Are we Gonna: Celtics?

i don't get how they're so good defensively. Their athletes are so average. Their length seems below average. Their size and strength is below average. Kyrie is horrible at D. I just can't picture this lasting.

Their comeback win against GS was impressive, but there's nothing else that jumps out at me as a great win. They lost their first 2 to legit teams they might face in the playoffs(although they did beat the Bucks a few games later) and then beat a bunch of loser/hurt teams and barely scraped by the Raptors. The Spurs are not the Spurs right now and the Thunder are horrible right now and still trying to figure it out.

This is basically the same as last year, but opposite at what they're good at. Last year it was a top offense with mid tier defense, now its a top D with mid tier offense. Still, they struggled against Chicago, barely beat Washington and got their asses handed to them by the Cavs. Just seems like a really good regular season team that's destined to lose out to star talent in the playoffs. I think the Wiz and Raptors can take the Celtics in a 7 game series.

 

We don't get a shot at them until December 28th unfortunately, to test them out.

 

Brown and Smart are plus athletes with good-to-excellent size, and Tatum looks much more athletic than I thought he was. Horford's badly undersized for a center, but that doesn't much matter anymore in today's NBA, and he moves his feet extremely well. Baynes is a beast. Kyrie's not good, but he's not the liability that Thomas was.

The Cs definitely won't maintain their current level on defense, but they could definitely finish the season in the top-10, maybe top-5. A lot will depend on if they can continue cleaning the defensive glass as effectively as they have so far.

 

I'm like Barkley, I don't know how they keep winning but I'm sure they'll return a bit to Earth soon and meanwhile still winning the East but not close to this winning %

 

The fact is Kyrie isn't horrible at defense and losing Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder was no big deal after all.

They aren't the same team. Only 4 players returned from last season: Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier. The vibe of the group this year is just different. Hard to explain. I think IT's absence has something to do with it. The guy was a warrior on offense but on the other end he was a complete joke.

The group this year (without Hayward) is clearly not as good offensively for now but they will improve. They run less iso ball and fewer PnRs for one player. The offense generates good shots most of the time, but they brick so many of them it's amazing. Sometimes brutal to watch.

In my opinion, this year's team is more reflective of Brad Stevens than last year, where he tailored both ends of the floor around IT. The ball and burden is spread around more.

As the season progresses, I expect the Celtics offense to improve some and the defense to decline a little. Despite the current winning streak, they are not really Finals contenders. For that to happen, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will have to be more consistent on offense and raise their games to another level. Tatum has very good potential as a creator but you know what happens to most rookies in the playoffs.

 

Brad Steven has COY on lockdown.

 

Like I said in the Game Action Thread, The Celtics perimeter defense so far is flat out better than it was last year.

Last year the Celtics were a pretty small team on the perimeter last year.

PG: Isaiah Thomas (5-9)
SG: Avery Bradley (6-2)
SF: Jae Crowder (6-6)

This year,

PG: Kyrie Irving (6-3)
SG: Jaylen Brown (6-7)
SF: Jayson Tatum (6-8)

Last year opposing teams at time would dominate their smaller perimeter physically. You can't dominate their perimeter physically anymore.They're just as long on the perimeter as anybody in the League.

They're 3rd in oppinent 3PT% per game

While Kyrie isn't an all-world defensive player, he's better than Isaiah. You can't attack Kyrie the way you could attack Isaiah. He's not as much of a defensive liability like Isaiah was last year. You can't just shoot over Jaylen like you could over Avery Bradley. Tatum has good size, length, and athleticism that he can match up well with any SG/SF and even a lot of PF's.

Horford is also playing extremely well defensively so far. He moves his feet and is always in the right position.

Unless you have a Rudy Gobert like center where you can just funnel your defense into him and dare teams to go at him in the paint , you're going to have to play solid defense from the perimeter in this new NBA to be successful.

 

Next comes Hard-on.

 

Brad Stevens bringing that lunch pail effort to coaching

 

They might actually be a problem match up for us. They can put Brown and Tatum on Harden and still have Smart to throw on Paul or Gordon. I'm actually excited to watch us play them.

 

on the DL Jalen Brown is the secret to there sucess. He has some Kawai Lenoard in his game.

 

So you are fat and annoying and Tinman wants to see you naked?

 

I thought not having haywar and loosing bradley will have them drop off. Impressive. Brown is stepping up and Stevens has Coach of the year locked up.

 

Fixed.

 

Dec. 28th...Harden and CP3 should have had enough time to gel by then, but it is in Boston. Should be fun!

First lets see if we can beat the Grizz tomorrow night and not pick up our 3rd loss to them. Grrrrr...should not have lost to phila or memphis the first time.

 

wow they 15-0!

 

Wouldn't surprise me if they lose to the Mavs on Monday or get blown out by the Heat a couple of days later.

The win streak is on life support. It would do them good to just lose one and get it over with.

 

Marcus Smart is one of the better perimeter defenders in the league. I'm surprised their defense is still so good when they lost Avery Bradley.