Celtics Drop a Close one to The Lakers

The Celtics dropped a nail biter to The Lakers 96-95.  That however is not the bad news.

Marcus Smart got hurt last night in what they are calling a strained calf injury but it looked to me more like an achilles injury.  He will get an MRI so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  He is going to miss some games which really sucks.

I thought the Celtics played hard overall but once again they lost a close game because of their inability to close out games.  I thought they should have called a timeout to set up a play for someone that was actually making shots last night.

Brown and Tatum shot lights out while combining for 58 points while scorching the nets in making 25-37 from the field.  That's 67.6%.  The problem is that the rest of the team only scored 37 points.  Former allstar Kemba Walker missed 11 out of 12 shots and none bigger than a game winning attempt as the clock was winding down.  We did get solid contributions from Daniel Theis despite the blown follow up lay in and Robert Williams also played very well,  Theis finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds  and Robert scored 10 points and also had 7 rebounds plus 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.  He went 5-5 from the field.  Semi was good on defense but he gave us nothing on offense. Nesmith had a donut and Teague only scored 4 points.  Marcus played 26 minutes before he left the game with 4 points and 7 assists.  Thompson had another unproductive outing scoring just a free throw.

I think it is time for a lineup change.  It is time for Timelord to move into the starting lineup at center.  I think we should stay with the 2 big lineup and keep Theis in there with Robert.  I am almost ashamed that I thought Tristen Thompson had something left in the tank.  He does not.  In the 12 games that he has played in January he is averaging 4 points.  Enough already.   Grant Williams did not play.  It has taken Brad a long time to realize that Grant is simply not that good to command regular rotation minutes.  I am sure we will see him back in there again but it does seems that his stock has dropped.  it looks like a game stop reality to me.  I'm selling short!  Teague has also been a disappointment.  Has anybody seen ktron's guy IT?  

All game long I kept thinking how much we could have used PP.  Imagine that.  A rookie.  Hopefully he will get back soon and hopefully Marcus will not be out an extended period of time.

So does Danny need to do something right now?  I do think so.  This may not be a popular move and it may hurt us now but it is time to correct the Kemba Walker mistake.    It will not be easy to find a buyer but it needs to get done.  Danny also should look to move TT for a better center.  This would be an early season makeover and it could set us up for a brighter future.  I think PP can start for this team right now.   As far as the center situation, RW is ready to start right now.  TT is a backup center and that is the role he needs to play unless and until Danny can trade him.

I am not throwing in the towel.  We have 2 dynamic elite level players on this team.

I also thought achilles when I saw him grab the lower back of his calf. We all hope not.

Kemba's not going anywhere, Ainge doesn't like to sell low if for no other reason.

I'll ask again..........who exactly is that upgrade at center Celtic fans want?

IF anyone can come up with a name...how can Ainge get him?

kdp59 wrote:I also thought achilles   when I saw him grab the lower back of his calf. We all hope not.

Kemba's not going anywhere, Ainge doesn't like to sell low if for no other reason.

I'll ask again..........who exactly is that upgrade at center Celtic fans want?

IF anyone can come up with a name...how can Ainge get him?

I have no idea who that center might be but I would definitely send TT to the bench and start RW.

If the rumors were true regarding Ainge looking to move KW I think they are probably still true. If Kemba is not scoring he is relatively useless since defense is not one of his strong suits. Kemba has been in the league for 10 years yet he has a confidence issue right now. He is moving well and I would expect him to improve his outside shooting. Kemba is now the third scoring option on this team. When he came here he was #1. Before the year concluded he dropped to #2 slightly ahead of Jaylen and now he dropped down another notch.

It is pretty damn hard to win a title if your starting PG cannot check his own position. He would have to be great in other areas like scoring or passing or rebounding. Kemba no longer demands the volume of shots because the J's are better scoring options in every conceivable way.

The Celtics drafted PP. He is going to take Kemba's job.

Not only can Kemba not score, he can’t run an offense, over dribbling, creating nothing too many times, just give the ball to 2 J’s and get out of the way. He was historically bad, see my last few comments on the Game On thread. He is now in that Blake Griffin washed up level. He looks so pathetic, trying to do way too much.

We have to start the RWill-Theis combination, hopefully Kemba will not play that bad again, but he had 2 days off and everyone knows this is a statement like game, going 1-12 shows your time is done if that’s the only kind of performance you can muster. TT is always a step slow, his defense is very similar to Kantor, elite 5’s have no problem scoring over him. My eye test tells me Kemba and TT are not dependable players anymore and SHOULD be getting less minutes and a lesser role for both WILL help us.

This was how I thought team might look, 2 J’s making a jump, but not savvy and experienced enough to carry us with a questionable supporting cast....we need a jump from Nesmith, Romeo, don’t laugh, RWill. Semi and Grant get exposed more against elite teams, they can help against the downtrodden. Kemba looks like a shell of himself, sad, stop smiling, your stinking up the joint, enough with the smile.

We need PP back at like 25 minutes a game, give RWill at least 25 minutes a game, sooner we can build him up to 30 minutes, the better. Kemba is now a 25 minute a game player, will have a hot scoring streak for a few minutes/possessions then revert back to inefficient shooting and over dribbling, he’s a 12-14 ppg scorer from now on.....if he can even do that. Play Nesmith 15 minutes every game till his shot starts falling and the lightbulb goes off. We need a shooter and he can still grow into that.

I think you have to call a timeout in last shot situations. Set up a play.

At 10-9 we are one loss away from .500. The road trip may tip the scale to the wrong side. I am mostly concerned about Smart.

cowens/oldschool wrote:We need PP back at like 25 minutes a game, give RWill at least 25 minutes a game, sooner we can build him up to 30 minutes, the better. Kemba is now a 25 minute a game player, will have a hot scoring streak for a few minutes/possessions then revert back to inefficient shooting and over dribbling, he’s a 12-14 ppg scorer from now on.....if he can even do that. Play Nesmith 15 minutes every game till his shot starts falling and the lightbulb goes off. We need a shooter and he can still grow into that.

Cow

Rob needs more minutes but I do not see 30 from him. Centers are no longer playing 30 mpg. 25 mpg sounds about right. PP is likely to play more if MS is unable to play. PP is a better compliment for the J's. He will not require a ton of looks. And he will be a better defender than Kemba.

dboss wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:We need PP back at like 25 minutes a game, give RWill at least 25 minutes a game, sooner we can build him up to 30 minutes, the better. Kemba is now a 25 minute a game player, will have a hot scoring streak for a few minutes/possessions then revert back to inefficient shooting and over dribbling, he’s a 12-14 ppg scorer from now on.....if he can even do that. Play Nesmith 15 minutes every game till his shot starts falling and the lightbulb goes off. We need a shooter and he can still grow into that.

Cow

Rob needs more minutes but I do not see 30 from him.  Centers are no longer playing 30 mpg.  25 mpg sounds about right.  PP is likely to play more if MS is unable to play.  PP is a better compliment for the J's.  He will not require a ton of looks.  And he will be a better defender than Kemba.

Agreed PP knows how to play off them better, not try to do too much....his shot is way more dependable than Kemba at this point.

dboss wrote:The Celtics dropped a nail biter to The Lakers 96-95.  That however is not the bad news.

Marcus Smart got hurt last night in what they are calling a strained calf injury but it looked to me more like an achilles injury.  He will get an MRI so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  He is going to miss some games which really sucks.

I thought the Celtics played hard overall but once again they lost a close game because of their inability to close out games.  I thought they should have called a timeout to set up a play for someone that was actually making shots last night.

Brown and Tatum shot lights out while combining for 58 points while scorching the nets in making 25-37 from the field.  That's 67.6%.  The problem is that the rest of the team only scored 37 points.  Former allstar Kemba Walker missed 11 out of 12 shots and none bigger than a game winning attempt as the clock was winding down.  We did get solid contributions from Daniel Theis despite the blown follow up lay in and Robert Williams also played very well,  Theis finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds  and Robert scored 10 points and also had 7 rebounds plus 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.  He went 5-5 from the field.  Semi was good on defense but he gave us nothing on offense. Nesmith had a donut and Teague only scored 4 points.  Marcus played 26 minutes before he left the game with 4 points and 7 assists.  Thompson had another unproductive outing scoring just a free throw.

I think it is time for a lineup change.  It is time for Timelord to move into the starting lineup at center.  I think we should stay with the 2 big lineup and keep Theis in there with Robert.  I am almost ashamed that I thought Tristen Thompson had something left in the tank.  He does not.  In the 12 games that he has played in January he is averaging 4 points.  Enough already.   Grant Williams did not play.  It has taken Brad a long time to realize that Grant is simply not that good to command regular rotation minutes.  I am sure we will see him back in there again but it does seems that his stock has dropped.  it looks like a game stop reality to me.  I'm selling short!  Teague has also been a disappointment.  Has anybody seen ktron's guy IT?  

All game long I kept thinking how much we could have used PP.  Imagine that.  A rookie.  Hopefully he will get back soon and hopefully Marcus will not be out an extended period of time.

So does Danny need to do something right now?  I do think so.  This may not be a popular move and it may hurt us now but it is time to correct the Kemba Walker mistake.    It will not be easy to find a buyer but it needs to get done.  Danny also should look to move TT for a better center.  This would be an early season makeover and it could set us up for a brighter future.  I think PP can start for this team right now.   As far as the center situation, RW is ready to start right now.  TT is a backup center and that is the role he needs to play unless and until Danny can trade him.

I am not throwing in the towel.  We have 2 dynamic elite level players on this team.

Dboss,
I.T. Amazingly is still out there and if Danny doesn’t see that we can use his talent at least for the short term (see, I did it too) then he needs to check into Mattapan (if they’re no longer open call Bellevue) ASAP. What is his problem? We are down 2 guards and have Little lame Lamont cleverly disguised as Jeff Teague as a backup who cannot help us. But I knew that.
TT is a disappointment. I have been wanting him on our team since 2018 but obviously he is not 2018 TT. He still rebounds well but he must be wearing Bernie Sanders’s mittens because he cannot hold onto the ball which is why he has trouble scoring as well. His floater works because the ball slips off his fingers anyway. So disappointing. I don’t know how much better Turner would have been but I’m sure he would be giving us more right about now.
I also have to agree with you about Kemba. I didn’t agree with you at first about your Rozier/Kemba theory but now I have to admit that you were right. (Wyc needs to seriously think of replacing Danny with you). 1-12 against the Lakers ain’t gonna cut it and screw the smile and helping your opponent up off the floor. Grow a pair Kemba. I hate to say it because I like the guy but I.T. With a half a hip played better then Kemba is playing right now.
Danny needs to make a move or two and make em soon. We have 2 of the 10 best players in the league who are closer to top 5 and one smart move (and it doesn’t have to be a splash-just smart if he is still capable) by Ainge and we’ll be in the finals. That’s how good these 2 All Stars are.
As I said yesterday, I don’t watch the Lakers and haven’t since LeBron pulled that criminal act with his agency snatching AD and manufacturing another ring. I swear I hate this team more than Magic’s and Kobe’s combined. I looked at our box score during the half and after the game and it was glaring. Those 2 just need a little more consistent help and we are in there.
Clear out the garbage Danny, get a few guys in here with a half a nut and a winning mentality and lets put up banner 18 NOW!!!

That last second play of the game where Kemba choked wouldn’t have happened if Jaylen had kept the ball and taken charge. I promise you that if he is in that situation again, he will. He got rid of it to Semi which tells me that he wanted to get rid of it but at the end during the presser you could tell that he knew that he should have taken charge in that situation. If that had been Tatum, nobody would’ve gotten a sniff. You can bet he would’ve done something even if he missed. That’s his mentality and that will be Jalen’s too.
No. I would not have called a time out in that situation. You’ve got LeBron and AD, 2 of the best defenders time to set up with only seconds left? Our chances were much better in the way it played out.
The game was ours to win.
Kemba choked, Theis missed an easy follow up (and was fouled but again he ain’t getting the call). We wouldn’t have gotten that after a TO.

What concerns me is that if PP becomes the starter and I hope he does, where are the other points going to come from? Can he give us 15 ppg right now?

10-10 is where many of us predicted we would be at the beginning of this season.

kdp59 wrote:10-10 is where many of us predicted we would be at the beginning of this season.

We looked really good at 8-3 without Kemba

Ktron wrote:

dboss wrote:The Celtics dropped a nail biter to The Lakers 96-95.  That however is not the bad news.

Marcus Smart got hurt last night in what they are calling a strained calf injury but it looked to me more like an achilles injury.  He will get an MRI so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  He is going to miss some games which really sucks.

I thought the Celtics played hard overall but once again they lost a close game because of their inability to close out games.  I thought they should have called a timeout to set up a play for someone that was actually making shots last night.

Brown and Tatum shot lights out while combining for 58 points while scorching the nets in making 25-37 from the field.  That's 67.6%.  The problem is that the rest of the team only scored 37 points.  Former allstar Kemba Walker missed 11 out of 12 shots and none bigger than a game winning attempt as the clock was winding down.  We did get solid contributions from Daniel Theis despite the blown follow up lay in and Robert Williams also played very well,  Theis finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds  and Robert scored 10 points and also had 7 rebounds plus 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.  He went 5-5 from the field.  Semi was good on defense but he gave us nothing on offense. Nesmith had a donut and Teague only scored 4 points.  Marcus played 26 minutes before he left the game with 4 points and 7 assists.  Thompson had another unproductive outing scoring just a free throw.

I think it is time for a lineup change.  It is time for Timelord to move into the starting lineup at center.  I think we should stay with the 2 big lineup and keep Theis in there with Robert.  I am almost ashamed that I thought Tristen Thompson had something left in the tank.  He does not.  In the 12 games that he has played in January he is averaging 4 points.  Enough already.   Grant Williams did not play.  It has taken Brad a long time to realize that Grant is simply not that good to command regular rotation minutes.  I am sure we will see him back in there again but it does seems that his stock has dropped.  it looks like a game stop reality to me.  I'm selling short!  Teague has also been a disappointment.  Has anybody seen ktron's guy IT?  

All game long I kept thinking how much we could have used PP.  Imagine that.  A rookie.  Hopefully he will get back soon and hopefully Marcus will not be out an extended period of time.

So does Danny need to do something right now?  I do think so.  This may not be a popular move and it may hurt us now but it is time to correct the Kemba Walker mistake.    It will not be easy to find a buyer but it needs to get done.  Danny also should look to move TT for a better center.  This would be an early season makeover and it could set us up for a brighter future.  I think PP can start for this team right now.   As far as the center situation, RW is ready to start right now.  TT is a backup center and that is the role he needs to play unless and until Danny can trade him.

I am not throwing in the towel.  We have 2 dynamic elite level players on this team.

Dboss,
I.T. Amazingly is still out there and if Danny doesn’t see that we can use his talent at least for the short term (see, I did it too) then he needs to check into Mattapan (if they’re no longer open call Bellevue) ASAP. What is his problem? We are down 2 guards and have Little lame Lamont cleverly disguised as Jeff Teague as a backup who cannot help us. But I knew that.
TT is a disappointment. I have been wanting him on our team since 2018 but obviously he is not 2018 TT. He still rebounds well but he must be wearing Bernie Sanders’s mittens because he cannot hold onto the ball which is why he has trouble scoring as well. His floater works because the ball slips off his fingers anyway. So disappointing. I don’t know how much better Turner would have been but I’m sure he would be giving us more right about now.
I also have to agree with you about Kemba. I didn’t agree with you at first about your Rozier/Kemba theory but now I have to admit that you were right. (Wyc needs to seriously think of replacing Danny with you). 1-12 against the Lakers ain’t gonna cut it and screw the smile and helping your opponent up off the floor. Grow a pair Kemba. I hate to say it because I like the guy but I.T. With a half a hip played better then Kemba is playing right now.
Danny needs to make a move or two and make em soon. We have 2 of the 10 best players in the league who are closer to top 5 and one smart move (and it doesn’t have to be a splash-just smart if he is still capable) by Ainge and we’ll be in the finals. That’s how good these 2 All Stars are.
As I said yesterday, I don’t watch the Lakers and haven’t since LeBron pulled that criminal act with his agency snatching AD and manufacturing another ring. I swear I hate this team more than Magic’s and Kobe’s combined. I looked at our box score during the half and after the game and it was glaring. Those 2 just need a little more consistent help and we are in there.
Clear out the garbage Danny, get a few guys in here with a half a nut and a winning mentality and lets put up banner 18 NOW!!!

Really, how do you know what IT has left, when was the last time anyone saw him play? Then you also have the other side of the ball to deal with. If 31 other teams also have not signed him, there could be a reason....

cowens/oldschool wrote:

Ktron wrote:

dboss wrote:The Celtics dropped a nail biter to The Lakers 96-95.  That however is not the bad news.

Marcus Smart got hurt last night in what they are calling a strained calf injury but it looked to me more like an achilles injury.  He will get an MRI so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  He is going to miss some games which really sucks.

I thought the Celtics played hard overall but once again they lost a close game because of their inability to close out games.  I thought they should have called a timeout to set up a play for someone that was actually making shots last night.

Brown and Tatum shot lights out while combining for 58 points while scorching the nets in making 25-37 from the field.  That's 67.6%.  The problem is that the rest of the team only scored 37 points.  Former allstar Kemba Walker missed 11 out of 12 shots and none bigger than a game winning attempt as the clock was winding down.  We did get solid contributions from Daniel Theis despite the blown follow up lay in and Robert Williams also played very well,  Theis finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds  and Robert scored 10 points and also had 7 rebounds plus 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.  He went 5-5 from the field.  Semi was good on defense but he gave us nothing on offense. Nesmith had a donut and Teague only scored 4 points.  Marcus played 26 minutes before he left the game with 4 points and 7 assists.  Thompson had another unproductive outing scoring just a free throw.

I think it is time for a lineup change.  It is time for Timelord to move into the starting lineup at center.  I think we should stay with the 2 big lineup and keep Theis in there with Robert.  I am almost ashamed that I thought Tristen Thompson had something left in the tank.  He does not.  In the 12 games that he has played in January he is averaging 4 points.  Enough already.   Grant Williams did not play.  It has taken Brad a long time to realize that Grant is simply not that good to command regular rotation minutes.  I am sure we will see him back in there again but it does seems that his stock has dropped.  it looks like a game stop reality to me.  I'm selling short!  Teague has also been a disappointment.  Has anybody seen ktron's guy IT?  

All game long I kept thinking how much we could have used PP.  Imagine that.  A rookie.  Hopefully he will get back soon and hopefully Marcus will not be out an extended period of time.

So does Danny need to do something right now?  I do think so.  This may not be a popular move and it may hurt us now but it is time to correct the Kemba Walker mistake.    It will not be easy to find a buyer but it needs to get done.  Danny also should look to move TT for a better center.  This would be an early season makeover and it could set us up for a brighter future.  I think PP can start for this team right now.   As far as the center situation, RW is ready to start right now.  TT is a backup center and that is the role he needs to play unless and until Danny can trade him.

I am not throwing in the towel.  We have 2 dynamic elite level players on this team.

Dboss,
I.T. Amazingly is still out there and if Danny doesn’t see that we can use his talent at least for the short term (see, I did it too) then he needs to check into Mattapan (if they’re no longer open call Bellevue) ASAP. What is his problem? We are down 2 guards and have Little lame Lamont cleverly disguised as Jeff Teague as a backup who cannot help us. But I knew that.
TT is a disappointment. I have been wanting him on our team since 2018 but obviously he is not 2018 TT. He still rebounds well but he must be wearing Bernie Sanders’s mittens because he cannot hold onto the ball which is why he has trouble scoring as well. His floater works because the ball slips off his fingers anyway. So disappointing. I don’t know how much better Turner would have been but I’m sure he would be giving us more right about now.
I also have to agree with you about Kemba. I didn’t agree with you at first about your Rozier/Kemba theory but now I have to admit that you were right. (Wyc needs to seriously think of replacing Danny with you). 1-12 against the Lakers ain’t gonna cut it and screw the smile and helping your opponent up off the floor. Grow a pair Kemba. I hate to say it because I like the guy but I.T. With a half a hip played better then Kemba is playing right now.
Danny needs to make a move or two and make em soon. We have 2 of the 10 best players in the league who are closer to top 5 and one smart move (and it doesn’t have to be a splash-just smart if he is still capable) by Ainge and we’ll be in the finals. That’s how good these 2 All Stars are.
As I said yesterday, I don’t watch the Lakers and haven’t since LeBron pulled that criminal act with his agency snatching AD and manufacturing another ring. I swear I hate this team more than Magic’s and Kobe’s combined. I looked at our box score during the half and after the game and it was glaring. Those 2 just need a little more consistent help and we are in there.
Clear out the garbage Danny, get a few guys in here with a half a nut and a winning mentality and lets put up banner 18 NOW!!!

Really, how do you know what IT has left, when was the last time anyone saw him play? Then you also have the other side of the ball to deal with. If 31 other teams also have not signed him, there could be a reason....

No I haven’t seen him play but I’ve read where he looks really good. He is also going to be playing for USA team. 29 (not 31) other teams missed on him when he was the 60th player chosen in the draft as well. How did that work out? I choose not to use your rational. You can and stick with Kemba and his “other side of the ball” as well. I choose not to.

Other side of the ball comment was for IT, not Kemba as IT even years ago was a worse defender than Kemba. I wish we could give Kemba away for a bag of doughnuts....

cowens/oldschool wrote:Other side of the ball comment was for IT, not Kemba as IT even years ago was a worse defender than Kemba. I wish we could give Kemba away for a bag of doughnuts....

I know what you meant and what I was saying is that Kemba is a bad defender as well.
Question, Do you think in that situation last night and the other night in San Antonio when Kemba lost the ball toward the end, that would’ve happened if I.T. Had been in that same situation?

I’ll take IT’s confidence and lack of defense over Kemba’s lack of confidence and lack of defense.

Nobody likes losing but I'm not disheartened by this one.  

The Js are unstoppable, except by themselves.  Tatum with 3 4th quarter turnovers and a couple of almost turnovers.  He was taking some incredibly difficult shots; falling left, fadeaways over tall defenders.  Jaylen only took 3 fgas in the 4th and missed both clutch fritos with 1:58 left that, as fate would show, would have won it for us.  It was 93-89, his fritos would only have made it 93-91 but our next 6 points would have done it.





Kemba took 3 fgas in the 4th, including that 10'er that would have won the game for us.  He is the worst contract in the NBA right now, bar none, but the amazing thing is that if he went 2-12 instead of 1-12 we'd have won.  As bad as Kemba has been this season 1-12 is pure excrement and I don't expect that to be normal.  We would have won the game if he was just 2-for-freaking-12!  We also would have won if he hadn't, stupidly, saved a ball going out of bounds off a Laker into the hands of a Laker underneath.  Never save a ball under your own basket.  That brain fart cost us the game too.  

A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
yesterday
"Mentally I hurt myself. I can't do that to this team. I can't put my head down and not mentally be engaged in the game, like I was tonight. I have to be better on that end." - Kemba Walker.

Smart also did a similar brain fart, where he tried to save a ball going out off a Laker and, because he touched it before it went out it went back to the Lakers and they scored.  Let it go out, Marcus.  A for Effort, F for BBIQ.


Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
·
12h
Playing against the building's all-time leading visiting scorer in LeBron James, Jaylen Brown tonight became the 9th man in TD Garden history to score 2,000 points.

Jayson Tatum also moved back into the top ten, leapfrogging Marcus Smart.


After Smart went down we got discombobulated a bit and they went on a run.  This is evidence of our youth and lack of mental toughness, in my opinion.



Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
about 55 minutes ago
Can confirm that Marcus Smart has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 calf strain, as @Shams Charania said. Best-case scenario for Boston.

Theis with another great game.  He's undersized, underweight but he's working what he's got.  We were down 4 points after 1, in part, because Theis lead the Celtics with 10 points on 4-7.  He held the fort until the Js, who were a combined 10 points on 4-8 after 1, could catch fire.  Without Theis we could have easily have been down 10 after 1.

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Daniel Theis is now 13/34 (38.2%) from deep this year and has hit a 3 in 7 straight games. It's clear he has found his shot again and is providing enough of a stretch threat to keep the offense spread out, which the team desperately needs at the 5 spot.

Our bench scored 15 points, 10 by Robert Williams.  That's awful.  Who knew Teague would be this useless?  He was so promising after the first game of the season and has just sucked since.



Speaking of The Time Lord, another very solid outing.  10 points on 5-5, 7 rebounds, 2 offensive, 2 steals, 2 blocks and that's against some very good bigs.  The twin towers of Theis and Thompson didn't work so well but it's looking much better with Theis and Williams.  He's earned more minutes, warts and all.

Semi with an unimpressive boxscore but pretty decent defense.  He got up on LBJ a bit too much and got driven on but LBJ has been doing that to everybody for well over a decade now.

I thought the refs were giving them every ticky-tack whistle, while we were getting dropped and it's "play on".  I realize this sounds like sour grapes but...

Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
yesterday
I just want to see Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown play together for 12 more years. Win or lose, it’s just fun rooting for two homegrown stars working their asses off to be great.

I'm not sure I'd agree with "win or lose", but I believe that with some changes it'll be "win".

Anthony Davis is unreal.  He was hitting fadeaway jumpshots from 13' with two Celtics draped on him.  Didn't matter.

There's something that I've been thinking about, starting with the Philly series, that crystallized a bit more last night that maybe I haven't expressed openly.  I'm wondering about Danny's composition of our stars.  Philly has Embiid (elite big), Simmons (elite ballhandler, floor general and PF) and Tobias Harris (very good wing).  The Lakers have Davis (elite big), LeBron (elite ballhandler, floor general and scorer) and Schroder mit das umlaut (very good ballhandler, passer and scorer).  With both of those teams there is little overlap between their stars' positions and roles.  Both of those teams have talent at big that cannot be ignored.  The way Danny has put us together we have Jayson Tatum (elite wing), Jaylen Brown (also an elite wing) and Kemba Walker (elite scorer and ballhandler).  We are forced to play smallball because we have no elite bigs that command the opposing defense's attention.  No coach is going to scramble to change their defenses on the fly to stop Theis, Thompson or RWill.  Theis has been playing well but they'll live with him taking jumpshots and 3s and the occasional dunk.  Thompson is a garbage man, he cleans up other players' misses, and RWill is the same.  Nobody is going to doubleteam any of those three Celtics, which allows them to stay with the Js and force those bigs to beat them.  I think at this point we'd all be willing to trade Kemba for an elite big, but who'd want a guy with his contract who's shooting 37% on the season and 29% from 3?  When all your top players are deadly from the arc then being aggressive defensively from the arc is an effective scheme.  When one of your players is deadly from down low you cannot overcommit your defense to the perimeter.  We're talented, but our talent is not balanced.  We all know that our bigs are our weakness but last night highlighted it.  Fix this, Danny, as soon as you can and you're not going to be able to by just watching the waiver wire at the trade deadline.  We need a marked upgrade that can play serious minutes, not just more depth, and that means playing RWill more won't cut it.


https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401267462




Bob


.

Ktron wrote:

dboss wrote:The Celtics dropped a nail biter to The Lakers 96-95.  That however is not the bad news.

Marcus Smart got hurt last night in what they are calling a strained calf injury but it looked to me more like an achilles injury.  He will get an MRI so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  He is going to miss some games which really sucks.

I thought the Celtics played hard overall but once again they lost a close game because of their inability to close out games.  I thought they should have called a timeout to set up a play for someone that was actually making shots last night.

Brown and Tatum shot lights out while combining for 58 points while scorching the nets in making 25-37 from the field.  That's 67.6%.  The problem is that the rest of the team only scored 37 points.  Former allstar Kemba Walker missed 11 out of 12 shots and none bigger than a game winning attempt as the clock was winding down.  We did get solid contributions from Daniel Theis despite the blown follow up lay in and Robert Williams also played very well,  Theis finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds  and Robert scored 10 points and also had 7 rebounds plus 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.  He went 5-5 from the field.  Semi was good on defense but he gave us nothing on offense. Nesmith had a donut and Teague only scored 4 points.  Marcus played 26 minutes before he left the game with 4 points and 7 assists.  Thompson had another unproductive outing scoring just a free throw.

I think it is time for a lineup change.  It is time for Timelord to move into the starting lineup at center.  I think we should stay with the 2 big lineup and keep Theis in there with Robert.  I am almost ashamed that I thought Tristen Thompson had something left in the tank.  He does not.  In the 12 games that he has played in January he is averaging 4 points.  Enough already.   Grant Williams did not play.  It has taken Brad a long time to realize that Grant is simply not that good to command regular rotation minutes.  I am sure we will see him back in there again but it does seems that his stock has dropped.  it looks like a game stop reality to me.  I'm selling short!  Teague has also been a disappointment.  Has anybody seen ktron's guy IT?  

All game long I kept thinking how much we could have used PP.  Imagine that.  A rookie.  Hopefully he will get back soon and hopefully Marcus will not be out an extended period of time.

So does Danny need to do something right now?  I do think so.  This may not be a popular move and it may hurt us now but it is time to correct the Kemba Walker mistake.    It will not be easy to find a buyer but it needs to get done.  Danny also should look to move TT for a better center.  This would be an early season makeover and it could set us up for a brighter future.  I think PP can start for this team right now.   As far as the center situation, RW is ready to start right now.  TT is a backup center and that is the role he needs to play unless and until Danny can trade him.

I am not throwing in the towel.  We have 2 dynamic elite level players on this team.

Dboss,
I.T. Amazingly is still out there and if Danny doesn’t see that we can use his talent at least for the short term (see, I did it too) then he needs to check into Mattapan (if they’re no longer open call Bellevue) ASAP. What is his problem? We are down 2 guards and have Little lame Lamont cleverly disguised as Jeff Teague as a backup who cannot help us. But I knew that.
TT is a disappointment. I have been wanting him on our team since 2018 but obviously he is not 2018 TT. He still rebounds well but he must be wearing Bernie Sanders’s mittens because he cannot hold onto the ball which is why he has trouble scoring as well. His floater works because the ball slips off his fingers anyway. So disappointing. I don’t know how much better Turner would have been but I’m sure he would be giving us more right about now.
I also have to agree with you about Kemba. I didn’t agree with you at first about your Rozier/Kemba theory but now I have to admit that you were right. (Wyc needs to seriously think of replacing Danny with you). 1-12 against the Lakers ain’t gonna cut it and screw the smile and helping your opponent up off the floor. Grow a pair Kemba. I hate to say it because I like the guy but I.T. With a half a hip played better then Kemba is playing right now.
Danny needs to make a move or two and make em soon. We have 2 of the 10 best players in the league who are closer to top 5 and one smart move (and it doesn’t have to be a splash-just smart if he is still capable) by Ainge and we’ll be in the finals. That’s how good these 2 All Stars are.
As I said yesterday, I don’t watch the Lakers and haven’t since LeBron pulled that criminal act with his agency snatching AD and manufacturing another ring. I swear I hate this team more than Magic’s and Kobe’s combined. I looked at our box score during the half and after the game and it was glaring. Those 2 just need a little more consistent help and we are in there.
Clear out the garbage Danny, get a few guys in here with a half a nut and a winning mentality and lets put up banner 18 NOW!!!

ktron

You are too funny!  Your humor is right on point.

IT can still play and will be with Team USA.  With everything that happened to him, we can never forget what an amazing player he was.  IT is not a charity piece.  But Danny did not really appreciate the sacrifices IT made for our team.   Instead he went with the nutcase KI.  I really did not know all of the drama surrounding him but due diligence is a requirement for performing your job as a GM. Danny is his own worst enemy.  After kririe flipped him off, his ego took over and he made another bad choice to sign Kemba to the huge contract.  My belief then and now is that Trow was a much less expensive option that just wanted a chance to be a starter.  Terry will never be a top of the line PG in terms of running an offense but in his second year with the hornets he continues to be very productive while averaging 18.6 PPG.  He averages 4 rebounds and is shooting 45.9% and killing it from deep at 43.5%  To criticize Danny Boy or Brad is to commit heresy on this forum but Danny blew it with the Kyrie trade and the Walker signing.  

One of the reason's why Walker's confidence is at a low point is because he knows that Danny already was shopping him.  And now he looks over his shoulder and some kid is poised to diminish his worth.  

The Gordon Hayward signing turned out to be a loss for the Celtics due to his injuries.  His time in Boston was a negative ROI.  

There have been a string of events and circumstances many of which reflect decision making by Danny.  Danny was able to extract a large TPE only because the Hornets were stupid.  He needs to bring back a guy who is at least as good and as economical as Miles Turner  (14.4 PPG, 6.8 rebounds and 4.1 blocks)  If he is not able to do that we should consider the complete failure of the GH engagement at every level. I was not high on turner but man I had no idea that Thompson was this bad.

Brad Stevens still pisses me off because of his decision making in how he uses his team.  We should not forget that he could have ruined Jaylen Brown.  The Celtics are lucky that Jaylen did not demand a trade after the fiasco of benching him.  Brad pisses me off because he has not played RW more minutes despite his production which has been well documented.  Brad pisses me off when he leaves either Jayson or Jaylen on the bench too long.

The Celtics are a lucky team because they have the J's and Marcus.

Much more likely Brad benching Jaylen made him great. Because Jaylen is great (almost) and Brad benched him. Your conjecture that Brad could have ruined him is supported by nothing but the near impossibility of proving a negative.

I'm not prepared to throw in the towel on KW yet. He's only six games back playing after months of not playing or playing on a bum knee. And I think he's trying to figure out how to be the #3 option after years as #1. I do look forward to getting PP back because I think he's more a true point than Walker or Smart. I don't know about Teague and Thompson. Maybe they're just trying to figure it out still. But once we get Smart and PP back I think we have a very good seven rotation with JT, JB, KW, MS, RW, DT, and PP, with the eighth depending on matchups.

Hi,
A couple of observations.
KW is obviously in a slump. The question is is it a slump or chronic? I can't believe he's lost all his skills, so is his bum knee back to being bum affecting all his game.
What I liked was RW3, specifically his defense. He seems to be getting better on this end.
But this loss is on the whole team: if you want to beat a team like LAL you can't shoot 29% 3pts and 64% FTs.

AK

bob

on one hand a made basket by kemba or maybe one less late game turnover by Jayson or 2 free throws by Jaylen wins the game.  Or maybe if Marcus did not get hurt we win.  Or maybe if PP was available he would do more than Teague.  We played the Lakers end to end.  As dominate as Anthony Davis is and was that is not the reason why we loss.  

Everybody that I have talked with today are telling me the same thing.  RW needs to play more minutes.  It is time for him to move into the starting lineup.   I am more than convinced that we will be a better team with him in the middle.  he is no Embid and his skills are dwarfed by those of guys like Davis and other elite centers but the Celtics do not need an elite center to win.  Robert Williams is not a garbage player on offense.  I  do not know what his upside is.  Based on his current production per minutes played he would average 10 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes and 2.5 blocks.  When was the last time we had a double double center on this team?
Would you believe Robert Parrish.

Before Boston goes out there and gets some over priced center, let's see what RW can do with expanded playing time.

Ktron wrote:That last second play of the game where Kemba choked wouldn’t have happened if Jaylen had kept the ball and taken charge. I promise you that if he is in that situation again, he will. He got rid of it to Semi which tells me that he wanted to get rid of it but at the end during the presser you could tell that he knew that he should have taken charge in that situation. If that had been Tatum, nobody would’ve gotten a sniff. You can bet he would’ve done something even if he missed. That’s his mentality and that will be Jalen’s too.
No. I would not have called a time out in that situation. You’ve got LeBron and AD, 2 of the best defenders time to set up with only seconds left? Our chances were much better in the way it played out.
The game was ours to win.
Kemba choked, Theis missed an easy follow up (and was fouled but again he ain’t getting the call). We wouldn’t have gotten that after a TO.

I agree about your point about Jaylen looking to always be aggressive. I have said it many times now, this is his "Brad Damage", his development as a "star" in terms of exposure, usage, being put in situations that treat him like such has been severely limited in my opinion. Is my constant critique for Jaylen this year - he has been in all he does a superstar in the league this year. He still has moments when he turns off the gas, hides a bit on the side. They are becoming less and less though.

I disagree that Jaylen made a mistake by giving up the ball. I have watched the last 2 minutes twice now. Yes, he KNEW he wanted to pass it ASAP, but not because of passivity in this case. It is how they play. It is what the Celtics system is - don't be selfish look for the better shot. He does not have the "I got this" mentality yet - not in every single situation. And the SMART play here is you just had a terrible pass in transition, you managed to get the ball somehow but you have 3 !!! defenders on you - PASS the BALL ASAP and one of your guys will probably get an open shot. I do agree when it is the last shot of the game we would like this strategy to revised when our "superstars" have the ball. It does not make the play bad however. It was the consistent choice (with the Celtics game plan). Now if you say, the game plan needs to change and Brad needs to make sure everyone knows that, I agree wholeheartedly.