The Celtics should be terrified of facing the Heat in the playoffs

[Hitachi77]

I swear the GB has been such a cold shower for Celtics fans this season lol.

Last night we beat the Bulls on a road back to back without 3 starters. Wrapped up our first 5-0 week since 2005. On a 9 game winning streak while resting guys and using 8 different starting lineups.

Celtics have a mind-boggling 11.5 game lead in the East and a 6.5 game lead over the West. Historically good net rating and point differential etc. The entire roster from top to bottom is balling out.

Last night the Bulls announcers were raving about the Celtics like they were in legitimate awe. Then Sam Mitchell and Isiah Thomas raved about them on NBATV* and we C's fans went to bed thinking, "wow this is really cool, our team is so good."

...

Then we wake up to a thread about how we should be terrified of a Heat team in the Play-in that's 4-6 in their last 10 and just got blown out by the Ingram-less Pelicans after Jimmy Butler guaranteed a win.

*

Spoiler:

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Well the best regular season team hasn’t won the title since 2017. No one expected Miami to trounce the Bucks and Celtics last year, and Miami has a massive coaching advantage against both. I get being confident, but I don’t really understand Celtics or Bucks fans “wanting” to play them. A title is a title, and no one remembers the path. Why want to play the one team who seems to have a mental edge come playoff time? Falling down 3-0 and losing game 7 at home is no joke.

[Larry_Russell]

Miami is a top 10 defensive team again. Offense is the only thing standing in their way. Curious to see if Butler can pull a playoff Jimmy again, but without injury.

Boston is a top 3 defensive team and the number 1 offensive.

[TroubleS0me]

Miami owns the Celtics
until otherwise, until Celtics beat them in the playoffs this year.

[AussieCeltic]

The Heat got lucky from 3 at a historic rate from guys that stunk before the playoffs. Very unlikely they get that lucky again. They are what their record says they are this year. I bet the Celtics welcome a heat match up this year just to put this Heat team to bed. Any team could get lucky and make a run to the finals this year.

The Heat were the best three-point shooting team in the league the previous year with the same roster. They didn't get lucky from three, they just recovered their form that eluded them the whole regular season at the best time possible.

They shot 45% from 3 vs the Bucks and 43.7% vs the Celtics. I’m sorry, but that’s not sustainable and never has been in NBA history.

The only team that has been close to that was the Nets with 42.2%, when they got swept by the Celtics and the Spurs at 42.9% in 15-16.

I’ll bet my house they won’t do that again in 1 series this season, let alone 2.

[AussieCeltic]

Miami owns the Celtics
until otherwise, until Celtics beat them in the playoffs this year.

I wouldn’t say own. It’s 2-1 in favour of Miami the last 3 visits with the Tatum/Brown vs Jimmy/Bam matchups.

The difference now is, Tatum and Brown are in their primes and have an amazing supporting cast. I hope we get the Heat this season.

[LeBronSpaghetti]

We don't even need Tatum to play to beat this Heat team 4 out of 5 games. C'mon.

I find it odd that Celtics fans have this kind of confidence in this team despite the history of playoff failures. The level of confidence Celtics fans have for this team reminds me of the confidence Warriors fans had around 2015-2018, except that actually made sense.

Anecdotally, Celtics fans seem far more confidant than Nuggets fans. Is that really justified? I just don’t see it.

[FarBeyondDriven]

I do think this is the best Celtics team they've had yet and comparing it to previous teams isn't fair. That said, everyone should know by now that the other teams in the East don't really take the regular season seriously like the Celtics seem to so you shouldn't get too worked up by how average or bad they've often looked. Come playoff time, these very experienced teams will go down to their 7-8 men rotations, refs will get involved, stars can get hot or cold and role players could look like all-NBA for a game or two so all bets are off. Yes, the Celtics should be very concerned with not only the Heat but also the Bucks. I have a sneaking suspicion the script writers have the Celtics winning it all this year but it wouldn't shock me if they had different plans like maybe the Bucks or Knicks.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Nope.

They do not scare me.

This playoff Miami narrative has gotten out of control.

[GrandTheftRondo]

We don't even need Tatum to play to beat this Heat team 4 out of 5 games. C'mon.

I find it odd that Celtics fans have this kind of confidence in this team despite the history of playoff failures. The level of confidence Celtics fans have for this team reminds me of the confidence Warriors fans had around 2015-2018, except that actually made sense.

Anecdotally, Celtics fans seem far more confidant than Nuggets fans. Is that really justified? I just don’t see it.

Playoff failures?

They made the finals with an inexperienced core and then last year lost in the ECF in 7 games?

Where are these ‘failures’ you speak of?

I also just love how people just continually ignore the Celtics have two completely different starters this year.

[mako]

Only thing with the celtics I worry about is they tend to live and die by the 3. Is their defense good enough in the playoffs to offset bad shooting nights?

[Eagle4]

We don't even need Tatum to play to beat this Heat team 4 out of 5 games. C'mon.

I find it odd that Celtics fans have this kind of confidence in this team despite the history of playoff failures. The level of confidence Celtics fans have for this team reminds me of the confidence Warriors fans had around 2015-2018, except that actually made sense.

Anecdotally, Celtics fans seem far more confidant than Nuggets fans. Is that really justified? I just don’t see it.

Playoff failures?

They made the finals with an inexperienced core and then last year lost in the ECF in 7 games?

Where are these ‘failures’ you speak of?

Saying 7 games is convenient when they were down 3-0 and a White tip away from it being even more solidified after game 4. That's without Heat having Herro and Oladipo. When Celtics' shot goes cold and the ultimately lose in the playoffs yet again I'll note this moment for the umpteenth time the fans were so foolishly overconfident.

[GrandTheftRondo]

I find it odd that Celtics fans have this kind of confidence in this team despite the history of playoff failures. The level of confidence Celtics fans have for this team reminds me of the confidence Warriors fans had around 2015-2018, except that actually made sense.

Anecdotally, Celtics fans seem far more confidant than Nuggets fans. Is that really justified? I just don’t see it.

Playoff failures?

They made the finals with an inexperienced core and then last year lost in the ECF in 7 games?

Where are these ‘failures’ you speak of?

Saying 7 games is convenient when they were down 3-0 and a White tip away from it being even more solidified afer game 4. That's without Heat having Herro and oladipo. When Celtics lose in the playoffs I'll note this for the umpteenth time they the fans were so foolishly overconfident.

But people are saying failures as in multiple.

Last season was a failure, not denying that.

But where are the other failures?

They had one other season where they miraculously turned around their season with a first year coach and lost to the battle tested Warriors in 6 games in the finals.

You can note whatever the hell you want. I’m just completely tired of people acting like this is some starting five that has choked away all these series.

Porzingis and Holiday weren’t even on the team last year.

[Hitachi77]

Playoff failures?

They made the finals with an inexperienced core and then last year lost in the ECF in 7 games?

Where are these ‘failures’ you speak of?

Saying 7 games is convenient when they were down 3-0 and a White tip away from it being even more solidified afer game 4. That's without Heat having Herro and oladipo. When Celtics lose in the playoffs I'll note this for the umpteenth time they the fans were so foolishly overconfident.

But people are saying failures as in multiple.

Last season was a failure, not denying that.

But where are the other failures?

They had one other season where they miraculously turned around their season with a first year coach and lost to the battle tested Warriors in 6 games in the finals.

You can note whatever the hell you want. I’m just completely tired of people acting like this is some starting five that has choked away all these series.

Porzingis and Holiday weren’t even on the team last year.

Well I think they were favored vs Miami all 3 times? And only won one of them barely. They also almost lost to the Sixers before Tatum caught fire out of nowhere, after being terrible all game.

If anything I’d maybe be worried about their coach in the playoffs. He was definitely out coached last year, and this year one of his focus points seems to be blocking opposing teams dead ball shots of all things (sorry if he was already doing that last year).

Anyway, there are certainly the best team so far this year. But if I were a Celtics fan I def wouldn’t think they are going to just crush their way to a title, and Miami is one of the teams I’d be worried about.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Saying 7 games is convenient when they were down 3-0 and a White tip away from it being even more solidified afer game 4. That's without Heat having Herro and oladipo. When Celtics lose in the playoffs I'll note this for the umpteenth time they the fans were so foolishly overconfident.

But people are saying failures as in multiple.

Last season was a failure, not denying that.

But where are the other failures?

They had one other season where they miraculously turned around their season with a first year coach and lost to the battle tested Warriors in 6 games in the finals.

You can note whatever the hell you want. I’m just completely tired of people acting like this is some starting five that has choked away all these series.

Porzingis and Holiday weren’t even on the team last year.

Well I think they were favored vs Miami all 3 times? And only won one of them barely. They also almost lost to the Sixers before Tatum caught fire out of nowhere, after being terrible all game.

If anything I’d maybe be worried about their coach in the playoffs. He was definitely out coached last year, and this year one of his focus points seems to be blocking opposing teams dead ball shots of all things (sorry if he was already doing that last year).

Anyway, there are certainly the best team so far this year. But if I were a Celtics fan I def wouldn’t think they are going to just crush their way to a title, and Miami is one of the teams I’d be worried about.

In 2020 they were a young team playing against a Heat team that knocked off the 1 seed Bucks. They weren’t some team expected to do anything.

In 2022 as mentioned they had a miraculous turnaround and made it to the finals. Nobody was picking them for the finals at the start of the season.

Last season yes they underperformed. Funny how you mention almost losing to Philly yet Miami almost losing to Boston doesn’t seem to count.

Again I don’t see where all these collective failures are. They’ve had one season where they failed to live up to high expectations all season and win a title.

Miami meanwhile has this ridiculous playoff performer narrative despite losing in 2022 as the number 1 seed and getting swept the year before that. That commonly seems to get ignored.

I really struggle to take any of your post seriously though when you’re actually trying to argue that the Celtics coach is more focused on blocking opponents shots than coaching his team. What absolute nonsense.

[ajones9219]

I do think this is the best Celtics team they've had yet and comparing it to previous teams isn't fair. That said, everyone should know by now that the other teams in the East don't really take the regular season seriously like the Celtics seem to so you shouldn't get too worked up by how average or bad they've often looked. Come playoff time, these very experienced teams will go down to their 7-8 men rotations, refs will get involved, stars can get hot or cold and role players could look like all-NBA for a game or two so all bets are off. Yes, the Celtics should be very concerned with not only the Heat but also the Bucks. I have a sneaking suspicion the script writers have the Celtics winning it all this year but it wouldn't shock me if they had different plans like maybe the Bucks or Knicks.

The Celtics have been sitting multiple starters every game for a few weeks and have gone 20-2 since February. In addition, they have sat at least one of horford or zinger in every back to back and have gone 11-2 on second night's of b2b. I don't think it's fair to act like we are going all out compared to other east teams. They are just better.

[ChipotleWest]

Everyone in the East should be actually, they've made the Finals twice in the last 5 years when both times they were below a 4 seed. That's never been done before.

[ajones9219]

Everyone in the East should be actually, they've made the Finals twice in the last 5 years when both times they were below a 4 seed. That's never been done before.

They also lost as the #1 seed in 2022 and got swept the year prior in the first round.

Also were a Tatum injury from choking a 3-0 lead last year but I digress.

[ChipotleWest]

Everyone in the East should be actually, they've made the Finals twice in the last 5 years when both times they were below a 4 seed. That's never been done before.

They also lost as the #1 seed in 2022 and got swept the year prior in the first round.

Also were a Tatum injury from choking a 3-0 lead last year but I digress.

I get what you're saying but the Celtics never should have been down 3-0 in the first place. But then again they also beat the #1 seed Bucks.

[ajones9219]

Everyone in the East should be actually, they've made the Finals twice in the last 5 years when both times they were below a 4 seed. That's never been done before.

They also lost as the #1 seed in 2022 and got swept the year prior in the first round.

Also were a Tatum injury from choking a 3-0 lead last year but I digress.

I get what you're saying but the Celtics never should have been down 3-0 in the first place. But then again they also beat the #1 seed Bucks.

The Celtics fumbled the first few games but the Heat playoff narrative is way out of control. They beat up an injured Bucks team last year, and as stated, the Celtics fumbled the first 3 games.

Jimmy is also WILDLY overrated as a playoff performer but that's somehow blasphemous on this forum.

[ChipotleWest]

Honestly I had a lot going on in my personal life and didn't even get to watch the playoffs I'm just going by results. So I won't comment further since I didn't watch the games.