NBA Season 2018 - 2019

[RockinRyA]

Our old friend Jerebko a big part of this GS comeback!

I miss JJ. He'd still be great off the bench for us.

He has been solid and very consistent for them, esp on the boards, for about 20 mpg lately.

I always loved Jerebko. He's one guy who you could keep glued on the bench and won't complain yet will hustle everytime you put him on. No problems about playing time, number of shots nor lazy D.

[Who]

The Warriors just took Toronto into overtime in Toronto without three starters and with Klay Thompson missing three wide open 3s late in the game.

I know Toronto is winning games right now, but I'm not sure they are as good as many think they are.

I'm not especially concerned about Kyle Lowry, especially with his inconsistency.

I don't think Leonard is quite as good as people make him seem. Late in this game, he really didn't do much to help his team get buckets when they needed it. Durant kinda' shut up down.

Ibaka and Siakim cannot create for themselves at all.

Danny Green is a big shot maker, but he has two moves: 1) Shoot the three, or 2) drive and look to pass.

I honestly think they are as good now as they will be in the playoffs.

I agree.  They'll probably get the #1 seed but I don't think they have another level.  I think it would be more about us and if we can take it to another level.

Agreed too. Toronto should finish the #1 seed but I'd rank them 4th in the East behind Boston, Philly and Milwaukee. I cannot see them making the Finals. They are built for the regular season more than the playoffs. Too limited and predictable on offense. Better teams will be able to get at them defensively in a playoff series.

[PhoSita]

My main thought while watching raps warriors was that the Celts really need somebody who brings what Siakam brings.

They got plenty and besides Siakim isn't scoring 26 points often.

His scoring isn't really what I'm talking about

[tarheelsxxiii]

My main thought while watching raps warriors was that the Celts really need somebody who brings what Siakam brings.

They got plenty and besides Siakim isn't scoring 26 points often.

His scoring isn't really what I'm talking about

Haven't seen Siakam play.. which aspects of his game?

[DefenseWinsChamps]

My main thought while watching raps warriors was that the Celts really need somebody who brings what Siakam brings.

They got plenty and besides Siakim isn't scoring 26 points often.

His scoring isn't really what I'm talking about

Haven't seen Siakam play.. which aspects of his game?

You know how James Johnson was this athletic tweener forward that had the potential to be a high-level two way player, but his inconsistent effort always held him back?

Siakim's best quality is that he plays hard, but he has everything else James Johnson has.

He's no superstar or all-star, but he has the potential to be a really good player.

However, the Celtics best strategy is to bait him into trying to be a scorer/creator. He is not that good.

[RJ87]

Wonder what Danny would have been willing to offer for Kawhi in retrospect?

This is a conversation we should revisit if Kawhi resigns in Toronto.

Or if they win the championship.

So the pitchforks are on standby in each of your garages then?

No, because I think as long as his uncle is handling things for him that playing in LA will take priority over winning. I think Kawhi will be a Clipper next year.

[PhoSita]

He's no superstar or all-star, but he has the potential to be a really good player.

However, the Celtics best strategy is to bait him into trying to be a scorer/creator. He is not that good.

Again I want to point out that I was not suggesting that Siakam is really great or an awesome scorer or something.


He brings things to the table the Celts lack.  Energy, effort, edge, an tendency to get inside.  A guy who combines some of the things Smart does with many of the things Baynes does.

Smart used to bring more of that, but I think it's true that he doesn't have quite as much of an edge now that he's paid.


Generally, the Celts need more lineups that feature both talented scorers and guys who have simple, straightforward role that they perform with gusto. 

Even on the Celts bench, most of those guys try to make an impact on the game by hitting shots.  Rozier, Smart, Morris.  The Celts need more scrap.


That's ironic because it used to be people talked about the Celts as a gimmick team that was nothing but scrap.

[apc]

Our old friend Jerebko a big part of this GS comeback!

I miss JJ. He'd still be great off the bench for us.

He has been solid and very consistent for them, esp on the boards, for about 20 mpg lately.

I always loved Jerebko. He's one guy who you could keep glued on the bench and won't complain yet will hustle everytime you put him on. No problems about playing time, number of shots nor lazy D.

Sound like you are describing Theis!

[Briantir]

The Warriors just took Toronto into overtime in Toronto without three starters and with Klay Thompson missing three wide open 3s late in the game.

I know Toronto is winning games right now, but I'm not sure they are as good as many think they are.

I'm not especially concerned about Kyle Lowry, especially with his inconsistency.

I don't think Leonard is quite as good as people make him seem. Late in this game, he really didn't do much to help his team get buckets when they needed it. Durant kinda' shut up down.

Ibaka and Siakim cannot create for themselves at all.

Danny Green is a big shot maker, but he has two moves: 1) Shoot the three, or 2) drive and look to pass.

I honestly think they are as good now as they will be in the playoffs.

I agree.  They'll probably get the #1 seed but I don't think they have another level.  I think it would be more about us and if we can take it to another level.

Agreed too. Toronto should finish the #1 seed but I'd rank them 4th in the East behind Boston, Philly and Milwaukee. I cannot see them making the Finals. They are built for the regular season more than the playoffs. Too limited and predictable on offense. Better teams will be able to get at them defensively in a playoff series.

I don't really understand how you could think this when Toronto has the best player by far in every series except maybe the Bucks? But the Bucks have never even made it past the first round in fact Toronto beat them with DeRozan.

Do you honestly believe if the Celtics played the Raptors last year in the second round they would have won? Celtics don't have a SUPERSTAR talent LeBron was kryptonite to that team and now he's gone he's the one who's been elimating them every year lol you make it sound like it's the Celtics or the Bucks or philly.

Toronto was always the better team they just never had a closer and now they got one of the best closers in the game Kawhi they are absolutely right now the best team in the East and should make the finals.

The way the Celtics are right now it's a first round 7 games then most likely 2nd round exit assuming they make the playoffs because 20+ games and .500 is not a championship team this ain't Cleveland last year we don't have LeBron the situation is bad.

Respect to Masai building an amazing team

[PhoSita]

It's possible that Kawhi carries them to the Finals by closing a bunch of games with contested two pointers, but that doesn't seem especially likely to me.

The Raptors are a well oiled machine.  They are much, much better than I expected them to be with a new coach and a major new addition on offense.  They're impressive and coordinated on defense.


The Celtics don't inspire a lot of confidence in me right now, but I would tend to agree that the Raps aren't especially scary as a playoff team, even if they're better than the Celts.  Right now it doesn't look very hard to be better than the Celts.


The Sixers look like the team to beat in the conference to me come playoff time, given the addition of Butler.

Simmons - Redick - Butler - Embiid is a lot of firepower. 

A polished and motivated Celtics team could in theory match that, but the Celts are a lot less fiery and a lot less polished than I expected them to be, at least so far.

[Rondo9]

The Warriors just took Toronto into overtime in Toronto without three starters and with Klay Thompson missing three wide open 3s late in the game.

I know Toronto is winning games right now, but I'm not sure they are as good as many think they are.

I'm not especially concerned about Kyle Lowry, especially with his inconsistency.

I don't think Leonard is quite as good as people make him seem. Late in this game, he really didn't do much to help his team get buckets when they needed it. Durant kinda' shut up down.

Ibaka and Siakim cannot create for themselves at all.

Danny Green is a big shot maker, but he has two moves: 1) Shoot the three, or 2) drive and look to pass.

I honestly think they are as good now as they will be in the playoffs.

I agree.  They'll probably get the #1 seed but I don't think they have another level.  I think it would be more about us and if we can take it to another level.

Agreed too. Toronto should finish the #1 seed but I'd rank them 4th in the East behind Boston, Philly and Milwaukee. I cannot see them making the Finals. They are built for the regular season more than the playoffs. Too limited and predictable on offense. Better teams will be able to get at them defensively in a playoff series.

I don't really understand how you could think this when Toronto has the best player by far in every series except maybe the Bucks? But the Bucks have never even made it past the first round in fact Toronto beat them with DeRozan.

Do you honestly believe if the Celtics played the Raptors last year in the second round they would have won? Celtics don't have a SUPERSTAR talent LeBron was kryptonite to that team and now he's gone he's the one who's been elimating them every year lol you make it sound like it's the Celtics or the Bucks or philly.

Toronto was always the better team they just never had a closer and now they got one of the best closers in the game Kawhi they are absolutely right now the best team in the East and should make the finals.

The way the Celtics are right now it's a first round 7 games then most likely 2nd round exit assuming they make the playoffs because 20+ games and .500 is not a championship team this ain't Cleveland last year we don't have LeBron the situation is bad.

Respect to Masai building an amazing team

They say this year after year and Raptors disappoint, season still young and the Celtics still got issues to work out but they should work them out.

[Rondo9]

He's no superstar or all-star, but he has the potential to be a really good player.

However, the Celtics best strategy is to bait him into trying to be a scorer/creator. He is not that good.

Again I want to point out that I was not suggesting that Siakam is really great or an awesome scorer or something.


He brings things to the table the Celts lack.  Energy, effort, edge, an tendency to get inside.  A guy who combines some of the things Smart does with many of the things Baynes does.

Smart used to bring more of that, but I think it's true that he doesn't have quite as much of an edge now that he's paid.


Generally, the Celts need more lineups that feature both talented scorers and guys who have simple, straightforward role that they perform with gusto. 

Even on the Celts bench, most of those guys try to make an impact on the game by hitting shots.  Rozier, Smart, Morris.  The Celts need more scrap.


That's ironic because it used to be people talked about the Celts as a gimmick team that was nothing but scrap.

And they do scrap, let's not try to prop up another team's player as some missing piece when the Celtics do have those guys.

[PhoSita]

And they do scrap, let's not try to prop up another team's player as some missing piece when the Celtics do have those guys.

I don't see that so much with this year's team.   


The Celts don't have enough of the type of glue guys that make 50/50 plays and keep things running smoothly.  Maybe if Hayward were healthy he would provide a lot of that presence, but he's not.  Horford looking more and more his age doesn't help either.

I like Baynes a lot, and Semi provides some of what I'm talking about, but they have fairly matchup specific roles, so they can't provide that in every game.

Smart doesn't seem to do that stuff as much anymore, while Rozier and Mook seem primarily concerned about putting up numbers to earn their next contract (in Mook's case he's shooting super well so it's working out).

[MattyIce]

Knicks beat Bucks in OT

[Phantom255x]

Knicks beat Bucks in OT

Like I said, this has been a WEIRD NBA season so far, kind of boring too but maybe it's because it's still early December (and season started earlier than usual)?