Quote from: Roy H. on Today at 12:54:55 PM

I don't think it's necessary to be "alarmed" right now.

But, I am concerned.  It's not that we lost.  It's that we have every reason to believe that Joe is going to be a hurdle to overcome, rather than an aid.  He's too rigid of a thinker.

 Joe doesn't take accountability and adjust on the fly because he is wound too tightly.  It's exactly what this team does not need.

Yeah, Joe's an odd guy.  Time for him to go in for another recreational choke session, I think:

“Once you get in a chokehold,” said Alex Costa, Mazzulla’s jiu-jitsu trainer, “your mind goes cuckoo.”

Mazzulla wants this. The physical exercise. The mental challenge. And yes, the probability of getting his ass kicked. He is at Costa’s gym, Gracie Barra Boston, to ready himself for the tests ahead. The situations Mazzulla sees here on the mat might leave him with one or two appropriate solutions. Any other response, any mistake, will lead him into an even worse problem than his current predicament.

“The general idea is that once you get in a position, a submission, (with a threat) on your body, you’re going to have to make very rapid decisions,” Costa told The Athletic.

“The first thing we teach students is how to stay focused and control the panic that would be, like, very close to happening essentially under a real stressful, life-threatening situation. Basically, what we do here is maintain the balance and make sure that we keep (your mind firing) to find technical solutions for your case.”

The application to basketball is obvious. On the sideline, every coach is faced with endless decisions. Lineups. Play calls. The messages to deliver at halftime and in timeout huddles. Broken down to the most basic function, coaching is nothing more than a constant search to find the right solution under duress. Moment after moment, day after day, season after season, Mazzulla must find his way out of a chokehold.

(Obviously it explains why he choked the woman in college, as well.  He was just trying to get her to make better decisions under pressure.)

I digress, but I'd rather have Rick Pitino coaching.  Maybe M.L. Carr.

Interesting idea was reported/speculated, something I have been thinking about also.  Instead of trading down (with MIN) and then back up to be sure you get the QB you want, why not just trade directly with NYG?

Quote

Rumor has it that landing Drake Maye is their [NYG] dream scenario, but in order to get him moving from No. 6 to No. 3 would likely be the way to go. Corry sees the following compensation as realistic: New England gets the sixth pick, the 47th in the second round, and a 2025 first-round selection.

I am expecting AZI to take Harrison at #4 for sure, pairing him with Murray seems like a no brainer, and then you have to wonder if LAC will trade the pick to someone who wants to get ahead of NE.  I think if you don't want or need a QB, why not trade down from 4 or 5?  Thus the risk of getting cute and not just taking your guy with the #3.

I think that's right.  If New England traded back to #6 because (for instance) they loved J.J. but wanted more value, I think there's a good chance that Minnesota or another team would jump them.

Now, if they don't like either Maye or J.J., a trade back to #6 to pick Joe Alt isn't a bad idea.  But if they don't want a QB, I would think that Minnesota could offer a more desirable package.  At #11 and #23, the Pats could potentially land Bowers and an OT, or an OT and a WR, etc.

Quote from: kraidstar on Today at 12:41:53 PM

Quote from: Donoghus on Today at 12:28:47 PM

Quote from: kraidstar on Today at 12:22:50 PM

Quote from: Celtics2021 on Today at 12:13:40 PM

I’m coming to this thread after the Heat series to collect some receipts.  Oh heavens, they lost a game!

The Celtics are folding under pressure yet again and you're not alarmed?  We just lost a home game to what is, by far, the least talented roster in the playoffs.

Did I expect them to go 16-0 in the playoffs?  No.

Are they trailing in this series?  No.

Am I alarmed?  No.

You should be. It's unlikely we win a championship playing with such poor composure. When we encounter a Curry or a Jokic or a Spoelstra we will lose. Guys who feast on weak-minded teams. It's only a matter of time unless someone steps up and provides some leadership.

Feel free to blow me up come June if they're not in the Finals.

Until then, I recommend enjoying the rollercoaster ride. 

I will lol.  But if we get bounced early this place is gonna be a bigger cesspool than Patriots Reddit. I don't envy the mods in that scenario. 

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/04/jayson-tatum-wants-celtics-to-get-creative-after-heat-game-2-upset.html

“I think we’ve gotta be more creative,” Tatum said. “The playoffs are about making adjustments game to game, and they did that. They’re not just going to let us catch the ball, they’re not just going to let us throw it to KP easy. They’re supposed to try to mess things a little up, and make it a little bit tougher. So it’s our job to react in real time, as well as make our adjustments going from game to game.”

“I think they’re well-coached,” Brown said. “I think that’s a credit to the coaching staff and organization. They put together a good game plan for them, and they feel confident and they come out and execute. I think that’s what they do. Tonight was an example of that. I just thought they made a lot of shots that we normally feel comfortable with. But it’s the playoffs. It is what it is. We gotta adjust and we gotta play ball, so you gotta respond.”

There’s some “reading between the lines” one can do here with these two quotes from the Jays.

Interesting idea was reported/speculated, something I have been thinking about also.  Instead of trading down (with MIN) and then back up to be sure you get the QB you want, why not just trade directly with NYG?

Rumor has it that landing Drake Maye is their [NYG] dream scenario, but in order to get him moving from No. 6 to No. 3 would likely be the way to go. Corry sees the following compensation as realistic: New England gets the sixth pick, the 47th in the second round, and a 2025 first-round selection.

I am expecting AZI to take Harrison at #4 for sure, pairing him with Murray seems like a no brainer, and then you have to wonder if LAC will trade the pick to someone who wants to get ahead of NE.  I think if you don't want or need a QB, why not trade down from 4 or 5?  Thus the risk of getting cute and not just taking your guy with the #3.