What is missing from the current Celtics?

[bcgenuis]

IMO the main thing missing from the current team is toughness. 

SECOND -- They are also missing a TRUE POINT GUARD a distributor, think how great a player like Rondo would be on this team - setting up Brown and Tatum and 3 point shooters (Pritchard, Fournier, Nesmith) without his need to take shots.  This also takes pressure off of Brown and Tatum to create, distribute and score. The can focus mainly on scoring.

Mental and physical toughness.

Mental touhgness:
Too many players take plays and parts of the game off or simply lose focus. This may happen for various reasons such as bad calls, mistakes by team mates, or simply playing hero ball, trying to do too much.

Other than 2-3 players, Smart and Thompson, the rest of the team is physically fluff.  They dont mix it up. They don't intimidate.

 

[hpantazo]

Experience and maturity in the core group and the younger guys in the rotation.

It will come.  I already see significant improvements. Tatum and Brown had never been the clear cut leaders of the team before this season. They are adjusting to it much faster than guys like Paul Pierce did, and they will get there.

For example, it was not too long ago this season that Tatum was barely taking it to the hoop, not passing out of double teams early enough, and jacking up too many threes. He was also pouting after each no call following weak takes to the hoop. Now he's consistently going strong to the basket, getting to the line, moving the ball a lot better, and it all opens up his perimeter game even more.

Smart is jacking up fewer shots and leading the team in assists most nights.

Robert Williams has shown improved defensive focus on rotations and more poise on offense, particularly with his passing.

Kemba looks like he's finally getting more comfortable fitting in with the Tatum-Brown lead offense.

Pritchard and Nesmith are rapidly becoming legit NBA rotation players and maybe more.

All this has finally allowed us to not use Grant Willams and Semi anymore, which is huge.

With Fournier getting his conditioning back and learning to play with the new group soon too, and everyone getting more time with each other on the floor, I expect the improvements will continue through next season.

[wiley]

-mental toughness (4th quarter, crunchtime turnovers )

-maturity (time solves)

-Okongwu (the missing binkie)

[furball]

Health.  They are missing health.  They have everything they need if it ever all shows up in one game.   They actually have a pretty good distributer in Smart but he only plays that role when all the other scorers are healthy.  When they are not he tries to pick up the scoring slack. 

[Kiorrik]

Yeah, I'ma side with health, playtime, experience and killer attitude.

All of these I believe can be solved by father time. That attitude will come from losing a bunch.

[Ogaju]

A clue

They need a clue about what they are trying to do.

[Kiorrik]

Yeah, I'ma side with health, playtime, experience and killer attitude.

All of these I believe can be solved by father time. That attitude will come from losing a bunch.

Actually (lol self quote) I wanna add to this.

I think it's important we keep this core together a bit longer.

What happened in '07 is a huge series of gambles, paying off in the end. Building up assets, working people, hoping for the perfect storm. You can't just *count* on that to happen.

I feel that if we'd keep Jayson, Jaylen and Kemba (and secondly Robert, Payton and Evan) around for a couple years, we could see MASSIVE improvement. Purely off of growing as individuals and as a team.

I'd love for us to land 3 super-stars again, but I believe more in giving 2-5 years to a group of people that are learning to compliment each-other more and more. Getting more and more used to each-others play-styles.

I'm keen to keep the crew around for a while.

[Moranis]

top end talent.

[wdleehi]

1)  Healthy:   This has lead to way to many rotations which leads to...
2)  Lack of consistency:  Play has been a roller coaster for all the players.   


As for what can be added:   I would like to see a vet pf/c that could come off the bench. 

[slamtheking]

Me as the 15th man in place of Carsen Edwards.  Can't do any worse than him and I'd love to get paid a lot of money to travel and watch every game courtside.

[PhoSita]

- Health in the starting lineup

- Experience on the bench .... Relying on Pritchard, Nesmith, Grant, Langford in your bench rotation is just a lot of young guys without a lot of experience


Apart from those two things I think the biggest help for this team would be to replace the minutes that are currently going to Semi and Grant (backup 3/4) and find a couple guys with legitimate size (6'8''-6'10''), reliable outside shooting (40%+), and a bit of a physical edge.

Basically they need a couple of Jae Crowder / Marcus Morris types in that part of the rotation, but you need to find guys who can be in that role without expecting to get a ton of touches and shot attempts.


I don't agree that the problem with this team is the top end talent.

When healthy, the five man group of Kemba - Smart - Tatum - Brown - Timelord is very good.  That's a versatile, athletic group with shot creation, outside shooting, and pressure on the rim, plus excellent perimeter defense.

The trouble is that group is almost never healthy.  Given Kemba's age and knee issues and Rob Williams's track record, there's not much hope in my opinion that we'll ever see that group fully healthy on a consistent basis.

[boscel33]

Health. 

They haven't had it for years, going back to GH.

Health causes us to have to dip into our thin bench for starters. 

If the team can get healthy and stay healthy, they can make a run.

[cons]

consistency and experience

which kind of go together

[Atzar]

A consistent focus on working as a team on both ends of the court.

We see it in stretches, but too often we just don't seem to be on the same page with each other.  This shows up especially on defense, where we don't rotate well at all.  We'll send help but then leave the helper's man completely vacated.  All too often, teams are one simple pass away from a great shot.

The good news is that this doesn't have to be a permanent flaw in this group's makeup.  It is something that can be improved upon with practice and experience.  The bad news is that it isn't going to magically get better between now and the end of the season.  This is what we have this year. 

[ETNCeltics]

Glue.

Part of it is they haven't all been healthy for any significant stretch, but I think there's chemistry problems beyond that. I think it'll work itself out, just not sure it will in time to compete with NJN, Philly, and the Bucs over the next 6 weeks.