Official Celtics 2022 Off-Season Thread

[zoyathedestroya]

With the Warriors slipping, I think this is the first time whole season the Celtics grab the #1 spot in defensive rating, per CleaningtheGlass.

Pretty cool coming off B2B wins against two top 5 offenses and on the day Ime's awarded CotM.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[zoyathedestroya]

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Since the game Horford was referencing above, Celtics are 3rd in scoring efficiency after opponents made shots (per inpredictable). We were 23rd prior.

This bodes well for offensive execution in the playoffs, where things slow down, D ramps up, and teams face set defenses more often.

[Gomes3PC]

Very much looking forward to this Nets game. Will both Kyrie and KD play? This might be the best test we get the rest of the regular season of how legit this defense really is. Even without Harden, those two are capable of overwhelming defenses all by themselves.

[sam_I_am]

I think Celtics highest probable pathway to finals starts with Nets as 7-10 seed and eventually meeting 76ers in first round (how epic would that match up be?). I think Celtics are even odds against Bucks or Heat and at least have answers on defense for their best players. Sixers and Nets at full strength are capable of playing at a higher level than we are IMO (at least on paper when healthy.). If winner of Sixers Nets gets matched up against Bucks or Heat and get knocked off it opens the door a crack for Celtics to win the East.

[exculpatory]

I think Celtics highest probable pathway to finals starts with Nets as 7-10 seed and eventually meeting 76ers in first round (how epic would that match up be?). I think Celtics are even odds against Bucks or Heat and at least have answers on defense for their best players. Sixers and Nets at full strength are capable of playing at a higher level than we are IMO (at least on paper when healthy.). If winner of Sixers Nets gets matched up against Bucks or Heat and get knocked off it opens the door a crack for Celtics to win the East.

Agree with this.

[RickyDizzle]

I think Celtics highest probable pathway to finals starts with Nets as 7-10 seed and eventually meeting 76ers in first round (how epic would that match up be?). I think Celtics are even odds against Bucks or Heat and at least have answers on defense for their best players. Sixers and Nets at full strength are capable of playing at a higher level than we are IMO (at least on paper when healthy.). If winner of Sixers Nets gets matched up against Bucks or Heat and get knocked off it opens the door a crack for Celtics to win the East.

Agree with this.

Cs up to 5th now. Further away from play in and closer to hosting a first round playoff series. I have never bought in on Bulls or Cavs, I didn't think either would host a playoff series and still don't. Top 4 likely ends up being Miami, Philly, Bucks and us. We'll have to beat those teams eventually but if we avoid those in the first round I'd be happy. Nets, for all their dysfunction, are a tough draw for the first round too.

[bisme37]

[Smart2Nesmith43]

I think Celtics highest probable pathway to finals starts with Nets as 7-10 seed and eventually meeting 76ers in first round (how epic would that match up be?). I think Celtics are even odds against Bucks or Heat and at least have answers on defense for their best players. Sixers and Nets at full strength are capable of playing at a higher level than we are IMO (at least on paper when healthy.). If winner of Sixers Nets gets matched up against Bucks or Heat and get knocked off it opens the door a crack for Celtics to win the East.

Where I stand on the different playoff matchups:

- The Heat look like the best team in the conference but I think the Celtics match up very well. With the switching they do a great job of neutralizing all the handoffs and off ball stuff Miami likes to run. There's no weak link defensively that Butler can just pick on repeatedly. It's going to be a struggle for the Heat to score consistently. I'm not sure they have too many answers to Tatum on the other end. But Spoelstra is going to come in ready with a few wrinkles to throw at Boston.
- The Sixers have better top end talent but I'll believe that the combination of Harden, Embiid and Rivers works in the playoffs when I see it. This might be the best iteration of the Sixers in recent years but playoff battles in the Tatum/Embiid era have not been close so they have to prove they can beat the Celtics in the postseason not the other way around.
- Bulls have been terrible against good teams all season long and while DeRozan is a regular season scoring machine, it's just hard to trust him in the playoffs.
- The Bucks have Giannis, 1st team All-Celtics killers Middleton and they are the defending champion so they deserve to be favorite but I don't know, they give off a weird vibe this year. They might just be waiting for the postseason to flip the switch but they have been very inconsistent and their defense has slipped big time compared to last season.
- Cavs have too many injuries and too much inexperience to compete.
- Raptors are tough and well coached but I don't think they have the halfcourt offense to score enough.
- Nets are going to be a problem assuming Durant is ready to go. I feel like whenever they play KD/Kyrie, the Celtics try to outscore them rather than stick to the team identity of tough defense. Getting in a shootout against those guys is never going to work, so a win here would mean that the team stayed disciplined and stuck to the gameplan which would show real growth.
- Hornets and Hawks are clearly worse teams and shouldn't pose too many problems.

[sam_I_am]

I think Celtics highest probable pathway to finals starts with Nets as 7-10 seed and eventually meeting 76ers in first round (how epic would that match up be?). I think Celtics are even odds against Bucks or Heat and at least have answers on defense for their best players. Sixers and Nets at full strength are capable of playing at a higher level than we are IMO (at least on paper when healthy.). If winner of Sixers Nets gets matched up against Bucks or Heat and get knocked off it opens the door a crack for Celtics to win the East.

Where I stand on the different playoff matchups:

- The Heat look like the best team in the conference but I think the Celtics match up very well. With the switching they do a great job of neutralizing all the handoffs and off ball stuff Miami likes to run. There's no weak link defensively that Butler can just pick on repeatedly. It's going to be a struggle for the Heat to score consistently. I'm not sure they have too many answers to Tatum on the other end. But Spoelstra is going to come in ready with a few wrinkles to throw at Boston.
- The Sixers have better top end talent but I'll believe that the combination of Harden, Embiid and Rivers works in the playoffs when I see it. This might be the best iteration of the Sixers in recent years but playoff battles in the Tatum/Embiid era have not been close so they have to prove they can beat the Celtics in the postseason not the other way around.
- Bulls have been terrible against good teams all season long and while DeRozan is a regular season scoring machine, it's just hard to trust him in the playoffs.
- The Bucks have Giannis, 1st team All-Celtics killers Middleton and they are the defending champion so they deserve to be favorite but I don't know, they give off a weird vibe this year. They might just be waiting for the postseason to flip the switch but they have been very inconsistent and their defense has slipped big time compared to last season.
- Cavs have too many injuries and too much inexperience to compete.
- Raptors are tough and well coached but I don't think they have the halfcourt offense to score enough.
- Nets are going to be a problem assuming Durant is ready to go. I feel like whenever they play KD/Kyrie, the Celtics try to outscore them rather than stick to the team identity of tough defense. Getting in a shootout against those guys is never going to work, so a win here would mean that the team stayed disciplined and stuck to the gameplan which would show real growth.
- Hornets and Hawks are clearly worse teams and shouldn't pose too many problems.

I think this is possible.

Round 1: #1 Heat defeat Raptors or Hawks, #2 Sixers lose to Nets, #3 Bucks beat Bulls, #4 Celtics beat Cavs
Round 2: Heat vs Celtics, Cs in 7 games. Nets take out Bucks this time.
Round 3: Celtics vs. Nets…………odds against us but if Irving or KD pull up lame we know Simmons will come up short.
Finals: Suns vs Celtics……..Suns in 5 or 6.

[jmr07019]

Whoever does the captions at comcast sports net needs a raise

[zoyathedestroya]

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[darrendaye]

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[djFan71]

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Since the game Horford was referencing above, Celtics are 3rd in scoring efficiency after opponents made shots (per inpredictable). We were 23rd prior.

This bodes well for offensive execution in the playoffs, where things slow down, D ramps up, and teams face set defenses more often.

Hmm.... what do we do if the other team never makes shots?

[darrendaye]

BTW, for those worried about the wallets of Wyc and Co., both Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams have a games played incentives in their contracts. Brown would need to play in 65 games to attain it*, Williams 69 (hee-hee). Said another way, Jaylen can miss only 17 games and Robert 13. I have Jaylen with 15 games missed and Timelord is right at 13.

* I believe this requires all 3 targets to be hit: 65 games played, 49 team wins, and team advancing to 2nd round in playoffs.

[Feed Your Head]

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[Parliament10]

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Really Nice gesture.

[zoyathedestroya]

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Haven't read yet but 2022 Celtics alone in that far right graph (East) must mean we're good.

[SuperDeluxe]

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Really Nice gesture.

Marcus is the absolute frigging best. On top of what he does on the court, he gives you this. May he never be traded.

[zoyathedestroya]

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Tatum called Smart a champ. Banner 18 confirmed.