Harbingers from the first preseason game

[Hoopvortex]

Interesting quick lineup in the latter part of the first quarter:

Schroeder/Smart/Richardson/Brown/Horford

don't be surprised if that lineup (or tatum in for brown) gets a lot of play, particularly against Brooklyn.  being able to trot out 3 guys that don't have a defensive weakness against the likes of Harden, Kyrie and Harris will be a issue for Brooklyn.

That lineup had the play of the game, if you ask me, at 3:56 of the 1st. 

Off of a missed shot, Brown (who’s the 4 in this group) gets the tipout which winds up in Schroeder’s hands after some batting around. He looks like he’s going to fling it hard but doesn’t, somehow pulls in the pass, then throws a high-degree-of-difficulty lob over the lane in a perfect arc to Jaylen for the layin. How did he even DO that?

I cannot do it justice. It was truly special.

The guy has skills, but more than that he’s got guts, swagger, boldness.

[makaveli]

I cannot help but to feel disappointed after our first game, coaching wise.

I thought we were done with the whole switch everything routine, which was clearly the most obvious problem of our team, and Ime went on and put that stupidity on steroids.

We have exceptional defensive players on our team, especially one-on-one, why are we making this conscious decision to shoot ourselves in the foot.

You just cannot win with this strategy or lack of strategy, because it is the most lazy plan to defend a team.

So we will just end up with Durrant or Giannis picking us apart after being switched on by our undersized guard. Great plan.

Please stop the switches and play actual defense!!!!!

[footey]

I cannot help but to feel disappointed after our first game, coaching wise.

I thought we were done with the whole switch everything routine, which was clearly the most obvious problem of our team, and Ime went on and put that stupidity on steroids.

We have exceptional defensive players on our team, especially one-on-one, why are we making this conscious decision to shoot ourselves in the foot.

You just cannot win with this strategy or lack of strategy, because it is the most lazy plan to defend a team.

So we will just end up with Durrant or Giannis picking us apart after being switched on by our undersized guard. Great plan.

Please stop the switches and play actual defense!!!!!

I think this can be mitigated, but we actually have the personnel to pull it off except when Kanter is in the game. This did not bother me so much.

[Vermont Green]

I cannot help but to feel disappointed after our first game, coaching wise.

I thought we were done with the whole switch everything routine, which was clearly the most obvious problem of our team, and Ime went on and put that stupidity on steroids.

We have exceptional defensive players on our team, especially one-on-one, why are we making this conscious decision to shoot ourselves in the foot.

You just cannot win with this strategy or lack of strategy, because it is the most lazy plan to defend a team.

So we will just end up with Durrant or Giannis picking us apart after being switched on by our undersized guard. Great plan.

Please stop the switches and play actual defense!!!!!

Sounds like Ime addressed this question...

Jay King: Ime Udoka said switching is “the major scheme” the Celtics have put in during training camp. It will be one of their schemes moving forward, but he said they “over emphasized” it during the preseason opener.

Sounds like they "over emphasized" it in the preseason game.  It looked to me that they were switching a little differently.  That they went into an almost zone like posture as the pick was a approaching and then collapsed right back into man after the switch was completed.  I think this was designed to protect better against the after-pick roll or the pop.

We are not the only team that does this but I agree, at times it seems we concede the switch too easily.  The other team then has the match up they want and they go to work, forcing us to double or whatever.  As I said, all the teams do this though.

[makaveli]

I cannot help but to feel disappointed after our first game, coaching wise.

I thought we were done with the whole switch everything routine, which was clearly the most obvious problem of our team, and Ime went on and put that stupidity on steroids.

We have exceptional defensive players on our team, especially one-on-one, why are we making this conscious decision to shoot ourselves in the foot.

You just cannot win with this strategy or lack of strategy, because it is the most lazy plan to defend a team.

So we will just end up with Durrant or Giannis picking us apart after being switched on by our undersized guard. Great plan.

Please stop the switches and play actual defense!!!!!

Sounds like Ime addressed this question...

Jay King: Ime Udoka said switching is “the major scheme” the Celtics have put in during training camp. It will be one of their schemes moving forward, but he said they “over emphasized” it during the preseason opener.

Sounds like they "over emphasized" it in the preseason game.  It looked to me that they were switching a little differently.  That they went into an almost zone like posture as the pick was a approaching and then collapsed right back into man after the switch was completed.  I think this was designed to protect better against the after-pick roll or the pop.

We are not the only team that does this but I agree, at times it seems we concede the switch too easily.  The other team then has the match up they want and they go to work, forcing us to double or whatever.  As I said, all the teams do this though.

Not the ones that want to win a chip…

[gouki88]

I cannot help but to feel disappointed after our first game, coaching wise.

I thought we were done with the whole switch everything routine, which was clearly the most obvious problem of our team, and Ime went on and put that stupidity on steroids.

We have exceptional defensive players on our team, especially one-on-one, why are we making this conscious decision to shoot ourselves in the foot.

You just cannot win with this strategy or lack of strategy, because it is the most lazy plan to defend a team.

So we will just end up with Durrant or Giannis picking us apart after being switched on by our undersized guard. Great plan.

Please stop the switches and play actual defense!!!!!

Sounds like Ime addressed this question...

Jay King: Ime Udoka said switching is “the major scheme” the Celtics have put in during training camp. It will be one of their schemes moving forward, but he said they “over emphasized” it during the preseason opener.

Sounds like they "over emphasized" it in the preseason game.  It looked to me that they were switching a little differently.  That they went into an almost zone like posture as the pick was a approaching and then collapsed right back into man after the switch was completed.  I think this was designed to protect better against the after-pick roll or the pop.

We are not the only team that does this but I agree, at times it seems we concede the switch too easily.  The other team then has the match up they want and they go to work, forcing us to double or whatever.  As I said, all the teams do this though.

Not the ones that want to win a chip…

Except that Milwaukee, Toronto and Golden State all have utilised switching defensive schemes a lot.

[Hoopvortex]

I cannot help but to feel disappointed after our first game, coaching wise.

I thought we were done with the whole switch everything routine, which was clearly the most obvious problem of our team, and Ime went on and put that stupidity on steroids.

We have exceptional defensive players on our team, especially one-on-one, why are we making this conscious decision to shoot ourselves in the foot.

You just cannot win with this strategy or lack of strategy, because it is the most lazy plan to defend a team.

So we will just end up with Durrant or Giannis picking us apart after being switched on by our undersized guard. Great plan.

Please stop the switches and play actual defense!!!!!

Sounds like Ime addressed this question...

Jay King: Ime Udoka said switching is “the major scheme” the Celtics have put in during training camp. It will be one of their schemes moving forward, but he said they “over emphasized” it during the preseason opener.

Sounds like they "over emphasized" it in the preseason game.  It looked to me that they were switching a little differently.  That they went into an almost zone like posture as the pick was a approaching and then collapsed right back into man after the switch was completed.  I think this was designed to protect better against the after-pick roll or the pop.

We are not the only team that does this but I agree, at times it seems we concede the switch too easily.  The other team then has the match up they want and they go to work, forcing us to double or whatever.  As I said, all the teams do this though.

Not the ones that want to win a chip…

Except that Milwaukee, Toronto and Golden State all have utilised switching defensive schemes a lot.

Fans are watching the ball, not the defense. So they’ve got ideas about NBA defense that are a ways away from the reality of it.

Here’s a better way to look at switching: players who are versatile, who can switch, make your defense more resilient. That’s why they’re so prized in the modern game.

It’s not a question of whether switch-frequent schemes are better or worse; the question is turned around from the reality of it. The more a team can switch, the better its defense.

Picks get the offense mismatches. Players who can switch neutralize them.

Gouki88 mentions Toronto, which is shaping up as the most switchable team in the league. Building a contender is about more than that, of course, so they’re not a test case for switching yea or nay. As I say, it’s the wrong question.

[Celtics4ever]

I think people are sleeping on Romeo. Ya it was one shot but he nailed it. I saw him play a lot at Indy, I still believe he will prove himself this year. Richardson D impressed me and Smart look good as  a PG. Al looked great and I was happy to see that.  I am excited for this year.

He better bring because the clock is ticking.   All signs point to him being a reach for where he was picked.    Two players that have done better picked after him are  Keldon Johnson and Matisse Thybulle.  You can make an argument for Brandon Clarke and Terence Davis as well.

Bleacher Report did a redraft and guess who did not make their top 30?

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2891822-re-drafting-the-2019-nba-draft-class

He can play defense that I'll give him and maybe he will turn it around since he is healthy.   At one time he was the 5th rated player in his class.

HARBRINGERS
I thought we played like crap the first game and the only harbringer I think has value is that we are deeper and some of iffy players from last year are going to play less this year.  I am hoping for a better showing next game