Jackie Mac: ‘Nobody is blameless’

[PhoSita]

Health matters. But Brooklyn has had a brutal injury report and look where they are. (I mean, they’ve missed 36 games of Durant, 20+ of Harden, 17 of Irving.) They just have a ridiculous amount of offensive talent. We don’t.

Absolutely.  The roster is also lacking in talent outside the top 2-3 players.

[Celtics2021]

Health matters. But Brooklyn has had a brutal injury report and look where they are. (I mean, they’ve missed 36 games of Durant, 20+ of Harden, 17 of Irving.) They just have a ridiculous amount of offensive talent. We don’t.

This is true.  It’s also true that Brooklyn wasn’t hard-capped and has $35 million more in payroll (i.e a max salary’s worth) than we do, which is one way to overcome injuries.

[Goldstar88]

We need new assistant coaches, and we need more vets.

And a pass first point guard to run the offense... Should also cut Grant, Edwards, Waters, Tacko.

Great point regarding the assistant coaches. Think the Nets did an excellent job surrounding Nash with assistants that would compliment him and that the players Would respect.

[Jiri Welsch]

I would trade anyone not named Tatum, Brown, or Nesmith. Borderline untouchable is Williams III but I can see him being a trade chip that nets something worthwhile.

The Celtics desperately need knockdown shooters like Miami, Philly, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Brooklyn have. Maybe Nesmith can grow into that. Maybe Pritchard can. But they need as many as they can get. And somehow they need to not absolutely stink on defense.

I think it's time for Smart and Kemba to go.

[Goldstar88]

Health matters. But Brooklyn has had a brutal injury report and look where they are. (I mean, they’ve missed 36 games of Durant, 20+ of Harden, 17 of Irving.) They just have a ridiculous amount of offensive talent. We don’t.

Helps when you have two top 5 players in the league as well as a top 10. The majority of games they had at least two of their stars.

[wiley]

Brad is far from perfect, but he is a very good coach.  He absolutely needs players who will buy into and execute his system.  As Aaron Baynes said: "this system works if players follow it".

Look at what the Knicks are doing by buying into a system.  It may mean vets it may not, but whoever comes in has to be hungry.  I hope Steven's get some say.  I think his system requires high energy and depth in the roster.  Nesmith looks perfect going forward.  Let's get more guys who are ready to battle for Stevens as a unit and not individuals.

[PhoSita]

And a pass first point guard to run the offense...

Such as?

I'm never clear if people mean a point guard who doesn't take many shots or a point guard who gets a lot of assists, or just a point guard who makes flashy passes.


The assist leaders league-wide is mostly a list of players who will not be available.  Trae Young.  Luka. Jokic. Dame.  Morant. Butler.  De'Aaron Fox.

Or do you want to spend way too much money on a guy over age 30?  Westbrook? Paul?  Draymond?  Mike Conley? Kyle Lowry?

There are guys who are basically not a threat to score, but good at running the offense e.g. Ricky Rubio or TJ McConnell.



Malcolm Brogdon? Is he likely to be available?


I'm just not sure there's a really good option out there.

[Jiri Welsch]

And a pass first point guard to run the offense...

Such as?

I'm never clear if people mean a point guard who doesn't take many shots or a point guard who gets a lot of assists, or just a point guard who makes flashy passes.

Unfortunately one potential option is "Marcus Smart when he's not making terrible decisions." But we're 7 years into his career so we can't expect Smart to somehow flip a switch and stop viewing himself as a volume shooter half the time.

[Kernewek]

And a pass first point guard to run the offense...

Such as?

I'm never clear if people mean a point guard who doesn't take many shots or a point guard who gets a lot of assists, or just a point guard who makes flashy passes.

Unfortunately one potential option is "Marcus Smart when he's not making terrible decisions." But we're 7 years into his career so we can't expect Smart to somehow flip a switch and stop viewing himself as a volume shooter half the time.

It seems to me a quaint notion that Smart's green light to shoot doesn't come from the coaching staff.

[td450]

Simultaneously, you've got:

1. A substantial amount of plain old bad luck.

2. The head coach and the franchise player who both have a deadpan public disposition, and the GM never shows his hand or publicly chastises his players.

There have also been some serious mistakes made, but the two factors above are hard to separate from the more actionable factors. I personally think the bad luck is most of the problem and that usually balances out, but they haven't made the best decisions since the IT trade either.

This can all get a lot better fast if 4 young players (Pritchard/Nesmith/Langford and Robert Williams) stabilize and start to contribute the way they should. Pritchard is the only stable contributor so far, but they all could be quite good next year.

[blink]

Simultaneously, you've got:

1. A substantial amount of plain old bad luck.

2. The head coach and the franchise player who both have a deadpan public disposition, and the GM never shows his hand or publicly chastises his players.

There have also been some serious mistakes made, but the two factors above are hard to separate from the more actionable factors. I personally think the bad luck is most of the problem and that usually balances out, but they haven't made the best decisions since the IT trade either.

This can all get a lot better fast if 4 young players (Pritchard/Nesmith/Langford and Robert Williams) stabilize and start to contribute the way they should. Pritchard is the only stable contributor so far, but they all could be quite good next year.

I wouldn't mind keeping JT / JB / EF / PP / Nesmith / Timelord / Langford, trade everyone else who has any value (Kemba, Smart, Thompson, Semi, Grant W) for a decent center and point guard + a high energy vet who can play def and have enough legs left to play some transition ball.  Dump the flotsam at the end of the roster (Edwards, Waters, Tacko) and get one or two smart decent vet minimum dependable as a 3rd string guys.

I think one thing that we do poorly is play to our strengths.  In JB and JT we have two of the best transition off players in the league, but we don't seem to push the pace, or get ourselves in those situations where JB and JT are pretty much unstoppable.  Find some guys that can enhance that part of JB/JT's game.

[Goldstar88]

And a pass first point guard to run the offense...

Such as?

I'm never clear if people mean a point guard who doesn't take many shots or a point guard who gets a lot of assists, or just a point guard who makes flashy passes.


The assist leaders league-wide is mostly a list of players who will not be available.  Trae Young.  Luka. Jokic. Dame.  Morant. Butler.  De'Aaron Fox.

Or do you want to spend way too much money on a guy over age 30?  Westbrook? Paul?  Draymond?  Mike Conley? Kyle Lowry?

There are guys who are basically not a threat to score, but good at running the offense e.g. Ricky Rubio or TJ McConnell.



Malcolm Brogdon? Is he likely to be available?


I'm just not sure there's a really good option out there.

Either Kyle Lowry or Lonzo Ball. Don’t think Brogdon would be available. Really wish Danny had made a move for Drew Holiday and shipped out Kemba, plus picks. Starting lineup of Holiday, Smart, Brown, Tatum, Timelord or Holiday, Fournier, Brown, Tatum, Timelord. Would have been Prettty nice...

[blink]

And a pass first point guard to run the offense...

Such as?

I'm never clear if people mean a point guard who doesn't take many shots or a point guard who gets a lot of assists, or just a point guard who makes flashy passes.


The assist leaders league-wide is mostly a list of players who will not be available.  Trae Young.  Luka. Jokic. Dame.  Morant. Butler.  De'Aaron Fox.

Or do you want to spend way too much money on a guy over age 30?  Westbrook? Paul?  Draymond?  Mike Conley? Kyle Lowry?

There are guys who are basically not a threat to score, but good at running the offense e.g. Ricky Rubio or TJ McConnell.



Malcolm Brogdon? Is he likely to be available?


I'm just not sure there's a really good option out there.

Either Kyle Lowry or Lonzo Ball. Don’t think Brogdon would be available. Really wish Danny had made a move for Drew Holiday and shipped out Kemba, plus picks. Starting lineup of Holiday, Smart, Brown, Tatum, Timelord or Holiday, Fournier, Brown, Tatum, Timelord. Would have been Prettty nice...

If Lonzo could be had without breaking the bank, I could see him as a good fit with EF / JB / JT / Timelord.  Lonzo is a guy who could push the pace, has great length, is a pest on def, would be great with Timelord.  If we had EF / JB / JT surrounding Lonzo as shooters, he wouldn't have to carry much scoring duties, just do what he is naturally good at.  With a Lonzo / EF / JB / JT lineup we would be as close to switchable as we have ever been.  No more expoiting our tiny point guards on def, we would have a long, fast PG who could defend multiple positions.  Lonzo would probably be better at doing what we really need Marcus Smart to do offensively if Marcus was the starting point guard.

[Goldstar88]

And a pass first point guard to run the offense...

Such as?

I'm never clear if people mean a point guard who doesn't take many shots or a point guard who gets a lot of assists, or just a point guard who makes flashy passes.

Unfortunately one potential option is "Marcus Smart when he's not making terrible decisions." But we're 7 years into his career so we can't expect Smart to somehow flip a switch and stop viewing himself as a volume shooter half the time.

It seems to me a quaint notion that Smart's green light to shoot doesn't come from the coaching staff.

Brad has repeatedly said that if Marcus is open, he wants him to shoot the ball. There’s a reason that he is open....

“We have specific goals for each of our guys and Marcus in particular,” Stevens told reporters via Zoom on Monday. “He’s got to continue to build off on the threat he is and at the same time, we need him to organize us and help run us, especially while Kemba is out. There’s even more of a responsibility to get us organized as a team. Guys are going to have nights when they make shots, don’t make shots and if they are wide open, inside-out shots, you have to shoot those.“ -Brad Stevens

[RJ87]

And a pass first point guard to run the offense...

Such as?

I'm never clear if people mean a point guard who doesn't take many shots or a point guard who gets a lot of assists, or just a point guard who makes flashy passes.


The assist leaders league-wide is mostly a list of players who will not be available.  Trae Young.  Luka. Jokic. Dame.  Morant. Butler.  De'Aaron Fox.

Or do you want to spend way too much money on a guy over age 30?  Westbrook? Paul?  Draymond?  Mike Conley? Kyle Lowry?

There are guys who are basically not a threat to score, but good at running the offense e.g. Ricky Rubio or TJ McConnell.



Malcolm Brogdon? Is he likely to be available?


I'm just not sure there's a really good option out there.

Either Kyle Lowry or Lonzo Ball. Don’t think Brogdon would be available. Really wish Danny had made a move for Drew Holiday and shipped out Kemba, plus picks. Starting lineup of Holiday, Smart, Brown, Tatum, Timelord or Holiday, Fournier, Brown, Tatum, Timelord. Would have been Prettty nice...

Jrue Holiday isn't really a pass first point guard. That's not his strength at all. He's actually best as a secondary playmaker ala Marcus Smart.

I agree with PhoSita, people clamor for a pass first PG but what is that really in today's NBA? The top assist guys are pretty ball dominant guys.