Game Thread – Pelicans @ Celtics – 7:30PM, Mon, Jan. 29, 2024

[TheMartian]

This is a different season. Teams have improved. The Celtics traded away depth to get Porzingis.

Any elite team will struggle to win a title losing one of their best players.

KG was a better player than Porzingis but Porzingis is massively important defensively and offensively just like KG was.

If the Bucks lose Lopez they’re in massive trouble. If the Nuggets lose Murray or Gordon they’re in trouble. If the Clippers lose Kawhi or PG they’re in trouble.

Expecting elite teams to just be fine without a key piece is fantasy land stuff.

Championship teams find a way to win. Losing KP should not be an insurmountable loss that this team should just roll up and die when it happens. KP getting injured is just an inevitability.

Wrong.

Championship teams always end up being the healthiest teams at the point end of the season.

Do you expect us to have 2018 Warriors like depth or something lol?

Beats me. You do you though.

[Parasite]

You know you’re a great team when you sleep walk through like half the game and still win anyways

Totally disagree. This is what will get them eliminated in the playoffs. This team has a REALLY bad habit of not showing up for either whole games or parts of games, and this includes playoff games. It’s almost like it’s part of the culture or something. I thought it would change this year with the addition of Holiday and the Jays being a year older, and while I don’t think it’s as bad as years past, it still lingers. And that’s a major problem. Or can be.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Championship teams find a way to win. Losing KP should not be an insurmountable loss that this team should just roll up and die when it happens. KP getting injured is just an inevitability.

Wrong.

Championship teams always end up being the healthiest teams at the point end of the season.

Do you expect us to have 2018 Warriors like depth or something lol?

Beats me. You do you though.

Please name me one contender in the NBA who can cope with the loss of their elite big?

Like when KG went down in 2009, if Porzingis gets injured for a prolonged period we are done.

There’s nothing Brad or anyone can do about it.

[zoyathedestroya]

Holy low scoring ballgame. Minny and OKC might not get to 100.

[TheMartian]

Wrong.

Championship teams always end up being the healthiest teams at the point end of the season.

Do you expect us to have 2018 Warriors like depth or something lol?

Beats me. You do you though.

Please name me one contender in the NBA who can cope with the loss of their elite big?

Like when KG went down in 2009, if Porzingis gets injured for a prolonged period we are done.

There’s nothing Brad or anyone can do about it.

Tell me this team can no longer compete if they lose KP for the rest of the season. Should they just forfeit when that happens?

But whatever, man. I'm done arguing this point with you.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Beats me. You do you though.

Please name me one contender in the NBA who can cope with the loss of their elite big?

Like when KG went down in 2009, if Porzingis gets injured for a prolonged period we are done.

There’s nothing Brad or anyone can do about it.

Tell me this team can no longer compete if they lose KP for the rest of the season. Should they just forfeit when that happens?

But whatever, man. I'm done arguing this point with you.

Of course they will still compete. Just don’t be shocked when they’re bounced early.

I’m being realistic. Elite teams don’t win titles if they’re not healthy. It’s a historical fact.

Your point was ridiculous.

You think we beat the Bucks in 2022 if Horford was injured?

[Ben-N1ce]

That’s a ridiculous oversimplification. He waited until the second defender helped just enough to set up an open shot.

Is not though. All Joe runs is Tatum top of key which is incredibly predictable. Dude has 5 great starters runs the same play well over 50% of the time in crunch time.

So it's predictable. So what? What is the other team going to do? I'll tell you what they'll do. They send a double team, which means we play 4 on 3 and one pass puts the defense into rotation. That worked poorly in 2023 and 2022 because we didn't have enough scorers. Those scoring opportunities died when the ball got to Smart or Grant. Hopefully we survive playing 4-3 this season, but Tatum ISO that consistently creates huge advantages isn't the problem.

Pretty sure Tatum had missed every single tying or game winning last shot this season. All difficult bad ISO Shots. You act like he's going to pass the ball.

[TheMartian]

Please name me one contender in the NBA who can cope with the loss of their elite big?

Like when KG went down in 2009, if Porzingis gets injured for a prolonged period we are done.

There’s nothing Brad or anyone can do about it.

Tell me this team can no longer compete if they lose KP for the rest of the season. Should they just forfeit when that happens?

But whatever, man. I'm done arguing this point with you.

Of course they will still compete. Just don’t be shocked when they’re bounced early.

I’m being realistic. Elite teams don’t win titles if they’re not healthy. It’s a historical fact.

Your point was ridiculous.

You think we beat the Bucks in 2022 if Horford was injured?

I don't know. You tell me. You seem to know everything.