In terms of talent, the Celtics remain the team to beat

[thejigglyroom]

Whenever I argue this point, I just get hit with a bunch of emotional arguments. The Celtics have the better defense and better 3pt shooting. Nuggets shot 33% from 3 in a 'dominant' finals, yet the Celtics shot 40% from 3 when they 'shat the bed' last year. Just on that fact alone, it would have been the Celtics game to lose had they reached the finals

Well petition the NBA to ret-con this as well as last years Finals and give the Celtics their much deserved titles. I mean, that would be the right thing to do right. That way everybody wins!!

[kuclas]

Best nba overall team hasn’t won a nba title since 2018.

Injuries and luck have played into the equation the last 5 nba title teams.

Best nba team
2019 Warriors injuries
2020 Bucks (not experienced enough lost) in bubble
2021 Nets (injuries)
2022 Suns (choke) (but I also think their regular season record was misleading cause they were healthy most of the season
2023 Bucks (Giannis injured)

The nuggets were the 3rd best team in the nba in 2022-2023 in my opinion. They were healthy and that mattered.

Do I think Tatum’s injury early in game 7 played a factor in Boston lost to Miami? Absolutely. Tatum is so hot or cold. Boston could have also been eliminated in game 6 vs sixers with Tatum 1-14? Except last 5 min of that game.

But that’s the way the ball bounces.

I do think Boston matched up much better vs Denver than Miami. Floor spacer Horford who could draw Jokic outside the paint. Jokic was surprisingly pretty good defensively as paint deterrent due to his size vs non shooting Bam.

But you play who is in front of you. Denver is a deserving champion. They were healthy when it mattered most after not being healthy the last 2 seasons

I do think Boston coaching philosophy of offense first jacking up shots played into their hot and cold games during playoffs and last 1/2 of the regular season. Boston has the talent. But talent alone doesn’t guarantee anything as their lost to inferior talented Miami team proves.

[celticfan42487]

Is there like a don't argue with fools auto lock their threads level that can be reached here.

I'm glad no one is arguing with them, but this also should just be auto locked.

[DonaldSanders]

Whenever I argue this point, I just get hit with a bunch of emotional arguments. The Celtics have the better defense and better 3pt shooting. Nuggets shot 33% from 3 in a 'dominant' finals, yet the Celtics shot 40% from 3 when they 'shat the bed' last year. Just on that fact alone, it would have been the Celtics game to lose had they reached the finals

Are you aware that the Denver Nuggets have the best player in the league and just won the championship with a true #2 option? And that Boston did not make the Finals? Just making sure.

[DonaldSanders]

Whenever I argue this point, I just get hit with a bunch of emotional arguments. The Celtics have the better defense and better 3pt shooting. Nuggets shot 33% from 3 in a 'dominant' finals, yet the Celtics shot 40% from 3 when they 'shat the bed' last year. Just on that fact alone, it would have been the Celtics game to lose had they reached the finals

Are you aware that the Denver Nuggets have the best player in the league and just won the championship with a true #2 option? And that Boston did not make the Finals? Just making sure.

Is there like a don't argue with fools auto lock their threads level that can be reached here.

I'm glad no one is arguing with them, but this also should just be auto locked.

Ya this is a strange thread. I feel bad for Celtics fans on this one.

[sfernald]

Denver are fools gold. Much as they won the championship, they are not the best team in the league. They only fluked it because of a once-in-a-lifetime run by Miami which surprisingly knocked out the true favorites: Boston. After spanking Milwaukee and Philly towards the end of the season, Boston were given a 65% of winning the championship at the start of the playoffs by analytics websites like 538 and ESPN. They were the only team to tick all the analytical boxes for what usually makes a championship team. And given that they will come back largely with the same team next season, they will most likely be the analytics favorites at the start of next season as well. The Celtics remain the team to beat and a smart GM in the next few months will look towards matching Boston in terms of talent, rather than looking for a "Jokic stopper"

Perfect summation of the typical Celtics fans' egotism here.

[celticfan42487]

Is there like a don't argue with fools auto lock their threads level that can be reached here.

I'm glad no one is arguing with them, but this also should just be auto locked.

Ya this is a strange thread. I feel bad for Celtics fans on this one.

To be fair, during the season he was a Bucks fan. And he only stays on the General Board. So it's just a strange day to have some General Board numbskulls on here. But when you see these topics we should just be locking them. There's nothing positive that can come from them.

Old bunch of veterans that made their final run.

That old bunch of veterans have the best starting five in the league.

Bucks have the best starting five in the real world. Putting anyone else above them is wishful thinking. Many so called stars are washed and this season will be when people finally admit it

Seems to be an international fan based on post and jumping teams so quickly like this when neither MIL nor BOS's roster has changed at all from Nov to now but also hating Jokic and Doncic... Maybe the sthick is he's Greek and wanted Giannis to stay known as the greatest International player and is pissed that narrative changed just months after he said it never will.

I highly doubt Jokic and Doncic will ever win a title with their lack of speed and defensive negligence, but Doncic will probably win a lot of hearts over time, so Giannis > Doncic > Jokic

What's inevitable is that this year we finally find out that Jokic is just not that guy

Still makes a lot more sense then when we got like those year long trolling efforts in season by the person who was pretending to be a Ben Simmons fan so I'll give them that lol.

[sammo89]

They hated me because I spoke the truth

[jkvonny]

They hated me because I spoke the truth

[CobraCommander]

Do you want more from the OP? No? Yes?

Here you go:

Nuggs would have killed Boston as well. Celtics play too silly and undisciplined.

Talk about being prisoners of the moment. The Celtics were given about a 65% chance of winning at the start of the playoffs. They had spanked several contenders during the regular season. They would surely have beaten the Nuggets' weaker defense and weaker 3pt shooting.

Op special in that special kinda way

[CobraCommander]

They hated me because I spoke the truth

[One Last Shot]

I wonder what's the percentage of Celtics winning the NBA Championship by analytics websites like 538 and ESPN after this Porzingis trade. Should be high as 80% now if my computation is correct.

[eathb_au]

Denver were actually the analytical favorites to win the championship by 538 until they tanked those stats and coasted the last two month of the season. They had a 9 game lead from second place for first in the West conference at that point.

[BostonCouchGM]

They certainly have more talent than they did three hours ago. Whether they can get both Jays to show up in the same playoff series is the question. Smart leaving is addition by subtraction.

[Green89]

They hated me because I spoke the truth

GB hates Celtics narratives, but yah, you're not lying.

[AussieCeltic]

Nuggets are easily the team to beat.

In the East, it's the same as last season. Bucks and Celtics at the top on paper.

[One Last Shot]

They certainly have more talent than they did three hours ago. Whether they can get both Jays to show up in the same playoff series is the question. Smart leaving is addition by subtraction.

Or maybe they are one ankle injury of Tatum in the first quarter of Game 7 away from winning it all last Playoffs. That's the worst injury luck, they got the momentum back and about to finish the Heat and I honestly believe they have the personnel to disrupt Jokic and the Nuggets defensively. Next year should be the year they win it all. I'm certain that those computerized analytics won't fail me this time. It's a great time to be a Celtics fan these days.

[Raps in 4]

OP is Bill Simmons

Read on Twitter

[Sgt Major]

Go to Reddit/Twitter

[Lalouie]

Celtics won't win jack with Marcus Smart being the top guy on this roster. In terms of talent he's probably 3rd or 4th but this is his team. Not Tatum's or Brown's. The sooner we realize that the sooner people will come to terms with the Celtics being the Thunder of the 2010s. Unless of course they grow balls and trade Smart. If they trade Smart it will force those two to grow up. But the Celtics will never win with this core. Ever.

prescient