Trailblazers (36-23) at Celtics (37-24) Game #62 2/27/19

[Kuberski33]

Our offense has become very predictable. Other teams know the ball is going to Kyrie. Notice Nurkic (of all players) was defending Kyrie towards the end of the game.

Also, we missed alot of open shots and our defense still sucks.

The team just sucks all around.

If the 3's aren't falling they really struggle. In the past they've made up for it with their defensive hustle which was always a constant night to night because you're never going to shoot great every night.

That hustle isn't there enough this season.  They are what they are right now - a team that's challenged to beat any team in the NBA when their shots aren't going in. 

Nothing from Haywood tonight once again - that doesn't help either. Right now they're just not very good.

[Ogaju]

How many people got TDs in this thread. Losses are bad for TPs.

TP

lol TP.

[gouki88]

Didn't realise Al shot so badly. 6-16 and 1-7 from deep. Ouch

[SCeltic34]

Our offense has become very predictable. Other teams know the ball is going to Kyrie. Notice Nurkic (of all players) was defending Kyrie towards the end of the game.

Also, we missed alot of open shots and our defense still sucks.

The team just sucks all around.

If the 3's aren't falling they really struggle. In the past they've made up for it with their defensive hustle which was always a constant night to night because you're never going to shoot great every night.

That hustle isn't there enough this season.  They are what they are right now - a team that's challenged to beat any team in the NBA when their shots aren't going in. 

Nothing from Haywood tonight once again - that doesn't help either. Right now they're just not very good.

Brad stated that the C's don't post up much and they don't get to the free throw line much.  Thus they "have to make shots".  Fine strategy Brad.  Except what do you do when your players are ice cold from the perimeter?  Keep drawing up 3's out of time outs?  It's fine to have an offensive philosophy, but it shouldn't deter you from making in game adjustments.

And I agree - there's just no hustle, no grit, no toughness from this team.  I miss the play from our teams over the past few seasons.

[jpotter33]

we have missed 16 of last 17 threes? WOW JUST WOW

we live by the 3 and die by the 3.  tonight we're DOA 

thanks to brad.

blah blah blah blah blah

so that is not his style? get outta here with that

so he has shown great adjustments? discipline? management? preparation?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA  keep telling yourself that

Its the entire league.  The entire league. Its not just Brad or the Celtics. You just wanna blame somebody.  The players taking the wrong shots are not his fault.  He ain't playing.  Keep blaming. Ain't gonna do nothing.

I mean, it literally is. If he had instituted any sort of discipline or accountability in these guys, then they wouldn't be consistently taking the wrong shot. But, no, Brad is just too soft and not right for this team. He's consistently failed to show that he can't manage this level of talent yet.

Unless there's a major turnaround the rest of the season, I think Brad is gone this summer.

No.  Its actually not.  They are grown men.  He's not playing the game for them.  This is the dumbest argument I've ever seen.  And, no, they aren't getting rid of Brad.  Danny is way smarter than you, bro.

I mean, I literally have a PhD, so I doubt it. 

But, yeah, I always wonder what people like you think an NBA coach actually does. Lol Apparently very little. And you know what, that makes sense. I'm sure the discipline and accountability that the Spurs teams have had for decades now is all on the players and has nothing to do with the coaching staff and the culture of accountability that they've instilled. I mean, they're the ones playing the game, right? RIGHT?! Makes complete sense. 

The Brad apologism still being alive after this failure of a year is simply amazing. On multiple occasions Brad has admitted how big of a failure he has been this year thus far, yet still you have posters defending him at every turn. Amazing.

well, your PhD isn't in basketball.

you seem to glaze over the critiques Brad gets that aren't a full-on blame-everything-on-Brad.  Blame goes to everyone at this point.  Players and Brad/coaches.  I think Danny gets some for p----poor handling of the Davis situation.  the timing of the team's poor play is too coincidentally aligned with the suspense at the deadline and the all-too-public knowledge that Danny's going to offer a lot of good young players and picks to get Davis.

Oh, I agree, and I have regularly said that this is not solely the coaching staff's fault. I think Ainge and the the players (to differing degrees) also have some blame. Though I think the Davis trade deadline stuff is overblown. The problems have been there since preseason game 1.

But it seems pretty clear to me that the vast majority of the problems with this team stem from the coaching staff - not holding players accountable, not instilling discipline, poor in-game management, poor offensive philosophy, etc. But the single greatest failure is the coaching staff not managing the talent and personalities appropriately. By not clarifying roles and dealing with the pretty obvious young'uns versus vets dichotomy early on, they allowed it to fester and affect the team's chemistry. This is where a stronger coach and a more experienced coaching staff could've potentially better handled this situation.

[ozgod]

Kyrie just said they’re resigned to the 4th or 5th seed because it’s so late in the season but he thinks if they play to their best there’s nobody in the EC who can beat them. The challenge is playing at that level consistently.

[hodgy03038]

Well I guess we need to be happy that we will be in the playoffs. Hopefully we can steal one of the first 2 games at Philly or at Indiana and hope this team can play consistent defense and hit a few shots. I just don't think I have seen any team in the NBA miss so many shots. The worst teams in the league will hit open shots. Goodnight all.

[Ogaju]

Kyrie just said they’re resigned to the 4th or 5th seed because it’s so late in the season but he thinks if they play to their best there’s nobody in the EC who can beat them. The challenge is playing at that level consistently.

why does he keep saying that?

[ozgod]

Tatum a -12 with an atrocious night on both sides of the ball, yet he's on the floor. Hayward is a -13 and has played much better, yet he's on the bench.

Hayward was actually a +13 (I’m pretty sure that’s what you meant) he and Jaylen with +8 were the only positives for tonight

[ozgod]

Kyrie just said they’re resigned to the 4th or 5th seed because it’s so late in the season but he thinks if they play to their best there’s nobody in the EC who can beat them. The challenge is playing at that level consistently.

why does he keep saying that?

He was asked the question by Gary Washburn I think.

[Kuberski33]

Kyrie just said they’re resigned to the 4th or 5th seed because it’s so late in the season but he thinks if they play to their best there’s nobody in the EC who can beat them. The challenge is playing at that level consistently.

why does he keep saying that?

Well that was kind of the case when he was in Cleveland. They lost plenty of games during the regular season including some vs the Celtics, but when it mattered (and in large part due to him) they flipped the switch and the C's couldn't beat them.

But this team isn't really at that level of any of those Cleveland teams, especially at the moment.

[ozgod]

Kyrie just said they’re resigned to the 4th or 5th seed because it’s so late in the season but he thinks if they play to their best there’s nobody in the EC who can beat them. The challenge is playing at that level consistently.

why does he keep saying that?

Well that was kind of the case when he was in Cleveland. They lost plenty of games during the regular season including some vs the Celtics, but when it mattered (and in large part due to him) they flipped the switch and the C's couldn't beat them.

But this team isn't really at that level of any of those Cleveland teams, especially at the moment.

He mentioned that too saying in 2017 everyone wrote them off but when they got to playoffs totally different story. Maybe he didn’t notice that the personnel is different this time, there’s no LeBum in this team 

[wiley]

Much better game than last night!  Just shot poorly and got kind of tight at the wrong moments.

If Kyrie is staying longterm then he has to start shooting a whole lot.  Part of the Toronto game drudgery was not enough shots from Kyrie.  Make the identity suffocating defense plus a steady dose of Kyrie and one or two other guys on offense.  Everyone allowed to shoot but mostly a hierarchy.  With #1 in the league type defensive intensity needed.

[satch]

Kyrie just said they’re resigned to the 4th or 5th seed because it’s so late in the season but he thinks if they play to their best there’s nobody in the EC who can beat them. The challenge is playing at that level consistently.

Kyrie is not as bad as many on this forum thinks he is but is not as good as he thinks he is....

[gouki88]

Much better game than last night!  Just shot poorly and got kind of tight at the wrong moments.

If Kyrie is staying longterm then he has to start shooting a whole lot.  Part of the Toronto game drudgery was not enough shots from Kyrie.  Make the identity suffocating defense plus a steady dose of Kyrie and one or two other guys on offense.  Everyone allowed to shoot but mostly a hierarchy.  With #1 in the league type defensive intensity needed.

Agree completely. As LarBrd has said, we should try and emulate GSW. Kyrie shooting 18-20 times a game, Tatum & Hayward shooting 15-18 times a game, Brown shooting 12-15 times a game and the rest feeding off the scraps.