Celtics 2023-24, Season Thread

[ConstableGeneva]

Gotta keep winning so it isn't all for naught. Let's go for that 82-0 or maybe even 96.

I like where your head's at.

[KillahGhostface]

I absolutely refuse to put this in the around the nba thread.

Read on Twitter

[Shak_Celts]

I absolutely refuse to put this in the around the nba thread.

Read on Twitter

[KillahGhostface]

I absolutely refuse to put this in the around the nba thread.

Read on Twitter

And we have A LOT of posters here actively rooting against one of them.

Shame. SHAME.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

I absolutely refuse to put this in the around the nba thread.

Read on Twitter

And we have A LOT of posters here actively rooting against one of them.

Shame. SHAME.

I don't understand the thought process behind hating a player from another team. Just don't watch the Grizzlies if Smart bothers you that much. Go for a walk, read a book, watch a movie, find another hobby instead.

[Shak_Celts]

And we have A LOT of posters here actively rooting against one of them.

Shame. SHAME.

I don't understand the thought process behind hating a player from another team. Just don't watch the Grizzlies if Smart bothers you that much. Go for a walk, read a book, watch a movie, find another hobby instead.

Well, I fan hate lbj and i watch him because i like bball (also hoping for losses).


I actually wish I had more fan hate players because it makes things that much better, rivalries are great. I still like all the old celts except Ray. Rondo didn’t leave he was traded but i hated that chip for him and the lakers. Chip with any other team and teammate i wouldn’t care. I still like Rondo.

[Fencer reregistered]

Tatum's iso offense is more Pierce-like than ever. Rocking the ball at ankle height, then rising for a 3? Pierce did a lot of that. Driving into a large crowd and scoring? Pierce did a lot of that too.

Pierce to the eye did it with pure power, while Tatum feels a little shiftier, but basically it's the same thing.

Except for the final-possession 2s from the elbow, of course. That worked a lot better for Pierce (and Kobe) than it did for Tatum, so I'm glad he dropped it.

[lon3lytoaster]

Highest net rating (by a wide margin) and highest rebound %, RPG

Lots of good things happen when you’re playing both ends and rebounding.

[GoGreen]

This is the best team since '08 right?

I know we're only 5 games in and these teams haven't been world beaters, but I haven't seen this kind of high level, smooth, unselfish play since then.

They're playing the RIGHT WAY. That's what has me so excited about this group.

[Parliament10]

This is the best team since '08 right?

I know we're only 5 games in and these teams haven't been world beaters, but I haven't seen this kind of high level, smooth, unselfish play since then.

They're playing the RIGHT WAY. That's what has me so excited about this group.

This is highly remininscent of the 07-08 team.
Let's hope that it translates into rings.

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

Read on Twitter

[zoyathedestroya]

No contender has a better 5th option, whether it’s Holiday or White. (Wiggins from the Warriors might be closest if he gets back to 2022 Finals level.) It would be quite unfair if Brad finds a way to upgrade Pritchard, Brissett, and/or Kornet before the playoffs.

[flintsky21]

I'm not too worried about the 2nd unit yet. Pritchard's numbers are going to eventually creep back up to his career norms, and it looks like he's made some improvement in playmaking. Hauser is still super streaky but he continues to hold up defensively. I do think that Stevens and Banton deserves to have a shot at more minutes or even Brissett's spot in the rotation as they've both been good in the garbage minutes they've played.

[ConstableGeneva]

WAY TOO EARLY FUN STAT: The Celtics starting five is averaging 99.75 ppg (while missing two 4th quarters). Dating back to 1997-98, the previous high was 93.2 ppg by the 2005 Phoenix Suns. The 1986 Celtics starting five averaged 89.5 ppg.

Up to 102.0 after 5 games. All five averaging at least 14 ppg.

[31to6]

This is the best team since '08 right?

I know we're only 5 games in and these teams haven't been world beaters, but I haven't seen this kind of high level, smooth, unselfish play since then.

They're playing the RIGHT WAY. That's what has me so excited about this group.

This is highly remininscent of the 07-08 team.
Let's hope that it translates into rings.

'09 was CRANKING until KG hurt his ACL in Utah.
I hope to hear some analyst -- some time this season -- remember this.

[Parliament10]

This is the best team since '08 right?

I know we're only 5 games in and these teams haven't been world beaters, but I haven't seen this kind of high level, smooth, unselfish play since then.

They're playing the RIGHT WAY. That's what has me so excited about this group.

This is highly remininscent of the 07-08 team.
Let's hope that it translates into rings.

'09 was CRANKING until KG hurt his ACL in Utah.
I hope to hear some analyst -- some time this season -- remember this.

Yes. If it wasn't for injuries, we would have won 2, maybe 3 Rings.

[31to6]

This is highly remininscent of the 07-08 team.
Let's hope that it translates into rings.

'09 was CRANKING until KG hurt his ACL in Utah.
I hope to hear some analyst -- some time this season -- remember this.

Yes. If it wasn't for injuries, we would have won 2, maybe 3 Rings.

That team went into Christmas Day in LAL with a record of 27-2.
By February 19, when KG got hurt in Utah in the first game after the All Star break, they were 44-11.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2009_games.html

Finished with 62 wins, but without KG it was a 'lost' season, though it did produce some of this:

[AlCelticFan]

Tatum's iso offense is more Pierce-like than ever. Rocking the ball at ankle height, then rising for a 3? Pierce did a lot of that. Driving into a large crowd and scoring? Pierce did a lot of that too.

Pierce to the eye did it with pure power, while Tatum feels a little shiftier, but basically it's the same thing.

Except for the final-possession 2s from the elbow, of course. That worked a lot better for Pierce (and Kobe) than it did for Tatum, so I'm glad he dropped it.

I wonder how much of this is direct one-on-one influence from Pierce, and Sam Cassell as well?

[Fencer reregistered]

Tatum's iso offense is more Pierce-like than ever. Rocking the ball at ankle height, then rising for a 3? Pierce did a lot of that. Driving into a large crowd and scoring? Pierce did a lot of that too.

Pierce to the eye did it with pure power, while Tatum feels a little shiftier, but basically it's the same thing.

Except for the final-possession 2s from the elbow, of course. That worked a lot better for Pierce (and Kobe) than it did for Tatum, so I'm glad he dropped it.

I wonder how much of this is direct one-on-one influence from Pierce, and Sam Cassell as well?

Attacking the rim was probably going to be a focus no matter what. The other guys probably reinforced the message, of course.

As for contested rise-and-fire -- I don't know whether anybody encourages the decision to do that. But Tatum probably welcomes all the help he can get on the "how".