Jarell Christian's Wikipedia page needs editing. The rumored Maine job isn't mentioned, which I guess is OK since it's still just rumored. But also, the bio claims he played pro ball without saying where he supposedly did so.
Stevens may go into the season with the team as constructed. It's a long season. I bet there's playing time for everyone. If the team competes at a high level, we have a chance to bethe season's surprise team story. I'm mostly bullish on Tatum and believe he'll separate himself from Brown even more. Tatum is the alpha talent. Finally he's surrounded with a really well balanced and talented roster. I expect us to win alot this year in multiple ways.
Re: Official Celtics 2021-22 Off-Season Thread
Posted: Sat Sep 4, 2021 2:37 am
by NuckyPowell
I think Brad has done a pretty good job of fixing the roster issues Danny left.
GoGreen wrote:Is there an updated g league roster floating around anywhere?
Naw. They usually don't start picking until the end of the NBA Preseason. We may have up to 4 x Exhibition-10 contracts, who could end up on the Maine Celtics.
Re: Official Celtics 2021-22 Off-Season Thread
Posted: Sat Sep 4, 2021 4:35 pm
by bisme37
Hoopshype says Tatum is the #4 small forward in the league and Brown is #8. I don't know how they came up with positions for some of these guys but the top 10 is...
1 Durant 2 Luka 3 Lebron 4 TATUM 5 Paul George 6 Butler 7 Middleton 8 BROWN 9 Ingram 10 M Porter Jr
An All-Star in 2020-21 as well as an Olympic gold medalist, Jayson Tatum has shown nothing but an upward trajectory since reaching the NBA in 2017-18, without sign of slowing down yet. And memes aside, considering he remains only 23 years old, he likely isn’t done improving.
The next facet of his game Tatum has to work on is his foul-drawing prowess, as Tatum’s free-throw rate (25.8 percent, No. 94 in the NBA last season, one spot behind Marc Gasol) pales in comparison to some of the league’s other top scorers.
It’s not an exaggeration to say if Tatum learns how to get to the line more often, where’s he’s a career 84.0 percent foul shooter, he could up his scoring average to the low 30s – he’s that talented of a bucket-getter overall.
Tatum could also stand to attack the basket more often, as just 19.7 percent of his shot attempts last season came from within three feet of the basket, the lowest rate of his career by a wide margin. For comparison’s sake, Butler attempted 32.7 percent of his field goal from that same range.
Tatum certainly possesses the ball-handling, strength and athleticism to be an effective basket-attacker, it’s just a matter of doing it more often next season and relying a bit less on difficult midrange jumpers, an area the former Duke standout does excel in, but not a part of the floor elite players should be spending so much time in.
Still, we fully expect to see further improvement from Tatum in 2021-22, which is why he’s ranked as high as he is in our exercise. He’s already grown so much as a player throughout the years, and still just 23, we think that will continue next campaign.
It speaks to the absurd depth among the NBA’s elite swingmen that a player as talented as Jaylen Brown, who continues to defy odds and show major improvement every single year, and who is coming off his first All-Star campaign, can finish eighth on the list.
But that’s just how ridiculously talented and productive the players who finished ahead of him were.
2020-21 was without a doubt the best season of Brown’s career. He put up nearly 25 points per game after never having averaged more than 20.3 before. He shot a career-best 39.7 percent from the three-point line. He absolutely smashed previous career marks in BPM and VORP. And he did all of that while remaining one of the most impactful wing defenders in basketball.
Synergy Sports ranked Brown as an “excellent” scorer both as a spot-up shooter and as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, proving how well-rounded of a scorer he’s become after entering the NBA very raw in that respect, and as a “very good” scorer overall, ranking in the league’s 69th percentile.
If we see yet another leap out of Brown in 2021-22 like in seasons prior, there’s a chance he could make this ranking look way too conservative. But even if he remains what he was last campaign, he’ll still be one of the best swingmen in the world.
Hopes were high for Edwards when he was drafted in the second round (2019) but he never became a reliable scorer and was the most expendable returnee as the backcourt became crowded. The Celtics need bench scoring and Stevens could use that roster spot on a free agent who can flourish in short minutes.
There are a handful of veterans who would accept minimum contracts, such as Darren Collison, Isaiah Thomas, and Monta Ellis. Wesley Matthews, Avery Bradley, and Dante Exum are also on the market.
What Stevens wants to do is ensure that every player on the roster serves a purpose. Edwards, Semi Ojeleye, Tremont Waters, Jeff Teague, Luke Kornet, Grant Williams, and Jabari Parker had trouble gaining traction over the past couple years.
Hernangomez, Josh Richardson, Enes Kanter, Al Horford/Robert Williams, Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith, and perhaps Bruno Fernando give Boston a much-improved bench and a chance to compete in the Eastern Conference.
On Friday, he moved the contracts of Kris Dunn and Carsen Edwards to the Memphis Grizzlies for Juancho Hernangomez, clearing the crowded frontcourt and then acquiring a stretch four the Celtics have lacked for years.
It’s not a blockbuster deal but cements the Celtics’ place in the 2022 free agent market. Hernangomez has an expiring contract and will help the team with outside shooting, but the Celtics will also be better equipped to make a bid for Bradley Beal next summer or even at the trade deadline.
Didn't IME say Smart was going to be the starting PG? If so, then I would be surprised to see Schroder start as a 2..
I am still hoping and betting to see Nesmith start. But I wouldn't bet the whole paycheck..
I like splitting up Smart and JRich for defensive purposes. The latter has an additional year on his contract so not starting shouldn't be an issue. Schroder should start and play for a new contract. Let him shine and run with Smart and the starters. Let Pritch run the 2nd unit with JRich providing defensive stops. Horford should start. He's experienced and will deliver. Have Timelord come off the bench and dominate the oppositions backups. Nesmith will get alot of looks and a green light with the 2nd unit. HGomez should thrive there as well. Timelord can play off the ball when Bruno and Kanter are in too. I like our guys
via Trade/FA: Schroder (Germany) Kanter (Turkey) Horford (Dominican Republic) Hernangomez (Spain) Fernando (Angola) Richardson (USA) Parker (USA) Hauser (USA)
Interesting we don't have a single international player drafted on the roster right now. And all of our second round draftees are gone (though we're still technically paying for Demetrius Jackson's salary).
Didn't IME say Smart was going to be the starting PG? If so, then I would be surprised to see Schroder start as a 2..
I am still hoping and betting to see Nesmith start. But I wouldn't bet the whole paycheck..
I like splitting up Smart and JRich for defensive purposes. The latter has an additional year on his contract so not starting shouldn't be an issue. Schroder should start and play for a new contract. Let him shine and run with Smart and the starters. Let Pritch run the 2nd unit with JRich providing defensive stops. Horford should start. He's experienced and will deliver. Have Timelord come off the bench and dominate the oppositions backups. Nesmith will get alot of looks and a green light with the 2nd unit. HGomez should thrive there as well. Timelord can play off the ball when Bruno and Kanter are in too. I like our guys
if we're going to pair Smart with someone it should be a shooter. Otherwise the spacing on the starting unit is utterly brutal. They seem to think JRich is actually a better shooter than he's shown, so I suspect he'll get the first crack at it. I'm rooting for Nesmith to force his way into the lineup, in principle he's the ideal complement, but he will have to beat out JRich. Schroeder is the backup pg. The real loser in all this is Pritchard.
Re: Official Celtics 2021-22 Off-Season Thread
Posted: Sun Sep 5, 2021 3:13 pm
by Curmudgeon
You start by saying that pairing Smart with a non shooter would be brutal, but then conclude that the odd man out will be Pritchard, who happens to be the best three point shooter on the team.
Re: Official Celtics 2021-22 Off-Season Thread
Posted: Sun Sep 5, 2021 4:53 pm
by 31to6
Starters: Jayson and Jaylen, probably Smart Everyone else: prove it to me Not a bad place for a new coach to be! I’d bet who starts/closes/plays a lot will constantly evolve throughout the season, and be determined partly by who sprains an ankle or tweaks a hammy when. And hopefully will have more to do with how the team performs overall/as units than on how individuals perform. If I’m Ime I’m telling them I’m looking at on/off and +/- much more than FG% or PPG.
Re: Official Celtics 2021-22 Off-Season Thread
Posted: Sun Sep 5, 2021 4:58 pm
by GoGreen
Feels like Rob and Nesmith have every opportunity to take the starting jobs here. Let's hope they do.
Re: Official Celtics 2021-22 Off-Season Thread
Posted: Sun Sep 5, 2021 7:39 pm
by moonie_mcgee
GoGreen wrote:Feels like Rob and Nesmith have every opportunity to take the starting jobs here. Let's hope they do.
The Smart Nesmith Brown Williams lineup allows for a Schroeder Pritch JRich HGomez Horford unit with Langford Parker Grant Bruno Kanter in reserve.
That's a helluva roster. That 2nd unit would absolutely crush last seasons. Hat tip to Stevens. Tip it!
Interesting to see how many 5s we have this year. I think it's good idea, though. Rob is not a sure thing health wise. Al is going to give you 20 a game, prob. Kanter has his limitations, but a great lr presence and can excel in certain situations, allowing to rest Al/Rob.
Then you've got Bruno, who could get some minutes if Rob goes down. And ofc Grant, though who I really disliked this past year, I still have faith for at small ball 5, situationally.
Guess what I'm saying is there seems to be a place for everyone.
Re: Official Celtics 2021-22 Off-Season Thread
Posted: Mon Sep 6, 2021 10:19 pm
by Shak_Celts
When I think of facing BKN I get excited this season. I think we match up on paper defensively and I think if we are healthy they can't stop us offensively, even if people think we can't hit the 3.
I was thinking about this and I only have "one" undecided defensive matchup.
Smart on Harden is about the best you're gonna get in the league.
JRich and/or Schrö on Kyrie is gonna be lovely (can defend him well all game)
Rob will have to take Blake (abusing him offensively will be major too)
Now to the undecided.
Brown is who I want on KD, he's been VERY successful at times BUT that leaves Tatum on Harris and I'm not sure about that. Tatum struggled defending Duncan Robinson and we had to switch Brown on him in the playoffs the season prior. I think Tatum can do better on Harris because I don't think he uses a million screens like Robinson does but if he does then Tatum will have to cover KD.
Either way I think we will be fine because I'm sure there will be a lot of switching anyway, but I really think Brown on KD is the way to go.
No one is gonna stop KD, Kyrie and Harden but I truly believe we have one of the best chances to make it extremely tough for them if our players click. Think the other team is Clips, but they won't actually meet for real unless they both get to the finals because during the regular season KL likely won't be healthy enough to test it. LA? Meh. Bucks? If BKN isn't healthy (not a stretch). Philly? They are a mess atm. Miami? I don't think so but I'll hope for it.
Now for Offense..
they aren't going to stop Tatum and I doubt any of them will be able to stop JB when Tatum gets doubled. Smart, JRich, and Schrö will have to get the ball in the paint to put even more pressure on them. Harden and Kyrie can defend (believe it or not) but it's matchup dependent IMO. Like Harden can guard inside, but who can he take on our team? I think he'd be better on a big but we don't have that on the roster where he can hide, specifically not a starter. I know for sure KD will be on Tatum unless they get cute again and put Kyrie on him at times, good luck when Tatum isn't the only (healthy) offender!
I don't know what BKN will do defensively but I'll guess.
Kyrie on Schrö or JRich is a matchup he can probably handle, but that means it will drain him for offense because he'll have to face one most of the game and they are gonna try to get inside all game. They may not hit the 3 well but people act as if that makes them offensively inept, they aren't! Watch how well they do!
KD on Tatum for sure (no chance really to put kyrie on him because of JRich or Schrö)
Blake on Rob and we better lob him every chance we can. I don't think we abused that matchup enough. If he can defend Rob he better get ready for Horford and Kanter to step in and make him really have to defend! I really think we are gonna abuse Blake this season!
Who is gonna guard JB? Harris? Lol ok. Maybe Harden? Haha. Then which one will have Smart? No seriously, Smart is a good enough shooter where you can't put Harden out there on him and he definitely can't defend JB for long. Lol! Harris will have to take someone and either option should feast on him! Smart with the pass getting everyone involved or brown just shooting his face off!
I don't know what will occur when the games are played but I think people are underestimating how good we match up with BKN (on paper)!
I think other people who know more about the game can show why my thoughts are just wishful thinking (crap) or someone who agrees can expound on my thoughts. Hopefully someone from either side will comment so people can discuss it more.
THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE FUN!! No COVID or major injuries basketball gods, PLEASE!!!!!
NSFW and probably not RGM but I need to say, that is some sexy shat! Not Tat being half-naked, but players being top-notch at their craft, it's beautiful to watch! Wetting it and it's not like when Shaq practiced fts, Tatum is actually that pretty in-game!! Damn near a turn-on! EASYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
