Playoff expectations?

[Csfan1984]

With all the injuries what is your playoff expectations? Should we get past round one, two, or ECF? No way we beat Cavs or Raptors but this team always feels like they are willing to grind and fight to the end. Love the youth stepping up and vets showing leadership we need it more than ever with all the injuries. I still feel they get to the ECF but fall to Cavs/Raptors

For the poll I did include the longest of long shots for the die hards.

[mctyson]

I think with a healthy, rested Horford and both Brown and Tatum playing well, you can make the case that the should beat Milwaukee or Miami in a 7 game series with homecourt.  If they lost it would not be shocking though.

If they matchup against Philly in round 2 that could be interesting.

[Somebody]

BANNER 18 BABY!!!

[Tr1boy]

past the 1st round

sneak past the 2nd round in 7 games

[Csfan1984]

I think with a healthy, rested Horford and both Brown and Tatum playing well, you can make the case that the should beat Milwaukee or Miami in a 7 game series with homecourt.  If they lost it would not be shocking though.

If they matchup against Philly in round 2 that could be interesting.

I know it's not popular but I feel both Heat and Bucks are stronger that 76ers due to the experience of the leaders on those teams. 76ers should be easy no shot against us or them (other top teams)

[Sophomore]

It's going to be fun to see how the young guys rise up, and whether we can ride Moose and Morris. This team can definitely beat the Bucks (the current 7 seed), especially with home court advantage. The Cs barely lost with in Milwaukee the other night, even without Rozier and Larkin.

Philly is a tough matchup given the way that team is playing, especially without Theis's length and the toughness of mid-season Marcus. But once again, we've got home court and Philly this year is around a .500 road team full of young players.

I'd say making the ECF would be a *great* year for this team. Winning a series and competing in the second round is satisfying. Losing the first round is a disappointment. I'm mostly looking for growth, confidence, and more of the confident, composed, never-out-of-it attitude that defines the best of this year's team.

Beating Cleveland or Toronto in the ECF, though. I have to put on the deep green goggles to see that one. The one thing I would love to see is one game where Jaylen rises up the way he has sometimes when he plays LeBron - JB scores 30 in a classic playoff duel that ends in a Celtics win.

[TA9]

Realistically, I think we'll lose in the first round unless Tatum and Brown consistently start putting up big numbers every night - which I don't see happening.

For the sake of the development of our young guys, I hope we go far.

[KGs Knee]

I don't really have any expectations.

What I am hoping for is players like Rozier, Brown, and Tatum to step up and show they can compete at a high level in the playoffs.

I think any chance of getting out of the first round hinges on how well Rozier, in particular, plays.  He's the player I'm most interested in watching.  How he plays will probably go a long way in determining what Ainge does this summer.

[Granath]

I don't really have any expectations.

What I am hoping for is players like Rozier, Brown, and Tatum to step up and show they can compete at a high level in the playoffs.

I think any chance of getting out of the first round hinges on how well Rozier, in particular, plays.  He's the player I'm most interested in watching.  How he plays will probably go a long way in determining what Ainge does this summer.

TP for this. I want to see our young kids play playoff basketball. This is just one of those times you want guys like Brown and Tatum to step up and play well in high-pressure situations. That can only help their maturation.

I think we'll get out of the 1st round if we can get most of the crew healthy but after that it's a crapshoot.

[Sophomore]

Realistically, I think we'll lose in the first round unless Tatum and Brown consistently start putting up big numbers every night - which I don't see happening.

For the sake of the development of our young guys, I hope we go far.

You don't like our chances against Milwaukee? They're a young team that was 18-21 on the road this year and we have home court. They're constantly underperforming and outcoached, and their play over the last month is nothing special - they were about .500 and barely beat us in their building when we were without TR and Larkin.

Of course I won't be shocked if we lose - I wouldn't say we're prohibitive favorties - but I don't think we should expect to lose.

[SparzWizard]

I can't remember when was the last time the Bucks got past the first-rounds....they've either always been swept, or lose a grueling 6-7 game series.

[jpotter33]

To me, it depends on our matchups. I think we’re still favored in a Miami or Milwaukee series, and Washington is a toss-up series.

As for the second round, I think Philly is a bit overrated right now due to their winning streak, especially if Embiid takes a while to come back. I think that’s also a toss-up series that we probably take. In fact, I could see any of the previous three teams knocking off Philly in the first round, too, especially sans Embiid.

Now if Cleveland ends up at 3, it’d be very difficult to take that series, but I still could see that as
 a 6 game series or so.

If we stay healthy the rest of the way, I could see us reaching the ECF with the right draws. But outside of injuries occurring to Toronto or Cleveland, it’s hard to see us beating either of them in the ECF.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Total crapshoot. Wouldn't surprise me to see them lose in the first round, and wouldn't surprise me to see them reach the ECF. A lot of it depends on matchups.

What would surprise me, I think, is if they made the NBA Finals, because without Kyrie and Gordon, they don't have an established go-to scorer. Morris can be like that at times, but he's nowhere near as potent as the other two; but perhaps Brown or Tatum or Rozier becomes that during the course of these playoffs?

[BringToughnessBack]

I expect a tough effort from our team no matter who is out there. Stevens has them playing like that all year, no reason to believe it won't continue into the playoffs.

I expect to see Brown rise up big time this year. I can sense big defensive performances vs. other team's main star and Tatum and Rozier to also take a step higher. It would not surprise me to see both Tatum, Brown and Rozier single handily win a game in the 4th quarter with amazing take over performances. I expect Big Al to be the glue and calm that will keep our youth in check and ready. I expect Stevens to relish in this challenge of everyone counting them out. I expect Monroe to have a few holy crap moments that give us needed points in crunch time.

My heart says first round win in 6 or 7 vs Bucks or Heat, followed by another tough long 7 game series vs the Sixers with a few bad blowout losses but a few tough wins by our crew. If we manage to get by the Sixers, we probably die a bad death vs the Raptors or the Cavs in 5 but with a big injury on either of those teams, then 7 game miracles could happen- Not likely but possible! If we end up vs. the Wiz in the first round, I am most worried about that outcome. We could lose that with only Rozier to match up against their superstar unless Rozier truly takes a huge leap forward.

Now, my mind says we could lose in the first or shock the world onto the ECF. We truly are playing with house money though as this year has turned out to be all about growth.

[PhoSita]

Lose in six or seven in first round. Great effort and defense, not enough offense.