RealGM

Thought this topic warranted it's own thread, though the moderators may eventually consolidate it to the Jayson Tatum thread.

HoopsHype has posted the following PPG stats for Celtics, Historically, in Elimination Games:

27.1 Jayson Tatum 15 Elimination Games
25.8 Sam Jones 18 Elimination Games,10 Championships, 3X 2nd Team All-NBA
23.3 Larry Bird 24 Elimination Games, 3 Championships, 3X League MVP
22.1 Paul Pierce 24 Elimination Games, 1 Championship, 1 Finals MVP
21.6 Dave Cowens 10 Elimination Games, 2 Championships, 1 League MVP

Whereas Sam Jones teams typically had 3 or 4 All-Stars and a very good supporting cast, Tatum and Brown never know what they're gonna get from the rest of the team. However, I maintain part of that problem is Joe Mazzula integrating all the players to accentuate their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. I don't think Mazzula's getting the most he can out of his bench, and if the Celtics don't advance, not developing alternatives (i.e. when guys are missing 3's, run plays to see if Hauser or Pritchard are "on") will be their undoing.

Yeah that's probably it. Joe needs to give the ball to Pritchard and ask him to create.

BK_2020 wrote:Yeah that's probably it. Joe needs to give the ball to Pritchard and ask him to create.

Which we know is a Pritch weakness. Not really in his repertoire.

But my point was when the main guys are mostly clanging, which happens more often than we'd like, finding a guy who's on, and riding him (a la Chef Spoelstra, who made steak out of 7 G-Leaguers), would work if the team was oriented (preferably over the course of the season), to give shots to guys who can make them when they are on, whether it be Brogdan (not likely with his bum arm), White, Grant Williams, Hauser, Pritchard, or even Muscala). There are guys on the Celtics bench who are capable, but even when they are put in the game, we often don't get them good shots because they seem to be an after thought or are simply ignored. It's the job of the coach to get guys to play as a unit and not individuals.

Spo rides the scrubs because his whole team is scrubs. He didn't do that when he had Lebron, Wade and Bosh.

Jammer wrote:Thought this topic warranted it's own thread, though the moderators may eventually consolidate it to the Jayson Tatum thread.

HoopsHype has posted the following PPG stats for Celtics, Historically, in Elimination Games:

27.1 Jayson Tatum 15 Elimination Games
25.8 Sam Jones 18 Elimination Games,10 Championships, 3X 2nd Team All-NBA
23.3 Larry Bird 24 Elimination Games, 3 Championships, 3X League MVP
22.1 Paul Pierce 24 Elimination Games, 1 Championship 1 Finals MVP
21.6 Dave Cowens 10 Elimination Games, 2 Championships, 1 League MVP

Whereas Sam Jones teams typically had 3 or 4 All-Stars with a very good supporting cast, Tatum and Brown never know what they're gonna get from the rest of the team. However, I maintain part of that problem is Joe Mazzula integrating all the players to accentuate their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. I don't think Mazzula's getting the most he can out of his bench, and if the Celtics don't advance, not developing alternatives (i.e. when guys are missing 3's, run plays to see if Hauser or Pritchard are "on") will be their undoing.

I have posted this elsewhere, but this Celtics team has won 7 elimination games the last 2 years. The largest ever over 2 year span was Houston in 1994-5 who won 8. 2 more would give them most ever over a 2 year span.