Post Game Thread - vs Brooklyn Nets, Away

[bobheckler]

If we won this game it was because of Jae Crowder. If we lost this game it would have been because of Marcus Smart.

GREAT game by Crowder, one of his best as a Celtic. He did it on both ends. Our shooting went UP to 40% by the end of the game but we were shooting 36% after 1, 36.4% at the half and 39.7% after 3. Fortunately, we were playing the Nyets who only shot 36%. 24 points on 7-11, 4-7 from 3 and 14 boards. Every time our lack of offense threatened to derail the train he hit a big shot.

20 assists on 34fgm is good, 59%, so we didn't miss IT there, we just couldn't put the ball in the hoop after the pass most of the time.

Smart with 3-14 shooting. I have NO idea what would make the worst shooter in the NBA think that just because the #2 scorer in the NBA is out that means that translates into him taking over 50% more shots. This was Smart's opportunity to show he could be a starting NBA point guard. He failed. He used the opportunity to play to his weakness on offense, shooting, and away from his strength on offense, passing. 5 assists and 2 TOs are not impressive numbers for a player who not only played 29 minutes but was the primary ball handler. He has no conscience. None. There have been lots of NBA players with no conscience who were high volume shooters (e.g. Kobe, MJ, Bird, Gervin, West), but they were all good shooters. High volume shooters who are not good shooters usually don't stay in the league. I have given up on him becoming anything more than good (maybe great) post up shooter, an acceptable (but not good) penetrating shooter and an awful outside shooter. He keeps teasing us by hitting a few and making us think he's finally straightened his shot out, but over the season ball don't lie. He is shooting 37% on the season, which is only marginally better than his career 36.2% (both of which are awful). He is shooting 28.5% from 3 which is worse than his career 29.2% (both of which are awful). This is not to diminish his other great basketball attributes, but I've come to the point where I no longer believe that he can/will grow into a starting role. He's not that good of a point guard and he certainly isn't a scorer. He's a defensive anchor, and that's great, we can always use one of them, and his ganas is awesome to behold, but being a starter means you have to contribute to the score without creating a ton of empty possessions while doing it. One thing I'll say for Marcus Smart's game last night: he went to the line for 4 ftas in the last minute or two and he sank all 4. That was very clutch. Bradley went to the line for 2 ftas, hitting both would have iced the game, but he missed his first allowing for that drama-filled last 9 seconds.

Both Kelly and Gerald Green were very good off the bench. Green with 11 points on 4-8 in 17 minutes and Kelly with 9 points on 4-6 and 6 boards in 19 minutes. When those two are aggressively looking for their shot we are a better team. Last night we needed both of them.

A lot of people have expressed some buyer's remorse for Al Horford and his max contract this year. Last night he showed his leadership in crunch time in IT's absence (and Jae). He was 2-8 at halftime and 3-11 after 3, so he was having as bad a shooting night as Marcus Smart, and that's hard to believe. He ended up 6-16, meaning he went 3-5 in the 4th quarter. He had 4 assists and 1 TO and 4 blocks. In the huddles he was telling people to play hard and that's what he did himself.

If Smart's 3-14 was bad what can we say about Terry Rozier's 0-8? An amazing rebounder for his size. Amazing! He had 6 last night, 2 offensive, in 23 minutes and kept a few others alive that others retrieved. But he is shooting 36.4% on the year. He is getting to the rim but isn't finishing well. He still rushes his shot a bit too. His shot discipline is only slightly better than Smart's and that's a sad, sad statement to make. He grabbed an amazing traffic offensive rebound and then was foolish enough to try and put it straight back up with 3 tall trees right there. Didn't work, he got blocked, of course, because he is still only 6'2". When Brooklyn missed at the other end (of course!) he tried to make up for his dumb decision to not take that rebound out and reset by launching a quick, ill-advised 3 which did not go in. Brooklyn grabbed that miss and did score on the next time down. I love Rozier's heart, I love his defense, I ADORE his rebounding, but he's another shooting question mark. If a team is going to have Smart and Rozier then they better have an aggressively shooting Green and Kelly every night and not just from time-to-time like they are now.

A win is a win is a win and, because Washington won, we needed a win however ugly.

8. The Magic Number for the Nyets to secure the worst record in the league and give us the best shot at #1 is now down to 8 since the Lackeys lost at home to Milwaukee.

St. Patty's Day, and the Celtics won on the road with chants of "Let's Go Celtics" raining down on them from a very Celtic-supportive crowd (if you were a Nyets fan would you want to go to the games and watch those bums?). The world is right again but if we play like this in Philly on Sunday it might not be. The Sixers aren't the Nyets anymore.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900417



bob


.

[cowens/oldschool]

very accurate analysis bob of the game and Smart, saw a few minutes here and there, I was scouting Duke and Kansas, both their elite players looked great, Tatum had 4 blocks and looks like a 6'8" Pierce clone on offense, Josh Jackson is a fluid Pippen/Drexler like athlete. I think he can play a PG role similar to James Harden or a young Penny Hardaway with better defense.

On Smart, I don't know if it was just a bad game overall, but agree he should have more than 5 assists on a night hes the primary ball handler, and on a night his shot isn't falling, he should be living in the paint, not taking more 3's. If he is Tony Allen with a better post up and ball handling/passing game, I'm fine with that, butt hes got to know his limitations....in other words stop jacking up so many shots !!!

[bobheckler]

Brian Robb @CelticsHub
about 4 hours ago
Celtics have been 4th best defensive team in the league since the All-Star Break. Also up to 12th for the season.
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Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 14 hours ago
MOST WINS - NBA (Last 3 months) 1. Washington - 32 2. BOSTON - 31 Golden State - 31 San Antonio - 31 (Wizards @ Celtics Monday)
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(MY NOTE:  But Washington hasn't had to deal like we did with our injuries to Bradley, Horford, etc. We have one less win than them and they have been healthy the whole time)



Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 14 hours ago
With a win Sunday in Philadelphia, Brad Stevens, who started 41-87 as Celtics coach, would have his career record back to .500. 158-158.
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Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
"It was almost like home court adv. for us," Crowder says of the large presence of C's fans. "We heard all the 'Let's go Celtics' chants."
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bob



.

[beat]

would have liked to see Rozier start and Smart come off the bench

beat

[RosalieTCeltics]

To me, Smart is not a starter. I have reservations about Rozier, but I think starting him would have been a better move. Smart would not stop shooting, and it was, in my opinion, a game that really showed his shortcomings. He is a terrific defensive player, has had great games for them this year, but everytime he has a decent shooting night i cringe because I know that this will come back and haunt them at some point. The one thing I will say is he is becoming a pretty consistent free throw shooer, hitting alot of his shots so having him in in crunch time is not a bad thing.

Jaylen Brown was not his usual aggressive self last night. I hope it was just a one night rookie bad game. He has been so dependable in the last few weeks that we forget he is a rookie.

Rosalie

[dboss]

Neither Marcus nor Rozier are starting quality Pg's.  However I agree with both Beat and Rosie that Rozier would have been a better fit in the starting lineup.

I thought Green was the MVP for us.  Brad plays him sparingly yet he comes in and makes shots.  I thought his defense on Foye was game changing.  Yes Crowder played exceptionally well and won the Tommy Award.  He has not exactly been shooting well as of late.  On the other hand, Green is in and out of the rotation like the sun on a partly cloudy day.  Yet he seems to deliver in most games where he has opportunity.

I am one of those contrary fans that has a mild negative reaction to the way AH has played this year.  He was 6-16 Last night and that is not good offensive night by any measure.  I thought both AB and KO played well.

Brown, Rozier and Jerebko went scoreless in the game.  

I am very happy that we won this game.  

Fultz may address our bu PG/SG issue as both Smart and Rozier are who I thought they were.  Two guards with no J.

dboss

[worcester]

Smart is not helpful to Brown. Won't pass him the ball. Bad combo.

[hawksnestbeach]

Worcester, I agree. I think Smart knows Brown is already a superior player and doesn't like it. Hawk

[swish]

Add his 2 lousy shooting years at OKLAHOMA STATE to his 3 with the Celts and the notion that he may forever be a low percentage shooter becomes a possibility. Generally speaking - how well you shoot in college goes on to be the niche that you carve out in the pros.
College career - 2 years
Overall fg% - .413
3p% - .295

swish

[worcester]

I'm ok with Smart continuing as a Celt, but he must be disciplined not to shoot like he has been doing so wantonly. He also has to agree to share the ball with Jalen. Otherwise I say trade him for value.

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