NBA Playoffs 2023

[bopna]

That's how you close out a team. Learn from Jimmy Butler Celtics.

I love Butlers game...so passionate and remember he could even have punched his team a ticket to the Finals if he didnt miss that final heave against us.

How I wish Tatum has this mindset instead of hia lackadaisical walk the ball method when we do not even have control of the game yet..our team MUST learn from these but just wouldn't.

[bopna]

If tonight doesn't put Tatum on notice nothing will. You aren't going to win anything being passive.

Yup this is whats frustrating with JT.
He may get firstvteam all NBA nod again but in the most crucial moments in the playoffs he just folds

[Atzar]

Butler just murdered the Bucks by himself.  One of the most impressive series I’ve ever seen.

[tenn_smoothie]

Tatum seems a decent person and all, so I don't want to disparage his character.

But when it comes to competitiveness, he isn't in Butler's league.
And that has been one of the major impediments to this Celtic group's efforts to win a title.
Now, we add Joe Mazzulla and winning #18 becomes even more difficult.

Though he does a lot of good things, I do not believe Brad Stevens has the guts to make the changes we need to get us there either.
Very frustrating time to be a Celtics fan.

[Birdman]

Miami beat Milwaukee 4-1..WOW!!! I never ever would thought that esp Herro out too

[celticinorlando]

Crazy that the east is set and waiting for the Celtics to stop messing around

[Neurotic Guy]

Crazy that the east is set and waiting for the Celtics to stop messing around

The other sad reality is the West is open for LA to swoop in and steal.  If they finish off the Griz, they’ll play the winner of tough fought GSW-Sac followed by the winner of the Suns-Nuggets. I don’t see the road as easy for LA but it’s unfortunately possible.

[Neurotic Guy]

Miami beat Milwaukee 4-1..WOW!!! I never ever would thought that esp Herro out too

One of Knicks and Heat gets to the ECF.  That’s a truly unexpected run for the fans.

[RodyTur10]

So, we all know the excuse this year for Bucks fans will be that Giannis missed two of the games and only played part of the other. Yet, they were actually worse in the three games he played (0-3) vs the two games he didn't play in (1-1).

But I do think this puts a bit of damper on Giannis' legacy, or at least reputation for the foreseeable future. If your a superstar level player who's afraid to touch the ball in tight games due to your free throw weakness, that's a pretty big limitation. But his overall limitations as an offensive player were highlighted this series.

I believe we've seen the best of Giannis. In December he becomes 29. Which certainly isn't that old, but not every player ages the same way. And a lot of his game is based on his athletic capabilities. Also the way the NBA is progressing isn't to the advantage of a limited shooter like Giannis. And with his free throwing woes he shares a lot of responsibility in another unnecessary Bucks loss.

In my opinion Giannis is still a superstar, but I'm not sure I still regard him as a top 5 player in the NBA. Overall the Bucks are an old team and I never really considered them a huge threat to win the title again. Our biggest competition are Denver, Phoenix, Golden State and Philadelphia (if Harden and Embiid are both 100%). However the Celtics are the favourite for the championship, there's no team as deep as us.

The pressure is on Tatum and Brown (who has been really good so far) to not get outplayed by other stars. In my view it would be a hypothetical win for us to scratch every team's two best players:

Celtics: White/Brogdon/Smart/Horford/Timelord (+ Pritchard, Hauser, G-Will, Griffin)

76ers: Maxey/Melton/Harris/Tucker/Reed (+ Milton, Niang, McDaniels, Harrell)

Knicks: Grimes/Barrett/Hart/Toppin/Robinson (+ Quickley, McBride, Fournier, Hartenstein)

Hawks: Bogdanovic/Hunter/Bey/Collins/Capela (+ A.Holiday, AJ Griffin, Johnson, Okongwu)

Heat: Vincent/Robinson/Struss/Martin/Love (+ Lowry, Highsmith, Zeller - Herro and Oladipo are injured)

Nuggets: Brown/Caldwell-Pope/Porter Jr./Gordon/J.Green (+ R.Jackson, Cancar, Braun, Jordan)

Grizzlies: Jones/Kennard/Bane/Brooks/Tillman (+ Konchar, Aldama, Roddy - Clarke and Adams are injured)

Kings: Monk/Huerter/Barnes/Murray/Lyles (+ D.Mitchell, T.Davis, Metu, Len)

Suns: Paul/Shamet/Okogie/Craig/Ayton (+ Payne, D.Lee, Ross, Biyombo)

Warriors: Poole/DiVincenzo/Thompson/Green/Looney (+ Payton, Kuminga, Moody, JaM. Green)

Lakers: Schröder/Russell/Reaves/Hachimura/Vanderbilt (+ L.Walker, Beasley, T.Brown Jr., Bamba)

[cman88]

Jimmy really is that guy. Curious how the Knicks/hear series will go.

Seems to me like it will be a low scoring defensive slug fest.

[scaryjerry]

Crazy that the east is set and waiting for the Celtics to stop messing around

Based on what exactly? Couldn’t beat the knicks all year and the heat always play us well…we actually get up for and thrive against the bucks, that’s if we even get to the ecf

[Amonkey]

Philadelphia must be kicking themselves for letting Jimmy Butler go, especially if they have an early exit.

[Roy H.]

Crazy that the east is set and waiting for the Celtics to stop messing around

Based on what exactly? Couldn’t beat the knicks all year and the heat always play us well…we actually get up for and thrive against the bucks, that’s if we even get to the ecf

If we get to the ECF, I think we'll win. 

Philly is the team that worries me.  Harden is like a rich man's Trae Young, and then you've got the MVP, Maxey and Harris.  They've got so much offensive firepower, and our defense isn't clicking.

[scaryjerry]

Crazy that the east is set and waiting for the Celtics to stop messing around

Based on what exactly? Couldn’t beat the knicks all year and the heat always play us well…we actually get up for and thrive against the bucks, that’s if we even get to the ecf

If we get to the ECF, I think we'll win. 

Philly is the team that worries me.  Harden is like a rich man's Trae Young, and then you've got the MVP, Maxey and Harris.  They've got so much offensive firepower, and our defense isn't clicking.

I’m actually the opposite… I’m not super confident either way but I have more faith in the Celtics against the 6ers then I do the Knicks/heat… they’ll get up for the 6ers, who I happen to think are vastly overrated

[Donoghus]

I'm genuinely in shock over the MIL series.  I thought at least the series would go back to MIA for a game 6.

That fanbase has to be sick to their stomachs this morning.