Lakers (34-8) at Celtics (27-14) Game #42 1/20/20

[Ogaju]

Kuzma’s hair is an atrocity.

I dunno, I have hair just like his........just not on my head.

TMI?

[gouki88]

Celtics win games one of two ways - either red-hot streaky shooting or they just out-work, out-hustle the other team. So, as we have seen many times, if we are not shooting well, we have no inside game to turn to and we have a good defense, but it requires lots of energy to be effective. no shooting and little effort = Loss. You get one or the other, I'd say 60% chance to win. Of course, those nights when we are playing with high energy and intense effort and shooting it well, we become a top 3 team in the league.

Tonite vs Lakers, we are playing with energy and grit and shooting a decent %, though not off the charts. Lakers out-shooting us, but effort is getting it done so far - Can we maintain this energy ?

Are you watching this game? Boston's inside game has been excellent. Kanter 18/8

Yep, I'm watching. Are you ? typical comment - Kanter has scored off offensive rebounds and in-close slip passes for little layups. That is not a post player making an offensive move and shot over a defender.

You can't be watching this game. Celtics are killing the Lakers on the boards, have more offensive rebounds and lead the Lakers in points in the paint. Boston's inside game has been outstanding.

His definition of an inside game are Duncan-esque post ups that have bigs pounding the ball under the basket every possession.

Which would be an ok strategy ... if we had a talent like Duncan

[ozgod]

Hayward might not score anymore like his Utah days, but we don't even need him too. He's being a playmaker and has a cool, crisp 14/5/5 so far. Also started our counterrun after we fell behind 10-0 to start the game.

And for all the flak he got about that miss last game, he still put up a nice 22/7/7.

He's a really great playmaker, and is definitely the most comfortable of our core 4 at taking a backseat.

This is the whole point about him in Boston. He initially came here and the plan was he would be the No2 scorer behind IT. But because IT got traded for Kyrie, then he got injured for a year and JT and JB emerged, when he came back the landscape was different. Brads clearly asked him to play a different role for the team in the last 2 years, to facilitate the team more, and to take a backseat to people getting paid less because they were emerging. He’s the most unselfish player on our team so he’ doesn’t jack up shots and he makes better reads than anyone else so he can add value even when he’s not scoring.

The problem is fans have very specific ideas on what a max player should be, and most of those ideas require the player to be scoring 25+. That’s not the role that Brad has for G on this team. As long as he’s active and involved and making the right decisions that other players are statistically benefiting from I’m ok with it.

[Scottiej23]

For once, Sir Charles was right on his pre-game prediction

Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day.

[tstorey_97]

Celtics win games one of two ways - either red-hot streaky shooting or they just out-work, out-hustle the other team. So, as we have seen many times, if we are not shooting well, we have no inside game to turn to and we have a good defense, but it requires lots of energy to be effective. no shooting and little effort = Loss. You get one or the other, I'd say 60% chance to win. Of course, those nights when we are playing with high energy and intense effort and shooting it well, we become a top 3 team in the league.

Tonite vs Lakers, we are playing with energy and grit and shooting a decent %, though not off the charts. Lakers out-shooting us, but effort is getting it done so far - Can we maintain this energy ?

Are you watching this game? Boston's inside game has been excellent. Kanter 18/8

Yep, I'm watching. Are you ? typical comment - Kanter has scored off offensive rebounds and in-close slip passes for little layups. That is not a post player making an offensive move and shot over a defender.

You can't be watching this game. Celtics are killing the Lakers on the boards, have more offensive rebounds and lead the Lakers in points in the paint. Boston's inside game has been outstanding.

Last time I checked the Celtics were 5th in the NBA for points in the paint. (before this last crummy stretch)

[Somebody]

Celtics win games one of two ways - either red-hot streaky shooting or they just out-work, out-hustle the other team. So, as we have seen many times, if we are not shooting well, we have no inside game to turn to and we have a good defense, but it requires lots of energy to be effective. no shooting and little effort = Loss. You get one or the other, I'd say 60% chance to win. Of course, those nights when we are playing with high energy and intense effort and shooting it well, we become a top 3 team in the league.

Tonite vs Lakers, we are playing with energy and grit and shooting a decent %, though not off the charts. Lakers out-shooting us, but effort is getting it done so far - Can we maintain this energy ?

Are you watching this game? Boston's inside game has been excellent. Kanter 18/8

Yep, I'm watching. Are you ? typical comment - Kanter has scored off offensive rebounds and in-close slip passes for little layups. That is not a post player making an offensive move and shot over a defender.

You can't be watching this game. Celtics are killing the Lakers on the boards, have more offensive rebounds and lead the Lakers in points in the paint. Boston's inside game has been outstanding.

His definition of an inside game are Duncan-esque post ups that have bigs pounding the ball under the basket every possession.

Which would be an ok strategy ... if we had a talent like Duncan

I'd rather have Garnett scaling up with the Jays, Kemba and Hayward with excellent outside shooting and GOAT level big man passing

[gouki88]

Hayward might not score anymore like his Utah days, but we don't even need him too. He's being a playmaker and has a cool, crisp 14/5/5 so far. Also started our counterrun after we fell behind 10-0 to start the game.

And for all the flak he got about that miss last game, he still put up a nice 22/7/7.

He's a really great playmaker, and is definitely the most comfortable of our core 4 at taking a backseat.

This is the whole point about him in Boston. He initially came here and the plan was he would be the No2 scorer behind IT. But because IT got traded for Kyrie, then he got injured for a year and JT and JB emerged, when he came back the landscape was different. Brads clearly asked him to play a different role for the team in the last 2 years, to facilitate the team more, and to take a backseat to people getting paid less because they were emerging. He’s the most unselfish player on our team so he’ doesn’t jack up shots and he makes better reads than anyone else so he can add value even when he’s not scoring.

The problem is fans have very specific ideas on what a max player should be, and most of those ideas require the player to be scoring 25+. That’s not the role that Brad has for G on this team. As long as he’s active and involved and making the right decisions that other players are statistically benefiting from I’m ok with it.

100% agree with that. TP.

[RPGenerate]

It's funny how people were treating the Lakers big men like they are the boogey man, yet Kanter thoroughly outplayed all three of them.

[tenn_smoothie]

Tatum looking like the Future is right Now!

Yes, he is. Problem being that he has these games and then comes out beating the rim up next time. Way too inconsistent at this point .................. hopefully that will improve. He and Jaylen need to get better at playing off each other and being compliments, like Bird and Max were starting out.

[gouki88]

Celtics win games one of two ways - either red-hot streaky shooting or they just out-work, out-hustle the other team. So, as we have seen many times, if we are not shooting well, we have no inside game to turn to and we have a good defense, but it requires lots of energy to be effective. no shooting and little effort = Loss. You get one or the other, I'd say 60% chance to win. Of course, those nights when we are playing with high energy and intense effort and shooting it well, we become a top 3 team in the league.

Tonite vs Lakers, we are playing with energy and grit and shooting a decent %, though not off the charts. Lakers out-shooting us, but effort is getting it done so far - Can we maintain this energy ?

Are you watching this game? Boston's inside game has been excellent. Kanter 18/8

Yep, I'm watching. Are you ? typical comment - Kanter has scored off offensive rebounds and in-close slip passes for little layups. That is not a post player making an offensive move and shot over a defender.

You can't be watching this game. Celtics are killing the Lakers on the boards, have more offensive rebounds and lead the Lakers in points in the paint. Boston's inside game has been outstanding.

His definition of an inside game are Duncan-esque post ups that have bigs pounding the ball under the basket every possession.

Which would be an ok strategy ... if we had a talent like Duncan

I'd rather have Garnett scaling up with the Jays, Kemba and Hayward with excellent outside shooting and GOAT level big man passing

I'd settle for any all-time 7 footer to be honest.

[BringToughnessBack]

Dwight Howard looks terrible.  Old, slow, just shoving people around trying to make up for his lack of quickness, instead getting 5 fouls in 17 minutes

So true, but Danny should have signed him so Embiid could score 70 vs us in the playoffs! He looks like stale toast tonight.

[Chief]

Hayward might not score anymore like his Utah days, but we don't even need him too. He's being a playmaker and has a cool, crisp 14/5/5 so far. Also started our counterrun after we fell behind 10-0 to start the game.

And for all the flak he got about that miss last game, he still put up a nice 22/7/7.

He's a really great playmaker, and is definitely the most comfortable of our core 4 at taking a backseat.

This is the whole point about him in Boston. He initially came here and the plan was he would be the No2 scorer behind IT. But because IT got traded for Kyrie, then he got injured for a year and JT and JB emerged, when he came back the landscape was different. Brads clearly asked him to play a different role for the team in the last 2 years, to facilitate the team more, and to take a backseat to people getting paid less because they were emerging. He’s the most unselfish player on our team so he’ doesn’t jack up shots and he makes better reads than anyone else so he can add value even when he’s not scoring.

The problem is fans have very specific ideas on what a max player should be, and most of those ideas require the player to be scoring 25+. That’s not the role that Brad has for G on this team. As long as he’s active and involved and making the right decisions that other players are statistically benefiting from I’m ok with it.

I need him to make wide open clutch shots in the 4th quarter. Besides that, I have no problem with him.

[slamtheking]

good TO.  when Jaylen starts with the Tatum-like shake and bake for a step back 3, time for a TO

Yet Tatum can spam those while ignoring every open teammate?

no, that's another personal issue that bugs me.

TP for not having double standards for the Jays.

oh god no. I'll call out anyone's bad habits.  the only way they'll improve is if I point them out here for them to read after the game. .  TP back at ya

[ozgod]

Celtics win games one of two ways - either red-hot streaky shooting or they just out-work, out-hustle the other team. So, as we have seen many times, if we are not shooting well, we have no inside game to turn to and we have a good defense, but it requires lots of energy to be effective. no shooting and little effort = Loss. You get one or the other, I'd say 60% chance to win. Of course, those nights when we are playing with high energy and intense effort and shooting it well, we become a top 3 team in the league.

Tonite vs Lakers, we are playing with energy and grit and shooting a decent %, though not off the charts. Lakers out-shooting us, but effort is getting it done so far - Can we maintain this energy ?

Are you watching this game? Boston's inside game has been excellent. Kanter 18/8

Yep, I'm watching. Are you ? typical comment - Kanter has scored off offensive rebounds and in-close slip passes for little layups. That is not a post player making an offensive move and shot over a defender.

You can't be watching this game. Celtics are killing the Lakers on the boards, have more offensive rebounds and lead the Lakers in points in the paint. Boston's inside game has been outstanding.

His definition of an inside game are Duncan-esque post ups that have bigs pounding the ball under the basket every possession.

Which would be an ok strategy ... if we had a talent like Duncan

According to analytics that the Ringer posted, the post up is actually the lowest value shot that an NBA player can make these days. Unless of yourself you’re Duncan or Shaq.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/12/2/20991249/post-up-dead-nba-brooklyn-nets-joel-embiid

[jpotter33]

I wonder if they'd let us take free throws from the three point line? Goodness, hit your free throws, guys.