I know it’s easy to jump on them, but the fought the entire way. They fought against Embiid who was their matchup nightmare. They fought against the defending champs, who despite no Kawhi, they never stopped coming. And they fought against a hungrier team.
Should they have won this series? Absolutely. They held leads in every 4th. But they are young, and their vets are inexperienced in situations like this.
I know people are going to overreact, but Tatum will be better next season. Brown will be better next season. Smart will be better next season. They still haven’t reached their primes. Kemba will be more comfortable. Hayward (assuming he opts in) will be more consistent if he can stay healthy.
I want the same core together next season. I want Brad coaching. I trust Ainge to defer/combine the picks. Terrible loss, but this team is set up moving forward. This is the second time in three seasons I truly believe we should have been in the Finals. But I think we have only seen a preview of things to come with this team. While everyone freaks out, I’ll proudly wear my green glasses throughout this offseason.