2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[johnnygreen]

Ben Simmonsis back to square one. For some reason his agent takes the blame for not getting him better medical care https://x.com/legionhoops/status/1765107386321383692?s=46

Got to think there is a decent chance his career may be over. Shame we didn’t really see him again after the hawks series.

Not winning that draft lottery is one of the best blessings in disguises the Celtics ever had.

I would pump the brakes on that take. We simply can't discount "The Process" mentality of the 76ers when Simmons was drafted. That loser mindset filtered that whole organization. And drafting Simmons was supposed to be the answer to turning that whole team around. The amount of pressure on that kid was insane.

Now flip the script to Jaylen, who was drafted by a team dedicated to trying to win. The infrastructure was completely different and built for success.

I would put my life on the line, that if Philly drafted Jaylen and the Celtics drafted Simmons, both of their careers would be drastically different. I would feel pretty confident that everything the scouts thought Simmons could be, would have come to fruition in Boston, and be considered a top 10 player in the league today.

Players are drafted based on talent. However, the ability to fulfill that talent may be based on the environment around them.

What personal responsibility does Simmons have?  Why have others thrived in Philly, while Simmons failed there?  And why is he still doing the same things in Brooklyn?

Philly babied him big time, and rewarded with with a max contract before doing much of anything. On top of that, I think Philly broke him mentally and he may not be able to recover. The only other player they drafted, who seemingly had the same pressure to help turn the team around was Markelle Fultz, and Philly may have broke him mentally before he even played a game.

Embiid was essentially a reclamation project because of his knee history coming out of college. He also didn't play his first two seasons in the league. He did not have the same pressure as Simmons. Who else was from "The Process" era that amounted to anything, if they were in Philly for an extended period?

[Donoghus]

You can cook up a "pie in the sky" hypothetical about pretty much anyone.  The fact of the matter is that, had the Celtics won that lottery, they were going to take Simmons.  Who knows where that would've lead but you could very well argue that his temperament/personality/etc. was going to be an issue wherever he went.  Fortunately, for the Celtics, this led them to taking Jaylen who has done nothing but excelled with the Celtics and been an excellent second banana to an almost annual perennial contender who is on the doorstep of a championship this season. 

Not winning that lottery helped put this Celtics organization in a timeline where there have built a championship contending team.

[Kernewek]

Ben Simmonsis back to square one. For some reason his agent takes the blame for not getting him better medical care https://x.com/legionhoops/status/1765107386321383692?s=46

Got to think there is a decent chance his career may be over. Shame we didn’t really see him again after the hawks series.

Not winning that draft lottery is one of the best blessings in disguises the Celtics ever had.

I would pump the brakes on that take. We simply can't discount "The Process" mentality of the 76ers when Simmons was drafted. That loser mindset filtered that whole organization. And drafting Simmons was supposed to be the answer to turning that whole team around. The amount of pressure on that kid was insane.

Now flip the script to Jaylen, who was drafted by a team dedicated to trying to win. The infrastructure was completely different and built for success.

I would put my life on the line, that if Philly drafted Jaylen and the Celtics drafted Simmons, both of their careers would be drastically different. I would feel pretty confident that everything the scouts thought Simmons could be, would have come to fruition in Boston, and be considered a top 10 player in the league today.

Players are drafted based on talent. However, the ability to fulfill that talent may be based on the environment around them.

What personal responsibility does Simmons have?  Why have others thrived in Philly, while Simmons failed there?  And why is he still doing the same things in Brooklyn?

i don't discount Simmons' own responsibility, but look to others during Philly's process who also didn't live up to expectations (Noel, Okafor, Fultz, Carter-Williams). i don't doubt things would be different to a significant degree had Boston drafted Simmons (still happy they didn't though).

My personal take is that while I think Philly's active insistence on being non-competitive ruined a bunch of careers, I think it's a harder case to make for that when you look at the 'name' guys they drafted highly.

[Who]

Ben Simmons' main problem was that he got hurt. He was a very good player before that back injury.

He hasn't been the same player since and I don't think we'll ever see that Simmons again because his back isn't right. Brooklyn aren't doing anything wrong with him. He isn't doing anything wrong in Brooklyn. He just isn't the same player anymore because of an injury.

[Roy H.]

Ben Simmons' main problem was that he got hurt. He was a very good player before that back injury.

He hasn't been the same player since and I don't think we'll ever see that Simmons again because his back isn't right. Brooklyn aren't doing anything wrong with him. He isn't doing anything wrong in Brooklyn. He just isn't the same player anymore because of an injury.

The back injury came after the disastrous playoff series where he passed up the dunk and quit shooting, right?

I think he mentally broke, then his body broke, then he quit.

[Kernewek]

Ben Simmons' main problem was that he got hurt. He was a very good player before that back injury.

He hasn't been the same player since and I don't think we'll ever see that Simmons again because his back isn't right. Brooklyn aren't doing anything wrong with him. He isn't doing anything wrong in Brooklyn. He just isn't the same player anymore because of an injury.

The back injury came after the disastrous playoff series where he passed up the dunk and quit shooting, right?

I think he mentally broke, then his body broke, then he quit.

Let's be fair - he passed up the dunk because he saw Trae Young, Atlanta's defensive menace, ducking out of the way to avoid ending up on a poster - or 'rotating to help'.

But to actually be fair to Simmons, if he was making the (likely correct) assumption that Matisse Thybulle is more likely to hit free throws after being fouled than he is, the pass makes some sense. The clip is mostly so egregious because we can see the defenders have completely given up after the spin, leaving him entirely wide-open, but obviously he can't see that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHA4UhYuQY

[Moranis]

Ben Simmons' main problem was that he got hurt. He was a very good player before that back injury.

He hasn't been the same player since and I don't think we'll ever see that Simmons again because his back isn't right. Brooklyn aren't doing anything wrong with him. He isn't doing anything wrong in Brooklyn. He just isn't the same player anymore because of an injury.

The back injury came after the disastrous playoff series where he passed up the dunk and quit shooting, right?

I think he mentally broke, then his body broke, then he quit.

Let's be fair - he passed up the dunk because he saw Trae Young, Atlanta's defensive menace, ducking out of the way to avoid ending up on a poster - or 'rotating to help'.

But to actually be fair to Simmons, if he was making the (likely correct) assumption that Matisse Thybulle is more likely to hit free throws after being fouled than he is, the pass makes some sense. The clip is mostly so egregious because we can see the defenders have completely given up after the spin, leaving him entirely wide-open, but obviously he can't see that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHA4UhYuQY

His dominant hand was also well behind the backboard.  He should have dunked, but it really wasn't as egregious as everyone made it out to be. And certainly didn't require Embiid and Rivers to role over him and then back the bus over him again. 

They were down 2 woth 3:29 left. Thybulle hit 1 of 2 to pull them within 1 at 88-87. The final score was 103-96.  The Hawks scored 15 points in just over 3 minutes to end that game.  They didn't score on just 2 possessions, a steal by Simmons (he was immediately fouled and hit 1 of 2) and a charge taken by Curry.  Embiid did nothing and then scapegoated Simmons in that game.

[celticsclay]

Ben Simmons' main problem was that he got hurt. He was a very good player before that back injury.

He hasn't been the same player since and I don't think we'll ever see that Simmons again because his back isn't right. Brooklyn aren't doing anything wrong with him. He isn't doing anything wrong in Brooklyn. He just isn't the same player anymore because of an injury.

The back injury came after the disastrous playoff series where he passed up the dunk and quit shooting, right?

I think he mentally broke, then his body broke, then he quit.

Let's be fair - he passed up the dunk because he saw Trae Young, Atlanta's defensive menace, ducking out of the way to avoid ending up on a poster - or 'rotating to help'.

But to actually be fair to Simmons, if he was making the (likely correct) assumption that Matisse Thybulle is more likely to hit free throws after being fouled than he is, the pass makes some sense. The clip is mostly so egregious because we can see the defenders have completely given up after the spin, leaving him entirely wide-open, but obviously he can't see that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHA4UhYuQY

His dominant hand was also well behind the backboard.  He should have dunked, but it really wasn't as egregious as everyone made it out to be. And certainly didn't require Embiid and Rivers to role over him and then back the bus over him again. 

They were down 2 woth 3:29 left. Thybulle hit 1 of 2 to pull them within 1 at 88-87. The final score was 103-96.  The Hawks scored 15 points in just over 3 minutes to end that game.  They didn't score on just 2 possessions, a steal by Simmons (he was immediately fouled and hit 1 of 2) and a charge taken by Curry.  Embiid did nothing and then scapegoated Simmons in that game.

This seems pretty dramatic to me. All Embid said was "I don't know how to say it – but I thought the turning point was we had an open shot, we missed and we made one free throw."

If anything he is calling out Thybulle as much as Simmons here pointing out the missed free throw. I think lots of teams in all sports have had stuff like this said by their players. In football you definitely will hear something like a player saying "that interception half through the 4th really felt like a turning point in the game." It never leads to the QB demanding a trade and citing mental health issues for being unable to even practice...

I mean it is pretty clear Ben Simmons doesn't love playing basketball and that has continued long after he left Philly.

[Celtics2021]

Ben Simmons' main problem was that he got hurt. He was a very good player before that back injury.

He hasn't been the same player since and I don't think we'll ever see that Simmons again because his back isn't right. Brooklyn aren't doing anything wrong with him. He isn't doing anything wrong in Brooklyn. He just isn't the same player anymore because of an injury.

The back injury came after the disastrous playoff series where he passed up the dunk and quit shooting, right?

I think he mentally broke, then his body broke, then he quit.

Let's be fair - he passed up the dunk because he saw Trae Young, Atlanta's defensive menace, ducking out of the way to avoid ending up on a poster - or 'rotating to help'.

But to actually be fair to Simmons, if he was making the (likely correct) assumption that Matisse Thybulle is more likely to hit free throws after being fouled than he is, the pass makes some sense. The clip is mostly so egregious because we can see the defenders have completely given up after the spin, leaving him entirely wide-open, but obviously he can't see that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHA4UhYuQY

His dominant hand was also well behind the backboard.  He should have dunked, but it really wasn't as egregious as everyone made it out to be. And certainly didn't require Embiid and Rivers to role over him and then back the bus over him again. 

They were down 2 woth 3:29 left. Thybulle hit 1 of 2 to pull them within 1 at 88-87. The final score was 103-96.  The Hawks scored 15 points in just over 3 minutes to end that game.  They didn't score on just 2 possessions, a steal by Simmons (he was immediately fouled and hit 1 of 2) and a charge taken by Curry.  Embiid did nothing and then scapegoated Simmons in that game.

This seems pretty dramatic to me. All Embid said was "I don't know how to say it – but I thought the turning point was we had an open shot, we missed and we made one free throw."

If anything he is calling out Thybulle as much as Simmons here pointing out the missed free throw. I think lots of teams in all sports have had stuff like this said by their players. In football you definitely will hear something like a player saying "that interception half through the 4th really felt like a turning point in the game." It never leads to the QB demanding a trade and citing mental health issues for being unable to even practice...

I mean it is pretty clear Ben Simmons doesn't love playing basketball and that has continued long after he left Philly.

And based on his stint at LSU in college, started before he arrived.

[Moranis]

Ben Simmons' main problem was that he got hurt. He was a very good player before that back injury.

He hasn't been the same player since and I don't think we'll ever see that Simmons again because his back isn't right. Brooklyn aren't doing anything wrong with him. He isn't doing anything wrong in Brooklyn. He just isn't the same player anymore because of an injury.

The back injury came after the disastrous playoff series where he passed up the dunk and quit shooting, right?

I think he mentally broke, then his body broke, then he quit.

Let's be fair - he passed up the dunk because he saw Trae Young, Atlanta's defensive menace, ducking out of the way to avoid ending up on a poster - or 'rotating to help'.

But to actually be fair to Simmons, if he was making the (likely correct) assumption that Matisse Thybulle is more likely to hit free throws after being fouled than he is, the pass makes some sense. The clip is mostly so egregious because we can see the defenders have completely given up after the spin, leaving him entirely wide-open, but obviously he can't see that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHA4UhYuQY

His dominant hand was also well behind the backboard.  He should have dunked, but it really wasn't as egregious as everyone made it out to be. And certainly didn't require Embiid and Rivers to role over him and then back the bus over him again. 

They were down 2 woth 3:29 left. Thybulle hit 1 of 2 to pull them within 1 at 88-87. The final score was 103-96.  The Hawks scored 15 points in just over 3 minutes to end that game.  They didn't score on just 2 possessions, a steal by Simmons (he was immediately fouled and hit 1 of 2) and a charge taken by Curry.  Embiid did nothing and then scapegoated Simmons in that game.

This seems pretty dramatic to me. All Embid said was "I don't know how to say it – but I thought the turning point was we had an open shot, we missed and we made one free throw."

If anything he is calling out Thybulle as much as Simmons here pointing out the missed free throw. I think lots of teams in all sports have had stuff like this said by their players. In football you definitely will hear something like a player saying "that interception half through the 4th really felt like a turning point in the game." It never leads to the QB demanding a trade and citing mental health issues for being unable to even practice...

I mean it is pretty clear Ben Simmons doesn't love playing basketball and that has continued long after he left Philly.

the strangest thing about that Embiid quote is all the facts he says after that are simply wrong.  I mean he said the next possession Young hit a 3 fornthe Hawks to go up 4 with 45 seconds left.  With juts over 3 minutes left Capela got a dunk to put the Hawks up 3. Then Embiid turned it over and then Young hit a 3.  Philly had the ball with 45 seconds left and down 4 and Embiid turned it over.

So Embiid calls out Simmons, but gets everything wrong.

Now I do agree Simmons doesn't appear to live and breathe basketball like many players do, but many also do not.

[ozgod]

Welp, Denver chokes in OT at home to a Booker-less Suns team, with Jokic missing the game-winning shot in regulation. This is arguably just as bad if not worse of a loss than us losing at Cleveland.

Certainly puts a bit better spin on our loss tonight, and it helps with the narrative that was certain to come out if Denver pulled this close game out while we lost.

The suns have Kevin Durant. Losing to them is not worse then getting punked by dean wade.

I guess it is true that the sun shines on a dog's backside now and then 

[Goldstar88]

Good game on ESPN between the Clippers and Rockets… Doris is doing her best to ruin it, though..

[jambr380]

Dean Wade 9 points on 1-6 from 3 tonight in a Cavs loss to the Hawks. Seriously…

[SparzWizard]

Dean Wade 9 points on 1-6 from 3 tonight in a Cavs loss to the Hawks. Seriously…

Second night of a b2b for them after a thriller yesterday.

[scaryjerry]

Dean Wade 9 points on 1-6 from 3 tonight in a Cavs loss to the Hawks. Seriously…

Yeah… the cavs without Mitchell and struss aren’t a good team and dean wade stinks. Averages 5 points for his career.