Author Topic: Defense is soft as butter  (Read 5249 times)

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Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #30 on: October 23, 2018, 06:55:26 AM »

Offline iadera

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One more thing.
Quite the opposite. Our problem does not lie in defense. We have 2nd best at the moment, but our offense is 2nd worst. Here is more...
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/10/23/18012950/boston-celtics-jayson-tatum-kyrie-iriving-offense-problems

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #31 on: October 23, 2018, 08:11:54 AM »

Offline Surferdad

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One more thing.
Quite the opposite. Our problem does not lie in defense. We have 2nd best at the moment, but our offense is 2nd worst. Here is more...
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/10/23/18012950/boston-celtics-jayson-tatum-kyrie-iriving-offense-problems
That should be encouraging as the offense should come around, whereas defense requires discipline.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #32 on: October 23, 2018, 09:37:53 AM »

Offline Big333223

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The defense is not the problem. As others have pointed out, the Celtics currently have the 2nd best DRtg in the league, per basketball-reference. The problem is their offense is dead last.

I don't think I've ever seen a professional team miss so many open shots.
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Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #33 on: October 23, 2018, 09:51:07 AM »

Offline KGBirdBias

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I hate our offense. We rarely have cutters or slashes. Everyone just stands and waits to shoot a 3. McHale and them were spot on last night. We rarely get 2nd chance points because no one is crashing the boards.

Our two best players, Kyrie and Tatum aren't great at defense and hopefully this team finds that guy gritty identity. We jacked a lot of 3s at beginning of season last year.

Bring Tatum off bench and start Baynes. We can always finish game with Tatum. Tatum will win 6th man of the year because he will come in and get buckets.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #34 on: October 23, 2018, 10:35:02 AM »

Offline timpiker

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D is my main concern.  I know O will come around because we have so many good O players.  Maybe, too many.  But D is the issue.  There is no KG on this team.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #35 on: October 23, 2018, 11:04:07 AM »

Offline Rosco917

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Giving up 93 points can't be considered poor defense. (as bad as it looked at times)

Scoring only 90 points certainly can be considered poor offense.

You can't blame Hayward either, he's hitting shots, playing good D, and making steals. The problem is he's on restricted minutes. Kyrie slowly but surely is morphing back to himself after also rehabbing during the summer. In that second half, he looked better. Same can be said of Theis.

The player that worries me is Jaylen Brown. He really looks like he's going through the motions. He's so mechanical out there. He missed some very easy shots.

Tatum was taken out of the game early because he was losing his man and generally playing poor defense. Allowing the Magic to get off to a fast start. 

This team needs a trade, the rotations are too long, nobody is finding his rhythm out there. The ball needs to get into the paint much more on offense.

IMO Unfortunately, the players we need to trade don't make enough money to bring anyone of value back, dollar for dollar.   

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #36 on: October 23, 2018, 12:06:46 PM »

Offline KGBirdBias

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Those were an easy 93 points...dunks, layups, paint points. I would like to see more role players who can do the dirty work and don't need the ball to be effective. I know there are only so many minutes but sometimes you need a "tone setting" team to get the game you want. 9-40 3s tell me they are settling for 3s. Go inside out and those looks become wide open looks. Get some easy baskets, FTs, layups then start jacking 3s.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #37 on: October 23, 2018, 12:59:18 PM »

Offline KGBirdBias

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Stops on defense can result in confidence on offense and easy buckets, plus it deflates the other teams confidence. We will eventually make shots but Kyrie, Rozier and Tatum have to commit to playing better defense or it's going to be a layup drill. Let's see if William's is ready to be a rim protector. Let him play now and get some early season experience.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #38 on: October 23, 2018, 02:51:47 PM »

Offline Spicoli

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We aren't dogs on defense like we've been. It's time to play more guys who are going to be scrappy for a few mins...Semi, Theis. Teams are getting whatever they want. Offense will come but our defense has taken a step back.

How did Semi make the NBA. He is terrible at literally everything.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #39 on: October 23, 2018, 03:31:54 PM »

Offline KGBirdBias

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We aren't dogs on defense like we've been. It's time to play more guys who are going to be scrappy for a few mins...Semi, Theis. Teams are getting whatever they want. Offense will come but our defense has taken a step back.

How did Semi make the NBA. He is terrible at literally everything.

You're kidding right? I'm not a big fan of his offense but he never complains and he plays good defense. Everyone has a role, not everyone is a 20/10 player.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #40 on: October 23, 2018, 04:34:27 PM »

Offline gouki88

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We aren't dogs on defense like we've been. It's time to play more guys who are going to be scrappy for a few mins...Semi, Theis. Teams are getting whatever they want. Offense will come but our defense has taken a step back.

How did Semi make the NBA. He is terrible at literally everything.
Except, ya know, literally one half of the game.
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Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #41 on: October 24, 2018, 04:40:50 AM »

Offline iadera

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Soon, when we make 13-14 wins run you'll all start to talk diferently...

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #42 on: October 24, 2018, 02:44:25 PM »

Offline Spicoli

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We aren't dogs on defense like we've been. It's time to play more guys who are going to be scrappy for a few mins...Semi, Theis. Teams are getting whatever they want. Offense will come but our defense has taken a step back.

How did Semi make the NBA. He is terrible at literally everything.

You're kidding right? I'm not a big fan of his offense but he never complains and he plays good defense. Everyone has a role, not everyone is a 20/10 player.

The guys' best attribute is taking charges. Is that all it takes to get minutes in the NBA?

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #43 on: October 24, 2018, 02:45:17 PM »

Offline Spicoli

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Soon, when we make 13-14 wins run you'll all start to talk diferently...

He slides his feet reasonably well, but he doesn't block shots and he doesn't get steals. He's a net negative on the court.

He's a worse offensive player than Marcus Smart and less than half the defender.

Re: Defense is soft as butter
« Reply #44 on: October 24, 2018, 05:07:13 PM »

Offline Hoopvortex

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defense 'should' get better but this team's problem is offense.

Thank you.

The defense has been excellent. The shooting defense isn't #1, unlike last year, but at #4 it's still very good. The team is tops in the league - unlike last year! - at not allowing scoring from free throws. Causing turnovers and defensive rebounding have also been improvements over last season.

No, the defense is in good shape. I'm not sure that I believe the turnover and FT numbers, but there's no reason not to be confident that the Opponent's eFG% will improve.


ball movement isn't just passing the ball all over the joint, there's no point in passing the ball if bodies aren't moving.

Good observation, I think. All the isolation ball is so maddening, especially when all you get out of it is a contested 20-footer or a turnover. It's tempting to blame Tatum, and to suspect that last season's success has gone to his head; but the whole offense so often just keeps grinding down to stillness.
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