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Tough December Schedule
« on: November 29, 2021, 08:59:39 AM »

Offline 4THQTR

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I was looking at the Celtics‘ schedule for December and realized that this upcoming stretch is brutal: They don’t play a team with a losing record (as of today) the entire month and the combined winning percentage of opposing teams is at 0.609!

It features 15 games with 4 back-to-backs and while slightly more than half are at home with 8 being at TD garden, there’s also a 5-game road trip with 2 back-to-backs at the beginning of the month.

Dec. 2: PHI —> W
Dec. 4: @UTA —> L
Dec. 5: @POR —> W
Dec. 8: @LAL —> L
Dec. 9: @LAC —> L
Dec. 11: @PHX —> L
Dec. 14: MIL —> W
Dec. 18: GSW —> L
Dec. 19: NYK —> W
Dec. 21: PHI —> L
Dec. 23: CLE —> W
Dec. 25: @MIL —> L
Dec. 28: @MIN —> L
Dec. 30: LAC —> L
Dec. 31: PHX —> W

Would be a great time for them to get healthy and start hitting their stride and hopefully they can pleasantly surprise me, but I‘m not sure I expect them to move up in the standings during this stretch.

What do you think their record will be to start the new year?
« Last Edit: January 01, 2022, 05:04:38 AM by 4THQTR »

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2021, 10:11:41 AM »

Offline ozgod

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I'm guessing it will be 8-7, with us dropping the Utah/Portland back to back, the LAC away game, both Phoenix games, the GSW game, Milwaukee away.

I also looked back and realized if not for our throwing away those 6 games we were in winning positions in (vs NY in 2OT, vs Was in 2OT, vs Chi where we led by 25+ but collapsed in the 4th, vs Dallas where we got Doncic'd, vs Cle where the Cavs won with 2 last second free throws, and vs Spurs where we fell behind by 26, fought back to lead by 7 then were outscored by 15 to lose) we could easily be 17-4 and heading the EC right now. Those losses were not because we got blown away and outplayed for the whole game but where we squandered winning positions and lost key moments in the games.

That's how small the margins are in terms of public perception of this team. They're definitely talented enough and have shown the ability to be better than people think, but their lapses in key moments are why they are where they are, and why they deserve to be where they are. Because they haven't been able to be consistent enough throughout the entire 48 minutes.
Any odd typos are because I suck at typing on an iPhone :D

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2021, 10:33:11 AM »

Offline Birdman

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Looks like a 5-15 record to me
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Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2021, 11:07:28 AM »

Online mobilija

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Looks like a 5-15 record to me

Not sure if we are winning 5 games we dont play or losing the 5 games we dont play....

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2021, 11:26:37 AM »

Offline Rosco917

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5 wins at most. 4 back to back games?...with Williams and Brown always out for a multitude of reasons. Yeah 5 wins.

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2021, 12:00:31 PM »

Offline wiley

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the Celtics are a much better team against the good teams (minus recent Brooklyn game). 

Their problem is finding motivation against lesser teams.

Plus, parity is real.

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2021, 01:18:58 PM »

Offline keevsnick

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the Celtics are a much better team against the good teams (minus recent Brooklyn game). 

Their problem is finding motivation against lesser teams.

Plus, parity is real.

Well the numbers tell you it's exactly the opposite. They are currently 5-8 against teams currently .500 or better, 6-2 against teams worse than 500.

And two of those .500 or better wins were MIL and CLE down 3 starters.

Right now all 15 of those games are against teams .500 or better. Of course quite a few are right at .500 so that could change.

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2021, 02:16:54 PM »

Offline wiley

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the Celtics are a much better team against the good teams (minus recent Brooklyn game). 

Their problem is finding motivation against lesser teams.

Plus, parity is real.

Well the numbers tell you it's exactly the opposite. They are currently 5-8 against teams currently .500 or better, 6-2 against teams worse than 500.

And two of those .500 or better wins were MIL and CLE down 3 starters.

Right now all 15 of those games are against teams .500 or better. Of course quite a few are right at .500 so that could change.

I considered the record not matching my comment...but more to my point I think is when the Celtics are fun to watch and when not fun.. For example, last night they were not fun to watch.  But usually big games against good teams they bring the effort and are fun to watch, even when they lose...

Of course, some of those wins against bad teams are also nice...especially in a season like this when wins are hard to come by..

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2021, 08:49:28 AM »

Online mobilija

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Good start 1-0

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2021, 09:04:59 AM »

Offline slamtheking

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5 wins at most. 4 back to back games?...with Williams and Brown always out for a multitude of reasons. Yeah 5 wins.
looking at that schedule, and considering the continuous rotation of players having to sit out for health reasons, I can't see any reason to disagree with this assessment.  would love to wrong, but this is the likely result

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2021, 02:29:05 PM »

Offline Big333223

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Good start 1-0
Yep. On a given night, I don't really fear any team except for the Warriors and kind of the Nets because of Durant. This stretch is tough but the Celtics need to go into it with the mindset that they're as good as anyone else and use these games to prove it.
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Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2021, 02:46:14 PM »

Online Celtics2021

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Yep. On a given night, I don't really fear any team except for the Warriors and kind of the Nets because of Durant. This stretch is tough but the Celtics need to go into it with the mindset that they're as good as anyone else and use these games to prove it.

The Suns have won 17 in a row and we play them twice.  They are worthy of fear if you are going to fear anyone.

Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2021, 02:55:43 PM »

Offline Silas

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Good start 1-0
Yep. On a given night, I don't really fear any team except for the Warriors and kind of the Nets because of Durant. This stretch is tough but the Celtics need to go into it with the mindset that they're as good as anyone else and use these games to prove it.


The Suns have won 17 in a row and we play them twice.  They are worthy of fear if you are going to fear anyone.

They are due for a loss, or two, or three, or four.
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Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #13 on: December 02, 2021, 03:53:05 PM »

Online Moranis

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Good start 1-0
Yep. On a given night, I don't really fear any team except for the Warriors and kind of the Nets because of Durant. This stretch is tough but the Celtics need to go into it with the mindset that they're as good as anyone else and use these games to prove it.

The Suns have won 17 in a row and we play them twice.  They are worthy of fear if you are going to fear anyone.
They also have played an easy schedule and Ayton is the only starting that has missed any games (he missed 6 of 21).  All of their other starters have played all 21 games.  Kaminsky and Payne are the only main rotation players to miss some time as well.  They've been pretty darn healthy with an easy schedule.  They are obviously a very good team, but I worry much more about a team like the Bucks than I do the Suns.  Giannis is scary.  Durant is scary.  Phoenix just doesn't have a scary player.  They have a lot of really good players, but no mega star that can drop 50 on you at any time.
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Re: Tough December Schedule
« Reply #14 on: December 02, 2021, 04:25:00 PM »

Offline SparzWizard

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Of the 15 we'll prob win only 6 games.

Very likely drop the games at Lakers and Clippers.
Get blown out at Milwaukee on Xmas.
Drop both Phoenix games. Lose to the powerhouse Warriors. Lose the home game to Philly.

Tough days ahead


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