ATL - Ham Slamwich to the Lakers

[LuessiT]

Adding to that what I don't see getting mentioned often enough is that in order to go small, you have to sacrifice something - size. Now that means less interior defense and worse rebounding. If going small was this all powerful weapon, teams wouldn't even have centers on rosters anymore. It's not. It's sacrifizing something to better exploit the opposing weakness. And the easiest way to stop this is to continue playing your game, but benefit more from the opposing team going small - e.g. force it inside and dominate the boards - than they do from their better matchups on offense. And we're already really good at those two things that are needed to beat teams going small.

That's why I think getting Gobert and making everything a grindfest could be so impactful. Gobert isn't only the best rim protector in the game - which means also an increase in the amount of rebounds per game having to be secured - but he's also the best rebounder in the game. And those two things are aspects we're already excelling at, because we have maybe the second best player at both in the league in Giannis. And you know what we also have? The best transition player in the league after securing those boards. And you know what we also have? The best inside presence since Shaq. And even if he misses, unlike 3 pointers those rebounds will be short, which gives us a big advantage at securing the offensive board.

There's a lot of synergy in staying big versus small ball. It just needs to be implemented correctly. And I don't think Lopez is the solution. But without changing our style there are other players that might be.

[emunney]

Brook also tends to drop pretty deep so that he can still pretty easily recover to the rim if he gets beat to a side or there's a back cut. So somebody who could drop far shallower without worrying as much about the angles that opens up would be good.

Even with deep drops, if looks a lot different if you have a nimble, length guy on the ball who can go over the screen and still get good rear contests, like a Thybulle. Many, many ways to skin a cat.

[CharityStripe34]

It's why I wonder if a dude like Bamba could, theoretically, be a perfectly fine Brook replacement and not get played off the floor because an opposing team's roleplayer can make jumpshots.

[CharityStripe34]

The Celtics got crushed in game 1 because they couldn't deal with our size. Lopez was really big in that game 1. Then they adjusted, mostly shot 3's and only took it inside to kick the ball back out and Lopez became unplayable. If we bring someone in that can mirror Brook's defense but handle switches better and bring in players that can read those kick out passes and get deflections (like Donte used to), we're a much better defensive team.

It helped the Celtics that Timelord was hurt and didn't play the rest of the series, 'cause then there was no one on the court that Brook could realistically guard without having to run out and contest a three.

[rilamann]

Funny how every time a guy gets injured, or almost gets injured during a loose ball scrum because someone launched themselves into said guy's knees or ankles, it's always a Boston Celtic who is doing the launching.

I am sure it's just a coincidence.

[PintSizedBox10]

Is some alternate (and beautiful) reality the Bucks are up 3-0 on this GS team and Giannis is utterly obliterating them inside averaging 40 points per game. But alas! We're living in this disgusting timeline where Boston may actually win the title

[Profound23]

Funny how every time a guy gets injured, or almost gets injured during a loose ball scrum because someone launched themselves into said guy's knees or ankles, it's always a Boston Celtic who is doing the launching.

I am sure it's just a coincidence.

I blame this one on the refs. If a jumpball is called earlier then nothing happens. When you see a guy as big as Horford lying on Curry's leg and you just let the play continue, that's asking for trouble.

[ShootingtheJ]

Can we stop pretending the drop defense is the root of all evil? It's not. The drop is a very efficient defensive system, especially in the regular season. The problem with our implementation of the drop is that when you face a team that can punish the drop efficiently enough, you need to switch it up and hedge/switch on a couple possessions. Brook can do neither of those things, which makes it a Brook problem and not necessarily a defensive system problem per se.

Imo we have 3 options:
A) Drop the drop entirely. Trade Brook for a non-drop player, take a beating during the regular season, but be better equipped for teams that can punish the drop (and worse versus teams who can't - allbeit most teams in the POs can)
B) Play mostly drop in the regular season, switch to switching in the POs. Either live with benching Lopez in these matchups or trade him for a lesser center you're willing to bench and something else
C) Trade for a drop center that is better equipped to deal with hedgeing/switching. Gobert is obviously the highest tier of drop centers available, but there are other options also like Miles Turner, etc.

To me it really depends on who's available for what price. If Gobert or another high tier drop center is available cheaply because the league is overreacting and moving away from that system, I'd want to upgrade Brook. If the league still thinks drop centers are highly valueable, I'm open to trading Brook for a non-drop player as long as we manage to upgrade the talent level. If it's somewhere inbetween it really depends on who we could bring in.

Why does the dropping the drop cause us to take a beating in the regular season. Did Boston take a beating defensively in the regular season?

[LuessiT]

Can we stop pretending the drop defense is the root of all evil? It's not. The drop is a very efficient defensive system, especially in the regular season. The problem with our implementation of the drop is that when you face a team that can punish the drop efficiently enough, you need to switch it up and hedge/switch on a couple possessions. Brook can do neither of those things, which makes it a Brook problem and not necessarily a defensive system problem per se.

Imo we have 3 options:
A) Drop the drop entirely. Trade Brook for a non-drop player, take a beating during the regular season, but be better equipped for teams that can punish the drop (and worse versus teams who can't - allbeit most teams in the POs can)
B) Play mostly drop in the regular season, switch to switching in the POs. Either live with benching Lopez in these matchups or trade him for a lesser center you're willing to bench and something else
C) Trade for a drop center that is better equipped to deal with hedgeing/switching. Gobert is obviously the highest tier of drop centers available, but there are other options also like Miles Turner, etc.

To me it really depends on who's available for what price. If Gobert or another high tier drop center is available cheaply because the league is overreacting and moving away from that system, I'd want to upgrade Brook. If the league still thinks drop centers are highly valueable, I'm open to trading Brook for a non-drop player as long as we manage to upgrade the talent level. If it's somewhere inbetween it really depends on who we could bring in.

Why does the dropping the drop cause us to take a beating in the regular season. Did Boston take a beating defensively in the regular season?

Williams plays the drop when he can get away with it lol. He's just solid at switching too if his matchup calls for it. That's what we need.

[drew881]

I can think of 90 million ways (80 guaranteed) that it doesn’t suck.

[DanoMac]

Funny how every time a guy gets injured, or almost gets injured during a loose ball scrum because someone launched themselves into said guy's knees or ankles, it's always a Boston Celtic who is doing the launching.

I am sure it's just a coincidence.

I'm gonna sound like an old man yelling at the clouds here, but Smart is truly the most reckless player I've ever seen. I can't believe the NBA rewarded him with DPOY.

Guards like Gary Payton and now Jrue Holiday play defense with poise and integrity. Smart literally possesses none of those qualities and it's sad what he gets away with.

[WRau1]

ATL is going to make some major moves, can see Grant and Ayton ending up there.

[Profound23]

ATL is going to make some major moves, can see Grant and Ayton ending up there.

Not a bad thought.

John Collins/Capella/filler for Ayton

[RiotPunch]

Funny how every time a guy gets injured, or almost gets injured during a loose ball scrum because someone launched themselves into said guy's knees or ankles, it's always a Boston Celtic who is doing the launching.

I am sure it's just a coincidence.

I'm gonna sound like an old man yelling at the clouds here, but Smart is truly the most reckless player I've ever seen. I can't believe the NBA rewarded him with DPOY.

Guards like Gary Payton and now Jrue Holiday play defense with poise and integrity. Smart literally possesses none of those qualities and it's sad what he gets away with.

[Profound23]

The Celtics got crushed in game 1 because they couldn't deal with our size. Lopez was really big in that game 1. Then they adjusted, mostly shot 3's and only took it inside to kick the ball back out and Lopez became unplayable. If we bring someone in that can mirror Brook's defense but handle switches better and bring in players that can read those kick out passes and get deflections (like Donte used to), we're a much better defensive team.

It helped the Celtics that Timelord was hurt and didn't play the rest of the series, 'cause then there was no one on the court that Brook could realistically guard without having to run out and contest a three.

I agree.....I think if Robert Williams stays healthy we win that series. Williams gives them more of an inside presence, but it makes Lopez more valuable and helps with defensive spacing. Grant Williams probably doesn't play as much either.

The funny thing is, it's the opposite with GS. He came back at the right time because nobody on GS can rebound over Williams.

[LuessiT]

The Celtics got crushed in game 1 because they couldn't deal with our size. Lopez was really big in that game 1. Then they adjusted, mostly shot 3's and only took it inside to kick the ball back out and Lopez became unplayable. If we bring someone in that can mirror Brook's defense but handle switches better and bring in players that can read those kick out passes and get deflections (like Donte used to), we're a much better defensive team.

It helped the Celtics that Timelord was hurt and didn't play the rest of the series, 'cause then there was no one on the court that Brook could realistically guard without having to run out and contest a three.

I agree.....I think if Robert Williams stays healthy we win that series. Williams gives them more of an inside presence, but it makes Lopez more valuable and helps with defensive spacing. Grant Williams probably doesn't play as much either.

The funny thing is, it's the opposite with GS. He came back at the right time because nobody on GS can rebound over Williams.

Are we really supposed to believe that a team's coach and all their assistants wouldn't have figured that a player was detrimental to their teams success?

[rilamann]

Funny how every time a guy gets injured, or almost gets injured during a loose ball scrum because someone launched themselves into said guy's knees or ankles, it's always a Boston Celtic who is doing the launching.

I am sure it's just a coincidence.

I'm gonna sound like an old man yelling at the clouds here, but Smart is truly the most reckless player I've ever seen. I can't believe the NBA rewarded him with DPOY.

Guards like Gary Payton and now Jrue Holiday play defense with poise and integrity. Smart literally possesses none of those qualities and it's sad what he gets away with.

Yeah, I feel like you should be disqualified from winning DPOY if your defining trait as a basketball player is flopping. It's not like Smart flops from time to time, he's out there hunting for every opportunity to flop. Not sure how you give DPOY to a guy like that.

I also don't get how you give back to back MVPs to a guy who has to be taken out of the game when his team needs a crucial defensive stop.

Luckily for the league and more importantly luckily for us, I think Giannis will be on a mission next season after watching Boston win it all and will put himself in position to win both awards, again.

I feel like Giannis will have at least 1 season in his career where he wins MVP, DPOY and Finals MVP in the same season. Hopefully it's next season.

[rilamann]

Funny how every time a guy gets injured, or almost gets injured during a loose ball scrum because someone launched themselves into said guy's knees or ankles, it's always a Boston Celtic who is doing the launching.

I am sure it's just a coincidence.

I blame this one on the refs. If a jumpball is called earlier then nothing happens. When you see a guy as big as Horford lying on Curry's leg and you just let the play continue, that's asking for trouble.

I was checking out Draymond Green's podcast after the game and he said he actually took an intentional foul on that play just so that Horford would get off Curry's ankle.

Al Horford and Marcus Smart are probably two of the dirtiest players in the league, but they're ''slick dirty'' so a lot of fans don't realize how dirty they actually are.

How many times do Horford and Smart have to launch themselves into guys knees and ankles (Got Steph twice this season) ''Diving for loose balls'' before people realize Horford and Smart know exactly what they are doing.

If you go back and read any pregame threads from when we played the Celtics since like 2018, almost in every thread I've said my #1 fear when we play the Celtics is Smart diving into Giannis' knees for a ''loose ball''. Again, these guys know exactly what they're doing. There's a line between diving for a loose ball and launching yourself into someone's knees and ankles. And Smart and Horford are habitual line steppers to quote the late great Charlie Murphy.

[Matches Malone]

Khris is on the Jimmy Kimmel pre-show right now playing a trivia game lol.

[Milbucks96]

This was a very impressive half from Boston, they have that “this is our year” feeling. Even if they don’t win they’ll be a problem for years to come.

Very early in those game and series still has a way to go potentially but I keep thinking this.