Christmas Day: Nets @ Celtics - Fri, 12/25/20 | 5:00pm EST | ABC

[StepBackCrack]

I opened a KD thread in player comparison forum. Feel free to join guys.
viewtopic.php?f=64&t=2033538

[MGrand15]

My sober thoughts on the game:

1. Our depth is just insane. Nash has the luxury of not having to stagger Kyrie or KD at all. Other coaches get killed for this but if we maximize their minutes together - outside of us just crushing teams, it's more time together to build chemistry. Nash's rotations are just perfect now.

2. KD is just amazing man. Tatum is one of the best wing scorers in the league and he wanted NO parts of KD one on one. KD was fighting through screens, contesting everything, getting deflections. Protecting the paint and still getting out to shooters. That stretch in the 3rd almost made me faint. So effortless.

3. KD + Kyrie are so deadly. There are some great players in the league where you can build a wall / protect the paint and really slow them down. Or you could run them off the 3 point line and limit them. Or you could just make sure to not foul them. KD + Ky are impossible to slow down. So much variety to their game. Both are truly elite 3 level scorers. Incredibly rare nowadays. KD especially - he doesn't bait for fouls but he knows exactly when to hunt them down.

4. LeVert played a really sloppy game with TOs but that stretch in the 4th is what makes us so dangerous. Completely killed Boston's hopes. Got guys involved. Picked on weaker defenders. He's gonna start getting more comfortable with the 2nd unit and start cooking.

5. Dinwiddie is going to get it going. We've seen this before and he always picks it up. Even right now, I like what he's bringing to the table. Not being selfish at all. Playing super hard. Teams are going to start getting more aggressive doubling Ky + KD. When that happens, Spencer is going to get layups and free throws ALL day.

[Brooklyn91]

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[therealbig3]

Interesting going on the Celtics board to lurk and you see a bunch of posts about how terrible our bench is...(granted it's one poster, and other Celtics posters have called him out for it, but still)

Shamet was a starter for a playoff team last year and is a 40% 3pt shooter for his career.

Jarrett Allen has been a starter for most of his career and is widely acknowledged as one of the better young bigs in the league and should actually still be a starter if not for team politics. And would start for most teams in the league.

Caris Levert is inconsistent, but he's shown real talent as an on-ball player for short stretches, and has really improved as an outside shooter. As the #1 or #2 option he'll have issues...but as the 6th man? One of the better ones in the league.

Taurean Prince...like Levert, he's inconsistent, and when put in a larger role, he'll struggle. But he's generally been a really good 3pt shooter, and has been a starter for most of his career as well. Perfectly suited to be a shooter off the bench.

Jeff Green is a journeyman veteran who's been a rotation player for multiple playoff teams throughout his career, many of them actual contenders. As a stretch big with some slashing and on-ball ability to come in and back up KD and Jordan for a few minutes in the front court, while also potentially being a part of a 5 ball-handler and shooter lineup late in games...you can do A LOT worse than Jeff Green. He's been a starter for plenty of teams throughout his career as well.

That's not even getting into the fact that guys like Tyler Johnson, Rodions Kurucs, and Bruce Brown, who have actually been rotation players for playoff teams very recently, aren't even part of the rotation right now because we have 5 starter-level players coming off the bench.

Our bench is arguably the best in the league.

[Paradise]

Interesting going on the Celtics board to lurk and you see a bunch of posts about how terrible our bench is...(granted it's one poster, and other Celtics posters have called him out for it, but still)

Shamet was a starter for a playoff team last year and is a 40% 3pt shooter for his career.

Jarrett Allen has been a starter for most of his career and is widely acknowledged as one of the better young bigs in the league and should actually still be a starter if not for team politics. And would start for most teams in the league.

Caris Levert is inconsistent, but he's shown real talent as an on-ball player for short stretches, and has really improved as an outside shooter. As the #1 or #2 option he'll have issues...but as the 6th man? One of the better ones in the league.

Taurean Prince...like Levert, he's inconsistent, and when put in a larger role, he'll struggle. But he's generally been a really good 3pt shooter, and has been a starter for most of his career as well. Perfectly suited to be a shooter off the bench.

Jeff Green is a journeyman veteran who's been a rotation player for multiple playoff teams throughout his career, many of them actual contenders. As a stretch big with some slashing and on-ball ability to come in and back up KD and Jordan for a few minutes in the front court, while also potentially being a part of a 5 ball-handler and shooter lineup late in games...you can do A LOT worse than Jeff Green. He's been a starter for plenty of teams throughout his career as well.

That's not even getting into the fact that guys like Tyler Johnson, Rodions Kurucs, and Bruce Brown, who have actually been rotation players for playoff teams very recently, aren't even part of the rotation right now because we have 5 starter-level players coming off the bench.

Our bench is arguably the best in the league.

Our bench has actually started more than most teams in the league. It’s an actual stat.

[therealbig3]

What I will say though is that bench depth can be overrated in the playoffs, unless you have injuries, in which case having capable players come in and step up is a really nice luxury to have.

But assuming health, teams will generally shorten their playoff rotation and you'll end up playing just your best 8-9 guys, and the best 5-man lineup will play the bulk of those minutes anyway, especially the stars.

We still match up pretty well with anyone though given we have elite top end talent also.

[MrDollarBills]

If we can get KD and Kyrie to the playoffs in one piece, Sean Marks will be executive of the year. This roster is flat out ungodly. Opponents will have to play their star players 40+ against us just to stand a chance.

When LeVert and The Boys held that lead for a fresh Kyrie and KD to come in mid 4th, it was a done deal.

It's almost unfair

[Paradise]

:lol: If we can get KD and Kyrie to the playoffs in one piece, Sean Marks will be executive of the year. This roster is flat out ungodly. Opponents will have to play their star players 40+ against us just to stand a chance.

When LeVert and The Boys held that lead for a fresh Kyrie and KD to come in mid 4th, it was a done deal.

It's almost unfair

Oh, and we still have our $5M MLE for buyout candidates.

This is why I kept saying it might be better to hold off until later in the season.

[MrDollarBills]

:lol: If we can get KD and Kyrie to the playoffs in one piece, Sean Marks will be executive of the year. This roster is flat out ungodly. Opponents will have to play their star players 40+ against us just to stand a chance.

When LeVert and The Boys held that lead for a fresh Kyrie and KD to come in mid 4th, it was a done deal.

It's almost unfair

Oh, and we still have our $5M MLE for buyout candidates.

This is why I kept saying it might be better to hold off until later in the season.

Yep. If all goes well, we will even more loaded.