Celtics are Historically Dominant!

[Real Men Wear Green]

They had their incredible RS run in 2022 after starting out .500 and had ~80% odds to win it all then as well and what happened? They've been a 1 or a 2 seed 5 times like I already said. Winning a few extra games doesn't magically change what their two best players are. The team around them is a little better and their Conference is a joke, and yes I know that they also have a great record against the WC as well, but they need to show me something different in the POs before I change my stance on it.

If they run through this weak ass EC like a dominant team should & they win the title then I'll give you all the props in the world.

So they did not come near 60 games, correct? And how many times have they been the top seed again? When is the last time they had the best record in the NBA?

[ImKobe]

Still kind of dodging the question mate.


A few games is funny.


The 2022 Celtics won 51 games.


Why pretend like the 2022 team was anywhere near as good as this one?

Are you going to pretend that they didn't have a 33 - 10 record to finish the season and weren't given these same kind of odds to win it all? Just because they've been healthier this season with a better cast doesn't mean I've changed my mind about Tatum & Brown. In a hypothetical series vs Nuggets or Lakers or Mavs or Clippers there's a good chance that Tatum isn't even the 2nd best player in the series.

West teams have been battling it out & splitting games all year while the Cs have feasted on the weak ass EC. Yes, they still have a great record vs the West overall as well, but also dropped both games vs Nuggs and lost at home vs an injured Lakers squad and got blown out at home by the Clippers. They're not some dominant team with a proven track record in the POs that I'd pick them to win the title when I've seen them stink it up in the POs for many years.

You really think that winning 7-8 more games than the previous year in a worse Conference makes them a significantly better team? I don't.

[ImKobe]

So they did not come near 60 games, correct? And how many times have they been the top seed again? When is the last time they had the best record in the NBA?

They won 57 last year. This year the EC is SIGNIFICANTLY worse and they've dominated the hell out of it. Last year they were 34 - 18 vs the East and this year they're 39 - 9. The record vs. the WC probably ends up being the same at 23 - 7 (currently 22 - 7) unless they rest they somehow lose to Portland at home.

Last year they won 1 less game than the Bucks so they had the #2 record in the league. Big ****ing deal. This year the Bucks, Sixers & Cavs are much worse. Like, you're completely ignoring that the EC might not have a single 50-win team other than Boston this season and that sub .500 teams are sitting in the Play-In.

[Real Men Wear Green]

For rational people winning 7 more games than you did last year is a sign of improvement. The Celtics have 2 new starters and these new starters are guys that have made the allstar game, elite defenders that can score and shoot. To act like this is the same team as the past is to completely ignore reality. I specifically remember you criticizing Tatum for passing to Smart when he was open in the clutch because Smart isn't a great shooter. Well now that pass would be going to the best corner three site in the league. You talk about some stretch of games from 2022 when the Celtics had a great record. Ok that happened but you never talk context. That stretch was with the best version of Robert Williams, who later hurt his knee, limiting his ability to play in the playoffs and running last season. The ramifications of his knee injury are likely even the reason why his season was ended early this year. This year's Celtics replace him with Porzingis, who is still playing. Porzingis and Holiday make an extreme difference. Process that if you can.

[Real Men Wear Green]

They won 57 last year. This year the EC is SIGNIFICANTLY worse and they've dominated the hell out of it. Last year they were 34 - 18 vs the East and this year they're 39 - 9. The record vs. the WC probably ends up being the same at 23 - 7 (currently 22 - 7) unless they rest they somehow lose to Portland at home.

Last year they won 1 less game than the Bucks so they had the #2 record in the league. Big ****ing deal. This year the Bucks, Sixers & Cavs are much worse. Like, you're completely ignoring that the EC might not have a single 50-win team other than Boston this season and that sub .500 teams are sitting in the Play-In.

So instead of coming in second by one game they are in first by 14 correct? Are Porzingis and holiday upgrades?

[ImKobe]

Zingis ain't more durable than Williams either. He'd always miss a chunk of the season in Dallas and either got hurt or wasn't the same player in the POs in the 2 series we saw. You're banking on him being healthy for 16-20 games when he hasn't been able to play more than 5-6 games in a row in the past 4 months.

Smart is gone, so that helps their offense in crunch time. They've been one of the better teams in close games this season. They have a better supporting cast and are a bit healthier. There's still questions that I need answers for come Playoff time before I can call them a historically dominant team. They need to run thru the joke EC and show me something in the Finals before we start ranking them among the ATG teams.

The '09 & '10 Cavs were not historically great teams despite winning 66 & 61 games in B2B seasons. They had a +10.0 Net Rating in '09 and arguably the best player in the league and they folded in the POs.

[ImKobe]

So instead of coming in second by one game they are in first by 14 correct? Are Porzingis and holiday upgrades?

Ok, and last year Giannis was injured going into the POs and his team lost in the 1st round, and Embiid was injured & played hurt against Boston on top of that. They still couldn't make the Finals because they started 0 - 3 against an injured Play-In team.

They need to prove it in the POs. That's all I'm really saying. All this RS talk is nice but means jack shit if the result is the same in the Playoffs. I'll eat crow if they do deliver.

[beasted]

Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, Luka and maybe SGA are tier 1 but I'm not sure about SGA. I'm just not as convinced as most about him. Tatum's impact is for me is closer to a tier that has Steph, Sabonis, Durant, Booker and Davis this year. Kawhi and LeBron I just don't know. Some nights they belong here, I guess they can possibly play at a tier 2 level for a playoff run. Siakam, Lillard and Beal are clearly below them.

Embiid has been dog shit in the playoffs. SGA has no experience there. That leaves you with only 3 players which makes too small of a tier IMO.

By this comparison standard, it must also mean that throughout the late 80s and most the 90s that Jordan was tier 1, and literally everyone else was tier 2 or below. Barkley, Hakeem, Robinson, Malone, Shaq, Magic, Bird, Penny, etc etc. All these guys immediately drop to tier 2 or below. Doesn't sound right when you put it that way.

A tier should likely encompass more than 1-3 players in a league which has had 568 players play at least 1 game. You're literally making it less than 1% just mathematically speaking. Just my 2 cents.

[Real Men Wear Green]

It's a bit strange that you think Porzingis isn't more durable than Williams when Williams is in the middle of a 6 game season. I daresay that a 6 game season from Porzingis would be an issue. This kind of argument is par for the course.

[ImKobe]

Williams had seasons of playing 50-60 games in Boston and though he only played 35 in the RS last year he played in every Playoff game. Zingis has had a bunch of injuries throughout his career so that's what I was obviously alluding to.

If KP can stay healthy in the POs they'll have a shot.

[Lakers Legend#32]

Celtics historical b!tches

[dankok8]

Since the all-star break not counting today's game, the Celtics are 18-4 with a +16.2 Net Rating. They're simply hammering teams.

[Im Still Ballin]

Since the all-star break not counting today's game, the Celtics are 18-4 with a +16.2 Net Rating. They're simply hammering teams.

Noice.

[dankok8]

Zingis ain't more durable than Williams either. He'd always miss a chunk of the season in Dallas and either got hurt or wasn't the same player in the POs in the 2 series we saw. You're banking on him being healthy for 16-20 games when he hasn't been able to play more than 5-6 games in a row in the past 4 months.

Smart is gone, so that helps their offense in crunch time. They've been one of the better teams in close games this season. They have a better supporting cast and are a bit healthier. There's still questions that I need answers for come Playoff time before I can call them a historically dominant team. They need to run thru the joke EC and show me something in the Finals before we start ranking them among the ATG teams.

The '09 & '10 Cavs were not historically great teams despite winning 66 & 61 games in B2B seasons. They had a +10.0 Net Rating in '09 and arguably the best player in the league and they folded in the POs.

Actually Celtics haven't been good in close games. 12 out of their 16 losses are by single digits, most by 6 points or less.

If anything, their net rating looks like a team with more wins. If they closed better, they'd be pushing for 70 wins.

[ArbitraryWater]

Actually Celtics haven't been good in close games. 12 out of their 16 losses are by single digits, most by 6 points or less.

If anything, their net rating looks like a team with more wins. If they closed better, they'd be pushing for 70 wins.

Yeah man, thats what I said on page 1 too.