Next Up - Bucks@Celtics Round 2 Game 4 Monday 5/6/2019 7:00 PM

Game 3 really stung.

I am reminded of the 1974 Championship series against the Bucks.  People probably forget what an unstoppable scorer Jabbar was.  He was a young stud in 74 and Oscar Robertson teamed with him to win the year before.

The Celtics won that series because they figured out a defense to limit Jabbar.  Don Chaney was on that team and he was a long point guard.  They fronted Jabbar  with Chaney and Cowens the backside defender.  The Celtics took home the banner in a very exciting 7 games series.  That series established the fact that the Russell years had been passed on to a new generation of young Celtics and that they were winners too!

The game has changed but the challenge remains the same.  Stop their big guy who dominates the paint.

I cannot think of anything  new to try.  The only reasonable scheme is to play like you did in game 1.  Baynes will have 2 days to get his ankle attended to so I really expect him to actually play some minutes.  As a matter of fact I am counting on it.

But if he can't go AH will need to play extended minutes.    Last year he averaged almost 36 MPG in the playoffs.  This year he is playing just 34 MPG.  This is where the rubber meets the road.  He has played well in this series but his  game 1 defensive masterpiece is the way he needs to play for us to win.

As already discussed in the post game thread Boston needs to roll out that zone again and use it to limit Giannis and the rest of the Bucks from getting into the lane.

KI needs to slow down...  Get your teammates involved early and often.  Use more shot selectivity.  STAY in front of your man.  There is no excuse for playing below 100% on defense.  The Celtics need your A+ game.

Everytime I think GH is all the way back I see that he is not.  I am like a yoyo on a string.  GH is doing a lot of things to help us like finding his teammates but he is struggling to find his own shot,  He said that getting to the rim opened up the rest of his game.  Well he is getting to the rim and struggling to finish.  Physically he looks deliberately slow.    He needs to do a better job getting out to challenge those shooters.    I truly expected more from him in this series than I have seen so far.

Dito to Terry Rozier  who did not score in game 3.  Really?  yeah really.  He also had zero assists  and only 1 rebound in what can only be described as a forgettable game.  WTF happened to Scary Terry?  He is not playing like Scary Terry.

Tatum finally found his range and all we need now is more of the same.
 
Everybody loves Raymond (Marcus Morris) is going about the business of playing very well.  His defense however needs a shot in the arm.
 
Last but not least we have Jaylen Brown who I think has been the most consistent Celtics because he is playing well at both end.  Please keep it up.  After the season the who's better Brown or Tatum dialog will get immediate attention if the AD trade heats up.

Coach Stevens did you see how coach Bud called timeouts even after your guys made just one  basket.
 
Brad has coached really well except for game 3.  I do not understand why he went away from his defensive plan after game 1 but at the very least, the beat down in game 2 should have resulted in a game 1 defensive approach last night.  There is no excuse for that.  Brad needs to get back to what has worked.  

So there you have it and oh by the way Boston won game #3 in 1974.

How Do I Lose Thee? (Sonnet 43)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806 - 1861

How do I lose thee? Let me count the ways.
I lose thee to the depth and breadth and height
The Bucks can reach while RW's out of sight
And we play third quarters at turtle's pace.
I lose thee to the level of each day’s
Most dire need: a guard who can pass just right.
I lose thee sadly, as fans die of fright.
I lose thee crudely, as turnovers mount.
I lose thee with errant three's when buckets count
And with a torn oblique to Marcus Smart
I lose thee with Gordon who Brad misused
While Celtic nation fears for Danny's heart,
and with a D Rick Pitino would choose,
A defense that strangely and truly reeks,
I shall but lose thee better to the Freak.

One thing is for certain, if you let the freak drive time and again to the hole he is going to be successful. I would rather take my chances hitting him with different double teams and when he picks the ball up get back to your man. Freak is going to make a layup or get a foul called even if he isn't fouled. Looks like a no brainer to me, you have to make someone else score 30 points. Semi plays the freak as good as anyone.

worcester wrote:How Do I Lose Thee? (Sonnet 43)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806 - 1861

How do I lose thee? Let me count the ways.
I lose thee to the depth and breadth and height
The Bucks can reach while RW's out of sight
And we play third quarters at turtle's pace.
I lose thee to the level of each day’s
Most dire need: a guard who can pass just right.
I lose thee sadly, as fans die of fright.
I lose thee crudely, as turnovers mount.
I lose thee with errant three's when buckets count
And with a torn oblique to Marcus Smart
I lose thee with Gordon who Brad misused
While Celtic nation fears for Danny's heart,
and with a D Rick Pitino would choose,
A defense that strangely and truly reeks,
I shall but lose thee better to the Freak.

Very clever worcester, this unfortunately depicts the Celtics play so often this year.

This team is hard to love compared to most Celtics teams. I haven't lost my love for them yet, but it's a damn hard slog.

Berlin-T

worcester wrote:How Do I Lose Thee? (Sonnet 43)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806 - 1861

How do I lose thee? Let me count the ways.
I lose thee to the depth and breadth and height
The Bucks can reach while RW's out of sight
And we play third quarters at turtle's pace.
I lose thee to the level of each day’s
Most dire need: a guard who can pass just right.
I lose thee sadly, as fans die of fright.
I lose thee crudely, as turnovers mount.
I lose thee with errant three's when buckets count
And with a torn oblique to Marcus Smart
I lose thee with Gordon who Brad misused
While Celtic nation fears for Danny's heart,
and with a D Rick Pitino would choose,
A defense that strangely and truly reeks,
I shall but lose thee better to the Freak.

+1 You're a poet and I didn't even know it

tardust wrote:One thing is for certain,  if you let the freak drive time and again to the hole he is going to be successful.  I would rather take my chances hitting him with different double teams and when he picks the ball up get back to your man.  Freak is going to make a layup or get a foul called even if he isn't fouled.  Looks like a no brainer to me, you have to make someone else score 30 points.  Semi plays the freak as good as anyone.

It will take a total team effort to defend the Bucks and their top guy.

The Celtics already proves that they can do that .

Please do it again.

PLEASE NOTE THE 7 PM START

Worcester, Thanks for mentioning RW. Brad should play Hayward less and RW more, imo. The Bucks are exploiting an obvious weakness; the Celtics are soft at center unless Horford is having an unconscious game. Baynes makes a difference not because he's great, but because we have no tall agile defenders except RW. At this point, I'd put him on Giannis with Horford (Tatum, Brown, Irving). Brad could take him aside, say "Here's the best player in the game. Make it hard for him, and be ready to dunk on offense." Everyone driving then would have the RW option. Hawk

Hawk I think playing RW more is a nonstarter in absence of a injury to our front line.

He has mainly been seen in cameo appearances all year. The type of defense needed to stop the Bucks is intricate. Williams has not had enough reps to make a difference. Don't get me wrong. I think RW has tremendous upside but Stevens has not developed him.

GH is struggling some but he is still a guy we need on the court. I am not giving RW or anyone else his minutes.

That is of course just my opinion.

I’d give him Rozier’s minutes

So you would give GH minutes to not so scary?

dboss wrote:So you would give GH minutes to not so scary?

No I’d give Rozier minutes to RW

And I would scrape up more minutes for Jaylen from Terry and Gordon.

worcester wrote:And I would scrape up more minutes for Jaylen from Terry and Gordon.

And get Jaylen more shots....

Great news! Charles Barkley guaranteed last night the Celtics would not win another game and put it on a sticky note!!!

Celtics in 6, just like PP said! Bet the house and the kids!

db

Kyrie shooting 39% this series, 4 Bucks are shooting higher than that from 3....Kyrie better pick it up. Maybe he’s like Antoine Walker can get you to playoffs, then gets his ass kicked once there. He’s got the best handle ever, still unproven he can carry a team as a first option....

dbrown4 wrote:Great news!  Charles Barkley guaranteed last night the Celtics would not win another game and put it on a sticky note!!!

Celtics in 6, just like PP said!  Bet the house and the kids!

db

Now I feel better about Celtics chances!

It's funny how one can even detect sarcasm through the written word!!

db