Noa Dalzell 🏀
@NoaDalzell
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4s
Clean injury report for tomorrow against the Nuggets! Celtics have a fully healthy roster for just the third time this season
It does make you wonder though, maybe the issue is also that these guys just haven't played together that much (our main Starting 5). Even last year I'm pretty sure they actually got a lot of games together while managing KP/Horford. It's just this year KP missed time at the beginning with the knee surgery, and even Jrue was given like a week off to recover.
Contrast that with a team like New York where I believe their Starting-5 has played a ton of games together and built chemistry especially with KAT and Bridges.
We are not the only team in this situation but our core starters have only been on the floor for 103 min in 7 games. NYK for example has had their core unit for 610 min in 32 games. CLE has not been all that much better than BOS, their top line up is 148 min in 17 games although it is not clear who exactly is their 5th starter (Okoro or Wade or Strus).
I don't see this as that much of a problem for this team. I think the need for continuity is real, but this team had all last season together. It should certainly help with consistency, I would think, but this team should be able to overcome this and be more consistent than they have been.
Yeah, but I think that?s a completely different situation when it?s your fifth starter who is a far jump away in value from your main core four. One of the reasons Cleveland has been so dominant is because their core four guys have been remarkably healthy, despite both of the guards tending to be injury-prone historically.
I think much of the same can be said about us last year, even despite KP?s injuries.
I agree that Porzingis is a more impactful player than Wade or Okoro. But when Porzingis is out, Horford can step in. CLE has been healthy. Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen have been on the court together for 421 minutes over 31 games. Holiday, Brown, Tatum, and White have had 387 min over 21 games. I don't disagree with the premise, core unit continuity is a real factor. I just don't think it should be an excuse for the Celtics poor play. It isn't why they shot 20% from 3 vs. OKC. It isn't why the defense looks bad at times.
I agree completely that part of the reason that CLE has so many wins is this continuity/health they have had. It is also because they are good and are playing like they have something to prove. BOS has not consistently been playing like they have something to prove. Health and lack of continuity has not helped but I don't see that as the underlying problem (to the extent that there is any problem).
