Thunder (20-41) at Celtics (32-29) Game #62 4/27/21

[Goldstar88]

Brad never calls this team out!!! They should be ashamed of the effort tonight. I'm soooooooo tired of Brad just pumping up the other team. They are a bad team but we didn't show up!!!! Call it out Brad!!!!

I’m sure he’s going to yell at them in the locker room...he doesn’t want to throw them under the bus like Jose Mourinho does, which is why Mourinho always loses his locker room. Probably they all know they played bad. I don’t think getting hammered by your coach in public helps. I know as a fan we want to throw rotten fruit at them but a coach is in a different position when it comes to criticizing his players in public. Rather than him criticizing them in public he needs to make him accountable for their actions on the court. Unfortunately tonight they were short which is why he was forced to play some of the riffraff longer than he should have.

The media though that’s another story, they are 100% entitled to call the team out. That’s their job and they should do it when the team deserves it.

The only one Brad was yelling at tonight on the court was Pritchard who was playing his heart out. Thompson was a scrub out there, Smart shot us out of the game and Brad yells at Pritchard and doesn't even play Parker. Kornet was our best big and he played 20 minutes.

I so [dang] tired of seeing Marcus Smart put up 8 / 9 / 10 three point attempt games - especially given that at least half of those shots are usually bad, low percentage looks.  I'm not sure if I have ever in my life seen a player who is more hot/cold from three who also simultaneously has had such poor shot selection. 

And it's not a recent thing either - that terrible shot selection is something Smart has been critiqued for since his college days, so it seems clear as day by now that it's never going to change.

There is no reality in which a defensive minded role player who's a career 32% 3PT shooter should be averaging 6 (and regularly taking 7-10) three point attempts.  Especially not on a team that has capable 3PT shooters like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Payton Pritchard. 

If the ball has moved to Smart and he finds himself wide open at the three point line, and no obviously better look is available, then I absolutely encourage him to take that shot.  Being able to make it with decent consistency helps to keep opposing defence honest which is important. 

But there should not be a single scenario in which a shooter of his calibre is throwing up a three:
a) While contested / tightly defended
b) Early in a shot clock
c) In transition
d) If another teammate has a better look

I even get a tad annoyed when I see Tatum / Brown take threes in those scenarios, and they are good-to-excellent three point shooters.  Every time Smart takes a bad three, far as I'm concerned, he should be pulled from the game.

Well, Brad allows it and even encourages it. I’ve heard him say on multiple occasions that he wants Smart taking those shots if he’s open. The reason he’s open Brad, is that the other teams want him to jack up 3’s since he misses so frequently. Again, the coach is supposed to instruct his players, so that’s on Brad.

[Somebody]

Brad never calls this team out!!! They should be ashamed of the effort tonight. I'm soooooooo tired of Brad just pumping up the other team. They are a bad team but we didn't show up!!!! Call it out Brad!!!!

I’m sure he’s going to yell at them in the locker room...he doesn’t want to throw them under the bus like Jose Mourinho does, which is why Mourinho always loses his locker room. Probably they all know they played bad. I don’t think getting hammered by your coach in public helps. I know as a fan we want to throw rotten fruit at them but a coach is in a different position when it comes to criticizing his players in public. Rather than him criticizing them in public he needs to make him accountable for their actions on the court. Unfortunately tonight they were short which is why he was forced to play some of the riffraff longer than he should have.

The media though that’s another story, they are 100% entitled to call the team out. That’s their job and they should do it when the team deserves it.

Laughing my head off at the narrative that Mourinho always loses his dressing rooms . The only dressing rooms that he was truly unpopular at were Real Madrid, a team that's notorious for rebelling against their managers and Manchester United, who haven't ever reached the level he brought them during his tenure to after he was sacked. Mourinho's style of confrontational man management does not mean that he throws his players under the bus at every opportunity, if you actually follow him instead of guzzling down and regurgitating media narratives you'd realise that he uses a variety of ways (yes he actually protects his players when needed, shocking I know ) to create a siege mentality that galvanises his team, and players at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, as well as the ones who mattered at Tottenham absolutely loved him.

I have nothing against Brad's man management, but let's not throw the man management style of a coach who's forgotten more trophies he's won than anything Brad has won in professional sports under the bus to pump him up.

[ozgod]

Brad never calls this team out!!! They should be ashamed of the effort tonight. I'm soooooooo tired of Brad just pumping up the other team. They are a bad team but we didn't show up!!!! Call it out Brad!!!!

I’m sure he’s going to yell at them in the locker room...he doesn’t want to throw them under the bus like Jose Mourinho does, which is why Mourinho always loses his locker room. Probably they all know they played bad. I don’t think getting hammered by your coach in public helps. I know as a fan we want to throw rotten fruit at them but a coach is in a different position when it comes to criticizing his players in public. Rather than him criticizing them in public he needs to make him accountable for their actions on the court. Unfortunately tonight they were short which is why he was forced to play some of the riffraff longer than he should have.

The media though that’s another story, they are 100% entitled to call the team out. That’s their job and they should do it when the team deserves it.

Laughing my head off at the narrative that Mourinho always loses his dressing rooms . The only dressing rooms that he was truly unpopular at were Real Madrid, a team that's notorious for rebelling against their managers and Manchester United, who haven't ever reached the level he brought them during his tenure to after he was sacked. Mourinho's style of confrontational man management does not mean that he throws his players under the bus at every opportunity, if you actually follow him instead of guzzling down and regurgitating media narratives you'd realise that he uses a variety of ways (yes he actually protects his players when needed, shocking I know ) to create a siege mentality that galvanises his team, and players at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, as well as the ones who mattered at Tottenham absolutely loved him.

I have nothing against Brad's man management, but let's not throw the man management style of a coach who's forgotten more trophies he's won than anything Brad has won in professional sports under the bus to pump him up.

Touched a nerve from a Mourinho fan I see  Sure a couple of players might enjoy being thrown under the bus (when Jose has driven it from being parked in front of the goal after the game) when the team loses but I'm pretty sure the rest of the team doesn't. Just looking at the trail of ruin he's left behind him, that kind of speaks for itself

[footey]

Salt in wounds:

Darius Bazley selected 23rd in 2019 draft.

One pick after Grant Williams.

Good job, Danny.

[Somebody]

Brad never calls this team out!!! They should be ashamed of the effort tonight. I'm soooooooo tired of Brad just pumping up the other team. They are a bad team but we didn't show up!!!! Call it out Brad!!!!

I’m sure he’s going to yell at them in the locker room...he doesn’t want to throw them under the bus like Jose Mourinho does, which is why Mourinho always loses his locker room. Probably they all know they played bad. I don’t think getting hammered by your coach in public helps. I know as a fan we want to throw rotten fruit at them but a coach is in a different position when it comes to criticizing his players in public. Rather than him criticizing them in public he needs to make him accountable for their actions on the court. Unfortunately tonight they were short which is why he was forced to play some of the riffraff longer than he should have.

The media though that’s another story, they are 100% entitled to call the team out. That’s their job and they should do it when the team deserves it.

Laughing my head off at the narrative that Mourinho always loses his dressing rooms . The only dressing rooms that he was truly unpopular at were Real Madrid, a team that's notorious for rebelling against their managers and Manchester United, who haven't ever reached the level he brought them during his tenure to after he was sacked. Mourinho's style of confrontational man management does not mean that he throws his players under the bus at every opportunity, if you actually follow him instead of guzzling down and regurgitating media narratives you'd realise that he uses a variety of ways (yes he actually protects his players when needed, shocking I know ) to create a siege mentality that galvanises his team, and players at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, as well as the ones who mattered at Tottenham absolutely loved him.

I have nothing against Brad's man management, but let's not throw the man management style of a coach who's forgotten more trophies he's won than anything Brad has won in professional sports under the bus to pump him up.

Touched a nerve from a Mourinho fan I see Sure a couple of players might enjoy being thrown under the bus (when Jose has driven it from being parked in front of the goal after the game) when the team loses but I'm pretty sure the rest of the team doesn't. Just looking at the trail of ruin he's left behind him, that kind of speaks for itself

The media narratives you're regurgitating are hilarious , you're amusing me more than touching my nerve tbh. But I guess those Porto, Chelsea and Inter teams as well as the best players on that Tottenham squad are merely a couple of players, a Premier League + League Cup double, Europa League + League Cup double and the club's first domestic cup final in 6 years is a trail of ruin he's left behind in his last three jobs

[tenn_smoothie]

Brown gets mugged with no call ALL THE TIME.

I'ma keep banging that drum all season.

He can't buy a foul.

I've been banging that for 3 years!

Man, I've seen some really nasty looking rumours about why. They're all non-basketball-related.

Let's hear 'em.

This made me realize I shoulda probably not mentioned anything in the first place.

But they're all "political".

Give me a break. Now we will start seeing protests against the racist NBA refs. Give it a rest.

[Muzzy66]

Brad never calls this team out!!! They should be ashamed of the effort tonight. I'm soooooooo tired of Brad just pumping up the other team. They are a bad team but we didn't show up!!!! Call it out Brad!!!!

I’m sure he’s going to yell at them in the locker room...he doesn’t want to throw them under the bus like Jose Mourinho does, which is why Mourinho always loses his locker room. Probably they all know they played bad. I don’t think getting hammered by your coach in public helps. I know as a fan we want to throw rotten fruit at them but a coach is in a different position when it comes to criticizing his players in public. Rather than him criticizing them in public he needs to make him accountable for their actions on the court. Unfortunately tonight they were short which is why he was forced to play some of the riffraff longer than he should have.

The media though that’s another story, they are 100% entitled to call the team out. That’s their job and they should do it when the team deserves it.

The only one Brad was yelling at tonight on the court was Pritchard who was playing his heart out. Thompson was a scrub out there, Smart shot us out of the game and Brad yells at Pritchard and doesn't even play Parker. Kornet was our best big and he played 20 minutes.

I so [dang] tired of seeing Marcus Smart put up 8 / 9 / 10 three point attempt games - especially given that at least half of those shots are usually bad, low percentage looks.  I'm not sure if I have ever in my life seen a player who is more hot/cold from three who also simultaneously has had such poor shot selection. 

And it's not a recent thing either - that terrible shot selection is something Smart has been critiqued for since his college days, so it seems clear as day by now that it's never going to change.

There is no reality in which a defensive minded role player who's a career 32% 3PT shooter should be averaging 6 (and regularly taking 7-10) three point attempts.  Especially not on a team that has capable 3PT shooters like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Payton Pritchard. 

If the ball has moved to Smart and he finds himself wide open at the three point line, and no obviously better look is available, then I absolutely encourage him to take that shot.  Being able to make it with decent consistency helps to keep opposing defence honest which is important. 

But there should not be a single scenario in which a shooter of his calibre is throwing up a three:
a) While contested / tightly defended
b) Early in a shot clock
c) In transition
d) If another teammate has a better look

I even get a tad annoyed when I see Tatum / Brown take threes in those scenarios, and they are good-to-excellent three point shooters.  Every time Smart takes a bad three, far as I'm concerned, he should be pulled from the game.

Well, Brad allows it and even encourages it. I’ve heard him say on multiple occasions that he wants Smart taking those shots if he’s open. The reason he’s open Brad, is that the other teams want him to jack up 3’s since he misses so frequently. Again, the coach is supposed to instruct his players, so that’s on Brad.

Shooting when he's open and has a good look isn't what I necessarily have a problem with.   If he takes 8 threes, and every one of those threes was pretty much wide open (and the best possible shot that was available at the time) then fine - take it.  I have no real issue with that.

My issue is with Smart taking pull up threes in transition, forcing contested threes with a hand in his face (while other superior shooters are on the court) and chucking threes 4-5 seconds into the shot clock before the ball has a chance to actually move.  From years of watching Smart play I can't help but feel that around half of Smart's three point attempts fall in to one of these categories and it infuriates me no end.

[Muzzy66]

Salt in wounds:

Darius Bazley selected 23rd in 2019 draft.

One pick after Grant Williams.

Good job, Danny.

I always see people saying things like this, and I don't understand the Logic. 

Those guys who are drafted past around #18 fall there because they are perceived as either high risk prospects (due to rawness, injuries, attitude, etc) or because they are perceived as having limited upside. 

When somebody gets drafted after #18 and said player actually end up being a high level rookie and future starting calibre player...that's very much the exception rather then the rule.  Most of those guys end up falling somewhere between "backup" and "D-League". 

Three or four of them tend to surprise everybody and exceed all expectations, and when that happens you really should be jumping for joy because it's not often.  You can hardly throw shade at a GM for not striking gold on a draft pick taken in a range where the probability of striking gold (or even silver) is exceptionally low.

In the past 2 or 3 years Danny has drafted Payton Pritchard and Robert Williams in the 20's.  At this stage both players look like they have the potential to become quality starters in the NBA.  That's better then most GM's have done picking in that range!

[Celtics4ever]

So do guys still think we are a tough team after this one.   The injury bug hurt us and part of me thinks that Brown should not even been out there today.  But this team does not possess Celtics Pride.   If they had some Celtics Pride they would not try to come back at the end of every game and take some pride in their defense and not get into that position.  They would be more careful with the ball.

Salt in wounds:

Darius Bazley selected 23rd in 2019 draft.

One pick after Grant Williams.

Good job, Danny.

I think the 2019 draft not panning out well hurt this team quite a bit.  I have been reflecting how we got here lately and I think this 2019 draft is part of the problem.

Romeo is oft hurt.   He can play some D but his offensive is offensive.
Grant is grant, not very productive, he will play hard, struggle to stay in front of anyone and can't rebound and rim protect
Carsen Edwards, just has not panned out or found his shot
Tremount Waters, some games he is good and some games he is bad

Add to this Tacko and you have a bunch of our bench depth issues in a nutshell.

Trading that pick that gave the Sixers Matisse Thybulle and got us Carsen Edwards, could have got us  Brandon Clarke, Matisse Thybulle  or Ty Jerome which are guys that  could have added bench production.

 Now I realize quite a few of these guys were second round picks.  If you get anything out of them it is a blessing.   But getting nothing out of them is not good either.   I think this draft was a stinker for us, but we still do not know what Romeo can do given the health situation.   These others guys though to quote Tommy :   "Oh boy, oh Brother!"

[Birdman]

Speechless on the last 2 losses against Hornets & OKC

[nickagneta]

So do guys still think we are a tough team after this one.   The injury bug hurt us and part of me thinks that Brown should not even been out there today.  But this team does not possess Celtics Pride.   If they had some Celtics Pride they would not try to come back at the end of every game and take some pride in their defense and not get into that position.  They would be more careful with the ball.

Salt in wounds:

Darius Bazley selected 23rd in 2019 draft.

One pick after Grant Williams.

Good job, Danny.

I think the 2019 draft not panning out well hurt this team quite a bit.  I have been reflecting how we got here lately and I think this 2019 draft is part of the problem.

Romeo is oft hurt.   He can play some D but his offensive is offensive.
Grant is grant, not very productive, he will play hard, struggle to stay in front of anyone and can't rebound and rim protect
Carsen Edwards, just has not panned out or found his shot
Tremount Waters, some games he is good and some games he is bad

Add to this Tacko and you have a bunch of our bench depth issues in a nutshell.

Trading that pick that gave the Sixers Matisse Thybulle and got us Carsen Edwards, could have got us  Brandon Clarke, Matisse Thybulle  or Ty Jerome which are guys that  could have added bench production.

 Now I realize quite a few of these guys were second round picks.  If you get anything out of them it is a blessing.   But getting nothing out of them is not good either.   I think this draft was a stinker for us, but we still do not know what Romeo can do given the health situation.   These others guys though to quote Tommy :   "Oh boy, oh Brother!"

I personally have no problem saying the team isn't tough or is soft. They are on a ton of nights this year.

What I have an issue with is saying the team is soft because of stupid reasoning, like "the team is soft because Brad is soft" or "the team is soft because they allowed Kyrie to burn sage at the Garden" or "the team is soft because they hug and greet their opponents before and after the game."

Brad has been Brad for 8 years. In that time, the only soft team he has had is this one. So clearly, the team isn't soft because it reflects their coach's calm demeanor. The core of this team has been with Brad multiple years. If they were going to play soft because they are a reflection of the coach's personality, it would have shown before now.

Regarding being soft because space cadet Kyrie burnt sage in the Garden, that's so ridiculous I hope I really don't have to explain how dumb that is.

And hugging and greeting opponents in a friendly manner before and after games, that's nothing more than projecting a fan's hate of the opponents onto the Celtics players, expecting them to not greet their friends and/or be a good sport in congratulating them on a well played game. This isn't the 1960's, 70's, 80's or 90's where players hated their opponents. These guys grew up playing together or against each other from AAU ball straight up to the pros. Their friends or friendly acquaintances. There's no need to look like a dink and not talk and greet your opponents on game day. That's nothing more than wanting the players to act and feel like the fan would.

...........


This team is soft because they play that way. Why? There are probably a ton of reasons that include a lack of talent, a lack of experience, a lack of effort, the crazy schedule, not being able to play with the same guys game in and game out and many others, including that possibly they got big heads and think they can mail in games and still be able to win at a high rate. It would be the first time that happened in Celtics history. Just ask Bird about the 1985 season or KG about the last 50 games of the 2010 regular season.

They play soft, but if you're pointing this out, point it out for the right reasons, not for really dumb stuff.

And C4E when I say you I don't mean exactly you. I mean a collective of others that are saying this stuff.

[Celtics4ever]

And C4E when I say you I don't mean exactly you. I mean a collective of others that are saying this stuff.

I didn't take that it way at all, sir.

I played some after college and you simply can't treat grown men the way you do boys.   In college coaches can really screw over the players by revoking this or that.    So I get CBS  treating players the way he does, the days of Bobby Knight and PJ Carlismo screaming at the players are long gone.  You do that to a grown man and you may get punched.

I think the CBS is probably more frustrated than we are folks.  He does not have a ton of talent after the starters.  We've had injuries and no practice.  This has to be a frustrating year.

I think the players, CBS and Ainge all deserve some blame in all fairness.   Players don't always bring it every night and could do some soul searching about their roles and effort.  CBS has had some bad decisions so he is not without blame.  Ainge put together this roster and shares big part of the blame.   We're top heavy in talent and our bench is bad.     So plenty of blame to go around.

Do we fans have unrealistic expectations?