NBA Playoffs - 2022

NYCelt wrote:Gyso doing his usual spectacular job creating this playoff thread. Truly the fuel in the tank of the machine. Or is that now the voltage in the battery? Knowing the guy, he’s pretty versatile, probably a hybrid.

I’m rooting for the Nets. Would love to be the team to put them away in the playoffs.

Interesting to learn dboss was an insurance co compliance guy. Guess we never discussed that. Any securities industry compliance experience?

dbrown4 wrote:Please allow me to slightly alter my rhetoric on the CLE vs. BKN game tonight.  BKN is not going to tank tonight.  They will, however, SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATE the heart of the Cleveland Cavaliers with their hubris.  They will be caught looking ahead to Boston (and some may argue correctly even looking passed Boston) and in the end will never see us nor the playoffs.  ATL will be waiting for them on Thursday and ATL will provide the humiliating knockout blow much to EVERYONE'S surprise.  Well, not ours here, of course.  Oz has spoken.      

db  

36 year old Rajon Rondo's 13 assists helped the Cavs put away the (tanking) Bucks on Sunday. I'd love to see him be a thorn in KI's game tonight.

bygone wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Gyso doing his usual spectacular job creating this playoff thread. Truly the fuel in the tank of the machine. Or is that now the voltage in the battery? Knowing the guy, he’s pretty versatile, probably a hybrid.

I’m rooting for the Nets. Would love to be the team to put them away in the playoffs.

Interesting to learn dboss was an insurance co compliance guy. Guess we never discussed that. Any securities industry compliance experience?

dbrown4 wrote:Please allow me to slightly alter my rhetoric on the CLE vs. BKN game tonight.  BKN is not going to tank tonight.  They will, however, SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATE the heart of the Cleveland Cavaliers with their hubris.  They will be caught looking ahead to Boston (and some may argue correctly even looking passed Boston) and in the end will never see us nor the playoffs.  ATL will be waiting for them on Thursday and ATL will provide the humiliating knockout blow much to EVERYONE'S surprise.  Well, not ours here, of course.  Oz has spoken.      

db  

36 year old Rajon Rondo's 13 assists helped the Cavs put away the (tanking) Bucks on Sunday. I'd love to see him be a thorn in KI's game tonight.

Playoff Rondo!!!

Playoff Rondo indeed.

I've always agreed with those that feel that for a season or two, Rondo was possibly the best point guard to ever play the game. Too bad that time didn't last longer, and last longer with Boston.

In the playoffs, he can take his game to high places. He can be fun to watch.

NYCelt wrote:Playoff Rondo indeed.

I've always agreed with those that feel that for a season or two, Rondo was possibly the best point guard to ever play the game. Too bad that time didn't last longer, and last longer with Boston.

In the playoffs, he can take his game to high places. He can be fun to watch.

2010-2012 he was electric, don’t think he made all NBA, but he was great !!

So the great and powerful Oz has spoken…….Now it is time for the little Italian Celtic fan to speak.

THERE IS NO WAY WE LOSE TO THOSE CREEPS (CLEANED THAT UP DIDN’T I?) WE WILL BE WAITING FOR THEM IN BOSTON, AND IF KYRIE THINKS BOSTON FANS ARE LIKE JILTED LOVERS, HE AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET!!!!!!

All of a sudden Ben Simmons is going to become the savior for this bunch of jerks. I will be waiting for them. And God bless Cleveland, they gave them a run for their money. Defense is going to win this series.

Thank you, Rosalie. Remember The Wizard of Oz was a coward that hid behind a curtain!! I rest my case! No further questions Your Honor!!

I will be stunned if we don't go 4-1. The guys made a great point. BKN had to have Kryrie and KD play darn near perfect just to win by single digits and blew a huge lead. Even is those two clowns and throw BS in there and they play like that, they will only win one game.

Boston has already made the statement that we will be the kings of the East for the next 5-7 years. Now we will go out and prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Love you guys and gal!

db

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Now it is time for the little Italian Celtic fan to speak.

Little Italian Celtic fan.

I like that one.

It's pretty clear that Brown is vaccinated , but doesn't want to divulge it because of his union position. He has as much as said so. Horford was reluctant too, but has announced that he is vaccinated. Simmons is a wild card. He could be one of their two or three actual defenders. Will he shoot? Maybe if he gets an open layup. I'd defend him aggressively and see if he takes the challenge or folds up like an accordion. There were those who thought we should trade Brown for him. We shall see. He doesn't have the excuse of Doc and Joel picking on him any more, and he abandoned the mental health defense, so he pretty much has to put up or shut up, unless of course, his recovery is illusory.

Now that the way be clear, here's what to expect.  

1.  Never listen to the Wizard of OZ for game predictions!!  I was close once again as CLE put up a valiant fight at the end, just to many missed shots and not enough steam at the end to get them over the hump.  Couldn't figure out the PnR. That won't be a problem for us. Remember, BKN had to play a near perfect game with both clowns having the games of their lives to barely beat what?  No further questions.

2.  Expect BS to mysteriously show up now all healed mentally and physically and ready to play.  We know this is coming.  He pretty much has to show up in this series because they can't beat us without him.  But alas, they won't.  It will not matter he will be so winded in the first 2-3 minutes if he makes an appearance and will be a foul-ridden detriment and will be pulled early on probably re-injuring himself running into Theis or something.  Celtics need to take a page from Larry Bird on the trash talk and let BS have it with both barrels.  Don't expect to see him Game 1 or 2.  He'll make an appearance in BKN for Game 3, especially if they are down 0-2.  

3.  We have the best defense and a steamrolling offense.  Our offense hasn't disappeared. BKN has at best 2 guys that can score, zero defense although Durant showed a little something in a Buster Douglas-type display last night.  And no supporting cast.

4.  Steve Nash vs. Ime Udoka.  Need I say more?  Steve has two plays.  Give it to Kryrie and give it to KD.  Boston won't have the problems CLE had on those pick and rolls.  Kryrie will not have those open passes.  They executed the PnR to perfection but that was against a team that had no defense as well as the final score indicated.  If CLE had included that in their pre-game, this game would have had the result I thought we were going to see.  The Steve Nash that shows up for this series will be the reason why he's shown the door after Game 4 or 5.      

4.  We don't need RWIII for this series.  It'd be nice to have him to wipe out some of KD's sweet jumpers but we don't need him this round.  

5.  Our torturous, smothering defense will be the leg-wobbling demise of both KD and Kryrie beginning somewhere around mid-3rd quarter to the end of each game.  They have to either play great defense all the time or just open the lane up for our lay-up central. Guess which one they will pick? Those two buffoons will start front-rimming or bricking everything and there will be no one to go to for help as the rest of that team will have been standing around the whole game watching the Kryrie and KD show.  Those two will have to play lights out defense the whole series. They won't make it passed one game compared to our defense.    

6.  For the first two games at home, don't be surprised if we go 1-1 just to shake/wake us up a little bit.  In a two-game array, there are 3 possible outcomes. Hopefully, Ime will be prepared for anything and everything.  I'll push all-in on that. While the odds of us going down 0-2 are very remote, it is always a possibility but in this case it will not be probable.

7.  We have to stick with what got us here to 2nd place.  Balls to the wall defense and wide-open practice shots that obliterate and dishearten the competition.  Anything that begins to resemble the first half of the season (ISO, heaving 3's after missing a good number in a row, defensive lapses, no ball movement, running down the shot clock, dribbling, etc) needs to be stopped immediately and met with swift retribution.  Time-out, public humiliation, sit on the bench for a quarter...it simply cannon be tolerated.  There is absolutely no time to revert back to the first part of the season in ANY way shape or form. This is what we went after 2nd place for.  

OK, that's a good start.

db

Rip Van winkle here. I took a long nap in December when the Celtics were doing a great job tanking. I don't know why since we don't have a draft pick, but anyways they were tanking to beat the band. Now I wake up, and we are 2nd in the East with the best defense and point differential. Ime is coach of the month for February, March, and April???? Ime, the guy everyone wanted to jettison in December? What Happened?  Brooklyn in 7th place? What?

One thing is for sure. I won't be taking any more naps until after the dust has settled in June. After we win #18.

worcester wrote:Rip Van winkle here. I took a long nap in December when the Celtics were doing a great job tanking. I don't know why since we don't have a draft pick, but anyways they were tanking to beat the band. Now I wake up, and we are 2nd in the East with the best defense and point differential. Ime is coach of the month for February, March, and April???? Ime, the guy everyone wanted to jettison in December? What Happened?  Brooklyn in 7th place? What?

One thing is for sure. I won't be taking any more naps until after the dust has settled in June. After we win #18.

Excellent, you're back! People have been wondering where you were, and we've missed your basketball and Medical insights.

worcester wrote:Rip Van winkle here. I took a long nap in December when the Celtics were doing a great job tanking. I don't know why since we don't have a draft pick, but anyways they were tanking to beat the band. Now I wake up, and we are 2nd in the East with the best defense and point differential. Ime is coach of the month for February, March, and April???? Ime, the guy everyone wanted to jettison in December? What Happened?  Brooklyn in 7th place? What?

One thing is for sure. I won't be taking any more naps until after the dust has settled in June. After we win #18.

Was wondering where you were. Welcome back.

Shamrock, It's good to be back. You guys and Rosalie are the best.

Worcester my friend, I am so glad you are with us again!!!! Don't you just love the way this season turned around???? Welcome Back

What a fabulous season. A great GM and a perfect coach. Not to mention tremendous players. D is all about effort and heart. We have both in abundance!

worcester wrote:Rip Van winkle here. I took a long nap in December when the Celtics were doing a great job tanking. I don't know why since we don't have a draft pick, but anyways they were tanking to beat the band. Now I wake up, and we are 2nd in the East with the best defense and point differential. Ime is coach of the month for February, March, and April???? Ime, the guy everyone wanted to jettison in December? What Happened?  Brooklyn in 7th place? What?

One thing is for sure. I won't be taking any more naps until after the dust has settled in June. After we win #18.

Worcester,

Welcome back.


Bob


.

Game 1: April 17 at 3:30 p.m. at Boston

Game 2: April 20 at 7 p.m. at Boston

Game 3: April 23 at time TBD at Brooklyn

Game 4: April 25 at time TBD at Brooklyn

If necessary:

Game 5: April 27 at time TBD at Boston

Game 6: April 29 at time TBD at Brooklyn

Game 7: May 1 at time TBD at Boston


Bob
MY NOTE:  A side note, really, RWill underwent surgery on March 30th.  His projected return was 4-6 weeks.  The talk is hopeful he'll be on the early side of this range, perhaps even less than 4 weeks (although I wouldn't expect him to be in the game right away.  I'd expect a few days of game-level conditioning anyway).  4 weeks would make his return 4/27, which would be Game 5 of this round vs Brooklyn.

.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/04/bruce-brown-takes-shot-at-celtics-defense-without-rob-williams-we-can-attack-horford-and-theis-in-the-paint.html


Bruce Brown takes shot at Celtics defense without Rob Williams: ‘We can attack Horford and Theis in the paint’



Published: Apr. 12, 2022, 11:06 p.m.


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



Brooklyn Nets starter Bruce Brown is very eager to face a Boston Celtics defense without Robert Williams in the first round.

The Celtics are expected to be without their starting center for their matchup against the Nets. Williams underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus earlier this month and was ruled out for 4-6 weeks.

Without Williams manning the middle, Brown threw some shade at Boston’s other bigs when asked about how the Nets can slow down a Celtics squad that has gone 30-10 in their last 40 games.

“I mean, we can’t let Tatum get 50,” Brown said after beating the Cavs on Tuesday night. “We got to be physical with them. Now they don’t have Robert Williams so they have less of a presence in the paint. We can attack Al Horford and Theis. Them not having Rob Williams is huge.”

The Celtics are 4-3 since Williams suffered his injury but several starters were rested in two of those losses on the second half of back-to-back matchups. On the season, Boston went 11-10 in games Williams did not play. Boston has a 99.9 defensive rating when Williams has been on the court this year. That drops to 104.3 when the starting center is sidelined.

Williams made a tremendous impact in Game 1 of last year’s first round series against the Nets, posting a career-high nine blocks in the defeat. However, he did not suit up for Game 4 and 5 due to a toe injury as Boston fell in the series 4-1.

Ime Udoka has refused to rule Williams out of the first round series entirely despite the expectation that he will not be available for Boston.

“The four-to-six week timetable is what it is,” Udoka said. “But guys will come back in three (weeks) and stuff. Javonte Green was here and came back in three weeks and jumping out of the gym still. So everybody kind of reacts to it differently and so we’re not ruling him out because of that, but as I’ve said, we anticipate playing the first round without him.”

Udoka also spoke confidently earlier this week about the ability of Theis and Horford to fill the void for Williams at center. The duo has started Boston’s last six games together.

“Another guy who can do some of the same things and obviously great insurance policy to have him there,” Udoka said of Theis last week. “A guy that’s been around, although different schematically. The guys all know him and know what he’s about, and he’s picked up pretty quickly. And so, valuable there. But Al is a guy that’s played on and off ball all season so he’s pretty comfortable in either spot.”

The Celtics will host the Nets in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series on Sunday afternoon at TD Garden.


Bob
MY NOTE: Bulletin board material for the Celtic locker room.


.

worcester wrote:Rip Van winkle here. I took a long nap in December when the Celtics were doing a great job tanking. I don't know why since we don't have a draft pick, but anyways they were tanking to beat the band. Now I wake up, and we are 2nd in the East with the best defense and point differential. Ime is coach of the month for February, March, and April???? Ime, the guy everyone wanted to jettison in December? What Happened?  Brooklyn in 7th place? What?

One thing is for sure. I won't be taking any more naps until after the dust has settled in June. After we win #18.

Good to see you Worcester!

I am sure this will really motivate Luke Kornet.

Good to see you Bobc and Bobh.

bobheckler wrote:Game 1: April 17 at 3:30 p.m. at Boston

Game 2: April 20 at 7 p.m. at Boston

Game 3: April 23 at time TBD at Brooklyn

Game 4: April 25 at time TBD at Brooklyn

If necessary:

Game 5: April 27 at time TBD at Boston

Game 6: April 29 at time TBD at Brooklyn

Game 7: May 1 at time TBD at Boston


Bob
MY NOTE:  A side note, really, RWill underwent surgery on March 30th.  His projected return was 4-6 weeks.  The talk is hopeful he'll be on the early side of this range, perhaps even less than 4 weeks (although I wouldn't expect him to be in the game right away.  I'd expect a few days of game-level conditioning anyway).  4 weeks would make his return 4/27, which would be Game 5 of this round vs Brooklyn.

.

RWill's return could happen at the same time as Simmons' return, late 1st round.

Which one adds more to their team? I'm gonna go with Rob.

Great having you back, worcester! I just mentioned you in a thread yesterday and the BOOOM! You're back!

Well, you woke up just in time to see the Celtic Fully Operation Death Star (yes, even sans RWIII for a round) completely humiliate the Brooklyn Nets for all to see. Stepping on Lucky was one thing. But payback's a BEE-OTCH!! If we waste our time beyond 4-1 against these idiots, I'll be blown back to the Stone Age. And now you can add Bruce Brown to the target list. Playing against CLE defense was like playing a sieve down the lane since both players bit on the PnR and went to the same guy. And you still had to have your two clowns put up near perfect games to advance and not even beat the spread. Not going to see any of that next round, Bruce. But we'll let you find this out the hard way.

db

dbrown, Sorry that your fellow Davidson Alum is hurt, but thrilled that our Celts are doing great.

Rosalie - #18 is within reach. It's there for the taking!

Conference Splits


Eastern Conference

Team....................vs EC......W/L %.......vs WC.......W/L %....vs Boston
Heat....................35-17-----67.3..........18-12------60.0.......1-2
Celtics................33-19----63.4..........18-12-----60.0.......N/A
Bucks..................33-19-----63.4..........18-12------60.0........2-2
Sixers.................32-20-----61.5..........19-11-------63.3.......2-2
Raptors...............30-22-----57.6..........18-12------60.0........2-2
Bulls...................29-23-----55.8..........17-13------56.6........1-2
Nets...................31-21----59.6.........13-17-----43.3........1-3
Cavaliers.............27-25-----51.9..........17-13------56.6........1-2


Western Conference

Team....................vs EC......W/L %.......vs WC.......W/L %....vs Boston
Suns.....................25-5-----82.5..........39-13------75.6........1-1
Grizzlies................20-10----66.7..........36-16------69.2........0-2
Warriors................20-10----66.7..........33-19------63.4........1-1
Mavericks.............16-14----53.3...........36-16------69.2........2-0
Jazz.....................16-14----53.3..........33-19------63.4.........1-1
Nuggets...............19-11----63.3...........29-23------55.7........0-2

Play-in competitors moving forward TBD.

There's a lot missing in this analysis.  For example it doesn't take into account Brooklyn's W/L record for the games Flat-Earth Boy missed because of his vaccination stance.  It doesn't reflect our W/L in the last 2 months vs our W/L before that.  We're not the same team.  Neither is Brooklyn.  It also doesn't take into account which teams each of us played against in the other conference.  If you are the Suns, for example, and you played a lot of your vs EC games vs the bottom half of the EC then, for sure, your record vs EC will look really good.  Still, you are your record and here's all our records.

One positive observation is that the only team that has a winning record against us is Dallas, and that was on a buzzer beater that we were kicking ourselves for because it broke our winning streak. Every other playoff team has no better than a .500 record against us.


Bob


.