I can't wait for the season to start because?

[Rida]

Let's share our excitement for the upcoming season by putting together our list for why we can't wait for the season to start!

I'm sick of the national media talking about how much we are going to miss Bradley and Crowder on defense

This narrative drives me crazy. The NBA has changed to a who can score the most points to win type game. A good offense now (and it wasn't always like this) beats a good defense.

Question national media, was Avery Bradley on the court when Kyrie scored 14 pts in a row in game 4 of last years ECF ? Yes he was. Now I do believe that Avery Bradley is an elite defender, but an elite offensive player will always have his way with him.

Somehow Jae Crowder has gone from chronically underrated in Dallas and his first year with the Celtics to chronically overrated now, especially defensively.  He shot an unbelievable 39.3 3PT % last year in the season. In the playoff when it mattered it dipped to 35%. I think injuries also played a part in his demise on defense. He is certainly a valuable piece, but he's not stopping the elite wing defenders in the league, and his shot selection was always questionable.

I just can't wait to rewrite this b.s narrative that has killed me ever since we moved on from Bradley and Crowder. They are both really nice players to have, but they are easily replaceable, and I think that time will prove that to be true.

Crowder may be more valuable off the court than Bradley due to his amazing contract, Bradley will need to be paid north of 16million a year in the offseason.

It was a no-brainer to move on, and only time will prove that the Celtics won't miss either on defense.

That's my two cents....

What are you guys looking forward for?

[Smartacus]

I always thought when guys like Wall, Lillard, and Kyrie praise Bradley for his defense, what their actually saying is either misunderstood by the fans of misrepresented by the media. John Wall is asked by the media who defends him best in the and responds...

"Avery Bradley is a heck of a defender; we've battled since HS. He's great. I like Avery Bradley."

I get the admiration for Bradley's craft aspect, but I think there's a nuance that people are missing: Bradley defends these guys the "right" way. Avery is on Wall's level athletically so he doesn't foul much, he doesn't get too chippy, he isn't obnoxious with trash talk. He just provides textbook NBA shadow  perimeter defense. The best players like going against it because it feels fair and they aren't worried about getting injured by AB but they're not overly intimidated by him either.

It's what separates Avery from a guy like Draymond Green. You don't often hear people say Draymond or Steven Adams guard them well. Those 2 are chippy to the point of being borderline dirty and no one is going to praise that when their icing their sore backs at the end of the night. But then you find me two more impactful defenders night in and night out.

I think this year's team is better equipped to provide physical defense from the perimeter than the finesse defense that Bradley provided. John Wall might not like it as much but is could be key to us really separating ourselves from the competition.

[2short]

Because the quality of the team is pretty amazing right now.  Who is our weakest player from first 9 guys?
Ball movement, Stevens offense, lots of good passers.  We've improved on rebounding.  Tatum looks like the truth!  Baynes and Morris were steals.  Smart and Brown have shown big improvements.

Too much!

[Androslav]

Because I just can't!

[ChillyWilly]

I always thought when guys like Wall, Lillard, and Kyrie praise Bradley for his defense, what their actually saying is either misunderstood by the fans of misrepresented by the media. John Wall is asked by the media who defends him best in the and responds...

"Avery Bradley is a heck of a defender; we've battled since HS. He's great. I like Avery Bradley."

I get the admiration for Bradley's craft aspect, but I think there's a nuance that people are missing: Bradley defends these guys the "right" way. Avery is on Wall's level athletically so he doesn't foul much, he doesn't get too chippy, he isn't obnoxious with trash talk. He just provides textbook NBA shadow  perimeter defense. The best players like going against it because it feels fair and they aren't worried about getting injured by AB but they're not overly intimidated by him either.

It's what separates Avery from a guy like Draymond Green. You don't often hear people say Draymond or Steven Adams guard them well. Those 2 are chippy to the point of being borderline dirty and no one is going to praise that when their icing their sore backs at the end of the night. But then you find me two more impactful defenders night in and night out.

I think this year's team is better equipped to provide physical defense from the perimeter than the finesse defense that Bradley provided. John Wall might not like it as much but is could be key to us really separating ourselves from the competition.

Players like scoring easy baskets so I'm not buying people matched up against AB enjoying it. I still don't get why people who claim to like ABs game justify why he's just a run of the mill defender.

AB is not street we get it but street ball been dead in the NBA since the AAU kids took over.

[Smartacus]

I always thought when guys like Wall, Lillard, and Kyrie praise Bradley for his defense, what their actually saying is either misunderstood by the fans of misrepresented by the media. John Wall is asked by the media who defends him best in the and responds...

"Avery Bradley is a heck of a defender; we've battled since HS. He's great. I like Avery Bradley."

I get the admiration for Bradley's craft aspect, but I think there's a nuance that people are missing: Bradley defends these guys the "right" way. Avery is on Wall's level athletically so he doesn't foul much, he doesn't get too chippy, he isn't obnoxious with trash talk. He just provides textbook NBA shadow  perimeter defense. The best players like going against it because it feels fair and they aren't worried about getting injured by AB but they're not overly intimidated by him either.

It's what separates Avery from a guy like Draymond Green. You don't often hear people say Draymond or Steven Adams guard them well. Those 2 are chippy to the point of being borderline dirty and no one is going to praise that when their icing their sore backs at the end of the night. But then you find me two more impactful defenders night in and night out.

I think this year's team is better equipped to provide physical defense from the perimeter than the finesse defense that Bradley provided. John Wall might not like it as much but is could be key to us really separating ourselves from the competition.

Players like scoring easy baskets so I'm not buying people matched up against AB enjoying it. I still don't get why people who claim to like ABs game justify why he's just a run of the mill defender.

AB is not street we get it but street ball been dead in the NBA since the AAU kids took over.

When did I mention anything about street ball? Draymond isn't a great defender because he's street he's a great defender because he's versatile 1-5, has the low center of gravity and physicality to body up anyone in the league, and ya he talks a lot which helps both the mental side of the game and keeps his teammates understand the assignments. None of those attributes describe Bradley.

Look I'm not saying that Avery isn't an elite defender, but there are some guys that are not bothered by his style. He's elite at keeping up with fastest players like John Wall and Lillard but he's also 190 pounds meaning he cant switch onto wings and big guards like Derozan and Klay Thompson and without handchecking he can't stop the most skilled guys like Kyrie who figure out the angles he can't cut off.

From a teambuilding standpoint he's a 2 guard who's more effective at guarding 1's so it makes for awkward choices on where to hide your point guard. Avery is a specialist, the majority of what we lose in his all world 1 on 1 ability will be offset by Jaylen and Smart's size and versatility.

[chilidawg]

Looking forward to seeing KI in Brad's offense, I think he's going to be really special.

Also excited to see a bench/young guys wave of Brown/Tatum/Rozier/Smart and Baynes or Theis just unleash frenzied havoc on teams.

Go Celtics!

[manl_lui]

i'm just excited because i have tickets for the home opener

[Green-18]

I can't wait to see this new group come together and form an identity.  Part of me will miss the overachieving underdogs but I am excited by the sheer versatility that this group can provide.  I truly believe that Brad will prove to impact our stars/high draft picks in the same way that he did for guys like IT, Crowder, Turner etc.  The difference now is that the ceiling is so much higher.  Other things I can't wait for.........

- Kyrie scoring the easiest 25 PPG of his career by playing in our system
- Gordon Hayward making Tatum and Brown significantly better when they are on the court together
- Al Horford facilitating an offense with crazy upside
- Horford not getting overpowered on the boards because of our added length and athleticism
- Everything about Marcus Smart
- Aron Baynes giving us the size and physicality we need to match up with bigger teams.  I also love the 10-15 foot shot that always seems to go in
- And finally I can't wait for early season match up's against some of the elite NBA teams

I will also add that my dream scenario results in this group ushering in a new era that mirrors the Spurs of the past 20 years.  To me they are the gold standard of NBA teams of the past 20 years.  There is so much consistency and stability.  San Antonio has also embraced change and refuses to stay stagnant in their approach.

[johnnygreen]

I want to see Kyrie Irving in the same type of system that made Isaiah an All-NBA player. I can see him being the talk of the league, and a perennial top 10 MVP candidate. But most of all, I want to come onto celticsblog and see Roy H  give a full endorsement of the Irving trade. Because if that happens, then Irving is probably becoming a fan favorite, showing Celtic pride, carrying the team, and putting up elite level numbers.

[ChillyWilly]

I always thought when guys like Wall, Lillard, and Kyrie praise Bradley for his defense, what their actually saying is either misunderstood by the fans of misrepresented by the media. John Wall is asked by the media who defends him best in the and responds...

"Avery Bradley is a heck of a defender; we've battled since HS. He's great. I like Avery Bradley."

I get the admiration for Bradley's craft aspect, but I think there's a nuance that people are missing: Bradley defends these guys the "right" way. Avery is on Wall's level athletically so he doesn't foul much, he doesn't get too chippy, he isn't obnoxious with trash talk. He just provides textbook NBA shadow  perimeter defense. The best players like going against it because it feels fair and they aren't worried about getting injured by AB but they're not overly intimidated by him either.

It's what separates Avery from a guy like Draymond Green. You don't often hear people say Draymond or Steven Adams guard them well. Those 2 are chippy to the point of being borderline dirty and no one is going to praise that when their icing their sore backs at the end of the night. But then you find me two more impactful defenders night in and night out.

I think this year's team is better equipped to provide physical defense from the perimeter than the finesse defense that Bradley provided. John Wall might not like it as much but is could be key to us really separating ourselves from the competition.

Players like scoring easy baskets so I'm not buying people matched up against AB enjoying it. I still don't get why people who claim to like ABs game justify why he's just a run of the mill defender.

AB is not street we get it but street ball been dead in the NBA since the AAU kids took over.

When did I mention anything about street ball? Draymond isn't a great defender because he's street he's a great defender because he's versatile 1-5, has the low center of gravity and physicality to body up anyone in the league, and ya he talks a lot which helps both the mental side of the game and keeps his teammates understand the assignments. None of those attributes describe Bradley.

Look I'm not saying that Avery isn't an elite defender, but there are some guys that are not bothered by his style. He's elite at keeping up with fastest players like John Wall and Lillard but he's also 190 pounds meaning he cant switch onto wings and big guards like Derozan and Klay Thompson and without handchecking he can't stop the most skilled guys like Kyrie who figure out the angles he can't cut off.

From a teambuilding standpoint he's a 2 guard who's more effective at guarding 1's so it makes for awkward choices on where to hide your point guard. Avery is a specialist, the majority of what we lose in his all world 1 on 1 ability will be offset by Jaylen and Smart's size and versatility.

AB is not a specialist. He has an elite NBA skill and several above avg ones.

Draymond isn't street? We must be watching different guy than.

It's cool we disagree I can respect that.

[Green-18]

I always thought when guys like Wall, Lillard, and Kyrie praise Bradley for his defense, what their actually saying is either misunderstood by the fans of misrepresented by the media. John Wall is asked by the media who defends him best in the and responds...

"Avery Bradley is a heck of a defender; we've battled since HS. He's great. I like Avery Bradley."

I get the admiration for Bradley's craft aspect, but I think there's a nuance that people are missing: Bradley defends these guys the "right" way. Avery is on Wall's level athletically so he doesn't foul much, he doesn't get too chippy, he isn't obnoxious with trash talk. He just provides textbook NBA shadow  perimeter defense. The best players like going against it because it feels fair and they aren't worried about getting injured by AB but they're not overly intimidated by him either.

It's what separates Avery from a guy like Draymond Green. You don't often hear people say Draymond or Steven Adams guard them well. Those 2 are chippy to the point of being borderline dirty and no one is going to praise that when their icing their sore backs at the end of the night. But then you find me two more impactful defenders night in and night out.

I think this year's team is better equipped to provide physical defense from the perimeter than the finesse defense that Bradley provided. John Wall might not like it as much but is could be key to us really separating ourselves from the competition.

Players like scoring easy baskets so I'm not buying people matched up against AB enjoying it. I still don't get why people who claim to like ABs game justify why he's just a run of the mill defender.

AB is not street we get it but street ball been dead in the NBA since the AAU kids took over.

When did I mention anything about street ball? Draymond isn't a great defender because he's street he's a great defender because he's versatile 1-5, has the low center of gravity and physicality to body up anyone in the league, and ya he talks a lot which helps both the mental side of the game and keeps his teammates understand the assignments. None of those attributes describe Bradley.

Look I'm not saying that Avery isn't an elite defender, but there are some guys that are not bothered by his style. He's elite at keeping up with fastest players like John Wall and Lillard but he's also 190 pounds meaning he cant switch onto wings and big guards like Derozan and Klay Thompson and without handchecking he can't stop the most skilled guys like Kyrie who figure out the angles he can't cut off.

From a teambuilding standpoint he's a 2 guard who's more effective at guarding 1's so it makes for awkward choices on where to hide your point guard. Avery is a specialist, the majority of what we lose in his all world 1 on 1 ability will be offset by Jaylen and Smart's size and versatility.

AB is not a specialist. He has an elite NBA skill and several above avg ones.

Draymond isn't street? We must be watching different guy than.

It's cool we disagree I can respect that.

AB is an elite specialist!  lol I lie somewhere in the middle of both of you.  Bradley does a few things at an elite level and brings the right attitude to any team.  He is a textbook lead by example type of player.  Many people mention his lack of size against elite wings but I think our lack of size across the board made Bradley look weaker as a team defender.  AB proved to be a terror on the defensive end when we still had Rondo, Pierce, and KG.  It's much more difficult to pick on size when the other four players are versatile.

However, Avery still has many shortcomings related to basketball IQ.  Last season he seemed to develop his passing ability until the injuries hit again.  It feels like Bradley always falls back on the few elite skills once playoff time rolls around.  Draymond on the other hand can impact the game regardless of circumstance.  His role can change on any given night.

[Androslav]

i'm just excited because i have tickets for the home opener

Blessed!

[Smartacus]

I always thought when guys like Wall, Lillard, and Kyrie praise Bradley for his defense, what their actually saying is either misunderstood by the fans of misrepresented by the media. John Wall is asked by the media who defends him best in the and responds...

"Avery Bradley is a heck of a defender; we've battled since HS. He's great. I like Avery Bradley."

I get the admiration for Bradley's craft aspect, but I think there's a nuance that people are missing: Bradley defends these guys the "right" way. Avery is on Wall's level athletically so he doesn't foul much, he doesn't get too chippy, he isn't obnoxious with trash talk. He just provides textbook NBA shadow  perimeter defense. The best players like going against it because it feels fair and they aren't worried about getting injured by AB but they're not overly intimidated by him either.

It's what separates Avery from a guy like Draymond Green. You don't often hear people say Draymond or Steven Adams guard them well. Those 2 are chippy to the point of being borderline dirty and no one is going to praise that when their icing their sore backs at the end of the night. But then you find me two more impactful defenders night in and night out.

I think this year's team is better equipped to provide physical defense from the perimeter than the finesse defense that Bradley provided. John Wall might not like it as much but is could be key to us really separating ourselves from the competition.

Players like scoring easy baskets so I'm not buying people matched up against AB enjoying it. I still don't get why people who claim to like ABs game justify why he's just a run of the mill defender.

AB is not street we get it but street ball been dead in the NBA since the AAU kids took over.

When did I mention anything about street ball? Draymond isn't a great defender because he's street he's a great defender because he's versatile 1-5, has the low center of gravity and physicality to body up anyone in the league, and ya he talks a lot which helps both the mental side of the game and keeps his teammates understand the assignments. None of those attributes describe Bradley.

Look I'm not saying that Avery isn't an elite defender, but there are some guys that are not bothered by his style. He's elite at keeping up with fastest players like John Wall and Lillard but he's also 190 pounds meaning he cant switch onto wings and big guards like Derozan and Klay Thompson and without handchecking he can't stop the most skilled guys like Kyrie who figure out the angles he can't cut off.

From a teambuilding standpoint he's a 2 guard who's more effective at guarding 1's so it makes for awkward choices on where to hide your point guard. Avery is a specialist, the majority of what we lose in his all world 1 on 1 ability will be offset by Jaylen and Smart's size and versatility.

AB is not a specialist. He has an elite NBA skill and several above avg ones.

Draymond isn't street? We must be watching different guy than.

It's cool we disagree I can respect that.

Aye, agree to disagree. Trust me I recognize my views are a bit extreme.

I think AB is ideally put next to a playmaking forward like Lebron, Giannis, Simmons or even Blake Griffin but I never liked his long term fit on our roster.