2024 NBA Playoffs: East Semifinals: #1 Boston Celtics vs #4 Cleveland Cavaliers (BOS WINS 4-1)

[Tracymcgoaty]

Someone said Taums game reminds them of T-Mac?

Lol...Prime T-Mac would win a chip with this loaded ass team. Their game is not alike at all. T-Mac was incredibly smooth with more moves than Tatum. Tatum is way too robotic to be compared to T-Mac.

**** hell T-Mac would demolish if he played today.

[itrsteve]

How nervous would Boston fans be if they lost game 3?

None, none nervous.

Get the sh*t over with

[SlimShady83]

Dallas better win.

Let's go Luka

[cavs4872]

Tatum looked a lot worse than the box score shows. Dude looked like he got zapped by the Monstars.

Obviously things are far from over, but I feel like this was underratedly a massive win for the Cavs: if we can get JA back and somehow win this series, looking at New York and the injury problems they're having... this is a massive swing compared to the Cavs being a total bygone afterthought Tuesday night.

[ForeverTFC]

This is why you always pick the Celtics in 5. We all knew this game was coming. The Simmons panic will be delicious.

[cgf]

Is it possible he's as close as you can get to being a superstar without actually being one?

I don't know what to make of Tatum. He has 3 level scoring, he can pass, but it never seems to come together fluidly according to whats happening in the moment. He doesn't seem to be able to randomly adapt his plan.

He doesn't really control games and manipulates defenses. And his handle is good, but not good enough to just navigate the court freely and at will. Watching Mitchell do that makes it obvious how lacking Tatum is in the skill.

I don't consider Mitchell a superstar either, and I'm still undecided on which of them is better. But its undeniable Mitchell is a more dynamic player on the offensive end.

The damning part for Tatum was that while Mitchell was cooking and the Cavs were pulling away, I had zero expectation of Tatum bringing them back. Or even attempting to.

Maybe thats because of how egalitarian the Celtics have become with their talent, but maybe its because I just don't believe in him. I don't know.

I'm really curious what Celtics fans make of Tatum though.

Tatum reminds me of Tmac. He's not the same kind of playmaker and a better shooter, but both just seem content being as talented as anyone in the NBA without having that hunger to dominate that guys like Butler or Ant have.

His only similarity to Tmac is their height and lankiness. Tmac was so much smoother.

My point was less about the specifics of their games and more about the way Tmac was content being just one of the great players of the league and didn't have that need to be the very best. He was way more talented than Kobe, but he didn't have Kobe's hunger.

Which I think is Tatum's problem. If he had the same dog in him that Brown does, he'd have won an MVP by now. But, like Tmac or Vince, Tatum doesn't have that same obsession with greatness.

[KnixtapeH20]

Read on Twitter

this video will never not be hilarious

[NO-KG-AI]

Someone said Taums game reminds them of T-Mac?

Lol...Prime T-Mac would win a chip with this loaded ass team. Their game is not alike at all. T-Mac was incredibly smooth with more moves than Tatum. Tatum is way too robotic to be compared to T-Mac.

**** hell T-Mac would demolish if he played today.

They say the same thing about Paul George. You can tell it’s just highlight reel culture, because every now and them one of them makes a smooth move and you can see the similarity.

But if you watch them play a full game, the amount of clumsy, janky things they do in comparison makes it not similar at all.

[GSWFan1994]

I was very surprised when I checked the boxscore for tonight's game and saw that Tristan Thompson was still playing regular rotation minutes in 2024.

Worse yet, I was even more surprised when I clicked on his name and saw that the guy is still 33 years old. I kid you not, I was quite sure he was at least 38.

[cgf]

Someone said Taums game reminds them of T-Mac?

Lol...Prime T-Mac would win a chip with this loaded ass team. Their game is not alike at all. T-Mac was incredibly smooth with more moves than Tatum. Tatum is way too robotic to be compared to T-Mac.

**** hell T-Mac would demolish if he played today.

Again I was talking more about their mindsets than their games. Tmac was amazing...but I still felt like he wasn't as dominant as he could've been if he were obsessed with greatness the way guys like Kobe / Jordan were. And I think Tatum has that same problem where he's content being just one of the best players in the league.

I could've used Vince instead

[NO-KG-AI]

Tatum lacks either the killer mentality or talent (whether physical, athletic, or skill) to be HIM. You never question that about guys like Kobe, Steph, Giannis, Jokic, Edwards, Luka, Mitchell, Lebron, KD or healthy Kawhi. There's very few of these guys so it's not really a knock. It is what it is. He's still a top 5-10 player but that special something that the truly greats have and that result in championships seems to be missing.

I don’t think it’s a competitiveness issue. He’s just not particularly great and driving to and finishing at the rim. His game is very predicated on difficult, long shots, and it can get ugly fast when those aren’t dropping for him and opening things up.

[cgf]

I was very surprised when I checked the boxscore for tonight's game and saw that Tristan Thompson was still playing regular rotation minutes in 2024.

Worse yet, I was even more surprised when I clicked on his name and saw that the guy is still 33 years old. I kid you not, I was quite sure he was at least 38.

Not only did he play, but he was a problem for Boston

[The Rainmaker]

Just like I said after Game 2 against the Heat. The Celtics got this.

[cgf]

Someone said Taums game reminds them of T-Mac?

Lol...Prime T-Mac would win a chip with this loaded ass team. Their game is not alike at all. T-Mac was incredibly smooth with more moves than Tatum. Tatum is way too robotic to be compared to T-Mac.

**** hell T-Mac would demolish if he played today.

They say the same thing about Paul George. You can tell it’s just highlight reel culture, because every now and them one of them makes a smooth move and you can see the similarity.

But if you watch them play a full game, the amount of clumsy, janky things they do in comparison makes it not similar at all.

Yeah, I was here when we were debating still-prime Tmac. I was comparing their mindsets and the way both seem content being just one of the best players in the league, rather than having that need to be THE best.

Such a boomer move to try to pile on without finding out what was actually said/meant

[Tracymcgoaty]

Someone said Taums game reminds them of T-Mac?

Lol...Prime T-Mac would win a chip with this loaded ass team. Their game is not alike at all. T-Mac was incredibly smooth with more moves than Tatum. Tatum is way too robotic to be compared to T-Mac.

**** hell T-Mac would demolish if he played today.

Again I was talking more about their mindsets than their games. Tmac was amazing...but I still felt like he wasn't as dominant as he could've been if he were obsessed with greatness the way guys like Kobe / Jordan were. And I think Tatum has that same problem where he's content being just one of the best players in the league.

I could've used Vince instead

Kobe and Jordans mentality were 1/1. If im measuring every players mentality compared to those two i'd come up short on the majority of them.

All i know is T-Mac was more than up for the challenge whenever he faced Kobe. That alone tells me he'd demolish if he had Tatums team. Replace those G-League players he played with in Orlando and put him with this loaded Boston team and they'd crush anything in front of them.

But i agree T-Mac's mentality did leave one expecting more.

[The Corey's]

Man the Celtics suck. Fire Joe.

[cgf]

Someone said Taums game reminds them of T-Mac?

Lol...Prime T-Mac would win a chip with this loaded ass team. Their game is not alike at all. T-Mac was incredibly smooth with more moves than Tatum. Tatum is way too robotic to be compared to T-Mac.

**** hell T-Mac would demolish if he played today.

Again I was talking more about their mindsets than their games. Tmac was amazing...but I still felt like he wasn't as dominant as he could've been if he were obsessed with greatness the way guys like Kobe / Jordan were. And I think Tatum has that same problem where he's content being just one of the best players in the league.

I could've used Vince instead

Kobe and Jordans mentality were 1/1. If im measuring every players mentality compared to those two i'd come up short on the majority of them.

All i know is T-Mac was more than up for the challenge whenever he faced Kobe. That alone tells me he'd demolish if he had Tatums team. Replace those G-League players he played with in Orlando and put him with this loaded Boston team and they'd crush anything in front of them.

Maybe to that degree. But guys like Giannis, Butler, and Ant have that need to be the best that I don't think Vince or Tracy ever had and I don't think Tatum has now either.

[homecourtloss]

Boston's defense was terrible. Like they thought they already won the series.

I mean, I sure as hell picked them in 4 but the players shouldn't be thinking it'll be a cakewalk.

We had plenty of open looks in game one. They don't play with nearly the defensive intensity that Orlando does. Not even close.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

Id like to see the data, but shot quality from 3 looks like it was similar or even better in game 1 for the Cavs. Difference is Cavs hit their shots today and C's missed

Cavs were 8-19 on wide open threes in game one and 3-19 on open threes.
Celts were 6-17 on wide open threes in game one and 9-22 on open threes.

Celtics missed a bunch of open threes in this game.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Again I was talking more about their mindsets than their games. Tmac was amazing...but I still felt like he wasn't as dominant as he could've been if he were obsessed with greatness the way guys like Kobe / Jordan were. And I think Tatum has that same problem where he's content being just one of the best players in the league.

I could've used Vince instead

Kobe and Jordans mentality were 1/1. If im measuring every players mentality compared to those two i'd come up short on the majority of them.

All i know is T-Mac was more than up for the challenge whenever he faced Kobe. That alone tells me he'd demolish if he had Tatums team. Replace those G-League players he played with in Orlando and put him with this loaded Boston team and they'd crush anything in front of them.

Maybe to that degree. But guys like Giannis, Butler, and Ant have that need to be the best that I don't think Vince or Tracy ever had and I don't think Tatum has now either.

I agree with you on the mentality part 100% I also think T-Mac on that Boston team would kill. I'd love to see him go up against Ant it would be great.

[Admiral-Kizaru]

Can you win a championship if your offense is based so much around making threes? The defense tonight was disheartening. That should not be happening.

Steph Curry & the Warriors have entered the chat.

We were always an elite paint team. What we never got were FTs.