Frustration at the whole season!

[GreenBoomer]

Just read the globe article on Jabari/Garbage Time. Stevens says he doesn't know the system. Are you kidding me! We've given up 121+ over the last 8 games. Maybe try a different system.

[liam]

Just read the globe article on Jabari/Garbage Time. Stevens says he doesn't know the system. Are you kidding me! We've given up 121+ over the last 8 games. Maybe try a different system.

The effort has nothing to do with the system!

[Tr1boy]

How could Brad not see Miami going at Kemba on every play in the first half to either score or draw the double team? Is that mask covering Brad's whole face??? It was totally frustrating today. Kemba played 40 minutes and the Heat just ran wild. In the next game, Brad will come back with the same thing and maybe adjust when we're down 25 in the 4th.

This is a lazy team.  Slow to react.   Usually playing from behind. Its like a student that constantly procrastinates. But cant pass the final exam

Brad and Ainge have been both outpants by Spo and Riley.  And it is unbelievable

You have a whole offseason to "figure" it out. But its the same nightmare

Even if the Celts fight back, Heat have a "turbo" button it can resort to

It will be interesting to see how Heat vs 76ers or (Wizards (my darkhorse)) matchup look in the playoffs

[liam]

How could Brad not see Miami going at Kemba on every play in the first half to either score or draw the double team? Is that mask covering Brad's whole face??? It was totally frustrating today. Kemba played 40 minutes and the Heat just ran wild. In the next game, Brad will come back with the same thing and maybe adjust when we're down 25 in the 4th.

This is a lazy team.  Slow to react.   Usually playing from behind. Its like a student that constantly procrastinates. But cant pass the final exam

Brad and Ainge have been both outpants by Spo and Riley.  And it is unbelievable

You have a whole offseason to "figure" it out. But its the same nightmare

Even if the Celts fight back, Heat have a "turbo" button it can resort to

It will be interesting to see how Heat vs 76ers or (Wizards (my darkhorse)) matchup look in the playoffs

The Wizards are going to be really scary in the playoffs.

[GreenBoomer]

Just read the globe article on Jabari/Garbage Time. Stevens says he doesn't know the system. Are you kidding me! We've given up 121+ over the last 8 games. Maybe try a different system.

The effort has nothing to do with the system!

That was my attempt at sarcasm. There is no system. Stevens has lost total control. No accountability for the lack of effort. He's done.

[Moranis]

I know it was a crappy first half, but Miami is just flat out better than Boston, especially without Brown. 

[celticsclay]

I know it was a crappy first half, but Miami is just flat out better than Boston, especially without Brown.

I reluctantly agree with you. They are better than us without brown. Think it is probably even with him. Herro has definitely not developed further

[LilRip]

It’s the defense that’s the problem. We can score, especially when the energy is there, and the Fournier acquisition gives us the extra shooting punch we need. Even in the first half, despite Miami playing tough defense, I thought we scored decently.

I don’t understand our defense. We let other teams get comfortable, which gives them confidence to make tough shots on those possessions that we do decide to play defense.

What makes it frustrating is that we know that the team can play defense though. The 2nd half is proof of that. Granted Butler had a strong showing but that’s what you live with. Sometimes, there’s just no stopping stars. But it’s also why you shouldn’t spot a team 20+ points. If we had let Miami score 70 (still putrid) instead of 79 (season high for any NBA team) in the first half, that would’ve made a big diff.

[RodyTur10]

I really think Stevens needs to go. This is the second season he has underperformed given the talent available.
No pass for me anymore. This team has no identity, hasn't had accountability on offense for years and now the defensive system is broken as well.

Walker - Pritchard
Brown - Smart
Fournier -  Nesmith
Tatum
Williams - Thompson (wish we'd have kept Theis instead by the way)

That's a playoff rotation that should be competitive with most teams in the NBA. We've had some unfortunate injuries, but so have the Nets, Heat and Hornets.

We should definitely keep Fournier, because he's exactly what the offense has been lacking the last few years. If we don't just go full youth and consider the next two seasons a lost cause as well.

Try to get rid of Walker regardless. Can't believe we're paying 35M+ a year for a guy who is such a liability on defense. Maybe the Knicks, Spurs, Mavs, Pistons or Thunder will take him.

[boscel33]

The frustration leads back to the offseason, leading into the season.  Losing GH for a bag of jock straps set this team way back.  Now, we've used up most of the TPE on Fournier, although they still have $11M remaining.

I think DA should have just made the trade with Indy in the offseason.  We'd probably be better off with Turner and whatever else we got in return.

[Celtics2021]

The frustration leads back to the offseason, leading into the season.  Losing GH for a bag of jock straps set this team way back.  Now, we've used up most of the TPE on Fournier, although they still have $11M remaining.

I think DA should have just made the trade with Indy in the offseason.  We'd probably be better off with Turner and whatever else we got in return.

Considering Turner is out with a bad case of turf toe that might require surgery, I don’t think that’s at all a given.

[Vermont Green]

The frustration leads back to the offseason, leading into the season.  Losing GH for a bag of jock straps set this team way back.  Now, we've used up most of the TPE on Fournier, although they still have $11M remaining.

I think DA should have just made the trade with Indy in the offseason. We'd probably be better off with Turner and whatever else we got in return.

This remains good fodder for debate.  In my mind, our biggest issue is size.  When we had Hayward, that was nice, he is a good player, but we really had a surplus of wings and still no decent bigs (unless you believe that Kanter was).  Now we have about the same bigs as last season (actually less now that we have traded Theis) but have added Fournier to replace Hayward.  So would we be better if we had Turner over Fournier?  Very hard to say.  I don't consider Turner all that good but that said, he would have likely been an improvement or at a minimum, added depth.  (And yes, I know Turner ended up injured but I am considering this in the hypothetical).

We are not good defensively right now, that is pretty clear.  Stevens has coached better defense on previous teams, even this core group has played better defense at times, so I don't know what the problem is.  Certainly Stevens should be able to coach up the team better but I really don't believe he is the major problem.

On offense, Tatum has to take the next step.  In general, he does not react great to double teams.  I think this will come.

I still like what I see in this team.  Yes, it is frustrating to see them under achieve but I do not see a bad team.  I see a good team that is young and needs maybe just one good big.

[Birdman]

Not upgrading the bench during the season doomed this team..Fournier was only one but Covid hurt him so far..Semi, Grant, Luke, Carson shouldn’t be on the team..Nesmith, Payton & Romeo are still learning the nba.. TimeLord can’t stay healthy

[Moranis]

I know it was a crappy first half, but Miami is just flat out better than Boston, especially without Brown.

I reluctantly agree with you. They are better than us without brown. Think it is probably even with him. Herro has definitely not developed further

Miami is 31-19 in Butler's 50 games.  Not super elite, but a 51 win pace and that includes all the rust games.  When Butler is humming, they are a borderline elite team and that sadly isn't Boston this year (and they don't even need Oladipo for that to be the case). 

Herro's outside shooting is down, but he is better basically everywhere else.  He was never a top end player for them, though as he is basically a bench player that is a spot starter his entire 2 years in the league. 

Bam has taken another step up.  Robinson, Nunn, and Herro have all made moderate gains.  Dragic is still the same fairly efficient scorer he has always been.  They have lots of quality veteran depth in AI, KO, and Ariza.  And that doesn't even account for Oladipo. 

The Heat have the best player on the floor when they play the Celtics and that matters a great deal, but they also have better and more cohesive depth and surrounding players.  Even with Brown that doesn't change much.  That said, if they were to match-up in the playoffs (which seems unlikely given their current positions), the Celtics could fairly realistically win the series given they aren't far behind the Heat. 

[Celtics4ever]

the Heat were better than us last year and still are better.  Arizia and Dedmon ate us alive.