Celtics (2-5) at Magic (2-6) Game #8 11/3/21

[Silas]

Looks like Grant is out of the rotation.  Did I miss something?

[Goldstar88]

We saw the end of bench crowd in the last two minutes of the game and except for a Nesmith 3, they were pathetic.

We need another big behind Al/Rob ...... or maybe not, maybe just play a wing at the 4 behind them. And so frustrating how Nesmith still seems so lost.

On the plus side, Romeo is becoming a pretty good rotational player.

Romeo moves the rock, hits open shots, is decisive and plays tough D. Play him!

They did. He had 17 minutes, which is pretty solid. Just wish he would take some of the shots that Schroder, Smart and Richardson have been chucking.

[celticsclay]

I won’t go nuts cause cause it was the magic. But the second half gave me a little hope we figured something out. At least on defense.

[Goldstar88]

Looks like Grant is out of the rotation.  Did I miss something?

Thank god. Horford, Tatum, and Timelord should get all of the minutes at the 4/5.

[pokeKingCurtis]

We saw the end of bench crowd in the last two minutes of the game and except for a Nesmith 3, they were pathetic.

We need another big behind Al/Rob ...... or maybe not, maybe just play a wing at the 4 behind them. And so frustrating how Nesmith still seems so lost.

On the plus side, Romeo is becoming a pretty good rotational player.

Romeo moves the rock, hits open shots, is decisive and plays tough D. Play him!

They did. He had 17 minutes, which is pretty solid. Just wish he would take some of the shots that Schroder, Smart and Richardson have been chucking.

Bad as Schroder, Smart and Richardson have been, I'm under the impression Romeo is probably worse as a shot creator lol.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Looks like Grant is out of the rotation.  Did I miss something?

Well he couldn't Miss the 3s at first, now he can't Make one.

[Celtics4ever]

If he can't hit those shots, his value is a lot lower, given he can't  rebound or rim protect well.   Floor spacing is a critical element of his game.  I agree, the end of the game would have been a good time for him to work on stuff.

I thought, Ime, rode the horses too long last night, I would have got Tatum and Brown out a little earlier.

[Birdman]

This bench is still awful..need to play Enes more..hopefully they move on from Grant & Romeo next season but doubt they will

[A Future of Stevens]

I liked how Nesmith immediately came in and sprayed a 27 ft rhythm top of the arc three that was money. He needs to get some playing time. I can't believe that he regressed from last year, it just seems like Richardson has taken his spot.

[nickagneta]

I liked how Nesmith immediately came in and sprayed a 27 ft rhythm top of the arc three that was money. He needs to get some playing time. I can't believe that he regressed from last year, it just seems like Richardson has taken his spot.

I think it's quite possible, and maybe even likely, that both Pritchard and Nesmith have regressed. Both had good Summer Leagues but both have kinda completely sucked during the beginning of this season when given playing time. Sophomore slumps are very real.

[Surferdad]

I liked how Nesmith immediately came in and sprayed a 27 ft rhythm top of the arc three that was money. He needs to get some playing time. I can't believe that he regressed from last year, it just seems like Richardson has taken his spot.

I think it's quite possible, and maybe even likely, that both Pritchard and Nesmith have regressed. Both had good Summer Leagues but both have kinda completely sucked during the beginning of this season when given playing time. Sophomore slumps are very real.

Pretty simple: Ime trusts Richardson as the better defender than those guys (as well as Pritchard).

[Celtics4ever]

Ime probably feels the heat and pressure to win.   This in his mind mandates he plays the veterans, as it is what coaches always fall back to....

This will make developing talent hard as the pressure to win will make him play the vets.

[hardlyyardley]

Pritchard was open a lot  from three point area bit never got the pass back, mainly from Tatum penetration

[Atzar]

I liked how Nesmith immediately came in and sprayed a 27 ft rhythm top of the arc three that was money. He needs to get some playing time. I can't believe that he regressed from last year, it just seems like Richardson has taken his spot.

I think it's quite possible, and maybe even likely, that both Pritchard and Nesmith have regressed. Both had good Summer Leagues but both have kinda completely sucked during the beginning of this season when given playing time. Sophomore slumps are very real.

Regarding Pritchard:

This may be a somewhat unpopular opinion here, but I just think he's a very limited player.  I think he's a 6'1" shooting specialist who struggles to defend in any system and doesn't run half-court offense very well. 

Additionally, I think it's hard to get him on the court with our current guard rotation because he can't play many minutes with Schroder - that makes us way too small.  If Schroder moves into the starting rotation at some point, then Pritchard could be your bench guard.  I do think we need his shooting, but finding good spots for him is easier said than done.

Regarding Nesmith:

His shooting slump is nothing to me.  It was ten shots.  Tatum might miss that many in a quarter.  I remain convinced that Nesmith is a solid shooter, and potentially much more than that. 

I'm much more concerned about his inability to stay on the court without fouling so much.  At some point he's going to have to start playing under control - not only to stay out of foul trouble, but also for the safety of himself and others.  I still like him to eventually play a role for this team, but he has growth to do first.