Round 2 Lead Up - Celtics on Deck - Game 1 Sunday Noon - Full Schedule Released Page 18

[FlagsFlyForever]

I'm fundamentally against any supernatural basketball notion like "playoffs are different", "clutch gene", "chokers" etc

As for Clutch/chokers, I agree with you. I think those perceptions just come down to small sample sizes. There are hundreds of NBA players. Some of them will have better statistics than others in clutch time just like some will seem to perform exceptionally well if you take any random sample of NBA games. For example, T.J. Leaf has a .563 eFG% overall this season. In the first three minutes of 2nd quarters, his eFG% is .841 (37/43 2Ps, 4/8 3Ps).


That being said, any player who has played in the playoffs will say the playoffs are different than the regular season. There's attention, pressure, intensity to playoff games that the regular season can't replicate. That is why playoff experience is considered so valuable. Sometimes there's things you just can't explain. Games are different than practice. Some players shoot 80% on free throws in a gym but 50% in games. Basketball has the same rules no matter what NBA arena it's played in, and yet the home team usually wins. Russell Westbrook won an MVP. These are all things that are inexplicable but true.

[old skool]

I think all of those national TV shots showing a snow covered downtown Milwaukee are going to make great recruiting tool during Sunday's telecast.

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

[Plossum]

This series feels a lot like the Warriors v Grizz in 2015.

[Perseus1966]

I think all of those national TV shots showing a snow covered downtown Milwaukee are going to make great recruiting tool during Sunday's telecast.

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

Snow? we have 28 c...

[Perseus1966]

I think all of those national TV shots showing a snow covered downtown Milwaukee are going to make great recruiting tool during Sunday's telecast.

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

Snow? we have 28 c...

[Chapter29]

What do you think it means if we lose this series?
That the team is not good as constructed and needs drastic change?
Or that we just need to be patient and try again?

This has been the question all year long for me.

How well we do will dictate how many of our own we resign. But yeah, lets say that we lose this series? Do we go all in on this team this offseason? Possibly overpaying for guys on great deals now and capping out ourselves with a team that maybe can't win it all? We will have to be sure as Giannis' contract extension may depend on it.

The X factor for me is Middleton. I am very torn on committing a near max deal. But then there is the reality that although we are talking about a max slot, we cannot sign the same max player in his place. To do that we would have to be more creative with other players to free up money. That last part is the most concerning to me as then we may be tearing down a good team too much to make a deal. Part of me feels he is more replaceable then we maybe think.

Time will tell and winning this series and the more that follow, the more this team will stay intact. Which would be fantastic. But lose again against the Celtics? Winning a first round series is great n all but lets be for real, it was against a team that didn't deserve to be in the playoffs. And we beat them like the didn't belong. Not that big of an accomplishment really and not necessarily something to double down on and commit in large part for the next several years to.

[aboveAverage]

I look at Portland and see how they keep steadily improving and giving it another shot, and now they could well make the ECF. Sometimes you need to keep at it and make small improvements year after year. You don't blow it up after one playoff series loss when you've won 60 games and have a superstar to retain.

[Chapter29]

I look at Portland and see how they keep steadily improving and giving it another shot, and now they could well make the ECF. Sometimes you need to keep at it and make small improvements year after year. You don't blow it up after one playoff series loss when you've won 60 games and have a superstar to retain.

OK so resign all and go into tax land with this team, yes? Resigning Middleton to a near max, possibly overpaying for Brogdon and heck...how much will BroLo want? Full commitment and hopefully Giannis doesn't think the grass is greener elsewhere.

I get it, the question and challenge is pretty real though. No one blows up a 60 win team by design or desire.

[aboveAverage]

I look at Portland and see how they keep steadily improving and giving it another shot, and now they could well make the ECF. Sometimes you need to keep at it and make small improvements year after year. You don't blow it up after one playoff series loss when you've won 60 games and have a superstar to retain.

OK so resign all and go into tax land with this team, yes? Resigning Middleton to a near max, possibly overpaying for Brogdon and heck...how much will BroLo want? Full commitment and hopefully Giannis doesn't think the grass is greener elsewhere.

I get it, the question and challenge is pretty real though. No blows up a 60 win team by design or desire.

I would. This was a historic team in terms of point differential and wins this season, especially for our franchise. I'm not willing to risk losing that kind of team.

[Zmac]

https://youtu.be/AcOpbDkHe5w

For geeks

[thomchatt3rton]

Again, I think we'd do well to let Midds and Lopez too operate in the midrange and attack when there are mismatches. I know we've been successful operating the way we've done all year, but for the playoffs when the game bogs down to half-court, why not use the advantages god has given us?

[thomchatt3rton]

https://youtu.be/AcOpbDkHe5w

For geeks

I enjoyed the hell out of this. Thanks for posting!

[All The Bucks]

Zach Lowe's series preview is out...

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/zachlowe26613193/preview-boston-celtics-milwaukee-bucks-playoff-series

Spoiler:

Lowe has the Bucks in 7

[Gant]

Zach Lowe's series preview is out...

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/zachlowe26613193/preview-boston-celtics-milwaukee-bucks-playoff-series

Spoiler:

Lowe has the Bucks in 7

Really good, detailed article.

This was a key thought:

That's what makes this matchup so interesting: Milwaukee is hell-bent on taking away shots at the rim and free throws, but Boston is already terrible at producing either. The Celtics ranked dead last in free throw rate and 27th in the share of shots that came at the basket. Most teams lose something against Milwaukee. Boston is already playing how Milwaukee wants its opponents to play.

That should help the Celtics. They are designed to take the sorts of shots Milwaukee concedes.

[BuckHole]

Two days, mo-fos!!!
Madison resident here. I’m considering BW3s in Monona to view the game. I’ll be the guy with his shirt off.

As a former madison and monona resident, why would you leave madison to go to monona. I realize it not far, but the difference is significant.

It is close to where I live in “Madison.” It is a fine sports bar. There are better sports bars, but this place will work. Tvs galore, beverages, food, good service, ambiance, etc.

[MickeyDavis]

Game 2 game time 7:00

[MoreTrife]

Zach Lowe's series preview is out...

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/zachlowe26613193/preview-boston-celtics-milwaukee-bucks-playoff-series

Spoiler:

Lowe has the Bucks in 7

I'm just sick to my stomach with nerves over this series. This article didn't help and it is from BOS perspective mostly. Even though he picks MIL to win, with it being focused on BOS just feels like they are in driver's seat. I might puke.

[MoreTrife]

I hope the refs see through that BS, like what Drummond and Griffin were trying in the Det series. Blatant flopping and hacking is the only way to stop Giannis. Flopping should be reviewable and punishable by technical fouls. It's stupid that against great players, it's basically a low risk situation for the defender. Make it like yellow cards in soccer after dives.

It baffles me that rule changes such a reviews haven't been implemented. Maybe outside of normal review situations, you get 1 or 2 discretionary calls for review per game). A few years ago there was the rule about fines for flops but that isn't enforced. Why do players, coaches and owners want it in the game? It obviously happens because it is effective (and low risk as another poster has mentioned), but for the feeling of disgust is stronger than any joy in flipping a possession via a bull flop.

[HaroldinGMinor]

Two days, mo-fos!!!
Madison resident here. I’m considering BW3s in Monona to view the game. I’ll be the guy with his shirt off.

As a former madison and monona resident, why would you leave madison to go to monona. I realize it not far, but the difference is significant.

It is close to where I live in “Madison.” It is a fine sports bar. There are better sports bars, but this place will work. Tvs galore, beverages, food, good service, ambiance, etc.

[JayMKE]

Either way the refs call it we should win, if they swallow their whistle then we can outphysical them and if they call ticky tacky then our guys should be going to basket & getting to the FT line a lot.