Sorry to say, but tonight's loss is on Kyrie and Morris.
I know Brown missed 2 key free throws in the 4th quarter but I expect 10 times more out of Ky than I do from Brown.
It seemed like Kyrie wasn't passing the ball at all in the final minutes game and kept missing 3s. Then, instead of looking to pass on the final play, he goes for a lay-up with a 7 foot Embiid waiting for him. Really???
For a very intelligent person, that was a dumb move!!
I just thought Kyrie was playing very selfishly towards the end of the game, as if he doesn't trust his teammates.
And Morris.....yuck!
I was noticing him towards the end of the game and his body language sucked. He either looked gassed or like he didn't want to be there. And that foul on Simmons was ridiculous. Like Scal mentioned, you've got to play better defense rather than getting to your man too late.
It seemed like the complexion of the game changed after Baynes went down. He's literally made of glass this year and can't make it through 5 games without getting injured. We are so desperate for a big man, I would seriously consider going after Dwight Howard this summer.
I know this is a bit picky but looking at the game chart, Brown missed one ft, the other one was a lane violation on Morris. Either way, one missed free throw doesn't lose the game for the team esp when he was 3/3 from the field.
I agree with what you wrote. We only had 22 assists tonight on 45 made fgs. That seems low for us. It feels like we play better when shots are distributed better through the team.
Brown missed 2 FTs.
There was a lane violation on the 2nd FT attempt, but Brown still missed that 2nd FT attempt.
One or two missed FTs could determine the outcome of a close game.
If it's not a close game then 1 or 2 FTs don't matter.
But when the game is on the line and there is little time left, every FT counts!
I think we all know every ft counts. So does every missed 3 point shot, so does every FT we gave up to Embiid. If you are going to blame Brown for losing the game for us with that one FT gotta blame all the guys that gave up FTs to Embiid. Gotta blame Kyrie for all those missed 3 point shots. There were obviously other plays that lost us points as well. Blaming the loss on 1 free throw by Brown is a Forest for the Trees thing.
Embiid's 20+ ft attempts probably had a lot more to do about who won the game than the 1 ft that Brown missed.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Jaylen Brown for the loss.
What I'm saying is some of the Celtic fans here said Brown's FT shooting is not a concern.
Some Celtic fans are even wondering why Brown doesn't play in crunch time.
Now we know how important FT shooting is to winning big games.
Jaylen's poor free throw shooting has been an issue since he's been here. He's averaged 68.5%, 64.4% and 67.6% the last 3 years. Thankfully (for him) he only averages 2-3 FTAs a game. You'd think a guy that attacks the rim like he does would average more FTs but that's a problem not unique to him on this team.
But regardless, don't you feel it's incumbent upon Jaylen to improve his free throw shooting to help make himself a better overall player?
Been calling for him to improve for the past 2 years. Especially last season at one point he had the same FT% as 3FG% (40-something). I just think there's something wrong with his technique that doesn't give him the consistency he needs at the line. Either than or he's not practicing.
It really feels like he rushes the 1st FT every time. When he slows down and 1) bends his knees, 2) follows through he seems to always hit them. I don't think it is his form as much as not getting a set routine of things you do when you step up to the line that lets you turn your mind off and just do those things.
Coaches always told me to 1) take a deep breath to relax, 2) get your feet spread right around shoulder width, 3) bend your knees before you release the ball, 4) follow through and don't aim. I think when you have that mental checklist you do it stops you from worrying about missing the ft.