2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Donoghus]

I would to start the first round with the Heat! Exorcise those demons right off the bat. This Celtics team is ready for it.

Yeah, Miami is the boogeyman around here.  A healthy Celtics squad should take care of them relatively easily this time around.

[Phantom255x]

I would to start the first round with the Heat! Exorcise those demons right off the bat. This Celtics team is ready for it.

Yeah, Miami is the boogeyman around here.  A healthy Celtics squad should take care of them relatively easily this time around.

In a weird way I think playing Miami could help us, in the sense that MIA seems like the kind of team who just gets better as the spring goes on. Meaning it might be better to catch them early and just get it over with. If you wait until the ECF, then they will already have made the ECF through excellent play and are again a dangerous squad.

But if Miami stumbles around and sneaks in, we could just dispatch them in the first round.

Last year in the Bucks series, Butler went off but the Bucks really choked that too. I still think Miami in general looked a lot more dangerous and efficient in the 2nd round and ECF. Sometimes momentum is what you need. Miami thrives off that.

[SparzWizard]

I would to start the first round with the Heat! Exorcise those demons right off the bat. This Celtics team is ready for it.

Yeah, Miami is the boogeyman around here.  A healthy Celtics squad should take care of them relatively easily this time around.

In a weird way I think playing Miami could help us, in the sense that MIA seems like the kind of team who just gets better as the spring goes on. Meaning it might be better to catch them early and just get it over with. If you wait until the ECF, then they will already have made the ECF through excellent play and are again a dangerous squad.

But if Miami stumbles around and sneaks in, we could just dispatch them in the first round.

Last year in the Bucks series, Butler went off but the Bucks really choked that too. I still think Miami in general looked a lot more dangerous and efficient in the 2nd round and ECF. Sometimes momentum is what you need. Miami thrives off that.

Sure hope the Celtics don't follow suit...given their rap sheet in the past. Those turnovers and high-percentage 3s they're taking need to be controlled.

[Phantom255x]

Pretty big Warriors-Lakers game tonight which could impact seeding down the road (tiebreakers). Also Golden State better be a bit careful, Houston is not far behind them (about 3 games). Based on loss column, GSW and LAL are tied while HOU is 4 back. But still a full month to go.

[celticinorlando]

I want to get this out about the heat. The heat caught every break in the playoffs last season.

Giannis doesn’t get hurt they probably don’t even get out the first round.

Tatum doesn’t get hurt the Celtics probably win game 7. That changed everything.

It took caleb Martin playing so far above the water line for them to beat Boston. This heat team is not as good.

There isn’t gonna be a miraculous run this year by them. Too many teams want a piece of them. Boston won’t play with their food this time around.

I don’t want to hear about last year. Not the same team.

[celticinorlando]

Cavs are less concerning by the game

[Who]

Cavs are less concerning by the game

Yeah, I am not sure they are that much better than the rest of the trailing pack (ORL, NYK, IND, MIA) either. The Cavs feel to me like a team that is less than the sum of their parts.

Just haven't fully come together as a a group. Garland and D Mitchell overlap in skill-set too much. Evan Mobley hasn't figured out his place in things yet. His lack of shooting causes problems. They do not have a quality SF so have to play Strus there. Just ... a team that is less than the sum of their parts.

They should be better than the trailing pack but I am not convinced they are. Not in a playoff series.

However, different than Milwaukee. I see Milwaukee near the bottom of that trailing pack. I see Cleveland near upper echelon of it. All a bit similar in the East 2 through 7/8. Philly, if they were healthy, are the only team that I see as having real separation from the rest.

[hpantazo]

I want to get this out about the heat. The heat caught every break in the playoffs last season.

Giannis doesn’t get hurt they probably don’t even get out the first round.

Tatum doesn’t get hurt the Celtics probably win game 7. That changed everything.

It took caleb Martin playing so far above the water line for them to beat Boston. This heat team is not as good.

There isn’t gonna be a miraculous run this year by them. Too many teams want a piece of them. Boston won’t play with their food this time around.

I don’t want to hear about last year. Not the same team.

I agree. The Butler Heat era is over and they are going to get their butts handed to them in the playoffs. I would prefer that the Celtics are the ones who get to do it, but either way its coming.

[Silas]

I want to get this out about the heat. The heat caught every break in the playoffs last season.

Giannis doesn’t get hurt they probably don’t even get out the first round.

Tatum doesn’t get hurt the Celtics probably win game 7. That changed everything.

It took caleb Martin playing so far above the water line for them to beat Boston. This heat team is not as good.

There isn’t gonna be a miraculous run this year by them. Too many teams want a piece of them. Boston won’t play with their food this time around.

I don’t want to hear about last year. Not the same team.

I agree. The Butler Heat era is over and they are going to get their butts handed to them in the playoffs. I would prefer that the Celtics are the ones who get to do it, but either way its coming.

I also agree.  I am tired of listening to those who believe they will play similar to last season's playoff.  This is a different team and I doubt they will luck into the finals again.  Too much went their way for it to happen again and they are a year older. 

[Celtics2021]

I want to get this out about the heat. The heat caught every break in the playoffs last season.

Giannis doesn’t get hurt they probably don’t even get out the first round.

Tatum doesn’t get hurt the Celtics probably win game 7. That changed everything.

It took caleb Martin playing so far above the water line for them to beat Boston. This heat team is not as good.

There isn’t gonna be a miraculous run this year by them. Too many teams want a piece of them. Boston won’t play with their food this time around.

I don’t want to hear about last year. Not the same team.

I agree. The Butler Heat era is over and they are going to get their butts handed to them in the playoffs. I would prefer that the Celtics are the ones who get to do it, but either way its coming.

I also agree.  I am tired of listening to those who believe they will play similar to last season's playoff.  This is a different team and I doubt they will luck into the finals again.  Too much went their way for it to happen again and they are a year older.

My only concern is that that the Heat play dirty, and I’d rather not have anyone get hurt.  So I’d appreciate it if we avoided them.

[Vermont Green]

I continue to believe that the biggest difference between this season's team and last season's team is that there was a weird cloud over the team due to the firing of Udoka, and that cloud lingered all season.  It flared up in the MIA series because that is around the time that Udoka took the job in HOU.  That cloud is not hanging over the team this season.

Of course the personnel are much better this season also.  Porzingis and Holiday are big additions.  I am not the least bit worried about MIA based on last season.  That was a one off, a fluke, lightning in a bottle for them.  In fact, I feel like if we get MIA at some point in the playoffs, we are going to blow them out.

[Phantom255x]

So apparently the Lakers didn't commit their first foul until the early minutes of the SECOND quarter. And then right there, great contest on Lebron, no contact and the ref still calls an "-and 1". This is the kind of stuff that'll help the Lakers in a potential playoff run 

Although the Warriors are right there with them even with Curry doing nothing so far.

[radiohead]

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1769148046452183232

IT is back in the NBA.

[hpantazo]

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1769148046452183232

IT is back in the NBA.

Very glad for IT. I hope he sticks around for the playoffs

[Phantom255x]

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1769148046452183232

IT is back in the NBA.

Woo! Can he potentially play in the playoffs if he sticks around?