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Why I still believe thread!

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Why I still believe thread! 

Post#1 » by playa-hater » Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:51 am

It seems like the storm is upon us with no light showing up ahead. So many things going bad and wrong. Team is playing with no passion and so selfishly. Much can be blamed on Stevens and much can be blamed on Ainge. Even our young stars deserve to hear the critics.

So why would I believe?

1 - Marcus Smart. There is no bigger deficiency than the will to win. That comes first and foremost. Even before the Skill, you need the will. The Js may not always have it, the coach doesn't appear to have/show it. But the one person, who has that WILL, and not just for us, but more than anyone in the entire NBA, is Marcus Smart. His fire and never give up attitude can literally spark a turnaround, get momentum and "light" this team on fire. he can make that one or two timely plays, on defense or offense and change the outcome of the game.

2 - Nesmith
- most of us are puzzled as to why he didn't play more sooner, but he has arrived IMO. he has clearly and already shown much more than just shooting, but he has also shown glimpses of toughness/defense and scoring. Things some did not see coming. He is literally gaining confidence right before our eyes. I hope/believe in 2/3 months he will be a real contributor in a playoff ready rotation.

3 - Robert Williams
(aka Timelord) while I am being tortured with his limited playing time, his play is just so promising IMO. If/when RW gets to a decent regular 25 min per, he will take Boston up a notch. I really hope Stevens comes to realize his potential and RW overcomes any injury concerns.

4 - One trade pickup.
Stevens has shown a willingness to shorten the rotation. But we still need one more upgrade to solidify it. Whether it be a H Barnes or a Thad Young or someone else. That would leave our current roster rotation with both the 2 Jays, Smart, RW, Theis, (insert key pickup) Kemba, Nesmith and PP - making a pretty solid 9 man rotation. With an emergency TT and Semi to fill in when needed.

Now will Boston/Danny make that trade? I don't know? Will Boston be so far gone that they may give up before a change happens? Maybe.

Obviously things need to change. Better ball movement and a set rotation come first to mind.

No one knows for sure. And it is hard to imagine right now. But momentum is a funny thing. When a team has it, it seems like things start falling in place more. I, perhaps foolishly still believe that Marcus Smart, a break to reset (allstar game) and One key player can still ignite a turnaround. And I will stay believing until proven otherwise.

Anyone with me?
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#2 » by Fierce1 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:00 am

If Ainge can trade Kemba then I'm with you.

I don't think anything will change if Kemba remains a Celtic after the trade deadline.

Kemba's offense is fine, but him being a defensive liability really hurts the Celts.
Every player that Kemba guards knows he can shoot over Kemba every time.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#3 » by playa-hater » Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:47 am

Fierce1 wrote:If Ainge can trade Kemba then I'm with you.

I don't think anything will change if Kemba remains a Celtic after the trade deadline.

Kemba's offense is fine, but him being a defensive liability really hurts the Celts.
Every player that Kemba guards knows he can shoot over Kemba every time.


With Smart back at least in the 4th quarter Boston can have him be the PG and play a better defensive lineup. Though I agree with everything else concerning Kemba
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#4 » by Fierce1 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:53 am

playa-hater wrote:
Fierce1 wrote:If Ainge can trade Kemba then I'm with you.

I don't think anything will change if Kemba remains a Celtic after the trade deadline.

Kemba's offense is fine, but him being a defensive liability really hurts the Celts.
Every player that Kemba guards knows he can shoot over Kemba every time.


With Smart back at least in the 4th quarter Boston can have him be the PG and play a better defensive lineup. Though I agree with everything else concerning Kemba


Addition by subtraction.
Celts played better when Kemba was out and Smart was the PG.
They started the season 8-3 without Kemba.

As a player, Kemba's very good, he was an all-star last season.
The problem is he's not a good fit with the Celts.

Boston's Centers are undersized.

There's not even a true PF on the roster.

So if the PG is also undersized, the Celts will always be at a disadvantage.

When Smart returns, it will be Kemba, Smart, Brown, Tatum, and Theis.
That's a very small team.

If Celts end up #7 or #8, it will be a 1st round exit.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#5 » by playa-hater » Thu Feb 25, 2021 8:01 am

Fierce1 wrote:
playa-hater wrote:
Fierce1 wrote:If Ainge can trade Kemba then I'm with you.

I don't think anything will change if Kemba remains a Celtic after the trade deadline.

Kemba's offense is fine, but him being a defensive liability really hurts the Celts.
Every player that Kemba guards knows he can shoot over Kemba every time.


With Smart back at least in the 4th quarter Boston can have him be the PG and play a better defensive lineup. Though I agree with everything else concerning Kemba


Addition by subtraction.
Celts played better when Kemba was out and Smart was the PG.
They started the season 8-3 without Kemba.

As a player, Kemba's very good, he was an all-star last season.
The problem is he's not a good fit with the Celts.

Boston's Centers are undersized.

There's not even a true PF on the roster.

So if the PG is also undersized, the Celts will always be at a disadvantage.

When Smart returns, it will be Kemba, Smart, Brown, Tatum, and Theis.
That's a very small team.

If Celts end up #7 or #8, it will be a 1st round exit.


I see no way Kemba gets traded. Only hope is 6th man.

I wish I can see Smart and JB at the guards Tatum + trade pickup at forwards + Rob Williams. Even if Stevens insists on Kemba starting, having my lineup as the 4th quarter close-out lineup would give me hope. Size/switch-ability leading the way.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#6 » by Fierce1 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 8:07 am

playa-hater wrote:I see no way Kemba gets traded. Only hope is 6th man.

I wish I can see Smart and JB at the guards Tatum + trade pickup at forwards + Rob Williams. Even if Stevens insists on Kemba starting, having my lineup as the 4th quarter close-out lineup would give me hope. Size/switch-ability leading the way.


That's not going to happen.

If Kemba remains, he will be in the game in crunch time.

That's why I want Kemba out because the Celts will be better defensively if Smart and Brown are the guards.

But there's no way Kemba sits in the last 5 minutes of the 4th.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#7 » by luckycharms » Thu Feb 25, 2021 8:27 am

OP makes a great point near the end about momentum. I've been thinking about this a lot. The Celtics have a lot of issues to correct and overcome. But, if and it's a big if, they can fix the on court putrid performances and get back to Celtic basketball with everyone healthy, having some momentum going into the playoffs will make the last few weeks seem like a distant bad dream. Far better to have momentum going into the playoffs than to peak too early. At least that what I keep telling myself. :D
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#8 » by The Corey's » Thu Feb 25, 2021 9:46 am

Owner literally said in radio yesterday that this tram isn't a championship team.

So the next step is to watch them to see the young talent develop. Except we can't even do that because so much terrible awful basketball is being displayed that these bad traits are either coming from awful coaching or young talent that simply can not grasp the idea of team ball.

Either way, neither of those things are going anywhere.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#9 » by RB34 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:31 am

The Corey's wrote:Owner literally said in radio yesterday that this tram isn't a championship team.

So the next step is to watch them to see the young talent develop. Except we can't even do that because so much terrible awful basketball is being displayed that these bad traits are either coming from awful coaching or young talent that simply can not grasp the idea of team ball.

Either way, neither of those things are going anywhere.


I missed radio show but it’s hard to understand their thinking.

I mean, we’ve been on the verge of the finals multiple times in the last few years and now we’re back to developing the young guys?

I understand developing our young stars but we need a gritty, experienced bench to help us when the season gets down to business.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#10 » by Fierce1 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:54 am

RB34 wrote:I missed radio show but it’s hard to understand their thinking.

I mean, we’ve been on the verge of the finals multiple times in the last few years and now we’re back to developing the young guys?

I understand developing our young stars but we need a gritty, experienced bench to help us when the season gets down to business.


Wyc is just trying to downplay the situation.

He learned his lesson after bragging about fireworks happening in the summer of 2015.
When no fireworks happened, Wyc was ridiculed.
He became the laughingstock of Celtic fans.

Don't be surprised if Ainge makes a move.

Worst case scenario is Ainge will dump Theis and TT so that the Celts will accumulate additional assets to be used in the off-season.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#11 » by The Corey's » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:08 pm

RB34 wrote:
The Corey's wrote:Owner literally said in radio yesterday that this tram isn't a championship team.

So the next step is to watch them to see the young talent develop. Except we can't even do that because so much terrible awful basketball is being displayed that these bad traits are either coming from awful coaching or young talent that simply can not grasp the idea of team ball.

Either way, neither of those things are going anywhere.


I missed radio show but it’s hard to understand their thinking.

I mean, we’ve been on the verge of the finals multiple times in the last few years and now we’re back to developing the young guys?

I understand developing our young stars but we need a gritty, experienced bench to help us when the season gets down to business.


This is what happens when you lose core members of your team for absolutely nothing and then replace them with incompetent players that don't even belong in the league.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#12 » by Fierce1 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:18 pm

The Corey's wrote:
RB34 wrote:
The Corey's wrote:Owner literally said in radio yesterday that this tram isn't a championship team.

So the next step is to watch them to see the young talent develop. Except we can't even do that because so much terrible awful basketball is being displayed that these bad traits are either coming from awful coaching or young talent that simply can not grasp the idea of team ball.

Either way, neither of those things are going anywhere.


I missed radio show but it’s hard to understand their thinking.

I mean, we’ve been on the verge of the finals multiple times in the last few years and now we’re back to developing the young guys?

I understand developing our young stars but we need a gritty, experienced bench to help us when the season gets down to business.


This is what happens when you lose core members of your team for absolutely nothing and then replace them with incompetent players that don't even belong in the league.


Hayward is the only one lost from the core last season.

And the Celts did not get absolutely nothing because the Celts got that 28.5m TPE from the Hayward sign and trade.

Using the TPE to replace Hayward is another story.

If Celts use the TPE to get Harrison Barnes for example, it will be like trading Hayward for Barnes.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#13 » by cl2117 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:20 pm

I still believe in this team. I'm not confident, but I believe in them.

Tatum and Brown are legit. There is no doubt about it. They both are still incredibly young and there is a learning curve to becoming superstars. They've nailed how to get their own and now they need to add in the ability to elevate others consistently. They're getting caught up in focusing purely on scoring and when the focus of the defense and in particular the double teams come, they become far far less effective. These guys are cornerstones and two have 2 of them immediately puts us in a position to have a puncher's chance against most teams.

Kemba is healthy. Unfortunately, so much of our season relies on Kemba because of how important having a legit scoring option outside of the Jays' is to giving them breathing room. His skillset is scoring, he's not going to deliver on the defensive end, he's not going to be the facilitator that can afford not to put the ball in the basket. His being healthy is half the battle when it comes to him being that legit 3rd scoring option for us. If he doesn't at least become consistently above average, we're probably sunk, but at least there is the potential for that.

The kids are WAY more promising than they looked at the start of the year. Nesmith is coming on both defensively and on the boards, when his primary skillset should be as a scorer. Pritchard looks like a low-ceiling, but high floor bench piece. Timelord is otherworldly, but just needs to be able to play 25+ minutes. Langford hasn't even gotten a shot, but his skillset is eating at the rim and we desperately need that.

Smart is going to come in and fill a LOT of holes. Defensively he's the heart and soul. Offensively he's a shockingly good facilitator (especially when he's not looking for his own shot). For such a young team, his leadership will go a LONG way.

And there is still 4 weeks until the trade deadline and Ainge has a huge chip with this TPE to be able to potentially add an impact player as well as a reasonable sized one via the Kanter TPE to add a more more moderate impact player and save the big move for the summer.

It's obviously been really ugly the last several weeks. There aren't enough excuses to explain away all the bad we've seen. But we are also incredibly lucky. The East has been brutal all year. We're 2 losses behind the 4th seed and 4 behind the 3rd seed. Despite being without guys for extended periods we haven't had any season ending injuries.

We've got plenty of potential, just need to put it all together. Not saying it will happen, but it's not a foregone conclusion that it won't. I believe C's can turn it around this season and make noise in the playoffs.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#14 » by The Corey's » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:21 pm

Fierce1 wrote:
The Corey's wrote:
RB34 wrote:
I missed radio show but it’s hard to understand their thinking.

I mean, we’ve been on the verge of the finals multiple times in the last few years and now we’re back to developing the young guys?

I understand developing our young stars but we need a gritty, experienced bench to help us when the season gets down to business.


This is what happens when you lose core members of your team for absolutely nothing and then replace them with incompetent players that don't even belong in the league.


Hayward is the only one lost from the core last season.

And the Celts did not get absolutely nothing because the Celts got that 28.5m TPE from the Hayward sign and trade.

Using the TPE to replace Hayward is another story.

If Celts use the TPE to get Harrison Barnes for example, it will be like trading Hayward for Barnes.


Wrong.

Be real nice if we stopped giving the Celtics a pass for losing 3 max contract all stars in 3 straight seasons.

The hoops some jump through to act like that's both normal and ACCEPTABLE
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#15 » by Fierce1 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:22 pm

Whether the Celts can turn it around or not, other eastern teams are not done dealing.

Kyle Lowry would like Philly move

40 mins ago – via Keith Pompey @ The Philadelphia Inquirer
A source said Lowry would like to be in Philly. The source believes the Sixers and Raptors might be able to get something done. But if it comes to that, Toronto would most likely want some picks, young players, and veterans with expiring contracts for Lowry, who’s making $30 million this season.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#16 » by Fierce1 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:26 pm

The Corey's wrote:Wrong.

Be real nice if we stopped giving the Celtics a pass for losing 3 max contract all stars in 3 straight seasons.

The hoops some jump through to act like that's both normal and ACCEPTABLE


Giving them a pass?

If all of us here don't give them a pass will anything change tomorrow?

The only solution is to boycott the Celtics.

No matter what we post here, it won't affect the decisions of the Celtic owner or the Celtic front office.

It's simply beyond our control.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#17 » by The Corey's » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:30 pm

Fierce1 wrote:
The Corey's wrote:Wrong.

Be real nice if we stopped giving the Celtics a pass for losing 3 max contract all stars in 3 straight seasons.

The hoops some jump through to act like that's both normal and ACCEPTABLE


Giving them a pass?

If all of us here don't give them a pass will anything change tomorrow?

The only solution is to boycott the Celtics.

No matter what we post here, it won't affect the decisions of the Celtic owner or the Celtic front office.

It's simply beyond our control.


Your the one who decided to perpetrate the mthy that we only lost 1 core member and didn't lose him for nothing.

We lost 3 all star players and none of them willingly. It adds up.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#18 » by GoCeltics123 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:54 pm

Kemba returning and Tatum getting Covid **** the vibes of the team. But Kemba isn't at fault for everything. All these losses did was pull back the curtain on how bad the supporting cast is.

I'll really believe in the team again if they make moves.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#19 » by Jammer » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:59 pm

There was a reason I pushed SO HARD for Kemba to be traded before the DRAFT last fall.

Now you all understand why. But not enough saw it then.

Ainge should have taken whatever his best deal was AT THAT TIME. Whatever. Because his value is even lower now.
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Re: Why I still believe thread! 

Post#20 » by Celts17Pride » Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:00 pm

crickets...............................................

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