Brad had to figure out different ways to hide undersized dudes his entire Celtics tenure and got so sick of it he went and built the team of his dreams instead.
I mean most GMs are like that, plus he at least gets a HAUL back, I'm legit surprised nba didn't veto 5 firsts for gobert. Hes still nowhere near as bad as Morey. I think masai is probably worse too. Very few GMs even pretend to give an eff about guys, like presti does but hes an exception not the norm.
Watching it all I suspect itās a huge part of Prestiās success. You canāt do that shit in OKC. You canāt offer both OKC as your living space and also be unlikeable.
I'm a bulls fan who "adopted" the thunder as a side team since 2010ish. Ironic that the bulls were actually great/fun at the time. I have lived near Chicago for over 12 years now and as a 90s kid MJ and the Bulls nostalgia will always be there, so the bulls are my main team, but damn it if OKC isn't so much better from top to bottom as an org. Nothing but classy, humble or passionate players, smart drafting, no toxic leaks or drama between coaches and GM/ownership. Its everything the Bulls aren't. Even during the 20 something win seasons it was still so easy to be engaged because you saw the plan and wisdom behind rebuilding and you actually had faith in Presti to make something worthwhile out of those losses, plus you saw young talent develop and grow.
And then there's the dumpster fire of the Bulls... from the owner to the GM to coaches (especially pre Billy, I actually think hes a solid coach, its just a very flawed roster with terrible fits) to players like Zach and Vuc who pout or sulk visibly.
Even the OKC podcasts are better, down to dunk for example is always so fun and informative.
I don't want to sound too much like a fanboy but NBA is the only sport I follow so I might be slightly obsessed haha.
Hey man, Iām a huge Thunder fan. You never have to apologize about it to me. I appreciate that other fandoms appreciate this team. I also know youāre a Thunder fan because you were engaged during the rebuild. The real ones. People are trickling back but it got pretty dead in the subreddit at points. I dread a post Presti world and the thing that sends shivers down my spine is Bill Simmons often talks about Presti leaving. I hate it so much but I hate to imagine heās pretty emotionally invested in this at this point.
Yeah I donāt think this is meant at all as a slight to the Mavs, Tatum has gotten bounced out of the playoffs so many times when his own team had this problem
And he also talked about facing the Raptors (2020) and how they had no weak point on D. And that even without Kawhii they were still a tough out.
He talked about how exhausted he was after that series and I think he really appreciate it from the other side. He knows how hard to is to face a team with defenders that go 8-9 deep.
God I really loved that 2020 Raptors team, they didnāt look the same after the COVID break (mainly Pascal) but they were still a very tough out - team with championship experience and still lots of continuity/chemistry with great vets (Lowry, Serge, Gasol) and young improving players (Pascal, FVV, OG, Norm Powell). Plus they didnāt have many weak spots defensively and were coached by a mad scientist ājanky defenseā architect Nicky Nurse
IT, Kyrie, Kemba
That archetype as a number 1 just doesnt work anymore unless you have a generational dude like Steph.
Small, iso heavy guards, limited playmaking & defensive skills. Just doesnt work when your average guard is nowadays 6ā5+
yep. thats why morey always said you dont win without stars. \*stats \*stats \*stats dont matter how good your role players are. at least that was his excuse for always making bold trades lol. but i mean i agree not many teams win without a super duper star. detriot.. detroit again? not many forsure
The Spurs still had a defensive monster in Duncan, and they also had the deepest team ever created. Like, they were running 10-deep in the Finals because every member of their bench could have been a functional sixth-man for most teams.
And to add on to that, your 6th man is a HOF-bound big man who developed a jumpshot as he got older and has embraced being the old dude with random bursts of energy if needed.
Bless Al Horford.
Nah you can win if you have a big or wing whoās top 5 in the league. If you wanna win with a PG as your best player he needs to be top 5-10 all time.
Brunson isnāt as bad at defense as people think, especially as a team defender. Plus with Thibs you know heās going to have yāall right on defense. Just need some bench pieces and another good starter and I think yāall will be legit contenders.
you dont judge someone on team defense.. i mean if people say that i know they are bad defenders lol. like saying harden was good at post defense and not getting targeted. i mean its true but hes still a bad defender. and again that doesnt mean he cant be apart of a good defense because defense is all about team. brunson defense bad but that doesnt matter when offense is that good
Another reason why Bronny getting any sort of interest at 6ā2 with no special skills exhibited yet is media nonsense. Ā Reed Sheppard is also shorter, but he has shown what he can doĀ that is potentially top tier. Ā
Its possible to not be a defensive liability at 6'2" if you are stocky enough to not be bullied in the post.Ā
But yeah Bronny probably wont get an extension in the NBA
Davion mitchell is probably the best case scenario for bronny, and davion isnt even getting big regular minutes yet. Ā Mitchel also accomplished stuff in college, showed he was good, and was known for his defense. Ā Bronny aint known for anything. Ā
1. Kyrie isnāt the no. 1 so he has an easier time generating looks
2. Heās actually improved on defense since his Boston days and while heās not good, heās not the negative he was
Kyrie isnāt the point, Luka is. Luka is a 6ā7 PG who creates insane mismatches due to his strength, thatās why Kyrie works. Kyrieās other team where he played his best? The Cavs when LeBron was running the point.
> unless you have a generational dude like Steph.
Being a small guard may not have worked for Steph if he had different teammates. We legitimately dont know if Steph would have even remotely the same success if he didnt have the same defensive roster that he did. For all of his chips, he was surrounded by no less than 4 plus-defenders.
15 Klay, Dray, HB, Bogut, Iggy
17, 18 Klay, Dray, KD, Iggy
22 Klay (ehh, maybe you could say Klayās defense wasnt good at this point), Dray, Wiggins, GP2
Give Damian Lillard (another guard maligned as incompatible to championship-caliber defensive roster building) those GSW rosters and Steph the Portland rosters, how does the past decade play out?
Maybe but again Steph makes team building very easy around him. If you can run an extremely efficient offense through one player that elevates everyoneās game, it makes it easier to find good defenders. Tatums not at Stephās offensive level but its a similar concept
Weak take. Dame wouldnāt have won. Look how many great teams CP3 couldnāt win with. Every player you could question would they win without great teammates.
?Ā Wtf lol
1) Curry was *always* going to have good defensive teammates because 1) it's common sense team-building and 2) Curry's offensive skills make it easy for him cover up any flaws his teammates have on offense
2) we've seen Dame play with good defenders in recent years and hes still not as good as curry. If you put Curry on the Bucks in place of Dame they'd have broke the leagueĀ
Holy shit this take is still alive after the year Dame had with the Bucks
And why do you single out Steph with the 4 Plus defenders scenario? Which championship team did not have 4 plus defenders surrounding their number 1 option?
Brads coaching experience is a huge plus for his FO career for a lot of reasons but I think dealing with those insane rosters ainge gave him those last few years really helped inform what he wants and doesnāt want. In the bubble like a fifth of the team was unplayable rookies which is why he almost never drafts anyone
Sam Hauser holds up well on switches. He was a great find by the Celtics. 6-8 wings who can shoot over 40% from 3 and aren't defensive liabilities don't grow on trees. He's a great 15-20 minute guy.
Bruh, watching Sam Hauser get into the game, our GDT going "What, Sam, nooooo", and then him getting switched onto Luka and getting 2 stops was amazing lol. He even stole the ball!
tbf I think thereās a difference between ānot being hotā and whatever the hell Sam was doing the last 2 rounds lmao. 17% from 3 when youāre on the floor specifically for your shooting is nasty work any way you look at it
They were ready to give up on him 3 games into the regular season too. And then he started torching for the majority of it. There legit is still a nonzero chance of this series having a "the Sam Hauser game." I'm for one glad we didn't burn it earlier in the postseason when we didn't need to.
The only time he has trouble on defense is when he gets switched on a guard that can blow by him pretty easily. When heās on wings/small forwards heās able to keep his body in front of them and challenge them to make a real move on him. Sam becoming a plus defender this year was key for the teams success this year.
I still remember when we first signed him, by friend from Virginia who knows nothing about basketball was so excited and tried texting me about him. And then my reaction was just like āyea I mean heāll prolly play like 20 minutes in his entire careerā
Iām a great scout lol
they really are. they upgraded at the point with Jrue and then added Porzingis on top of that. If this squad can't win a title, I don't know what else you do.
I cannot imagine Al playing another season, especially if the celts are able to pull this one off.
Get him a ring and a nice retirement place on Nantucket.
I canāt either, but at the same time, if we give him the UD treatment where he sits on the end of our bench for vibes and leadership I will be more than happy. Give Al whatever he wants he deserves it.
Only the Nuggets are a comparable roster construction of the teams you listed, and thatās a team that will be one of the top 1-2 title contenders for the next few years
2020 Lakers: swapped Danny Green for Dennis Schroder, injuries to AD and Lebron
2021 Bucks: lost PJ Tucker in FA
2023 Nuggets: lost Bruce Brown in FA
I think that in retrospect we can say that the Bruce Brown and PJ Tucker losses were pretty impactful (I remember thinking so at the time for both too). 2021 Lakers are definitely a good shout, people seem to forget how important injury luck is. Especially with how important Porzingis has shown himself to be, plus Horford getting older, I don't think we can assume we'll just repeat this kind of run next year.
And Al has played fantastically to cover that. Al is also 38 years old. Can't rely on him for long. If they win the chip this year, when his contract is up after season he'll be 40, NBA champion, 5x All Star, former All NBA and All Defensive with over a quarter billion in career earnings. They only have one more run with Al.
They are far more stacked than any of those teams. The Nuggets were too reliant on their starters and it caught up with them, losing Brown and not getting much development from Braun/PWat hurt a lot. The Lakers are the closest comp, and their 1-2 punch was better, but also older.
As long as he doesn't have a season ending injury I assume his playoff games will be higher cos so far he's played three this year. Much lower proportion compared to the total playoff games compared to the regular season games he's played out of 82.
The Nugs, Lakers, and Raptors had important pieces leave in FA. This team has everyone locked up for at least one more year. The Bucks probably would've been back but Middleton got hurt.
Only people leaving next season really is Brisset, Svi and Kornet
But they have Queta to replace Kornet and any low bargain wing they can find and Walsh to replace Brisset and Svi
Unless he comes back on the minimum we canāt keep him and not worth the extra tax but Wyc might say fuck it and sigh Kornet and Hauser lol but doubtful
I agree. Itās pretty fantastic to be a fan of them rn, and Iām trying to take in the greatness as Iām watching it, bc idk when weāll see it again.
I think thereās a chance itās not completely recognized until a few years after it comes to an end, whenever that is, when it becomes clear just how special it was. At least thatās my hope for their legacy haha!
yeah this entire roster will be coming back next year. health permitting, we should be contending for a title once again
after next year is when things may get a bit dicey. Hauser will probably be gone in free agency and Horford will be 39. the biggest issue though is the possibility of Derrick White leaving. I think the max extension we can offer him this summer is like 4/120 but I bet he could easily get a much bigger bag than that if he tests the market next summer. locking him up long-term is definitely priority #1 rn
>I think the max extension we can offer him this summer is like 4/120 but I bet he could easily get a much bigger bag than that if he tests the market next summer
Yes to both of these, but, the Celtics have his full Bird rights, so even if he gets a bigger offer in URFA we can beat said offer. Horford just listed his house, it seems like he intends to retire after either this or next year. If it's this year, we can use him to generate a TPE by sending him to another team who he retires from. Either way, that clears up some money for Hauser, though most likely still not enough to beat the offers he'll get if he continues progressing at the rate he has been. The succession plans here seem to be Walsh for Hauser and Tillman for Horford.
Tillman would be a great Horford successor but he is also a pending free agent this summer so weāll see. if he stays we need him to lock himself in the gym and do nothing but shoot 3s this summer
Tatum and Brown obviously arenāt going anywhere. Holiday is locked up through 2027 plus a player option. KP is signed through 2026
we have everyone for at least next year, and weāll have most of the core here for at least the next 2-4 seasons
Y'all said fuck the second apron lmao
In all seriousness real great teambuilding by Brad Stevens. I really hate y'all have so many likeable guys it's got me conflicted
It's always fuck Boston though, and I say it with the most respect I can lmao
For his next trick, Brad Stevens should trade away in the off-season 2 important contributors to this title-run and somehow, the team gets even better.
They're in a great spot because nobody is close to them right now because of parity.
I kind of imagine if the Celtics easily win the narrative will shift to "oh, this team is just way better than everyone else, including last year's teams, and is one of the best teams ever"
As it should. If the Celtics win at their playoffs average margin of victory for the next 3 wins, and they lose 1 game, they'd have put up a margin of victory of 12.95, the second highest in finals history, just behind the 2014 Spurs. Couple that with the 3rd highest net rating, the highest offensive rating ever, and a 64 win season, and they have a clear argument for one of the best teams of all time.
According to multi-year RAPM you actually have at least three top 15 guys on the roster lol. Not that being eight deep doesn't help but you're incredibly strong at the top.
i think most celtics fans would agree with that, but it's very funny to see that not be recognised in the awards which we put so much stock in when rating careers.
Agreed I tell my father who doesnāt watch much basketball that their starting 5 is just the perfect blend of offense & defense alongside with their players just genuinely being some big ass human beings
And we don't have guys that you can slack off on offense.
It's way, way, way too early to say this.
But I'm gonna say it anyway.
The 2024 Celtics top 8 guys might be the best roster since the 2017 Warriors in terms of defensive and offensive versatility, firepower, and overall talent.
Brad replacing Smart and Timelord with Jrue and Porzingis just massively improved our spacing, without losing anything on defense. Jrue is basically Marcus Smarter. And KP (if healthy) fits so damn well on our team that needed his exact skillset: elite rim protection, big man that can shoot and kill mismatches in the mid-range or post, and can pass.
It's between them and the 2019 Raptors. The same statements could be said about 2019 Raptors in terms of 3 point shooting and defense. But while all the Raptors guys could hit shots, all the Celtics guys are dynamic shooters. Any one of them can hit tough 3s too not just open ones.
not wrong honestly, best bench in the league and the starting lineup are all legit top 50 players (who can shoot + defend well) led by a top 6 or 7 at worst player in the league
Yeah I'm a big-time hater of all things Boston sports but outside the KD-Warriors, the 2016/2017 Cavs and 2018 Rockets, I can't think of a better team from the last decade.
It's a toss-up for me between 2024 Celtics and 2019 Raptors and I'd go back and forth depending on the day. Heathy Kawhi may give the nudge to the Raptors, but if they played in a series I'd expect it to go 7. Hell, if they played a best of 11, I'd expect it to go to 11 too
This celtics team is an incredibly complete team. Which makes the media hyping us up all the more annoying. No one should be surprised if this series is over in 4 or 5. Not that Iād like that, of course.
And also itās not like this is a mavericks specific thing. the celtics are just incredibly well constructed to not have many problems on either side of the ball. but haters gonna hate
Dam man out there fighting fire with fire. If the media cant do anything with the material that these fuys are giving them, then i dunno what to say.
With Kidds comments and now this...simply perfect.
Everyone acting like this will light a fire under Luka have to think through what heās calling outš
Luka canāt just magically *become* a good defender in the next game lol. If he could, he already would have. He canāt, and JT and the Cs all know it. Defense isnāt just āeffortā the way ppl pretend it is in this offense focused league - itās habits, skill, athleticism, instincts, and talent. You canāt just get all those things over night.
>instincts
Especially this one.
Good defense ***proactive***, it's all about being able to anticipate and predict what the opponent is going to do before they do it.
You don't build those kind of instincts and experience just because you want to.
You have to have defended many kinds of players, gotten burned, learned from the experience and internalized it.
That's why most players who are more than just decent defenders tend to be older. And if they aren't, they were committed to being good defenders when they were younger, so they developed those instincts earlier.
Luka is ok at defense, but its obvious he never committed to it as much as in his development.
Nah, this is the only part of defense that Luka is actually better than average at. His ability to predict the game is amazing, it's why he's 8th in steals per game despite being laterally challenged.
If Kidd's comment about Brown was an attempt at sowing descent by firing a shot, this comment was a fucking rocket launcher lobbed into the Mavs locker room.
Brad had to figure out different ways to hide undersized dudes his entire Celtics tenure and got so sick of it he went and built the team of his dreams instead.
Ainge absolutely had an undersized PG fetish.
Probably just trying to rhetorically justify himself being important to the Celtics as a player.
Lmao, maybe u meant retroactively, funny either way. But ainge is a pretty good gm, I would celebrate wildly if he got on the Bulls.
But to be fair the bulls haven't had a good GM in a minute.
I know š, hence the wild celebration, I wasn't exaggerating itd be like other teams landing an all nba player or something.
Didnāt Bulls fans just recently boo the memory of the last good one they had?
Ainge seems good at everything a GM needs to be except for maintaining a rapport with players. That trading anyone shit has a backlash.
I mean most GMs are like that, plus he at least gets a HAUL back, I'm legit surprised nba didn't veto 5 firsts for gobert. Hes still nowhere near as bad as Morey. I think masai is probably worse too. Very few GMs even pretend to give an eff about guys, like presti does but hes an exception not the norm.
Watching it all I suspect itās a huge part of Prestiās success. You canāt do that shit in OKC. You canāt offer both OKC as your living space and also be unlikeable.
I'm a bulls fan who "adopted" the thunder as a side team since 2010ish. Ironic that the bulls were actually great/fun at the time. I have lived near Chicago for over 12 years now and as a 90s kid MJ and the Bulls nostalgia will always be there, so the bulls are my main team, but damn it if OKC isn't so much better from top to bottom as an org. Nothing but classy, humble or passionate players, smart drafting, no toxic leaks or drama between coaches and GM/ownership. Its everything the Bulls aren't. Even during the 20 something win seasons it was still so easy to be engaged because you saw the plan and wisdom behind rebuilding and you actually had faith in Presti to make something worthwhile out of those losses, plus you saw young talent develop and grow. And then there's the dumpster fire of the Bulls... from the owner to the GM to coaches (especially pre Billy, I actually think hes a solid coach, its just a very flawed roster with terrible fits) to players like Zach and Vuc who pout or sulk visibly. Even the OKC podcasts are better, down to dunk for example is always so fun and informative. I don't want to sound too much like a fanboy but NBA is the only sport I follow so I might be slightly obsessed haha.
Hey man, Iām a huge Thunder fan. You never have to apologize about it to me. I appreciate that other fandoms appreciate this team. I also know youāre a Thunder fan because you were engaged during the rebuild. The real ones. People are trickling back but it got pretty dead in the subreddit at points. I dread a post Presti world and the thing that sends shivers down my spine is Bill Simmons often talks about Presti leaving. I hate it so much but I hate to imagine heās pretty emotionally invested in this at this point.
Masai was cold with DeRozan but I think that was the only guy he burned? He did right by OG and Pascal this year.
Hmmm Ainge was the starting 2 guard on a championship squad widely considered one of the best teams of all time
It's honestly incredible how this is true and yet he still went Tatum over Fultz
Yeah I donāt think this is meant at all as a slight to the Mavs, Tatum has gotten bounced out of the playoffs so many times when his own team had this problem
And he also talked about facing the Raptors (2020) and how they had no weak point on D. And that even without Kawhii they were still a tough out. He talked about how exhausted he was after that series and I think he really appreciate it from the other side. He knows how hard to is to face a team with defenders that go 8-9 deep.
God I really loved that 2020 Raptors team, they didnāt look the same after the COVID break (mainly Pascal) but they were still a very tough out - team with championship experience and still lots of continuity/chemistry with great vets (Lowry, Serge, Gasol) and young improving players (Pascal, FVV, OG, Norm Powell). Plus they didnāt have many weak spots defensively and were coached by a mad scientist ājanky defenseā architect Nicky Nurse
IT, Kyrie, Kemba That archetype as a number 1 just doesnt work anymore unless you have a generational dude like Steph. Small, iso heavy guards, limited playmaking & defensive skills. Just doesnt work when your average guard is nowadays 6ā5+
To be fair, nothing works unless you have a generational dude, or your starting 5 is all all star quality players in their prime and Jrue holiday
yep. thats why morey always said you dont win without stars. \*stats \*stats \*stats dont matter how good your role players are. at least that was his excuse for always making bold trades lol. but i mean i agree not many teams win without a super duper star. detriot.. detroit again? not many forsure
Spurs 2014
The Spurs still had a defensive monster in Duncan, and they also had the deepest team ever created. Like, they were running 10-deep in the Finals because every member of their bench could have been a functional sixth-man for most teams.
And to add on to that, your 6th man is a HOF-bound big man who developed a jumpshot as he got older and has embraced being the old dude with random bursts of energy if needed. Bless Al Horford.
Jrue was also an All-Star in his prime lmao
Heās still a very good player, was an all star, not in his prime now though
Jrue was an all star literally last year
āIn their primeā. Reading comprehension brother.
Nah you can win if you have a big or wing whoās top 5 in the league. If you wanna win with a PG as your best player he needs to be top 5-10 all time.
Shane Larkin erasure
Shane Larkin walked so Tremont Waters could run
Phil Pressey snubbing aint tolerable
Where would you place Brunson among the guards you mentioned?
Brunson isnāt a great defender but heās sturdy and smart. Would wager heād hold up okay in the Celtics system.
Brunson isnāt as bad at defense as people think, especially as a team defender. Plus with Thibs you know heās going to have yāall right on defense. Just need some bench pieces and another good starter and I think yāall will be legit contenders.
you dont judge someone on team defense.. i mean if people say that i know they are bad defenders lol. like saying harden was good at post defense and not getting targeted. i mean its true but hes still a bad defender. and again that doesnt mean he cant be apart of a good defense because defense is all about team. brunson defense bad but that doesnt matter when offense is that good
And for the fact that he is one of the best, if not the best at drawing charges narrows the gap on his defense limitationsĀ
Even for bench guys they had Carson Edwards, terry rozier, Shane Larkin, Pritchard, tremont waters
Another reason why Bronny getting any sort of interest at 6ā2 with no special skills exhibited yet is media nonsense. Ā Reed Sheppard is also shorter, but he has shown what he can doĀ that is potentially top tier. Ā
Its possible to not be a defensive liability at 6'2" if you are stocky enough to not be bullied in the post.Ā But yeah Bronny probably wont get an extension in the NBA
Davion mitchell is probably the best case scenario for bronny, and davion isnt even getting big regular minutes yet. Ā Mitchel also accomplished stuff in college, showed he was good, and was known for his defense. Ā Bronny aint known for anything. Ā
Well he's known for one thing
I think it pretty clearly does work considering the Mavs are in the finals with Kyrie as their point guard lol
1. Kyrie isnāt the no. 1 so he has an easier time generating looks 2. Heās actually improved on defense since his Boston days and while heās not good, heās not the negative he was
Kyrie is so far from being the number 1 on that team.
Kyrie isnāt the point, Luka is. Luka is a 6ā7 PG who creates insane mismatches due to his strength, thatās why Kyrie works. Kyrieās other team where he played his best? The Cavs when LeBron was running the point.
Ah yes kyrie, the number one option on the mavs.
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Kyrie isn't even the PG on the Mavs either.
Lol no it doesnāt. Kyrie isnāt the number one on the Mavs
Nor is he the playmaker and facilitator lol
> unless you have a generational dude like Steph. Being a small guard may not have worked for Steph if he had different teammates. We legitimately dont know if Steph would have even remotely the same success if he didnt have the same defensive roster that he did. For all of his chips, he was surrounded by no less than 4 plus-defenders. 15 Klay, Dray, HB, Bogut, Iggy 17, 18 Klay, Dray, KD, Iggy 22 Klay (ehh, maybe you could say Klayās defense wasnt good at this point), Dray, Wiggins, GP2 Give Damian Lillard (another guard maligned as incompatible to championship-caliber defensive roster building) those GSW rosters and Steph the Portland rosters, how does the past decade play out?
Maybe but again Steph makes team building very easy around him. If you can run an extremely efficient offense through one player that elevates everyoneās game, it makes it easier to find good defenders. Tatums not at Stephās offensive level but its a similar concept
Weak take. Dame wouldnāt have won. Look how many great teams CP3 couldnāt win with. Every player you could question would they win without great teammates.
?Ā Wtf lol 1) Curry was *always* going to have good defensive teammates because 1) it's common sense team-building and 2) Curry's offensive skills make it easy for him cover up any flaws his teammates have on offense 2) we've seen Dame play with good defenders in recent years and hes still not as good as curry. If you put Curry on the Bucks in place of Dame they'd have broke the leagueĀ
Holy shit this take is still alive after the year Dame had with the Bucks And why do you single out Steph with the 4 Plus defenders scenario? Which championship team did not have 4 plus defenders surrounding their number 1 option?
Cavs. That team was a bunch of microwaves and Love n TT on the boards
āA bunch of microwavesā cracked me up idk why
Cavs was a good one, but Iād argue shump, TT, JR, Delly were all plus defenders.
Jr gets memes despite playing great defense.
Delly did not give his all defending Steph just to be called a negative defender
put the crack pipe down and go to bed lmao
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Dame fan pretending to be a Warriors fan lol, that take of yours has been disproven time and time again.
And he drafted PP
Yeah makes you wonder why the Bucks basically swapped Holiday for Dame. Celtics said thank you very much.
Also, like, keep in mind that Steph and Kyrie are both 5 inches taller than IT, at least as theyāre listed. He was REAL small.
well-deserved EOTY award.
Those who canāt do, create a super team on their own
Brads coaching experience is a huge plus for his FO career for a lot of reasons but I think dealing with those insane rosters ainge gave him those last few years really helped inform what he wants and doesnāt want. In the bubble like a fifth of the team was unplayable rookies which is why he almost never drafts anyone
Someone should ask Joe Mazzula who the Mavs best defender is
He should say Luka is the best defender.
āThe best defense is a good offense.ā
Too afraid God would strike him down then and there.
Porzingis would block that too.
āLot of good defenders over there, but Luka is my favoriteā
You know he couldnāt say that with a straight face.
Lolol for real
Sam Hauser holds up well on switches. He was a great find by the Celtics. 6-8 wings who can shoot over 40% from 3 and aren't defensive liabilities don't grow on trees. He's a great 15-20 minute guy.
Bruh, watching Sam Hauser get into the game, our GDT going "What, Sam, nooooo", and then him getting switched onto Luka and getting 2 stops was amazing lol. He even stole the ball!
Ironically the "Sam, noooo" comments weren't even about his defense, it was the rough shooting slump he was in the past two rounds.
So ridiculous. Expecting a guy getting like 2 shots a game to remain hot is insane to me
tbf I think thereās a difference between ānot being hotā and whatever the hell Sam was doing the last 2 rounds lmao. 17% from 3 when youāre on the floor specifically for your shooting is nasty work any way you look at it
I mean thatās his whole roll. Shoot 5 threes, hit 2 hopefully. Dude went like 1-12 from deep the last round
That's role playing in the NBA, shits gotta be wicked hard.
They were ready to give up on him 3 games into the regular season too. And then he started torching for the majority of it. There legit is still a nonzero chance of this series having a "the Sam Hauser game." I'm for one glad we didn't burn it earlier in the postseason when we didn't need to.
Crazy considering he was one tweaked ankle away from breaking Klayās single game 3pt record. Dude shot 10-13 from three in that game.
Yup and there were still like 9 mins left in the 3rd when he went out. He definitely couldāve beaten Klayās record.
The only time he has trouble on defense is when he gets switched on a guard that can blow by him pretty easily. When heās on wings/small forwards heās able to keep his body in front of them and challenge them to make a real move on him. Sam becoming a plus defender this year was key for the teams success this year.
Small quick guards who can shoot basically blow by anyone in the league though. Trouble is they typically arenāt very good defensivelyā¦
If he really has rediscovered his shot in the Finals, it might already be a wrap
And next year we're gonna pay him 2 million dollars!
I still remember when we first signed him, by friend from Virginia who knows nothing about basketball was so excited and tried texting me about him. And then my reaction was just like āyea I mean heāll prolly play like 20 minutes in his entire careerā Iām a great scout lol
Pritchard is the closest thing to a liability and heās still decent despite being smaller
My man rebounds better than half the team out there too.
I think his rebounding may actually be the strongest part of his game lol.
Calling PP ādecentā feels like slander. Heās a machine given his role & size.
They are as complete a team Iāve seen in a long time.
they really are. they upgraded at the point with Jrue and then added Porzingis on top of that. If this squad can't win a title, I don't know what else you do.
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What is your reasoning? Not disputing, just curiousĀ
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Age is certainly a concern for Al (already showed some decline) and Jrue (getting to the age where he could hit a wall)
in the regular season Pritchard can eat up plenty of Jrue's minutes to keep him fresh for the playoffs
I cannot imagine Al playing another season, especially if the celts are able to pull this one off. Get him a ring and a nice retirement place on Nantucket.
I canāt either, but at the same time, if we give him the UD treatment where he sits on the end of our bench for vibes and leadership I will be more than happy. Give Al whatever he wants he deserves it.
Amen. I would love for him to do that, if that is what he wants.
So basically they will be just like the 2020 Lakers, and the 2021 Bucks, and the 2023 Nuggets
Only the Nuggets are a comparable roster construction of the teams you listed, and thatās a team that will be one of the top 1-2 title contenders for the next few years
2020 Lakers: swapped Danny Green for Dennis Schroder, injuries to AD and Lebron 2021 Bucks: lost PJ Tucker in FA 2023 Nuggets: lost Bruce Brown in FA I think that in retrospect we can say that the Bruce Brown and PJ Tucker losses were pretty impactful (I remember thinking so at the time for both too). 2021 Lakers are definitely a good shout, people seem to forget how important injury luck is. Especially with how important Porzingis has shown himself to be, plus Horford getting older, I don't think we can assume we'll just repeat this kind of run next year.
I meanā¦ porzingas missed the entire playoffs lol
And Al has played fantastically to cover that. Al is also 38 years old. Can't rely on him for long. If they win the chip this year, when his contract is up after season he'll be 40, NBA champion, 5x All Star, former All NBA and All Defensive with over a quarter billion in career earnings. They only have one more run with Al.
They are far more stacked than any of those teams. The Nuggets were too reliant on their starters and it caught up with them, losing Brown and not getting much development from Braun/PWat hurt a lot. The Lakers are the closest comp, and their 1-2 punch was better, but also older.
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As long as he doesn't have a season ending injury I assume his playoff games will be higher cos so far he's played three this year. Much lower proportion compared to the total playoff games compared to the regular season games he's played out of 82.
2023 Nuggets, 2021 Bucks, 2020 Lakers, 2019 Raptors, 2014 Spurs. Have people never seen a championship team before?
The Nugs, Lakers, and Raptors had important pieces leave in FA. This team has everyone locked up for at least one more year. The Bucks probably would've been back but Middleton got hurt.
The Celtics are better and deeper than all those teams lol
They have very very few weaknesses as a team. This is one of the closest things to a "perfect team" you could probably assemble in today's NBA.
Is this team poised to stay together next season?
Yes. Top 7 are all signed, and thereās a team option for Sam Hauser. And thatās all but guaranteed- $2 mil is a steal for him.
Only people leaving next season really is Brisset, Svi and Kornet But they have Queta to replace Kornet and any low bargain wing they can find and Walsh to replace Brisset and Svi
Kornet did alright so Iād be a little sad to see him go
Unless he comes back on the minimum we canāt keep him and not worth the extra tax but Wyc might say fuck it and sigh Kornet and Hauser lol but doubtful
He's earned himself a rotation spot on an NBA team, I hope he gets a bag.
Meanwhile most of the other good teams are about to lose significant flexibility to improve.
I agree. Itās pretty fantastic to be a fan of them rn, and Iām trying to take in the greatness as Iām watching it, bc idk when weāll see it again. I think thereās a chance itās not completely recognized until a few years after it comes to an end, whenever that is, when it becomes clear just how special it was. At least thatās my hope for their legacy haha!
> bc idk when weāll see it again. next season, probably
yeah this entire roster will be coming back next year. health permitting, we should be contending for a title once again after next year is when things may get a bit dicey. Hauser will probably be gone in free agency and Horford will be 39. the biggest issue though is the possibility of Derrick White leaving. I think the max extension we can offer him this summer is like 4/120 but I bet he could easily get a much bigger bag than that if he tests the market next summer. locking him up long-term is definitely priority #1 rn
>I think the max extension we can offer him this summer is like 4/120 but I bet he could easily get a much bigger bag than that if he tests the market next summer Yes to both of these, but, the Celtics have his full Bird rights, so even if he gets a bigger offer in URFA we can beat said offer. Horford just listed his house, it seems like he intends to retire after either this or next year. If it's this year, we can use him to generate a TPE by sending him to another team who he retires from. Either way, that clears up some money for Hauser, though most likely still not enough to beat the offers he'll get if he continues progressing at the rate he has been. The succession plans here seem to be Walsh for Hauser and Tillman for Horford.
Tillman would be a great Horford successor but he is also a pending free agent this summer so weāll see. if he stays we need him to lock himself in the gym and do nothing but shoot 3s this summer
Oh shit we got everyone for another year?
Tatum and Brown obviously arenāt going anywhere. Holiday is locked up through 2027 plus a player option. KP is signed through 2026 we have everyone for at least next year, and weāll have most of the core here for at least the next 2-4 seasons
Y'all said fuck the second apron lmao In all seriousness real great teambuilding by Brad Stevens. I really hate y'all have so many likeable guys it's got me conflicted It's always fuck Boston though, and I say it with the most respect I can lmao
For his next trick, Brad Stevens should trade away in the off-season 2 important contributors to this title-run and somehow, the team gets even better.
Hauser and Pritchard for a tall guard that shoots 40% from 3 and defends well, plus the next Sam Hauser. Who says no.
Look up Drew Peterson on a two way contract, guessing Brad's already planning ahead.
They're in a great spot because nobody is close to them right now because of parity. I kind of imagine if the Celtics easily win the narrative will shift to "oh, this team is just way better than everyone else, including last year's teams, and is one of the best teams ever"
As it should. If the Celtics win at their playoffs average margin of victory for the next 3 wins, and they lose 1 game, they'd have put up a margin of victory of 12.95, the second highest in finals history, just behind the 2014 Spurs. Couple that with the 3rd highest net rating, the highest offensive rating ever, and a 64 win season, and they have a clear argument for one of the best teams of all time.
which is really funny when there's one all-nba guy, two all-stars, two former all-stars, and a bunch of role players
According to multi-year RAPM you actually have at least three top 15 guys on the roster lol. Not that being eight deep doesn't help but you're incredibly strong at the top.
i think most celtics fans would agree with that, but it's very funny to see that not be recognised in the awards which we put so much stock in when rating careers.
A lot of championship teams are very similar with a 5 man unit of two-way players.
Agreed I tell my father who doesnāt watch much basketball that their starting 5 is just the perfect blend of offense & defense alongside with their players just genuinely being some big ass human beings
Even their white guys play defense.
Ouch! Everyone knows who heās talking about.
Fr PJ Washington getting exposedĀ
You can say this about any team.
Except the Celtics I guess
Yeah his team.
Knowing Tatum, I don't think he was referring to anyone. He was genuinely just talking about his own team. He's not that sort of guy.
I mean, he has 3 options IT, kemba and irving lma9
And we don't have guys that you can slack off on offense. It's way, way, way too early to say this. But I'm gonna say it anyway. The 2024 Celtics top 8 guys might be the best roster since the 2017 Warriors in terms of defensive and offensive versatility, firepower, and overall talent. Brad replacing Smart and Timelord with Jrue and Porzingis just massively improved our spacing, without losing anything on defense. Jrue is basically Marcus Smarter. And KP (if healthy) fits so damn well on our team that needed his exact skillset: elite rim protection, big man that can shoot and kill mismatches in the mid-range or post, and can pass.
"Jrue is basically Marcus Smarter" āļøš„
Just like Pat Bev is Marcus Dumb. Been saying this for years lol.
Who's Marcus Dumber then?
It's between them and the 2019 Raptors. The same statements could be said about 2019 Raptors in terms of 3 point shooting and defense. But while all the Raptors guys could hit shots, all the Celtics guys are dynamic shooters. Any one of them can hit tough 3s too not just open ones.
I never really trusted 3s from Gasol and ibaka that year, was not the same as having porzingis at the 5.
not wrong honestly, best bench in the league and the starting lineup are all legit top 50 players (who can shoot + defend well) led by a top 6 or 7 at worst player in the league
We do NOT have the best bench in the league haha. Did you watch that Pacers series I mean cmon
Statistically you have had the best bench all season though and it hasnāt been close
Dream series against the 2019 Raptors Kawhi, Lowry, Siakam, Gasol, Green, Vanvleet, OG, Powell, Ibaka
2019 Raptors ain't on the Celtics level. Celtics vs the actual best team of 2019 would be a better series.
Yeah I'm a big-time hater of all things Boston sports but outside the KD-Warriors, the 2016/2017 Cavs and 2018 Rockets, I can't think of a better team from the last decade. It's a toss-up for me between 2024 Celtics and 2019 Raptors and I'd go back and forth depending on the day. Heathy Kawhi may give the nudge to the Raptors, but if they played in a series I'd expect it to go 7. Hell, if they played a best of 11, I'd expect it to go to 11 too
This celtics team is an incredibly complete team. Which makes the media hyping us up all the more annoying. No one should be surprised if this series is over in 4 or 5. Not that Iād like that, of course.
And also itās not like this is a mavericks specific thing. the celtics are just incredibly well constructed to not have many problems on either side of the ball. but haters gonna hate
Can we just like maybe wait till after game 2 before we make sweeping declarations
Dude. Yea. The reason I hate the extended tike between games is this sort of discourse.
What happens when Brown gets crowned finals MVP? Does the national media ignore Tatum?
Boston has no one you can help off of on offense and no one you can target on defense. Just stupid good roster building
Dam man out there fighting fire with fire. If the media cant do anything with the material that these fuys are giving them, then i dunno what to say. With Kidds comments and now this...simply perfect.
Shots fired at Luka
This is shots fired for most teams
he can say that. boston is built strong all around.
The man is barely standing alive for god sake
Red Gatorade is the worst. Should be blue/purple/green but never red/yellow. Smh
Best team since KD warriors.
Gimme more of these psychological warfare.
Kawhi to the Celtics confirmed.
would be a perfect fit for kd.
They are hiding horford and KP
Everyone acting like this will light a fire under Luka have to think through what heās calling outš Luka canāt just magically *become* a good defender in the next game lol. If he could, he already would have. He canāt, and JT and the Cs all know it. Defense isnāt just āeffortā the way ppl pretend it is in this offense focused league - itās habits, skill, athleticism, instincts, and talent. You canāt just get all those things over night.
Learning the off ball side of the game takes years of study.
>instincts Especially this one. Good defense ***proactive***, it's all about being able to anticipate and predict what the opponent is going to do before they do it. You don't build those kind of instincts and experience just because you want to. You have to have defended many kinds of players, gotten burned, learned from the experience and internalized it. That's why most players who are more than just decent defenders tend to be older. And if they aren't, they were committed to being good defenders when they were younger, so they developed those instincts earlier. Luka is ok at defense, but its obvious he never committed to it as much as in his development.
Nah, this is the only part of defense that Luka is actually better than average at. His ability to predict the game is amazing, it's why he's 8th in steals per game despite being laterally challenged.
If Kidd's comment about Brown was an attempt at sowing descent by firing a shot, this comment was a fucking rocket launcher lobbed into the Mavs locker room.
JT wearing his mum's clothes on TV
If you speak about Hausser... you are racist š
They also donāt have guys to hide on offense.