Pre-Game Timber

OK, tonight the opponent's team name is too easy to set up a descriptor of our season so I'll pass just this once.

I promised myself I would begin turning my attention to the glimmers for next season and off of this season until/unless things changed notably. So far, crickets. No streaks beyond 2 games for quite a while, still lots of boneheaded, inexplicable turns by our top players, sporadic at best bench support, impeccably timed injuries, immediate default to ISO within a couple of set offensive plays that don't work, in and out defense to the extreme..OK, that about covers all the trash.

Glimmers for next year? We can play defense. Lock down, suffocating defense at that. NYK may have actually helped us. Whether it was seeing Thibs on the other side wanting to impress or whatever, hopefully the Knicks turned our defensive switch back on for good. We play D like that from here on out and the sky's the limit. Like everything else this season, defense is an all the time thing not just when you want to. It would be great to have Thibs back on the bench as defensive coordinator. I don't know if he will ever get passed all the Knicks upper management burnt bridges bs to put together a contender by himself.

Scal made a great comment during the game against the Knicks. He loves seeing these knockdown, drag out defensive struggling games. That's what you are going to see from the 2nd round on in the playoffs. Contenders advance for a reason. All the time suffocating, lock down defense is one of those. Lakers have no problem doing that game in, game out. What's our problem?

Robert Williams III is going through center baptism by fire school. For him and being in this league it is the only way to go. He's transitioning to the starting role. It's a big leap coming off the bench to that role. He's got a lot going on. Brad deserves some credit for finally throwing him into this role. He's earned it but there is a ways to go. He's going to continue to be a fun one to watch growing up. Some time in the weight room over the summer needs to be a priority and him getting on the horn himself and calling Shaq, Perk, Kevin(s), Russ, whoever, for graduate school training. Our list of great centers is long and distinguished. But he's got to make that call no later than this summer.

We definitely need to watch the bench closely for the remainder of this season for glimmers of consistency if anything going into next season. They've been all over the place but that has been a result of all the wonderfully timed injuries we've had to deal with. Hopefully Fournier can be our Lou Williams.

I've mentioned in other threads that I am landing on the side of the nuclear option for the Celtics over the summer. No one will escape. This includes all the Big 3 of management (Danny), coaching (Brad) and the team in re-shuffling (up to one of the J-squares). I don't think Beal will help us and it will cost us far more than we get in return to get him. Unless I'm seeing things differently, he looks a lot like Alan Iverson. I loved watching Iverson play on the 76ers but never had a desire to have him on a Celtic team. Volume shooter and scorer. But a team player? Jury's still out for me on that. You can't win championships with a ball/shooting hog. (We'll see if Harden has really learned that lesson come playoff time. My mortgage bet...no.) Unfortunately the Rondo bridge has been burned and I don't see anyone else in the league that does what Rondo does for what we need. As the league goes position-less, the need for a true point guard diminishes. Is there anyone out there like Rondo we can get? He's a rare breed. He may be enough to get the Clippers over the hump in the playoffs this year. That's what he's there for and he showed it last night.

But I digress. I don't have much on the Timberwolves. They are the worst team in the league by record. You always have to think that the worst team in the league never goes 0-82. And depending upon which Celtic team you get this season, (and it's about 50/50) they can take us out given the right circumstances. This should be a break for us, but most of the guys on the team are fighting for the Celtic lives since something big is looming for the summer. It's a shame to have to be motivated that way because it inhibits creativity from the players. Every mistake, every turnover you make is magnified 1000%. Ask Jeff Teague. You are more worried about your mistakes and their impact than playing ball.

WOW! Just checked the spread...BOS-13.5! Don't think I've seen one that high all year. That's ripe for the pickins. Not saying the Timberwolves will win but they can probably get under that spread. Heck, I could!!

Go Celtics!!

db

I really loved seeing Romeo in the starting line up, you can see he has lockdown defensive potential. I would like to see him in the starting line up, he greatly improves our defense and rebounding. His offense will further come around, this will only make his game improve faster.... Time for Kemba to come off the bench with Frenchy eventually giving us a strong experienced 2nd unit.

With Fournier out with the rona and kemba ready to go, Romeo will not be starting. Just not enough offensive punch if you start both Romeo and Smart.

We need buckets!!

let's get a win tonight.

dboss wrote:With Fournier out with the rona and kemba ready to go, Romeo will not be starting.  Just not enough offensive punch if you start both Romeo and Smart.

We need buckets!!

let's get a win tonight.

When does Kemba give us buckets, that guy bricks as many shots starting a game as Tatum? Kemba is best when he takes less shots, the more volume the more he sucks. I’d rather have an ascending young stud than a broken down liability, teams score too easily on us whenever he’s on the floor.

Kemba will start.  Book it.

Romeo is 90% defense, 10% offense at this point in his career.  That is the description of a role player and role players are bench players.  Putting him out there will sharpen his defensive skills but won't help the team offensively since you become a better shooter in the gym, not in the game, and the NBA is a very offense-focused league now.

Minny is ranked 23rd in ppg and they are 28th in points allowed for a net -7.4ppg.  So they neither score nor defend well, which explains their record.  Of their two stars, KAT and Russell, KAT has a positive NetRtg while D'Angelo Russell's numbers are awful.  He doesn't defend.  He also takes, get this, 27 fgas/game.  Wow.  The team ranks 3rd in fgas/game, 91.1/game, so it's not that they don't hoist them up, it's that they don't hit'em and the player who takes almost 30% of the team's fgas is shooting 42% from the field.

The rumors around town are that KAT, and maybe Russell, could be on the block this summer.  KAT would cost a J+, I would think.  Kemba plus bench players won't cut it, but how about Kemba for Rubio?  I will definitely take a pass on $27M/year Russell.  He should come off the bench, like designated shooter Jordan Clarkson does for Utah.


Bob


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The T-Wolves cant defend a parked school bus so if Ro starts we should be Ok.
There’s no way we should lose to this team. Wait, never mind.

Tonight's game is the type of game that just terrifies me. We should blow them off the court but, somehow, we'll find a way to allow Minny to make it a close game.

It has gotten to the point where nothing is a surprise with this team from game to game.

petey62 wrote:Tonight's game is the type of game that just terrifies me.  We should blow them off the court but, somehow, we'll find a way to allow Minny to make it a close game.

It has gotten to the point where nothing is a surprise with this team from game to game.

Hi Petey!  Welcome to the board!

Yeah, the season's like a box o'chocolates with this team.

Feel free to join us on the Game On! thread.  You get there by going to the Home page and clicking on this year's Game On! button.  If not, stop by tomorrow and share your thoughts of what you saw in the Post-Game thread.


Bob


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bobheckler wrote:

petey62 wrote:Tonight's game is the type of game that just terrifies me.  We should blow them off the court but, somehow, we'll find a way to allow Minny to make it a close game.

It has gotten to the point where nothing is a surprise with this team from game to game.

Hi Petey!  Welcome to the board!

Yeah, the season's like a box o'chocolates with this team.

Feel free to join us on the Game On! thread.  You get there by going to the Home page and clicking on this year's Game On! button.  If not, stop by tomorrow and share your thoughts of what you saw in the Post-Game thread.


Bob


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Thank you. Will do. See you in a few hours.

r we having a discussion about Kemba going to the bench in favor of Romeo Langford????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

petey62 wrote:Tonight's game is the type of game that just terrifies me.  We should blow them off the court but, somehow, we'll find a way to allow Minny to make it a close game.

It has gotten to the point where nothing is a surprise with this team from game to game.

Hello Petey62

We are happy that you have joined the forum.  We have been rolling since 2009.  There are a few grumpy old men here but rest assured, I am not one of them.  Please post often and be sure to join our weekly zoom sessions for members only.

Trying to predict what will happen tonight is like taking out a tray of silverware and guessing what it will sound like when you toss it all together. cling, bang, ting, ping, bong, ding, etc.....

petey62 wrote:Tonight's game is the type of game that just terrifies me.  We should blow them off the court but, somehow, we'll find a way to allow Minny to make it a close game.

It has gotten to the point where nothing is a surprise with this team from game to game.

Welcome to the Forum Petey!

petey62 wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

petey62 wrote:Tonight's game is the type of game that just terrifies me.  We should blow them off the court but, somehow, we'll find a way to allow Minny to make it a close game.

It has gotten to the point where nothing is a surprise with this team from game to game.

Hi Petey!  Welcome to the board!

Yeah, the season's like a box o'chocolates with this team.

Feel free to join us on the Game On! thread.  You get there by going to the Home page and clicking on this year's Game On! button.  If not, stop by tomorrow and share your thoughts of what you saw in the Post-Game thread.


Bob


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Thank you.  Will do.  See you in a few hours.

Welcome Sir!

Mark Murphy @Murf56
about 51 minutes ago
Per Stevens: Evan Fournier will not travel on the Celtics' upcoming three-city swing vs. Denver, Portland and Lakers.


Bob


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