Celtics are JV team of playoffs

[oldtype]

At the end of the day this team has always just been a sideshow until we can truly rebuild with our Brooklyn picks.

They've done commendably given the circumstances but we probably shouldn't get too attached to any of them and this abominable playoff performance is just a reminder of that. There will be pieces from this era that makes it into the next (Crowder and his ridiculous contract, Smart) but this is not the core of the next great Celtics team.

[Timdawgg]

With the way this team starts the game, instead of pre-game shoot around, i would do a full-on 5 on-5 game warm-ups.

Seriously!! So tired of slow starts and fast starts for the opponent. It has been consistently this way for the last 10 games or so. Ever since the warriors game its been that way.

[Smart457]

Maybe, in the long run, what's happening to this team is a good thing, because it's making certain truths clear to anyone who didn't already see them.

There's very little pure offense on this team—meaning, guys creating shots for themselves or each other, outside of points generated off turnovers. Even when everyone is healthy, this team has little in the way of good shooting; when certain guys are out, the team has zero good shooting.

Boston forced a lot of turnovers this season, which led to a lot of easy points, which probably gave the illusion that Boston was a good offensive team. But their percentages were terrible, and no one on the team strikes fear into opponents.

I'm sure Danny knows all of this; I just hope he can do something about it this summer.

Good post.

Considering the points you made, Stevens has done a great job of putting his players into a position to succeed. It's too bad they didn't reward him but instead failed him so far in the playoffs.

No amount of good coaching can make up for missed shots.

[passesofftodj]

Every team deals with injuries and the Celts are supposedly a deep team,  especially at guard and pf.

The fact that they're undone by Jae Crowder being hobbled a bit and Avery Bradley and Olynyk missing time should indicate that this group probably isn't as great as the best parts of this regular season may have led us to believe,  just like they weren't as good as the run they went on last year to make the playoffs.

This is a regular season team until proven otherwise.  Hopefully we will see some substantial changes, if not major upgrades, in the off season. 

Bringing the gang back again just because a superstar doesn't come our way via trade or free agency is not acceptable to me.

Good post. The team has been on a slow decline ever since Crowder went down and then was never the same when he returned. That was with a healthy AB and out of rhythm Olynyk. So it's not like we can scrap this up to AB and Olynyk being out. The writing has been on the wall for a while now. We lack dependable shooters. Crowder for whatever reasoned morphed into one for 3 months. Was it a fluke is the big question now. If it was a fluke, we will need to upgrade his position because his shooting is killing this team. I love Crowder and his contract so I'm hoping not.

If the playoffs started a month ago we are probably beating Atlanta easily. The Celtics peaked too early.

TP - One of the keys this off-season will deciding which is the real Crowder.  I like him best as a defensive guy and spot starter coming off the bench.  I think the position needs to be upgraded, obviously so if he is not making shots. 

Crowder's shot looks like it is usually going far right - you can tell it is a miss right when it leaves his hand if the camera angle is decent.  I saw similar bad form from Smart earlier but his form seems more consistent the last couple weeks.

[MBunge]

Maybe, in the long run, what's happening to this team is a good thing, because it's making certain truths clear to anyone who didn't already see them.

There's very little pure offense on this team—meaning, guys creating shots for themselves or each other, outside of points generated off turnovers. Even when everyone is healthy, this team has little in the way of good shooting; when certain guys are out, the team has zero good shooting.

Boston forced a lot of turnovers this season, which led to a lot of easy points, which probably gave the illusion that Boston was a good offensive team. But their percentages were terrible, and no one on the team strikes fear into opponents.

I'm sure Danny knows all of this; I just hope he can do something about it this summer.

Good post.

Considering the points you made, Stevens has done a great job of putting his players into a position to succeed. It's too bad they didn't reward him but instead failed him so far in the playoffs.

No amount of good coaching can make up for missed shots.

Stevens can't get a complete pass.  The team didn't look like it made one single adjustment to Avery and KO being out, was totally unprepared for the Hawks playoff intensity, have had a bad habit all season of playing absolutely atrocious defense at times and going with Smart as a starter and RJ Hunter off the bench when Turner is RIGHT THERE is a classic case of coaching brain freeze.

Now, they could fix all that and still lose to Atlanta but when a team is THAT bad in a first quarter, the coach shouldn't escape all blame.

Mike

[Smart457]

Every team deals with injuries and the Celts are supposedly a deep team,  especially at guard and pf.

The fact that they're undone by Jae Crowder being hobbled a bit and Avery Bradley and Olynyk missing time should indicate that this group probably isn't as great as the best parts of this regular season may have led us to believe,  just like they weren't as good as the run they went on last year to make the playoffs.

This is a regular season team until proven otherwise.  Hopefully we will see some substantial changes, if not major upgrades, in the off season. 

Bringing the gang back again just because a superstar doesn't come our way via trade or free agency is not acceptable to me.

Good post. The team has been on a slow decline ever since Crowder went down and then was never the same when he returned. That was with a healthy AB and out of rhythm Olynyk. So it's not like we can scrap this up to AB and Olynyk being out. The writing has been on the wall for a while now. We lack dependable shooters. Crowder for whatever reasoned morphed into one for 3 months. Was it a fluke is the big question now. If it was a fluke, we will need to upgrade his position because his shooting is killing this team. I love Crowder and his contract so I'm hoping not.

If the playoffs started a month ago we are probably beating Atlanta easily. The Celtics peaked too early.

TP - One of the keys this off-season will deciding which is the real Crowder.  I like him best as a defensive guy and spot starter coming off the bench.  I think the position needs to be upgraded, obviously so if he is not making shots. 

Crowder's shot looks like it is usually going far right - you can tell it is a miss right when it leaves his hand if the camera angle is decent.  I saw similar bad form from Smart earlier but his form seems more consistent the last couple weeks.

I'm leaning towards your line of thinking that he's better suited to come off the bench. The problem is is that he was so good and good for 3 months. It felt like it wasn't a fluke but a dependable shooter should never struggle as much he has lately.

I just hope he doesn't go all Gerald Wallace on us after this year and forget how to Shoot.

[Smart457]

Maybe, in the long run, what's happening to this team is a good thing, because it's making certain truths clear to anyone who didn't already see them.

There's very little pure offense on this team—meaning, guys creating shots for themselves or each other, outside of points generated off turnovers. Even when everyone is healthy, this team has little in the way of good shooting; when certain guys are out, the team has zero good shooting.

Boston forced a lot of turnovers this season, which led to a lot of easy points, which probably gave the illusion that Boston was a good offensive team. But their percentages were terrible, and no one on the team strikes fear into opponents.

I'm sure Danny knows all of this; I just hope he can do something about it this summer.

Good post.

Considering the points you made, Stevens has done a great job of putting his players into a position to succeed. It's too bad they didn't reward him but instead failed him so far in the playoffs.

No amount of good coaching can make up for missed shots.

Stevens can't get a complete pass.  The team didn't look like it made one single adjustment to Avery and KO being out, was totally unprepared for the Hawks playoff intensity, have had a bad habit all season of playing absolutely atrocious defense at times and going with Smart as a starter and RJ Hunter off the bench when Turner is RIGHT THERE is a classic case of coaching brain freeze.

Now, they could fix all that and still lose to Atlanta but when a team is THAT bad in a first quarter, the coach shouldn't escape all blame.

Mike

I'll give you Turner. He's played decent. I guess if Brad makes any adjustment it should be to give Turner 38-41 minutes and the same for IT.

[Smart457]

Well they got 2 games but my prediction was pretty accurate.

No one got going. Horrible display of shooting. We peaked as a team 2 months ago.

[droopdog7]

Well they got 2 games but my prediction was pretty accurate.

No one got going. Horrible display of shooting. We peaked as a team 2 months ago.

Yup.  I think this thread pretty much sums it up.  Anyone complaining about anything other than the disparity of talent is wasting their time.

[PhoSita]

Playoff caliber defense. Not so much on offense.

Ainge has some work to do.

[Future Celtics Owner]

Playoff caliber defense. Not so much on offense.

Ainge has some work to do.

Funny no one has mentioned how the "PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE" will make each player better, ergo we will have a better team next year without adding any more talent.

The Main Problemwe have an equal opportunity team and a revolving door of role players/good bench players, who are not in our future plans, that undermine our long-term development.

We have overachieved 2 years in a row. And the problem has always been our misuse/hoarding of role players. Our role players that come and go since the CBS era have not helped us win a series in the playoffs the last 2 seasons. Therefore they are mostly in Boston for the regular season and to use our team in order to get another contract somewhere else. These players usurp pt, development for younger players, and a spot on our team; which we could use to gamble on a player like many teams have done from drafted players/Dleague/undrafted/overseas etc. 


BUT with this off-season and the possibility that we get a top 2 pick. We could actually add STAR/MVP talent to the team. My personal favorite scenario is getting a top 2 pick in the lottery(both Simmons and Ingram will stun scouts and GM's IMO Simmons jumper gets better and Ingram takes a leap in body and game) because of the talent in the first 2 spots,  and the problems the Kings are having( I could talk now about why they need to move cousins now but won't); IMO that deal gets done and we do not include any other Nets picks. Then we sell Durant on signing here. Literally from that point we are in great position to get better and draft the nets picks and sign 2017 FA's.

1st year:
IT
AB
Durant
KO
Cousins

[Smart457]

Regarding the post above.

Ingram with his shooting abilities would be the perfect player for us.