Boston looking like they did a couple of years ago under Stevens. Joe needs to stiffen up his backbone a bit. Guess time will tell if Ime was just a flash in the pan who "anyone could have won with".
Is Ime needing 6 games to beat the trash Hawks and losing a game 1 at home to the “honey I shrunk the Center” Sixers with no Embiid? Sixers had a 6’9 dude playing C they didn’t double or trap Harden 1 time…they allowed him to dance on any defender he gor the switch on Al Horford getting eaten alive defending Harden, and no adjustment this Celtics defense does not look impressive
At the same time, we can make similar arguments about Udoka when he failed to properly adjust against GSW. There were countless of possessions where Tatum/Brown were too late in picking up Curry who was already well within his range. His double center lineups also got absolutely eaten alive by GSW, especially when they switched to the PnR.
that’s GS…they are almost impossible to defend adequately big difference between that and the Hawks and Sixers without Embiid
For Boston, let's remember that their best player only just turned 25. It's been rare for teams to win without their best player being at least 27, 28 or so. Even when some of these greats did it at a young age, like Kobe or Duncan, they were second fiddle at that time to another guy (Shaq, Robinson). But too early to write Boston off anyway. Let's see how they adjust
@SamFisher I know you have expressed concerns about Ime and iso ball. This video shows some of the makeup of Ime's offense and defense. Hope this video hasn't been posted before.
I had a dream that the Raptors won the draft lotto and the BBS/Internet was flooded with a bunch of Udoka "Oops" memes. Hope I'm wrong!
If Embid misses another game, I suspect the Celtics will gang mug Harden right from the start, and of course, get away with fouling him furiously and repeatably., Idiots on this board will jump all over him for being washed, because he couldn’t carry the team to victory single-handedly. He is older and he will get worn out if he has to carry that kind of load every game.
I’m shocked they didn’t do that in game 1 or at least in the 4th quarter when he was cooking…or even on the final play…How are u gonna leave Al Horford on an island against a red hot James Harden who is in Houston mode? the refs absolutely hate Harden, they refuse to call any fouls for him anymore…James Harden has taken 15 free throws in 5 playoff games so far…I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes if he drives in the paint, no foul will ever be called now…it’s good he adjusted and started taking a bunch of midrange against Boston unlike what he was doing against BK
I do think Harden has always been screwed by the refs, but the way playoff basketball is called is ridiculous and affects other players in the same way, if not to the same extent. Tatum got fouled a bunch last game without a call as well. Houston Harden depended on going to the line a lot. It’s a tribute to his basket IQ how he has adjusted his game since being traded to match both his place in the team framework, but also to adjust to his declining physical abilities. He has always been a team player.
@SamFisher (from post #872) Yes, it was @Stephen_A , my mistake. @ Stephen I've seen a ball movement happy team like the Warriors turn strictly to Durant ISO's because the Rockets switching defense was disrupting the ball movement takes. Sometimes one must take what the defense gives you. Just my two cents, I wouldn't hold it against the Celtics that had to go up against a battle tested Warriors team that can switch everything on defense. Like I've said, the Warriors just had more horses. If Wiggins was on the Celtics last year.....the Celtics would be NBA Champions.
You're talking about Curry here. Anywhere on the court is within his range. I love that Ime has experience going against a dynasty in the finals. It only made him a better coach.
That doesn’t excuse not picking him up until he has basically marched up to the 3pt line. You pick him up the moment he crosses half court.
no one gets it worse than Harden in the postseason…went from 6 free throws a game and a 43% free throw rate in the regular season this year to 3 free throws a game and an astonishingly low 15% free throw rate dude took 34 shots before he took a single free throw these playoffs…it’s intentional from the league but yeah, love how he’s adjusted his game Harden in previous years would’ve continued to abandon the midrange and keep forcing drives at the rim getting blocked or hacked with no call
James always had a pretty mid-range game. If only he would not have reduced its use completely during the Mike D years.
Back in 2015, I felt like that made James literally unguardable. He could get to the rim, stop on a dime for a middy, or step back for a 3. Even if you played it correctly, he'd draw a foul or throw a perfect pass. Literally the only way to stop someone like that is to foul him and get away with it, which is what the Warriors did exceptionally well in the years after he stopped shooting any mid range shots at all (2016 on).
