Author Topic: Time for a real closer... Marcus smart and RW for Lillard... too soon?  (Read 4290 times)

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Offline Roy H.

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Might want to check this out.   
...

Quote
LAS VEGAS — Robert Williams’ first Celtics experience ended Sunday night with the rookie center still on the bench, unable to play in his fifth straight game because of pain in his left knee.

But Williams insists the pain from a contusion suffered on opening night of the NBA Summer League is not related to a deeper, potentially more insidious problem. He was diagnosed in college with popliteal artery entrapment syndrome, a condition that can restrict blood flow to his lower legs and cause cramping due to compression of the main arteries running along the backs of his knees.

Williams, and Celtics management, deny that the condition will impact his NBA career
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From 2018


I would use him as a trade chip while his value is relatively high....

Has he been having problems with his lower legs?  Is he cramping?



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Offline Moranis

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Tatum is fine as a closer.  You know when he actually gets the ball.  Even last night he was 4 of 8 from the field and 4 of 5 from the line in the 4th quarter for 12 points.  That was 12 of the 21 points the team scored.  Tatum can close just fine.  It is the rest of the team that needs to step up in those moments.

I still think trying to get someone like Collins or Wood makes the most sense, especially if you can get Wood using the TPE, young players, and draft picks.  Wood for Nesmith, 23 1st, and maybe the 25 1st (lotto protected) or something like that. 

So main rotation next year

Guards - Smart, White, Pritchard
Wings - Brown, Tatum, G. Williams
Bigs - R. Williams, Wood, Horford, Theis

That seems like the better way to go.  Keep the rotation in tact but add to it. 
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Offline johnnygreen

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Marcus was horrendous at the end of the game. However, the issue remains Jaylen Brown. He can play like an All Star for the first three quarters, but is non-existent in the fourth. That is the issue Brad, Ime, and Jaylen need to figure out.

Tatum is a very capable closer. However, since Brown essentially takes himself out of the game in the fourth, he no longer becomes a threat, which puts more pressure on Tatum and the rest of the offense.

As much as I like Lillard, he is no longer an answer at this point in his career. Bradley Beal might be, but I don't think it will happen, with the main issue being on defense and his lack of ability to switch. John Collins would be great, but I don't know how you trade for him without giving up Brown or Smart. For me, the answer is figuring out how to get Jaylen to be more effective in the fourth, and specifically at the end of games.

Offline dannyboy35

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  This one is on Smart. We still had a chance. Tatum unguarded down court. Incredible. So dumb.

Offline keevsnick

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Tatum is fine as a closer.  You know when he actually gets the ball.  Even last night he was 4 of 8 from the field and 4 of 5 from the line in the 4th quarter for 12 points.  That was 12 of the 21 points the team scored.  Tatum can close just fine.  It is the rest of the team that needs to step up in those moments.

I still think trying to get someone like Collins or Wood makes the most sense, especially if you can get Wood using the TPE, young players, and draft picks.  Wood for Nesmith, 23 1st, and maybe the 25 1st (lotto protected) or something like that. 

So main rotation next year

Guards - Smart, White, Pritchard
Wings - Brown, Tatum, G. Williams
Bigs - R. Williams, Wood, Horford, Theis

That seems like the better way to go.  Keep the rotation in tact but add to it.

Tatum may have scored points last night in the 4th, but honestly he played like crap. If the way your superstar plays dictates the flow of your game, and your team sucks for the quarter in large part because every play devolves to Tatum taking an Iso-jumper, then your superstar is partly to blame.

That's not to say he's its entirely or even mostly his fault, but this has been a recurring theme especially the firts half of the year. Go up 10-20, slow the game way down, Tatum iso jumper with no offense ran around it, we lose.

I hate the idea of a "closer." A real closer doesn't just score, it's the guy who has the ball and generates good looks for himself AND others in the crunch.

Offline ETNCeltics

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Lillard is like getting Kemba at the end of his career. Haven't we done this already?
I don't want Lillard (not for his supermax anyway), but how is he like Kemba?

How is he not? Same age, undersized guard, terrible defender, similar shooting stats,  injury bug starting to bite. Lillard's just a better version of a very similar player.

People forget Kemba was a perennial all star coming off an all nba season when we got him. Whereas Lillard will be 32 and coming off a year where me missed of the season with injury.

Offline ETNCeltics

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Tatum is fine as a closer.  You know when he actually gets the ball.  Even last night he was 4 of 8 from the field and 4 of 5 from the line in the 4th quarter for 12 points.  That was 12 of the 21 points the team scored.  Tatum can close just fine.  It is the rest of the team that needs to step up in those moments.

I still think trying to get someone like Collins or Wood makes the most sense, especially if you can get Wood using the TPE, young players, and draft picks.  Wood for Nesmith, 23 1st, and maybe the 25 1st (lotto protected) or something like that. 

So main rotation next year

Guards - Smart, White, Pritchard
Wings - Brown, Tatum, G. Williams
Bigs - R. Williams, Wood, Horford, Theis

That seems like the better way to go.  Keep the rotation in tact but add to it.

Tatum may have scored points last night in the 4th, but honestly he played like crap. If the way your superstar plays dictates the flow of your game, and your team sucks for the quarter in large part because every play devolves to Tatum taking an Iso-jumper, then your superstar is partly to blame.

That's not to say he's its entirely or even mostly his fault, but this has been a recurring theme especially the firts half of the year. Go up 10-20, slow the game way down, Tatum iso jumper with no offense ran around it, we lose.

I hate the idea of a "closer." A real closer doesn't just score, it's the guy who has the ball and generates good looks for himself AND others in the crunch.

That's not all on Tatum, at least not all the time. Sometimes that happens because for whatever reason, fatigue, complacency, etc, his teammates aren't moving without the ball and are watching him, waiting for him to make something happen.

Offline Atzar

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I just feel like we've seen the "scoring guard who doesn't defend" movie three times already.  IT, Kyrie, Kemba.  Do we really expect the ending to be different the fourth time around? 

I do think we need another scoring option, but contrary to my viewpoint from about five months ago, I'm willing to ride with Smart right now.  He has been a big part of our turnaround this season.  I know we're all mad at him for the mistakes he made at the end of the game yesterday, but that doesn't negate four months of good ball.  I mean, s***... dude had actually been good for us in the last few minutes of games through these playoffs prior to that.  His pass to Tatum in G1 against Brooklyn, the Magic Left Hand image, and backing his defender into the paint for the clinching buckets in G4 against Milwaukee.  He screwed it up last night.  It happens. 

Offline Kernewek

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But what if, hear me out, we get another scoring guard who doesn’t defend?
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