keep hope alive. lol. For the first time in a while i wonder what it would be like if we never get there and end up like the hawks but we'll be alright. I'm not completely sold on Big Al yet. Good signing and i like how he fits and how versatile he is but his game at the same time we seem to be lacking something. Brad is a good coach and will figure it out. None of these guys are Pierce, KG and Ray or Bird, Mchale and Parish yet though.
I also don't understand why Smart wasn't on Harden.
The consensus has always been that we are going to get there though and I've always felt taht way.
We are 21 games in. Just something about how this team has played so far i don't like though. We coast.
They had James Harden we didn't. We can't afford to coast when they have Harden and we don't.
Teh nba isn't like it used to be where you could assemble a team with a certain identity. some of these guys are what they are.
Horford is a really good player but when we aren't doing anything to separate ourselves from other teams we are basically what we are.
Brad needs to work his magic or something. We have a lot of road games coming up where hopefully we wake up.
My thinking is that so far this season we are counter-punchers. We are responders.
We aren't the same team who, like last year, set the tone of the game and put the opposition on their heals.
Not sure why that is. It's not Al's fault. My sense is that Bradley and Crowder both came into the season a bit complacent and a bit entitled. But that's just my sense.
Didn't we have last years team the same from the year before? We lost ET and Sully and added Horford and we also have a ton of young players and some injuries early. I think the team is playing well. We almost won this game tonight. We had our chances. I don't feel like this team has really jelled yet. The celtics haven't reached that level of comfort with each other that makes for cohesive team work. I think that's why the team defense looks clunkier this year. I think by after the New Year this team will look lot better barring injuries.
Good post. I agree about reaching that level of comfort. You can word that better than I could. I think it starts on the defensive end though. We have guys who can score on this team. Brad runs this team differently than Doc though. I think with Doc it did start on the defensive end where we would really struggle offensively at times. This team Brad is trying to get us to a level of comfort in ways where we are truly dominant. I still think it starts with defensive energy though which this team lacks at times. Both sides of the floor really. Marathon not a sprint though....
At times this team can look downright lackadasical at times vs being a well oiled machine. As I was saying in another post we really had everyone playing their typical games but less this game vs guys stepping up. james harden had a game against us. They did a good job on isaiah. Bradley had a bad first half and turned it around the second where we almost got there if they counted that 3. Horford played real well and his usual self minus that m issed layup. I'm not huge on numbers but Marcus had his usual game and made plays at the end in crunch time. jerebko did some little things and provided energy. Crowder had his moments and put up his usual game. Everyone did the usual I guess. Ko was his usual lackadasical self. We played well. It wasn't enough. No one really stepped up beyond that. Right now we are a good team that really isn't turning these losses into wins at this point.
We are playing somewhat physical but I'd like to see a little more. Just a little extra as the season goes. Past seasons it always seemed like we had that clutch gene and would really play up to opponents and were that underdog that would have some really clutch performances. This year I think we are a better team where it seems like we can coast to wins and really dominate, but I'm seeing the opposite.
We remind me of the hawks so far and I realize that isn't the end all be all. I hope we can do better than that. I hope Horford just isn't that. We lack a lowpost presence and Horford kind of does well in a more all around game. He plays tough but doesn't really provide us with what we need sometimes which is an enforcer down low in the paint who rebounds, blocks shots and can score inside.
I think as the season goes we will get better though. I think most nights we beat Houston. Gordon went off and so did Harden. They did a good job on Isaiah limiting his playmaking. We didn't attack the basket as much a s we could have imo with other guys. We don't have that one guy though. I don't think that's even the end all be all though. I think some people do which gets me thinking how are we supposed to beat the steph curry's and lebrons when we are just what we are. We have to do better in ways.
I think it's both. I think we have to get more comfortable and play better and more physical. Plus I think we do need a low post player to go with Horford. Crowder is a solid wing and Brown is here and going to get better but our wings need to attack more as well when Isaiah is being limited.
It starts with defense imo. some of these guys like harden are going to have their games though. We can limit them from getting that hot that's about it. Marcus should have been on him imo to at least slow him a little bit and at least physical him. Bradley is a really good defender and all nba but he's almost too nice and not that physical. This is why the nba is messed up. Marcus is really the guy to slow people like that and a better defender than even bradley.
The nba interferes when it's a competitive sport. They vote bradley to the all defensive when we all know Marcus is our best defender but he can't play his game which is more physical. It gives an unfair advantage when people should be allowed to fight their own battles. Otherwise you end up with a trending league that caters to the steph curry's of the league. Lebron still gets his though when he's a physical offensive player but we can't combat that with physical defense.
I was watching espn the other day and they were whining about Marcus. I can't stand the media sometimes for that reason. It's a bunch of biased bs where they are taking physical play out of the game to support some agenda. That's the issue with the media and the internet in general it's a bunch of idiots who sit behind a computer screen and judge people and can't deal with reality and what actually is. They have it twisted too sometimes who's actually doing what. If Chad Ford, Marcellus Wiley and Michelle Beadle are always right that's a sad world we live in.
The league has always catered to physical offense and passive aggresiveness. Physical defense is something else entirely. Bill Russell never would have been able to do what he did. Bill Russell was smart. So is Marcus Smart. So is KG. Unselfish smart players. It sucks when the league is against them. It's overlooked what they do. These guys aren't the bad guys of the nba. They are some of the best the league has to offer. Tom Brady same thing. That's who he is. When the league is punishing these guys it's not condusive to winning.
I just found this funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLq1NNWNTPM A lot of them are more concerned with what Marcus looks like. He's trying to win games. It leaves him open to criticism though. TO should understand this lol. Marcus isn't even a diva like TO although TO is probably even more concerned with his image vs winning. I really don't think Marcus is that concerned with his image or what he looks like. He does need to be aware it leaves him open to criticism by people who are. Probably why TO doesn't have a superbowl ring he became too concerned with his image. I don't mind TO though. I think he's alright and he's definately misunderstood but what I say is probably true. The league needs to let Marcus play his game though. It's not him whining about it.
They don't want people getting hurt etc, etc. I can understand that. But how they do that isn't always the most understanding either. Play better etc, etc.. Be more understanding yourself etc, etc.. It's a competitive sport and players should be allowed to play defense. Marcus could actually hurt someone and I agree on the flopping, but so can offensive players with some of the calls refs give them. Lebron is allowed to roid up and drive like a mack truck through the lane and no issue with that as long as there is money in it. Espn can spout nonsense and no issue with that either as long as there are ratings in it. It's their own mess they created themselves.
I guess the point is is what is the root cause. I don't think Marcus would be flopping if the league didn't cater to certain kinds of players that line their pockets. I can understand going after marcus in this situation and trying to get flops out of the game but they still aren't addressing the root cause and lack of understanding. Lebron is a mack truck too. He might as well be sponsored by chevron. james harden is just as bad sometimes. Houston we have a problem. It's no different than baseball and the steroid era. It's greed. It's to the detriment of so many other people that play the game a certain way and think even bigger in ways.
We've got the little guy. Russell vs Chamberlain etc, etc. David vs Goliath. We have great players too.
Massachusetts in and of itself as a state is what it is. It is a defensive hub to a lot of things regarding this country. Houston and Cleveland are what they are too. Even Golden State or the Lakers for that matter. I can respect that. I might even like them and be that understanding to do that. But these people can't tell me what's right and wrong either especially when they are wrong and being hypocritical and trying to gain an unfair advantage and not addressing their own bs. Also not a rant or a tirade. I'm actually just sitting here typing something pretty funny and true. Actually even more understanding than that too but it's just funny.