Official Celtics 2021-22 Season Thread

[cloverleaf]

Just keep Smart on Westbrook all game? Let Kemba/Pritchard try to guard Beal? Give some run to Romeo?

Put Smart on Beal, or on whoever will set picks for Beal. Our defense should be fixated on keeping the ball out of Beal's hands, and doing its best to make sure he doesn't get clean looks or clean paths.

Wizards are 4-15 this year when Westbrook's usage % is higher than 33%, 0-7 when it is higher than 36.6%.

To be fair, they are also 0-5 when Beal's usage % is 43% or higher.

Could Russ possibly have played when Beal had usage that high?

[threrf23]

Could Russ possibly have played when Beal had usage that high?

Russ played in 4 of 5 of those games

[cloverleaf]

Could Russ possibly have played when Beal had usage that high?

Russ played in 4 of 5 of those games

Wow.

[BK_2020]

So what are the defensive assignments vs. Washington?

Just keep Smart on Westbrook all game? Let Kemba/Pritchard try to guard Beal? Give some run to Romeo?

Nesmith is playing more like an SF/roamer right now and fouling a lot, so I don't see the fit for him on Beal except insofar as anything can happen in short stints.

Hide Kemba on Westbrook. Hide Jaylen on Hachimura.

[Fencer reregistered]

So what are the defensive assignments vs. Washington?

Just keep Smart on Westbrook all game? Let Kemba/Pritchard try to guard Beal? Give some run to Romeo?

Nesmith is playing more like an SF/roamer right now and fouling a lot, so I don't see the fit for him on Beal except insofar as anything can happen in short stints.

Hide Kemba on Westbrook. Hide Jaylen on Hachimura.

Jaylen won't be playing.

[BK_2020]

So what are the defensive assignments vs. Washington?

Just keep Smart on Westbrook all game? Let Kemba/Pritchard try to guard Beal? Give some run to Romeo?

Nesmith is playing more like an SF/roamer right now and fouling a lot, so I don't see the fit for him on Beal except insofar as anything can happen in short stints.

Hide Kemba on Westbrook. Hide Jaylen on Hachimura.

Jaylen won't be playing.

Oh damn I forgot. Ok hide Fournier on Hachimura.

[ParticleMan]

one of the big problems with brad's defensive scheme is that there is almost constant switching. if teams are smart, they keep getting switches until they eventually find the mismatch. it becomes really hard to hide guys on D with a scheme like that.

[jvalin]

one of the big problems with brad's defensive scheme is that there is almost constant switching. if teams are smart, they keep getting switches until they eventually find the mismatch. it becomes really hard to hide guys on D with a scheme like that.

It's possible to hide one non-switchable defender (Kemba) and still run a switch-heavy defensive scheme.

It's impossible to hide two non-switchable defenders (Kemba, Time Lord) and still run a switch-heavy defensive scheme.

In a vacuum, Timelord > Theis. That said, Theis was the perfect fit in our defensive system, whereas Time Lord is at his best when used in a drop scheme.

[cloverleaf]

one of the big problems with brad's defensive scheme is that there is almost constant switching. if teams are smart, they keep getting switches until they eventually find the mismatch. it becomes really hard to hide guys on D with a scheme like that.

Yep. But instead of adapting away from his system that inevitably exposes their smallest guy on the court, Brad has just taken to bringing up how small his team is in every interview pre- or postgame he does.

[Celts17Pride]

one of the big problems with brad's defensive scheme is that there is almost constant switching. if teams are smart, they keep getting switches until they eventually find the mismatch. it becomes really hard to hide guys on D with a scheme like that.

Yep. But instead of adapting away from his system that inevitably exposes their smallest guy on the court, Brad has just taken to bringing up how small his team is in every interview pre- or postgame he does.

He is right and Ainge knows it. The whole NBA world knows it.

[playa-hater]

one of the big problems with brad's defensive scheme is that there is almost constant switching. if teams are smart, they keep getting switches until they eventually find the mismatch. it becomes really hard to hide guys on D with a scheme like that.

Yep. But instead of adapting away from his system that inevitably exposes their smallest guy on the court, Brad has just taken to bringing up how small his team is in every interview pre- or postgame he does.

He is right and Ainge knows it. The whole NBA world knows it.

You guys make it sound like it's all Ainge. going back to the days of IT, Brad would seemingly always go small in the 4th quarter. I remember watching IT-Bradley-Smart-Crowder playing together many times. Fast forward to this year. how many times have we seen a Kemba + PP lineup or PP-Teague, Edwards and PP, Waters and Edwards and so on.. In fact I still remember Brad having 3 small PGs in at once and calling PP our SF.

There are enough players on our roster to have never gone that small.

[Celts17Pride]

Yep. But instead of adapting away from his system that inevitably exposes their smallest guy on the court, Brad has just taken to bringing up how small his team is in every interview pre- or postgame he does.

He is right and Ainge knows it. The whole NBA world knows it.

You guys make it sound like it's all Ainge. going back to the days of IT, Brad would seemingly always go small in the 4th quarter. I remember watching IT-Bradley-Smart-Crowder playing together many times. Fast forward to this year. how many times have we seen a Kemba + PP lineup or PP-Teague, Edwards and PP, Waters and Edwards and so on.. In fact I still remember Brad having 3 small PGs in at once and calling PP our SF.

There are enough players on our roster to have never gone that small.

so put in 6'6" Grant Williams?

Celtics need some bigs 6'10/6'11. Not saying he should be the draft pick but the Celtics need a Isaiah Jackson type of player. 6'10" mobile athletic big.

[moonie_mcgee]

If we move Smart, Brown and Tatum down a position we will instantly become the worst ball-handling team in the league, if we aren't one already.

I don't believe that but even if the ball handling was in the middle their size and athleticism would be head of the class. Brown's handle is much improved. If the three of them don't play hero ball play they'd be more than good enough at those spots. Nesmith is a future 2 guard, his handle isn't better than Brown's. Smart's size and d at the point is perfect. Tatum can't handle the 3 spot? He's perfect for it. Come on now.

[moonie_mcgee]

Hide Kemba on Westbrook. Hide Jaylen on Hachimura.

Jaylen won't be playing.

Oh damn I forgot. Ok hide Fournier on Hachimura.

Good luck with that. Hachimura will stomp him. Like a rock star, the Wiz play hard and fast. Can't wait for this test. Hope to see a lot of Nesmith and Pritch. Beal is not 100%. We gotta make him work on both ends. We gotta be in position to win it in the 4th. Full 48, full throttle.

[Fencer reregistered]

I introduced Jaylen's grandpa into the Tacko thread, and it turns out he may have meme potential.

Problem: I can't find much in the way of good pictures of him. I basically got the idea from one or the other article, supported by the short clip:

Read on Twitter

[Floody100]

So what are the defensive assignments vs. Washington?

Just keep Smart on Westbrook all game? Let Kemba/Pritchard try to guard Beal? Give some run to Romeo?

Nesmith is playing more like an SF/roamer right now and fouling a lot, so I don't see the fit for him on Beal except insofar as anything can happen in short stints.

Hide Jaylen on Hachimura.

Nice to see your hatred for Jaylen has completely forgot what he did to Siakam last year lol

[Fencer reregistered]

Three years ago, Smitty thought he'd figured out why Boston was unique in being consistently good at 3-pt defense.

https://www.celticsblog.com/2018/10/25/18018908/cracking-the-code-how-the-boston-celtics-became-the-nbas-best-at-defending-three-pointers-nba-film

Now that the run has finally ended, he's looking for reasons that it did -- and not really finding any.

https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/5/20/22444773/boston-celtics-dramatic-three-point-defense-drop-off

[darylbe]

Can the Financials work to move smart and add fournier and Collins? I'm telling ya, Collins at 4 will be fantastic. Fournier adds offense and is a good Marcus replacement.
Hopefully kemba regains some value and can get sent to the moon. Add fournier and Collins, move smart and kemba. And draft players that move the ball well.

[Maple Green]

For me Tradable this off season are
Kemba
Fournier (S&T)
Brown
TT
Langford
Ojeleye
Water
Edwards

[playa-hater]

Although this question should be asked after our playoff run, the question that should be asked is, How much change (BIG or not) will be made this offseason?? Does anyone think it will be run back with only minor changes??