There's something missing with this team......

[Birdman]

Team shoots waaaaaay too many 3s..only players that are really 3 point shooters are Hayward & Irving..

[NKY fan]

Too many nice guys in the starting lineup. I have the feeling the opposing players fear our bench mob more than our starting unit..

[mctyson]

Team shoots waaaaaay too many 3s..only players that are really 3 point shooters are Hayward Tatum & Irving..

Fixed

[Rosco917]

Our two young hopefuls play with little urgency and little-sustained energy. 

We all hoped we had 2 fast developing young studs on our hands. I myself hoped we had 2 Mitchell type of players that quickly would find their NBA stride. In reality, both will take several full years more to find their game so as to be counted on, night in and night out. Brown I'm afraid is looking more like Gerald Green that a Victor Oladipo.

Teams have figured where to attack us, especially when we shoot like crap from the outside most of the time. Horford is not a center, he's a PF. Baynes is a backup NBA Center, a pretty good one, but still a backup. He is at best a solid positional defender who can't score in the paint and can't get off the floor quickly enough to protect the rim.


Some players can't play off the bench, they need sustained minutes. Terry Rozier looks like one of these types. A team would get "okay" numbers out of Terry as a starter someplace else. They wouldn't win very much.

Hayward will take more time, and while he's taking that time he's worth pennies on the dollar as a trade option.

I have a feeling Horford would re-structure his deal to stay in Boston. Just a feeling.

That leaves secondary players and draft picks as our trade options. This team needs a real NBA center and some players that can play and score right now, not in 2 years maybe.
 

[PhoSita]

I am waiting until the twenty game mark to draw any definitive conclusions about where the team is at.

My feeling generally is that they're great, already, on defense.  On offense they don't really have it figured out yet unless they're burning down the gym from outside or Kyrie is going off for forty.

[moiso]

Team shoots waaaaaay too many 3s..only players that are really 3 point shooters are Hayward Tatum & Irving..

Fixed

I swear people still think the non big man white guys are all knockdown shooters.  Hayward can be a great player but he’s never been a great shooter.

[fairweatherfan]

RE the OP: the overall chemistry on offense is definitely lacking so far (it's been mostly great on D).  It feels like the team is kinda collectively holding open the #2 spot on the totem pole for Hayward, and he's not quite ready to take it yet.

I still feel like a lot of it's just as simple as making an even league-average level of open shots, which we're doing great at creating. Some of that's intertwined with the chemistry, though.

[Celtics4ever]

What does that have to do with not getting back on defense because you're too busy staring down your opponent?

Because you two were being ludicrous about the energy it takes to stare and borderline ridiculous.  BTW, it was me that pointed out that is it more important to get back on D as the real issue with it.   You defended the poster that I called out for that so that is what it had to do with it.   Don't try to be all snarky about my posts and act indignant I call you on it or come back at you....

[nickagneta]

If you look at all the numbers from last year's team stats vs this year's team stats, just about every stat is the same except three. The percentage of FGA that are 3PTA(35.7% vs 40.4%), 3PTA(30.4 vs 36.4) and 3PT%(37.7% vs 34.9%).

So the three pointer is a significant larger part of their offense, they're taking 6 more 3 pointers per game but shooting almost 3% lower in 3PT%.

The defense is about the same. Rebounding, assists, steals, shots, fg%, etc. etc. are almost all the same as last year. But these 3 stats stick out.

Tatum, Horford, Brown, Smart, Ojeleye and Rozier all are shooting the three at a significantly lower percentage this year vs last year. Hayward is shooting the three significantly lower this year vs his career norms. Wanamaker is shooting significantly worse this year as compared to Shane Larkin last year.

Want to know what's missing? The ability to make three point shots while shooting more three pointers. Looking at the stats, that's really the only difference.

That's definitely on almost all the players and is just hard to explain. They take the most wide open threes in the league but absolutely suck at it.

But it's also on Stevens for not taking the team to task for taking so many threes when it's an uneffective shot for them. He is always saying those are great shots, just gotta hit them. How about stress going to the hole more?

[Celtics4ever]

Nick,

 I love CBS but I am beginning to think he is system coach that was and is best at playing with less talented players.   Other teams seem to have figured out a lot of gimmicks.   I also don't think he has clue on how to play classical big man.   He only wants guys to who fit the system.    Robert Williams has way more physical talent than our present bigs.   He is a rookie and does not know anything but he could at least protect the rim.   He also plays with energy, and I feel he would be better on our bench than Brad Wanamaker.  The boy wonder coach has become a boy.  He needs to reflect on what he can do differently.   Maybe realize that other teams are adapting to the small ball only mantra.

Some of this is on the players too, the desperate effort we saw last playoffs from a galvanized team is not there.    Our shot selection is poor and they are not making shots.  We turn the ball over way to much and do not protect our possessions.  They need to reflect on what did not do in the off season and also their physical toughness.

It seems to me that they are going through the motions and expecting to win off their hype.   This is on both CBS and the players.  People are looking for a scapegoat but there is plenty of blame to go around.  We have big targets on our back this year and we are every's team chance to show they can beat a contender.

I will be here win or lose.  This is still my team.   I am not discouraged but I am a bit disappointed.   I still think we can right the ship.  I think Hayward is showing signs or improvement here and there.   Kyrie is back but HE CAN"T DO IT ALONE.................  It is not all gloom and doom and I still look forward to each game as the start of a streak.

[nickagneta]

Nick,

 I love CBS but I am beginning to think he is system coach that was and is best at playing with less talented players.   Other teams seem to have figured out a lot of gimmicks.   I also don't think he has clue on how to play classical big man.   He only wants guys to who fit the system.    Robert Williams has way more physical talent than our present bigs.   He is a rookie and does not know anything but he could at least protect the rim.   He also plays with energy, and I feel he would be better on our bench than Brad Wanamaker.  The boy wonder coach has become a boy.  He needs to reflect on what he can do differently.   Maybe realize that other teams are adapting to the small ball only mantra.

Some of this is on the players too, the desperate effort we saw last playoffs from a galvanized team is not there.    Our shot selection is poor and they are not making shots.  We turn the ball over way to much and do not protect our possessions.  They need to reflect on what did not do in the off season and also their physical toughness.

It seems to me that they are going through the motions and expecting to win off their hype.   This is on both CBS and the players.  People are looking for a scapegoat but there is plenty of blame to go around.  We have big targets on our back this year and we are every's team chance to show they can beat a contender.

I will be here win or lose.  This is still my team.   I am not discouraged but I am a bit disappointed.   I still think we can right the ship.  I think Hayward is showing signs or improvement here and there.   Kyrie is back but HE CAN"T DO IT ALONE.................  It is not all gloom and doom and I still look forward to each game as the start of a streak.

Yeah, Stevens is definitely a system coach, almost all coaches are, especially college coaches which Stevens started out as. About the only ones that aren't are former NBA players that allow their superstars to control the offense if they have superstars. Pops, Jackson, Carlisle, Kerr, Doc at times. They are all system coaches. All won championships.

Stevens had Baynes, a classical big man, playing center for most of last year and Stevens had his best coaching year.

Williams has played 15 minutes of garbage time. That's about all we have seen of him. Brad has seen him so much more and with 14 healthy bodies is deciding the one inactive health scratch is Williams. That says a lot. I wouldn't hang my hat on Williams being any type of answer for this team's problems.

Regarding turnovers. Last year 14.0 per game. This year 13.3 per game. Just go look at the team stats for last year's team and this year's team. As I said almost every stat is the same except the three I mentioned. The difference is three pointers taken and made. And, unfortunately for those that don't like that type of offense, that is Stevens' system. That type of system really sucks if you can't shoot three's above 35%. They need to have a 3PT% of around 38-39% to be successful in this system.

[PAOBoston]

We're just going to have to ride the storm with this team initially. They have moments when they look great. But they also have moments that are exactly polar opposite, moreso than the good ones.

I honestly don't understand the shooting thing though. I think they are all snakebitten. They get plenty of open looks but it's like no one can hit currently. Fully understand their reliance on the 3 (and their inability to attack the rim consistently and generate FTs) but the ice cold shooting is very perplexing. That's not a coaching issue; that's a player execution issue.

[Neurotic Guy]

We're just going to have to ride the storm with this team initially. They have moments when they look great. But they also have moments that are exactly polar opposite, moreso than the good ones.

I honestly don't understand the shooting thing though. I think they are all snakebitten. They get plenty of open looks but it's like no one can hit currently. Fully understand their reliance on the 3 (and their inability to attack the rim consistently and generate FTs) but the ice cold shooting is very perplexing. That's not a coaching issue; that's a player execution issue.

Got to believe the shooting will work its way out.   I think a lot stems from players not feeling comfortable in their roles and not feeling like there is a good flow yet to the offense.   When shots are clanging, I think it has a negative impact on defense, with players either getting overly aggressive or not having their head in the game defensively after missed shots.

I am pretty sure this will iron out.

[Big333223]

RE the OP: the overall chemistry on offense is definitely lacking so far (it's been mostly great on D).  It feels like the team is kinda collectively holding open the #2 spot on the totem pole for Hayward, and he's not quite ready to take it yet.

I still feel like a lot of it's just as simple as making an even league-average level of open shots, which we're doing great at creating. Some of that's intertwined with the chemistry, though.

TP. I think that's right. Tatum should probably be the one to just seize it but it's starting to feel like he doesn't know yet how to balance being a major scoring option and just playing his role. He can do either (we saw him play a role with Kyrie and take over without him) but he doesn't have that balance yet that a #2 needs. Maybe the real problem is his lack of playmaking for others?

[PAOBoston]

We're just going to have to ride the storm with this team initially. They have moments when they look great. But they also have moments that are exactly polar opposite, moreso than the good ones.

I honestly don't understand the shooting thing though. I think they are all snakebitten. They get plenty of open looks but it's like no one can hit currently. Fully understand their reliance on the 3 (and their inability to attack the rim consistently and generate FTs) but the ice cold shooting is very perplexing. That's not a coaching issue; that's a player execution issue.

Got to believe the shooting will work its way out.   I think a lot stems from players not feeling comfortable in their roles and not feeling like there is a good flow yet to the offense.   When shots are clanging, I think it has a negative impact on defense, with players either getting overly aggressive or not having their head in the game defensively after missed shots.

I am pretty sure this will iron out.

Agreed re: the shooting and players fitting into their roles. Just think it might take some time for everyone to settle in. Some fans are already in panic mode asking for benching Hayward or trading Brown. That's not going to solve anything and will add more confusion imo. Brown is probably their best and most versatile wing defender who takes on the other team best wing every night. They need to get him right offensively. He's been pretty aggressive lately and it hasn't really translated 100% but I think he might be close to turning the corner soon.

I think they should stick with current lineup as I think in the end, that will be their best 5 man team. I do think they should stagger Baynes in the lineup more and the starters with the bench. Stevens loves to go with all bench lineups. I think keeping some starters with the bench unit creates a hierarchy as far as role players knowing what their role is.