Post Game Thread - vs Pistons, Home 1/15/20

[bobheckler]

Defense?  Defense?!  We don't need no stinking defense!

Uh, actually, yes we do.  3 Pistons with > 20 points.  60% shooting from the field from them as a team.  I think this is the worst defensive fg% we've given up all year.  They beat us, soundly and convincingly, with just 78 fgas.  Ftas were almost even.  3 more 3pt fgm.  They were just scoring and we weren't stopping them.  Rose, Markieff Morris and some guy I've never heard of , Doumbouya, scoring at will.  A combined 30-40, 75%, from those 3.  I thought we got out-coached, to put it bluntly.  Dwane Casey out-coached Brad Stevens when he was in Toronto and last night, with a team that is ranked 18th offensively, he out-coached him again despite having a vastly weaker team than he had in Toronto.

Our last few minutes of the 3rd was disastrous for us, and it happened with Brad going with his Micro-Ball lineup, where Grant is the biggest player on the floor.  We lost these few minutes with our defense and our defense couldn't stop them because they bullyballed us because Brad had no true bigs in the game.  Maybe it's just my now-prejudiced eyes (which is where some stats on this would come in handy) but I don't remember that lineup ever working.  I don't remember that lineup ever holding, much less increasing, our lead (or decreasing our deficit) when on the floor for more than a few minutes.
 
Great offensive games by Gordon and Jaylen.  Good game by Wanny.  A disappearing act by Kanter.  Not so easy bullying the opposing center when the opposing center is as big or bigger than you, is it?

Smart, 1-9, 0-5 from 2.  Over his last 10 games he's shooting 33% from the floor.  I am as aware as any of you of his numerous non-quantifiable, non-offensive contributions to this team but, when he's taking 9 shots only hitting 1 and going 0-5 from inside the arc, he needs to focus on those other areas.

This is a fun team to watch, beats the living snot out of last year's team, but I'm starting to wonder if we have The Right Stuff.  We keep losing to these teams we should be destroying and that's not what good teams do.  They certainly do not let that happen at home, like last night.  I'm afraid we're starting to read our own press clippings again, drinking our own bath water and thinking it's Perrier, because this is not the first time this has happened this year.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401161246


bob


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[mrkleen09]

I will give this loss to Brad to be honest. No idea what he was doing in the third quarter, playing the third string for a long stretch while the lead expanded.

Kemba was hot in the beginning of the quarter, so Brad sits him until 4 minutes left in the game. Huh?

Very inconsistent play lately - showing the team is not nearly a finished product, and honestly showing the value of Jayson Tatum. He is the only one willing to take the game over (for better or worse) and take responsibily for being the go to guy.

I want to see Kemba get more selfish. He is unstoppable when he gets hot, let the guy get hot.

Onward to tonight - I expect them to bounce back and give the Bucks a run for their money.

[dboss]

The Pistons really shot the ball well last night. Yes there was a small ball stretch that was totally ineffective.

Kleen not so sure we needed Kemba to just keep shooting. He went 2-11 from deep and 7-19 overall.

The Celtics beat them earlier. Detroit came in with a plan and executed well all game long. They made all the big shots and the Celtics did not.

That's the way it goes sometimes.

[mrkleen09]

The Pistons really shot the ball well last night.  Yes there was a small ball stretch that was totally ineffective.  

Kleen not so sure we needed Kemba to just keep shooting.  He went 2-11 from deep and 7-19 overall.  

The Celtics beat them earlier.  Detroit came in with a plan and executed well all game long.  They made all the big shots and the Celtics did not.

That's the way it goes sometimes.

Most of those misses were forced shots in the 4th when they were trying to catch up.

He was 3-6 in the first / 1-2 in second (not enough minutes Brad) / 2-5 in the 3rd / 1-6 in the 4th.

Kemba needs more than 7 shots in the middle two quarters.

[bobheckler]

On the subject of Kemba, and how he is compared to his predecessor, lest we forget.


Kemba Walker, last night after a loss:
"As one of the leaders of the team, I just have to be more energized, from the beginning of the game, and just have my guys ready to go.”


Kyrie Irving, one year ago this week after a loss:




Kyrie Irving, last night after a loss:



https://twitter.com/chrisgrenham/status/1217808078680346624/photo/1



bob



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[tjmakz]

One thing I have noticed about the Celtics this year is that they don't have many great shot opportunities near the basket.
Yes, they can get hot from outside, but sometimes when shots aren't falling, you need a lot of baskets at the rim.
I just looked and Boston is 26th in lay ups, 22nd in dunks and 4th in jump shots per game this year.
I think those numbers will have to become a little more balanced in order for Boston to go a long way in the playoffs.

[worcester]

Kyrie, what an asshole.

[tardust]

One thing I have noticed about the Celtics this year is that they don't have many great shot opportunities near the basket.
Yes, they can get hot from outside, but sometimes when shots aren't falling, you need a lot of baskets at the rim.
I just looked and Boston is 26th in lay ups, 22nd in dunks and 4th in jump shots per game this year.
I think those numbers will have to become a little more balanced in order for Boston to go a long way in the playoffs.

I agree 100%. We don't create for others much, get them the easy shot. That is one of the reasons I think the Lakers will come out of the west. They get tons of layups and dunks. Those point are 90% compared to 33% from three point line. I bet half of Lebron's assists are thrown at the rim to AD and DH. The Bucks also get to the rim.

[tardust]

One thing I have noticed about the Celtics this year is that they don't have many great shot opportunities near the basket.
Yes, they can get hot from outside, but sometimes when shots aren't falling, you need a lot of baskets at the rim.
I just looked and Boston is 26th in lay ups, 22nd in dunks and 4th in jump shots per game this year.
I think those numbers will have to become a little more balanced in order for Boston to go a long way in the playoffs.

I agree 100%. We don't create for others much, get them the easy shot. That is one of the reasons I think the Lakers will come out of the west. They get tons of layups and dunks. Those point are 90% compared to 33% from three point line. I bet half of Lebron's assists are thrown at the rim to AD and DH. The Bucks also get to the rim.

[NYCelt]

TJ,

You got it.

And it's at both ends. We're not getting it done in the paint either way.

Regards

[Shamrock1000]

Our defense was pretty terrible last night. However, we know this team can defend. Should be a fixable problem.

[mrkleen09]

Our defense was pretty terrible last night. However, we know this team can defend. Should be a fixable problem.

100%. The proclamations that the Lakers and Bucks are far ahead of this team are way overstated.

[worcester]

"April is the cruelest month." - TS Eliot

"January is the cruelest month." - Celtics fans

[dboss]

I thought the defense played hard but the pistons were still able to knock down shots. Case in point Marcus covering Rose , staying with every move, perfect defensive positioning and Rose drains the jumper. They made contested shots all night but the Celtics missed theirs. This game is and will always be about making buckets.

I see this as one game, one loss but nothing more than that.

Tonight the Celtics face a bigger challenge.

[jrleftfoot]

I thought the defense played hard but the pistons were still able to knock down shots.  Case in point Marcus covering Rose  , staying with every move, perfect defensive positioning and Rose drains the jumper.  They made contested shots all night but the Celtics missed theirs.  This game is and will always be about making buckets.

I see this as one game, one loss but nothing more than that.

Tonight the Celtics face a bigger challenge.  

                What a great career Derrick Rose could have had if he had been able to stay healthy.  He's playing well and I'm glad for him. Just wish it wasn't against us.

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