Celtics General Thread 2019-20, "Re-Start"

sam_I_am · Post #221 » by **sam_I_am** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 3:07 pm

I predicted a 50-55 win season this year with caveat that we would be regular season heroes that would get victimized by elite big men and exposed in playoffs. Philly game and first half last night seemed to validate that opinion. However, it’s possible that against Philly the Celtics actually beat themselves. Holding Embiid to 15 pts on 14 shots was unexpected and the way they handled Giannis last night (despite an awesome stat line BTW) suggests this team will be a more legit 50-55 win team and a true playoff contender.

4 games in and I am a believer. Just wait until Tatum breaks out - it’s happening and we got a glimpse of what it will be like in second half last night.

100proof · Post #222 » by **100proof** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 3:08 pm

sam_I_am wrote:
100proof wrote:
jmr07019 wrote:I don't get why the Rockets would deal Capela. They don't have a replacement for him and they don't want to punt the season....

Kanter, wannamer, semi, langford for capela.

Houston gets depth, saves money.
Boston gets a center that will work with a big 4 of kemba/brown/tatum and hayward.

Kemba/edwards/waters
Brown/smart/strus
Tatum/green
Hayward/gwilliams/theis
Capela/rwilliams/poirier

Would need to pick up a depth sf off the bench for the 15th spot though.

We don’t need a center like Capela....would be nice but we are good at C. RW, Grant, Theis and Kanter have already proven they can match up with Embiid, Gasol, Lopez. Where we need upgrade is at PF with length and athleticism to guard Siakam, Simmons and GA. We don’t need an all star but we need a solid defender who is a 3 pt threat like Grant but with length. Isaac is probably untouchable but someone like that with a contract we can trade forwould be ideal. Horace Grant from old Bulls teams is prototype. Even a guy without 3 point range but with versatility like Dennis Rodman. A guy like Montrezl Harrell comes to mind.

I dont think there is one that can be had for the price we are willing to pay.

I am not opposed to keeping Hayward and have him come off the bench with Smart and Edwards and Gwill and Kanter, would have the best bench in the league, but I cannot see any real great PF that can be had for the scraps Boston has left.

I would still love a DJ Wilson or Christian Wood deal, I think either of those can have a huge impact.

Joest2003 · Post #223 » by **Joest2003** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 3:09 pm

Need of a good laugh? Check out Brooklyns board. Specifically the welcome home Kyrie thread last 2 pages

24istheLAW · Post #224 » by **24istheLAW** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 3:33 pm

100proof wrote:I dont think there is one that can be had for the price we are willing to pay.

I am not opposed to keeping Hayward and have him come off the bench with Smart and Edwards and Gwill and Kanter, would have the best bench in the league, but I cannot see any real great PF that can be had for the scraps Boston has left.

I would still love a DJ Wilson or Christian Wood deal, I think either of those can have a huge impact.

Kemba isn't a natural PG, score-first ballhandler who prefers to pull up and shoot to penetrating. Brown and Tatum are very rudimentary playmakers who prefer to finish than to create offense. You NEED one of Hayward and Smart in the starting lineup. The halfcourt execution with 2 bigs, 2 clumsier wings and a shoot-first PG would be horrendous.

People want to tinker, but from what we've seen so far, the Celts have a real good formula for their personnel.

Defensively, they can switch a lot of positions, force a ton of turnovers, and are decent at rebounding. Offensively, they're getting good looks and taking good shots, moving the ball and not turning it over. Lots of drives as point out above.

They've been a better defensive team than offensive team and the limiting factor is makes/misses. That's not a coaching thing, or something you fix by shuffling deck chairs. That's something that'll come down to how good guys like Tatum and Kemba and Jaylen actually are.

EDIT: I do think DJ Wilson would be a nice add in a vacuum. If anything the celts look shallow right now, and to up the pace they play at, which is ideal, they'd need more players, and IMO Kanter's plodding really goes against this team's strengths. But it's hard to get deeper with margin moves, you send out your bit player for theirs and you've got the same # of bit players you did before.

100proof · Post #225 » by **100proof** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 3:49 pm

24istheLAW wrote:
100proof wrote:I dont think there is one that can be had for the price we are willing to pay.

I am not opposed to keeping Hayward and have him come off the bench with Smart and Edwards and Gwill and Kanter, would have the best bench in the league, but I cannot see any real great PF that can be had for the scraps Boston has left.

I would still love a DJ Wilson or Christian Wood deal, I think either of those can have a huge impact.

Kemba isn't a natural PG, score-first ballhandler who prefers to pull up and shoot to penetrating. Brown and Tatum are very rudimentary playmakers who prefer to finish than to create offense. You NEED one of Hayward and Smart in the starting lineup. The halfcourt execution with 2 bigs, 2 clumsier wings and a shoot-first PG would be horrendous.

People want to tinker, but from what we've seen so far, the Celts have a real good formula for their personnel.

Defensively, they can switch a lot of positions, force a ton of turnovers, and are decent at rebounding. Offensively, they're getting good looks and taking good shots, moving the ball and not turning it over. Lots of drives as point out above.

They've been a better defensive team than offensive team and the limiting factor is makes/misses. That's not a coaching thing, or something you fix by shuffling deck chairs. That's something that'll come down to how good guys like Tatum and Kemba and Jaylen actually are.

EDIT: I do think DJ Wilson would be a nice add in a vacuum. If anything the celts look shallow right now, and to up the pace they play at, which is ideal, they'd need more players, and IMO Kanter's plodding really goes against this team's strengths. But it's hard to get deeper with margin moves, you send out your bit player for theirs and you've got the same # of bit players you did before.

i agree with about everything you stated.

When trading the bit players, you do it with hopes that what you are bringing in excels with a potential expanded role. As is the case with DJ, I think he can be a difference maker with more minutes and opportunity.

Or you have to look at maintaining the 1-4 lineup of Kemba.Brown.Tatum.Hayward and adding a proper center for that.

Gant · Post #226 » by **Gant** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:19 pm

In his radio interview today, Danny Ainge said that when the Celtics play pick up games, Marcus Smart is always picked first because no one wants to play against him.

sam_I_am · Post #227 » by **sam_I_am** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:48 pm

Bryant on Wizards was a guy many wanted this off season and he is another guy who would have been a good fit.

Ernest · Post #228 » by **Ernest** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:59 pm

Gant wrote:In his radio interview today, Danny Ainge said that when the Celtics play pick up games, Marcus Smart is always picked first because no one wants to play against him.

I'm always shocked when I see people not realizing how great he is on here. He has his finger prints all over every game, and usually every play. If there was a stat for unselfish play, little tips that keep things alive, D that makes someone miss or make a turnover, all the things that don't become stats, he'd be leading the league. For my money he's the best player on the team. I'm sure Walker will continue to make a strong case to change my mind but scoring comes and goes, D is much more consistent.

Smeff10 · Post #229 » by **Smeff10** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 7:08 pm

Smart is just a grit and balls type guy

UNCBlue012 · Post #230 » by **UNCBlue012** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 7:33 pm

24istheLAW wrote:
100proof wrote:I dont think there is one that can be had for the price we are willing to pay.

I am not opposed to keeping Hayward and have him come off the bench with Smart and Edwards and Gwill and Kanter, would have the best bench in the league, but I cannot see any real great PF that can be had for the scraps Boston has left.

I would still love a DJ Wilson or Christian Wood deal, I think either of those can have a huge impact.

Kemba isn't a natural PG, score-first ballhandler who prefers to pull up and shoot to penetrating. Brown and Tatum are very rudimentary playmakers who prefer to finish than to create offense. You NEED one of Hayward and Smart in the starting lineup. The halfcourt execution with 2 bigs, 2 clumsier wings and a shoot-first PG would be horrendous.

People want to tinker, but from what we've seen so far, the Celts have a real good formula for their personnel.

Defensively, they can switch a lot of positions, force a ton of turnovers, and are decent at rebounding. Offensively, they're getting good looks and taking good shots, moving the ball and not turning it over. Lots of drives as point out above.

They've been a better defensive team than offensive team and the limiting factor is makes/misses. That's not a coaching thing, or something you fix by shuffling deck chairs. That's something that'll come down to how good guys like Tatum and Kemba and Jaylen actually are.

EDIT: I do think DJ Wilson would be a nice add in a vacuum. If anything the celts look shallow right now, and to up the pace they play at, which is ideal, they'd need more players, and IMO Kanter's plodding really goes against this team's strengths. But it's hard to get deeper with margin moves, you send out your bit player for theirs and you've got the same # of bit players you did before.

Oddly enough, it's almost as if Brad knows better than some people on this board.

Andrew McCeltic · Post #231 » by **Andrew McCeltic** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:09 pm

Right now I don't think this team needs anything, and the parts that are working well (esp. Hayward) are too important to trade for a big.

crimsonandblue · Post #232 » by **crimsonandblue** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:56 pm

Andrew McCeltic wrote:Right now I don't think this team needs anything, and the parts that are working well (esp. Hayward) are too important to trade for a big.

When's the last time Ainge made a trade mid-season for a legitimate rotation player? IT in 2015? I can't see Ainge making a deal this season unless it's extremely lopsided.

Fencer reregistered · Post #233 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 12:20 am

Andrew McCeltic wrote:Right now I don't think this team needs anything, and the parts that are working well (esp. Hayward) are too important to trade for a big.

You don't think a trade is called for!?!?!

In related news, Satan is practicing his ice skating.

Fencer reregistered · Post #234 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 2:06 am

Articles are saying things like "Since Jaylen Brown wasn't around to guard Giannis, Smart guarded him instead."

Smart of course has guarded big guys for years. Brown has done a bit of it, and Popovich had him do more. Grant happily guards bigger guys. Kemba takes some charges. Edwards is usually an undersized defender, and Waters even more so. Theis is too in many of his matchups.

I'm sure that everybody's eager for BobWill and then Tacko to mature into heavy-minutes players, but even so and even then, small defending seems here to stay.

Andrew McCeltic · Post #235 » by **Andrew McCeltic** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 2:47 am

Fencer reregistered wrote:
Andrew McCeltic wrote:Right now I don't think this team needs anything, and the parts that are working well (esp. Hayward) are too important to trade for a big.

You don't think a trade is called for!?!?!

In related news, Satan is practicing his ice skating.

Mostly because Hayward looks good and like a major part of what we’re doing offensively.. The center by committee stuff has been good so far, there’s no need to disrupt things.

CelticsPride18 · Post #236 » by **CelticsPride18** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 3:07 am

I would trade Theis and a 2nd for Bertans

Post #237 » by **Darthlukey** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 5:49 am

Joest2003 wrote:Need of a good laugh? Check out Brooklyns board. Specifically the welcome home Kyrie thread last 2 pages

You are not wrong, there is some real anger in there

Post #238 » by **Darthlukey** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 5:51 am

Ernest wrote:
Gant wrote:In his radio interview today, Danny Ainge said that when the Celtics play pick up games, Marcus Smart is always picked first because no one wants to play against him.

I'm always shocked when I see people not realizing how great he is on here. He has his finger prints all over every game, and usually every play. If there was a stat for unselfish play, little tips that keep things alive, D that makes someone miss or make a turnover, all the things that don't become stats, he'd be leading the league. For my money he's the best player on the team. I'm sure Walker will continue to make a strong case to change my mind but scoring comes and goes, D is much more consistent.

He might not be the best player on the team, but he is by far and away the best value compared to his contract. I was so cynical when that deal was signed (thought Danny well and truly overpaid). Glad to say I was wrong.

claycarver · Post #239 » by **claycarver** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 7:01 am

Gant wrote:In his radio interview today, Danny Ainge said that when the Celtics play pick up games, Marcus Smart is always picked first because no one wants to play against him.

Not a bad final pitch to free agents. "...and wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to play against Marcus Smart with thousands of people watching him get break you down?"

Gant · Post #240 » by **Gant** » Fri Nov 1, 2019 12:45 pm

Marcus Morris, from Jay King:

Morris did not know at the time exactly what would happen, he believed the Celtics needed to hit the reset button. Asked what he thought needed to change, he replied, “We all know.”

“I don’t really want to speak on that,” Morris said. “I mean, we all know. (Kyrie) is my guy, but they needed a fresh start. Everybody needed a fresh start. And they got it, man. The energy seems – being around them, just playing them that one game (Saturday), the energy seems to be a lot better.”