Poll

How high can the Celtics finish in the regular season?

1
31 (60.8%)
2
12 (23.5%)
3
2 (3.9%)
4
5 (9.8%)
5
0 (0%)
6
0 (0%)
7
0 (0%)
8
0 (0%)
Can't make playoffs
1 (2%)

Total Members Voted: 51

Voting closed: December 31, 2018, 09:44:23 AM

Author Topic: Race for the 2nd place?  (Read 3477 times)

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Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #15 on: December 08, 2018, 02:40:44 AM »

Offline ozgod

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I'm thinking if we get the 3rd seed it will have been a good achievement. If we get 2nd seed, which is doable, it would be outstanding. We may have given up a bit too much ground to begin with. Obviously the team's been playing much better, but the caveat is that we've played some easybeats. Then again beating the easybeats has been our problem this season as we've been very competitive against top tier teams.
Any odd typos are because I suck at typing on an iPhone :D

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #16 on: December 08, 2018, 03:05:28 AM »

Offline GreenEnvy

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I don’t see how or why the top seed is out of reach.

We are only 4 games back of first and 2 of 2nd.

Of course there are plenty of games in the schedule, but we can personally hang plenty of L’s in the team’s currently in front of us.

I like that we are starting to smash the scrub teams, something we weren’t really doing before recently. We can get up for the big games, but we sometimes come out with oddly poor quarters/halves against bad teams. We’ve outscored the opposition by 96 points over the last 6 games (5-1), so I think we are beginning to ball.

Once we start rolling, we may rattle off something like 19 of 20 and be atop the entire league.
CELTICS 2024

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #17 on: December 09, 2018, 11:56:21 AM »

Offline Phantom255x

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Next 5 games for us: NOP, @WAS, ATL, @DET, PHO

I don't see why we can't go 4-1 in that stretch to go to 19-11 for the year so far. And so by the middle of next week, it's a possibility we jump to the 3, or maybe even 2 seed in the East. We're just 1.5 games behind MIL and 2 games behind PHI at the moment.
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Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2018, 01:34:04 PM »

Offline ozgod

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I don’t see how or why the top seed is out of reach.

We are only 4 games back of first and 2 of 2nd.

Of course there are plenty of games in the schedule, but we can personally hang plenty of L’s in the team’s currently in front of us.

I like that we are starting to smash the scrub teams, something we weren’t really doing before recently. We can get up for the big games, but we sometimes come out with oddly poor quarters/halves against bad teams. We’ve outscored the opposition by 96 points over the last 6 games (5-1), so I think we are beginning to ball.

Once we start rolling, we may rattle off something like 19 of 20 and be atop the entire league.

I love how we went from slitting our wrists 2 weeks ago because the world was ending to expecting them to rattle off 19 of 20  ;D That's the optimism I like!
Any odd typos are because I suck at typing on an iPhone :D

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #19 on: December 09, 2018, 02:52:03 PM »

Offline rondofan1255

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slumps happen for all teams, of course they could finish #1

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #20 on: December 09, 2018, 04:02:31 PM »

Offline Ilikesports17

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Last season, we were 5 up on the Raptors at this juncture. They took 1st by 4 games by the end.

It's unlikely, but certainly possible to catch them.
Quote from: George W. Bush
Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions.

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #21 on: December 09, 2018, 05:18:33 PM »

Offline GreenEnvy

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I don’t see how or why the top seed is out of reach.

We are only 4 games back of first and 2 of 2nd.

Of course there are plenty of games in the schedule, but we can personally hang plenty of L’s in the team’s currently in front of us.

I like that we are starting to smash the scrub teams, something we weren’t really doing before recently. We can get up for the big games, but we sometimes come out with oddly poor quarters/halves against bad teams. We’ve outscored the opposition by 96 points over the last 6 games (5-1), so I think we are beginning to ball.

Once we start rolling, we may rattle off something like 19 of 20 and be atop the entire league.

I love how we went from slitting our wrists 2 weeks ago because the world was ending to expecting them to rattle off 19 of 20  ;D That's the optimism I like!

Well, I was never one who was close to slitting my wrists. I watch the games and although they were dropping very winnable games, they weren’t playing terribly. Sometimes you win games you shouldn’t, sometimes you lose some you shouldn’t.

Just too much talent to not believe they would turn it around. I know it’s only one game, but a 56-point win without our starting AND backup centers suggests we are starting to click. I know the Bulls are terrible but still, an epic win.

Last season, we were 5 up on the Raptors at this juncture. They took 1st by 4 games by the end.

It's unlikely, but certainly possible to catch them.

And?

Our early success was artificially inflated by a 16-game winning streak. And we lost our best player down the stretch (and a myriad of other injuries whereas Toronto was one of the healthiest teams last season).

So by posting that, do you think it’s relevant in any way to this season?
CELTICS 2024

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #22 on: December 09, 2018, 08:23:12 PM »

Offline MattyIce

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toronto's next 5

bucks, @clips, @warriors, @blazers, @nuggets,

LOSS to bucks, @clips, @warriors, @blazers, @nuggets,

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #23 on: December 09, 2018, 08:39:37 PM »

Offline cman88

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we are now 3 games back in the loss column to the #1 seed. Not impossible for it to be attainable.

NBA is crazy this year with so many teams hovering around the same Loss # in each conference.

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #24 on: December 09, 2018, 10:04:18 PM »

Offline mr. dee

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Still lots of games to go and the #1 seed is still very reachable. The team just need to be consistent for the rest of the season. Not to mention Raptors is now entering a brutal west coast stretch against top contenders like the Clippers, Warriors, Nuggets and Blazers.

Bucks will have to face the Celtics in Dec. 22 and who knows if they fall into some trap games during the stretch.

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #25 on: December 09, 2018, 11:05:17 PM »

Offline Bobshot

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It's still early enough to catch Toronto. The question is whether they can beat them--or Philly, for that matter. They seem to be playing like last year's team now that Hayward is on the bench. Coincidence or not. My view is putting more defense in the starting lineup opened up more offense for other starting players. And Hayward has added offense off the bench.

I wish Stevens had sorted these things out pre-season. Instead, it seemed he focused more on the last few player cuts. Was benching Hayward a hard pill for him to swallow? Doesn't seem that way for Gordon, who has played well off the bench.

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #26 on: December 09, 2018, 11:49:00 PM »

Offline GreenEnvy

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I find it pretty comical that I’m reading “still very reachable” and “not impossible” in this thread.

If this was April 1, I’d agree. But it’s early December and we have over 50 games still to play.

I mean reality is we could be first in the East by the end of the calendar year. We can hang losses on Milwaukee and Philadelphia and Toronto is getting into the tougher part of their schedule.
CELTICS 2024

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #27 on: December 10, 2018, 05:01:13 AM »

Offline knuckleballer

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I find it pretty comical that I’m reading “still very reachable” and “not impossible” in this thread.

If this was April 1, I’d agree. But it’s early December and we have over 50 games still to play.

I mean reality is we could be first in the East by the end of the calendar year. We can hang losses on Milwaukee and Philadelphia and Toronto is getting into the tougher part of their schedule.

TP.  No kidding, huh?  We are only 3 games back of Toronto in the loss column, 2 behind Milwaukee, and 1 behind Philadelphia.  We also look like the hottest team in the league right now.  Yeah, I think "can" still finish in first. 

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #28 on: December 10, 2018, 05:18:29 AM »

Offline Androslav

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We are one game behind GSW to have home court in the finals.
That is the big picture I am looking at.
"The joy of the balling under the rims."

Re: Race for the 2nd place?
« Reply #29 on: December 10, 2018, 06:16:24 AM »

Offline Moranis

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Next 5 games for us: NOP, @WAS, ATL, @DET, PHO

I don't see why we can't go 4-1 in that stretch to go to 19-11 for the year so far. And so by the middle of next week, it's a possibility we jump to the 3, or maybe even 2 seed in the East. We're just 1.5 games behind MIL and 2 games behind PHI at the moment.
Milwaukee's next 5 games are CLE, @IND, @CLE, @DET, NO.  Philadelphia's next 5 games are DET, BKN, IND, @CLE, @SA.  Indiana's next 5 games are WAS, MIL, @PHI, NY, CLE.

Indiana is the only team with a "tough" schedule and they have 2 gimme games with NY and CLE at home.
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