Author Topic: Thoughts so far  (Read 1170 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Thoughts so far
« on: November 24, 2015, 10:43:10 PM »

Offline rasta1

  • Kristaps Porzingis
  • Posts: 185
  • Tommy Points: 21
I'm not liking what I'm seeing from Isaiah Thomas

In the Brooklyn game, after we went on the run, we brought back Isaiah into the lineup and the Nets started torching us. This game, Isaiah was flat embarrassed.

He's a good bench scorer against the opposing bench, but he isn't quite ready to be a starter.

Also Evan Turner needs reduce his dribbling up the court. You guarantee 1-2 turnovers a game 30 feet away from the basket because of his dribbling. He dribbles way too high.

Bradley has been a pleasant surprise this season and I think he's becoming one of the best SGs in the league.

With Smart out, it might be best to move Bradley to PG, although that experiment has been bad in the past and moving RJ hunter into the starting lineup. Hunter's shooting ability is something that we can use in the starting rotation similar to a Korver for the Hawks.

We really need Smart back or the next month+ is going to be tough. He does a fantastic job in neutralizing his assignment, and his hustle plays help us tremendously.

Also I don't get why the Olynyk + Sullinger lineup isn't used at all by Brad. From an eye's test it looks very successful.

I think the best lineup we have right now is: Turner, Bradley, Crowder, Sullinger, Olynyk. That lineup has gone on runs for us and has done a lot of damage.

I know this is very unstructured. I just wanted to throw my thoughts out there.

I feel a bit frustrated by the lineups that Stevens has kind of thrown out there on occasion, especially pulling out players that are playing well just to get other players playing time. We really need a roster consolidation soon.

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2015, 12:30:37 AM »

Offline Chris22

  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5081
  • Tommy Points: 460
I agree.
Thomas should come off the bench, and Turner should start.

And Marcus Smart is a much more important player than I realized.

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2015, 12:35:12 AM »

Offline max215

  • Don Nelson
  • ********
  • Posts: 8448
  • Tommy Points: 624
We could go with an unorthodox starting lineup:
Turner
Bradley
Hunter
Crowder/Amir
Sully

On defense:
AB
Hunter
Turner
Crowder/Amir
Sully

This might be our best option with Smart out, because starting IT doesn't seem to be the answer.
Isaiah, you were lightning in a bottle.

DKC Clippers

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2015, 01:48:19 AM »

Offline LarBrd33

  • Robert Parish
  • *********************
  • Posts: 21238
  • Tommy Points: 2016
My broad thoughts so far...

I think it can't be forgotten that Boston still is a team that very much lacks talent.  They overachieved last year thanks to Stevens, effort and execution.

Maybe it's because I just watched a marathon of 5 "Rocky" movies and the new movie "Creed" (which is phenomenal), all the elements of the Rocky movies are relevant to this team.   When you are lacking talent, you need to prepare 110%, you need to practice 110%, you need to execute at 110%, and you need to give it 110% effort.  If you don't do these things, you don't stand a chance. 

The problem with that is it's incredibly hard to sustain.  If you don't give it your best effort (Apollo in Rocky 1), get a big head (Rocky in Rocky 3),  underrate your opponent (Apollo in Rocky 4)... You'll fail. 

Boston's going to slip into this all season.  They'll win games when they go hard and execute... but then they'll start to think they can win games at 80% and get kicked in the face.  We saw this happen after they faced a couple cream puff Euro teams this pre-season and paid the price at the start of the season... it mirrored Rocky's first performance against Clubber Lang after Micky fed him some cream puff opponents and Rocky didn't train hard.     We saw this happen after we crushed Brooklyn, started thinking we were world-beaters and then proceeded to get crushed the next two games... which mirrored Apollo's lack of humility when he stood toe-to-toe in an untelevised third bout with Rocky (in which Rocky likely let him win) and then thought he could wipe the floor with Ivan Drago.  Don't underrate your opponent or you might end up dead in the ring.

Relying on effort and execution is a fragile thing.  Brad will kick some sense into them, they'll run up a snow mountain and show up correct in the next game... probably play a lot better... they'll win some games in spite of their talent, but if they slip again they'll get crushed.   My main concern is that if players start getting injured, they lose a few games, players start getting frustrated, or they start tuning out Brad... the lack of talent can get ugly quick.  I still think they'll win about 45, though.   

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2015, 02:50:04 AM »

Offline 86MaxwellSmart

  • NCE
  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3821
  • Tommy Points: 378
we're a .500 team so far...which is better than last year.

Play Hunter MORE.
Larry Bird was Greater than you think.

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2015, 03:12:29 AM »

Offline Quetzalcoatl

  • Antoine Walker
  • ****
  • Posts: 4098
  • Tommy Points: 419
Looking at how the Nets trade was structured, it doesn't seem like we were supposed to even begin to try winning again until next year.  The only reason that we're even entertaining the idea of the playoffs is because Brad Stevens ended up being a top 5 coach, which nobody was expecting.  I mean, he's really really good.

We still have the Gerald Wallace contract in the form of David Lee.  That expires at the end of the season.  We still haven't gotten a high Nets pick, that starts at the end of this season.  Amir Johnson's contract was designed to match salaries and then be waived.  That is why he has that specific contract. Nobody could honestly kid themselves that we're even remotely competitive past maybe an 8th seed, after which we'll get swept.  Would you rather have Justise Winslow or Terry Rozier and "experience" right now?  Were we playing wtih "experience" when we lost to the Nets?  I mean come on.

In the long run, it's probably for the best to miss the playoffs.  Jacob Poeltl is probably going about 10th and he just dropped 32 on Temple.  We're already sending scouts to see Furkan Korkmaz, he's going like 9th or 10th.  I would rather come away with a guy like that than Rozier.  I don't really care if the playoffs help our players develop, because most of them will be gone soon.

I would say that the players I think can stick around are Smart, RJ Hunter, Sully if he signs cheap, KO, Bradley, IT as a 6th man, and Crowder off the bench.  Everyone else is a negative to me.  I'd like to get a top 5 pick and a 9-12 pick, then try to get a nice veteran piece that doesn't play in one of their positions. 

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2015, 07:04:08 AM »

Offline SHAQATTACK

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 36776
  • Tommy Points: 2961
Playing without Smart most likey is going to continue to be brutal basketball for non tankers.

I feel the Celtics are slightly below average team without Marcus and Maybe slightly above average when he is playing FuLL speed , no injuries.


Team is deep every where but ......no replacement for Smart as of yet.

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2015, 07:52:06 AM »

Offline Csfan1984

  • Don Nelson
  • ********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Tommy Points: 289
I think the team has sucked all year so to be .500 is pretty good right now. Once they get it together they will win a few more than they lose and probably still get 46-48 wins.

Re: Thoughts so far
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2015, 08:29:17 AM »

Offline otherdave

  • Al Horford
  • Posts: 471
  • Tommy Points: 123
  • takes.....MAKES!!!!
Playing without Smart most likey is going to continue to be brutal basketball for non tankers.

I feel the Celtics are slightly below average team without Marcus and Maybe slightly above average when he is playing FuLL speed , no injuries.


Team is deep every where but ......no replacement for Smart as of yet.

This

So much of what MS brings in attitude and swagger (see KG) of course never shows up in the box score, and when he is healthy, that demeanor rubs off on to several other C's.


Thomas should come off the bench, and Turner should start.

And Marcus Smart is a much more important player than I realized.


This too.

IT would have no chance of starting on a real contending team, but he can probably out "Eddie House" the real Eddie House.  I have not seen last night's Hawk game yet (but know the result), the following comments are based on what I have seen the last couple of weeks. 

IT does not really have the handle that you would assume a 5'9" point guard would have.  When he has a lane to the rim he is fine, but when he forces it in the post and is met by 3 defenders half way down the paint its turnover city (shades of Evan Turner).  Anyone else noticing his turnovers in the paint?

Thoughts going forward:

I think it could be pretty brutal going forward without MS, although this is RJ's opportunity and I'm looking forward to how he conducts himself with extended, regular minutes.  I'm a JJ fan, but I have to admit that he is missing a lot of shots and I think D Lee's negatives out weigh his positives.  If this continues to go south and Mr Mickey keeps putting up numbers in Maine, at some point does he get some minutes at the four?

OK, I am definitively starting to ramble now so I'll click post.