Jazz (39-22) at Celtics (42-19) Game #62 3/6/20

[RockinRyA]

This team is going nowhere if they can’t stay healthy... huge drop off between 1-6 and everyone else. Semi is improving, other players on the bench can make plays, but you can’t rely on them for stretches. The NBA is wide open I for the life of me still can’t figure out how DA decided to just let the deadline and buyout market pass him by this year...

I know people have been saying this to these sorts of statements around here for a while, but I'll just repeat it:

Who should he have gotten, and what should he have given up to get them?

I wouldve dropped Green and gotten somebody with experience from the buyout. Its not easy due to competition, but I am guessing we couldve had some of these guys if we had an offer.

Im guessing Ainge is reluctant to part ways with someone because 1) it might not be a difference 2) might mess up chemistry and 3) we might not get our target and end up costing a body.

[liam]

This team is going nowhere if they can’t stay healthy... huge drop off between 1-6 and everyone else. Semi is improving, other players on the bench can make plays, but you can’t rely on them for stretches. The NBA is wide open I for the life of me still can’t figure out how DA decided to just let the deadline and buyout market pass him by this year...

I know people have been saying this to these sorts of statements around here for a while, but I'll just repeat it:

Who should he have gotten, and what should he have given up to get them?

I wouldve dropped Green and gotten somebody with experience from the buyout. Its not easy due to competition, but I am guessing we couldve had some of these guys if we had an offer.

Im guessing Ainge is reluctant to part ways with someone because 1) it might not be a difference 2) might mess up chemistry and 3) we might not get our target and end up costing a body.

VP is also basically dead weight and never plays. That's two spots right there.

[RJD1974]

This team is going nowhere if they can’t stay healthy... huge drop off between 1-6 and everyone else. Semi is improving, other players on the bench can make plays, but you can’t rely on them for stretches. The NBA is wide open I for the life of me still can’t figure out how DA decided to just let the deadline and buyout market pass him by this year...

I know people have been saying this to these sorts of statements around here for a while, but I'll just repeat it:

Who should he have gotten, and what should he have given up to get them?

I wouldve dropped Green and gotten somebody with experience from the buyout. Its not easy due to competition, but I am guessing we couldve had some of these guys if we had an offer.

Im guessing Ainge is reluctant to part ways with someone because 1) it might not be a difference 2) might mess up chemistry and 3) we might not get our target and end up costing a body.

That's fair - however, we don't know for certain that they weren't active, or simply struck out. There were more than a few whispers that they were interested in Marvin Williams, but he ended up signing with the Bucks. If their targets decided to go elsewhere, then I don't blame them for standing pat instead of signing someone just to sign them.

[slamtheking]

What bothers me the most is how the bench looks no better than the first game of the season. Guys like Kanter are basically bodies on the floor right now.

I think individually they look better except for Kanter who seems to have completely lost his touch around the basket and is now unable to sniff an offensive rebound.
-GWill is definitely better than in his first game.
-Wanamaker's better (remember, he's supposed to be our 3rd stringer)
-Langford's actually healthy and able to contribute on D at least.
-Semi is better on D and his shot is falling lately
-Smart has tailed off a bit the past few games -- head's just not in the game.
-Timelord is finally healthy enough to get some minutes.

What's gone wrong is the starters can't stay healthy so we can't keep 2 of our 4 best players on the court with the bench players at all times.

[Scottiej23]

This team is going nowhere if they can’t stay healthy... huge drop off between 1-6 and everyone else. Semi is improving, other players on the bench can make plays, but you can’t rely on them for stretches. The NBA is wide open I for the life of me still can’t figure out how DA decided to just let the deadline and buyout market pass him by this year...

I know people have been saying this to these sorts of statements around here for a while, but I'll just repeat it:

Who should he have gotten, and what should he have given up to get them?

I wouldve dropped Green and gotten somebody with experience from the buyout. Its not easy due to competition, but I am guessing we couldve had some of these guys if we had an offer.

Im guessing Ainge is reluctant to part ways with someone because 1) it might not be a difference 2) might mess up chemistry and 3) we might not get our target and end up costing a body.

VP is also basically dead weight and never plays. That's two spots right there.

But with the spots and the $$'s that free up, there was nobody out there that realistically would've moved the needle. We were nothing more than an outside shot to win it all this year, so why not roll with the roster we have, see which end of the rotation guys show enough to keep on, then address it in the off season.

Pretty sure nobody expected us to be 42-19, and definitely sure nobody expected it if you saw the injuries we have had.

[RockinRyA]

This team is going nowhere if they can’t stay healthy... huge drop off between 1-6 and everyone else. Semi is improving, other players on the bench can make plays, but you can’t rely on them for stretches. The NBA is wide open I for the life of me still can’t figure out how DA decided to just let the deadline and buyout market pass him by this year...

I know people have been saying this to these sorts of statements around here for a while, but I'll just repeat it:

Who should he have gotten, and what should he have given up to get them?

I wouldve dropped Green and gotten somebody with experience from the buyout. Its not easy due to competition, but I am guessing we couldve had some of these guys if we had an offer.

Im guessing Ainge is reluctant to part ways with someone because 1) it might not be a difference 2) might mess up chemistry and 3) we might not get our target and end up costing a body.

VP is also basically dead weight and never plays. That's two spots right there.

VP is guaranteed money next season so Im guessing that's not an option or else we wouldve dropped him weeks ago.

[CelticSooner]

What bothers me the most is how the bench looks no better than the first game of the season. Guys like Kanter are basically bodies on the floor right now.

I think individually they look better except for Kanter who seems to have completely lost his touch around the basket and is now unable to sniff an offensive rebound.
-GWill is definitely better than in his first game.
-Wanamaker's better (remember, he's supposed to be our 3rd stringer)
-Langford's actually healthy and able to contribute on D at least.
-Semi is better on D and his shot is falling lately
-Smart has tailed off a bit the past few games -- head's just not in the game.
-Timelord is finally healthy enough to get some minutes.

What's gone wrong is the starters can't stay healthy so we can't keep 2 of our 4 best players on the court with the bench players at all times.

How many of those guys can you count on to give if 10+ points in the playoffs if needed? Please don’t say Semi either.

[liam]

Conely was out  of bounds!!!!!

[slamtheking]

good pass by Kemba

[GreenFaith1819]

There you go C's

[SCeltic34]

Nice mini run.  The big concern obviously is what will happen when our bench players come in.

[Atzar]

Good little sequence here.

Keep playing hard.

[jpotter33]

Keep up the intensity, guys!

[liam]

Nice mini run.  The big concern obviously is what will happen when our bench players come in.

It's a scary thought.

[slamtheking]

What bothers me the most is how the bench looks no better than the first game of the season. Guys like Kanter are basically bodies on the floor right now.

I think individually they look better except for Kanter who seems to have completely lost his touch around the basket and is now unable to sniff an offensive rebound.
-GWill is definitely better than in his first game.
-Wanamaker's better (remember, he's supposed to be our 3rd stringer)
-Langford's actually healthy and able to contribute on D at least.
-Semi is better on D and his shot is falling lately
-Smart has tailed off a bit the past few games -- head's just not in the game.
-Timelord is finally healthy enough to get some minutes.

What's gone wrong is the starters can't stay healthy so we can't keep 2 of our 4 best players on the court with the bench players at all times.

How many of those guys can you count on to give if 10+ points in the playoffs if needed? Please don’t say Semi either.

I'm not saying any would.  My point is that while I agree our bench is not the best, I don't agree that they're worse than they were at the start of the season.   I don't see this as the title season so going all in to improve the bench would have cost one of our top 6 players and that defeats the purpose of adding to that core to push the team to contention.   

However, if we have a healthy team, Smart and Kanter should be able to provide 10 points each off the bench.