Post#356 » by Shaqdaz » Sat Jan 18, 2025 3:18 am
Difficult to watch basketball as an Orlando fan...BUT, Celtics played well and hard, which was to be expected after their loss to the Raptors. The talent disparity, especially with all Orlando's injuries, is a difficult one to overcome. They did a really good job of locating the mismatches and exploiting them...and it helped that Orlando's effort defensively just wasn't up to their standard...likely just a mid season slump as I've seen this a few games now.
One thing I love, and it's been discussed previously in these threads, is Paolo's poise. Hes starting to look like he has all the time in the world, and is never rushed. It's reminiscent of other superstars like SGA and Doncic - hopefully he's on the same type of trajectory.
I know Paolo is just getting his legs back under him after missing all that time, but the offence looks a lot different with Paolo out there without Franz, and vice versa. There are a few offensive sets that I really like that we just haven't ran with Franz out...particularly sets that gets our players catching on the move. The offence now is very motion based...reminds me of a college team. I think one positive to take away from this stretch is just how well our two stars play off of one another when healthy. Again, I might be jumping the gun as Paolo has just returned, but I think the offence is more fluid with Franz running things than Paolo - maybe its recency bias due to the losses, or it's just because the ball is in the hands of Franz, (someone who can create for other) rather than Anthony or TQ.
Before we get upset (and I agree, the lack of shooting MUST be addressed - I understand everyones frustrations), we have been without our best players for the majority of the season and faired ok. No team will want to see Orlando in the first round with everyone healthy. Once in the playoffs, everyone starts 0-0, and I think the top 3 in the East are fairly similar in terms of talent, so standings won't be as important as previous years.