Post Game Thread - vs Spurs, Home 1/8/20

[bobheckler]

Another game I can't say much good about.

1.  The Spurs shot 55% from the floor for the game.  That's a season high for a Celtic opponent.  They did whatever they wanted all game long.  It's "Pop Ball", we've seen it for 20 years, but the Celtics looked like it was a first for them.  I place the blame on this squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff.  It's their job to get the players ready and, clearly, they were not.  It's one thing if the shots don't drop, the coaches can't shoot the ball for them, but it's another thing when the other team is running the same damn plays all game long and we never stop them.

Ok, I found something good to say about this game:  "Pop Ball is Beautiful Ball".  I just wished I hadn't seen it last night.

2.  The Two Js were a combined 10-30, 1-11 from 3, 3 assists and 6 turnovers.  We had a total of 15 turnovers, so they accounted for 40% of them alone.  Kemba was ineffective in his first game back.  So, who came away from those international games last summer better able to compete against each other?  Pop did.  He frustrated those 3 players who played for him and they didn't learn how to play against Pop.

3.  The Spurs were 48-87 (55.2%) and 9-29 (31%) from 3.  Do the math, they were 39-58 from 2.  That's an eye-popping 67.2% from 2.  Thought you were sick to your stomach before?  These numbers have been rolling around in my head all night.  We gave up 67% from old school range.


The ref that tossed Kemba should be talked to by the league.  He blew an obvious moving pick on Aldridge that took Kemba up off his feet and flat on his back and then he teed him up quickly.  That changed the game completely.  It happened with 5:49 left in the 3rd quarter, so LOTS of time left, and it was only a 7-point game (76-69).  Kemba got T'd up 2X, Brad got T'd up too.  Two of the most respectful guys in the league got teed up by the same ref. So, instead of a foul on Aldridge and Celtic ball down 7 it was a 9-point game after Aldridge hit 2 of the 3 technicals and Spurs ball.  They went down court and we fouled Derrick White, who hit 2 fritos.  Now, just like that, it's an 11 point game and no Kemba.

Tacko played 10 minutes in 2 5-minute stints.  He was a +0 after the first 5, meaning he didn't help nor hurt the cause, and he ended up a +6, so he did good in garbage time.  Brad inserted him early because the crowd was dead and he knew Tacko would pump them up.  That's how freaking bad we were, Brad put in a G-Leaguer just to win back the crowd and hope that injected a little pride back into his starters.

A lot of people take their birthdays off from work.  Marcus Smart should have taken Marcus Smart Day off.  Another awful rookie year, zero conscience shooting display from him.  3-10, 2-7 from 3 and NOT very good defense from him neither.  I didn't see him stopping anybody.  Over the last 10 games he is shooting 28% from the field, 24% from 3.  

We were down 22-3 until only 5 minutes were left in the first.  3 points in 7 minutes.  Kemba took, and missed, only one fgas in those 7 minutes.  If you want to blame Kemba for not taking more than 1 shot in 7 minutes, fine, but you cannot blame the 7 missed shots by everybody NOT named Kemba Walker on him.  Jaylen was 0-3 and had 3 turnovers in those 7 minutes.

I have NO idea WTF is going on with this team right now.  Is it the re-integration of Kemba and Smart after their illnesses?  Is it fatigue?  If it is fatigue then we are in real deep shit because we are still in the front end of the gauntlet.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401161196


bob


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[bobheckler]

Sean Grande
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After another bad start Wednesday, the Celtics first quarter numbers continue to plummet.

The offensive splits in particular are staggering.

The Celtics are now the NBA's #23 offense in the first half.

In the second half?  #1




bob


.

[bobheckler]

Sean Grande
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Verified account

@SeanGrandePBP
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After another bad start Wednesday, the Celtics first quarter numbers continue to plummet.

The offensive splits in particular are staggering.

The Celtics are now the NBA's #23 offense in the first half.

In the second half?  #1




bob


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[Shamrock1000]

The players certainly need to play better, but the coaches might need to think about these slow starts. Obviously this year we have been terrible starting games, and the numbers prove it. I don't have the numbers for previous years, but I feel like Brad's teams have often struggled with slow starts.

[NYCelt]

The (glaring) differences in the Spurs favor?
Rebounds
Blocks
Points in the paint
And, with everything else being close to equal, score.

Every single statistical category was close to even. Except rebounds (defensive), blocks and points in the paint. Which, of course, leaves only the score as the other statistical difference.

Alex, I'll take NBA centers for $800.

Beat the dead horse time (where did that expression come from?). Another example of why the winning with just wings fad is about done, or at least ready to fade. If you're going with just wings, it had better be hot Buffalo, extra crispy. Somebody comes along that can at least play the game in the paint, they're going to eat your lunch.

[dbrown4]

For the first time I this year I had a flashback to last season. Weren't we getting way behind/slow starts in the 1st half by 20+ points and never recovering and obviously and deservedly losing those games with regularity?!!

With a complete line up overhaul I don't know if you can blame this quirk on the players. Can I make that leap of an assumption?

[NYCelt]

For the first time I this year I had a flashback to last season.  Weren't we getting way behind/slow starts in the 1st half by 20+ points and never recovering and obviously and deservedly losing those games with regularity?!!

With a complete line up overhaul I don't know if you can blame this quirk on the players.  Can I make that leap of an assumption?  

And last year, like last night, we would sometimes get behind when long-range shooting started out rough, we couldn't or didn't get to the rim to score, and the opponent was able to both score and defend in the paint.

In my own opinion/assumption, I wouldn't say blame players or coaching, I'd simply say blame the roster.

This team is so very close. Add the ability to defend and score in the paint, plus another shooter/scorer off the bench, and it's duck-boat time.

[kdp59]

so one of McHale and one Larry Bird and we're good to go!

They ain't walking into the locker room folks. This is the team Ainge built. Losing to a SA team that is playing well is no shame, IMO,

but that Washington game should have made every person affiliated with this team ashamed....VERY ashamed. You HAVE to beat on the scrub teams...PERIOD.

[dbrown4]

Yep, kdp59. Lakers and Bucks have no problem doing it. Neither should we. No shame in losing to Pop. He's been around the block a few thousand times.

If we lose tonight, I'm going to be pissed and ashamed!

db

[kdp59]

Yep, kdp59.  Lakers and Bucks have no problem doing it.  Neither should we.  No shame in losing to Pop.  He's been around the block a few thousand times.

If we lose tonight, I'm going to be pissed and ashamed!    

db

fans never have a reason to be ashamed. We have no say im who the teams sign or how they play.
The players. coaches and management are the ones who should be ashamed when they get beat by D- league Wizards/Bullets team. But they didn;t come out and play like it last night, thats for sure.

maybe the WHOLE team has the FLU!!!!

[dboss]

I just think the team is a bit off their rhythm.  Having guys in and then out of the rotation can takes it's toll.  I am not yet really concerned about the team overall.  The loss to SA was an expected loss in my opinion.  We beat them in SA so they were just returning the favor.

[gyso]

I just think the team is a bit off their rhythm.  Having guys in and then out of the rotation can takes it's toll.  I am not yet really concerned about the team overall.  The loss to SA was an expected loss in my opinion.  We beat them in SA so they were just returning the favor.

Yes. No continuity. Sam used to preach this concept.

[dboss]

Boston has ever reason to bring their A game to the court tonight.

With the Sixers up 2-0 for the season a win by the Celtics would be great.

[dbrown4]

A win tonight sure would help on many levels.

db

[dboss]

A win tonight sure would help on many levels.  

db

Definitely do not want any team to think they are better than you. The Celtics have yet to devise a strategy to limit Embid.

[dbrown4]

Yeah a win sans Embiid will not carry the same weight, but in the Celtics minds something is needed. We lose this one and we're on a 3-game skid with no end in sight and we best hope not to meet PHI in the playoffs because mentally we won't be able to beat them. Call it moral victory tonight. We'll take a moral victory tonight.

db

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