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

[CelticsLV]

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.

Then you say his playoff results are nothing impressive. Yeah you just countered yourself. Maybe give Brad some real talent to work in the playoffs before you bring out his playoff record. You can't make this kind of stupid up. Those 2015 series against Cavs coudn't be more irrelevant.

[jpengland]

Sixers in 5

[GoGreen]

Wow. I see the trash talk and personal insults have already started.

This is gonna be a good series.

In truth, I see Philly taking this in 6; mayyybe the Cs can push it to 7. They're too talented and the Cs are too banged up, and simply don't have the horses to compete. Next year will be a different story with Tatum and Brown maturing and with a healthy Kyrie and Hayward returning

[FlatearthZorro]

There was always going to be a huge risk Kyrie would miss a chunk of the season, which is why you got him cheap. Kyrie is very talented but it is just who he is, unfortunately. Hopefully the same excuse will not be used next year if he cannot keep upright. Hayward was unfortunate. No sane person would have expected that.

Would you be better or worse without Simmons and Embiid if this is an excuse? And would it be considered an excuse or a fact if they were to miss a ton of games?

Ainge would have been aware of Kyrie's injury history and would realise that the cavs would not have given you a fully healthy Kyrie for the assets given, so an already injured player missing time due to injury is to be expected. If we get Kawhi at a discount and he ends reinjuring himself, we have nobody else to blame. If Ainge wants a healthy player, then he shouldn't be trading for one like Kyrie and then using his absence as an excuse. If Embiid went down with injury, then tough luck. He fell to us because of his injury history. I doubt Kyrie or Embiid would be on our respective teams of they were healthy.

You didn't answer my question tho, is it an excuse that you're better with Embiid and Simmons or a fact? Asking for a friend.

Btw, Horfie's shooting the 3 ball better than Embiid's overall FG %. 35 mins 58.8% from the field, 43.8% from 3, 76.5 FT, 18.1ppg, 8.7 rbs, 3.3 assists, 1.4 blocks. It will get interesting for sure.

[hookshot199]

*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.

I think - and like most people don't like to admit that I'm wrong - that Brett Brown has blossomed in the last two to three months. He's not the same coach as when the C's beat us in October, November and January. Nor are the Sixers the same team. I believe Brown's emergence into a top-tier coach happened with additions of a bench - namely, Ilyasova and Belinelli. Also with the continued growth of Embiid, Simmons and Saric. I suspect that these two big-picture issues are related. Nevertheless, he's making better coaching decisions - X's and O's - and it is undeniable that the team is playing solid defense.

I was happy to hear that Brad Stevens had no intention of putting Jaylen Brown back in the game last night after he appears to have strained his hamstring. I was disappointed in him for not ordering Brown to stay off the bike until he's had an MRI rather than let the same trainers, I presume, who failed to diagnose IT correctly, clear him to play.

I think Stevens has done a marvelous job this season in getting the most out of players like Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, Shane Larkin and Aaron Baynes. He has a system which made it possible for Tatum to make the transition from college to pro ball. And Jaylen Brown, if there were an award for the most improved second-year player, would be in the running.

So while I would give the C's the coaching edge, I believe the addition of shooters (Ilyasova and Belinelli to Redick) has allowed Brown to show what he can do. And so far, he's been getting A grades.

[76ciology]

Celtics in 3

If only Grayson Allen was on their team, they would be winning in 2.

Haha you have quite an imagination.

realistically, its 3

[hookshot199]

some sixers fans acting like teenagers thinking about getting laid for the first time. its cute af.

No, we got f**ked by Comcast management for nearly a decade until Sam Hinkie invented "The Process".

[76ciology]

My gut feel is Brad would take his chances by setting a stage of cancelling out Sixers’ vets with their top guys (horford, jaylen and Tatum’s scoring vs JJ, Beli and Dario). Then he’d take his chances of letting Biid take his jumpers and pressuring Ben and forcing him to drive to the hole. Wins should be when his top guys more than outscore Sixers vets, Biid’s jumpers and Ben’s drives.

[76ciology]

some sixers fans acting like teenagers thinking about getting laid for the first time. its cute af.

No, we got f**ked by Comcast management for nearly a decade until Sam Hinkie invented "The Process".

Nope. We got f’d until new ownership took place. It all started when we got committed to stop mediocrity by trading Iguodala for Bynum.

That started our commitment to be a top tier team by top tier talent and it carried over to Hinkie and BC.

[pac213up]

The Celtics are missing their 2 best players and the best scoring option this post season is now hobbled with a bad hammy. No one should brag about beating them at this point.

[76ciology]

The Celtics are missing their 2 best players and the 3rd best scoring option is now hobbled with a bad hammy. No one should brag about beating them at this point.

Yeah.

Fultz is still trapped in virtual reality, LeBron is still in his futile battle for championship and 10th pick in 2018 draft still hasn’t played.

[hookshot199]

Celtics in 3

If only Grayson Allen was on their team, they would be winning in 2.

We'd be forfeiting after one. Allen would have tripped every player on the team. BTW: I'd rather take a flier on Donte DiVincenzo if he's still on the board when we pick at 26. He has the makings of a future Redick.

[Madhouse]

The Celtics are missing their 2 best players and the best scoring option this post season is now hobbled with a bad hammy. No one should brag about beating them at this point.

I'm just happy to see the 76ers win ballgames no matter how strong the opponent is.

[hookshot199]

some sixers fans acting like teenagers thinking about getting laid for the first time. its cute af.

No, we got f**ked by Comcast management for nearly a decade until Sam Hinkie invented "The Process".

Nope. We got f’d until new ownership took place. It all started when we got committed to stop mediocrity by trading Iguodala for Bynum.

That started our commitment to be a top tier team by top tier talent and it carried over to Hinkie and BC.

We're talking about the same timeframe. Josh Harris allowed Doug Collins to have his way and land us "damaged goods" Andrew Bynum in August 2012. Harris, who initially promoted DiLeo to the GM's position, brought in Hinkie in 2013.

[Trippinskarlo]

This thread is already terrible lol.

[pac213up]

The Celtics are missing their 2 best players and the best scoring option this post season is now hobbled with a bad hammy. No one should brag about beating them at this point.

I'm just happy to see the 76ers win ballgames no matter how strong the opponent is.

Understandable.

[yeahM8]

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.

I was happy to hear that Brad Stevens had no intention of putting Jaylen Brown back in the game last night after he appears to have strained his hamstring. I was disappointed in him for not ordering Brown to stay off the bike until he's had an MRI rather than let the same trainers, I presume, who failed to diagnose IT correctly, clear him to play.

u presume wrong. we have a whole new medical team.

cant wait for this series to kick off

[hookshot199]

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.

I was happy to hear that Brad Stevens had no intention of putting Jaylen Brown back in the game last night after he appears to have strained his hamstring. I was disappointed in him for not ordering Brown to stay off the bike until he's had an MRI rather than let the same trainers, I presume, who failed to diagnose IT correctly, clear him to play.

u presume wrong. we have a whole new medical team.

cant wait for this series to kick off

Glad I'm wrong. I still think Stevens should have ordered Jaylen Brown to take a seat until after confirming there's nothing. We all saw him reach behind his leg. Jaylen Brown being a bit of a baby, much like Embiid when he tossed his goggles against Miami.

Add: "It just popped a little bit." Jackass. And I said the same thing about Embiid.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/nba-playoffs-2018-celtics-jaylen-brown-set-for-mri-on-hamstring-ahead-of-76ers-series/ar-AAwuBee

[Kaykoose]

Celtics in 7

[Triple M]

the Sixers have been a top 5 team in the playoffs and the most impressive team in the East so they have an advantage in this series. However, i feel their are some areas the Celtics can exploit, e.g. i like the Celtics size, length, and athleticism vs. Philly's 1-3. The Celtics did struggle vs. Thon Maker in the middle so to take full advantage they have to space the floor and pull Embiid out of the paint. Which is easier said then done, but i feel Horford and to a lesser degree Morris must find success on the perimeter vs. Embiid/Simmons. On the other side Embiid/Simmons will present a tremendous challenge and to be frank their strength can be overwhelming. My hope is that the C's can limit fastbreak points and transition 3s but that has been a challenge well in the playoffs and they cant afford that vs. the best transition team. i'm not going to make a prediction but i'll eagerly watch what adjustments will be possible for a competitive series.