Post Game Thread - vs Cavaliers, Home 12/9/19

[bobheckler]

Why would anybody trade for Kevin Love?  He's making $28M this year and has 3 years at even more money to go after this year.  He rebounded well last night, 10 boards, but can't shoot for shit.  He's averaging 15.6 ppg this season.  He's shooting a poor 42.9%, a pedestrian 35.7% from 3 and he has a negative assist-to-turnover ratio for only the 2nd time in his 12 year career.  He's 31 years old and looking it.  If I'm going for a rebounder, and that's Love's sole remaining virtue it appears, I'd go for Tristan Thompson.  He makes $18M/year, is an unrestricted free agent next year, but is real bonafide board monster, and that's what he did to us last night, as usual.  11 boards, 8 offensive.  Good thing he can't shoot fritos, he was 1-7, but he still ended up with 17 points.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Jordan Clarkson this year and next.  He's an expiring contract, like Thompson.  He is a big-time scorer and is making $13.4M.  That's quite affordable for a player that can come off the bench and lead the team in scoring like he did last night.

They fought, they kept fighting, but they just don't have the talent to win and you need talent to win.  Ok, that's enough about the Cleveland Cadavers.  R.I.P.

All 5 Celtic starters were in double digits.  As a starting unit they shot 62.5%.  Obviously, we're all happy to see Hayward back.  He looked good for a first outing.  Can't complain when a player who breaks their hand shoots 7-10.  


Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
John Beilein on the Celtics: "We're playing against three All-Stars, maybe more with Jaylen Brown."


Jaylen took over early.  Based upon the first quarter I thought he was going to score a career high last night, there was nobody on the Cleveland roster who was going to stop him.

What I'm not happy is how we let a 29 point lead get down to where the starters had to be reinserted.  This, once again, highlights the weakness of our bench.  Jayson Tatum hit a 3 that was our first fgm in 6:05.

Congrats to Grant Williams for hitting his first NBA 3.  Let's hope it doesn't take another 26 to hit the next.

Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
yesterday
Talked to Brad Wanamaker about him passing out on bench after the Grant Williams 3. He said the original plan was for the whole bench to pass out after the 3 but everyone else forgot in the moment.


Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Grant Williams should thank Vinnie "Sexpants" Poirier for making his first 3 happen, as Poirier told The Athletic: "I give him the three. You see, that was me on the pick-and-roll making the good screen. And when I make the good screen, open shot, easy shot."

That is one thing Poirier seems to do well, and takes pride in.  He sets good, wide screens.  5 points on 2-4, 5 boards, 1 steal in 9 minutes.  Compared to Kanter who had 7 points on 3-5, 4 boards in 18 minutes Poirier is efficient.  And he plays defense.  Hell, any defense is better than Kanter's.  I love Kanter's rebounding and inside game, we don't have enough of that, in my opinion, but his defense is offensive.

Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
yesterday
Brad Stevens on Kemba: "I just told the team afterwards, I said, 'If you want to be special, then model after Kemba.' Because Kemba sits over there, thinks his night is done, gets put back in the game, drills three 3s and ends it. I mean, special is not for everybody."

Kemba also had 7 of our 22 assists.


The day Jayson Tatum gets a rebound, gives it up and runs without it will be his first.  He had 4 of our 18 turnovers, in part, because he keeps dribbling into traffic he doesn't need to dribble into.  A nice shooting and rebounding night for Tatum, 19 points on 7-14, 4-6 from 3 and 11 rebounds.  That'll make fans who have him on their fantasy basketball team happy, but his 4 TOs don't make me happy, especially not the way they happened.  It'd be one thing if he dribbled the ball off his leg, that stuff happens, but he gets the rebound, even in traffic, and he insists on dribbling out of it.  Grow, young man, grow.  Credit to Jaylen, he does that MUCH better than Jayson.  I think it's safe to say Jaylen isn't anywhere near as ball-centric as Jayson.

I've been down on Semi a bit, but he's on an upstroke.  Another good game by him.  I really like the way he gets down into his defensive stance, it is positively classic.  If you were teaching a kid how to get into a defensive crouch you would show him film of Semi Ojelaye.  4 steals last night for Semi is impactful.

Every Celtic player who played, all 12, scored.  That's unusual.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401160986





bob



.

[dboss]

The story of this game centers around the return of Gordon Hayward.

He looked good.  He shot 7-10.  He passed the ball, defended and rebounded.

It is good to be wrong sometimes as a XMAS return seemed customary given the healing time for his injury.

The Celtics can now play with a full deck and it could not have happened at a better time as Boston has B2B games on Wed and Thurs at Indy and at home against the arrogant Sixers.

ESPN power rankings were released yesterday and the Celtics are at #3.  That indicates they are contenders.  This team has been able to win games because of their defense.  Their offensive production should get better with Gordon back.

Last night Jaylen Brown continued to define his value as an outstanding 2-way player.  

Kemba Walker is a sniper.  His step back 3 dusplay a combination of perfect form and balance and laser like precision.

JT can get his shot whenever he wants to.  However you do not get to be PG or KL until you become great in running an offense and getting the ball to your teammates consistently.

We have some complimentary players on this team that play hard and understand their roles.

Theis, Wannamaker and Semi are those guys.

[dboss]

5 of remaing 9 games to end the year are against stiff competition.  @Indy, Philly, @Dallas, @Toronto, Totonto.  We also play Detroit, Chalotte and Cleveland at home and Chatlotte on the road.

[dboss]

JT leads the Celtics in FGA at 18.4 per game.  It would be well for him to take less shots and get GH more shots (13.3)

Both GH and JB are shooting the ball at a higher rate of efficiency.  GH is the best offensive player on the team based on the numbers.  He is only 4th on the team in FGA.  That needs to change if Boston wants to start scoring in the mid teens (i.e.  115 per game) If Boston can maintain their defense and improve their offensive efficiency they will be as good as the Bucks in the East and the Lakers in the West.

[NYCelt]

Nice to play Cleveland and pad the win total without too much effort.

Kudos to Poirier, whom I have downplayed as much as anyone. With R Williams out, Poirier managed to grab 5 boards in 9 minutes. 2 on offense. I know it was just against Cleveland's B squad, but that still shows some hustle. Good for him to have gotten himself a nice moment.

[cowens/oldschool]

Poirier can play, hope he earns more minutes....

[mrkleen09]

Poirier can play, hope he earns more minutes....

This is the benefit of going up to Portland for a few games, here and there. He knock the rust off and came back ready to contribute.

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