards, Big Al with 15, 10 boards and 9 assists.

 

[IcyPatriot]

9 straight. Kyrie with 35, Tatum with 21 and 8 boards, Big Al with 15, 10 boards and 9 assists.

Celtics were gassed and gutted it out - Stevens continues his chess game with this team - lots of pieces.

 

[SalemPats]

very impressed with the job Stevens has done. Kyrie's defense looks improved and he has the ability more so than IT to beat any defendor off the dribble.

Ainge is clearly exectuive of the year. The Tatum/Fultz deal was a heist, he traded an injured 30 year old guard (with a hip injury that does not have a great recovery rate) and the Brooklyn pick (that doesn't look like a lottery) for the best scorer in the East who he torched us last year. And he got rid of Crowder.

 

[captain insano]

celtics are must see tv. the rookie is making danny ainge look like a genius. and baynes was a great sign to.

 

[captain stone]

Celtics were gassed and gutted it out - Stevens continues his chess game with this team - lots of pieces.

If the Cs have lots of pieces, then why were they gassed?

 

[SalemPats]

celtics are must see tv. the rookie is making danny ainge look like a genius. and baynes was a great sign to.

After the Hayward injury I thought this team was a 5 or 6 seed at best, but this team plays smart. I hope they can keep it up, but so far they have surpassed my expectations

 

[IcyPatriot]

If the Cs have lots of pieces, then why were they gassed?

They've played a lot of games lately - the bench was out of sync last night - only a short rotation was going to win the game.

 

[rochrist]

If the Cs have lots of pieces, then why were they gassed?

Back to back on the road. And they weren't /that/ gassed.

 

[rochrist]

This is interesting. After Hayward went down, 538.com revised their win projection for Boston to 37 games. Today, they project Boston to win 55 games and give them a 26 percent chance of making the Finals. Their nearest competitor, Cleveland is now given only a 20 percent chance of making the Finals.

 

[captain stone]

37 wins? I'm not as big a fan of their roster as most here, but even I would not have projected only 37 wins after the Hayward injury. I don't know about 55 wins either, but their eventual total should come much closer to 55 than 37.

 

[IcyPatriot]

10 in a row - who woulda' thunk it.

 

[IcyPatriot]

8:30 vs Hornets - Horford out and Tatum in.

Celtics have become must see sports.

 

[rochrist]

8:30 vs Hornets - Horford out and Tatum in.

Celtics have become must see sports.

Irving out with concussion two minutes in.

 

[Jackson 2]

This team has some serious f###### stones...