Home Stretch thoughts & questions

With about 30 games to go, I reflect on the two losses to Chi, Cle and Mia, and 3 losses to Orlando (not Cleveland as I first wrote) so far this season. My memory fades but what I do recall that beat us in most of those games was our opponents giving us a taste of our own medicine and playing hard aggressive defense for most of the entire 48 minutes. Actually I can't recall any game that we played hard defense for 48 minutes; a couple games were close, most games we didn't have to. Against Brooklyn we played enough good D to cruise through quarters 2,3,4. Miami's zone was effective against us, other opponents defense caused too many turnovers, same thing with Cleveland and Chicago, and our lack of focus led to too many unforced lazy turnovers.

When our tremendous downtown offense failed and we were defended well we had issues and lost or just scraped out a win.

Remedies? I ask since many here are more qualified.

My thought is that focus, and humility or lack of hubris will help. Jaylen still thinking he can power through multiple defenders rather than foreseeing it with the eyes in back of his head and dishing for a dime (I know, I ask a lot), JT passing sooner at times, and luck. Injuries can kill any team, and having Marcus back will help our focus. A healthy RWIII works wonders. Luck with the injuries cures a lot ills.

Don't get me wrong, the J's both improved their game significantly from last season and even as this season has progressed.  JB's seasonal frito average is much better, both J's rebounding and assists are improved and improving. The stats you provided Bobh in the Brooklyn Post Game thread are amazing. Thank you.

The rest of the team is solid but the downtownitis that's afflicted Hasuer and Pritchard of late is puzzling. Is it just that they are better defended? Lack of minutes? I hope we can keep Pritchard, but if money and minutes draw him elsewhere I can understand that. Grant's offers should be matched when that time comes. Brogden is an awesome pickup. We have a great team.

Go Cs. I am excited to watch the final 30. We've a good shot at it all. I have some unscientific thoughts on improving peripheral vision, the technique saved my life once but I'd like to do a little research on that before I elaborate. Somewhere I heard, probably in this forum that Cousy's peripheral vision was off the charts. Apparently it can be measured.

Good post bygone.  From what I've seen so far this season with the Take Foul being added, this has opened up offenses across the league.  Even going back to the Celtics teams of the 60's which their theme was we're going to run you off the court with Bill Russel as our defensive anchor, we're seeing a huge renaissance of scoring.  Lots more games in the 130's and 140's.  

Defense in a run you off the court, shorten the shot clock time/era can't pace itself for 48 full minutes.  You'd have no legs for offense.  The words I've been hearing that match with what I'm seeing is "selective" defense.  You hinted at it above in the BKN game.  More like General Norman Schwarzkopf lasering his targets in the 90's Gulf War one at a time vs. dropping an A-bomb and killing everybody and everything in sight.

As we know, come playoff time, things slow way down, mainly because after the first round, every team has good to great defense and can take you out of your game plan quickly. Everybody can score. That's not the mystery or secret sauce. Defense is.  

The way to beat MIA's zone is don't give it time to set up, i.e. run them off the court.  And we have the arsenal to do that to win 4 games.  CLE may be the problem.  Clearly, we don't know how to beat them yet. But if we don't play them in the 2nd round, it's either PHI or MIL.  Pick your poison.  We may have to get lucky and hope CLE gets knocked out in the first round.

Relying on the old "Well, it's playoff time and things are different in the playoffs" mantra probably won't hold up this time for us if we don't find a way to beat CLE sooner rather than later.

db

Good points dbrown, 'selective defense' with our depth should do it most times.

I just realized I said 3 losses to Cleveland, I meant Orlando, I'll see if I can still edit it.

Glad we're not facing Orlando in the playoffs, they had the legs on both ends for the better part of those 3 games we lost. Banchero at 20 years and Anthony 22 had the legs and the adrenaline to pour it on against the best record, us, for extended time. But they dropped back to losing games after they played us, in line with their record.

Bygone, yes, Cooz had amazing peripheral vision, but it was nothing compared to my mother's eyes-in-the-back-of-her-head vision when we kids were doing something wrong.

Yeah, that was a bitch, worcester!!

db

Db, mothers world-wide possess that super power.

My mom could throw a shoe around a corner and knock me upside my head!

bygone

The Celtics offense despite some lapses is still pretty damn good.  

They are still # 1 in PPG in the East at 117.7

With the return of RW our defense is much improved and will get even better. CJ has started to implement a few tweaks.

The one of two things we cannot predict are injuries but we know from last year how injuries can impact winning on a roster that lacks depth (2021-22)

At the very least, the Celtics will be adding a depth piece.  It may be a big or it may be another wing.  Brad may add both but he will need to move a couple of guys and a pick or two like a 1st and and 2nd for example depending on what is coming back.

Hauser is a "one trick" pony and that trick has not been effective since back in November.  PP is a victim of depth at PG.

The one thing that he always does, even when his shot is not falling, is pushing the ball after made shots.  So he can certainly help the team play with more pace on offense.  

The 2nd thing that we cannot predict is how well CJ will do coaching this team up during an intense playoff run.  Teams are going to play a lot of zone against us especially Miami.  I have yet to see the Celtics play effectively against zone defenses.  How about defending those high screens.  To drop or not to drop is the question.  How will CJ inspire his team to play smothering defense on the perimeter and stay connected on all the switches and other defensive rotations.  Will he evolve into a great game manager?  

If the Celtics cannot figure this stuff out they do not deserve to be champions.

I think that they will figure stuff out and I expect that this team will win because of their defense.

dboss, you better give Eddie Murphy "shoe" credit!! JK

db

dbrown4 wrote:dboss, you better give Eddie Murphy "shoe" credit!!  JK

db

db

Quite observant you are.

BR with a list of potential buyout candidates

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10064213-5-potential-nba-buyout-candidates-after-feb-9-trade-deadline

Thanks, Yoda. In college if I listened to his stand up 1,000 times, I'd be way short. It was on cassette at that time and we literally listened to it until it shredded itself up in the tape player. He's still funny!! Thanks for bringing him back.

My favorite? Ironically, "It's SHOWTIME to the Brooklyn
People!!" bit....GTO comes screamin' around the corner playin' that loud-ass Bob Marley music. I said, "Turn that %$#$ down!!" They said, "Eff you!!" I said, "Alright. Alright....."

I think the mother shoe bit was on that same tape, but wouldn't push all-in on that!

db

dboss wrote:My mom could throw a shoe around a corner and knock me upside my head!

                                                                              My mother could throw a 6 inch pump in such a way that the heel would always strike first. Maybe they went to the same mothering academy.

Didn't see much that was interesting in the buyout article that dboss posted. Terrence Ross always had the ability to drop points in bunches, and he always lit up the Celtics. He might be a consideration. Same thing with Derrick Rose, but not sure if Derrick has anything left in the tank. Anyone see anything worthwhile??