ECSF: P1 | (2) Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers (3) | BOS 1-0

[michaelm]

This is exactly the reason why a lot of people hate philly. You have two unbelievable young players. They both act like they are magic and Kareem though despite just recently winning their only playoff series and routinely blowing giant leads all year. More likely next year we beat you if you make it to us and you say wait til embiid comes back. I like philly but to say that a team hat finished with a better record than you despite major injuries all year is a tier below you is just a bad look.
Boston if healthy will compete for a title next year. Probably lose but they will compete. Philly will be right in the mix as well if healthy.

Probably mostly true, but contracting Kyrie then proceeding to “if onlys” in regard to him being injured Is not an overly strong argument. Cleveland let him go because he was going to have the surgery he eventually had when at the Celtics immediately, and perhaps oddly he is not contributing to Boston’s chances in the current play - offs.

Sure there are injury concerns with Embiid, but this year as opposed to Kyrie has been positive in that regard, and he will be lining up against the Celtics if they make it against a team which doesn’t Include Kyrie. My concern long term with Embiid like Kyrie would be his knees rather than his feet, btw.

Haha Cleveland let him go. Pretty sure he shot his way out of town. I’m actually more worried about embiid having back issues and just overall the injuries adding up and stealing his youth. Kyrie is also in the same boat it’s proabbly safe to say it’s shortening the prime of these guys if not outright taking away from it.

Bottom line is that Kyrie’s previous injury problems showed further signs of being chronic this year, Embiid’s did not, despite increase in his playing time. At this particular point in time, advantage Sixers.

I don’t expect either player to be a superstar in the league at age 35 for obvious reasons, and as a GSW fan I really rate Kyrie, btw.

[Snotbubbles]

Looks like some people didn't learn anything from last year when miami and wizards were on fire in the second half of the RS.

The Wizards last 20 games leading up to the playoffs they were 12-8. Wouldn't say they were "on fire".

The Heat were 13-7 in their last 20 games leading up to the playoffs. Again, not "on fire".

Philadelphia was 17-3. See the difference?

[USWAY]

Yeah this thread will get toxic

No doubt.

Inevitable

[Higgs Boston]

Looks like some people didn't learn anything from last year when miami and wizards were on fire in the second half of the RS.

The Wizards last 20 games leading up to the playoffs they were 12-8. Wouldn't say they were "on fire".

The Heat were 13-7 in their last 20 games leading up to the playoffs. Again, not "on fire".

Philadelphia was 17-3. See the difference?

I said second half of the season.
What I see is that you didn't get my point. You can't use a certain part of the season and extrapolate it like facts.

[Snotbubbles]

Looks like some people didn't learn anything from last year when miami and wizards were on fire in the second half of the RS.

The Wizards last 20 games leading up to the playoffs they were 12-8. Wouldn't say they were "on fire".

The Heat were 13-7 in their last 20 games leading up to the playoffs. Again, not "on fire".

Philadelphia was 17-3. See the difference?

I said second half of the season.
What I see is that you didn't get my point. You can't use a certain part of the season and extrapolate it like facts.

Which further highlights the inadequacy of your comment. Your position that "Miami and Wizards were on fire" wasn't really the reality.

The Heat had a nice win streak from mid-January to mid-February where they won 13 in a row. By the time the playoffs rolled around they had tailed off dramatically and weren't "on fire" as you put it.

Same thing with the Wizards. Another nice streak in mid-January to mid-February where they won 13 of 15. By the time the playoffs rolled around they tailed off dramatically and weren't "on fire" as you put it.

You used a portion of the season, mid-January to mid-February and bunched it in with the more relevant sample of the season (the last 20 games leading into the playoffs) to make your non-relevant point have some meaning when the truth of the matter is, by the time the playoff rolled around, neither the Heat nor the Wizards were "on fire". I see it. You see it and anyone reading this thread sees it.

[spikeslovechild]

Oh if it’s PHI-BOS... it’s on

Yeah not really. Celtics are a shell of what they were at the beginning of the season.

After a long hard fought Bucks series I could easily see them get bounced in five.

[jfs1000d]

Boston would be tougher. Not sure the Celtics can score enough to be honest as a Boston fan. I think celts defense will be a problem though.

Milwaukee just is t that good yet. If Celtics had irving, series is over already. We won’t even consider hayward. Boston would have swept these bums.

A Celtics-76ers series is awesome. Would lean philly if it wasn’t homecourt for Boston. I think because of that, a toss-up.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[bebopdeluxe]

Looks like some people didn't learn anything from last year when miami and wizards were on fire in the second half of the RS.

The Wizards last 20 games leading up to the playoffs they were 12-8. Wouldn't say they were "on fire".

The Heat were 13-7 in their last 20 games leading up to the playoffs. Again, not "on fire".

Philadelphia was 17-3. See the difference?

I said second half of the season.
What I see is that you didn't get my point. You can't use a certain part of the season and extrapolate it like facts.

I would argue that the last 50+ games (39-12) is a little more than "a certain part of the season".

[Snotbubbles]

The Wizards last 20 games leading up to the playoffs they were 12-8. Wouldn't say they were "on fire".

The Heat were 13-7 in their last 20 games leading up to the playoffs. Again, not "on fire".

Philadelphia was 17-3. See the difference?

I said second half of the season.
What I see is that you didn't get my point. You can't use a certain part of the season and extrapolate it like facts.

I would argue that the last 50+ games (39-12) is a little more than "a certain part of the season".

50 games is too large, IMO. The trade deadline is in February. Case in point, the Sixers signed Belinelli and Ilyasove in mid-February. They are 23-5 (27-6 including playoffs) with Belinelli. How the Sixers did in January really doesn't even give you a picture of the team in its current state. Games in December and January really have no bearing to how "hot" a team is rolling into the playoffs.

[ric munchn]

Probably mostly true, but contracting Kyrie then proceeding to “if onlys” in regard to him being injured Is not an overly strong argument. Cleveland let him go because he was going to have the surgery he eventually had when at the Celtics immediately, and perhaps oddly he is not contributing to Boston’s chances in the current play - offs.

Sure there are injury concerns with Embiid, but this year as opposed to Kyrie has been positive in that regard, and he will be lining up against the Celtics if they make it against a team which doesn’t Include Kyrie. My concern long term with Embiid like Kyrie would be his knees rather than his feet, btw.

Haha Cleveland let him go. Pretty sure he shot his way out of town. I’m actually more worried about embiid having back issues and just overall the injuries adding up and stealing his youth. Kyrie is also in the same boat it’s proabbly safe to say it’s shortening the prime of these guys if not outright taking away from it.

Bottom line is that Kyrie’s previous injury problems showed further signs of being chronic this year, Embiid’s did not, despite increase in his playing time. At this particular point in time, advantage Sixers.

I don’t expect either player to be a superstar in the league at age 35 for obvious reasons, and as a GSW fan I really rate Kyrie, btw.

Agree with the 35 part but I wouldn’t just say advantage sixers because embiid is on the court right now. He already routinely misses practice because of his back and the way he plays at his size with his history is like watching gronk play. Every insane play is viewed holding your breath he gets up. I’d be shocked if he was an Allstar at 30 where with kyrie I’d expect it. Its gonna be fun either way I just hope we get a couple years where everyone is healthy.

[the_process]

Oh if it’s PHI-BOS... it’s on

Yeah not really. Celtics are a shell of what they were at the beginning of the season.

After a long hard fought Bucks series I could easily see them get bounced in five.

I meant fans in this thread, and on the Philly and Boston boards.

Also, I think Boston will put up more of a fight than that. Wouldn’t mind bouncing them by 30 in Game 7 in Boston. Tom Brady gifs aplenty as the 3’s rain down like manna from heaven

[michaelm]

Haha Cleveland let him go. Pretty sure he shot his way out of town. I’m actually more worried about embiid having back issues and just overall the injuries adding up and stealing his youth. Kyrie is also in the same boat it’s proabbly safe to say it’s shortening the prime of these guys if not outright taking away from it.

Bottom line is that Kyrie’s previous injury problems showed further signs of being chronic this year, Embiid’s did not, despite increase in his playing time. At this particular point in time, advantage Sixers.

I don’t expect either player to be a superstar in the league at age 35 for obvious reasons, and as a GSW fan I really rate Kyrie, btw.

Agree with the 35 part but I wouldn’t just say advantage sixers because embiid is on the court right now. He already routinely misses practice because of his back and the way he plays at his size with his history is like watching gronk play. Every insane play is viewed holding your breath he gets up. I’d be shocked if he was an Allstar at 30 where with kyrie I’d expect it. Its gonna be fun either way I just hope we get a couple years where everyone is healthy.

I don't wish him ill, I think Kyrie is a great player and a clutch player, but he has started and/or lasted through only 2 of the last 4 play-off series in what should be his prime, and was rumored to be hampered in a third series last season, and on each occasion because of knee problems. Details are sketchy on his latest problem, but it doesn't sound like an acute fully recoverable thing.

It is vaguely possible Embiid approaching the age of 25 and full physical maturity may not have a recurrence of previous issues at least for a while, and as it stands he hasn't this year while Kyrie has. There has been no indication he has any permanent back or foot problems, but he was said to have had surgery for a cartilage problem in a knee last year, which is never good, as articular cartilage doesn't really heal or regenerate. Until he has a recurrent knee problem he hasn't had a recurrent knee problem though, which is how things stand just now.

[bebopdeluxe]

Haha Cleveland let him go. Pretty sure he shot his way out of town. I’m actually more worried about embiid having back issues and just overall the injuries adding up and stealing his youth. Kyrie is also in the same boat it’s proabbly safe to say it’s shortening the prime of these guys if not outright taking away from it.

Bottom line is that Kyrie’s previous injury problems showed further signs of being chronic this year, Embiid’s did not, despite increase in his playing time. At this particular point in time, advantage Sixers.

I don’t expect either player to be a superstar in the league at age 35 for obvious reasons, and as a GSW fan I really rate Kyrie, btw.

Agree with the 35 part but I wouldn’t just say advantage sixers because embiid is on the court right now. He already routinely misses practice because of his back and the way he plays at his size with his history is like watching gronk play. Every insane play is viewed holding your breath he gets up. I’d be shocked if he was an Allstar at 30 where with kyrie I’d expect it. Its gonna be fun either way I just hope we get a couple years where everyone is healthy.

How do you KNOW that Kyrie's injury is not going to be chronic? Huh?

I read an article a few weeks ago where Danny Ainge specifically stated that Kyrie's knee may be something that he will have to manage for the rest of his career.

https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/08/danny-ainge-kyrie-irving-will-have-to-manage-knee-soreness-his-whole-career/

I would cool your jets and see the guy play for a couple of seasons before being so declarative about Kyrie Irving - the 30-year-old All Star.

[sfernald]

Sixers haven't done anything since like 1984, and wouldn't know winning basketball if it jumped up and bit them in the ass.

The Sixers are in the second round of the playoffs. The Celtics have dropped two games to a seven seed. We will see if Boston lasts long enough to have the honor of being dismantled.

The Bucks are easily a better team than the Heat- who do the Heat have that is better than Middleton or Giannis?

Middleton has been superstar-ish in the playoffs. Has made every big shot there is to make.

I really really like Giannis and Middleton but the team, the team is kind of a mess. Great players. Not a great team tbh.

[FlatearthZorro]

The Sixers are in the second round of the playoffs. The Celtics have dropped two games to a seven seed. We will see if Boston lasts long enough to have the honor of being dismantled.

The Bucks are easily a better team than the Heat- who do the Heat have that is better than Middleton or Giannis?

Middleton has been superstar-ish in the playoffs. Has made every big shot there is to make.

I really really like Giannis and Middleton but the team, the team is kind of a mess. Great players. Not a great team tbh.

That's not my point, my point is that the Bucks got 2 players who average around 50 points on their own, Parker is averaging 16.5 on 50% from the field in the last 3 games. Brogdon is a rock solid player and maker has helped them as well.

[hookshot199]

Are we really comparing those guys to Hayward or Kyrie?

Or even Marcus Morris?

Enjoy your team, man. Don't care in the least about them or my own team in this playoffs.

Let's calm the **** down on Hayward okay. He played all of 5 minutes before a season ending injury. You have no idea how he would it onto the celtics. You also have a huge dillema now with Jaylen Brown and Tatum playing well enough to start next year. Who is going to come off the bench? Hayward is also not a superstar. He's an allstar on occasion, and not at the level of Kyrie Irving. He's a little better than Dario Saric at the moment. Kyrie Irving is the only known quantity that you are lack on this team right now. Just like how you guys tell us to stop getting ahead of ourselves with the Sixers, you need to stop getting ahead of yourselves with Hayward, and what he could be. You guys have some questions to answer this offseason and next year. What happens to Rozier? Smart? What are you guys going to do about Tatum/Brown/Hayward (I gaurantee you that Ainge will need to trade one of them). What are you going to do about an aging Horford who doesn't feelt he timeline of the rest of your players?

Let's not forget the biggest elephant in the room. Kyrie Irving's health? Will he be the same player when he's back. Having all these surgeries on his knee looks a lot like a degenerative condition. But yeah, keep telling yourself that Danny Ainge will save you, and pull some lopsided trade out of his ass. How's that worked out so far? Obviously not his fault, but the way you guys act so condescendingly when you get threatened by another team's success, and bring your past history of success as a measuring point, is inherently flawed.

Hayward being a little better than Dario Saric? Lmaoooo

I get it Sixers fans. You’ve been trash for 5 years let all the homer takes out right now

We shouldn't be comparing Saric with Hayward. He might be there some day. He's not there yet.

The Tatum/Jaylen Brown comparisons are reasonable. Saric is two years older than Brown, but they're both second-year NBA players. Saric is bigger and Europe tested. He's also slower. Brown has made enormous progress this season, more than I thought possible. As for Tatum, he's still a babe - but who's playing like a man.

The Marcus Morris comparison is a bit over the top. Morris is 28. Until this year, he's been a very average player on below-average teams. Credit to him and Brad Stevens for his performance this year. But let's not get all gushy about where he is at this stage of his career.

Back to Saric: I live in Providence, thus tend to watch Celtics games. I enjoy Tommy Heihson (in small doses) and never once have heard any of your announcers, Tommy included, say a negative thing about Saric. He would be a fan favorite in Boston if were wearing green. So let's not put him down.

Secondly, it is my firm belief that Saric would have been drafted closer to 5 than 10 if he hadn't been under contract in Europe. It is also my belief - though I have no insider information to support this - that Sam Hinkie, having drafted Saric, a 6'10 Euro in 2014, passed on Porzingis the following year when he had a chance to take him. Was that a dumb move? Maybe. Probably. We'll know 10 years from now.

The biggest concern I have for the Sixers if we play the Celtics in the second round is your defense. If you can force Simmons and Embiid, in particular, into making turnovers, you'll win the series. And the guy who will force them into mistakes is Marcus Smart. Don't expect him not (sorry for the double negative) to pull an Andre Igoudala on you.

I do see problems with your back line, however. We are bigger. We are also - by way of the Belenelli, Ilyasova, Redick and Amir Johnson pickups this year - playoff tested. But you do have the home court advantage.

And the officials, in my opinion as a frequent Celtics viewer, tend to allow you to maul opposing teams.

I expect a hard-fought series.

[sfernald]

The Bucks are easily a better team than the Heat- who do the Heat have that is better than Middleton or Giannis?

Middleton has been superstar-ish in the playoffs. Has made every big shot there is to make.

I really really like Giannis and Middleton but the team, the team is kind of a mess. Great players. Not a great team tbh.

That's not my point, my point is that the Bucks got 2 players who average around 50 points on their own, Parker is averaging 16.5 on 50% from the field in the last 3 games. Brogdon is a rock solid player and maker has helped them as well.

Well to your point, they have better players than the heat, but the team doesn’t play as well as a team as the heat. I guess what I’m saying is that the Bucks aren’t living up to their potential because of coaching, roster, etc and not because they don’t have the better players. They should be a 50 win team in the regular season easy.

[kuclas]

The Celtics (healthy lineup) of Hayward, Tatum, Kyrie, Brown, Horford on paper is better than the sixers lineup of Reddick, Simmons, embiid, saric, Covington

For the future. It depends on how the best players of each teams play. Cause if Simmons and Embiid perform at max level (aka playoff Lebron). Having the two best players playing at max level with beat any max level of the Celtics starting 5.

But chances are embiid/Simmons won’t perform at max level every game. So the core Celtics likely have the best regular season record next year. I expect them to win 58-63 games with a healthy roster.

Sixers will be between 49-55 games (in my opinion)

Reallly depends how these teams beat up on lesser/tanking teams.

Like Toronto having the best record in the east primarily destroying tanking/losing teams. Toronto was like 34-2 against those teams. So Toronto only needs to go .500 against winning teams.

Celtics will be more consistent.

Now when it comes playoffs time. If embiid/Simmons perform to max level. I think sixers are favored over max performing Celtics healthy team.

Like how max performing Lebron is willing cavaliers over pacers who are clearly the better team. But max Lebron is better than the pacers team performance.

[ric munchn]

Bottom line is that Kyrie’s previous injury problems showed further signs of being chronic this year, Embiid’s did not, despite increase in his playing time. At this particular point in time, advantage Sixers.

I don’t expect either player to be a superstar in the league at age 35 for obvious reasons, and as a GSW fan I really rate Kyrie, btw.

Agree with the 35 part but I wouldn’t just say advantage sixers because embiid is on the court right now. He already routinely misses practice because of his back and the way he plays at his size with his history is like watching gronk play. Every insane play is viewed holding your breath he gets up. I’d be shocked if he was an Allstar at 30 where with kyrie I’d expect it. Its gonna be fun either way I just hope we get a couple years where everyone is healthy.

How do you KNOW that Kyrie's injury is not going to be chronic? Huh?

I read an article a few weeks ago where Danny Ainge specifically stated that Kyrie's knee may be something that he will have to manage for the rest of his career.

https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/08/danny-ainge-kyrie-irving-will-have-to-manage-knee-soreness-his-whole-career/

I would cool your jets and see the guy play for a couple of seasons before being so declarative about Kyrie Irving - the 30-year-old All Star.

Where did I say his knee wouldn’t be chronic? It will be to some degree 100% it’s more a question of how bad and when does it bother him. Embiid is younger so if you project them 4 years out instead of 30 it could well favor him. As far as the fact that he can’t recover from it based on the information we have he can. Screws are out so if that heals its all good. The infection could really come back at any time or even never go away. Usually that’s not the case but joint infections aren’t always predictable or understood completely.

[ric munchn]

The Celtics (healthy lineup) of Hayward, Tatum, Kyrie, Brown, Horford on paper is better than the sixers lineup of Reddick, Simmons, embiid, saric, Covington

For the future. It depends on how the best players of each teams play. Cause if Simmons and Embiid perform at max level (aka playoff Lebron). Having the two best players playing at max level with beat any max level of the Celtics starting 5.

But chances are embiid/Simmons won’t perform at max level every game. So the core Celtics likely have the best regular season record next year. I expect them to win 58-63 games with a healthy roster.

Sixers will be between 49-55 games (in my opinion)

Reallly depends how these teams beat up on lesser/tanking teams.

Like Toronto having the best record in the east primarily destroying tanking/losing teams. Toronto was like 34-2 against those teams. So Toronto only needs to go .500 against winning teams.

Celtics will be more consistent.

Now when it comes playoffs time. If embiid/Simmons perform to max level. I think sixers are favored over max performing Celtics healthy team.

Like how max performing Lebron is willing cavaliers over pacers who are clearly the better team. But max Lebron is better than the pacers team performance.

Usually that is the case but teams like the pistons, warriors in 2015 and spurs have beaten superior talents. And Shaq and Kobe are so much better than billups and sheed. If you wanna say embiid and Simmons are better than kyrie and Hayward(which remains to be seen) it’s not by that margin and the rest is clearly better for the Celtics. Not to mention brown or Tatum could be one of our two best players going forward.