Isaiah Thomas reflects on series against Cleveland Cavaliers, says Boston Celtics 'want more' this year

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Isaiah Thomas reflects on series against Cleveland Cavaliers, says Boston Celtics 'want more' this year




Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) drives past Boston Celtics' Jae Crowder (99) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 5, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)


Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com



on April 05, 2016 at 8:00 AM, updated April 05, 2016 at 8:14 AM




BOSTON -- Before the first practice this season, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens sat at a podium in the team's facility and reflected on his first trip to the playoffs. He started off by reminding everyone the franchise has bigger dreams than a first-round sweep and calling the early exit "not a pleasant experience."

Yet even while remembering the disappointment, Stevens understood that for a young team, the postseason can serve as one heck of a classroom. He thought back, perhaps, to LeBron James charging into the middle of the Celtics defense or Tristan Thompson shedding another man for an offensive rebound. The Cleveland Cavaliers dispatched the Celtics quickly, illuminating strengths and weaknesses for everyone to see.

"It was a great learning experience for all of us," Stevens said back then. "And I thought it was something that even when we're here today (at media day) for the first time as a full team, you're reflecting back on some of those things right now. And it's hopefully a motivating thing that we didn't play as well once we got there (to the playoffs) as we wanted to. And also motivating from the standpoint that we did have some really good moments against the class of the East. And so we'll find out if we're able to take some of those lessons forward or not."

Eleven months later, Boston qualified for the playoffs again by topping the Los Angeles Lakers this weekend. Days before doing so, All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas sat in Portland's Moda Center and contemplated how last year's quick postseason appearance will benefit the Celtics this time around.

"Even though we got swept, our heads weren't down. We see what we're capable of," he said. "Three out of four games we had a chance to win at the end of the game, and we just couldn't capitalize on it. But then to see that team go to the NBA Finals and almost win a championship, that made us a little more confident.

"They're a really good team, so the mistakes you make, they capitalize on them. And to have arguably the best player in the world, you can't make too many mistakes. And then to beat as talented a team as them, you've got to be damn near perfect to win a game. Especially in the playoffs."

In his first playoff series, Thomas averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 assists against the Cavaliers, but never achieved his normal efficiency levels. The guard's field goal shooting (33.3 percent) and three-point shooting (16.7 percent) both fell miles below his normal marks. He thinks the Celtics need to improve their halfcourt execution "because in the playoffs the game slows down a lot, you don't get to get out and run a lot."

"That, and just the inexperience," said Thomas. "That was everybody's, for the most part, a lot of guys' first time playing. We didn't know what to expect. But now we kind of know what to expect. And we just want to capitalize on every opportunity and be ready for whatever comes our way.

"Just the experience. Seeing what playoff basketball is like and knowing how serious every possession is. Just being a fan of the game before and always hearing, like, 'Man, every possession is serious. You can't take plays off.' It's that serious. It helped us in a lot of ways, knowing that even though we got swept, we were still confident in ourselves. And we came back like, 'Man, we want more.' We want to win a playoff game. And not just a game. We want to win a playoff series. And we feel like we're good enough to do that."

The Celtics held the No. 4 spot in the East after the conclusion of Monday night's games, but the middle of the conference is tight enough they could reasonably fall anywhere from third to sixth. Regardless of whether they earn homecourt advantage, they have already built on last year's surprising post-All-Star break run with a chance soon to showcase all the lessons they learned.

"I think the East is clearly better, and everybody that's in the mix to be in the playoffs has had to improve just to be in the mix," Stevens said. "So I feel good about the progress but I think we still have a long way to go."



bob
MY NOTE:  This sentence here is what I've been saying all year, "Yet even while remembering the disappointment, Stevens understood that for a young team, the postseason can serve as one heck of a classroom."  You can move up in the draft, you can trade post draft, you can sign free agents but you cannot buy playoff experience for a team.  The team has to earn it and play those minutes to have it make an impact on their individual and collective development.

And what quality free agent wants to sign with a team that can't even make the playoffs in a league where more than 50% of the teams make the playoffs?


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Bob, are you saying the Philly's strategy is somehow flawed? But they have all those top draft pick superstars to be.

worcester wrote:Bob, are you saying the Philly's strategy is somehow flawed?  But they have all those top draft pick superstars to be.

worcester,

I'm willing to wait a few years to see how the pot cooks but, if I had to fish-or-cut-bait today, I'd agree that the Philly strategy is "flawed" only if the word 'fatally' is included.


bob


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A lot of tingue in cheek with my remark...

worcester wrote:A lot of tingue in cheek with my remark...

Worcester,

My tongue wasn't in my cheek. It was sticking out and blowing a raspberry at Sam Hinkie.


bob


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Poor Sam Hinkie. Imagine the raspberries and nicknames he suffered as a school boy with that name: Pinkie, Dinkie, Finkie, Rinkie-Dinkie, Winkie, Blinken and Nod...

I live down near Philly, and all of the Philly fans I know have given up on the 'ers (Yes, they are often called the "'ers" having lost the ability to call themselves by their birth name-76ers) and their plan to rebuild their team.  Losing terribly every year for at least four years without showing any type of improvement has done them all in.

Just think how disappointed we all would be if the Cs were still in danger of not even winning 12% of their games in only three years since Pierce and Garnett were traded?  The 'ers have been absolutely tanking for at least four season with nothing to show for it.  I have no reason to question even one of the 'ers fans who have left them.

Now if they were gaining ground with at least some progress things could be different.  But, even with all of these high first round picks they are still in "nowheresville". Cripes, they have had one such high draft pick not play a second yet, another high first round pick already traded away and now are rumored to have Okafor on the trade block.  Hard to think that even two more high picks this year would make a difference.

I think that it is time for the NBA to step in and take over the ownership and day to day operations this team as they are a total embarrassment to the rest of the league.  Ask all the owners to see how much they are losing each and every night the 'ers come to town.

One good point about the Philly Phalure is that I really laugh when some of our Cs fans find time to rip Ainge apart for what he is doing in Boston.

" I really laugh when some of our Cs fans find time to rip Ainge apart for what he is doing in Boston."

Me too. It's hysterically ridiculous.