PG: why are you still watching the Celtics pound the Knicks at MSG?

[3toheadmelo]

Not for nothing, but when a player is locked in like that no one is stopping them. He just made bucket after bucket. It’s the same when Brunson cooks opposing players. Great players won’t be stopped no matter who you put on them.

Not to take any blame of Mikal though, because he could have shot a lot better. He had good looks and bricked a lot in the first half.

I agree Tatum was in that mode but this is the second game in a row where Tatum has just shot the lights out against us and Mikal got lit up like crazy. I mean the whole point of getting him was literally to match up against Boston's wings. It's disappointing as hell. Mikal sucked on offense but I'm more worried about him on defense. Seems like he is only good matching up on small guards but gets torched against wings, players his size.

That’s gonna happen in this league. Once a great player gets going it’s going to be hard to stop them.

We’ve seen Brunson do it against great defenders as well.

I don’t even care about Mikal being cooked by Tatum. My problem is our coaching failing to change schemes. There’s just absolutely no growth or adjustments being made throughout the season and it’s maddening to see.

I mean we saw Thibs start Deuce the second half. He makes adjustments. Boston just has our number.

Mikal's regression on defense is a problem for me. He's had success guarding Tatum when he was in Phoenix. It's disappointing to see him get much worse imo.

[snadler]

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[3toheadmelo]

Not for nothing, but when a player is locked in like that no one is stopping them. He just made bucket after bucket. It’s the same when Brunson cooks opposing players. Great players won’t be stopped no matter who you put on them.

Not to take any blame of Mikal though, because he could have shot a lot better. He had good looks and bricked a lot in the first half.

I agree Tatum was in that mode but this is the second game in a row where Tatum has just shot the lights out against us and Mikal got lit up like crazy. I mean the whole point of getting him was literally to match up against Boston's wings. It's disappointing as hell. Mikal sucked on offense but I'm more worried about him on defense. Seems like he is only good matching up on small guards but gets torched against wings, players his size.

He's never been good against big wings. He's a POA and SG defender. He'd be fine on Brown but we have no chance against Boston without OG.

I mean just look at this tape when he was in Phoenix. He's had success against Tatum. He just doesn't play defense like this anymore.

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[Butch718]

These postgame comments don’t do anything for me anymore. They all say the right things, but honestly at the end of the day it’s same old same old.

Hats off to the Celtics. They’ve proven they’re still the top dog in the east by winning on the road against Cleveland and NY.

We aren’t on that level yet. Not even close. Leon has work to do. Good thing is that this is only year one of this core. A new coach and some adjustments to the bench will do wonders for this squad.

[JayTWill]

I agree Tatum was in that mode but this is the second game in a row where Tatum has just shot the lights out against us and Mikal got lit up like crazy. I mean the whole point of getting him was literally to match up against Boston's wings. It's disappointing as hell. Mikal sucked on offense but I'm more worried about him on defense. Seems like he is only good matching up on small guards but gets torched against wings, players his size.

He's never been good against big wings. He's a POA and SG defender. He'd be fine on Brown but we have no chance against Boston without OG.

I mean just look at this tape when he was in Phoenix. He's had success against Tatum. He just doesn't play defense like this anymore.

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It's also possible that Tatum has improved since he was 22 years old. Today's Mikal may still be able to guard 22 year old Tatum like that.

[Capn'O]

He's never been good against big wings. He's a POA and SG defender. He'd be fine on Brown but we have no chance against Boston without OG.

I mean just look at this tape when he was in Phoenix. He's had success against Tatum. He just doesn't play defense like this anymore.

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It's also possible that Tatum has improved since he was 22 years old. Today's Mikal may still be able to guard 22 year old Tatum like that.

Right. He plays bigger now.

He just doesn't play defense like this anymore.

You mean since January?

[3toheadmelo]

He's never been good against big wings. He's a POA and SG defender. He'd be fine on Brown but we have no chance against Boston without OG.

I mean just look at this tape when he was in Phoenix. He's had success against Tatum. He just doesn't play defense like this anymore.

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It's also possible that Tatum has improved since he was 22 years old. Today's Mikal may still be able to guard 22 year old Tatum like that.

It's also possible that Mikal has regressed and hasn't played elite defense since he left Phoenix.

[The KnicksFix]

At least KAT isn't having any excuses like everyone else is here

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I ain’t trying to hear anything from towns either. Injured or not, dude got outplayed by Kornet.

Kat got his ass handed to him, injured or not, he looked horrible

[Butch718]

At least KAT isn't having any excuses like everyone else is here

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I ain’t trying to hear anything from towns either. Injured or not, dude got outplayed by Kornet.

Kat got his ass handed to him, injured or not, he looked horrible

No argument here.

[The KnicksFix]

People tryna blame Mikal is laughable
He’s the only guard we have that can defend
KAT’s defense has been atrocious, and there are simple changes that can be made to help him out, aka pair with huk and stop playing kat in drop

[Adelheid]

bridges lack the body strength to deny tatum the lane but aside from that, mikal covered him well. Superstars will eat and you can only slow them down or they fall on their own sword, and jayson was deffo on fire tonight

[Butch718]

I mean just look at this tape when he was in Phoenix. He's had success against Tatum. He just doesn't play defense like this anymore.

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Read on Twitter

It's also possible that Tatum has improved since he was 22 years old. Today's Mikal may still be able to guard 22 year old Tatum like that.

It's also possible that Mikal has regressed and hasn't played elite defense since he left Phoenix.

Tatum is a lot better than he was 2-4 years ago. Like so much better.

Mikal has looked very good on defense over the month.

He simply got cooked by a player who could not miss.
That **** happens in this league. Look at the shots he was hitting tonight. Players get in the zone.

I just wish we added a little bit more nuance when having these type of discussions.

[3toheadmelo]

It's also possible that Tatum has improved since he was 22 years old. Today's Mikal may still be able to guard 22 year old Tatum like that.

It's also possible that Mikal has regressed and hasn't played elite defense since he left Phoenix.

Tatum is a lot better than he was 2-4 years ago. Like so much better.

Mikal has looked very good on defense over the month.

He simply got cooked by a player who could not miss.
That **** happens in this league. Look at the shots he was hitting tonight. Players get in the zone.

I just wish we added a little bit more nuance when having these type of discussions.

Playing defense for a month (against bad teams) and then going back to getting torched like he has for the whole season is a big problem. This goes back to my original point, we literally got him to defend Boston’s wings. We made this team to go at Boston specifically. If Mikal can’t guard them, we’re cooked. Oh well.

[The KnicksFix]

I knew after tonight’s performance the thibs haters would be in all their glory. Think about this, with no OG and no Mitch having deuce as the 6th man, deuce shot 1-8 from the field, c’s missing KP and jrue slide Kornet into the 5 spot he dominated on defense, and there 6th man Pritchard shoots 9-14 for 27 points. Sure it’s easy to blame the coach, however the knicks struggles and c’s domination has much more to do with current talent levels than anything to do with coaching. That’s also forgetting to mention KAT having by far his worst game as a knick.

They had no KP and no jrue, stop it

[sol537]

Can’t wait for Dan Hurley this summer and Giannis. We’ll be ready in ‘26

[Butch718]

It's also possible that Mikal has regressed and hasn't played elite defense since he left Phoenix.

Tatum is a lot better than he was 2-4 years ago. Like so much better.

Mikal has looked very good on defense over the month.

He simply got cooked by a player who could not miss.
That **** happens in this league. Look at the shots he was hitting tonight. Players get in the zone.

I just wish we added a little bit more nuance when having these type of discussions.

Playing defense for a month (against bad teams) and then going back to getting torched like he has for the whole season is a big problem. This goes back to my original point, we literally got him to defend Boston’s wings. We made this team to go at Boston specifically. If Mikal can’t guard them, we’re cooked. Oh well.

I mean they beat some good teams during that stretch but ok. Harping on Mikal is disingenuous to how the game actually played out.

I am going to leave it at that because it’s getting circular.

[3toheadmelo]

Tatum is a lot better than he was 2-4 years ago. Like so much better.

Mikal has looked very good on defense over the month.

He simply got cooked by a player who could not miss.
That **** happens in this league. Look at the shots he was hitting tonight. Players get in the zone.

I just wish we added a little bit more nuance when having these type of discussions.

Playing defense for a month (against bad teams) and then going back to getting torched like he has for the whole season is a big problem. This goes back to my original point, we literally got him to defend Boston’s wings. We made this team to go at Boston specifically. If Mikal can’t guard them, we’re cooked. Oh well.

I mean they beat some good teams during that stretch but ok. Harping on Mikal is disingenuous to how the game actually played out.

I am going to leave it at that because it’s getting circular.

Denver and Memphis are really the only good teams we beat. He was invisible on defense against the contenders like OKC, twice. Just like he was against Boston, twice as well.

I just have higher expectations for someone we gave up 5 first round picks for. Playing defense for one month against bad teams doesn’t cut it for me. Oh well, hopefully we can move him and KAT in the summer for Giannis.

[mpharris36]

whats crazy is KAT played mostly the 4 the last 2 years...you don't play drop as the 4 man. So he wasn't playing much of drop coverage.

That is clearly a Thibs scheme thing then fitting the best defensive scheme for your players.

Like he has been playing perimeter players a lot the last 2 years...most teams don't start 2 traditional bigs...so if he's been far more comfortable guarding on the perimeter than in between making decisions in drop coverage. Then just let him play on the perimeter and switch.

We play Indy next...Myles Turner didn't play vs the lakers tonight....but if he plays vs us and Thibs puts KAT on Turner and puts him in drop with Haliburton I'm going to be furious.

You either put KAT on Siakam...then guard Turner with Precious or Hart and try to eliminate the 1/5 pick and pop.

Or just have KAT switch onto Haliburton and force Haliburton into tough contested shots.

[RHODEY]

This loss hurts more than most not because we got blown out. But because it’s painfully obvious that we’re not the team that we’re striving to be. The reality that we’re a long ways to go before we can even be considered in the same tier as Boston is sobering.

It’s taking any enjoyment that I am having about this season because in the past were a feel good overachieving team. So when we came up short, we at least had something to look forward too.

This is the core that we’re going to have for the foreseeable future, and it’s still not good enough. The coaching isn’t good enough.

Just a bunch of humble pie being served tonight.

The truth can set you free.

Because last year's squad may have gutted out a gritty win.....and that would have covered our flaws....and the FO could then ignore those flaws.

We dont match up well against teams with superior size. Hence we lose to an inferior Lakers Team, and get destroyed by a very good disciplined Celts team.

Kat sucked tonight ,but I think he is playing with an injured knee..and we know the thunb may be an issue umtil he gets surgery.

When a teams top 2 best players are not good defensively can you win? Maybe if the other 3 players on the court can cover for them....

But tonight our bench wasn't all of a sudden going to be deep....

The Celts have a surplus of giant "heady" bigs....right now we have zero. Precious looked like a preteen next to Kornet.

But I'm not jumping out the window because while we may not be there yet , the bones of a contender could be... I think we could fix alot in the offseason... and the Celts gave our FO motivation to do just that.

[oldshoolballer]

They had 132 in the first game


They also had 133 last season when we had Mitch.

OG not playing certainly hurtsbecause he is the only guy that can someone guard tatum with his size..otherwise we don't have big wings.

problem is celtics will just screen the **** off OG and we will have no answer for that.

This team is going nowhere without OG. Bridges got smoked guarding Tatum. I'm glad they held on to Mitch also. I don\t care if he can only play 20 minutes we need his defense.