Celts Raise Their Arms and Bang On a Pan, Scare The Bears! Victory Cigar vs MEM 3/31

bigfoot_cryptozoology · Post #21 » by **bigfoot_cryptozoology** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:23 am

I'm still rocking that Marvin Bagley as a backup Celtics big for next season. He didn't look bad out there and was more cognizant of the game than usual. Certainly could be an improvement over Tillman for sure...

bigfoot_cryptozoology · Post #22 » by **bigfoot_cryptozoology** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:25 am

Meanwhile, PP has been awful as of late. Very little help in recent games...

Triple M · Post #23 » by **Triple M** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:32 am

bigfoot_cryptozoology wrote:Meanwhile, PP has been awful as of late. Very little help in recent games...

He needs some rest. Looks a little leggy lately

Triple M · Post #24 » by **Triple M** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:34 am

Tilman cant play as a stretch 4. His confidence is in the ground and if players are playing that far off him it hurts the entire team. Why isnt he playing the screening role more

Parasite · Post #25 » by **Parasite** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:45 am

Horford for the cigar. Why in the hell is Joe playing that zombified stiff Tillman over Craig? Didn’t Joe see my thread about Tillman months ago saying he was toast??? Come on Joe, do better.

Parasite · Post #26 » by **Parasite** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:47 am

ThePigeon wrote:
31to6 wrote:
redslastlaugh wrote:It's been a dang good season ... but ... it's a bummer to see how far Xavier Tillman has fallen

I was a big Tillman booster, but if those are his last minutes in a Celtics jersey (I know he’s signed for next season) I’m okay with it

Not necessarily
He played good defense, was good on the boards and drew fouls. He needs to be incorporated in the offense and not just chuck 3s

He played 7 minutes dude. Then Joe rightly parked his butt on the bench. Should’ve never played him to begin with. We have Torrey Craig. Or Scheierman. Or anybody from the stands…

Post #27 » by **SuperDeluxe** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:49 am

Parasite wrote:Horford for the cigar. Why in the hell is Joe playing that zombified stiff Tillman over Craig? Didn’t Joe see my thread about Tillman months ago saying he was toast??? Come on Joe, do better.

He played him (heck, he started him) because Tillman has fans in Memphis. A nice touch, Joe rewarding a guy who's warming the bench without complaining.

Parasite · Post #28 » by **Parasite** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 2:59 am

SuperDeluxe wrote:
Parasite wrote:Horford for the cigar. Why in the hell is Joe playing that zombified stiff Tillman over Craig? Didn’t Joe see my thread about Tillman months ago saying he was toast??? Come on Joe, do better.

He played him (heck, he started him) because Tillman has fans in Memphis. A nice touch, Joe rewarding a guy who's warming the bench without complaining.

This isn’t high school.

cloverleaf · Post #29 » by **cloverleaf** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 3:06 am

I've had a vision for the playoffs. The C's repeat, but the finals MVP eludes JT again. This time, KP stays healthy and carries them home.

Post #30 » by **SuperDeluxe** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 3:08 am

Parasite wrote:
SuperDeluxe wrote:
Parasite wrote:Horford for the cigar. Why in the hell is Joe playing that zombified stiff Tillman over Craig? Didn’t Joe see my thread about Tillman months ago saying he was toast??? Come on Joe, do better.

He played him (heck, he started him) because Tillman has fans in Memphis. A nice touch, Joe rewarding a guy who's warming the bench without complaining.

This isn’t high school.

He played him 8 early minutes in a 100% inconsequential game. Which we won handily, by the way.

It looks like you feel pretty aggravated by this. If it's any relief, Tillman will only play garbage minutes from here on out.

Parasite · Post #31 » by **Parasite** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 3:16 am

SuperDeluxe wrote:
Parasite wrote:
SuperDeluxe wrote:He played him (heck, he started him) because Tillman has fans in Memphis. A nice touch, Joe rewarding a guy who's warming the bench without complaining.

This isn’t high school.

He played him 8 early minutes in a 100% inconsequential game. Which we won handily, by the way.

It looks like you feel pretty aggravated by this. If it's any relief, Tillman will only play garbage minutes from here on out.

Of course I’m aggravated. Are we or are we not trying to win a championship? Do we or do we not have players that should be getting the minutes in case they need them to play meaningful minutes going forward? Do we have players we are trying to develop who could use those minutes? Do we have a veteran player in Craig who could certainly use those minutes to try and gel with the team in case he’s needed in the playoffs?

Tillman is done. He’s toast. Joe knows it or else he’d have played him more this season. It was a complete waste of minutes we could’ve put to better use.

KamikazeK · Post #32 » by **KamikazeK** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 4:07 am

cloverleaf wrote:I've had a vision for the playoffs. The C's repeat, but the finals MVP eludes JT again. This time, KP stays healthy and carries them home.

Just means Tatum's turn will be the last one in the trilogy. 8-)

Wouldn't that be a nice story. A threepeat with each of the top 3 winning a FMVP.

ConstableGeneva · Post #33 » by **ConstableGeneva** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 4:26 am

After breaking IT's single-season record for most threes made, DWhite is 3 threes away from being the 8th Eastern Conference player to make 250 3s in a season in NBA history. For context, Steph Curry has done that 11x in his career lol.

ConstableGeneva · Post #34 » by **ConstableGeneva** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 4:32 am

Only one other player has recorded a game with 6+ threes and 8+ rebounds in a game as a 38-yo or older -- Lebron (2x). This is the second time Horford's done it, both times this March.

Post #35 » by **djFan71** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 4:39 am

31to6 wrote:I voted only for Al because **** YEAH ITS AL HORFORD and its a privilege and an honor to root for him

Good win
Great trip
Keep winning until it’s done

This. Only Al 5evah!

ConstableGeneva · Post #36 » by **ConstableGeneva** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 4:42 am

After securing their 56th win, the Mazzulla Celtics now own the three best single-season win percentage in the Stevens era -- 2022-23 (57), 2023-24 (64), 2024-25 (56+).

Smart2Nesmith43 · Post #37 » by **Smart2Nesmith43** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 6:51 am

Mazzulla plays 8 guys: why isn't Joe playing more guys to keep the core fresh ?
Mazzulla opens up the rotation: why is Joe giving minutes to scrubs ?
:crazy:

cl2117 · Post #38 » by **cl2117** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 8:45 am

VC's to the elder statesmen Horford and Jrue. KP really deserves it because he was pretty dominant against one of the more interesting defensive frontcourts in the league (JJJ/Edey) but gotta give a shout out to our old guys when they are turning in these kinds of performances this late into the season.

Horford playing 37 minutes kind of scares me. Don't want to wear the tread off those tires too early, make sure he gets plenty of rest. 26/8 with good defense and basically 50% from three, if he can give us the occassional performance like that in the playoffs we're going to be pretty damned hard to beat. I get keeping him warm but I'd like to see him closer to 20 mins max.

Jrue, knock on wood, seems like he may be turning a bit of a corner out of his prolonged slump. He's averaging 12/4/5 in the last month with his best TS% since October. And looks spry doing it, which is probably the best thing about it all. If this is him getting his playoff legs under him, I'm fine letting him run to the end of the season in the hopes that it solidifies this level of play.

The amazing thing about Horford and Jrue is that we don't need them on any given night to be dropping 20+ points or dishing out double digit assists etc. They can 100% operate as roleplayers filling the gaps between the Jays, KP, White and even the bench mob of PP/Hauser/Kornet. But there mere fact that they can produce the way they did against Memphis is such a huge luxury that sets us apart from other contenders. We don't need them to drop 20 on a given night, but if over the course of a 7 game series you just get 1 game like that from either of them (let alone both), you're sitting pretty.

That's what makes this team dangerous. You've got a dynamic duo with JT/JB, two all-stars with White and KP, the two aforementioned aging stars and then two sharpshooters off the bench as your core 8 playoff rotation pieces. Any of whom you would not be surprised to see dominate stretches of a game if not the whole thing.

ThePigeon wrote:
31to6 wrote:
redslastlaugh wrote:It's been a dang good season ... but ... it's a bummer to see how far Xavier Tillman has fallen
I was a big Tillman booster, but if those are his last minutes in a Celtics jersey (I know he’s signed for next season) I’m okay with it
Not necessarily
He played good defense, was good on the boards and drew fouls. He needs to be incorporated in the offense and not just chuck 3s

Yeah his defense actually looked solid. He plays that very grounded style of big man defense akin to Horford where he challenges with length but rarely leaves his feet and also uses his body to redirect guys/be an obstacle in the paint. He's fine on that end.

Offensively he's a dumpster fire. Can't shoot the three, isn't a lob threat, no mid-range game. It's dire. I thought he'd have some potential if we stuck him at the elbow and ran some action through him as he is a solid passer, but we never do that (and it makes sense because why bring in your 4th big and switch up the offense to incorporate him). Don't really see a way forward for him unless he can contribute on that end and having a three ball that warrants closing out on was his best chance at that and it's just never come along.

We may be stuck with him anyway we'd have to pay to move him despite being a minimum vet. Gotta just hope the knee injury kept him out of the loop for too long this season and maybe with a fully healthy offseason he can come back and find a way to not be a net negative on that end.

cl2117 · Post #39 » by **cl2117** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 8:51 am

Parasite wrote:
SuperDeluxe wrote:
Parasite wrote:
This isn’t high school.

He played him 8 early minutes in a 100% inconsequential game. Which we won handily, by the way.

It looks like you feel pretty aggravated by this. If it's any relief, Tillman will only play garbage minutes from here on out.

Of course I’m aggravated. Are we or are we not trying to win a championship? Do we or do we not have players that should be getting the minutes in case they need them to play meaningful minutes going forward? Do we have players we are trying to develop who could use those minutes? Do we have a veteran player in Craig who could certainly use those minutes to try and gel with the team in case he’s needed in the playoffs?

Tillman is done. He’s toast. Joe knows it or else he’d have played him more this season. It was a complete waste of minutes we could’ve put to better use.

You have a point re: developmental minutes and letting Craig get acclimated, but I think you can't discount the impact of a happy locker room.

I don't think Tillman was about to be a malcontent or anything like that, but Joe giving him a token start in his old stomping grounds and 8 minutes to feel like part of the team again is a small price to pay to keep him positive and engaged. That then can permeate to the other guys and all ships rise with the tide.

I expect over these last few games, with little to play for other than staying fresh, we'll see plenty of developmental minutes for the young guns. And Tillman will likely still get some too to keep him engaged, but also because we've got him on the books for next year so even if he is toast we may need to find a way to make use of him nonetheless. I'm just happy we've afforded ourselves enough space that at the end of the season to let these guys get some run rather than feeling obliged to fight for seeding. Would obviously be nicer to be sitting in pole position rather than behind Cleveland but this is a pretty solid outcome as an alternative

Fencer reregistered · Post #40 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Tue Apr 1, 2025 9:29 am

cl2117 wrote:
Parasite wrote:
SuperDeluxe wrote:He played him 8 early minutes in a 100% inconsequential game. Which we won handily, by the way.

It looks like you feel pretty aggravated by this. If it's any relief, Tillman will only play garbage minutes from here on out.

Of course I’m aggravated. Are we or are we not trying to win a championship? Do we or do we not have players that should be getting the minutes in case they need them to play meaningful minutes going forward? Do we have players we are trying to develop who could use those minutes? Do we have a veteran player in Craig who could certainly use those minutes to try and gel with the team in case he’s needed in the playoffs?

Tillman is done. He’s toast. Joe knows it or else he’d have played him more this season. It was a complete waste of minutes we could’ve put to better use.
You have a point re: developmental minutes and letting Craig get acclimated, but I think you can't discount the impact of a happy locker room.

I don't think Tillman was about to be a malcontent or anything like that, but Joe giving him a token start in his old stomping grounds and 8 minutes to feel like part of the team again is a small price to pay to keep him positive and engaged. That then can permeate to the other guys and all ships rise with the tide.

I expect over these last few games, with little to play for other than staying fresh, we'll see plenty of developmental minutes for the young guns. And Tillman will likely still get some too to keep him engaged, but also because we've got him on the books for next year so even if he is toast we may need to find a way to make use of him nonetheless. I'm just happy we've afforded ourselves enough space that at the end of the season to let these guys get some run rather than feeling obliged to fight for seeding. Would obviously be nicer to be sitting in pole position rather than behind Cleveland but this is a pretty solid outcome as an alternative

Agree that in effect Craig needs developmental minutes too, as he's still learning the system.

Who smokes the big cigar?