Maybe the C's just need to be healthy?

[Sophomore]

I really don't think health is the reason for this team's problems.   I'm sure it doesn't help, by any means, but I don't think it's to blame. 

1. Lots of NBA teams have had guys in and out all over the place these past few years, so I don't like using it as an excuse. 

2. I don't think health explains the WAY the team loses.  Getting blown out by bottom tier lottery teams.  Getting stuck in 20 point holes and then trying to desperately go on runs to dig themselves out.  Picking up 20 point leads and then getting blown out in the second half.  Constant hero/ ISO ball and apparent lack of trust in teammates.  These seem like effort and/or attitude problems, not "lack of available talent" problems. 

3. I've seen some Celtics teams that lacked outright talent, but played really hard and always tried their best.  Those teams had bad win records, but the games were always full of energy, and guys looked like they enjoyed being there.  That's not what I'm seeing this past year or two.  These guys half the time look like they don't care, and they are borderline miserable.

I watch most of the games, and I see guys who seem really really engaged in the games - cheering for each other, jumping off the bench. Tatum when he dunks screams half the time. I honestly don’t know what you’re watching.

[Vermont Green]

We’ve had our top 8 available for 6 games in a row now, by far the longest stretch of the season.  We’re 5-1 in that stretch.  Some of the competition hasn’t been the stiffest, it’s true, but we’ve also had our three largest wins (by point differential) in this period.  Maybe the C’s just needed to be healthy.

I had not seen this thread earlier but I had been saying similar things in other threads.  The Celtics have not had their top 5-man unit on the court all that much relative to other top teams.  This is really the first stretch.  I think that is a big issue impacting their inconsistent play and lack of execution.  This is in the context of a new coach, a team trying to learn new schemes.

The other thing that is happening (or maybe a better way to say it is that overall health is allowing to happen) is the rotations are being tightened up.  Some don't like this, want to develop the younger players or whatever.  I think it is the right thing to do.  At this point in the season, the priority has to be to get the core line up in sync.

I would say that the team still has a ways to go in terms of fully digesting the new coaching.  Things have been way better in the recent games but to me, we have still been playing like a second tier team (6-8 seed) not like a top team.  I feel that as long as Horford stays healthy, we can stay decent.  It is not that Horford is our best player, it is that his replacement is so bad.  Our big rotation (Horford, RWill, GWill) is still probably not good enough to take us very far but good to see the team playing better.

[wdleehi]

I think health is one of the things that is help the team right now.   


Another is adjustments to the rotation.   Less minutes of Smart and Schroder together.   


Role players really sinking into their roles.   (Smart looking to set the teams offense, not fill in for shooters.   Rob Williams being a defensive force. )

[Moranis]

Schedule has been easier.  Team wins more. 

[boscel33]

Some on here have been saying this for years, we just need to be healthy.  I think this is a top three eastern conference team if completely healthy.

[#1P4P]

I didn’t notice this thread before posting mine about this topic.

There’s plenty of data to suggest that this team is better than its record. The 2nd best 5-player lineup, 3 4-player lineups in the top 10, and the best 3-player lineup (Brown-Tatum-Williams III), according to NETRTG. The starting lineup is 4th in EFG% and TS%!

All signs point to keeping and playing the starting rotation together often. When you have an elite lineup with an elite point differential and they’re only 3 games over .500, it suggests that the major issues lie in its rotations, bench, and coaching. Health, of course, is key in all of this.

[slamtheking]

Some on here have been saying this for years, we just need to be healthy.  I think this is a top three eastern conference team if completely healthy.

I don't know if I'd go top 3 particularly with our lack of scoring but I think with good health compared to everyone else, we could be in that next tier under Milwaukee and Brooklyn.  Good team with some weaknesses.