I have a hard time liking this team

[GreenWarrior]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

[ChillyWilly]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

I'm just as annoyed at you over this recent stretch but I'm fairly certain not much practice is happening these days. I'm giving the early season a mulligan due to covid-19 and strange season.

Question is when does early season end.

[Tr1boy]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

Lack of poise

[GreenWarrior]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

I'm just as annoyed at you over this recent stretch but I'm fairly certain not much practice is happening these days. I'm giving the early season a mulligan due to covid-19 and strange season.

Question is when does early season end.

Yeah some teams are winning and look fine.

This team, these players constantly seem to need to be reminded to play defense. Then they'll go through stretches we're they'll play D and they start the chucking which leads to bad offensive possessions and we need to be reminded to pass the ball, or move without the ball or the dreaded "go to the basket".

I don't know, I just don't know if it's the players or the coach that has encouraged bad habits.

I can't believe someone actually needs to have a list of these things repeatedly told to them, these guys should know this by now.

[Tr1boy]

Tatum will make a difference

But it is still not a poise/confident team

Prior to Kemba return and prior to covid infections. Team was playing with high level confidence

[GreenWarrior]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

Lack of poise

I believe they lack poise because this team is notorious for not playing D when they're jump shots aren't falling. I also believe if you rely on jump shots in basketball you are heading for inconsistency.

They don't fall esp. if they're bad shots.

[ozgod]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

It's because we're losing. Winning cures many ills.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

Lack of poise

I agree. One of their biggest problems in the Miami series was that they routinely fell to pieces in the last 5-6 minutes of the game. Tonight, they had a bad third but rebounded from that pretty well until about 4 minutes left, then the wheels came off.

[Uncle_Stingfinger]

Its really early off a short offseason where some of the young guys didnt really have a chance to work on their games.   Grant in particular is really overthinking.

[GreenWarrior]

We play stupid basketball on offense. And defense seems to just be something they talk about.

It's like we don't have a coach. The philosophy on offense is losing basketball and the thing he's supposed to known for is defense and this team doesn't even look like they practice defense.

Lack of poise

I agree. One of their biggest problems in the Miami series was that they routinely fell to pieces in the last 5-6 minutes of the game. Tonight, they had a bad third but rebounded from that pretty well until about 4 minutes left, then the wheels came off.

Ok. But where do you get poise from? I'll tell you cuz I'm sick of beating around the bush with this team. Consistency, and you don't get consistency without a belief in what you're doing.

[Birdman]

 When bench players comes in, I turn it off..worst I ever saw

[BringToughnessBack]

We have yet to play one game fully healthy this year. Right now it appears with Tatum, our best player out, we cannot beat good teams and I would expect that. When Embiid does not play or Butler or Lebron, those teams are also very beatable vs good teams.

Goal should be full health going into playoffs since home court will not matter much. Other goal is to keep eyes peeled for opportunity to use TPE.

[GreenWarrior]

We have yet to play one game fully healthy this year. Right now it appears with Tatum, our best player out, we cannot beat good teams and I would expect that. When Embiid does not play or Butler or Lebron, those teams are also very beatable vs good teams.

Goal should be full health going into playoffs since home court will not matter much. Other goal is to keep eyes peeled for opportunity to use TPE.

Umm if we're a team that's just waiting for health? We might be waiting a while.

Yes we are short handed but we lose games the same way when we are "healthy". It's the only thing this team does consistently.

[Hoopvortex]

I love this team, and I don't mind risking ridicule to say so. I love the players and I love the coaches.

I'm not a fair-weather fan, and I've been through enough NBA seasons to know that it's a marathon, not a sprint. In the next couple of weeks I look for signs of the old Celtics spirit, the fight, the team-first personal sacrifice and extra effort.

Criticisms of the team defense are justified - but the personnel changes can't account for it.

Toronto was awful early in the year; you couldn't say that they've exactly righted the ship, but one thing that they have done is to restore the discipline and connectedness of their team defense. That's where it starts, and it has made a difference in their W/L record.

Yes, having all the main scorers back will help. As Kemba eases back in, the team will get more paint touches, and not having to rely on one or two guys to score a lot of points will mean everyone can work harder on defense.

But there's just no substitute for the sheer work and focus it takes to stay on a string and play physical team defense. At bottom, it's a character question and a leadership question. The talent is there. These men have the character - I've seen enough to be confident of that.

It's Saturday. Per BRef, Boston is 21st in team defense: 111.5 points per 100 possessions. Per ESPN/Hollinger, 22nd/109.1, if you prefer; the result is essentially the same. That's the key statistic. Where will they be next Saturday, and the Saturday after that?

It's a marathon, not a sprint. I'm looking at the thread titles on this forum right now, and frankly it's amusing. Pardon me, Chicken Little, but the sky is not falling.

[BringToughnessBack]

We have yet to play one game fully healthy this year. Right now it appears with Tatum, our best player out, we cannot beat good teams and I would expect that. When Embiid does not play or Butler or Lebron, those teams are also very beatable vs good teams.

Goal should be full health going into playoffs since home court will not matter much. Other goal is to keep eyes peeled for opportunity to use TPE.

Umm if we're a team that's just waiting for health? We might be waiting a while.

Yes we are short handed but we lose games the same way when we are "healthy". It's the only thing this team does consistently.

We have not been fully healthy though this year. Hard to compare it right now until we see what this team can do full strength. Kemba still needs to work himself back into shape and TAtum needs to come back too.