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

[Homerclease]

Re: coaching

I agree that Brad Stevens is a tremendous coach. However his reputation is built on his regular season success. He has shown he can get what appears to be mediocre talent to overachieve and win more regular season games than they should.

However his playoff track record isn't as impressive. Like I showed in their performance last year, they beat the bad teams that they should, and promptly lose when they face a better team than them.

Elite star talent matters more in the playoffs, and getting mediocre players to give extra effort and play over their heads doesn't go as far when everyone else turns the intensity up a notch.

Brett Brown is an incredibly capable coach. I'm not sure what Stevens has done to deserve any benefit of the doubt over him. There's a lot of talk about all the young talent here but Stevens/Brown should be one of the great young/unproven coaching matchups in a while.

Win basketball games would be the primary reason why

[Madhouse]

Re: coaching

I agree that Brad Stevens is a tremendous coach. However his reputation is built on his regular season success. He has shown he can get what appears to be mediocre talent to overachieve and win more regular season games than they should.

However his playoff track record isn't as impressive. Like I showed in their performance last year, they beat the bad teams that they should, and promptly lose when they face a better team than them.

Elite star talent matters more in the playoffs, and getting mediocre players to give extra effort and play over their heads doesn't go as far when everyone else turns the intensity up a notch.

You have one elite star talent and a very impressive rookie that might get there in the near future. Let’s not act like you’re some type of unbeatable juggernaut over there

No team is that in the East.

[K For Three]

Meh, I don't know if we have a real shot or not. It's just been a fun ride this year with the Celtics. We are held together this season at times by duct tape.

I think with C's fans you have to realize that while we know the odds are against us, we still just never give up hope.

My whole goal personally when Irving was announced out was to try to just win a series. Now I am just really curious to see what they can do vs. a well rested and healthier Philly team.

Having home court though is big for Boston.

[sfernald]

Not sure what you're even referring to, but yeah coaching advantage. Stevens is the best coach in this series by a comfortable margin.

How many championships does he have? I forget? And what’s his playoff record again?

His resume is better than Brett Brown's so I'm not even sure what you're getting at. But yeah, he's the best coach in the series by a comfortable margin

I’m saying he hasn’t proven **** when it counts.

[Sixerscan]

Re: coaching

I agree that Brad Stevens is a tremendous coach. However his reputation is built on his regular season success. He has shown he can get what appears to be mediocre talent to overachieve and win more regular season games than they should.

However his playoff track record isn't as impressive. Like I showed in their performance last year, they beat the bad teams that they should, and promptly lose when they face a better team than them.

Elite star talent matters more in the playoffs, and getting mediocre players to give extra effort and play over their heads doesn't go as far when everyone else turns the intensity up a notch.

Brett Brown is an incredibly capable coach. I'm not sure what Stevens has done to deserve any benefit of the doubt over him. There's a lot of talk about all the young talent here but Stevens/Brown should be one of the great young/unproven coaching matchups in a while.

Win basketball games would be the primary reason why

*when his front office gave him the go ahead to do so? Brett has been part of championship teams in SAS. Wake me up when the Boston staff does anything like that before you pull a superiority card.

[K For Three]

Brad is just better. He's younger, prettier and seems like a cooler guy to hang out with.

[Bar Fight]

How many championships does he have? I forget? And what’s his playoff record again?

His resume is better than Brett Brown's so I'm not even sure what you're getting at. But yeah, he's the best coach in the series by a comfortable margin

I’m saying he hasn’t proven **** when it counts.

And I'm saying he's the best coach in this series.

[Homerclease]

Brett Brown is an incredibly capable coach. I'm not sure what Stevens has done to deserve any benefit of the doubt over him. There's a lot of talk about all the young talent here but Stevens/Brown should be one of the great young/unproven coaching matchups in a while.

Win basketball games would be the primary reason why

*when his front office gave him the go ahead to do so? Brett has been part of championship teams in SAS. Wake me up when the Boston staff does anything like that before you pull a superiority card.

I’m not pulling any card. The reason why Stevens is held in high regard as a basketball coach is he’s been able to win games with what has been thought as marginal talent. Sixer fans have reminded us that the Celtics have no superstars like they do yet the Celtics still manage to win ballgames somehow.

[Sixerscan]

Win basketball games would be the primary reason why

*when his front office gave him the go ahead to do so? Brett has been part of championship teams in SAS. Wake me up when the Boston staff does anything like that before you pull a superiority card.

I’m not pulling any card. The reason why Stevens is held in high regard as a basketball coach is he’s been able to win games with what has been thought as marginal talent. Sixer fans have reminded us that the Celtics have no superstars like they do yet the Celtics still manage to win ballgames somehow.

I hold Brad in high regard! I'm just saying that we should hold Brett in equally high regard! Two great young coaches getting a chance to match up. I'm sure both guys are jacked up to test their mettle.

[K For Three]

I am just excited since it's Boston/Philly, always a blast with these two markets.

[Arsenal]

Yeah Stevens is a great regular season coach but his playoff record is nothing special.

2015: 8th seed Celtics (40-42) get swept 4-0 by 1st seed Cavaliers (57-25)

2016: 5th seed Celtics (48-34) lose 4-2 to 4th seed Hawks (48-34)

2017: 1st seed Celtics (53-29) win 4-2 vs 8th seed Bulls (41-41)
1st seed Celtics win 4-3 vs 4th seed Wizards (49-33)
1st seed Celtics lose 4-1 vs 2nd seed Cavaliers (51-31)

2018: 2nd seed Celtics (55-27) win 4-3 vs 7th seed Bucks (44-38)

There's nothing impressive about his playoff results. His strength is getting mediocre teams to overachieve in the regular season, but that doesn't work in the playoffs against better teams.

Based upon their relative seeding they've been unimpressive in the playoffs, which is to be expected if they're overachieving in the regular season.

[76ciology]

Brett and Brad should just play chess. Best of 7.

[sfernald]

Meh, I don't know if we have a real shot or not. It's just been a fun ride this year with the Celtics. We are held together this season at times by duct tape.

I think with C's fans you have to realize that while we know the odds are against us, we still just never give up hope.

My whole goal personally when Irving was announced out was to try to just win a series. Now I am just really curious to see what they can do vs. a well rested and healthier Philly team.

Having home court though is big for Boston.

I really am curious too. Celtics mystique always seems to be there. Always a factor. This may be the beginning of a new rivalry that will last a decade or more. It will be an excellent series. Heat were professional and even dirty, whereas Celtics will rely on their heart and their fans to carry them to victory. There’s magic in the Garden.

Honestly I’m going to say this just at the beginning of this series and not again, no matter what **** you see posted, Phily fans are just happy as **** to be here right now, enjoying all of this. If it wasn’t Boston, I’m not sure it would have even felt right. Every Philly fan would have probably been sad to some degree if Boston had not made it.

So let’s get this on...

[76ciology]

I dont know if we have a real shot. Fultz is still in virtual reality simulating the 14 million possibilities of this series like Dr. Strange and LeBron is still with the Cavs making the Pacers look like Thanos.

[ProcessMeUpFam]

Surprise Boston

[HeartBreakKid]

Yeah Stevens is a great regular season coach but his playoff record is nothing special.

2015: 8th seed Celtics (40-42) get swept 4-0 by 1st seed Cavaliers (57-25)

2016: 5th seed Celtics (48-34) lose 4-2 to 4th seed Hawks (48-34)

2017: 1st seed Celtics (53-29) win 4-2 vs 8th seed Bulls (41-41)
1st seed Celtics win 4-3 vs 4th seed Wizards (49-33)
1st seed Celtics lose 4-1 vs 2nd seed Cavaliers (51-31)

2018: 2nd seed Celtics (55-27) win 4-3 vs 7th seed Bucks (44-38)

There's nothing impressive about his playoff results. His strength is getting mediocre teams to overachieve in the regular season, but that doesn't work in the playoffs against better teams.

Based upon their relative seeding they've been unimpressive in the playoffs, which is to be expected if they're overachieving in the regular season.

That's a strange way to look at it. You do know that Stevens became the coach of the Celtics in 2013 - so he's literally been the coach the entire rebuilding process, but it doesn't feel like a rebuilding process because the Celtics have made the ECF.

Fact is - the Celtics haven't lost a series they weren't supposed to lose yet, so why would they be seen as unimpressive is beyond me. A coach that hasn't gotten upset in the playoffs is a pretty good coach.

Celtics vs Bucks and Celtics vs Wizards in 17 are the only times the Celtics have faced teams of comparable talent, and they came out winning in a 7 game series. I'd say he is doing his job quite well.

Think about it - he hasn't had a bluechip player at all in the playoffs, closest thing was Isaiah Thomas when he exploded last year (before that he was not nearly as good) and they got to the ECF.

[HeartBreakKid]

You're going to wish the Celtics decided to Trust The Process instead of prematurely trying to win now on the backs of inferior talent, and thereby capping the upside of their rebuild. You'll see the consequences of that over the next decade, starting with this series.

Right, because a series not featuring either of the Celtics stars will be indictitive of the teams prospects going forward.

Man, you can tell Sixers fans haven't had a good team in a while reading this thread. Some of y'all really believe this team is a contender lol. The C's will push the Sixers to the limit without their stars, then we'll wipe the floor with you when both teams are healthy next year.

No you won't. A team with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward as its best 2 players has NO CHANCE to win a title.

You need top 10 and preferably top 5 players to win chips. You don't have any even if Irving and Hayward come back at 100%.

We will probably have 2 top 10 players by next year. 3 if LeBron comes.

Usually - yes, but thats primarily because of how the cap works in the NBA. If a team hypothetically could field 4 top 20 players, then that would absolutely be a title contender, and it is possible with the way the Celtics are trending that they could get that.

Also, the Spurs won a title only a few years ago, and their best player was a really old Tim Duncan who was a mid tier all-star at best. So to say that a team with no superstar can't win a title is incorrect, if a team has a really good starting 5, some all star talent, good bench and are well coached they can absolutely win a title.

[London2Boston]

My point isnt that he's a Celtics fan. My point is that he is a poor basketball mind

Like most Celtic fans posting in this thread.

And we all thought the fans from up North were insufferable. Here you come into the light. Good job.

Only took them half a season of winning too.

Very cute.

Anyway. Here's to a good series. Shout out to the Philly fans that aren't making a fool of themselves. You guys have had some depressing seasons recently, so I won't begrudge your great season so far. Well deserved for you. Hopefully it ends soon as unlikely as that is

[PennSports]

Brett Brown has the highest playoff win percentage in league history! What an absolute unit.

My analytics team has checked and rechecked the numbers and they have indeed confirmed this undeniable fact. Stevens scared af imo, Brett doesn't even have his preseason beard powers activated. #StubbleWatch

[HoopsterJones]

I’m picking the Sixers in 6. Wouldn’t shock me if they did it in 5.