Anyone Else Still Not Over It?

[angryguy77]

We had a chance to make history and fell short.

I'll never get over it.

[Who]

I'm over it. Combine Tatum getting hurt with Rob being sick, Jaylen's no show and the Heat playing very, very well in Game 7 and it wasn't meant to be. Also they weren't beating Denver because something was fundamentally wrong with this team and it sounds like Brad & co still can't identify it.

Last season's loss to GS hurt more. That team was right there on the cusp of a title but simply couldn't make enough shots when it counted.

Yeah, I had that reaction too. Yeah it was disappointing to lose to Miami but I no longer expected BOS to be successful in the Finals given their poor performances throughout the playoffs against ATL, then PHI and finally ATL. I expected DEN to take care of business and beat this team like GSW did last year.

So while I was disappointed to lose against MIA, I already thought the title wasn't going to happen anyway. I had lost hope of that. That would have been after Gm 3 of the MIA series. I was already wondering about it after Gms 1 and 2 but Gm 3 knocked me down. Down and out.

And like you, I was and am convinced that there is something fundamentally wrong with this team. The head coach is an obvious answer which unfortunately is not going to be changed. Hurting my hope for a better season next season. Some other issues with the team especially on the offensive end. Too much individualism. Not enough teamwork. That is also fundamentally wrong. How can we change that?

And two years in a row we have thrown a huge number of playoff games. We did the same with Udoka. That MIL series never should have gone 7. That MIA series never should have gone 7. They both did. We threw away games. We did the same thing again this year against ATL, against PHI and against MIA. So this is not purely a question of a bad coach because it happened under both coaches. There is also a players issue here. Something fundamentally wrong with them. The inability to kill off teams. To finish them. To overwhelm an opponent you are much more talented than.

[Who]

I understand that process is a real thing and has value, but sometimes I get the feeling that Brad and his biggest supporters put more value in process than in results, sort of like, "Yeah, we want titles, but it's more important to create a pleasant atmosphere for players and fans and a solid product on the floor every season, and that we see personal growth." It gives me a very "corporate kumbaya" feeling. Like, even if there's disappointment, there isn't really disappointment — "everything is zen."

Kinda like Giannis and that press conference he did where he reacted to this season being a failure for the Bucks; losing in the first round to the 8th seed.

Giannis was just essentially "part of the process" dude.

I like that Greek Stoicism that Giannis embodies at times but I am not sure it works here. I want more urgency. More sense of the moment. What is a fleeting moment. You only get so many opportunities at this. That Bucks team is getting old. B Lopez, Jrue talking about retiring at the end of his deal, Middleton injury and not playing at the level had previously. This team is near the end of their road. They only have so much left to make a run.

They were the #1 seed. They had a title caliber team. Absolutely it was a failure to lose in the first round. Absolutely it was a failure to lose a vastly inferior MIA team.

There should be some separation of career-long goals & processes to single season goals & processes. That balance between two gives you the urgency while also maintaining the long view. 

[Indocelts]

We lost to Miami. Lakers lost to Denver. I am over it.

Joe will be our coach nect season. There will be veteran assistants to help. Ok, i'll get over it.

Brown turned it over 8 times in the last game, a deja vu of last year's. Two years in a row. But, somehow he will get the supermax. This, I won't get over it.

[Birdman]

2010 Finals is the one I cant get over

[celts55]

I was over it by the third quarter of game 7. On the occasion these guys decided to play as a team, they could be fun to watch, but that was rare. Most of the time, it was iso, chuck up a bunch of 3’s and weak defense. A group that couldn’t hold a lead or finish a game. They never figured it out. How many times can you watch them score at will at the basket, then go back to taking as many 3’s as possible. A group of pretty good players with a terrible coach. I realized I was rooting for a uniform. This was one of the most frustrating seasons I have watched, so yeah, I’m over it. I might just be over the Celtics if things don’t change next year

[scaryjerry]

If you really dwell on the specifics and the opportunity it’s hard to get over but unless the Celtics caught absolute fire and shot 60 percent from 3 in the finals they weren’t beating Denver anyways.

[cman88]

If you really dwell on the specifics and the opportunity it’s hard to get over but unless the Celtics caught absolute fire and shot 60 percent from 3 in the finals they weren’t beating Denver anyways.

This, and homecourt advantage meant nothing this year.

Even though we made it to game 7 of the ECF this run didn't feel the same as last year. Our offense was garbage last year and we had no bench but at least our defense was solid.

This year nothing worked out. We just somehow rode talent as far as we could.

We never played as a team. Not sure what happened to the team that tore the league up and had amazing ball movement from October - All-star break. After that it was a different team and they never recaptured that early season run. Complete opposite of the previous year

[cman88]

I understand that process is a real thing and has value, but sometimes I get the feeling that Brad and his biggest supporters put more value in process than in results, sort of like, "Yeah, we want titles, but it's more important to create a pleasant atmosphere for players and fans and a solid product on the floor every season, and that we see personal growth." It gives me a very "corporate kumbaya" feeling. Like, even if there's disappointment, there isn't really disappointment — "everything is zen."

Kinda like Giannis and that press conference he did where he reacted to this season being a failure for the Bucks; losing in the first round to the 8th seed.

Giannis was just essentially "part of the process" dude.

I like that Greek Stoicism that Giannis embodies at times but I am not sure it works here. I want more urgency. More sense of the moment. What is a fleeting moment. You only get so many opportunities at this. That Bucks team is getting old. B Lopez, Jrue talking about retiring at the end of his deal, Middleton injury and not playing at the level had previously. This team is near the end of their road. They only have so much left to make a run.

They were the #1 seed. They had a title caliber team. Absolutely it was a failure to lose in the first round. Absolutely it was a failure to lose a vastly inferior MIA team.

There should be some separation of career-long goals & processes to single season goals & processes. That balance between two gives you the urgency while also maintaining the long view.

The fact that Miami knocked off both Milwaukee and Celtics though maybe it wasn't such a disappointment. Miami just went on a heater at the right time. Shot 47% from 3 against Milwaukee and Celtics. And both teams possibly just didn't take them seriously because they were garbage the whole season.

It's something you see in hockey but never in basketball.

[green_bballers13]

I understand that process is a real thing and has value, but sometimes I get the feeling that Brad and his biggest supporters put more value in process than in results, sort of like, "Yeah, we want titles, but it's more important to create a pleasant atmosphere for players and fans and a solid product on the floor every season, and that we see personal growth." It gives me a very "corporate kumbaya" feeling. Like, even if there's disappointment, there isn't really disappointment — "everything is zen."

Kinda like Giannis and that press conference he did where he reacted to this season being a failure for the Bucks; losing in the first round to the 8th seed.

Giannis was just essentially "part of the process" dude.

I like that Greek Stoicism that Giannis embodies at times but I am not sure it works here. I want more urgency. More sense of the moment. What is a fleeting moment. You only get so many opportunities at this. That Bucks team is getting old. B Lopez, Jrue talking about retiring at the end of his deal, Middleton injury and not playing at the level had previously. This team is near the end of their road. They only have so much left to make a run.

They were the #1 seed. They had a title caliber team. Absolutely it was a failure to lose in the first round. Absolutely it was a failure to lose a vastly inferior MIA team.

There should be some separation of career-long goals & processes to single season goals & processes. That balance between two gives you the urgency while also maintaining the long view.

The fact that Miami knocked off both Milwaukee and Celtics though maybe it wasn't such a disappointment. Miami just went on a heater at the right time. Shot 47% from 3 against Milwaukee and Celtics. And both teams possibly just didn't take them seriously because they were garbage the whole season.

It's something you see in hockey but never in basketball.

I think it's crazy that the Celtics would underestimate the same team two years in a row. People continue to underestimate them, talking about undrafted players and the teams on paper. The Heat have a better team, while the Celtics have better individual players.

[ScoobyDoo]

Yeah, struggling. I feel like Theis group could potentially already have three titles and they’ve slipped through our fingers.

Title #1:

The Hayward/Irving team with Tatum, Brown, Smart, Baynes or Theis, Rozier and Morris and Horford. That team was ridiculously stacked. If Hayward doesn’t have the ankle injury and Irving wasn’t such a nut job (that team was a point guard’s dream…) that should have been a title.

Title #2:

Up 2-1 at home for game four to go up 3-1 against Homden State. We were up seven points or so I. The fourth with five minutes to go and couldn’t close. You have to close that. We choked.

Title #3:

This year. We stunk up Atlanta (couldn’t close game five at home up 3-1. This lead to giving Embiid more time off to recover. Then we stunk up the Philly series big time giving away game one (without Embiid) and again couldn’t close gane five at home. More games played and then we didn’t decide to play until game four in the series in general. Ultimately Tatum gets injured.

I think we would have beaten Denver pretty easily despite what a lot of pundits thought.

I’m convinced this team needs the following things:

1. A legitimate drive and fish point guard/floor general. This guy can be a starter or a back up (like a Ricky Rubio type). Someone who can get us to execute and close out of hood sets with good looks and some east baskets when it matters. Tatum and Brown are being asked to be point guards and they just aren’t. Tatum has revolved a lot at it but Brown stinks at it.

None of our players can easily get by anyone on the perimeter. Only Brown can hit them his ball handling in traffic blows, as does his general play making ability. It’s not his fault, he’s not a PG.

I’m hoping JD Davison can play that role - someone who canesuly and consistently break the defense down and get Tatum, Brown and others easier looks.

Imagine Tatum and Brown on the wings with a legit PG.

2. We desperately need one more back up center who can start when Time Lord goes down. Any year TL goes down in the playoffs our championship hopes will be over. Team can my be constructed like that.

I like Naz Reid or Poertl - Poertl being option #1 if I could sell him on the mid level.

3. We need an emotional engine for the team. Brown and Tatum need to take the reigns. Someone needs to be the Rah rah guys out in the court - the line in the sand guy, extension of the coach holding people accountable.

4. We need a PF so we can play when Tatum and Brown are are the  2 and 3 positions. I think we’re at our best when they play the 2 and 3 versus the 3 and 4. Basically we need a legit, age appropriate PF who can form a trio with Tatum and Brown for the next 8-10 years.

I’ve seen a thread on Marcus Smart trade options. The guys I really wanted to get was Markannen when he could have been had for cheap before he was traded to Dallas - wanted to trade for him when he was in Chicago.

Now, I might take a shot at John Collins. He can shoot threes, get something done in the post and attacks the rim hard off the pick and roll. I would use one of Smart, Brogdon and White, OR, try to get something done with Grant Williams, Pritchard and a draft pick - for Collins.  I’d replace Grant Williams with some banger for cheap.

Time Lord / Poertl or Naz Reid/Kornet
Collins / Horford / whoever
Tatum / White / Hauser
Brown / Brogdon
Smart / Back up playmaker / Davison

If you need to use one of Smart, White or Brogdon to get Collins you can do the math on the lineup above.

[SparzWizard]

Even if the C's had beaten Miami, they wouldn't have beaten Denver anyway. What defense of this Celtics is stopping Murray, Jokic, MPJ? Who is gonna stop their Caleb Martin in Jeff Green or Tyler Herro in Bruce Brown? They would lose one game at home like how they always do, and then lose both games on the road in high-altitude (need I remind everyone that they have been virtually invincible at home these playoffs) to trail 3-1.

They can't even stop scrubs like Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and hell even Duncan Robinson at the TD Garden. A deservedly laughingstock label is well-deserved.

[gouki88]

I mostly checked out down 3, so it doesn't sting as much as others have

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I understand that process is a real thing and has value, but sometimes I get the feeling that Brad and his biggest supporters put more value in process than in results, sort of like, "Yeah, we want titles, but it's more important to create a pleasant atmosphere for players and fans and a solid product on the floor every season, and that we see personal growth." It gives me a very "corporate kumbaya" feeling. Like, even if there's disappointment, there isn't really disappointment — "everything is zen."

Kinda like Giannis and that press conference he did where he reacted to this season being a failure for the Bucks; losing in the first round to the 8th seed.

Giannis was just essentially "part of the process" dude.

I like that Greek Stoicism that Giannis embodies at times but I am not sure it works here. I want more urgency. More sense of the moment. What is a fleeting moment. You only get so many opportunities at this. That Bucks team is getting old. B Lopez, Jrue talking about retiring at the end of his deal, Middleton injury and not playing at the level had previously. This team is near the end of their road. They only have so much left to make a run.

They were the #1 seed. They had a title caliber team. Absolutely it was a failure to lose in the first round. Absolutely it was a failure to lose a vastly inferior MIA team.

There should be some separation of career-long goals & processes to single season goals & processes. That balance between two gives you the urgency while also maintaining the long view.

The fact that Miami knocked off both Milwaukee and Celtics though maybe it wasn't such a disappointment. Miami just went on a heater at the right time. Shot 47% from 3 against Milwaukee and Celtics. And both teams possibly just didn't take them seriously because they were garbage the whole season.

It's something you see in hockey but never in basketball.

I'm buying into the idea that the regular season is virtually meaningless, other than just making sure you're good enough to get into the playoffs. We've seen what the Heat have done. We saw what the Florida Panthers have done—and what the "best-ever regular season" Bruins did not do—in this year's NHL playoffs. And does anyone else remember how the 2006 New York Giants barely scraped into the playoffs ... but then took down the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl?

Offseason doesn't matter much, regular season doesn't matter much; what matters is what they do in the postseason.

[celticsclay]

I’m going to the game tonight here in denver so definitely stings more than ever for me.