The race for the No1 seed

[droopdog7]

I wonder if Milwaukee would just blow this game off and rest a few key guys.  I doubt it because a Bucks win pretty much ends any chance even if chances are still slim if the Celtics win.

From the Bucks perspective though the only thing the Celtics can really get out of this is feeling good with a win and having confidence in a series.  Resting key guys though and it can be claimed as an empty win for the Celtics.  Not to mention what a Celtics loss in this scenario could do.

I think it is valuable for both teams make a statement.  Both teams want to get momentum from this game.  I am sure the Bucks will play whoever can play and will try to blow out the Celtics.  Same for the Celtics.  If the Bucks are able to get a convincing win over the Celtics, that will be in the Celtics head, and vice versa.

I actually think all that is basically meaningless.  Indeed, one team or the other resting their guys removes all meaning from the game, and all possibility of feeling good or bad about it.

[Vermont Green]

Bobby Manning: Khris Middleton is questionable for #Bucks #Pacers tonight. Milwaukee has rested him in B2Bs, but they could sit him tonight and play him vs. #Celtics tomorrow. – via Twitter RealBobManning

[Big333223]

I'm already sick of the #1 seed BS.  Lose to the Wizards?  Give me a break.  If the C's don't give a crap about why should I?  Enuff.

That loss sucked pretty hard, not gonna lie.

[angryguy77]

Wonder if Boston will look at the Bucks tonight and take notes on how a championship caliber team takes care of business.

[ozgod]

Wonder if Boston will look at the Bucks tonight and take notes on how a championship caliber team takes care of business.

They didn't seem all that upset after the loss to the Wizards so I'm not sure if a loss to the Bucks would upset them.

While this result will raise the blood pressure of Celtics fans who are becoming uneasy about this team’s ceiling, it certainly did not seem to bother the Celtics themselves. Players were smiling and loose in the locker room afterward. During interviews later, they mostly shrugged.

“It was just one of those nights,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Very rarely has that happened to our team, so just one of those off nights.”

“We just throw it away and get ready for the next one,” forward Jaylen Brown said.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/28/sports/streaky-celtics-go-cold-again-blowout-loss-struggling-shorthanded-wizards/

[slamtheking]

Wonder if Boston will look at the Bucks tonight and take notes on how a championship caliber team takes care of business.

They didn't seem all that upset after the loss to the Wizards so I'm not sure if a loss to the Bucks would upset them.

While this result will raise the blood pressure of Celtics fans who are becoming uneasy about this team’s ceiling, it certainly did not seem to bother the Celtics themselves. Players were smiling and loose in the locker room afterward. During interviews later, they mostly shrugged.

“It was just one of those nights,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Very rarely has that happened to our team, so just one of those off nights.”

“We just throw it away and get ready for the next one,” forward Jaylen Brown said.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/28/sports/streaky-celtics-go-cold-again-blowout-loss-struggling-shorthanded-wizards/

not the response fans want nor the one the team should have.  team is really missing a leader that gets p---ed/angry when they lose.  don't want a "sky is falling" mentality but one that shows winning and playing well matters.

this isn't the Bird teams of the 80's where they'd have 3-4 games a year where nothing went right but you knew they'd come back the next game ready to crush the next team.  These guys seem to be just fine with losing.

[ozgod]

Wonder if Boston will look at the Bucks tonight and take notes on how a championship caliber team takes care of business.

They didn't seem all that upset after the loss to the Wizards so I'm not sure if a loss to the Bucks would upset them.

While this result will raise the blood pressure of Celtics fans who are becoming uneasy about this team’s ceiling, it certainly did not seem to bother the Celtics themselves. Players were smiling and loose in the locker room afterward. During interviews later, they mostly shrugged.

“It was just one of those nights,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Very rarely has that happened to our team, so just one of those off nights.”

“We just throw it away and get ready for the next one,” forward Jaylen Brown said.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/28/sports/streaky-celtics-go-cold-again-blowout-loss-struggling-shorthanded-wizards/

not the response fans want nor the one the team should have.  team is really missing a leader that gets p---ed/angry when they lose.  don't want a "sky is falling" mentality but one that shows winning and playing well matters.

this isn't the Bird teams of the 80's where they'd have 3-4 games a year where nothing went right but you knew they'd come back the next game ready to crush the next team.  These guys seem to be just fine with losing.

I guess today's result kind of shows why they have the mentality they do...they switch it on for big games and the little ones they don't care if they win or lose 

[Kernewek]

Or perhaps it's perfectly reasonable not to sweat the small stuff?

[letsgoblue86]

Wonder if Boston will look at the Bucks tonight and take notes on how a championship caliber team takes care of business.

Let me know your final four predictions so I can lock in my contrarian bets!

[Phantom255x]

So to get the 1 seed, we have to win out (5-0), and MIL has to go 3-2

I only give it like a 5% chance of happening lol.

Funny enough, I actually think there's a better chance MIL goes 3-2 or worse than I do Boston winning out. I'd be more surprised if we won out tbh. We have some tricky games ahead, I think we'll drop 1, maybe even another if we pick a game to rest a bunch of guys before the playoffs.

[ozgod]

So to get the 1 seed, we have to win out (5-0), and MIL has to go 3-2

I only give it like a 5% chance of happening lol.

Funny enough, I actually think there's a better chance MIL goes 3-2 or worse than I do Boston winning out. I'd be more surprised if we won out tbh. We have some tricky games ahead, I think we'll drop 1, maybe even another if we pick a game to rest a bunch of guys before the playoffs.

I don’t really think it matters tbh…yes a fun thing to track but I think the important thing is for them to hit the playoffs with the switch on and at their best. I think at their best there’s very few teams that can beat us in a 7game series. Milwaukee provdbly gets the No1 seed but they’re not going to like their chances against us, home court or not.

And I’d be surprised if we won out…well drip a game against another also ran team, maybe Toronto or even Utah again 

[Donoghus]

I think there has been a lot of unnecessary handwringing over the 1 seed.  The Celtics can clearly win the East without it.

It would be a luxury, not a necessity.

[Vermont Green]

Yesterday, the Bucks were favored (to win the title) a little on every book that I saw.  The average is about MIL +275 and BOS +330, pretty even.  I have not seen any updates/changes after the game last night.  I guess we will see if the books think this game means much.  Probably since MIL still is in line for home court throughout, they will still have a slight edge over the Celtics.

In other news, DEN lost to NOP (in DEN) so we gained a game on them.  Home court against them could still matter.

Edit:  I just looked at the box.  Didn't realize Jokic sat out the game.  They have a 3 game lead in the West.  I am sure that is their primary focus, not catching the Celtics, as it should be.

[Kuberski33]

Wonder if Boston will look at the Bucks tonight and take notes on how a championship caliber team takes care of business.

They didn't seem all that upset after the loss to the Wizards so I'm not sure if a loss to the Bucks would upset them.

While this result will raise the blood pressure of Celtics fans who are becoming uneasy about this team’s ceiling, it certainly did not seem to bother the Celtics themselves. Players were smiling and loose in the locker room afterward. During interviews later, they mostly shrugged.

“It was just one of those nights,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Very rarely has that happened to our team, so just one of those off nights.”

“We just throw it away and get ready for the next one,” forward Jaylen Brown said.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/28/sports/streaky-celtics-go-cold-again-blowout-loss-struggling-shorthanded-wizards/

not the response fans want nor the one the team should have.  team is really missing a leader that gets p---ed/angry when they lose.  don't want a "sky is falling" mentality but one that shows winning and playing well matters.

this isn't the Bird teams of the 80's where they'd have 3-4 games a year where nothing went right but you knew they'd come back the next game ready to crush the next team.  These guys seem to be just fine with losing.

I guess today's result kind of shows why they have the mentality they do...they switch it on for big games and the little ones they don't care if they win or lose 

Like a lot of NBA teams. The problem they've had is that Joe shortened his rotation way too soon relying on this key players night in night out. There are going to be nights when they don't show up. It has been happening in this league for decades - Larry Bird being the exception - and we saw what happened at the end of his career. If he played like Tatum he'd have probably had a couple more productive seasons.

Where Joe screwed up was he got away from playing 10 guys a game way too soon.  With a team like this, you coach one way for the regular season and another way for the playoffs.  Playoff mode should have started maybe a week or two ago.

Joe went into it in early February. Hopefully it doesn't come back and bite him in the you know what. To a degree it has with Rob's injury situation.

[Vermont Green]

Like a lot of NBA teams. The problem they've had is that Joe shortened his rotation way too soon relying on this key players night in night out. There are going to be nights when they don't show up. It has been happening in this league for decades - Larry Bird being the exception - and we saw what happened at the end of his career. If he played like Tatum he'd have probably had a couple more productive seasons.

Where Joe screwed up was he got away from playing 10 guys a game way too soon.  With a team like this, you coach one way for the regular season and another way for the playoffs.  Playoff mode should have started maybe a week or two ago.

Joe went into it in early February. Hopefully it doesn't come back and bite him in the you know what. To a degree it has with Rob's injury situation.

I guess we shall see on this.  The Celtics have 3 players that have played more than 2,000 minutes this season, Tatum (2,639), Brown (2,332), and White (2,177).  In the league overall, there are 83 players with more than 2,000 minutes (about 2.8 per team).  There are only 12 players with more than 2,500 minutes so Tatum definitely has a lot of minutes on him.

I am just not sure that this is going to be a problem.  Tatum has played 71 games (out of 77 games).  So should he have played 2 min less per game?  Or sat out entire games?  Is that really going to make a difference in June?  I don't know but my sense is that these 3 players are going to be just fine.

I am trying to remember but didn't Tatum play on Team USA in the summer 2021?  So going into the 2021/22 season, he had less off season rest?  But he didn't do that this summer (2022)?  That to me (if correct) seems like a much bigger impact that a few less minutes per game or a few less games.