Celtics (29-26) at Lakers (34-21) Game #56 4/15/21

[Ogaju]

We all know Celtics got the worst bench in NBA, so the starters got to play extra minutes which will be their downfall in playoffs..it’s ashamed..but hope Fournier comes back

I don't think a bench of Fournier/Smart, Pritchard, Thompson and Langford is a bad playoff bench

I’ll throw Grant Williams in there also. The problem is really players 10-17. That’s a bunch of G leagues. Bring back IT please.

Doesn't help we traded a starter for two 3rd stringers for absolutely no reason (we would be under the tax regardless of that trade). Luckily we've been playing well w/o Theis, but he's clearly better than the Kornet/Wagner duo.

Kornet>Theis

[Surferdad]

We all know Celtics got the worst bench in NBA, so the starters got to play extra minutes which will be their downfall in playoffs..it’s ashamed..but hope Fournier comes back

I don't think a bench of Fournier/Smart, Pritchard, Thompson and Langford is a bad playoff bench

I’ll throw Grant Williams in there also. The problem is really players 10-17. That’s a bunch of G leagues. Bring back IT please.

Sorry, but players 10-17 are completely irrelevant.  It's the top-8 that matter the most in the playoffs.  IMO, top-8 ALL need to be NBA starter-level talent.  When Fournier and RWIII come back, the first 3 off the bench will be Fournier, Pritchard and Thompson.  That's not good enough.

That's assuming no injuries, too.

Yes -- when you have 2 of the top 5 players in the league like the Lakers or 3 top 10 (KI is close if not top 10) like the Nets, it's less of a concern to have injuries to supporting cast.  And is there any reason to believe that the C's will have a healthy 8/9-man rotation throughout the playoffs? So digging deep into the bench will be necessary at some point.

BTW - Fournier is starter level, the Thompson of late is borderline, and Pritchard -- not yet.  These 3 aren't a championship 6-8, but aren't a disaster either.  Wish Danny could have pulled off another good rotation guy at the deadline.

I think you’re leaving out Langford and GWill.

Langford hasn’t been a scorer, but he plays starter-level defense on wings. I don’t know what his peak is on offense this year, but I think if teams just ignore him he will get a few buckets.

G Will’s role is backup power forward. Play him next to Thompson and you have an effective backup frontcourt. Per Jared Weiss: “Over his last 12 games, the Celtics have outscored teams by 15.8 points per 100 possessions with Williams on the court, thanks largely to all the stops they have picked up during his minutes.” People seem to remember his bonehead plays and limits and forget the good plays, which lately outweigh the bad.

Both of these guys have limits, but in the right situation they’re really useful - let us play to matchups. GWill can’t stop Bam or Giannis, nobody does, but he’s a pretty good option to slow those guys down for 10 minutes a game or so.

Well, I'm not sure about that.  I can't see GWill or Langford starting on any team in the NBA, and that's what you need for 6 through 8.

A premature assessment about Romeo at 21 with only 37 games played.

I wasn't assessing Langford's potential.  I was assessing where he is right now.  Do you think Brad will trust him in the playoffs?

[Surferdad]

We all know Celtics got the worst bench in NBA, so the starters got to play extra minutes which will be their downfall in playoffs..it’s ashamed..but hope Fournier comes back

I don't think a bench of Fournier/Smart, Pritchard, Thompson and Langford is a bad playoff bench

I’ll throw Grant Williams in there also. The problem is really players 10-17. That’s a bunch of G leagues. Bring back IT please.

Sorry, but players 10-17 are completely irrelevant.  It's the top-8 that matter the most in the playoffs.  IMO, top-8 ALL need to be NBA starter-level talent.  When Fournier and RWIII come back, the first 3 off the bench will be Fournier, Pritchard and Thompson.  That's not good enough.

That's assuming no injuries, too.

Yes -- when you have 2 of the top 5 players in the league like the Lakers or 3 top 10 (KI is close if not top 10) like the Nets, it's less of a concern to have injuries to supporting cast.  And is there any reason to believe that the C's will have a healthy 8/9-man rotation throughout the playoffs? So digging deep into the bench will be necessary at some point.

BTW - Fournier is starter level, the Thompson of late is borderline, and Pritchard -- not yet.  These 3 aren't a championship 6-8, but aren't a disaster either.  Wish Danny could have pulled off another good rotation guy at the deadline.

I think you’re leaving out Langford and GWill.

Langford hasn’t been a scorer, but he plays starter-level defense on wings. I don’t know what his peak is on offense this year, but I think if teams just ignore him he will get a few buckets.

G Will’s role is backup power forward. Play him next to Thompson and you have an effective backup frontcourt. Per Jared Weiss: “Over his last 12 games, the Celtics have outscored teams by 15.8 points per 100 possessions with Williams on the court, thanks largely to all the stops they have picked up during his minutes.” People seem to remember his bonehead plays and limits and forget the good plays, which lately outweigh the bad.

Both of these guys have limits, but in the right situation they’re really useful - let us play to matchups. GWill can’t stop Bam or Giannis, nobody does, but he’s a pretty good option to slow those guys down for 10 minutes a game or so.

Well, I'm not sure about that.  I can't see GWill or Langford starting on any team in the NBA, and that's what you need for 6 through 8.

I disagree. Langford is not that far away from being a starter on THIS team. It's going to be hard for him to get offensive reps when he's typically on the court with Tatum and Brown.

Yeah, right.      

[nickagneta]

We all know Celtics got the worst bench in NBA, so the starters got to play extra minutes which will be their downfall in playoffs..it’s ashamed..but hope Fournier comes back

I don't think a bench of Fournier/Smart, Pritchard, Thompson and Langford is a bad playoff bench

I’ll throw Grant Williams in there also. The problem is really players 10-17. That’s a bunch of G leagues. Bring back IT please.

Sorry, but players 10-17 are completely irrelevant.  It's the top-8 that matter the most in the playoffs.  IMO, top-8 ALL need to be NBA starter-level talent.  When Fournier and RWIII come back, the first 3 off the bench will be Fournier, Pritchard and Thompson.  That's not good enough.

That's assuming no injuries, too.

Yes -- when you have 2 of the top 5 players in the league like the Lakers or 3 top 10 (KI is close if not top 10) like the Nets, it's less of a concern to have injuries to supporting cast.  And is there any reason to believe that the C's will have a healthy 8/9-man rotation throughout the playoffs? So digging deep into the bench will be necessary at some point.

BTW - Fournier is starter level, the Thompson of late is borderline, and Pritchard -- not yet.  These 3 aren't a championship 6-8, but aren't a disaster either.  Wish Danny could have pulled off another good rotation guy at the deadline.

I think you’re leaving out Langford and GWill.

Langford hasn’t been a scorer, but he plays starter-level defense on wings. I don’t know what his peak is on offense this year, but I think if teams just ignore him he will get a few buckets.

G Will’s role is backup power forward. Play him next to Thompson and you have an effective backup frontcourt. Per Jared Weiss: “Over his last 12 games, the Celtics have outscored teams by 15.8 points per 100 possessions with Williams on the court, thanks largely to all the stops they have picked up during his minutes.” People seem to remember his bonehead plays and limits and forget the good plays, which lately outweigh the bad.

Both of these guys have limits, but in the right situation they’re really useful - let us play to matchups. GWill can’t stop Bam or Giannis, nobody does, but he’s a pretty good option to slow those guys down for 10 minutes a game or so.

Well, I'm not sure about that.  I can't see GWill or Langford starting on any team in the NBA, and that's what you need for 6 through 8.

A premature assessment about Romeo at 21 with only 37 games played.

I wasn't assessing Langford's potential.  I was assessing where he is right now.  Do you think Brad will trust him in the playoffs?

He did last year.

[hwangjini_1]

We all know Celtics got the worst bench in NBA, so the starters got to play extra minutes which will be their downfall in playoffs..it’s ashamed..but hope Fournier comes back

I don't think a bench of Fournier/Smart, Pritchard, Thompson and Langford is a bad playoff bench

I’ll throw Grant Williams in there also. The problem is really players 10-17. That’s a bunch of G leagues. Bring back IT please.

as opposed to most other nba teams, whose 10-17 players include a number of solid nba-level players?

so in the playoffs you expect the celtics' weak 10-17 positions to be exposed by the 10-17 players of other teams and knock them out of contention?

honestly, i don't see the worry and concern here. Had CBS kept pritchard and langford in the game (which would have helped their playing time and development) the collapse would not have happened and no one would be wailing, gnawing teeth, and rending their garments over the tail end of the celtic bench.

please get a grip folks.

[Silas]

We all know Celtics got the worst bench in NBA, so the starters got to play extra minutes which will be their downfall in playoffs..it’s ashamed..but hope Fournier comes back

I don't think a bench of Fournier/Smart, Pritchard, Thompson and Langford is a bad playoff bench

I’ll throw Grant Williams in there also. The problem is really players 10-17. That’s a bunch of G leagues. Bring back IT please.

Sorry, but players 10-17 are completely irrelevant.  It's the top-8 that matter the most in the playoffs.  IMO, top-8 ALL need to be NBA starter-level talent.  When Fournier and RWIII come back, the first 3 off the bench will be Fournier, Pritchard and Thompson.  That's not good enough.

That's assuming no injuries, too.

Yes -- when you have 2 of the top 5 players in the league like the Lakers or 3 top 10 (KI is close if not top 10) like the Nets, it's less of a concern to have injuries to supporting cast.  And is there any reason to believe that the C's will have a healthy 8/9-man rotation throughout the playoffs? So digging deep into the bench will be necessary at some point.

BTW - Fournier is starter level, the Thompson of late is borderline, and Pritchard -- not yet.  These 3 aren't a championship 6-8, but aren't a disaster either.  Wish Danny could have pulled off another good rotation guy at the deadline.

I think you’re leaving out Langford and GWill.

Langford hasn’t been a scorer, but he plays starter-level defense on wings. I don’t know what his peak is on offense this year, but I think if teams just ignore him he will get a few buckets.

G Will’s role is backup power forward. Play him next to Thompson and you have an effective backup frontcourt. Per Jared Weiss: “Over his last 12 games, the Celtics have outscored teams by 15.8 points per 100 possessions with Williams on the court, thanks largely to all the stops they have picked up during his minutes.” People seem to remember his bonehead plays and limits and forget the good plays, which lately outweigh the bad.

Both of these guys have limits, but in the right situation they’re really useful - let us play to matchups. GWill can’t stop Bam or Giannis, nobody does, but he’s a pretty good option to slow those guys down for 10 minutes a game or so.

Well, I'm not sure about that.  I can't see GWill or Langford starting on any team in the NBA, and that's what you need for 6 through 8.

A premature assessment about Romeo at 21 with only 37 games played.

I wasn't assessing Langford's potential.  I was assessing where he is right now.  Do you think Brad will trust him in the playoffs?

Yes I do, like he did last year. 

[SparzWizard]

Tatum didn't have a flashy night unlike Brown, but imagine these two put up 30+ together.

The East better start taking notice on the C's again.

[Phantom255x]

Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference since the Trade Deadline. And that's with Fournier not having played much either.

They are certainly still flawed and inconsistent, but it does feel they've found a bit of a groove and really if they can stay healthy, I still think they could be a legit threat in the East (not picking them over PHI/BKN still, but they could at least show some fight in a series). I think some things also depend on how healthy certain teams are come playoff time.

[liam]

Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference since the Trade Deadline. And that's with Fournier not having played much either.

They are certainly still flawed and inconsistent, but it does feel they've found a bit of a groove and really if they can stay healthy, I still think they could be a legit threat in the East (not picking them over PHI/BKN still, but they could at least show some fight in a series). I think some things also depend on how healthy certain teams are come playoff time.

This Celtics team went to the East finals 3 of 4 years. What has this Philly team or The Nets done? I still like The Celtics if fully heathy over either team. Maybe it's just my green glasses...

[Silas]

Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference since the Trade Deadline. And that's with Fournier not having played much either.

They are certainly still flawed and inconsistent, but it does feel they've found a bit of a groove and really if they can stay healthy, I still think they could be a legit threat in the East (not picking them over PHI/BKN still, but they could at least show some fight in a series). I think some things also depend on how healthy certain teams are come playoff time.

This Celtics team went to the East finals 3 of 4 years. What has this Philly team or The Nets done? I still like The Celtics if fully heathy over either team. Maybe it's just my green glasses...

I agree.  I’m tired of the negativity on this forum.  If healthy we’ll be good competition for Brooklyn.  I like what these guys are doing.  BTW, same with the Red Sox!

[nickagneta]

Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference since the Trade Deadline. And that's with Fournier not having played much either.

They are certainly still flawed and inconsistent, but it does feel they've found a bit of a groove and really if they can stay healthy, I still think they could be a legit threat in the East (not picking them over PHI/BKN still, but they could at least show some fight in a series). I think some things also depend on how healthy certain teams are come playoff time.

This Celtics team went to the East finals 3 of 4 years. What has this Philly team or The Nets done? I still like The Celtics if fully heathy over either team. Maybe it's just my green glasses...

I agree.  I’m tired of the negativity on this forum.  If healthy we’ll be good competition for Brooklyn.  I like what these guys are doing.  BTW, same with the Red Sox!

Agree. TP.

If this team is playing their best and getting major offense from all of JB, JT, Kemba and Fournier, there is more than a good chance the Celtics can beat anyone in the league in a 7 game series.

[Silas]

Yes indeed!

[Redz]

I had DVR'd the game and started watching at about 11:30.  I started falling asleep in the first, bit mostly was aware of what was happening in the first half.  I started fast forwarding through the halftime show and dozed off.  I woke up with it zipping through the 3rd and into the fourth with the Celts up 20-something.  I figured I'd just keep zipping through and watch the score change until it was over, so I could just go to bed.  I turned it back on a little bit before Brad pulled the started out of the mothballs.   I did make it to the end to see JB stop the bleeding.

 Weird game, and weird way to watch it!

[hwangjini_1]

I had DVR'd the game and started watching at about 11:30.  I started falling asleep in the first, bit mostly was aware of what was happening in the first half.  I started fast forwarding through the halftime show and dozed off.  I woke up with it zipping through the 3rd and into the fourth with the Celts up 20-something.  I figured I'd just keep zipping through and watch the score change until it was over, so I could just go to bed.  I turned it back on a little bit before Brad pulled the started out of the mothballs.   I did make it to the end to see JB stop the bleeding.

 Weird game, and weird way to watch it!

wrote the esteemed poster with the ultra-weird avatar. 

[nickagneta]

I had DVR'd the game and started watching at about 11:30.  I started falling asleep in the first, bit mostly was aware of what was happening in the first half.  I started fast forwarding through the halftime show and dozed off.  I woke up with it zipping through the 3rd and into the fourth with the Celts up 20-something.  I figured I'd just keep zipping through and watch the score change until it was over, so I could just go to bed.  I turned it back on a little bit before Brad pulled the started out of the mothballs.   I did make it to the end to see JB stop the bleeding.

 Weird game, and weird way to watch it!

wrote the esteemed poster with the ultra-weird avatar. 

You think that's weird? Do you remember Redz original name? That was weird!