If you had to guess, why will the Celtics not win the championship?

[Street Hunger]

The Celtics are having a dominant season, but if you had to explain why they are not going to win the championship, what would you say?

[SATAN]

Jason Tatum.

[SouBeachTalents]

LeBron James.

[Im Still Ballin]

Jeff, can we have reps back?

[1_BAD_TIGER]

Denver Nuggets

[Chuckbe]

Live by the 3, Die by the 3

[CurryOverLebron]

https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1768299352533918133

[ErhnamDjinn]

Jason Tatum.

Yeah i think they go only as far as good as he plays. Didnt he have bad games when they played GSW.

[Stephonit]

They were beaten by a better team.

[FultzNationRISE]

Denver Nuggets


This is correct (IMO).

It is looking like Boston wont meet much resistance in the East, unless one of these teams really turns it up in the playoffs.

But Denver is the stronger team, so if they both make it through the Celtics will likely be out of luck, no pun intended.

[Nowoco]

Because they're just another 2015 Hawks. Great record, solid starting lineup but no reliable superstar to beat the best teams and no-one really believes they can go all the way, just like that Hawks team. Superstars win championships, not regular season records.

[tpols]

The only thing that could stop them is Zingis getting hurt. If he plays a full playoff run they're winning it.

[tpols]

Because they're just another 2015 Hawks. Great record, solid starting lineup but no reliable superstar to beat the best teams and no-one really believes they can go all the way, just like that Hawks team. Superstars win championships, not regular season records.

Tatum and Brown are way better than anybody on those Hawk teams. Zingis is too. Millsap and Teague were trash. Horfords nice but he's an ancillary player. And the Celtics have him too right now. :lol

[elementally morale]

I think they have a very good chance to win it all this year. I doubt it will come down to Tatum or Brown. Porzinigis is the (not so) secret weapon. You can't really double him and if he is getting the ball and looking for his shot it's very hard stopping him. So the one way I see the Celtics not win it is too much perimeter (Kristaps included) and too little inside game. With a team constructed this good you don't need a hero. Denver beat them twice but both games were close. Could've easily been the other way. Winning the West will be very hard which also favors Boston if they reach the Finals.

Lack of on-court leadership is the one area where I see issues. The Celtics can hang their heads when the going gets tough. They are missing a guy like Marcus Smart.

[tpols]

I think they have a very good chance to win it all this year. I doubt it will come down to Tatum or Brown. Porzinigis is the (not so) secret weapon. You can't really double him and if he is getting the ball and looking for his shot it's very hard stopping him. So the one way I see the Celtics not win it is too much perimeter (Kristaps included) and too little inside game. With a team constructed this good you don't need a hero. Denver beat them twice but both games were close. Could've easily been the other way. Winning the West will be very hard which also favors Boston if they reach the Finals.

Lack of on-court leadership is the one area where I see issues. The Celtics can hang their heads when the going gets tough. They are missing a guy like Marcus Smart.

Marcus Smarts career field goal percentage is 38%. In today's era of hyper efficiency.

Dudes honestly trash. I remember watching the Celtics and dude would be ĵacking the wildest shots trying to play hero. Boston looks a million times better and higher IQ with him gone.

Jrue Holiday provides the same defense and leadership but is way higher IQ. And jrue shoots better 49% on the year.

Marcus Smart is big trash and his name is incredibly ironic.

[SouBeachTalents]

Because they're just another 2015 Hawks. Great record, solid starting lineup but no reliable superstar to beat the best teams and no-one really believes they can go all the way, just like that Hawks team. Superstars win championships, not regular season records.
This is a comically bad comparison. These Celtics are literally tiers better than those Hawks, and would never in a million years get swept by the Cavs with Love missing and Kyrie barely playing.

[FultzNationRISE]

Marcus Smarts career field goal percentage is 38%. In today's era of hyper efficiency.

Dudes honestly trash. I remember watching the Celtics and dude would be ĵacking the wildest shots trying to play hero. Boston looks a million times better and higher IQ with him gone.

Jrue Holiday provides the same defense and leadership but is way higher IQ. And jrue shoots better 49% on the year.

Marcus Smart is big trash and his name is incredibly ironic.

This is not fair, Smart hit as many or more big shots for the C’s in the playoffs the last few years as Tatum and Brown, and hes not even supposed to be the one doing it. Relative to expectations, Smart was probably their second most clutch player, after Horford. And Derrick White once he came along.

Find me Tatum and Brown’s “clutch percentage” in the last 5 minutes of close playoff games and Ill bet you it aint any better than Smart’s.

That said, Porzingis clearly balances them better, plus they added Jrue, and Derrick White is a huge piece of the puzzle now, so they are in a better spot. But it’s not because Marcus Smart was “trash.”

[1987_Lakers]

Marcus Smarts career field goal percentage is 38%. In today's era of hyper efficiency.

Dudes honestly trash. I remember watching the Celtics and dude would be ĵacking the wildest shots trying to play hero. Boston looks a million times better and higher IQ with him gone.

Jrue Holiday provides the same defense and leadership but is way higher IQ. And jrue shoots better 49% on the year.

Marcus Smart is big trash and his name is incredibly ironic.

You are trying so hard to be that "done with the 90's" guy. :oldlol:

[tpols]

This is not fair, Smart hit as many or more big shots for the C’s in the playoffs the last few years as Tatum and Brown, and hes not even supposed to be the one doing it. Relative to expectations, Smart was probably their second most clutch player, after Horford. And Derrick White once he came along.

Find me Tatum and Brown’s “clutch percentage” in the last 5 minutes of close playoff games and Ill bet you it aint any better than Smart’s.

That said, Porzingis clearly balances them better, plus they added Jrue, and Derrick White is a huge piece of the puzzle now, so they are in a better spot. But it’s not because Marcus Smart was “trash.”

Marcus Smart is a career 39% shooter in the playoffs.

I've seen you hate a million times on Kobe for his inefficiency when he shot 45% for his career in a slower tougher defensive climate on triple the volume.

Smart was a hero baller on the Celtics but without the offensive talent. Jrue isn't the most efficient in the playoffs either but he looks REALLY good on the Celtics.

And he doesn't jack stupid 3s early in the shot clock like Smart used to.

[elementally morale]

This is not fair, Smart hit as many or more big shots for the C’s in the playoffs the last few years as Tatum and Brown, and hes not even supposed to be the one doing it. Relative to expectations, Smart was probably their second most clutch player, after Horford. And Derrick White once he came along.

Find me Tatum and Brown’s “clutch percentage” in the last 5 minutes of close playoff games and Ill bet you it aint any better than Smart’s.

That said, Porzingis clearly balances them better, plus they added Jrue, and Derrick White is a huge piece of the puzzle now, so they are in a better spot. But it’s not because Marcus Smart was “trash.”


When mentioning Marcus Smart it was more of a mentality thing than box score production that I was thinking about. I saw no more than 10 Celtics games this season and misses on-court leadership. Energy when things don't go your way. Things usually do go their way though because they are too good and balanced to be down for long. Their two losses to the Nuggets could easily have been wins if they had more composure.

[tpols]

The Celtics got blown out in a Game 7 last year at home in the ECFs by an 8 seed.

And Smart didn't do shit about it. He shot 16% from 3. Whole team shot like ass but Smarts leadership didn't do anything to help. Actually hurt em.

Jrue is honestly better than Marcus.

[elementally morale]

The Celtics got blown out in a Game 7 last year at home in the ECFs by an 8 seed.

And Smart didn't do shit about it. He shot 16% from 3. Whole team shot like ass but Smarts leadership didn't do anything to help. Actually hurt em.

Jrue is honestly better than Marcus.

Many players were better than Derek Fisher. He was very valuable still. I'm not trying to hype Marcus Smart. I don't really care either way. The question was what the Celtics might be missing and may answer is on-court leadership and too much emphasis on perimeter play when they have a walking mismatch in Porzingis. These are the two things i can think of. That's all. I'm not on a crusade for Marcus Smart.

[Airupthere]

Coach

[Jasper]

Live by the 3, Die by the 3

ditto --

I will add STOP BROWN---- you beat them

[ImKobe]

I don't see it happening this year. Tatum would need to go up a level IMO. Doesn't mean they can't win it, but they wouldn't be my pick right now.

[Nowoco]

Because they're just another 2015 Hawks. Great record, solid starting lineup but no reliable superstar to beat the best teams and no-one really believes they can go all the way, just like that Hawks team. Superstars win championships, not regular season records.

:pimp:

[GimmeThat]

they lack the hunger of banging their wives right in front of their exes, like some of that 5 times a night stuff, with the motor of a vibrator.

[Axe]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSHVKfb-45tFuxa7VJa2lpCxKN_G7HoVl378cONocG8A&s

[Airupthere]

Doesn't look like the celtics can make a lot of significant in-game adjustments. This team is not winning the championship anytime soon.

[ArbitraryWater]

The Celtics got blown out in a Game 7 last year at home in the ECFs by an 8 seed.

And Smart didn't do shit about it. He shot 16% from 3. Whole team shot like ass but Smarts leadership didn't do anything to help. Actually hurt em.

Jrue is honestly better than Marcus.


Summarizing the Heat as an 8th seed is a little disingenous, not just cause they were the 7th best team in the East.

No ones saying Jrue isnt better, why do you say "honestly" like that isnt the consensus? lol.

Youre going back to weird base settings takes after your stuff got rebuked.

[ArbitraryWater]

:pimp:

Thats still a dumb post bro

[Wally450]

Tatum disappearing for stretches, 3s not falling down, other teams getting hot from 3, or just breaking down our defense.

Turnovers is another big one. Seemed like all of these were big ones last night.

But mainly, it starts and end with Tatum.

[GimmeThat]

Turnovers is another big one. Seemed like all of these were big ones last night.

But mainly, it starts and end with Tatum.

the Celtics needs to be a defensive team, their offensive identity has always been the same, try to fight for position, whoever has the most advantageous position, find the guy.

however defensively, their rotation and help defense really creates problems for teams that run plays with a read option.

they lost game 2 because Mazzulla didn't make the adjustments of, "okay, you wanna run, I'm just gonna have a few guys out there out run you"

Horford's ability to make those outlet passes can really catch the Heat off-guard and put them into deeper foul troubles.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Well, jokic being possibly the best player of all time at his peak alongside a ridiculously clutch 2nd option and a supporting cast that almost perfectly compliments his game would be my guess.

[GimmeThat]

Well, jokic being possibly the best player of all time at his peak alongside a ridiculously clutch 2nd option and a supporting cast that almost perfectly compliments his game would be my guess.

so, team USA's philosophy has been historically faulty? it honestly can be priortizes into 1st/2nd/3rd/4th options by volume?

and the coach is the water boy?

[Jasper]

I don't see it happening this year. Tatum would need to go up a level IMO. Doesn't mean they can't win it, but they wouldn't be my pick right now.

not only that Jrue will be 36 next year ... so they will have to work around that

[HylianNightmare]

Jeff, can we have reps back?



How I miss my green and lime bars