EC FINALS, Gm 1 – Pacers @ Celtics – 8:00PM, Tues, May 21, 2024

[165bows]

Turner seems underrated. What makes KP better than him? Agility, in between game (mid range offense, switching), height? Is Turner more the big man equivalent of limited 3+D?

Turner's really good.

I'll quote you Richard4444 (who's a really smart poster)'s post today from the Knicks board:

I find it funny that everybody says "We need a stretching 5" as it would be a simple task.

We have half dozen players in all the NBA that fit this profile: big player who can defend and shoot: Wemby, Embiid, KP, Turner, Brooke Lopez, and Chet. Maybe Mobley too.

Even Jokic, AD, JV, and Bam are not solid outside threats.

Towns, Naz Reid, and Bobby Portis are not reliable defensive options.

Aaron Gordon, Siakam are not big enough to play 5. They have OG"s size.

Bamba and Bol Bol are barely NBA players.

But that's elite 6 does divide in stratas and KP is just better at enough things than Turner or Brooke Lopez. Chet ... probably KP has an advantage .. simply because Chet was a rookie and now has 7 or 8 years more body development, so probably retains an advantage (and is taller which never goes away). Leaving - out of that grouping - Wemby and Embust.

For the rest, obviously the Joker got sent into the bad boys room for low % 3pt, despite clutch 3pt shooting. Which was a little weird. But AD is the only other one who should be in the conversation for some amalgameted group which included smarts or whatever. Bam's a very nice player, but not on the same level imo. (Fwiw, could be number 1 PF in the league is Miami acquired a quality C. KAT ... well maybe we are re-seeing him. But having Rudy as a partner makes him a PF too, no?

That list is moot as it forgot the greatest stretch 5 in the game today, Al **** Horford.

Yeah that’s a fairly glaring omission lol.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

Read on Twitter

With all the wide open looks, Indiana leads everyone the playoffs in both FG% and three point percentage.

According to this tweet, Boston has gotten the least amount of wide open looks, but it hasn't mattered. The Celtics are third in the playoffs in FG% and 3p%.

Could just be the difference between facing crappy defenses vs. decent defenses.

100%.

A depleted Bucks that were already bad defensively and the MASH unit Knicks that tried hard but missing 3 of their best defenders is worlds apart from what they will face in the ECF. Not to say they won't generate a bunch of open looks because they will.

[CelticsWisdom]

As to who the Celtics faced:
Miami had the 5th ranked defense in the entire NBA, and Cleveland had the 7th ranked D. Arguably, Celtics have had the HARDEST path, not the easiest; they just made it LOOK easy. NO ONE else has faced 2 other top-10 defenses, NEVERMIND single-digit ranked D's.

For example:

https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&dir=A&sort=DEF_RATING

For their playoff runs (based on regular season Defensive Ratings):

Bucks were 19th, Knicks were 9th; Pacers were 16th.

Suns were 13th, Nuggets were 8th; Timberwolves were 1st

Clippers were 16th, OKC were 4th; Mavericks were 18th.

Miami were 5th, Cavs 7th; Celtics 2nd.


What to make of that?

In the East:

Pacers haven't been tested, certainly not to the level that the Celtics have. Remember the Celtics getting knocked down by Miami players, or undercut intentionally, or Adebayo's bullying moving screens? Pacers never went through any of that; they are a finesse team that might just **** the bed if you punch them in the face hard enough. Which seems like what the Celtics are of a mind to do.

As for the West:

Timberwolves have a terrrrrible offense that can crumble if enough defensive pressure is applied. They haven't seen that kind of D yet, and might not if they don't make it to face the Celtics in the Finals....which could happen, because the Mavs post deadline playoff defense was enough to take out OKC, a much better offensive team than the Timberwolves....can Mavs all around shooting (Kyrie and Luka) beat the Minesota D, that is overly-reliant on shot-blockers near the basket (kinda sounds like Bucks vs Celtics, with Grant William's 3pters eliminating Giannis in Game 7)?

What I'm saying, is Celtics vs Mavericks could be on the cards for the Finals...maybe.

[Riverwalk2021]

Tatum is going to have a monster series. This is the absolute perfect opponent for him to get off.

[Fierce1]

Tatum is going to have a monster series. This is the absolute perfect opponent for him to get off.

Totally agree.

Pacers don't play defense.

They're not physical, like the Knicks.

And they're not a big team.

The Larry Bird trophy is on the line.

If JT wins it again then he will be the first to win the east/west conference MVP trophy twice.

[MaxwellSmart]

Joe better use his bench this series, because you know that Carlisle will use his.....I don't want our starters to be worn out by game 5

[Fierce1]

Joe better use his bench this series, because you know that Carlisle will use his.....I don't want our starters to be worn out by game 5

We already saw it on a regular basis in this year's playoffs.

PP is having a solid playoffs and Sam is getting playing time if he doesn't become a liability on defense.

Basically Joe is not doing anything different from the regular season.

[Parliament10]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[Fierce1]

It's been 5 days, can't wait to see Celtics basketball again.

8 more wins needed.

[Parliament10]

Read on Twitter

[zoyathedestroya]

Only 19 hours to go.

[FlatearthZorro]

Turner seems underrated. What makes KP better than him? Agility, in between game (mid range offense, switching), height? Is Turner more the big man equivalent of limited 3+D?

To me, KP is a far superior scorer. I believe if you give KP 15-18 shots a game, he will average 25+ a game. Defensively they are somewhat similar.

[Tatumfor2]

Be the more physical team on both ends, but especially on defense. You've been here before. Win the rest of your home games!

[zoyathedestroya]

Would be poetic (or whatever the appropriate word is) if the Celtics went undefeated at home rest of the way.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

Would be poetic (or whatever the appropriate word is) if the Celtics went undefeated rest of the way.

FIFY

[Fierce1]

I don't see why the Cs can't be undefeated at home and on the road the rest of the way.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

I don't see why the Cs can't be undefeated at home and on the road the rest of the way.

Agreed, all they need to do is score more points than the opposition for each game. Someone should tell Joe.

[Fierce1]

I don't see why the Cs can't be undefeated at home and on the road the rest of the way.

Agreed, all they need to do is score more points than the opposition for each game. Someone should tell Joe.

At some point this bunch has to grow up.

All the teams, Bucks, Sixers, and Nuggets, that were supposed to give them trouble are all eliminated.

It's their time.

[chrisab123]

I don't see why the Cs can't be undefeated at home and on the road the rest of the way.

Agreed, all they need to do is score more points than the opposition for each game. Someone should tell Joe.

At some point this bunch has to grow up.

All the teams, Bucks, Sixers, and Nuggets, that were supposed to give them trouble are all eliminated.

It's their time.

Agreed. If it doesn't happen now, it never will.

[Fierce1]

Agreed, all they need to do is score more points than the opposition for each game. Someone should tell Joe.

At some point this bunch has to grow up.

All the teams, Bucks, Sixers, and Nuggets, that were supposed to give them trouble are all eliminated.

It's their time.

Agreed. If it doesn't happen now, it never will.

Agree!