Nets (12-15) at Celtics (10-16) Game #27 12/26/14

[Fafnir]

There are always things to complain about after losses but this kind of loss is one you can live with, even with the 4th quarter collapse.  It's losing like we did the previous two games that drives you up the wall.

Mike

Yeah the Orlando "is it Christmas yet" loss and the Miami loss were bad.

[goCeltics]

I don't like tanking.

Fortunately for you we're not.

If we were tanking James Young would be on the court for 20+ minutes.

this mr young must be summoned on once and played all 48 minutes pronto

[Chief]

I don't like tanking.

Fortunately for you we're not.

If we were tanking James Young would be on the court for 20+ minutes.

There's a somewhat decent chance that would be an upgrade over Turner.   

Eh Turner at least can dribble in more than one direction.

I'd like see Young get some run, but no way is he ready to play SF like we're asking of Turner.

Young is going to be a really good player in about 6 years. I doubt he will be on the Celtics then. Kind of a Gerald Green story.

[Chief]

I don't like tanking.

Fortunately for you we're not.

If we were tanking James Young would be on the court for 20+ minutes.

I'd like to see a poll on what Celtic Nation thinks?

[Nerf DPOY]

Silver linings:

Smart looked a little more like a PG than recent games while still causing havoc on D

Avery shot well and has gradually looked better lately overall

Sullinger with a pulse. His dad just needs to move to Boston and also travel with the team.

It's looking more and more likely that we have a realistic shot at landing a top 3 pick.....again.

And I said "a shot".

[Kuberski33]

There are always things to complain about after losses but this kind of loss is one you can live with, even with the 4th quarter collapse.  It's losing like we did the previous two games that drives you up the wall.

Mike

Going to respectfully disagree.  I think there are a percentage of games every season where you're just going to be lousy.  The weaker teams (like this one) have no chance of winning those - and the FL games were an example of that.  Its the games like today that you can really judge a team on.  A decent team at home wins a game like this and we just keep losing them because no one can make a shot when the other team is really working at taking away what you're good at doing offensively.

[satch]

Trying to explain strange player rotations. We have players that can play defense but can't play offense. We have players that can play offense but can't play defense. Sound reasonable?

[SHAQATTACK]

When drastic comings and goings of the team with trades etc ......going be really hard to form a  solid core starting lineup and team unity.

It's got to be frustrating for the players as well as the fan and coach.

Either several keeper or starter players need to be developed ....like KO and Zeller .....other pieces added that jell together .

Most of these guys are here for the short term .   Hard yo develop a team winning locker room with that type of environment

[MBunge]

There are always things to complain about after losses but this kind of loss is one you can live with, even with the 4th quarter collapse.  It's losing like we did the previous two games that drives you up the wall.

Mike

Going to respectfully disagree.  I think there are a percentage of games every season where you're just going to be lousy.  The weaker teams (like this one) have no chance of winning those - and the FL games were an example of that.  Its the games like today that you can really judge a team on.  A decent team at home wins a game like this and we just keep losing them because no one can make a shot when the other team is really working at taking away what you're good at doing offensively.

But when you're legitimately as young as this team is now, losing close games is normal.  That's one of the things that was so dispiriting when Rondo was here because having a guy like that should have helped us win these kind of games, and he totally didn't.

But if this team can play like this with consistency, they'll win the 33 to 38 or so games they probably should given their talent level and being in the East.  That's not a huge endorsement of Stevens' coaching to just win what you should, but it's better than the alternative.

Mike

[D.o.s.]

I don't like tanking.

Fortunately for you we're not.

If we were tanking James Young would be on the court for 20+ minutes.

I'd like to see a poll on what Celtic Nation thinks?

Here's a smell test for you: Would _________ fit in on the 76ers this year?

I think James Young qualifies. He could be a good player, but he's not there yet. If you play him a lot, you're going to lose games -- his defense is about as present as Marcus Thornton's hair.

I don't like tanking.

Fortunately for you we're not.

If we were tanking James Young would be on the court for 20+ minutes.

There's a somewhat decent chance that would be an upgrade over Turner.   

Eh Turner at least can dribble in more than one direction.

I'd like see Young get some run, but no way is he ready to play SF like we're asking of Turner.

Turner is going to be a really good player in about 6 years. I doubt he will be on the Celtics then. Kind of a Gerald Green story.

No. Evan Turner was drafted too high to be a Gerald Green story. He's yet another 2nd overall pick that's going to disappoint whatever team he's on, because he sucks.

[Fafnir]

I don't like tanking.

Fortunately for you we're not.

If we were tanking James Young would be on the court for 20+ minutes.

There's a somewhat decent chance that would be an upgrade over Turner.   

Eh Turner at least can dribble in more than one direction.

I'd like see Young get some run, but no way is he ready to play SF like we're asking of Turner.

Turner is going to be a really good player in about 6 years. I doubt he will be on the Celtics then. Kind of a Gerald Green story.

You mean James Young?

[Fafnir]

I still think the idea that because we're not playing Zeller in crunch time when the opponent has 4 SGs and Plumlee on the floor that we're "tanking" a strange one.

[MBunge]

Trying to explain strange player rotations. We have players that can play defense but can't play offense. We have players that can play offense but can't play defense. Sound reasonable?

That doesn't explain the Turner, Nelson, Smart switches we've seen at PG the last three games.  And it doesn't explain playing Bass 4 minutes and Wright 6 minutes this game.  I mean, what's the point?  And it also doesn't explain why Boston's best players consistently rack up fewer minutes that the best guys on the other team.

Mike

[greece66]

I gather I am in the minority here, but I liked what I saw tonight. Especially under the light of the awful game against Orlando.
Wright and Crowder are valuable players to have in a team's rotation (whether the team in question is the C's or the team they are going to be traded at  ). It is sure a relief to know we got something back for Rondo. Nelson I feel less excited about, a mediocre PG at 32 has almost little value in the NBA market (and would still like to see Pressey get some playing time), but Nelson did generate some good plays tonight.
What's more, there was defensive effort from the start of the game. I know, I know, Brooklyn scored 28 in the first quarter. But I saw hustling from our players even if it did not always work out.
Finally, I saw team effort. There was passing, communication, unselfish plays...
That was a very close loss.
No clue how our roster will be like in February, no clue what our record will be at the end of the season, but I feel moderately optimistic.
PS I really do not get the complaints on Stevens. He is in a very difficult situation where he has to give playing time to the newcomers, find time for our developing talents and make sense of a roster that is an almost random accumulation of assets. He's doing a pretty good job so far.

[Fafnir]

Trying to explain strange player rotations. We have players that can play defense but can't play offense. We have players that can play offense but can't play defense. Sound reasonable?

That doesn't explain the Turner, Nelson, Smart switches we've seen at PG the last three games.  And it doesn't explain playing Bass 4 minutes and Wright 6 minutes this game.  I mean, what's the point?  And it also doesn't explain why Boston's best players consistently rack up fewer minutes that the best guys on the other team.

Mike

Stevens likes his 10 man rotation, most NBA coaches go 8 or 9 at most.

Edit: The PG situation is one where I think he's just struggling to fill Rondo's role on the team. Smart has been playing SG most of his minutes prior to the trade so he doesn't have any comfort with his options.