So... What lessons did we learn?

[Beat LA]

Keep - Smart, Young (we haven't seen nearly enough of him yet, imo), Crowder, and maybe Sullinger, although if some gm is dumb enough to give us someone/something good for him, I'd probably jump at the chance to ship him out of town, lol.

Jettison - everyone else, haha. Thomas, especially.  I can't stand him.  It's frustrating enough watching him even try to play defense, and it's even worse when he's on offense.  He's nothing but a hero ball player, and on the rare occasion when he actually feels like passing, more often than not he gets in the air before he knows what he's going to do, which is a cardinal sin for a point guard.  He plays completely out of control, most of the time, as well.  Pass (unlike him, lol ).

Everyone will be on the table. Danny will trade anyone

I know.  It's like Game of Thrones, NBA edition, lol.

[BleedGreen1989]

Don't get the hate on Thomas. Team's best (only?) scorer and best (only?) playmaker. Another game high in assists tonight. Had a rough game shooting, no doubt.

Pretty much like everyone else on the C's roster, he's a guy who being asked to do more than he's really capable of. Better 6th man than starter.

Agree 100%.

IT is somebody who should be responsible for maybe 15-20% of the pie, but instead he's asked to carry 40%. Very effective player in the right role but he had immense pressure on his shoulders this series as the C's only offensive "threat". He was asked to do way too much.

[Forza Juventus]

Isaiah Thomas is the reason we made the playoffs.

[nacceltic]

Two bad games for IT shooting the ball and many are ready to toss him off the island? Seems a little harsh to me...Here are my thoughts:

Keep if $ is right: Crowder, Bass & Jerebko

Guys who could excel off the bench: Zeller, Olynyk & IT

Possible All-Star: Smart

Need to see more of: Young

Guys I'd drive to the airport: Bradley, Turner, Datome, Wallace, Pressey & Sully (IF he doesn't lose weight)

No doubt, this team needs plenty, but they're ahead of schedule...A bench of Olynyk, Zeller, Bass, IT, Crowder and an improving Young is a good start. IF Sully is healthy and in shape, he could easily start at the four. If Smart improves as much as I think he's going to, he's still capable of playing the point. I would like the starting '2', '3' or '4' to be able to handle the rock at times.

Targets @ PF: Greg Monroe, Paul Millsap, Greg Monroe, Draymond Green, Tristan Thompson, Thomas Robinson & Al Jefferson (PO)

Targets @ C: DeAndre Jordan, Tyson Chandler & Omer Asik

Targets @ SF: Kawhi Leonard, DeMarre Carroll & Khris Middleton

Targets @ PG: Patrick Beverley & Jeremy Lin

[PhoSita]

I like IT, but I think his ideal role is as a true sixth man.  Not just coming off the bench, but as the second or third  scoring option who gets featured primarily against bench players, not starters.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Nothing much new, but worth mentioning regardless.

1. Stevens needs to improve his decision making, rotations.

2. Going forward can't count on KO being more than a 4th big man option, and he can't play center... at all.

3. Sullinger is a keeper even out of shape. He should've played more during the series, had a good one and wasn't rewarded for it until it was too late.

4. To me there was a distinct lack of pick-and-roll plays with Thomas. I may be mistaken, but my impression was that there was a scarceness of it. So that may need to be addressed.

5. Thomas needs to protect the ball better, he gets swallowed up and he has trouble recovering from that.

6. As well as Zeller has played through stretches, he needs to be back-up big for us. Unreliable defensively.

7. Smart is a keeper and so is Bradley, but we can't keep relying on Bradley offensively. He's done a decent job overall for us as it's been needed, but his defense pressure is legit and useful.

8. Turner has no role for us in the future. unless he accepts a back-up role for whatever upgrade we may hopefully find.

9. Crowder has a good chance of sticking around, he won't affect the salary cap much until he's signed... his cap hold is very low, so we can go after MAX level talent while retaining the option to pay him market value after we've managed to sign whatever free-agents we target, if any.

10. Like what Jerebko brought for us, but unless he signs a very low contract, or a trade happens, he's gone.

11. Bass is gone.

12. Celtics performed better than I expected, sadly Cleveland's stars managed to perform as they should which bailed them out, and they played better defense that I expected, which in the end was the difference. Not the stars, but that Cleveland actually showed up to defend.

[nicknorman]

Two bad games for IT shooting the ball and many are ready to toss him off the island? Seems a little harsh to me...Here are my thoughts:

Keep if $ is right: Crowder, Bass & Jerebko

Guys who could excel off the bench: Zeller, Olynyk & IT

Possible All-Star: Smart

Need to see more of: Young

Guys I'd drive to the airport: Bradley, Turner, Datome, Wallace, Pressey & Sully (IF he doesn't lose weight)

No doubt, this team needs plenty, but they're ahead of schedule...A bench of Olynyk, Zeller, Bass, IT, Crowder and an improving Young is a good start. IF Sully is healthy and in shape, he could easily start at the four. If Smart improves as much as I think he's going to, he's still capable of playing the point. I would like the starting '2', '3' or '4' to be able to handle the rock at times.

Targets @ PF: Greg Monroe, Paul Millsap, Greg Monroe, Draymond Green, Tristan Thompson, Thomas Robinson & Al Jefferson (PO)

Targets @ C: DeAndre Jordan, Tyson Chandler & Omer Asik

Targets @ SF: Kawhi Leonard, DeMarre Carroll & Khris Middleton

Targets @ PG: Patrick Beverley & Jeremy Lin

I could say same thing about Bradley as you are about IT. He didn't have a good series but this is a guy who helped us get into the playoffs and had a great season in terms of all the transition he had with roster overhall.

[jeezem]

Just to defend Zeller a little, part of the reason his guy would get dunks is the 2nd rotation would be late.  He would leave Mozgov, to prevent an easy lay up, and the 2nd rotation had to come down and stop the pass to Mozgov, not an easy play to make, but not Zeller's faul if  Irving just blows past his guy, and when Zeller helps, the 2nd rotation just doesn't even happen.  He's a decent player, a good running big as a back up for a team that likes to fast break.  He's just not strong enough for Center IMO, possibly he would be better playing the 4 position.  I think he's quick enough, and for the most part would then have a height advantage.

[hagar55voa]

Good post on Zeller...Zeller gets no help defensively...They simply don't rotate properly to help him out...He gets mauled under the basket without getting the calls that he should...James mauled him all the time without being called for fouls (What a surprise!)...I will always say let Zeller play 25-30 minutes a game, and he will produce nicely...Also, the offense needs to go to him more instead of chucking up so many 3's...

[jeezem]

yea, the reliance on the 3 is tough to watch when it isn't going in.  Sullinger sort of got them back into that game with some inside play.  I'll never understand why teams don't pound inside more, when those guys often shoot 65%+ from the field, but I learned to play before there was a three point line, so my perspective is different. 

[wdleehi]

This is what I learned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvJGDxVFp5Q

[kozlodoev]

Nothing much new, but worth mentioning regardless.

1. Stevens needs to improve his decision making, rotations.

2. Going forward can't count on KO being more than a 4th big man option, and he can't play center... at all.

3. Sullinger is a keeper even out of shape. He should've played more during the series, had a good one and wasn't rewarded for it until it was too late.

4. To me there was a distinct lack of pick-and-roll plays with Thomas. I may be mistaken, but my impression was that there was a scarceness of it. So that may need to be addressed.

5. Thomas needs to protect the ball better, he gets swallowed up and he has trouble recovering from that.

6. As well as Zeller has played through stretches, he needs to be back-up big for us. Unreliable defensively.

7. Smart is a keeper and so is Bradley, but we can't keep relying on Bradley offensively. He's done a decent job overall for us as it's been needed, but his defense pressure is legit and useful.

8. Turner has no role for us in the future. unless he accepts a back-up role for whatever upgrade we may hopefully find.

9. Crowder has a good chance of sticking around, he won't affect the salary cap much until he's signed... his cap hold is very low, so we can go after MAX level talent while retaining the option to pay him market value after we've managed to sign whatever free-agents we target, if any.

10. Like what Jerebko brought for us, but unless he signs a very low contract, or a trade happens, he's gone.

11. Bass is gone.

12. Celtics performed better than I expected, sadly Cleveland's stars managed to perform as they should which bailed them out, and they played better defense that I expected, which in the end was the difference. Not the stars, but that Cleveland actually showed up to defend.

So many keepers... where do we fit the 2-3 impact players we need to add?

[celticsclay]

Two bad games for IT shooting the ball and many are ready to toss him off the island? Seems a little harsh to me...Here are my thoughts:

Keep if $ is right: Crowder, Bass & Jerebko

Guys who could excel off the bench: Zeller, Olynyk & IT

Possible All-Star: Smart

Need to see more of: Young

Guys I'd drive to the airport: Bradley, Turner, Datome, Wallace, Pressey & Sully (IF he doesn't lose weight)

No doubt, this team needs plenty, but they're ahead of schedule...A bench of Olynyk, Zeller, Bass, IT, Crowder and an improving Young is a good start. IF Sully is healthy and in shape, he could easily start at the four. If Smart improves as much as I think he's going to, he's still capable of playing the point. I would like the starting '2', '3' or '4' to be able to handle the rock at times.

Targets @ PF: Greg Monroe, Paul Millsap, Greg Monroe, Draymond Green, Tristan Thompson, Thomas Robinson & Al Jefferson (PO)

Targets @ C: DeAndre Jordan, Tyson Chandler & Omer Asik

Targets @ SF: Kawhi Leonard, DeMarre Carroll & Khris Middleton

Targets @ PG: Patrick Beverley & Jeremy Lin

Why would you want jeremy lin?

[celticsclay]

Like WHO said, nothing we didn't already know.  Everything in this thread I could have told you months ago.  And then we would have had a higher draft pick to try and fill one of those many needs.

Was there a way we could have gotten a higher pick? It seems like we still will get a decent one (15th or 16th) which is pretty cool because we made the playoffs also.

[LooseCannon]

yea, the reliance on the 3 is tough to watch when it isn't going in.  Sullinger sort of got them back into that game with some inside play.  I'll never understand why teams don't pound inside more, when those guys often shoot 65%+ from the field, but I learned to play before there was a three point line, so my perspective is different.

Top players in points per possession on post-ups with at least 200 post-up attempts:
Jonas Valanciunas 1.02
Kevin Love 0.98
Donatas Montiejunas 0.98
Lamarcus Aldridge 0.96
Marc Gasol 0.95

The Boston Celtics scored 101.7 points per 100 possession, according to the NBA stats website, or 1.02 points per possession.  The 76ers were the only team to score fewer points per possession on all plays than Marc Gasol did on post ups.  Teams don't pound the ball inside more because it's generally an inefficient play, like long twos in isolation.