2017-18 NBA Season

[CelticsElite]

IT and Bradley picked the wrong time to have bad contract years. Just one year ago at this point most of this blog figured both players at being worth $20+ million per year. Now, I am not sure they will get a maxed out MLE contract.

That sucks. Well, I mean they will both be multi-millionaires so it doesn't suck. But it does suck to see two pretty good guys kill their chances at so much more money.

I guess you can throw Smart into that same club. Last year people thought he might get $15 million per. Find it hard to see a team offering him over the MLE either. There is just no money out there for all of them.

don't forget Crowder. He fell off the face of the planet

[green_bballers13]

IT and Bradley picked the wrong time to have bad contract years. Just one year ago at this point most of this blog figured both players at being worth $20+ million per year. Now, I am not sure they will get a maxed out MLE contract.

That sucks. Well, I mean they will both be multi-millionaires so it doesn't suck. But it does suck to see two pretty good guys kill their chances at so much more money.

I guess you can throw Smart into that same club. Last year people thought he might get $15 million per. Find it hard to see a team offering him over the MLE either. There is just no money out there for all of them.

don't forget Crowder. He fell off the face of the planet

I think most competent GMs realize that Brad's system worked very well for these guys. It's going to be a challenge for any of these players (including Evan Turner and other past players) to get back to where they were in their last year in Boston.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

IT and Bradley picked the wrong time to have bad contract years. Just one year ago at this point most of this blog figured both players at being worth $20+ million per year. Now, I am not sure they will get a maxed out MLE contract.

That sucks. Well, I mean they will both be multi-millionaires so it doesn't suck. But it does suck to see two pretty good guys kill their chances at so much more money.

I guess you can throw Smart into that same club. Last year people thought he might get $15 million per. Find it hard to see a team offering him over the MLE either. There is just no money out there for all of them.

don't forget Crowder. He fell off the face of the planet

I think most competent GMs realize that Brad's system worked very well for these guys. It's going to be a challenge for any of these players (including Evan Turner and other past players) to get back to where they were in their last year in Boston.

This is the key word; it seems there's usually one or two bad GMs (in any sport) who'll make a ridiculous overpay for a certain player (or type of player), and thus set an artificially high bar for other teams looking to make similar free-agent acquisitions.

[green_bballers13]

IT and Bradley picked the wrong time to have bad contract years. Just one year ago at this point most of this blog figured both players at being worth $20+ million per year. Now, I am not sure they will get a maxed out MLE contract.

That sucks. Well, I mean they will both be multi-millionaires so it doesn't suck. But it does suck to see two pretty good guys kill their chances at so much more money.

I guess you can throw Smart into that same club. Last year people thought he might get $15 million per. Find it hard to see a team offering him over the MLE either. There is just no money out there for all of them.

don't forget Crowder. He fell off the face of the planet

I think most competent GMs realize that Brad's system worked very well for these guys. It's going to be a challenge for any of these players (including Evan Turner and other past players) to get back to where they were in their last year in Boston.

This is the key word; it seems there's usually one or two bad GMs (in any sport) who'll make a ridiculous overpay for a certain player (or type of player), and thus set an artificially high bar for other teams looking to make similar free-agent acquisitions.

I think Marcus Smart is gone for this reason.

[jpotter33]

This Detroit team is just not very good, especially their bench unit.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Chicago got in trouble for tanking.  Memphis is shamelessly claiming everyone on the team is injured (yet still plays Gasol), and Josh Jackson has decided to shut himself down.  What a cluster.  Lottery reform can't come soon enough.

[jpotter33]

Holy hell this is about the dumbest I've ever seen an NBA game played by both teams, especially in OT. Bullock has made several dumb, dumb errors that have cost Detroit buckets by the Raptors here in OT.

[jpotter33]

Detroit got hosed down the stretch on a blatant charge by Derozan on the game-winning shot (go figure - more reffing incompetency and inconsistency), but Detroit gave this game away with their dumb, dumb decisions late in the 4th and OT.

[celticinorlando]

See no way Boston gets the one seed in the east. 2.5 games behind Toronto now. Going to have to beat both them and Cleveland to get out of the east

[tarheelsxxiii]

Holy hell this is about the dumbest I've ever seen an NBA game played by both teams, especially in OT. Bullock has made several dumb, dumb errors that have cost Detroit buckets by the Raptors here in OT.

You're supposed to be tending to your family, not watching basketball.

[RockinRyA]

See no way Boston gets the one seed in the east. 2.5 games behind Toronto now. Going to have to beat both them and Cleveland to get out of the east

We still get to play them twice and they play OKC, Cavs, and Pacers. Any of those could be losses. We just have to win one more game than them then beat them twice. Its still possible.

[SparzWizard]

Won't matter as long as Toronto locks up #1, Boston locks up #2, and Cleveland locks up #4 if we were to avoid Cleveland until the ECF.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Problem is that Toronto seem to have us figured out in the Brad Stevens era more so than most other teams. Gonna have to work out a better game plan to beat them and take the head to head match up.

[Androslav]

Problem is that Toronto seems to have us figured out in the Brad Stevens era more so than most other teams. Gonna have to work out a better game plan to beat them and take the head to head match up.

I don't see it as a problem. We have figured out them too. It is not like they surprise us when we play, or ever did. The harder part is to execute good enough to win.
One thing that is worth noting is that even though their bench is one of the better in the league, I believe that come playoffs they will shorten their rotation and that advantage will diminish greatly. When, on the other hand, Horford and Kyrie play 7-8 more minutes per game more, we would suddenly look much better (No Semi, no Nader and other "minus" players too. No Zeller this year!).

Toronto has its own well-recorded annual playoff "sins". They sinned long enough to exclude themselves from any superior confidence stance or any intimidation efforts. They do have the best team in 22 years of existence, good deep team, but they have a lot of explaining to do.

EDIT:
Toronto's Playoff GM1 results
2014: 1st round, BKN - Loss
2015: 1st round, WAS - Loss
2016: 1st round, IND - Loss
         2nd round, MIA - Loss
           EC finals, CLE - Loss
2017:  1st round, MIL - Loss
2018:  ??

If we beat them in the first game of the series (something that happened in their last 7 series if I'm not mistaking, the water level rises to their mouth height and it is choke-alert all over again in T.

To sum it up. We will make some new fossils this year. 

[SHAQATTACK]

Holy hell this is about the dumbest I've ever seen an NBA game played by both teams, especially in OT. Bullock has made several dumb, dumb errors that have cost Detroit buckets by the Raptors here in OT.

You're supposed to be tending to your family, not watching basketball.

whats I say n too !