Early plot lines for the Celtics' season

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2017/10/murphy_early_plot_lines_for_the_celtics_season



Murphy: Early plot lines for the Celtics' season



Mark Murphy Sunday, October 15, 2017






TOUGH CUSTOMER: Marcus Smart (center) believes the Celtics will have plenty of defensive intensity this season even with the departures of Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder. Staff photo by Matt Stone



The shortened exhibition season, which drew a “hell yeah” stamp of approval from Kyrie Irving, was an NBA veteran’s dream.

But for a Celtics team with only four players from last year back on the roster, the laboratory phase of training camp left little room for the scientist, Brad Stevens, to review his findings.

The season begins Tuesday night in Cleveland, and for all sorts of reasons, the Celtics will be an unfinished product regardless of their 4-0 exhibition run. The Cavaliers, though not nearly as new — they got a lot older by adding Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose — also are mid-sculpt.

Are they still better than the Celtics? Probably for as long as LeBron James chooses to stay in Cleveland, and this season especially if Isaiah Thomas channels his new resentment of Danny Ainge into the drive necessary to return from his hip injury and flourish as the King’s new sidekick in the new year.

In the meantime, Irving has his hands on the wheel of Thomas’ old offense, which should be even more skillful, varied and efficient thanks to the additions of the 26-year-old ex-Cavs guard and the multi-faceted Gordon Hayward.

But with limited preparation time, Stevens knows what he puts on the floor this week will be a far cry from how the Celtics look next spring.

Talking specifically about Irving’s much-anticipated return to Cleveland on Tuesday, Stevens could have been talking about his entire lineup when he said, “I look at the season as a whole. Our goal is to be the best team you can be, and part of that is that you have to play through everything else.

“You have to play through the noise on the outside to focus on your task at hand. We won’t be a finished product Tuesday, so Tuesday will be great for us regardless. It will be a real challenge, and that’s part of it, not just for one person but for an entire team.”

Here are a few early plot lines.


New kind of magic

No one has forgotten what Thomas meant to this team last season, but the fact remained teams like Chicago in the playoffs were able to load up on the 5-foot-9 point guard. He persevered anyway — with an injury he admits he shouldn’t have played through — but the Celtics still were vulnerable when Thomas was anything other than record-breaking.

It’s a good question whether Thomas can reach that height again, especially as he recovers from a torn hip labrum. He’ll be just 29 in February, but Irving is younger and, yes, more proven during his six seasons. He’s probably the best finisher in the NBA and certainly has the best handle.

“I think I have a handle on all he’s capable of, and that’s a lot,” Stevens said. “He can do a lot more things with the ball, without the ball, he screens, he can cut. There’s a lot he can do besides just his ability to score in one-on-one situations. The hardest part for us right now is being connected in figuring out what each other does best and putting each other in the right position. But he does so many things well it’s hard to find a bad one.”


Less definition is more

Hayward said Wednesday he’s “far away” from feeling comfortable within Stevens’ evolving system, even if he knows the coach better than anyone. But the swing/point forward’s immersion is dependent on what else is happening on the floor. For one thing, the Celtics are less dependent on a point guard initiating the offense than ever, though Terry Rozier is doing some exciting things with the second unit. But the first seven likely players in the rotation — Irving, Al Horford, Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Rozier and Jayson Tatum — are all capable of driving the ball off a defensive rebound.

“Once everyone gets used to it, they’ll be able to focus on getting to their spots once people like me and Gordon get the rebound and bring it up,” Horford said.

Added Hayward: “Golden State does that too, where they put a lineup out there with all five guys who can get it and go. It makes your transition attack so much better because guys end up matched on the wrong people. You can push for early shots, early rim runs. If we get into the mindset of whoever gets it just goes, we’ll get a lot of good early looks.”


Will there be grit?

Smart takes it personally when the Celtics’ defensive blueprint is questioned. Last season, with Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, the team actually slipped defensively. But it still was considered a grit-first squad.

Smart’s response to this season’s doubters: “I think I was one of the guys who was out there defending last year.”

Smart already has shown he remains one of the most disruptive defenders in the league. Aron Baynes and Marcus Morris should help plug the Bradley/Crowder/Amir Johnson void, especially with physicality on the glass. But Stevens’ early warning is that everyone, guards included, have to clean up rebounds. The Celtics are fortunate to have one of the most active rebounding guards in basketball in Rozier.

There is a faint danger here, with all of the skill Ainge has added, of being labeled a finesse team.


East the right place

It’s a little surprising that more people don’t mention Washington or even Toronto as challengers to the Celtics’ status in the Eastern Conference.

There’s actually more talk of the C’s overtaking Cleveland for the top spot. In any event, the migration of talent to the West and the youthful nature of East teams continue to ensure the Celtics will play a lot of home games in the playoffs.


Pecking order

If Cleveland is their chief worry in the East, just how does this increasingly skilled and efficient lineup stack up against the other side of the country?

The Celtics are better equipped than ever to score at the Golden State Warriors’ pace, though the jury is out on how well they defend the Warriors. The matchup will be wonderful to watch again this season.

But the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder now have super teams, and there’s always the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics probably aren’t on equal footing with any of these teams yet, but they’re getting close.


Tuesday at Cleveland, 8 p.m. — As anticipated as this replay of the 2017 Eastern Conference finals is, it’s minor compared to the return of Kyrie Irving. He demanded a trade, and last week spoke glowingly of Boston while at the same time damning his former home with faint praise. He’s undoubtedly prepared for the reception.

Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m. — Not surprisingly, Irving freely has talked about this night, his regular-season debut in front of the Garden crowd. He can’t stop talking about that parquet floor and the banners. Count the Bucks as another team not as far behind the C’s as you might think.

Friday at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. — If Joel Embiid plays (his exhibition debut was profoundly team-changing), then you have an idea of how good this team can be. Coach Brett Brown said the playoffs are a realistic goal. A healthy, rich Embiid could make it happen.



bob



.

A lot of the Celtics' defensive prowess will depend on Brown's ability to lock-down opposing wings and guards. Smart-Brown-Roz is essentially replacing Smart-Bradley-Crowder.

Cleveland has talent, but they're not a young team. Boston is built to run your ass off the court for 4 quarters. Washington and Toronto have done nothing to make themselves better. These teams represent the biggest threats to Boston's success


KJ

k_j_88 wrote:A lot of the Celtics' defensive prowess will depend on Brown's ability to lock-down opposing wings and guards. Smart-Brown-Roz is essentially replacing Smart-Bradley-Crowder.

Cleveland has talent, but they're not a young team. Boston is built to run your ass off the court for 4 quarters. Washington and Toronto have done nothing to make themselves better. These teams represent the biggest threats to Boston's success


KJ

KJ,

Cavaliers

LeBron - 32, 33 December 30th
DRose - 29, and not his former self
Love - 29
Thompson - 26, 27 in March
Crowder - 27
IT - 28, 29 in February
DWade - 35, 36 in January
JR Smith - 32
Shumpert - 27
Korver - 36, 37 in March
Zizic - 20
Calderon - 36

There are, what I believe, are their top 12 minute getters. Their average age as of today is about 30. Obviously Zizic drags them way down. If he doesn't play much, however, their actual average PLAYING age goes up. IT brings them down a bit but he won't be playing for a awhile also. Average age of their likely top 8 players come playoffs (LBJ, Love, Thompson, IT, Jae, DRose, JR, Shumpert) is 29.5


Celtics

Irving - 25, 26 in March
Horford - 31
Hayward - 27, 28 in March
Brown - 20
Tatum - 19, 20 in March
Morris - 28
Rozier - 23, 24 in March
Smart - 23, 24 in March
Theis - 25, 26 in April
Baynes - 30, 31 in December
Yabby - 21, 22 in December
Larkin - 25 (I could have used Semi, but I used the older of the two to make us look as old as possible)

Average age = 25.6
Average age of likely top 8 players (KI, AH, GH, JB, MS, TR, AB, DT) by playoffs = 26.7 (I used Theis instead of Tatum to raise the age. Hard to say, we need another big more than another shooter, especially since Horford will be 31 1/2 by then. Also left out Morris. Hard getting down to .


bob


.

I'm not sure either Toronto improved themselves this off-season.

Toronto basically replaced Tucker and Carroll with CJ Miles and KJ McDaniels. Not exactly UPGRADES. and with their top 3 players being 31, 28 & 28YO, one could argue they already peaked as team last year or the year before.

Washington replaced Thornton , Burke and Ochefu with J. Meeks, T, Frazier and M. Scott. Looks like spinning the wheels to me with that group. BUT they did pay up for Porter and with their top 3 players being 27, 24& 24 YO they certainly have time to grow better. That's why I see the Wizards as the third best team in the east this year.

Seems like Toronto does not look as dangerous this year.  No upgrades to speak of.

Washington held serve. Also no upgrades to speak of.

I am very optimistic about the team we have but it still may take time to jell.

Boston should match up size wise with everyone since our backcourt is no longer undersized.  

Dboss