Fire Joe! ... or critique Joe ... or defend Joe... or worry about Joe's coaching

[celticinorlando]

And for the last play...what a stupid idea to waste time not calling a timeout. Wasted 7 of the 12 seconds and by the time Tatum got to wherever he was going there were 5 seconds and everyone in the building knew he had to shoot. Joe did the same thing vs Philly a few years back. He is a terrible coach in the most important moments.

The egregious part of this situation for Mazzulla is that this is the second time he?s made this mistake in a postseason game. In his rookie season, the Celtics lost Game 4 of their second round series against the 76ers when Boston failed to get a shot off in the final 17 seconds while trailing in a one-point game. Mazzulla declined to call a timeout to save time to advance the ball and get Boston organized. Ultimately, after a frantic possession, Marcus Smart?s 3-point attempt came after the buzzer.

[Vermont Green]

Nothing anyone is saying about Mazzulla is necessarily wrong, I just don't think it is all that different than other coaches.  Everything coaches do can be second guessed.

The big criticism (including mine) from the first game was we shot 60 3s.  This game we shot 40 3s.  The problem is that we still only shot 25% from 3. 

I don't think we lost this game due to coaching.  I know I am in the minority here.  I don't know how you coach around 25% from 3.  Do we only shoot 20 3s next game?

[Roy H.]

In evaluating coaches, I don't think you ask "is he the reason we lost?"

Rather, it's "did he put us in the best position to succeed?"

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I think this season shows how valuable Jeff Van Gundy was for the Celtics championship run.

id take him right now over joe blow. hell a fence post might be smarter than joe schmoe. what a clown coach.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

2 out of the last 3 years they will have been eliminated by the inferior team. You have to be a horrible coach for that to happen in the NBA. They have wasted too much time with Joe. This needs to be his last year.

Such a fireable offense. Should be going for a 3 peat, instead we lose again to a worse team. Any other sport that gets you fired. He?s done. Has to go. This era of Celtics basketball is teetering on the great what if. In fact it?s already there. Changes need and will happen, I hope.

COULD be a 4 peat if you wanna really get technical about it. we had GS on the ropes in game 4 and shoulda went up 3-1 in that finals. let that sink in. no excuse losing to heat inm 2023.and no excuse losing like this this year. despicable fire joe now. go get giannis. a guy who KNOWS how to get to the hoop and score.

[Roy H.]

We miss Charles Lee.  I think he was the glue on the coaching staff last season.

[angryguy77]

https://x.com/CamInTaunton/status/1920485459269922857/photo/1

This says it all.

[Donoghus]

https://x.com/CamInTaunton/status/1920485459269922857/photo/1

This says it all.

Seeing a lot of the Kobe influence in Tatum these last few games.  And not the positive Kobe stuff.

[SHAQATTACK]

  
Ok nowwww.  I gotta know ?.!


Should he stay or should he go ?..da da da da


I gotta know now , should Joe cool it or should he blow

It?s the Time of the Season 

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

https://x.com/CamInTaunton/status/1920485459269922857/photo/1

This says it all.

Yeah, that's horrible. A couple of easy buckets can halt the opponent's momentum and give the Cs more confidence.

[Yuckabuck33]

Has ANYBODY come up with a good explanation of the last foul on Robinson when Thibs was trying to take home out?
I don't know if a coach can come back from something like that.

[Phantom255x]

Has ANYBODY come up with a good explanation of the last foul on Robinson when Thibs was trying to take home out?
I don't know if a coach can come back from something like that.

No idea, but also I just think it's pathetic a 61-win team in the regular season has to resort to that in a home Game 2. All that talent, and you can't make a few buckets with Tatum, Brown, etc.?? Embarrassing. The Knicks have more guys with heart and "clutch" in the 4th than us, crazy.

[angryguy77]

Has ANYBODY come up with a good explanation of the last foul on Robinson when Thibs was trying to take home out?
I don't know if a coach can come back from something like that.

No idea, but also I just think it's pathetic a 61-win team in the regular season has to resort to that in a home Game 2. All that talent, and you can't make a few buckets with Tatum, Brown, etc.?? Embarrassing. The Knicks have more guys with heart and "clutch" in the 4th than us, crazy.

Playing AL for the entire 4th is up there as well in terms of stupid.

[slamtheking]

IF the C's are able to get just 1 in NY and they're losing in game 5 at home, I seriously hope the crowd starts chanting something along the lines of " Joe has got to go!".  will not miss this smarmy, smug moron once he finally IS kicked to the curb.

[byennie]

https://x.com/CamInTaunton/status/1920485459269922857/photo/1

This says it all.

Yeah, that's horrible. A couple of easy buckets can halt the opponent's momentum and give the Cs more confidence.

It's hard to zoom too hard on a single play, but I feel like someone has to deliver the "Money Ball" memo on late game leads.

Over the course of a game, a series, a season... high volume 3PT shooting at a decent clip (35-40%?) is now the most efficient way to score in the NBA. Sure. It is what it is.

However, in short stretches there is more variance. For example:

You are up by 12, with 5 minutes to go. If you slow down the game, there are 15-20 possessions left. You score more than say, 6 points and the game is basically over. The other team is not putting up 20 in 5 minutes with a slow pace. So how do you blow it? Outside shots that don't go down.

What are the odds that if you shoot 10 threes, you go 2-10? Not that unlikely, especially with tired legs. On the other hand, if you work the clock, post up, draw fouls, what are the chances you can't cobble together 7 or 8 points in 10 trips? I bet it's a lot lower.

At the end of games, average outcomes don't matter -- worst case ones do. Draw up a play. Post up Porzingis. Go to the rim to draw a foul.