POST GAME CHICAGO - AWAY

Celtics Wrap: Boston Dominates Struggling Bulls Without Kyrie Irving

NESN by Nicholas Goss on Mon, Mar 5, 2018 at 10:08PM

The Boston Celtics crushed the Chicago Bulls early and never looked back. The C’s led Monday night’s game by 20-plus points throughout and earned a decisive 105-89 win at the United Center. Despite the absence of star point guard Kyrie Irving (knee soreness), Boston still scored more than 100 points, including five players scoring in double-digits, led by Jaylen Brown’s 21. The Celtics improve to 45-20 with the victory, while the Bulls fall to 21-42. Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE PG: Shane Larkin SG: Jaylen Brown SF: Jayson Tatum PF: Al Horford C: Aron Baynes

HOT START The Celtics attacked the paint early and often, as illustrated in the graphic below. This strategy proved effective as Boston jumped out to a 16-5 lead. The Celtics opened the game on a 7-0 run. The Bulls got within 7-5 and then the C’s went on a 19-0 spurt before Chicago scored to make it a 26-7 deficit. Brown was the star of the opening 12 minutes. He scored 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting and pulled down two rebounds. Horford chipped in nine first-quarter points on 4-for-6 shooting. Boston led 35-16 after its most dominant first quarter of the season. In fact, the Celtics’ 19-point lead tied their largest in a first quarter all year.

KEEPING THE LEAD The Celtics went into halftime up 55-29. Horford (11 points), Tatum (11 points) and Brown (14 points) combined to shoot 15-for-23 and led the way offensively as the only players for either team to score in double-digits in the half. The C’s actually scored more points in the paint (30) than the Bulls had in the entire half (29). Boston’s defense also was brilliant. It held Chicago to 28.9 percent shooting overall and 25 percent from 3-point range. David Nwaba, Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine all paced the Bulls with seven points apiece.

MORE OF THE SAME The third quarter saw the C’s increase their lead to more than 30, and the Bulls’ couldn’t help but poke some fun at themselves at the end of the quarter. The C’s had their largest lead of the season (37 points) at one point in the third quarter. Brown upped his scoring output to a game-high 21 points after scoring seven in the third. The bench also became more of a factor for the C’s, led by Greg Monroe’s 10 points.

FINISHING THE WIN The C’s emptied their bench up 30-plus points in the fourth quarter, as rookies Semi Ojeleye, Abdel Nader and Daniel Theis all received a lot of playing time. The Bulls outscored the C’s 36-19 over the final 12 minutes, but it was too little, too late.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT Tatum scores in traffic.

UP NEXT The Celtics will travel to Minnesota for a Thursday night game against the Timberwolves at 8 p.m. ET.

112288

Probably the easiest win of the year. They've had some nice games since the break

The sky is falling, the sky is....oh, wait. They have won 4 out of 5 since the break? Gotcha.

Pictures of baby harp seals being clubbed came to mind watching this game.

Their garbage time players are better than ours.  Their claim to fame. Credit to the fans for staying in their seats all the way through and yelling "Let's Go Bulls!" til the end. Markannen, LaVine, Dunn. Not a bad future core, but we've got an even better future core and we've also got veterans for now.

Despite Smart going 2-7, TRo going 4-11 and Semi and Nader going a combined 0-6 we still went 48.8% for the game.  That is very efficient offense.

I was happy to see Brad go big.  I was wondering if he would ever go big.  In fact, after hearing him say that if Hayward was healthy we'd be going smaller even more often I was starting to wonder if Brad even knows what "going big" means. Chicago's "bigs", now that they've benched Robin Lopez "to develop the young players" (aka "Tanking for Ayton") are stretch 5 7'0", 230# beanpole rookie Laurie Markannen and Bobby Portis.  7'0", 230#?! Olynyk was 7'0", 238# when he came into the league and was considered underweight for his size and position. I like Bobby Portis. Not his best game last night but he's usually pretty good, he plays hard and he is fiercely competitive. Just ask Nikola Mirotic. Brad could have responded by going smaller but he didn't.  Instead he pounded them into paste inside with Baynes, Horford and Monroe.  46 points in the paint for us vs 26.  Lovely.  What's even better is that after 3 quarters (the entire 4th quarter was officially garbage time with Nader starting the 4th for us and playing all 12 minutes of it, from the first few minutes to then was just plain ol' garbage) it was 42-16, meaning that it wasn't even as close as where it ended up.

Solid job by Sugar Shane Larkin, starting for Kyrie.  Is he an NBA starter?  No, but he showed he can play against starters, even if they are on one of the league's worst teams.

Jaylen Brown just dominated everybody last night, physically.  So strong.  Finishing around the hoop, finishing through contact.  Brown took 13fgas last night but only 4 of them were from outside.  The rest were inside and he went 5-6 from there.  

A good game for Kyrie to sit out.  Could be trouble if he's out for Minny but I think Butler is still out for them.  ???

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400975699





bob



.

mrkleen09 wrote:The sky is falling, the sky is....oh, wait.  They have won 4 out of 5 since the break?  Gotcha.

well, Smart is back....case closed!!

Well it was pretty easy to see my mistake last night. Once again, without a star player, the Celtics dominated. They did so by playing the way so many of us have been wanting. They played team ball and crushed the Bulls.

This is the team we would have had this season plus IT. The glaring weakness of no support for IT in last year's playoffs resulted in the near total makeover of the roster this season. Which is a brighter prospect? This team with IT or with Kyrie? No doubt in my mindz. Good luck in LA. or wherever you end up backing up your personalized HumVee.

But this is the right way to play. Kyrie is not a problem and the team is better with him playing "but this is the right way to play."  It's play like this that can hide Smarts putrid shooting yet allow him to be on the floor for all the good that he brings to the team.

The steal of FA is back. This Euro unknown isn't unknown any longer. From opposing announcers to fans of good basketball, everyone likes Theis.

So Kyrie sits and TRo, who had recently said he should be a starter, got the start and went off for a triple double and then a career high. He is now producing on a consistent basis.

So Kyrie sits and we all thing that mebbe TRo gets the start again, or surely Mahcus. But no, just back from injury Shane Larkin gets the start. He shines in this kind of situation. The ball moved, players moved and 3for3from3. 3mendous!

The second season is fast approaching. All those who have been holding back your comments, next month is your turn to shine. April is almost here. Being in the here and now I'm excited by what I'm seeing.

TRo had high minutes with 31. That's fantastic. When Al and the other starters don't have to put up big minutes in these final games they will be well rested and injury free for the playoffs.  

Brad's teams always play better after the all star break.

Next up is Minnysota on the "Drive to the Playoffs" Tour.

I loved seeing the offense being carried by the 2 J’s.

Jaylen would easily be putting up bigger numbers in a different situation, glad he and Tatum are with us, he can score in such a variety of ways. We need some players representing on the all defensive teams, I would think Jaylen, Al and Smart should all be on one of the 2 teams with Al as a 4 and Jaylen at the 2 or 3 and Smart at one of the guard positions. We have such a deep team, Kyrie can take time off and this team will keep rolling, our defense is actually better. Great to see 2 moose’s that can pound in the paint in Monroe and Baynes. Love having a legit post big in Monroe, we’ve got all the ingredients percolating for a deep playoff run, our depth and versatility is gonna be great to witness/flaunt come playoffs. Love watching Jayson and Jaylen take it end to end....

I forgot to mention, this was the highlight of the game...

https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/971028184643842050



bob



.

This has been a very exciting season.

Two guys that are on my radar are Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown.

Terry has become a solid double digit scorer for Boston. He has almost doubled his 5.5 PPG average from last year. He is a solid defensive player and an outstanding rebounder for his size. Terry does not make a lot of mistakes on the court.

When I look at Jaylen I see him as a potential 18-20 PPG scorer. In order to reach that level he has to shoot his free throws at a higher level. Last month his free throw shooting took a big jump to .750%. His ball handling is getting better as evidenced by the way he is able to get to the rim. He also has enough strength to finish through contact. He is turning into an offensive weapon. If you ask him he will tell you that he will get better and understands that work has to be put in.

What a great group of young talented players Danny Ainge has drafted. (includes Smart and Tatum)

If Danny is able to retain this great core of young talent they will be contenders for a long time.

dboss wrote:

When I look at Jaylen I see him as a potential 18-20 PPG scorer.  In order to reach that level he has to shoot his free throws at a higher level.  Last month his free throw shooting took a big jump to .750%.  His ball handling is getting better as evidenced by the way he is able to get to the rim.  He also has enough strength to finish through contact.  He is turning into an offensive weapon.  If you ask him he will tell you that he will get better and understands that work has to be put in.

+1

10 years ago, when Gerald Green won the slam dunk contest as a young player - it likely hurt his career, as it had him believing he had arrived and didnt need to work as hard as he had to get there. I see Jaylen and his time at All Star weekend, exactly the opposite. He gained confidence yes, but also gained an understanding of how far he still has to go.

He finished at the rim last night a couple of times against Portis - who is a strong, aggressive PF/C. If he can continue to add strength and play with intent and purpose, he will turn himself into an elite player for a decade or more.

mrkleen09 wrote:

dboss wrote:

When I look at Jaylen I see him as a potential 18-20 PPG scorer.  In order to reach that level he has to shoot his free throws at a higher level.  Last month his free throw shooting took a big jump to .750%.  His ball handling is getting better as evidenced by the way he is able to get to the rim.  He also has enough strength to finish through contact.  He is turning into an offensive weapon.  If you ask him he will tell you that he will get better and understands that work has to be put in.

+1

10 years ago, when Gerald Green won the slam dunk contest as a young player - it likely hurt his career, as it had him believing he had arrived and didnt need to work as hard as he had to get there.  I see Jaylen and his time at All Star weekend, exactly the opposite.  He gained confidence yes, but also gained an understanding of how far he still has to go.

He finished at the rim last night a couple of times against Portis - who is a strong, aggressive PF/C.  If he can continue to add strength and play with intent and purpose, he will turn himself into an elite player for a decade or more.

Kleen

+2

From an athletic point of view Green was the other Ultra athlete that Danny drafted. Green did not have the high basketball IQ that Jaylen has. Green thought he could just dunk his way into stardom.

Brown on the other hand, has the profile of what every team wants in a player. He is an absolute stud both physically and mentally.

Looking at the remaining schedule, there are a lot of days off in-between games. That will not only help the team stay fresh, perhaps there will be less chance of injuries.

If these guys are healthy and ready to go, they can truly beat anyone. Horford and Baynes need to be kept fresh for the playoffs. Monroe needs minutes to keep gelling with the team and to maybe play his way into shape. I've seen comments that he needs to lose a few pounds. I don't know, but he looks strong and healthy.

There's really only one more back to back because the second one will be the last game of the season against a scrub team. The seeding should already be established. If not, it is only one game.

The weeks off before and after London did not help. We all saw that. The week off from the break helped. It seems a lot of the problem was there was not enough team clicking. Brad was starting to get frustrated. But the team made it through the adversity.

A lot to do with a deep playoff run will be jitters or lack of such. Say they make it to the finals. Golden State will most likely be there and it could feel overwhelming. I'm thinking last year against Cleveland.

But it's a new roster except for four guys. Kyrie Irving is a proven clutch player who does not wilt in the spotlight. I think Horford is the key, imho. He is at the age where it is now or never to lead a team to glory. He has a few more years before his contract is up. He will still be good, but eventually and soon he will start to wind down. Everyone is waiting for LeBron to do that. Thankfully he tanked the Cleveland roster, so I'm not too worried about the Cavs.

Toronto and Houston are another story and of course the Warriors. The first two I think the C's are even with and only GS makes me wonder if thinking of a Cinderella title is fool's gold. It's one thing to speak of a puncher's chance, but if they get pounded in the finals, that will leave a bad taste.

And of course even if that happens, there will truly be a positive wait 'til next year with older Brown and Tatum. Hayward will definitely be back by then.

The championship contending window has begun unless Golden State is everyone's daddy and nothing can change that.

All these guys took leaps just in time. Jaylen is nailing free throws. Smart is much better since coming back. Terry has been mentioned. Theis has forced his way into being an important cog in the rotation, unlike what happened with Zeller and Jerebko usually on the bubble. Morris finally got healthy and is producing in the ball hog, scorer role. I like Monroe because he is a team player who likes to pass. I have seen some good defense from him so far. I do think the way the Celtics are structured that individual player skills are maximized within the team concept. This is a close team considering only four of them were on the roster last year.

I expect a strong close out by Boston and that nearly everyone who has been thinking bridge year might ask for a sip or two of the green Kool-Aid.

I bet if you asked every Celtic player if they thought they could win this year, they would say yes.

Before the trade deadline I was concerned that the bench was simply not going to be able to score enough points. Danny got a great deal after the Monroe buyout and stood firm in his belief that a rental player was not worthy of a 1st round pick.

In the end Danny addressed the biggest weakness on the team - acquiring a center that can score in the post and rebound the basketball.

What has taken place this year is pretty amazing. It is not often that multiple young players develop so quickly. The bench no longer looks like an offensive mess.

The Celtics have enough talent at every position to win this year. They have a coach that expects great things from the team but is subtle enough to focus only one game at a time. Make no mistake, the Celtics are not likely to play second fiddle to any team. They do not look up in awe at any team.

There are 4-5 elite teams but Boston is the only one among the group that can grind a team down at both ends. The offense has become a high powered offense that can play with any team. The defense is top 2.

Over the remaining 17 games I expect Boston to get even better.

There is no way that anyone can view this season as a bridge year. Not now given what we have seen.

Regarding Jaylen Brown's ascendance, one thing that All Star back court players usually do, and do well, is get to the line and shoot a respectably high frito percentage.

Here are some of this year's all star guards:

Player.........................ftas/36mpg........ft%.........points from fts/36
Jaylen Brown.............3.7......................62.1.......2.3
Jimmy Butler.............6.8.......................86.5......5.9
Bradley Beal..............4.7......................79.5.......3.7
Goran Dragic.............4.3......................77.5.......3.3
Victor Oladipo...........5.5......................80.3.......4.4
*all players play over 30mpg

Not one of those other players shoot <4ftas/36 and not one of them shoot <75%.

Admittedly the other players are designated shooters on their teams and that drives up their scoring numbers and that's what gets them on the All Star team, but Brown could get another frito or two more per game by attacking the basket instead of just catch-and-shooting but he needs to up his %.  

Two more fritos/game more, shoot 75% on all of them, and 2 more fgas/game and we are talking All Star worthy numbers.



bob


.

Marcus's move was the highlight move of the night, even Brad walked up and down the floor chuckling.

There are some tough teams left on the schedule, with Toronto on there twice, probably two of the biggest games of the season. Indiana can be tough also.

The young guys are coming on, just want them to take their time and not peak too soon. Monroe has been a piece we have been looking for for three years. The more he plays, the better he gets. Being on such a highly competitive team has to motivate him to the levels we saw when he first started. I know everyone is worried about Al, I am not. He will come on strong soon. We are a better team with him on the bench. I know there are some who disagree, to each his own. I think Al is extremely important for success.

Minnesota is going to be tough, Wiggins playing better ball with Butler out. Townes is a handful. So, bring them on, lets see how we handle this challenge

I believe in Al Horford, but he can't bounce around like he's 25 and play all 82 games. I figure Brad will play it straight against those few top opponents left and then the rest he can fiddle and diddle. Give that guy a day off. Anyone with even a small boo boo will get time off to get to 100%. Now is the time to both preserve stamina and compete a little for the top seed. Regular seasons mean nothing. I mean, they mean a lot, but the playoffs are the final exam and usually override everything, unless there is an injury card or it just wasn't the year. The Celtics are a strong road team. Winning the top seed last year didn't mean much. It was nice to happen. The Patriots won every game and then lost the Super Bowl. Let Houston have its glory now and let's see what happens to them when it matters.

dboss wrote:

mrkleen09 wrote:

dboss wrote:

When I look at Jaylen I see him as a potential 18-20 PPG scorer.  In order to reach that level he has to shoot his free throws at a higher level.  Last month his free throw shooting took a big jump to .750%.  His ball handling is getting better as evidenced by the way he is able to get to the rim.  He also has enough strength to finish through contact.  He is turning into an offensive weapon.  If you ask him he will tell you that he will get better and understands that work has to be put in.

+1

10 years ago, when Gerald Green won the slam dunk contest as a young player - it likely hurt his career, as it had him believing he had arrived and didnt need to work as hard as he had to get there.  I see Jaylen and his time at All Star weekend, exactly the opposite.  He gained confidence yes, but also gained an understanding of how far he still has to go.

He finished at the rim last night a couple of times against Portis - who is a strong, aggressive PF/C.  If he can continue to add strength and play with intent and purpose, he will turn himself into an elite player for a decade or more.

Kleen

+2

From an athletic point of view Green was the other Ultra athlete that Danny drafted.  Green did not have the high basketball IQ that Jaylen has.  Green thought he could just dunk his way into stardom.  

Brown on the other hand, has the profile of what every team wants in a player.  He is an absolute stud both physically and mentally.  

I have a different take on Gerald Green. He was drafted right out of high school (one of the last of the high schoolers to be drafted) and the prior inadequate coaching that he received was a major reason why he lacked the knowledge of organized team play when he 1st joined the C's. With the absence of appropriate coaching, he was ignorant of the fundamentals. I can still remember seeing Doc Rivers besides himself with frustration when Green messed up back then. Where before he could simply rely on his basketball skills and sheer athletic abilities to be successful (he was most often probably the best player on the court), the NBA is the highest level of competition and it became overwhelming as he had to also learn for the 1st time the basics that most other players already had in their possession. It was a steep learning curve to climb, thus he was at a great disadvantage on know-how compared to other players. So it really wasn't that he thought he could just dunk his way into stardom - it was that he could only rely on and play with what he had at that time, his skills and abilities, sans the fundamental knowledge.

As a consequence, he bounced around the league for a while, played in the D League, then overseas. He eventually learned and absorbed the knowledge that he needed through experience to get back into the NBA while he already had the requisite skills and abilities. You could say that he was a true journeyman who developed and honed his game during his long journey back. I was hoping the C's would have signed him again for a 3rd time when he was recently available as he is capable of putting up pts. in bunches, plus he was already familiar with Brad's system. I wish him the best - he was a true team player when he was with the C's last year - he's basically a good guy, notwithstanding his recent misguided foray to the Clippers' locker room that was led by Chris Paul.

On the other hand, Jaylen Brown had the good fortune to be able to develop under superior coaching systems - that 1 year of playing college hoops at Cal gave him a solid foundation to build on. That is a significant difference from Gerald Green's environment. Regardless, Brown is a stud who has yet to realize his true potential and ceiling. I can only imagine if Gerald Green had the same tutelage and coaching as Brown had - what kind of player he could have become.

Cal`s system was , imo , a detriment to Brown`s development . They clogged the  paint and left few driving lanes. He retrogressed in college , which was why he was available.

Sandpd wrote:

dboss wrote:

mrkleen09 wrote:

dboss wrote:

When I look at Jaylen I see him as a potential 18-20 PPG scorer.  In order to reach that level he has to shoot his free throws at a higher level.  Last month his free throw shooting took a big jump to .750%.  His ball handling is getting better as evidenced by the way he is able to get to the rim.  He also has enough strength to finish through contact.  He is turning into an offensive weapon.  If you ask him he will tell you that he will get better and understands that work has to be put in.

+1

10 years ago, when Gerald Green won the slam dunk contest as a young player - it likely hurt his career, as it had him believing he had arrived and didnt need to work as hard as he had to get there.  I see Jaylen and his time at All Star weekend, exactly the opposite.  He gained confidence yes, but also gained an understanding of how far he still has to go.

He finished at the rim last night a couple of times against Portis - who is a strong, aggressive PF/C.  If he can continue to add strength and play with intent and purpose, he will turn himself into an elite player for a decade or more.

Kleen

+2

From an athletic point of view Green was the other Ultra athlete that Danny drafted.  Green did not have the high basketball IQ that Jaylen has.  Green thought he could just dunk his way into stardom.  

Brown on the other hand, has the profile of what every team wants in a player.  He is an absolute stud both physically and mentally.  

I have a different take on Gerald Green. He was drafted right out of high school (one of the last of the high schoolers to be drafted) and the prior inadequate coaching that he received was a major reason why he lacked the knowledge of organized team play when he 1st joined the C's. With the absence of appropriate coaching, he was ignorant of the fundamentals. I can still remember seeing Doc Rivers besides himself with frustration when Green messed up back then. Where before he could simply rely on his basketball skills and sheer athletic abilities to be successful (he was most often probably the best player on the court), the NBA is the highest level of competition and it became overwhelming as he had to also learn for the 1st time the basics that most other players already had in their possession. It was a steep learning curve to climb, thus he was at a great disadvantage on know-how compared to other players. So it really wasn't that he thought he could just dunk his way into stardom - it was that he could only rely on and play with what he had at that time, his skills and abilities, sans the fundamental knowledge.

As a consequence, he bounced around the league for a while, played in the D League, then overseas. He eventually learned and absorbed the knowledge that he needed through experience to get back into the NBA while he already had the requisite skills and abilities. You could say that he was a true journeyman who developed and honed his game during his long journey back. I was hoping the C's would have signed him again for a 3rd time when he was recently available as he is capable of putting up pts. in bunches, plus he was already familiar with Brad's system. I wish him the best - he was a true team player when he was with the C's last year - he's basically a good guy, notwithstanding his recent misguided foray to the Clippers' locker room that was led by Chris Paul.

On the other hand, Jaylen Brown had the good fortune to be able to develop under superior coaching systems - that 1 year of playing college hoops at Cal gave him a solid foundation to build on. That is a significant difference from Gerald Green's environment. Regardless, Brown is a stud who has yet to realize his true potential and ceiling. I can only imagine if Gerald Green had the same tutelage and coaching as Brown had - what kind of player he could have become.

Sandpd,

Exactly right, in my opinion.

Green is a perfect example of the reason high school to NBA is too risky to be worthwhile.

He came into the league with very advanced athletic skills, but only high school knowledge of the game. HS and some 17U AAU play aren't going to provide the fundamentals needed. At least a year of D1 ball is a major difference maker. Remember Charles Barkley's quote aimed at Green, and repeated about similar young players? "Run like deer, jump like deer, think like deer." Green got his basketball education and has stuck around thanks to his rare athleticism, but he had to learn on the job. Most would be long gone from the league. To expand on Barkley's analogy, most players like Green are just as likely to get hit by a car trying to cross the road (to the NBA).

As we know, Brown is a thinking man to begin with. Even a short time at a high collegiate level is going to make a significant difference with a player like him. I think you could make the argument that had he stayed in college longer, he might have hit the NBA even better suited for the game. He had the academic ability and intellect to allow him to stick around, which is far too seldom the case. Hard to resist following the money. He's developing nicely in Boston, and that's fantastic for us Celtic faithful, but it would have also been fun to watch him in a second year at Cal.

Regards

bobheckler wrote:Regarding Jaylen Brown's ascendance, one thing that All Star back court players usually do, and do well, is get to the line and shoot a respectably high frito percentage.

Here are some of this year's all star guards:

Player.........................ftas/36mpg........ft%.........points from fts/36
Jaylen Brown.............3.7......................62.1.......2.3
Jimmy Butler.............6.8.......................86.5......5.9
Bradley Beal..............4.7......................79.5.......3.7
Goran Dragic.............4.3......................77.5.......3.3
Victor Oladipo...........5.5......................80.3.......4.4
*all players play over 30mpg

Not one of those other players shoot <4ftas/36 and not one of them shoot <75%.

Admittedly the other players are designated shooters on their teams and that drives up their scoring numbers and that's what gets them on the All Star team, but Brown could get another frito or two more per game by attacking the basket instead of just catch-and-shooting but he needs to up his %.  

Two more fritos/game more, shoot 75% on all of them, and 2 more fgas/game and we are talking All Star worthy numbers.



bob


.

Don't look now but it appears Jaylen has improved his free throw shooting.  67% in January, 75% in February and 100% in March

I agree totally on your summation of Green's travels in the basketball world. When he came back here last year, he admitted that he needed to learn to play the game the right way, within a team, not on his own with his skills. He had no anger in his voice at all when interviewed about his career. He accepted whatever happened and moved on. He has spoken highly about his time last year with Coach Stevens and the experience here in Boston.

Yet, we read the reports from the league and they are ready to bring the high school kids back into the draft. I really feel that this is so wrong, but it is going to happen. So they should develop a way of teaching these kids about the pro game and life. Green is the perfect example of this

dboss wrote:

bobheckler wrote:Regarding Jaylen Brown's ascendance, one thing that All Star back court players usually do, and do well, is get to the line and shoot a respectably high frito percentage.

Here are some of this year's all star guards:

Player.........................ftas/36mpg........ft%.........points from fts/36
Jaylen Brown.............3.7......................62.1.......2.3
Jimmy Butler.............6.8.......................86.5......5.9
Bradley Beal..............4.7......................79.5.......3.7
Goran Dragic.............4.3......................77.5.......3.3
Victor Oladipo...........5.5......................80.3.......4.4
*all players play over 30mpg

Not one of those other players shoot <4ftas/36 and not one of them shoot <75%.

Admittedly the other players are designated shooters on their teams and that drives up their scoring numbers and that's what gets them on the All Star team, but Brown could get another frito or two more per game by attacking the basket instead of just catch-and-shooting but he needs to up his %.  

Two more fritos/game more, shoot 75% on all of them, and 2 more fgas/game and we are talking All Star worthy numbers.



bob


.

Don't look now but it appears Jaylen has improved his free throw shooting.  67% in January, 75% in February and 100% in March

dboss,

True, that's why his ft% is up to 62% from 50-something.

January, 23-34, 12 games
February, 24-32, 11 games (7-7 vs Charlotte really helped)
March, 2-2, 2 games

72% over last 25 games. Better.


bob



.

bobheckler wrote:

dboss wrote:

bobheckler wrote:Regarding Jaylen Brown's ascendance, one thing that All Star back court players usually do, and do well, is get to the line and shoot a respectably high frito percentage.

Here are some of this year's all star guards:

Player.........................ftas/36mpg........ft%.........points from fts/36
Jaylen Brown.............3.7......................62.1.......2.3
Jimmy Butler.............6.8.......................86.5......5.9
Bradley Beal..............4.7......................79.5.......3.7
Goran Dragic.............4.3......................77.5.......3.3
Victor Oladipo...........5.5......................80.3.......4.4
*all players play over 30mpg

Not one of those other players shoot <4ftas/36 and not one of them shoot <75%.

Admittedly the other players are designated shooters on their teams and that drives up their scoring numbers and that's what gets them on the All Star team, but Brown could get another frito or two more per game by attacking the basket instead of just catch-and-shooting but he needs to up his %.  

Two more fritos/game more, shoot 75% on all of them, and 2 more fgas/game and we are talking All Star worthy numbers.



bob


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Don't look now but it appears Jaylen has improved his free throw shooting.  67% in January, 75% in February and 100% in March

dboss,

True, that's why his ft% is up to 62% from 50-something.

January, 23-34, 12 games
February, 24-32, 11 games (7-7 vs Charlotte really helped)
March, 2-2, 2 games

72% over last 25 games.  Better.


bob



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The curious question for me will be, "At the end of the season, who will have the better FT% - Jaylen Brown or DeAndre Jordan?" Brown's FT% is currently at  62.1 and Jordan's FT% is currently at 61.8. It'll be a close race to the end as Jordan has also made big improvements with his FT's. I'm somewhat bemused that teams are still not convinced about Jordan's improved FT shooting as they continue to utilize the "Hack A Jordan" tactic.

Jordan's infamous career FT% is 44.4 while Brown's much shorter career FT% is  65.4. That said, I'll have to give the edge to Brown as Jordan is approaching a level of FT proficiency he had not accomplished before, while Brown is trying to return to or exceed his previous benchmark.

Great post earlier on Gerald Green by sandpd, he did have great athleticism coming out, but never had the strength that Jaylen has now. It was a shame how raw he was, he just needed a lot more schooling in all the team concepts and that was something he needed to develop with more reps, but to get them at the professional level was too much, too soon and effected his confidence in a negative way. Jayson Tatum totally benefitted playing with Coach K at Duke for a year, we are going to see some success and a lot of big misses if these rules are changed. Even without the early entry, teams like Sacto and Memphis miss every year, I don’t like the new rule.