Pre game Wizards

Let’s get this party started

Key match up Marcus Smart vs Russell Westbrook

If Westbrook goes wild and is head and shoulders above everyone else, we’ll lose. Tatum and Frenchy need their A games....

Marcus will have to bring his A++ game.

Yep. Might as well enjoy the games. We get at least two swings! Just can't lose the 2nd one in this play-in. The guys on NBATV were calling the play-in The PIT (Play-In Touranment)! I;m not a big fan of the play-in, but like it when they come up with creative things like that. Surprised no one thought of that before hearing it last night!

And in true fashion that describes this season, we have no idea who is going to show up Tuesday night. If I were a gambling man, I'd go for us losing the 7/8 and beating the 9/10 winner. That's the way the season has gone for us. Always putting ourselves in the worst possible case scenario instead of just winning.

Marcus will be in the game of his Celtic life switching between Westbrook and Beal. I'm pretty sure he won't lay an egg although he may do well on the defensive side but start bricking up threes when we get behind late with reckless abandon. This game may determine where he winds up next season.

db

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2942988-bradley-beal-says-hamstring-injury-wont-be-100-for-wizards-vs-celtics


Bradley Beal Says Hamstring Injury Won't Be '100%' for Wizards vs. Celtics


JENNA CICCOTELLI
MAY 17, 2021



Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal said he will not be at 100 percent for the team's play-in game against the Boston Celtics because of his lingering hamstring injury.  

"There's no setback. I didn't injure it any worse than it already, so that's positive. Obviously it won't be 100 percent. I've just got to manage it the best I can," Beal told reporters Monday.

Beal said his decision to play in Sunday's regular-season finale was a "hard-headed decision to play when I probably shouldn't have."

The guard has been the focal point of the Wizards throughout the 2020-21 season, averaging 31.3 points and 4.4 assists and shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from deep. While it hasn't been a strong season for the team as a whole, which went 34-38 to clinch the No. 8 spot, the 27-year-old is having the best season of his career.

Beal missed time at the end of March with a hip injury and then was ruled out for two games at the beginning of May to manage a hamstring injury.

Without Beal, the Wizards looked largely to Russell Westbrook to keep up his strong play, but there's no statistical replacement for the star on the roster.


Bob
MY NOTE:  For once we may have gotten a bit of a break, although Beal on one leg is still pretty frippin' good.

.

bobh

I would not put much stock in Beal being less than 100%

The question before us is pretty much in Black and White.

Which of our two teams will show up.  Will we get the team that won 36 games or will we get the team that lost 36 games?

Throughout the season the Celtics have failed in reaching each marker.  They have failed at winning all those games.  The games are the ones us fans said that they really needed to win.  Each and every time they came up short.

Over the past 5 years or so we could also hang our hat on one absolute.  The Celtics would play defense.  They may not shoot the ball well but they would defend.

The barometer for how this game turns out will be the level of defense that they play.  If this team is fully engaged on the defensive end their offense will be fine.

I usually have a strong feeling about upcoming games but quite frankly, I feel nothing one way or the other.  My hope is that the Celtics win the game.

dbrown4 wrote:Yep.  Might as well enjoy the games.  We get at least two swings!  Just can't lose the 2nd one in this play-in.  The guys on NBATV were calling the play-in The PIT (Play-In Touranment)!  I;m not a big fan of the play-in, but like it when they come up with creative things like that.  Surprised no one thought of that before hearing it last night!

And in true fashion that describes this season, we have no idea who is going to show up Tuesday night.  If I were a gambling man, I'd go for us losing the 7/8 and beating the 9/10 winner.  That's the way the season has gone for us.  Always putting ourselves in the worst possible case scenario instead of just winning.

Marcus will be in the game of his Celtic life switching between Westbrook and Beal.  I'm pretty sure he won't lay an egg although he may do well on the defensive side but start bricking up threes when we get behind late with reckless abandon.  This game may determine where he winds up next season.      

db  

Of Course Marcus will be on his AAA game defensively. I have the utmost faith in that. As for where he ends up next year, if his performance in this game its a determining factor than he probably wouldn’t want to be here anyway and I wouldn’t blame him.
I’m more concerned about where the team will be when this year finally comes to an end and next year for sure.

Wiz won't have our guy Thomas Bryant out there at center; he's been injured and out almost all season. They're still rotating Len, Lopez and Gafford in his absence, and none are as strong inside or on the boards. That's at least a little help for the Celtics. Unfortunately, although Lopez and Gafford may not be up to Bryant's game, both are going to be tough inside for our roster. Hard to picture RWIII and Kornet being able to hang close.

Westbrook and Beal are skilled assassins. Marcus can't do it alone so Stevens is going to have to throw several bodies out there to see what clicks.

Last I saw, the Celtics were actually slight favorites. The only way I see this turning out well is Tatum coming up with one of his monster games. It will probably be a track meet out there. Celtics better lace 'em up and defend.

Romeo spells Marcus with some suoerb D on Russ and the entire NBA is impressed. My hope.

worcester wrote:Romeo spells Marcus with some suoerb D on Russ and the entire NBA is impressed. My hope.

Definite possibility, Nesmith has a good frame and long arms too, maybe he does a good job helping out on Beal. Kemba is going to have to cover one of them and that may not be pretty....

Who would have guessed that the NBA championship Lakers and the Celtics would find themselves  in the pre qualifying tournament.

Wow, NYCelt! Slight favorites, huh? (Actually BOS-1.5) I guess the oddsmakers weed out all the riff-raff and don't account for a team obsessed and on a roll in their calculations. I just don't see it. I'm sticking with we get clobbered in this game and win Thursday's game. It's what we've done all season and nothing has ever changed in this exact situation despite our hoping otherwise. Dead horse beating...

As usual, I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong and won't say I told you so if I'm right.

db