The Celtics are tanking

[beasted]

Philly is most definitely not a playoff lock. They are counting on Embiid and Paul George to stay healthy and that's why they didn't make it last season. Celtics need a 75+ game season from Brown and certain young players to step up. They aren't a good-looking bet but 0% chance is a bit too hyperbolic. 40 wins could definitely be enough to make a top 8 record.

Getting back to my least-favorite subject, Simmons is possibly the ultimate argument against giving a player a guaranteed contract.
With a hundred mil assured he was free to treat his job like a joke and he did. If the Celtics can bring him on for the minimum and assuming Mazzulla has full authority to deal with him however he sees fit I will go as far as saying I understand the logic behind bringing him in for the minimum(which is all the Celtics can offer) but let's just say that I will be pleasantly surprised if by the end of the season I feel anything other than disgust at seeing him starting in Tatum's place. I only support this signing if he's giving that ROY to its rightful owner.

0% is for top 8. I acknowledge there is a 100% percentage chance they likely finish 9-11th.

They just don't have the defense or rebounding to get into the 8th spot. As for Philly, I think even putting aside Embiid and PG13, the combination of Maxey, Mccain, Grimes, and Edgecomb is equal if not better than any 4 players from the Celtics. If you get anything good from Embiid and PG, it makes them a clear 2 seeds at minimum ahead of Boston which is why I have them penciled in at 8th.

The biggest problem for the Cs is by far their defense. You just can't play Hauser and Simons together given their front court and general defensive shortcomings. You can't play Simons and Pritchard together either. You can't play Niang and any of those guys together either. You see a trend here? There are multiple projected rotation player combinations that tanks their defense will below league average.

[Xiao Yao You]

0% is for top 8. I acknowledge there is a 100% percentage chance they likely finish 9-11th.

They just don't have the defense or rebounding to get into the 8th spot. As for Philly, I think even putting aside Embiid and PG13, the combination of Maxey, Mccain, Grimes, and Edgecomb is equal if not better than any 4 players from the Celtics. If you get anything good from Embiid and PG, it makes them a clear 2 seeds at minimum ahead of Boston which is why I have them penciled in at 8th.

The biggest problem for the Cs is by far their defense. You just can't play Hauser and Simons together given their front court and general defensive shortcomings. You can't play Simons and Pritchard together either. You can't play Niang and any of those guys together either. You see a trend here? There are multiple projected rotation player combinations that tanks their defense will below league average.

Maxey mccain and grimes had one of the worst records in the league

[Real Men Wear Green]

0% is for top 8. I acknowledge there is a 100% percentage chance they likely finish 9-11th.

They just don't have the defense or rebounding to get into the 8th spot. As for Philly, I think even putting aside Embiid and PG13, the combination of Maxey, Mccain, Grimes, and Edgecomb is equal if not better than any 4 players from the Celtics. If you get anything good from Embiid and PG, it makes them a clear 2 seeds at minimum ahead of Boston which is why I have them penciled in at 8th.

The biggest problem for the Cs is by far their defense. You just can't play Hauser and Simons together given their front court and general defensive shortcomings. You can't play Simons and Pritchard together either. You can't play Niang and any of those guys together either. You see a trend here? There are multiple projected rotation player combinations that tanks their defense will below league average.

Sam Hauser is not a bad defender. His jumper deserting him last season is a concern but his defense is actually solid. He would often be the most likely guy for the opponent to attack but that's because the options were often Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, JB and JT. Furthermore when 2 of your starting five are good enough to potentially make an all-d team (White and Brown) the rest of the defense had to be pretty bad for the overall defense to be bad. Simons and Niang could create defensive weaknesses to be attacked but Niang is almost definitely not going to start and if Simons looks like he can't guard then there's no reason to start him over Pritchard. The Celtics will no longer be the elite switching unit they were with Tatum at the 4, Holiday at the point of attack and Porzingis erasing mistakes but if Mazzulla can keep the players disciplined there's no reason they can't be respectable on that end.

Philly's top 4 with Embiid taken out of the equation is nothing special. Whether they have a better tip 4 than the Celtics' top 4 means nothing. Both teams season success will be about young players playing better than they did last year and/or injured players ability to come back. Philly is not doing anything without Embiid.

[Xiao Yao You]

Niang was a bad defender who became solid with the jazz. No idea if that remains the case without gobert

[beasted]

Maxey mccain and grimes had one of the worst records in the league

Mccain played all of 23 games last year. The first 13 you can throw away. The first 7 he was not in the rotation. And then a Maxey injury that lasted 6 then put him into the rotation.

So when Maxey returned, they played 10 games together going 5 and 5 over that stretch with only 2 games with Embiid playing.

Grimes was a late season trade and played 12 games with Maxey long after the tank was already in effect.

I don't trust the 76ers, but they have something to play for given next year's pick is only top 4 protected. I expect them to limp into the play-in.

[beasted]

Sam Hauser is not a bad defender. His jumper deserting him last season is a concern but his defense is actually solid. He would often be the most likely guy for the opponent to attack but that's because the options were often Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, JB and JT. Furthermore when 2 of your starting five are good enough to potentially make an all-d team (White and Brown) the rest of the defense had to be pretty bad for the overall defense to be bad. Simons and Niang could create defensive weaknesses to be attacked but Niang is almost definitely not going to start and if Simons looks like he can't guard then there's no reason to start him over Pritchard. The Celtics will no longer be the elite switching unit they were with Tatum at the 4, Holiday at the point of attack and Porzingis erasing mistakes but if Mazzulla can keep the players disciplined there's no reason they can't be respectable on that end.

Philly's top 4 with Embiid taken out of the equation is nothing special. Whether they have a better tip 4 than the Celtics' top 4 means nothing. Both teams season success will be about young players playing better than they did last year and/or injured players ability to come back. Philly is not doing anything without Embiid.

Brown having to carry such an offensive load isn't going to be capable of giving as much energy on the other end, especially since it now becomes critical he stays out of foul trouble - something that has been an issue at times over his career.

Given that, the Cs are in a terrible place defensively and rebounding.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Brown having to carry such an offensive load isn't going to be capable of giving as much energy on the other end, especially since it now becomes critical he stays out of foul trouble - something that has been an issue at times over his career.

Given that, the Cs are in a terrible place defensively and rebounding.

Brown has averaged 26 while defending at a high level. His conditioning is always elite. The concern is how his knee is holding up next season (it's what cost him games this season and he got surgery on it pretty quickly after the postseason). If the knee is good he will be fine.

[Mask the Embiid]

(insert) The Joker sitting on the couch smirking picture

[Wally450]

The Celtics will absolutely make the playoffs in the East.

[NBAGOAT]

The Celtics will absolutely make the playoffs in the East.

Idk you seen that starting frontcourt. Niang and queta is worse than the starting front courts on the worst teams in the league. Simons is the 4th best player on team he’s not that good and could be traded. They have 5 playoff rotation guys only

[Gudo]

Jaylen Brown is overpaid

[Manny98]

Boston back to irrelevancy

[Real Men Wear Green]

Boston back to irrelevancy

I will admit that any team that depends on Simmons doesnt matter.

[Xiao Yao You]

Idk you seen that starting frontcourt. Niang and queta is worse than the starting front courts on the worst teams in the league. Simons is the 4th best player on team he’s not that good and could be traded. They have 5 playoff rotation guys only

Niang started on one of the best teams in the west. Didntvhe startvfor cleveland too. Elite shooter. Smart player

[Xiao Yao You]

I will admit that any team that depends on Simmons doesnt matter.

Is paying a guy vet minimum to play a role depending on a player? They didnt trade a future hall of famer for him like the nets. Im sure manny loved simmons at that time