Official Celtics 2021-22 Season Thread

[zoyathedestroya]

I really like the Horford-Timelord frontcourt combo, more than most, to start games. Offensively, there's enough spacing with Rob's gravity as a roller and Horf's ability to shoot threes. Four plus passers on the floor can set the tone on how we want to play. Defensively, the length, smarts, athleticism, and overall scheme can make up for whatever disadvantage Smart guarding speedier PGs and Timelord/Horford guarding the perimeter present. Then we have more than enough offensive weapons coming off the bench in Schroder/Pritchard/Richardson, Nesmith with his shooting, and Kanter/Parker with their inside/post scoring. That starting five also are the most tenured Cs on the team so familiarity with playing with each other is a bonus.

[Curmudgeon]

I like the idea of Tatum playing the 3 as much as possible. Let him overpower smaller players. Stevens has certainly stocked up on power forwards, so hopefully that''s the plan.

[Triple7]

[Triple7]

I think coach udoka would have a hard time distributing minutes and with the rotations. I juzt hope he does a better job than Brad when it comes to rotations and minutes. Who would start between dennis and Marcus? Who would close out the games between those two? I don’t think thise guys can play together on stretches. The shooting would be horrible, and against certain matchups, we would be small with them together. Plus you have Pritch, Nesmith and Richardson. Langford would be the odd man out among the guards i think. The bigs rotation isn’t etched in stone as well. I very curious on how Ime can manage this team. Hoping for the best of course.

[Shak_Celts]

I think Juancho is going to start.

My guess is based on how POBO spoke about Juancho, he talked about how much his cutting could help the Jays. I know he's not the coach but he said that was a big thing when they were looking to trade for him. He's up and down on 3s, but I think the wide open shots could do him well. If he can manage 37% that would be huge.

It may not happen but I would try it. I really want Al to come off the bench. I'd also be happy with the JRich/Nesmith look. What backup bigs can hang with Al? He can make sure our bench holds it together and allow both Jays to sit together at times.

W/e we go with, if our bench isn't top 5, something big went wrong. We should have a really good bench. Multiple guys have consistently scored in double figures. 30pts shouldn't be a big ask no matter who is on the bench. We will have around 4 guys who could get us at least 10 a night and a couple, on any given night, who could push 20 (Schrö I expect will avg at least 15 alone)! I know there won't be a ton of shots but there were enough shots last season, guys either didn't step up or weren't trusted to.

[Fierce1]

I hate the preseason!

[Parliament10]

[jmr07019]

Regardless of who starts the general picture I see is we have 8 guys who will get consistent playing time. Dennis, Smart, Brown, Tatum, JRich, Rob, Kanter, Al. In addition to them I see Pritchard for sure getting consistent playing time. Nesmith is a pretty safe bet to get consistent minutes as well. That's 10 guys and likely all the point guard and center minutes. Not a whole hell of a lot left for other guys. Nesmith is the guy most likely to get beat out by someone else. I really hope it doesn't happen but if he's still making too many defensive mistakes or if we want more size or more ball handling I can see someone else stepping in/up.

The lineups I believe will be matchup dependent. I'm coming around on the 2 big lineup and I also don't think we should discount wanting to save Al's body by not playing him exclusively at center. If the plan was to play Al exclusively at center I don't think we would have signed Kanter.

[ballup]

From how the probable 10 man rotation, I predict:

1) Josh Richardson getting 28 mpg max.
2) Both Jays will play the 4 significantly.
3) Schroeder and Pritchard will play in the same lineup frequently.
4) Schroeder will play 22 mpg

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[Celts17Pride]

Doesn't matter who starts at all. If Schroder doesn't start and gets 32 minutes and Juancho Hernangomez starts and gets 8 minutes who would you rather be as a player?

Starting doesn't matter, it's who gets the majority of the rotation minutes.

[Boss66]

Notes from camp. Sounds like Brad is ready to make more trades if the opportunity arises - https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/sights-and-sounds-start-celtics-training-camp

[Hal14]

From how the probable 10 man rotation, I predict:

1) Josh Richardson getting 28 mpg max.
2) Both Jays will play the 4 significantly.
3) Schroeder and Pritchard will play in the same lineup frequently.
4) Schroeder will play 22 mpg

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

I like the idea of Schroder and Pritchard playing in same lineup. Schroder with his speed and dribble penetration ability - kick outs to open Pritchard for 3's all day.

But 22 mins a game for Schroder seems low. His mins per game over the last 5 seasons:

32
31
29
31
32

[Hal14]

Regardless of who starts the general picture I see is we have 8 guys who will get consistent playing time. Dennis, Smart, Brown, Tatum, JRich, Rob, Kanter, Al. In addition to them I see Pritchard for sure getting consistent playing time. Nesmith is a pretty safe bet to get consistent minutes as well. That's 10 guys and likely all the point guard and center minutes. Not a whole hell of a lot left for other guys. Nesmith is the guy most likely to get beat out by someone else. I really hope it doesn't happen but if he's still making too many defensive mistakes or if we want more size or more ball handling I can see someone else stepping in/up.

The lineups I believe will be matchup dependent. I'm coming around on the 2 big lineup and I also don't think we should discount wanting to save Al's body by not playing him exclusively at center. If the plan was to play Al exclusively at center I don't think we would have signed Kanter.

I think we signed Kanter moreso as insurance policy in case Rob continues his injury woes. We wanted a 3rd big after trading away Moses Brown. Kanter was a cheap 1 yr contract and the depth Kanter brings also allows us the flexibility to use double big lineup sometimes, depending on matchup.

[Hal14]

In one hand no one really knows who may start. But I really want Nesmith to earn that role. I still believe heavily in having a true shooting threat (if he can prove this and I think he can)... that... DOES NOT NEED TO TOUCH THE BALL!!!

I can not state that enough. Tatum and Brown both need a certain amount of shots, touches to get going. Just the threat of a high level shooter, who can in theory, switch out on most players is what I believe Boston has lacked in years..

Too many ball needy players fail way more than succeed. Look at how James Harden went scoring conservative and became a pass first facilitator just to keep KD and Kyrie going.

Nesmith, like Joe Harris, like Duncan Robinson, needs to fill that role. If he can't than move on to someone else of course.

If Nesmith isn't ready for that role, then let's see if Garrison Mathews can do it.

NBA
Nesmith = 37% from 3, has made 40 career 3's
Mathews = 38.9% from 3, has made 95 career 3's

College
Nesmith = 41% from 3, made 119 career 3's
Mathews = 37.4% from 3, made 360 career 3's

[Hal14]

I really like the Horford-Timelord frontcourt combo, more than most, to start games. Offensively, there's enough spacing with Rob's gravity as a roller and Horf's ability to shoot threes. Four plus passers on the floor can set the tone on how we want to play. Defensively, the length, smarts, athleticism, and overall scheme can make up for whatever disadvantage Smart guarding speedier PGs and Timelord/Horford guarding the perimeter present. Then we have more than enough offensive weapons coming off the bench in Schroder/Pritchard/Richardson, Nesmith with his shooting, and Kanter/Parker with their inside/post scoring. That starting five also are the most tenured Cs on the team so familiarity with playing with each other is a bonus.

I'm usually not a fan of the double big lineup, but you made a solid case for this being the starting 5.

With that being said, I'm just thinking it might be too slow of a lineup to stay with faster teams who really get up and down the floor in an up tempo game and really get the ball zipping around on offense.

Al is kind of slow for a 4 but kind of quick for a 5. Rob is quick for a center, Tatum at the 3 and Brown at the 2 have good (not great) quickness relative to their position. Tatum is much quicker than 4's though and Brown is quicker than most 3's. Smart is kind of slow compared to a lot of PGs but he's quick for a SG - but if you play smart at the 2, brown at the 3 and tatum at the 4, of course then you have a smaller lineup. Do you want size or speed? I think Ime will try to find a lineup that has the best mix of both, while also having the flexibility to go with a "super speedy lineup" or a big lineup, depending on matchups and what he thinks the team needs at that time of the game.

[Celts17Pride]

Regardless of who starts the general picture I see is we have 8 guys who will get consistent playing time. Dennis, Smart, Brown, Tatum, JRich, Rob, Kanter, Al. In addition to them I see Pritchard for sure getting consistent playing time. Nesmith is a pretty safe bet to get consistent minutes as well. That's 10 guys and likely all the point guard and center minutes. Not a whole hell of a lot left for other guys. Nesmith is the guy most likely to get beat out by someone else. I really hope it doesn't happen but if he's still making too many defensive mistakes or if we want more size or more ball handling I can see someone else stepping in/up.

The lineups I believe will be matchup dependent. I'm coming around on the 2 big lineup and I also don't think we should discount wanting to save Al's body by not playing him exclusively at center. If the plan was to play Al exclusively at center I don't think we would have signed Kanter.

Nesmith is going to get 20-25 mpg is my prediction. Langford is going to get squeezed out if he is even on the team by opening day.

[playa-hater]

like the pictures.. Bit I want to file an official protest on Nesmith's and PP's behalf. Just the thought

[ballup]

From how the probable 10 man rotation, I predict:

1) Josh Richardson getting 28 mpg max.
2) Both Jays will play the 4 significantly.
3) Schroeder and Pritchard will play in the same lineup frequently.
4) Schroeder will play 22 mpg

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

I like the idea of Schroder and Pritchard playing in same lineup. Schroder with his speed and dribble penetration ability - kick outs to open Pritchard for 3's all day.

But 22 mins a game for Schroder seems low. His mins per game over the last 5 seasons:

32
31
29
31
32

Where do you think we find those guard minutes? Smart is going to play starter minutes and is going to be the starting point. Josh Richardson is likely to get 20+ mpg too, split between the wings. Payton will probably get 10-18 mpg. It's mathematical impossible for Schroeder to get 30 mpg unless you are cutting both Richardson's minutes and Nesmith's.

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[playa-hater]

In one hand no one really knows who may start. But I really want Nesmith to earn that role. I still believe heavily in having a true shooting threat (if he can prove this and I think he can)... that... DOES NOT NEED TO TOUCH THE BALL!!!

I can not state that enough. Tatum and Brown both need a certain amount of shots, touches to get going. Just the threat of a high level shooter, who can in theory, switch out on most players is what I believe Boston has lacked in years..

Too many ball needy players fail way more than succeed. Look at how James Harden went scoring conservative and became a pass first facilitator just to keep KD and Kyrie going.

Nesmith, like Joe Harris, like Duncan Robinson, needs to fill that role. If he can't than move on to someone else of course.

If Nesmith isn't ready for that role, then let's see if Garrison Mathews can do it.

NBA
Nesmith = 37% from 3, has made 40 career 3's
Mathews = 38.9% from 3, has made 95 career 3's

College
Nesmith = 41% from 3, made 119 career 3's
Mathews = 37.4% from 3, made 360 career 3's

I could be wrong, it really is hard to know what Ime will do. but having said that I would be monumentally shocked with all the higher profile talent Boston has and established players that IME will choose a potential 2 way player in Mathews. Even if Mathews plays well, I don't believe Mathews gets a serious look as a starter.

Still do like the pickup

[GoCeltics123]

Read on Twitter

Smart had some pretty revealing details in here, on Brad and the extension:

"The entirety of Boston’s management shakeup arrived as a shock to most observers, but Smart said he sensed the end of Stevens’ coaching tenure approaching. Especially after the 2019-20 season, Smart said he could see the burden of the job impacting Stevens. The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals that season but needed to spend months away from family and friends while competing in the Orlando bubble.

“I think around that time he was also into talks to take another college coaching job,” Smart said. “And I think just all that pressure really weighed in on him. Just like anything, just like players, someday, if you’re not in it all the way, retire. You leave on a good note. And that’s kind of what he did. It took a toll on him. Just like anybody else, he’s human. So I understood it.”

"We’ve had numerous talks, me and Brad, and pretty much after that bubble season was probably most likely his last season,” Smart said. “We kind of were the reason he came back, to give it another shot. At least from my standpoint, I kind of had a feeling (he would stop coaching the Celtics). But like I said, to take the GM job, that was a surprise.”

"Before signing a four-year, $77 million contract extension in August, Smart said he strongly considered turning down the offer to test free agency next summer. That was the maximum value the Celtics could offer in negotiations at the time, but Smart could have waited until the next offseason to seek more money from either Boston or another team. He even had a number in mind.

“At least $90 million,” Smart said.

After discussions with those he trusts, Smart eventually decided the security of a long-term contract outweighed the possibility of chasing what he believes he’s worth. Smart said he considers himself “blessed” to have signed such a hefty contract, which will run through the 2025-26 season, but still thinks several lesser players cashed bigger checks."