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ChipotleWest wrote:I'm not crowning them champions until they actually win it.

ChipotleWest wrote:

durden_tyler wrote:

One_and_Done wrote:Butler getting hurt is a god send. It felt like the Heat would be a tough 1st round opponent for the Celtics.

Eh, even with Butler that series would be a sweep.

I'm sure people said that last playoffs too.

KembaWalker wrote:Getting to the finals in the East is probably less impressive than winning the first round in the west. Crazy that it’s like that every year

Fantaxp7 wrote:

ReddoverKobe wrote:

The-Stallion70 wrote:It really is theirs to lose this year.

When Tatum got hurt in the game 7 against against Miami last year and couldn't handle the offensive load any more and the C's found out that Jaylen Brown couldn't carry them in Tatum's absence, they went out and addressed the need for a guy who can create shots in the halfcourt and got KP while also addressing the need for interior defense.

I still can't believe they went and replaced Smart with Jrue Holiday, a guy who's almost as good as a defender and is a better overall player anyway.

"Oh we lost the heart of the team"

Yea but you replaced him with another all star so..

Jrue is a much better defender.

It's so weird and great having had both players. I'll say this, Smart's peak defense was greater, but that was a couple of years ago. Jrue's defense is fantastic but what I prefer about him over Smart is that he is more consistent and on both sides of the floor. Smart would have a game or two with great highlight defensive plays then sorta back off a bit....same with his offense...more off days with his offense lol.

I think we'd have a similar record this year with Smart if he was healthy but I still prefer Jrue for the consistency.

I thought about this the other day, there hasn't been a game this year where I thought "If Smart were still on this team...". Not a knock on Smart or anything just kinda crazy how well Jrue filled his spot so well.

bledredwine wrote:This is the (second) year for the Celtics to make it to the Finals and then get crushed.

That's how the East operates.

Exp0sed wrote:

SweaterBae wrote:

robbie84 wrote:
Steph Curry also had an All time great level finals series in 2022. His shooting was like 43.4% from three on 10 attempts per game and that 43.4% INCLUDES a game where he went 0 from 9 from three lol.

Crazy

it's not that crazy
it was an incredible finals performance by Curry, legendary even..but the league average is around 35% and was probably around 34% back then. that includes all the stretch 4's and 5's trying to extend their range, not just high volume shooters or high volume shooting Guards. if you let a random starting NBA guard the green light to jack up 10 3's, ur gonna end up with something around 40% (slightly below) anyway

EmpireFalls wrote:

bledredwine wrote:This is the (second) year for the Celtics to make it to the Finals and then get crushed.

That's how the East operates.

I can’t think of a single scenario where the Celtics get crushed. In any loss they would at least win 2 games, imo.

The-Stallion70 wrote:

Fantaxp7 wrote:

ReddoverKobe wrote:
Jrue is a much better defender.

It's so weird and great having had both players. I'll say this, Smart's peak defense was greater, but that was a couple of years ago. Jrue's defense is fantastic but what I prefer about him over Smart is that he is more consistent and on both sides of the floor. Smart would have a game or two with great highlight defensive plays then sorta back off a bit....same with his offense...more off days with his offense lol.

I think we'd have a similar record this year with Smart if he was healthy but I still prefer Jrue for the consistency.

I thought about this the other day, there hasn't been a game this year where I thought "If Smart were still on this team...". Not a knock on Smart or anything just kinda crazy how well Jrue filled his spot so well.

Smart won DPOTY and defended Embiid in the playoffs.

Jrue is a great defender but Smart is truly elite, this is not really debateable.

tsherkin wrote:

KembaWalker wrote:Getting to the finals in the East is probably less impressive than winning the first round in the west. Crazy that it’s like that every year

It has been a significant trend over the past quarter century. Kinda the way the reverse was true in the 80s.

jkvonny wrote:

tsherkin wrote:

KembaWalker wrote:Getting to the finals in the East is probably less impressive than winning the first round in the west. Crazy that it’s like that every year

It has been a significant trend over the past quarter century. Kinda the way the reverse was true in the 80s.

Yup. '80s and '90s.

tsherkin wrote:

jkvonny wrote:

tsherkin wrote:
It has been a significant trend over the past quarter century. Kinda the way the reverse was true in the 80s.

Yup. '80s and '90s.

Well, not so much the 90s. The Pacers (depending on which specific year), Knicks and Heat were all tough outs and the Cavs weren't exactly pushovers either. By the late 90s, the Hornets and the Hawks had grown into 50+-win teams as well. In the early/mid 90s, Shaq was on the Magic. And Detroit was pretty good through 92, then again in 96 and 97.

jkvonny wrote:

tsherkin wrote:

jkvonny wrote:Yup. '80s and '90s.

Well, not so much the 90s. The Pacers (depending on which specific year), Knicks and Heat were all tough outs and the Cavs weren't exactly pushovers either. By the late 90s, the Hornets and the Hawks had grown into 50+-win teams as well. In the early/mid 90s, Shaq was on the Magic. And Detroit was pretty good through 92, then again in 96 and 97.

Yes, that's what I meant. The East was pretty strong during the '80s and '90s.

tsherkin wrote:

jkvonny wrote:

tsherkin wrote:
Well, not so much the 90s. The Pacers (depending on which specific year), Knicks and Heat were all tough outs and the Cavs weren't exactly pushovers either. By the late 90s, the Hornets and the Hawks had grown into 50+-win teams as well. In the early/mid 90s, Shaq was on the Magic. And Detroit was pretty good through 92, then again in 96 and 97.

Yes, that's what I meant. The East was pretty strong during the '80s and '90s.

Oh, derp. I definitely misread that, haha!

svart wrote:Pitty OP isn't a Boston fan, this thread would have been an extraordinary jinx.

ReddoverKobe wrote:

The-Stallion70 wrote:

Fantaxp7 wrote:
It's so weird and great having had both players. I'll say this, Smart's peak defense was greater, but that was a couple of years ago. Jrue's defense is fantastic but what I prefer about him over Smart is that he is more consistent and on both sides of the floor. Smart would have a game or two with great highlight defensive plays then sorta back off a bit....same with his offense...more off days with his offense lol.

I think we'd have a similar record this year with Smart if he was healthy but I still prefer Jrue for the consistency.

I thought about this the other day, there hasn't been a game this year where I thought "If Smart were still on this team...". Not a knock on Smart or anything just kinda crazy how well Jrue filled his spot so well.

Smart won DPOTY and defended Embiid in the playoffs.

Jrue is a great defender but Smart is truly elite, this is not really debateable.