Marcus Smart: "Jayson and Jaylen, they don't want to pass the ball"

[djsunyc]

celtics don't have a guy that lifts the play of others and they don't have a head out there. no real pg to control and settle the team down - they are relying on hero ball.

the org is hoping beal will come to save them next year i guess.

[Tomjas]

celtics don't have a guy that lifts the play of others and they don't have a head out there. no real pg to control and settle the team down - they are relying on hero ball.

the org is hoping beal will come to save them next year i guess.

Beal is not that guy

They needed CP

[AussieBuck]

#mambamentality is a blessing and a curse. Or maybe it's just a curse.

Playing like Kobe when you're not as talented as Kobe is a major problem. Well technically it's playing like Jordan but Jordan was even better so it only was bad the first few years and the embarrassing Wizards years.

Giannis is a Kobe disciple but he's not in love with long twos so it's worked out fine.

[cl2117]

I feel like this is weirdly positive.

He's definitely not wrong. The Jay's are outstanding, but Tatum loves to play 1 on 1 far too much despite having some really solid passing abilities and Brown simply doesn't have those facilitating instincts. Honestly given where they are age/experience wise, it's not like this massive critique of them, it's almost to be expected. Still though its a massive flaw in the construction of this team.

Smart is throwing gas on the fire, but I'd rather they either get their **** together and get this under control by re-focusing as a team or alternatively have this flame out rather than having to watch it slowly burn to the ground.

Either these guys are gonna take the criticism on the chin and acknowledge that they need to play differently or they're going to start pointing fingers at each other/Smart and it's going to get ugly. I just want it to come to a head sooner rather than later, so again this is a weirdly positive thing.

The bright side is that they should/could have won most of the games they've been in. It's not lack of talent, but just execution and play style (coaching as well). All very fixable, but only if guys want to.

[celtics543]

They need a real point guard. A guy like CP3, Rondo, Lonzo, Rubio whoever. Someone who is going to take the ball and get it to guys in the best position for them to do what they do best. The issue is that Tatum and Brown are the ones bringing the ball up and it never leaves their hands. They're literally playing 1 on 1 the entire length of the court. Smart is right about this criticism but he's really no better.

If this team could bring in a real point guard that took the playmaking duties away from those guys then this team would be in a lot better shape. How many teams win a lot of games if 35 year old Al Horford is their best playmaker?

[Lockdown504090]

They average over 45% from the floor and over 37% from 3 for their entire careers.

That's just not correct no matter how much others would like that to be the narrative that is told because it's fun.

If you're asking stud scorers who can't playmake to make up for the fact you have horrible playmakers around them you don't blame them for the roster construction.

That's just completely backwards thinking.

The answer is really boring and obvious, it's just bad roster construction around your talent. Most of that blame lies on Ainge's lap for mission on 100 first rounders and some on just bad luck for every player around them suffering talent ending injuries.

in this nba should your two best players really be bad playmakers though? AD has bron. Middleton is okay becasue freak. kawhi and pg kinda have the same issues but they are both better than these two. booker looked better with cp. assists arent the whole story, but where do you see the two best players average 6 assists per game while having the rock this much in todays game being about generating 3 pointers? im having trouble thinking of good teams that do this, not title teams, just good teams. its not one or the other, both need to get better. kobe freaking bryant has seasons averaging as many a assists as both of them combined with worse teammates.

Except Kobe was one of the best passing SG's of all time and a great playmaker but nice try.

that’s the point. It’s nobody job to just score. This isn’t football where the qb throw and the wr catches. They gotta do much better. Brown is in the top 20 in front court touches and yet 98th in passes thrown. That’s mind blowing in a league with all this help defense

[Captain Ballmer]

They need a real point guard. A guy like CP3, Rondo, Lonzo, Rubio whoever. Someone who is going to take the ball and get it to guys in the best position for them to do what they do best. The issue is that Tatum and Brown are the ones bringing the ball up and it never leaves their hands. They're literally playing 1 on 1 the entire length of the court. Smart is right about this criticism but he's really no better.

If this team could bring in a real point guard that took the playmaking duties away from those guys then this team would be in a lot better shape. How many teams win a lot of games if 35 year old Al Horford is their best playmaker?

We thought the same and bring one for Kawhi&PG and it didn't work. We were far better with Beverley or Reggie at PG.

I think Jaylen and Jayson needs to do better at either learning the playmaking or finishing. For us, Kawhi was already the best finisher in midrange, PG13 OTOH needed work on playmaking. Luckily he figured it out last year. For J&J, which one will take a step back and willing to be a playmaker IDK. But they are way more younger than our guys, they need time.

[Homer38]

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[celtics543]

They need a real point guard. A guy like CP3, Rondo, Lonzo, Rubio whoever. Someone who is going to take the ball and get it to guys in the best position for them to do what they do best. The issue is that Tatum and Brown are the ones bringing the ball up and it never leaves their hands. They're literally playing 1 on 1 the entire length of the court. Smart is right about this criticism but he's really no better.

If this team could bring in a real point guard that took the playmaking duties away from those guys then this team would be in a lot better shape. How many teams win a lot of games if 35 year old Al Horford is their best playmaker?

We thought the same and bring one for Kawhi&PG and it didn't work. We were far better with Beverley or Reggie at PG.

I think Jaylen and Jayson needs to do better at either learning the playmaking or finishing. For us, Kawhi was already the best finisher in midrange, PG13 OTOH needed work on playmaking. Luckily he figured it out last year. For J&J, which one will take a step back and willing to be a playmaker IDK. But they are way more younger than our guys, they need time.

But for every time you can point out PG13 and Kawhi, I would counter with Booker and Ayton needing CP3 or Giannis getting Jrue Holiday. I keep reading that they're young and they need time but how much time do they still need? The team has regressed basically every year and that coincides with them getting more and more of the load.

I read for years that we had to get rid of guys so the Jays could lead the way and now that we're here they're leading us into the lottery. Have to dump Kemba, can't keep Hayward around, have to move Rozier, no big deal that Kyrie left, it's all about putting the ball in Tatum's hands. Well he's got the ball now and we suck.

[Homer38]

Their offense is a problem but at the same time,we can't ignore the terrible defense of the celtics since last year.

[chrisab123]

Regardless of how you feel about Smart or his play, IMO he's right on the money. Both the J's have horrible shot selection. Then add that they take so many a night and don't create for others.

They average over 45% from the floor and over 37% from 3 for their entire careers.

That's just not correct no matter how much others would like that to be the narrative that is told because it's fun.

If you're asking stud scorers who can't playmake to make up for the fact you have horrible playmakers around them you don't blame them for the roster construction.

That's just completely backwards thinking.

The answer is really boring and obvious, it's just bad roster construction around your talent. Most of that blame lies on Ainge's lap for missing on 100 first rounders and 50% on nothing but some of the worst luck in the league having every talented player around the Jays who were ironman previously suffering talent ending injuries.

You see the team more so I'll agree. But whenever I watch them it's mostly your turn, my turn basketball (iso). Especially the last two years IMO.

But Ainge 100% gets blame for missing on all them picks. Just a bad return on depth that could have been added to round out the roster. Wasted that warchest, although he did get the J's.

I mean I've hammered Ainge for years but lets give him his due. He did draft Rozier and Williams mid to late and did take Brown over 6 or 7 other people that could have been in that crapshoot spot. He identified Tatum as the right pick over Fultz and used a pick to trade for Kyrie. Now if you want to say that he should have traded a couple of picks to just either get picks the following year or trade the others to get good role players thats a different argument. Teams go decades without getting a player like Tatum.

And yes he did draft a good overall player in Smart 6th overall. Should he have drafted Randle? Maybe. I don't know. Remember he didn't start really blossoming until last year so maybe it doesn't happen for Randle in Boston and he still ends up in NYK.

The one mistake that really should haunt Ainge is not trading Rozier before he helped blow up that locker room when he thought he was the best PG in the league.

[Larry_Russell]

He is right

Brown had a foolishly efficient 28 point through 3 quraters laat night.

Tatum went 1-8 in the fourth and brown got 2 attempts that were broken plays and he missed both.

[sikma42]

I don’t watch the Celtics too often (it’s bad basketball) but I’ve always thought it was more Tatum than Brown. I don’t think a point guard would help too much because he is still gonna take those seem super tough shots, which take multiple size up dribbles and get his teammates out of rhythm.


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[tundraknight]

What ever happened to the Celtics legendary “Treasure Chest” of Draft Picks?

I figured if things finally went south with the Celtics, their highly touted GM Danny Ainge could finally open that Treasure Chest and use it to improve the team.

[DroseReturnChi]

celtics don't have a guy that lifts the play of others and they don't have a head out there. no real pg to control and settle the team down - they are relying on hero ball.

the org is hoping beal will come to save them next year i guess.

this is why they are sucking. how many of these unrealistic plans actually work out?
its always better overcommit than hope for a miracle. boston doesnt even have cap washington would have to agree a trade here.
this isnt bron just joining as a mercenary switching teams every yr. also have a bad feeling beal will be fools gold kemba type acquisition while selling out the last treasure heist.

century of the question is why is brown releggated 2nd option oh i bet hes going to bolt in 3 yrs to whichever team that gives him alpha role. this franchise babied tatum so much hes become literally one dimensional ben simmons but ben at least is a lead playmaker and dpoy.

[LAL1947]

In case the Celtics reach a dead-end trying for Beal, I'd like to see Mavs and Celtics make a trade...

Jaylen Brown for Tim Hardaway Jr + Jalen Brunson + Moses Brown + 1 unprotected FRP.

Celtics get a SG in THJ who is more of a shooter than Jaylen, thus more of a complement to Tatum. He's also a really good leader in the locker room, which the Cs need in addition to Horford... i.e., a veteran presence who is not old. Brunson is a PG who could help control and settle the team down. Plus they get Moses Brown back, and love having one 7'2" guy on the roster... Tacko, Moses... now Moses again.

[Tetlak]

He's right. He had his best shooting game of the season last night. The offense was humming the first 3 quarters, then suddenly they're in the 4th and Tatum is bogging the offense down with iso after iso and brick after brick.

It starts with the best player - the Bulls are seeing that this year. Zach is committed to playing defense and playing the right way, and the whole team feeds off of that.

Tatum and Brown need to understand that and D up and play team ball.

[UcanUwill]

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Tatum isn't going to let that happen.

I miss 75% of the shots I take - Marcus Smart.

[druggas]

I think that Ainge let a lot of talent walk without any compensation and that made the cupboard bare.
I also think that the Celts need that point guard that can put the players in the right place, and will have the authority to do so.

[bebopdeluxe]

Just like with Embiid, saying it in public is just not helpful to anyone

Yeah it is. Pressure needs to be placed on those guys to take their blinders off and do things for the good of the TEAM.

I do agree that Smart might not be the best messenger given his 0 assists last night, but this keeping things "in house" ish - WHILE NOTHING CHANGES - is ridiculous.

As with Simmons, things need to change. If it requires public humiliation to get there, so be it.