Game Thread – Celtics @ Nuggets –10:00PM, Tues, Jan. 7, 2025

[Parliament10]

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Previously, With The BOSTON CELTICS . . .

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Spoiler:

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Regular Season, Victory Count, 2024-25
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Victory Cigar

(12) Jayson Tatum
(8) Payton Pritchard
(4) Jaylen Brown
(1) Stay Ready Group
(1) Derrick White


Ties go to the Team. – Cut-off Time, is when the next Game Thread is made.
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(5) Jaylen Brown
(4) Jayson Tatum
(4) Derrick White
(4) Payton Pritchard
(3) Kristaps Porziņģis
(2) Luke Kornet
(2) Team/Coaches
(1) Al Horford
(1) Jrue Holiday

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[Fierce1]

Beating Denver would be sweet because they swept the Cs last season.

A 3-1 road trip would be a great outcome.

[zoyathedestroya]

L. L for love.

[ThePigeon]

JT should be pissed and bomb a 50 pt game after yesterday
Stop being a nice guy

[playa-hater]

Denver just isn't the same without A Gordon. He did all the little things that many do not notice plus is/was a great defender. But Joker is still GOAT level right now. But it really doesn't matter if we win or lose. It's only January right, so it doesn't count.

[Fierce1]

JT should be pissed and bomb a 50 pt game after yesterday
Stop being a nice guy

Celtics are choosing nice guys now.

The Cs have learned from Von Wafer and Delonte West.

[ConstableGeneva]

Denver just isn't the same without A Gordon. He did all the little things that many do not notice plus is/was a great defender. But Joker is still GOAT level right now. But it really doesn't matter if we win or lose. It's only January right, so it doesn't count.

Without Gordon, Jokic loses his interior release valve recipient and their most versatile defender. C's can crowd Jok and dare Denver's poor shooters to beat them. Current Jamal Murray isn't Donovan Mitchell so guy can be locked up one-on-one.

January games count as January games. I don't think we come into a series 0-1 'cos we lost to Denver or OKC in January, you're correct.

[ConstableGeneva]

I got this wrong so I'll try again...

Bill Russell era, 1st 200 games: 134-66; point differential per game of 5.9
Larry Bird era, 1st 200 games: 150-50; point differential per game of 6.86
KG/PP era, 1st 200 games: 154-46; point differential per game of 8.53
JT/JB/JD era, 1st 199 games: currently at 147-52; point differential per game of 9.27

This is Mazzulla's 200th regular season game.

UPDATE:
JT/JB/JD era, 1st 200 games: 147-53; point differential per game of 9.16

Derrick White era, 1st 200 games: 149-51; point differential per game of 9.56.

So just one game off Larry Bird and much better point differential. Same number of championships during that span.

[bisme37]

These wildly different start times are messing up my circadian rhythm or whatever it is.

Go C's!

[ConstableGeneva]

Battle of Players of the Week!

[Fierce1]

Another player of the week award for JT.

[ConstableGeneva]

INJURY REPORT:
All our regulars are AVAILABLE. Scheierman and Sons are OUT on G-League assignment.
Holmes, Gordon, and Cancar are OUT for the Nuggets.

[Parliament10]

INJURY REPORT:
All our regulars are AVAILABLE. Scheierman and Sons are OUT on G-League assignment.
Holmes, Gordon, and Cancar are OUT for the Nuggets.

That's cute. Right on the ball.
Watson, Peterson, Davison.

[ConstableGeneva]

INJURY REPORT:
All our regulars are AVAILABLE. Scheierman and Sons are OUT on G-League assignment.
Holmes, Gordon, and Cancar are OUT for the Nuggets.

That's cute. Right on the ball.
Watson, Peterson, Davison.

It's a hardward chain in Maine.

[BRUNiNHO91]

2-2 seems very likely with these guys. Mediocre trip for a mediocre(atm) team playing mediocre basketball for about a month.

After that historically pathetic 2nd half though if I don’t see some fire in this game…yikes.

[Fierce1]

2-2 seems very likely with these guys. Mediocre trip for a mediocre(atm) team playing mediocre basketball for about a month.

After that historically pathetic 2nd half though if I don’t see some fire in this game…yikes.

So negative.

The Nuggets defense is soft compared to the other 3 west teams the Cs faced on this road trip.

[ConstableGeneva]

Top two lineups in possessions update:

JT/JB/JH/DW + Porzingis, 225 poss: 18th percentile offense, 36th percentile defense, -11.3
JT/JB/JH/DW + Horford, 430 poss: 81st percentile offense, 84th percentile defense, +23.5

It's taking a while for the regular starting five to get in gear. No more injuries so they can play together and find their footing.

*Percentile ranking is among 5-man lineups with at least 100 possessions together.

The Cs only have TWO lineups that meet the criteria so far. That's how much our main guys have been in and out of the lineup and how much Joe has experimented with lineups (disproving the notion that he's stringent with his rotation). CLE, DEN, and NYK for perspective each have FIVE such lineups.

The bench is an easy target for blame but our regular starting five tbh hasn't pulled their weight. They're -29 in 103 mins together. They were -17 in 18 mins. in the 13-pt loss against OKC.

[ConstableGeneva]

Celtics regular starting five:

After 36 games last season: +115 in 313 mins., 19 games (17-2)
After 36 games this season: -29 in 103 mins., 7 games (4-3)

Wins vs. LAC, CHI (2x), WAS
Losses vs. OKC (-17), CHI (+3), MEM (-10)


Celtics bench groupings (at most 2 starters in):

After 36 games last season: +83 in 553 minutes, 59.1% TS% (4th), 3.8 net rating (1st)
After 36 games this season: +122 in 590 minutes, 59.5% TS% (4th), 5.0 net rating (2nd)

There's an argument to be made that bench has been even better this season than last (mostly PP having a career season and K & Q having positive impact) while our regular starting five's been pooping the bed.

[ConstableGeneva]

Reposting from Horford Thread:

Big Al, before and after KP came back...

Until 11/24/2024, 14 games (11-3): 10/5/2/1/1 on 50/45/100 splits in 27.8 mpg; 66.7% TS%, +10.7 net rating
Since 11/25/2024, 14 games (8-6): 7/5/2/.5/1 on 35/28/67 splits in 27.7 mpg; 45.7% TS%, +10.5 net rating

Cutoff date is KP coming back and Al started shuffling between starting and coming off bench. At least net rating hasn't been affected despite the very poor shooting.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

2-2 seems very likely with these guys. Mediocre trip for a mediocre(atm) team playing mediocre basketball for about a month.

After that historically pathetic 2nd half though if I don’t see some fire in this game…yikes.

So negative.

The Nuggets defense is soft compared to the other 3 west teams the Cs faced on this road trip.

Imagine being a basketball fan and instead of being hyped up about a match up between the defending champs and the best player in the world you are out there getting mad about some regular season game that happened a month ago. At least there wasn't any insults for Joe Mazzulla this time, so this counts as progress I guess ?