2021-22 Celtics Playoffs Discussion

[Phantom255x]

Baseball fans might remember this.

But I was thinking, this Finals series sort of feels like the 2021 ALCS last season for the Red Sox in the MLB. Boston goes up 2-1 in the series with momentum after a big Game 3 win, has a lead late in Game 4 and then blows it, then basically gets blown out (or thoroughly outplayed) late in Game 4 AND in Game 5 and then loses in 6 games.

Hopefully that doesn't happen to the C's but the parallels are kind of there.

yup. i watched that series when i was not watching my braves beat the dodgers in the NLCS.

Wow must have been an awesome October for you then 

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Baseball fans might remember this.

But I was thinking, this Finals series sort of feels like the 2021 ALCS last season for the Red Sox in the MLB. Boston goes up 2-1 in the series with momentum after a big Game 3 win, has a lead late in Game 4 and then blows it, then basically gets blown out (or thoroughly outplayed) late in Game 4 AND in Game 5 and then loses in 6 games.

Hopefully that doesn't happen to the C's but the parallels are kind of there.

yup. i watched that series when i was not watching my braves beat the dodgers in the NLCS.

Wow must have been an awesome October for you then 

it was great. got to witness my 2nd world series title with the braves in my lifetime. was a long wait. 26 years between titles. lots of choking and heartbreak man in between. was rough. real rough. but we finally did it again. some go a lifetime without their team winning. why i cannot stress enough STRIKE WHEN THE IRON IS HOT.  you may never get back or may take rest of your life to see it again.

[Billz401]

What the heck is Ime doing? There is no reason for white and pritchard to be on the court at the same time. Just getting exposed out there.. Backs against the wall im sorry but this is one of those games where Smart, Tatum, and Brown should basically be playing 46 minutes

[Billz401]

Zero bbiq on this team it is pathetic to watch. And that's coaching and players. Cant rebound, WONT protect the ball, stupid offense, random lineups. The bench is an absolute travesty. Grant Williams is complete garbage on both ends since the Bucks series I just dont get it

I wonder what the odds of Smart socking Draymond on the jaw at some point are

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Zero bbiq on this team it is pathetic to watch. And that's coaching and players. Cant rebound, WONT protect the ball, stupid offense, random lineups. The bench is an absolute travesty. Grant Williams is complete garbage on both ends since the Bucks series I just dont get it

I wonder what the odds of Smart socking Draymond on the jaw at some point are

definition of insanity

doing same thing over and over expecting different results

[Phantom255x]

We can certainly nitpick a lot of things, and the turnovers are definitely a big, annoying one.

But to me, watching Tatum completely vanish in the 2nd half last night was just demoralizing. The guy had 2 points total in the 2nd half and I'm pretty sure they came on a slam dunk. He was just brutal but overall, he was also terrible for most of this series. If you had to rank the players for this whole series combining both sides, Tatum probably isn't even Top-5 if we're being honest.

There's a reason people still think Doncic and others are better than Tatum. For one, even when those guys have bad nights they can still put up points somehow or find ways to make an impact. Tatum unfortunately though, while capable of a few monster games (Game 6 Milwaukee) has way too many "nights off" which can hurt the team too. Game 3 vs. MIL, Game 3 vs. MIA, most of the Finals series. Just can't happen. Got to be more consistent.

He's still young. He can definitely grow from this. But there's still work for him and Jaylen to do, especially the dribbling and protecting the ball (way too many careless turnovers and mistakes which cost us this series)

[Vermont Green]

I started this thread on 11 Apr 2022 at the point where the seedings were final but the playin games had not been completed.  That seems like forever ago.  This seems like a good place to provide some final thoughts on the season and the playoff run.

I never thought that the Celtics would make it to the finals, certainly not at the start of the season but even at the start of the playoffs, it seemed like an overly optimistic expectation.  But they made it to the finals.  It was a great season.  Strengths and weaknesses of individual players and the team overall were exposed and there were plenty of disappointing aspects of the play in the finals but this was a great season.

Many people seem to still be saying that we are the "Better Team".  There is a whole thread on this.  I don't see it that way.  I see the Warriors as the better team.  Curry, Green, and Thompson only played in 3 games together in the regular season.  11 minutes (if my sort is correct).  Wiggins may be better than Green at this point but that is their legacy "Big 3".   But they came together for the playoffs and were a better team than at any point during the regular season.  They beat us, they were better.

I share some concern with how Tatum played in the finals and even at other points in the playoffs  but I think Tatum is young emotionally as a player.  Players mature emotionally differently just like they do physically.  Tatum is a star.  He is our star.  I am good with that.  He will learn from this and be even better.  I remain all in on Jayson Tatum.

The prospects for next season are terrific.  I think MIL will be back and will be very good and there will be other teams that are going to be right there with us or better.  We need some off season wins to shore up some weaknesses.  And we need a long term replacement for Horford, but the present and future are bright.

[SHAQATTACK]

There was a time I wasn’t certain we d be in the playoffs .

I’m happy with how wrong I was and proud to see the team go so far .

It’s not going to be easy , with Doncic , Giannis, and other stars to get back , but I think we will.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

We can certainly nitpick a lot of things, and the turnovers are definitely a big, annoying one.

But to me, watching Tatum completely vanish in the 2nd half last night was just demoralizing. The guy had 2 points total in the 2nd half and I'm pretty sure they came on a slam dunk. He was just brutal but overall, he was also terrible for most of this series. If you had to rank the players for this whole series combining both sides, Tatum probably isn't even Top-5 if we're being honest.

There's a reason people still think Doncic and others are better than Tatum. For one, even when those guys have bad nights they can still put up points somehow or find ways to make an impact. Tatum unfortunately though, while capable of a few monster games (Game 6 Milwaukee) has way too many "nights off" which can hurt the team too. Game 3 vs. MIL, Game 3 vs. MIA, most of the Finals series. Just can't happen. Got to be more consistent.

He's still young. He can definitely grow from this. But there's still work for him and Jaylen to do, especially the dribbling and protecting the ball (way too many careless turnovers and mistakes which cost us this series)

oh man what i would give to have JOKIC or DONCIC On this team

[Rondo9]

We can certainly nitpick a lot of things, and the turnovers are definitely a big, annoying one.

But to me, watching Tatum completely vanish in the 2nd half last night was just demoralizing. The guy had 2 points total in the 2nd half and I'm pretty sure they came on a slam dunk. He was just brutal but overall, he was also terrible for most of this series. If you had to rank the players for this whole series combining both sides, Tatum probably isn't even Top-5 if we're being honest.

There's a reason people still think Doncic and others are better than Tatum. For one, even when those guys have bad nights they can still put up points somehow or find ways to make an impact. Tatum unfortunately though, while capable of a few monster games (Game 6 Milwaukee) has way too many "nights off" which can hurt the team too. Game 3 vs. MIL, Game 3 vs. MIA, most of the Finals series. Just can't happen. Got to be more consistent.

He's still young. He can definitely grow from this. But there's still work for him and Jaylen to do, especially the dribbling and protecting the ball (way too many careless turnovers and mistakes which cost us this series)

Ehhh feel like you're nitpicking with Tatum, without him they wouldn't even be in the Finals. The man showed that he has the potential two-way player but in the Finals he still has some holes he needs to fill.

[Goldstar88]

I have a friend from NY who is a Knicks fan. I asked him for his opinion on the series, since he was a neutral party and this what he had to say:

“Cliché but the championship pedigree won out. I wouldn’t bash the Celtics and coaches too much. The best player and the better coach was on GSW side. By end of series it was a large gap. Warriors did similar to what the Spurs did that Finals in 2014. Where they adjusted and Boston never answered the adjustment.”

Hard to disagree with any of that.