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Dennis looked really good, Tatum had a hangover game and still took over in the 3rd, starting lineup down 4/5 guys and they pretty much competed with the Heat starters until the end when our scrubs got dominated. Romeo looked great all preseason, as did Nesmith, and Richardson had his best game as a Celtic. Jabari needs to stop ISOing but he cuts well. Grant looked ok, good and bad moments.

That's the end of the preseason for this team. Lot of questions still left on the roster. I think Jabari Parker is going to make the team. Fernando is a question mark, but Rob's health is scary. Matthews/Pinson going to be on the team?

Please have some good health for once, and let's roll this season.

Romeo was awesome!

The defense wasn't good in the 2nd half.

GoCeltics123 wrote:Dennis looked really good, Tatum had a hangover game and still took over in the 3rd, starting lineup down 4/5 guys and they pretty much competed with the Heat starters until the end when our scrubs got dominated. Romeo looked great all preseason, as did Nesmith, and Richardson had his best game as a Celtic. Jabari needs to stop ISOing but he cuts well. Grant looked ok, good and bad moments.

That's the end of the preseason for this team. Lot of questions still left on the roster. I think Jabari Parker is going to make the team. Fernando is a question mark, but Rob's health is scary. Matthews/Pinson going to be on the team?

Please have some good health for once, and let's roll this season.

Good Commentary/Header.
The only thing I think different,. Is that we have to keep Fernando, due to R. Williams and Horford's health.

GoCeltics123 wrote:

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Interesting.

That was in fact, True.
G. Williams has a tendency to make stupid fouls, when he blows the coverage.

GoCeltics123 wrote:

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This is great, but he's going to lose credibility if he doesn't reign in Tatum in the same regard.

darrendaye wrote:

GoCeltics123 wrote:

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This is great, but he's going to lose credibility if he doesn't reign in Tatum in the same regard.

Uh I really shouldn't have to explain tatum #1 option. Can't will should be 17th option but for some unknown reason we still play him 27 minutes of complete garbage basketball. I hope Ime keeps him off the regular season rotation. Can't do anything decent super talky pudgy slow guy that thinks he's earned something. I honestly believe if we waived him he wouldn't make a single roster other than ours.

As for the game itself, anyone watching was impressed with Romeo's contributions.

I was hard on Schroder but I still think he had a 50-50 game. I like the dribble penetrate ability, but he missed more than a couple of wide open corner threes by choosing his own number rather than swinging it, including at least one Tatum opportunity. Criticize Smart for a number of things, but, I would trust him to more consistently make the next man pass than Schroder.

One other point, I'm going to be very curious how Ime incorporates Richardson. It didn't click in the short preseason, but how long is it going to take to get him in his best role offensively? Before Schroder came in, I saw an opportunity for him to be used as a combo guard with a decent stretch playing lead guard paired with Pritchard. Now it's a more difficult balance. If paired with Schroder on the 2nd unit, he could get at least one or two baseline cuts off of dribble drive penetration scoring opportunities a la Jabari. And high post passes from Horford and Timelord as a cutter. But tips the scale more towards the 3pt success making or breaking him offensively.

Parker is 26, has underachieved so far in his career, bounced around from team to team. Lots of injuries.

His career was at a crossroads. Either he shows up to camp (on a non-guaranteed contract), looks bad, gets cuts cut and is out of the league. Forced to try and go play overseas.

Or he he works hard during the offseason, really works hard, gets in shape and plays really f^cking well in preseason to not only earn a roster spot but earn solid rotation minutes to turn his career around.

He has one shot. 1 opportunity. like the eminem song.

Man, these last 2 games, i like what I see.

These last 2 games? He's been our best PF. Then Juancho. Then Grant.

I thought he was arguably the worst defender on the team we had last season. But i give him credit, he's played pretty good D these last 2 games.

Good for him. I hope he keeps it up and I hope Ime keeps giving him minutes.

GoCeltics123 wrote:

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I'm sure Tatum will pull him aside for a private talk to tell him that isn't the Celtic way.

jumblin wrote:

GoCeltics123 wrote:

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I'm sure Tatum will pull him aside for a private talk to tell him that isn't the Celtic way.

shut up

Still feel like timelord extension was to deal him at some point and getting bruno is purely insurance for if rob is traded

Hal14 wrote:

jumblin wrote:

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I'm sure Tatum will pull him aside for a private talk to tell him that isn't the Celtic way.

shut up

Tatum cries to the refs every other possession it seems like. Dude needs to stop, we aren't lebron and the Heatles. We aren't getting those calls.

Tatum is our star but anyone is right to criticize his constant histrionics with the refs. And this was all after Ime said to let him handle the refs and to just go out there and play. Tatum should be the one setting the example.

Hal14 wrote:Parker is 26, has underachieved so far in his career, bounced around from team to team. Lots of injuries.

His career was at a crossroads. Either he shows up to camp (on a non-guaranteed contract), looks bad, gets cuts cut and is out of the league. Forced to try and go play overseas.

Or he he works hard during the offseason, really works hard, gets in shape and plays really f^cking well in preseason to not only earn a roster spot but earn solid rotation minutes to turn his career around.

He has one shot. 1 opportunity. like the eminem song.

Man, these last 2 games, i like what I see.

These last 2 games? He's been our best PF. Then Juancho. Then Grant.

I thought he was arguably the worst defender on the team we had last season. But i give him credit, he's played pretty good D these last 2 games.

Good for him. I hope he keeps it up and I hope Ime keeps giving him minutes.

Not sure what you're looking at, Parker hasn't been good. He is below average defensively, that hasn't changed. He hasn't played pretty good D at any point let alone in the last 2 games, consistently letting guys get by him and not understanding p-n-r defense. And then he's not taking advantage of scoring opportunities and mismatches. The only time he's played well is against scrubs. Parker's entire game is predicated around him being a primary option on offense, and when he's not that, he doesn't know how to contribute. But he sucks too much to be a primary option.

Juancho and Grant have both been better. Grant is in better shape, hitting 3's, and as usual doing the little things that help on both ends of the floor. Juancho is just more athletic and active so fits better with our team, though he's kind of disappeared after the first game.

I'd cut Parker. Honestly, I'd keep Theo Pinson over him right now.

Overall thoughts otherwise (on the first 3Q's, don't really care about our scrubs):
- Schroeder! Love what he brings in terms of energy, pushing the pace, and making tough passes to cutters. He makes himself a scoring threat which helps spacing. He is hotheaded and selfish sometimes, but I can live with that as a backup PG. If Dennis keeps playing like this it will be tough to not give him some pretty substantial minutes. If he does I'll have to eat some crow, because I haven't exactly been his biggest fan.
- Romeo! OK, he's not always going to shoot like that, but I love the confidence he's playing with offensively. It's like night and day.
- Tatum still getting into the flow but I liked that he was looking to pass, even playing with backups. A couple of times he fell back into slowdown isos, but less often than last year. Gotta stop whining. Listen to (of all people) Schroeder.
- Nesmith was pretty solid when the starters were out there. Shot it with confidence. Not as good defensively as Romeo, though.
- Richardson, I'm still not sure what to think about. He is good defensively but Romeo is just as good. Of him, Romeo, and Aaron he clearly brings the least on offense. I'm still trying to figure out why Brad felt it necessary to give him that 1-year extension, I said at the time and still think it was Brad's only gaffe this offseason.
- Pinson impressed me with his composure and all-round ability on both ends. Does nothing well but nothing too poorly either. Gives me Wanamaker vibes, which is not the worst thing to have at the end of the bench.
- Everyone else was pretty meh. But it doesn't matter, I doubt any of them will be in the rotation anyways.

Considering the disparity in the players each team had available for the game, the Celtics hung in with the Heat impressively until garbage time - especially with JT having an off night. Romeo shooting like Ray Allen is a sight I never thought I'd see. Parker looks like he has a roster spot locked at this point. Pinson got a long look. Did o.k., but not sure how much it helped his chances.