What NBA's return-to-action plan means for the Celtics

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nbas-return-action-plan-means-170758869.html




What NBA's return-to-action plan means for the Celtics




A. Sherrod Blakely
NBC Sports Boston

June 3, 2020, 10:07 AM PDT




When the NBA season was put on pause in March, the timing could not have been much better for the Boston Celtics.

Wins were getting harder to come by (they had lost three of their last five), the jacuzzi-hot play of Jayson Tatum was starting to cool off some and Kemba Walker was headed towards a stretch of "strategic rest" days off because of knee soreness.

And just like the rest of the NBA is fired up about the potential return to play reportedly as early as the end of late July, the Celtics are an eager bunch to restart the season as well

And they should be for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, there's a very real chance that they can move up in the standings if the league adopts the reported return-to-play model which includes eight regular season games before the playoffs.

Currently third in the East, the Celtics would begin the postseason against Philadelphia if the league went straight into the playoffs - an idea that hasn't garnered a ton of support from owners or players.

An eight-game slate of games would provide Boston with enough opportunities to potentially move ahead of Toronto and secure the No. 2 seed in the East.

The way the standings look now, the potential for movement is great for many teams.

Boston (43-21) trails the Raptors (46-18) by three games in the standings. Behind the Celtics you find the Heat (41-24) who are 2.5 games back.

The next closest teams to Boston beyond those two are Indiana and Philadelphia (both 39-26) who each trail Boston by 4.5 games.

For the Celtics' sake, moving up from their current draft position and avoiding a first-round matchup with Philadelphia would be the preferred path to take this postseason.

The Sixers, one of the bigger disappointments this season, will feature a healthy Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, making them a much tougher foe come playoff time.

For the Celtics, the alternative if they move up would be a Brooklyn Nets team that's expected to play this postseason without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant who have both been out recovering from injuries.

There's also a chance that Boston would face the Indiana Pacers in the first round if the C's remain as the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed which, similar to facing Philadelphia, would provide a tough first-round matchup.

The reboot to the season also allows more time for the Celtics to adjust to what's shaping up to be a new pecking order.

While Walker is the team's most proven, most decorated talent, there's no escaping the inevitable rise of Tatum as the face of the franchise (if he's not already there).

As the season wore on, his ascension was undeniable. Tatum began the season as a player the Celtics were hoping to see blossom into a big-time talent with the departures of Irving (Brooklyn) and Al Horford (Philadelphia).

Following his first All-Star appearance in February, Tatum averaged 29.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 46.8 percent on 3's. His ability to pick up where he left off would go far in Boston's quest to build off the successes they had this past season.

As for Walker, he had missed some games and played limited minutes in others shortly before the season was paused thanks to knee soreness.

The extended downtime without games or practice should allow Walker to return to action revived and refreshed.

And him being healthy combined with Tatum's improved play gives the Celtics a potent 1-2 punch as they inch closer to rebooting the system and in doing so, restarting their journey towards what they believe will be a deep postseason run.


bob


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How quickly Sherrod forgets Jaylen what's his name...

worcester wrote:How quickly Sherrod forgets Jaylen what's his name...

There is also some guy on this team named Gordon Hayward.  I heard he may be a pretty good basketball player.

Blakely remains an obtuse antagonist.

Yes, there is Gordon too...

I'll give Blakely a pass on omitting all but two players names, even though he's usually a human dart board for me.

I believe it's simply a matter of Walker and Tatum being the most critical players on the team. Smart as well. As thin as the bench is, I think we could cover for the absence of anyone but Tatum, Walker and Smart.

The Celtics should be well rested and healed up.

Their success depends on staying injury free. A healthy Celtics team is a formidable adversary.

love to steal one this year, especially if we beat one of the LaLa teams to do it

Has this idiot even looked at our potential upcoming schedule?!! Clearly math is not this guy's strong suit. He never even gave reasons on how we could move up. Sorry folks, we've wrapped up third at best. To move up, it would mean Toronto having to pretty much lose all their games since there are only 8 left. We'd have to go 8-0 while Toronto went 5-3, given we get the tie break. I can't even remember what that record was. So let's go with TOR going 4-4 being the worst/best case scenario.

Only thing I agree with is the injuries. Anyone showing up to camp still injured will be shot on sight and their contract revoked given the generous, mini-mid-season, well over-extended 4-month break when all is said and done. The only question will be can we stay uninjured for the potentially necessary 35 games. If we do, look out Lakers. Take your balloons down out of the rafters.

db

Dbrown, are there not potentially 36 games to play for #18?

8 regular season games
7 first round of the EC playoffs
7 2nd round of the EC playoffs
7 EC Finals
7 NBA Finals

On top of all of that, Daniel Theis has arrived finally this year to show what a terrific replacement he has been for Al wha't his name. His play at center has allowed the other guys to thrive with his picks, block outs and baskets on missed shots by others! On top of that, when on, his three point shooting is a weapon. We have not missed Horford the way the league predicted we would. Theis has become a very valuable member of this lineup. Many times, after games, the players being interviewed thanked Theis for his great play. I love the guy.

I saw a video the other day of him with his feet in a tank of fish!!! He said the fish eat away at the dead skin on his feet? UGH.

have to scroll down for their video

https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-celtics-jayson-tatum-gordon-223150461.html

What about the fans?

Has anyone read anything about games to be broadcast?

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bob


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You're right Worcester, I was just adding quickly! Let's hope we don't have to use every available playoff game to hang #18!! (Like the 2008 team almost did! One game shy I think.)

dboss, regarding broadcasting of games, I know LP owes me about a quarter of the season! Pretty sure Live Fans will be getting the proverbial shaft. But since this is going to be the Disney/ESPN show and both are starving for new revenue, I'd expect ESPN to jump right in there and take all the lion's share they can. I've heard nothing to this point either, though.

db

P.S. Do these guys ever MISS?!! Nice for us!! Perfect practice makes perfect!

What about television contracts that most teams have with their own channels? Isn't it possible they will have to put a few of these games on the Celtics channel. If they leave it to ESPN we will be fed of a constant diet of LeBron and the Lakers and probably Milwaukee. There has to be something there for all teams. I just hope they do no go pay per view

That would reek of lawsuit madness if they made us PPV games we've already paid for but have not received. Especially all of us with LP and our present overpaying them for what will turn out to be the last 4 months. But as KG once said...ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!

db

By the time July 31st rolls around we'll probably be willing to take out home equity loans to pay for live basketball, legalities be damned.

My guess is that ESPN and the NBA TV channel will carry a lot of games.  I cancelled my NBA Team pass subscription when the NBA shut down in March.

I may miss some 8 irregular season games but the Playoffs are usually broadcast on national TV platforms.

I think I'm just looking for a little recognition from LP, that's all. I know I've spent it and paid for it. I'm not expecting any money back.

Planet Fitness (the gym I belong to) did it in a different way. Never said anything about it but for the last 3 months they have not dinged my account.

dboss, you took action by canceling LP in March. I did nothing hoping they would say or do something regarding the games viewed vs. games paid for discrepancy. Did they refund you anything? Just curious.

db