I feel like we’re going to make a run at this

[Csfan1984]

Team needs Raptor luck.

[Emmette Bryant]

edit: I was double checking my numbers and I think this post is incorrect. Nevermind

[Hoopvortex]

I made my first ever sports bet yesterday and put $100 on the C's for the chip.

Bring home that $5k, baby!

I used to make the same bet every year in Vegas during Summer League....The one time I forgot to bet was 2007---and a few weeks later they got KG.

Please don’t bet next year.

[Moranis]

Just want to add that the Celtics now have the third best odds to win the title in the nba according to 538.  Seems crazy and may not mean much, but I’m excited to see what happens.

538 has never been able to properly account for the difference between the regular season and post season.  They don't really account for injuries and missed time.  It just isn't a metric that has ever worked as a true predictor because the regular season and post season are quite simply no where near the same thing.

[Hoopvortex]

I know Derrick White isn’t some superstar, but he’s 100% plug and play.  No worries about fitting him in, the kind of guy that seems to give the game what it needs.  We’re definitely better, and I think that’s good enough to make some noise this year.  I think we’ll get to the top half of the standings.

Can be the Heat from the bubble?  I’m ready, let’s go.

The competition is stiff, but I'm with you.

The vision came clearly into view in the second half of the Denver game. They outscored the Nougats 57-42 behind physical team defense and some brilliant ball movement. We saw how the Smart/White tandem could work: five guys passing to the open man, four guys creating shots off the dribble - without a ball-dominant point guard (I think that that's what people have meant recently when they called for Brad to get a "real" point guard; but this team might just show that you don't need that type of player in today's game).

Looks like they'll have better luck pushing the tempo and better flow in the half-court offense.

Next up is the payback game against Atlanta; and Embiid is looming on the horizon. The climbing gets steeper this week, and we'll have more, shall we say data going into the All-Star break.

[LilRip]

The White and Theis trades have definitely rejuvenated my hope for the season. I think White, in particular, is who the C’s needed.

I never was on board the jrich train because he brought neither shooting nor playmaking. Granted, jrich shot well when he was here but he didn’t really space the floor nor moved well off the ball. He was a good player, probably the best bench player we had, and absolutely deserved the minutes he got, but that was also why the team felt lacking. It couldn’t survive a down night from either of the Jays.

This team now can. White is a tremendous release valve for either of the Jays because he brings playmaking and off ball movement that our star wings need. Hopefully it’s infectious. I still don’t see the team getting past bucks, sixers or bulls in the playoffs but I think we can get past Miami or Cleveland. And if Horfords and Tatums outside strokes come back at the right time, we might even make it to ECF or the Finals. That’s a much brighter outlook now vs being first round fodder.

[Surferdad]

I know Derrick White isn’t some superstar, but he’s 100% plug and play.  No worries about fitting him in, the kind of guy that seems to give the game what it needs.  We’re definitely better, and I think that’s good enough to make some noise this year.  I think we’ll get to the top half of the standings.

Can be the Heat from the bubble?  I’m ready, let’s go.

The competition is stiff, but I'm with you.

The vision came clearly into view in the second half of the Denver game. They outscored the Nougats 57-42 behind physical team defense and some brilliant ball movement. We saw how the Smart/White tandem could work: five guys passing to the open man, four guys creating shots off the dribble - without a ball-dominant point guard (I think that that's what people have meant recently when they called for Brad to get a "real" point guard; but this team might just show that you don't need that type of player in today's game).

Looks like they'll have better luck pushing the tempo and better flow in the half-court offense.

Next up is the payback game against Atlanta; and Embiid is looming on the horizon. The climbing gets steeper this week, and we'll have more, shall we say data going into the All-Star break.

It makes you wonder whether Brad is actually even smarter than most people think. A lot of teams have put all their eggs into a "Big-3" basket, notably BKN and LAL. When you do that, you compromise the quality of the rest of the roster AND you count on those 3 guys working very well together. Instead, Brad seems to going for good all-around basketball players at every position and on the depth chart. Beyond the star players, you still need players who can defend, pass, switch and shoot. Brad's work isn't finished but you can see where this might be heading.

Is the Era of the Big-3 dead?

[PAOBoston]

I know Derrick White isn’t some superstar, but he’s 100% plug and play.  No worries about fitting him in, the kind of guy that seems to give the game what it needs.  We’re definitely better, and I think that’s good enough to make some noise this year.  I think we’ll get to the top half of the standings.

Can be the Heat from the bubble?  I’m ready, let’s go.

The competition is stiff, but I'm with you.

The vision came clearly into view in the second half of the Denver game. They outscored the Nougats 57-42 behind physical team defense and some brilliant ball movement. We saw how the Smart/White tandem could work: five guys passing to the open man, four guys creating shots off the dribble - without a ball-dominant point guard (I think that that's what people have meant recently when they called for Brad to get a "real" point guard; but this team might just show that you don't need that type of player in today's game).

Looks like they'll have better luck pushing the tempo and better flow in the half-court offense.

Next up is the payback game against Atlanta; and Embiid is looming on the horizon. The climbing gets steeper this week, and we'll have more, shall we say data going into the All-Star break.

It makes you wonder whether Brad is actually even smarter than most people think. A lot of teams have put all their eggs into a "Big-3" basket, notably BKN and LAL. When you do that, you compromise the quality of the rest of the roster AND you count on those 3 guys working very well together. Instead, Brad seems to going for good all-around basketball players at every position and on the depth chart. Beyond the star players, you still need players who can defend, pass, switch and shoot. Brad's work isn't finished but you can see where this might be heading.

Is the Era of the Big-3 dead?

No

Brooklyn had had some bad injury luck this year (KD, Harden, Harris) if fully healthy and if Kyrie was actually vaxxed, they’d be steam rolling teams like they were earlier in the year. That being said, injuries are part of game but I don’t think it’s going to do anything with lessening Big 3 teams, at least in the major markets.

[Moranis]

The Big 3 era was never a real thing.  Yes, Boston and then the James Heat had 3 HOF players at the top of their roster (in their prime), but it was never really a thing.  I mean the Lakers with Kobe and Pau won 2 titles.  The Warriors never had 3 close to the same quality.  The James Cavs, were James and then a couple of all stars, and solid role players.  The Raptors were a big 1 with a bunch of very good.  The Lakers last title was 2 guys and a bunch of role players, and calling the Bucks a big 3 is a huge slap in the face to Giannis who was so much better than anyone else on his team.  Championships are won by top tier talent.  Sure the more of it you have, the better, and you need more overall depth if your guy at the very top isn't in the discussion as the best player in the world, but there was never a big 3 era.  It has always been about talent.  And to be fair plenty of other historically great teams have had a big 3 i.e. Bird, McHale, Parish or Magic, Kareem, Worthy or Malone, Erving, Toney (and then Barkley) or Jordan, Pippen, Rodman or Duncan, Manu, Parker, and on and on.  Just because the 2008 Celtics were called a Big 3, doesn't mean those teams didn't exist in the past or created anything differently.  At the end of the day you just need top tier talent. 

[Surferdad]

I know Derrick White isn’t some superstar, but he’s 100% plug and play.  No worries about fitting him in, the kind of guy that seems to give the game what it needs.  We’re definitely better, and I think that’s good enough to make some noise this year.  I think we’ll get to the top half of the standings.

Can be the Heat from the bubble?  I’m ready, let’s go.

The competition is stiff, but I'm with you.

The vision came clearly into view in the second half of the Denver game. They outscored the Nougats 57-42 behind physical team defense and some brilliant ball movement. We saw how the Smart/White tandem could work: five guys passing to the open man, four guys creating shots off the dribble - without a ball-dominant point guard (I think that that's what people have meant recently when they called for Brad to get a "real" point guard; but this team might just show that you don't need that type of player in today's game).

Looks like they'll have better luck pushing the tempo and better flow in the half-court offense.

Next up is the payback game against Atlanta; and Embiid is looming on the horizon. The climbing gets steeper this week, and we'll have more, shall we say data going into the All-Star break.

It makes you wonder whether Brad is actually even smarter than most people think. A lot of teams have put all their eggs into a "Big-3" basket, notably BKN and LAL. When you do that, you compromise the quality of the rest of the roster AND you count on those 3 guys working very well together. Instead, Brad seems to going for good all-around basketball players at every position and on the depth chart. Beyond the star players, you still need players who can defend, pass, switch and shoot. Brad's work isn't finished but you can see where this might be heading.

Is the Era of the Big-3 dead?

No

Brooklyn had had some bad injury luck this year (KD, Harden, Harris) if fully healthy and if Kyrie was actually vaxxed, they’d be steam rolling teams like they were earlier in the year. That being said, injuries are part of game but I don’t think it’s going to do anything with lessening Big 3 teams, at least in the major markets.

I don’t disagree that the Nets fully healthy would be rolling right now.  However their Big-3 formula is flawed since Irving isn’t a good defender and Harden doesn’t try enough on that end. They would lose in the ECF.

[Celtics2021]

The Big 3 era was never a real thing.  Yes, Boston and then the James Heat had 3 HOF players at the top of their roster (in their prime), but it was never really a thing.  I mean the Lakers with Kobe and Pau won 2 titles.  The Warriors never had 3 close to the same quality.  The James Cavs, were James and then a couple of all stars, and solid role players.  The Raptors were a big 1 with a bunch of very good.  The Lakers last title was 2 guys and a bunch of role players, and calling the Bucks a big 3 is a huge slap in the face to Giannis who was so much better than anyone else on his team.  Championships are won by top tier talent.  Sure the more of it you have, the better, and you need more overall depth if your guy at the very top isn't in the discussion as the best player in the world, but there was never a big 3 era.  It has always been about talent.  And to be fair plenty of other historically great teams have had a big 3 i.e. Bird, McHale, Parish or Magic, Kareem, Worthy or Malone, Erving, Toney (and then Barkley) or Jordan, Pippen, Rodman or Duncan, Manu, Parker, and on and on.  Just because the 2008 Celtics were called a Big 3, doesn't mean those teams didn't exist in the past or created anything differently.  At the end of the day you just need top tier talent.

This is an absurd statement.  Absolutely absurd.  The Warriors had three players win All-NBA over a two season stretch, and then added Kevin Durant to that.  They were a legit big 3, followed by a big 4, when they had four All-NBA members in the same season.

[smokeablount]

I know Derrick White isn’t some superstar, but he’s 100% plug and play.  No worries about fitting him in, the kind of guy that seems to give the game what it needs.  We’re definitely better, and I think that’s good enough to make some noise this year.  I think we’ll get to the top half of the standings.

Can be the Heat from the bubble?  I’m ready, let’s go.

The competition is stiff, but I'm with you.

The vision came clearly into view in the second half of the Denver game. They outscored the Nougats 57-42 behind physical team defense and some brilliant ball movement. We saw how the Smart/White tandem could work: five guys passing to the open man, four guys creating shots off the dribble - without a ball-dominant point guard (I think that that's what people have meant recently when they called for Brad to get a "real" point guard; but this team might just show that you don't need that type of player in today's game).

Looks like they'll have better luck pushing the tempo and better flow in the half-court offense.

Next up is the payback game against Atlanta; and Embiid is looming on the horizon. The climbing gets steeper this week, and we'll have more, shall we say data going into the All-Star break.

It makes you wonder whether Brad is actually even smarter than most people think. A lot of teams have put all their eggs into a "Big-3" basket, notably BKN and LAL. When you do that, you compromise the quality of the rest of the roster AND you count on those 3 guys working very well together. Instead, Brad seems to going for good all-around basketball players at every position and on the depth chart. Beyond the star players, you still need players who can defend, pass, switch and shoot. Brad's work isn't finished but you can see where this might be heading.

Is the Era of the Big-3 dead?

Very Bill Belichick.

[SHAQATTACK]

I made my first ever sports bet yesterday and put $100 on the C's for the chip.

Bring home that $5k, baby!

whoa!  mad respect for your love of the C's.   

Ditto

[W8ting2McHale]

We will go as far as the J’s take us. A better and more balanced supporting cast will only help that case. It would be nice to have more depth so the talent drop off from 7-8 wasn’t so great.

[Moranis]

The Big 3 era was never a real thing.  Yes, Boston and then the James Heat had 3 HOF players at the top of their roster (in their prime), but it was never really a thing.  I mean the Lakers with Kobe and Pau won 2 titles.  The Warriors never had 3 close to the same quality.  The James Cavs, were James and then a couple of all stars, and solid role players.  The Raptors were a big 1 with a bunch of very good.  The Lakers last title was 2 guys and a bunch of role players, and calling the Bucks a big 3 is a huge slap in the face to Giannis who was so much better than anyone else on his team.  Championships are won by top tier talent.  Sure the more of it you have, the better, and you need more overall depth if your guy at the very top isn't in the discussion as the best player in the world, but there was never a big 3 era.  It has always been about talent.  And to be fair plenty of other historically great teams have had a big 3 i.e. Bird, McHale, Parish or Magic, Kareem, Worthy or Malone, Erving, Toney (and then Barkley) or Jordan, Pippen, Rodman or Duncan, Manu, Parker, and on and on.  Just because the 2008 Celtics were called a Big 3, doesn't mean those teams didn't exist in the past or created anything differently.  At the end of the day you just need top tier talent.

This is an absurd statement.  Absolutely absurd.  The Warriors had three players win All-NBA over a two season stretch, and then added Kevin Durant to that.  They were a legit big 3, followed by a big 4, when they had four All-NBA members in the same season.

Klay and Dray are no where near Curry.  They have 1 2nd team and 3 3rd team appearances in their entire careers combined.  Curry has 4 1st team, 2 2nd team, and 1 3rd team. He is just a different class of player both at the time and historically.  It was fun to call the Warriors a big 3, but they weren't.  Curry isn't James, but they were a very similar team to the Cavs.

Now historically KG is in a different class than Pierce and Allen, bit given his age he was closer to the other two so you could call them a Big 3 even with the different career arcs.