Celtics News

[keevsnick]

Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight has a list of 10 title contenders with Boston rated #1 on his list. Most likely to win the title.

There are really only four true title contenders this year: Boston, Clevland, OKC, Denver

The two best teams in the league by record, the defending NBA Champion with the most talent in the league, the previous NBA champion with the best player in the league.

Thats it, one of those four will win it.

I continue to believe that the Cavs are pretenders. Their offense is reminiscent to me of the mid-2000s Hawks teams. They were a really good regular season team, but when things get more physical and slow down in the playoffs, they just aren't quite at that level.

I also am not completely sold on the Thunder for similar-ish reasons, but they seem better built for the playoffs due to their length and defense to me.

I also feel like the Nuggets had a good 15 game stretch and suddenly everyone forgot how bad they were earlier this season. They are also putting a lot of hope in Murray's health.

It's not like the Celtics have been dominate though either.

A 60-win pace with a +9.2 point differential is actually, historically speaking, pretty dominant.

Going back the lats 10 seasons including this one here's a list of teams who had a +9.0 or better differential and won (or on pace) for 59+ wins:

16' GSW, 16 SAS, 17' GSW, 20' MIL*, 21' UTA*, 24' BOS, 25' BOS, 25' CLE, 25' OKC

*=On pace to win 59+, but season was shortened.

So in the last 10 seasons only 9 teams have hit a +9.0 and 59+. the only reaosn that feels less impressive this year is that 3 of those 9 teams are doing it this year.

The thing about CLE/OKC/BOS is that if they were doing what they are doing this year in any other year they would have to be viewed as the overwhelming favorite, they just happen to be doing it in a year with multiple teams playing at an all time level.

I don't think the point differential means as much as it used to. The wild variance caused by 3 point shooting mean its easier for good regular season teams to blow other teams out. We are going to have to adjust our view of that point differential stat with the crazy 3 point shooting.

This is one of those times where all I can say is that, after watching basketball for several decades spanning multiple phases of the game, they look like a really good team, but not a true contender.

3 point shooting also has the opposite effect, it makes it easier for even lower talent teams to stay competitive in any given game with a hot shooting night, arguably making it harder too have an insane point differential.

In any case that'ss why I only went back ten years, ie the real heavy 3 point shooting era, and in that era only nine teams will have hit the +9, 59+ mark in 10 seasons including the C's this year. That's dominant, regardless of what you think about those numbers vs the pre-three era.

[Phantom255x]

Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight has a list of 10 title contenders with Boston rated #1 on his list. Most likely to win the title.

He had OKC #2. Less experienced. Younger. Overachieving in regular season due to youth & athleticism. Will be less of a factor in a playoff series. Worse playoff squad than regular season team.

Interesting. Right now I'd rank it #1 OKC, #2 Cleveland, #3 Boston, #4 Denver

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight has a list of 10 title contenders with Boston rated #1 on his list. Most likely to win the title.

There are really only four true title contenders this year: Boston, Clevland, OKC, Denver

The two best teams in the league by record, the defending NBA Champion with the most talent in the league, the previous NBA champion with the best player in the league.

Thats it, one of those four will win it.

I continue to believe that the Cavs are pretenders. Their offense is reminiscent to me of the mid-2000s Hawks teams. They were a really good regular season team, but when things get more physical and slow down in the playoffs, they just aren't quite at that level.

I also am not completely sold on the Thunder for similar-ish reasons, but they seem better built for the playoffs due to their length and defense to me.

I also feel like the Nuggets had a good 15 game stretch and suddenly everyone forgot how bad they were earlier this season. They are also putting a lot of hope in Murray's health.

It's not like the Celtics have been dominate though either.

A 60-win pace with a +9.2 point differential is actually, historically speaking, pretty dominant.

Going back the lats 10 seasons including this one here's a list of teams who had a +9.0 or better differential and won (or on pace) for 59+ wins:

16' GSW, 16 SAS, 17' GSW, 20' MIL*, 21' UTA*, 24' BOS, 25' BOS, 25' CLE, 25' OKC

*=On pace to win 59+, but season was shortened.

So in the last 10 seasons only 9 teams have hit a +9.0 and 59+. the only reaosn that feels less impressive this year is that 3 of those 9 teams are doing it this year.

The thing about CLE/OKC/BOS is that if they were doing what they are doing this year in any other year they would have to be viewed as the overwhelming favorite, they just happen to be doing it in a year with multiple teams playing at an all time level.

I don't think the point differential means as much as it used to. The wild variance caused by 3 point shooting mean its easier for good regular season teams to blow other teams out. We are going to have to adjust our view of that point differential stat with the crazy 3 point shooting.

This is one of those times where all I can say is that, after watching basketball for several decades spanning multiple phases of the game, they look like a really good team, but not a true contender.

3 point shooting also has the opposite effect, it makes it easier for even lower talent teams to stay competitive in any given game with a hot shooting night, arguably making it harder too have an insane point differential.

In any case that'ss why I only went back ten years, ie the real heavy 3 point shooting era, and in that era only nine teams will have hit the +9, 59+ mark in 10 seasons including the C's this year. That's dominant, regardless of what you think about those numbers vs the pre-three era.

Again, the stat may appear next to others that are dominate. Not sold on the Cavs as a team when the bright lights are on them. What ends up happening is there is a wider discrepancy between good and bad teams, leading to wider point differentials. It may happen that a few times a bad team keeps the game closer than they should against this Cavs team, but it's far more often that a good team is able to separate further due to the three point shooting.

Also, even though the eras are similar, it's worth noting that the Cavs have already taken almost 100 more threes than the Warriors did in the entire 2014-2015 season. My hypothesis is that while people may currently group the last 10 years together, at some point a differentiation will need to be made.

I will give props to the Cavs defense, even if I question their ability to perform this well in the playoffs.

[Who]

Faster tempo also leads to bigger point differentials.

More possessions = larger differentials.

That is why guys like Mike Fratello tried to play the game at a snail pace when he had so-so squads in Cleveland in the 90s and the Grizzlies in the 00s.

[keevsnick]

Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight has a list of 10 title contenders with Boston rated #1 on his list. Most likely to win the title.

There are really only four true title contenders this year: Boston, Clevland, OKC, Denver

The two best teams in the league by record, the defending NBA Champion with the most talent in the league, the previous NBA champion with the best player in the league.

Thats it, one of those four will win it.

I continue to believe that the Cavs are pretenders. Their offense is reminiscent to me of the mid-2000s Hawks teams. They were a really good regular season team, but when things get more physical and slow down in the playoffs, they just aren't quite at that level.

I also am not completely sold on the Thunder for similar-ish reasons, but they seem better built for the playoffs due to their length and defense to me.

I also feel like the Nuggets had a good 15 game stretch and suddenly everyone forgot how bad they were earlier this season. They are also putting a lot of hope in Murray's health.

It's not like the Celtics have been dominate though either.

A 60-win pace with a +9.2 point differential is actually, historically speaking, pretty dominant.

Going back the lats 10 seasons including this one here's a list of teams who had a +9.0 or better differential and won (or on pace) for 59+ wins:

16' GSW, 16 SAS, 17' GSW, 20' MIL*, 21' UTA*, 24' BOS, 25' BOS, 25' CLE, 25' OKC

*=On pace to win 59+, but season was shortened.

So in the last 10 seasons only 9 teams have hit a +9.0 and 59+. the only reaosn that feels less impressive this year is that 3 of those 9 teams are doing it this year.

The thing about CLE/OKC/BOS is that if they were doing what they are doing this year in any other year they would have to be viewed as the overwhelming favorite, they just happen to be doing it in a year with multiple teams playing at an all time level.

I don't think the point differential means as much as it used to. The wild variance caused by 3 point shooting mean its easier for good regular season teams to blow other teams out. We are going to have to adjust our view of that point differential stat with the crazy 3 point shooting.

This is one of those times where all I can say is that, after watching basketball for several decades spanning multiple phases of the game, they look like a really good team, but not a true contender.

3 point shooting also has the opposite effect, it makes it easier for even lower talent teams to stay competitive in any given game with a hot shooting night, arguably making it harder too have an insane point differential.

In any case that'ss why I only went back ten years, ie the real heavy 3 point shooting era, and in that era only nine teams will have hit the +9, 59+ mark in 10 seasons including the C's this year. That's dominant, regardless of what you think about those numbers vs the pre-three era.

Again, the stat may appear next to others that are dominate. Not sold on the Cavs as a team when the bright lights are on them. What ends up happening is there is a wider discrepancy between good and bad teams, leading to wider point differentials. It may happen that a few times a bad team keeps the game closer than they should against this Cavs team, but it's far more often that a good team is able to separate further due to the three point shooting.

Also, even though the eras are similar, it's worth noting that the Cavs have already taken almost 100 more threes than the Warriors did in the entire 2014-2015 season. My hypothesis is that while people may currently group the last 10 years together, at some point a differentiation will need to be made.

I will give props to the Cavs defense, even if I question their ability to perform this well in the playoffs.

My point is that point differential is that three-point shooting doesn't have any effect on how impressive a +9.0 differential is now, vs how impressive it was 20 years ago.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight has a list of 10 title contenders with Boston rated #1 on his list. Most likely to win the title.

There are really only four true title contenders this year: Boston, Clevland, OKC, Denver

The two best teams in the league by record, the defending NBA Champion with the most talent in the league, the previous NBA champion with the best player in the league.

Thats it, one of those four will win it.

I continue to believe that the Cavs are pretenders. Their offense is reminiscent to me of the mid-2000s Hawks teams. They were a really good regular season team, but when things get more physical and slow down in the playoffs, they just aren't quite at that level.

I also am not completely sold on the Thunder for similar-ish reasons, but they seem better built for the playoffs due to their length and defense to me.

I also feel like the Nuggets had a good 15 game stretch and suddenly everyone forgot how bad they were earlier this season. They are also putting a lot of hope in Murray's health.

It's not like the Celtics have been dominate though either.

A 60-win pace with a +9.2 point differential is actually, historically speaking, pretty dominant.

Going back the lats 10 seasons including this one here's a list of teams who had a +9.0 or better differential and won (or on pace) for 59+ wins:

16' GSW, 16 SAS, 17' GSW, 20' MIL*, 21' UTA*, 24' BOS, 25' BOS, 25' CLE, 25' OKC

*=On pace to win 59+, but season was shortened.

So in the last 10 seasons only 9 teams have hit a +9.0 and 59+. the only reaosn that feels less impressive this year is that 3 of those 9 teams are doing it this year.

The thing about CLE/OKC/BOS is that if they were doing what they are doing this year in any other year they would have to be viewed as the overwhelming favorite, they just happen to be doing it in a year with multiple teams playing at an all time level.

I don't think the point differential means as much as it used to. The wild variance caused by 3 point shooting mean its easier for good regular season teams to blow other teams out. We are going to have to adjust our view of that point differential stat with the crazy 3 point shooting.

This is one of those times where all I can say is that, after watching basketball for several decades spanning multiple phases of the game, they look like a really good team, but not a true contender.

3 point shooting also has the opposite effect, it makes it easier for even lower talent teams to stay competitive in any given game with a hot shooting night, arguably making it harder too have an insane point differential.

In any case that'ss why I only went back ten years, ie the real heavy 3 point shooting era, and in that era only nine teams will have hit the +9, 59+ mark in 10 seasons including the C's this year. That's dominant, regardless of what you think about those numbers vs the pre-three era.

Again, the stat may appear next to others that are dominate. Not sold on the Cavs as a team when the bright lights are on them. What ends up happening is there is a wider discrepancy between good and bad teams, leading to wider point differentials. It may happen that a few times a bad team keeps the game closer than they should against this Cavs team, but it's far more often that a good team is able to separate further due to the three point shooting.

Also, even though the eras are similar, it's worth noting that the Cavs have already taken almost 100 more threes than the Warriors did in the entire 2014-2015 season. My hypothesis is that while people may currently group the last 10 years together, at some point a differentiation will need to be made.

I will give props to the Cavs defense, even if I question their ability to perform this well in the playoffs.

My point is that point differential is that three-point shooting doesn't have any effect on how impressive a +9.0 differential is now, vs how impressive it was 20 years ago.

Yeah. I?m arguing against that to say it?s less impressive than that point differential would indicate, and that we will need to calibrate that for future seasons.

I mean, is it more likely that the point differential stat is now skewed, or that we have two teams this year (neither of which that have won a championship) that are more dominate than any team over the last 10 years?

[keevsnick]

Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight has a list of 10 title contenders with Boston rated #1 on his list. Most likely to win the title.

There are really only four true title contenders this year: Boston, Clevland, OKC, Denver

The two best teams in the league by record, the defending NBA Champion with the most talent in the league, the previous NBA champion with the best player in the league.

Thats it, one of those four will win it.

I continue to believe that the Cavs are pretenders. Their offense is reminiscent to me of the mid-2000s Hawks teams. They were a really good regular season team, but when things get more physical and slow down in the playoffs, they just aren't quite at that level.

I also am not completely sold on the Thunder for similar-ish reasons, but they seem better built for the playoffs due to their length and defense to me.

I also feel like the Nuggets had a good 15 game stretch and suddenly everyone forgot how bad they were earlier this season. They are also putting a lot of hope in Murray's health.

It's not like the Celtics have been dominate though either.

A 60-win pace with a +9.2 point differential is actually, historically speaking, pretty dominant.

Going back the lats 10 seasons including this one here's a list of teams who had a +9.0 or better differential and won (or on pace) for 59+ wins:

16' GSW, 16 SAS, 17' GSW, 20' MIL*, 21' UTA*, 24' BOS, 25' BOS, 25' CLE, 25' OKC

*=On pace to win 59+, but season was shortened.

So in the last 10 seasons only 9 teams have hit a +9.0 and 59+. the only reaosn that feels less impressive this year is that 3 of those 9 teams are doing it this year.

The thing about CLE/OKC/BOS is that if they were doing what they are doing this year in any other year they would have to be viewed as the overwhelming favorite, they just happen to be doing it in a year with multiple teams playing at an all time level.

I don't think the point differential means as much as it used to. The wild variance caused by 3 point shooting mean its easier for good regular season teams to blow other teams out. We are going to have to adjust our view of that point differential stat with the crazy 3 point shooting.

This is one of those times where all I can say is that, after watching basketball for several decades spanning multiple phases of the game, they look like a really good team, but not a true contender.

3 point shooting also has the opposite effect, it makes it easier for even lower talent teams to stay competitive in any given game with a hot shooting night, arguably making it harder too have an insane point differential.

In any case that'ss why I only went back ten years, ie the real heavy 3 point shooting era, and in that era only nine teams will have hit the +9, 59+ mark in 10 seasons including the C's this year. That's dominant, regardless of what you think about those numbers vs the pre-three era.

Again, the stat may appear next to others that are dominate. Not sold on the Cavs as a team when the bright lights are on them. What ends up happening is there is a wider discrepancy between good and bad teams, leading to wider point differentials. It may happen that a few times a bad team keeps the game closer than they should against this Cavs team, but it's far more often that a good team is able to separate further due to the three point shooting.

Also, even though the eras are similar, it's worth noting that the Cavs have already taken almost 100 more threes than the Warriors did in the entire 2014-2015 season. My hypothesis is that while people may currently group the last 10 years together, at some point a differentiation will need to be made.

I will give props to the Cavs defense, even if I question their ability to perform this well in the playoffs.

My point is that point differential is that three-point shooting doesn't have any effect on how impressive a +9.0 differential is now, vs how impressive it was 20 years ago.

Yeah. I?m arguing against that to say it?s less impressive than that point differential would indicate, and that we will need to calibrate that for future seasons.

I mean, is it more likely that the point differential stat is now skewed, or that we have two teams this year (neither of which that have won a championship) that are more dominate than any team over the last 10 years?

Honestly? The second thing is more likely. There's no real reason that three-point shooting should be expected to a larger skew in point differential. OKC, the team with the highest differential in the league takes like the 10th most threes. They aren't blowing teams out because of threes, they're blowing teams out because they have the best defense of all time.

[Who]

Interesting post on RealGM about Tatum being set to earn his 4th All-NBA 1st Team selection this season.

They state

Now 4 1st team All NBA selections is no joke, in fact let me share a few interesting facts about 4 1st team All NBA selections

* Steph Curry has only 4 1st team All NBA selections and will likely finish his career with just 4.
* Kawhi Leonard has only 3 1st team All NBA selections and most of his career was played before the 65 game requirement

* Russell Westbrook has only 2 1st team All NBA selections
* Dwyane Wade has only 2 1st team All NBA selections
* Dirk Nowitzki has only 4 1st team All NBA selections
* Kevin Garnett has only 4 1st team All NBA selections
* Steve Nash has only 3 1st team All NBA selections

Tatum is about to move past or alongside some impressive company.

Wade having only 2 1st team selections is shocking. As is KG with 4. I guess he was getting looked past when Minny was bad from 2005-07. So he probably got all 4 of them from 2000-04. I don't know if he got the nod in 2008. That was probably his last chance.

Dirk had some bad luck with his career matching Duncan's and KG's otherwise he would have had a lot more. Interesting to see Nash with only 3 selections but 2 MVPs. 

Crazy that Steph only has 4. He has been putting up major seasons since 2015. A 10 year stretch.

[Goldstar88]

Sorry, JB! 


Bobby Manning: Asked Joe Mazzulla about the captain role on #Celtics & them not naming one under him: We all have a role and a responsibility to the culture and the locker room. Giving it to one person takes away the leadership of everybody. The best part of this team is everyone?s a captain.

[SparzWizard]

Sorry, JB! 


Bobby Manning: Asked Joe Mazzulla about the captain role on #Celtics & them not naming one under him: We all have a role and a responsibility to the culture and the locker room. Giving it to one person takes away the leadership of everybody. The best part of this team is everyone?s a captain.

Yeah that was really weird when Brown admitted to the press that HE is the captain like the SOLE captain lol chill out.

Horford should be the captain by age and experience 

[Silas]

Love that move by Sam.

[keevsnick]

Sorry, JB! 


Bobby Manning: Asked Joe Mazzulla about the captain role on #Celtics & them not naming one under him: We all have a role and a responsibility to the culture and the locker room. Giving it to one person takes away the leadership of everybody. The best part of this team is everyone?s a captain.

Bobby has a weird fixation with this captain thing. Brown views himself as a leader, he should, its not that complicated.

[keevsnick]

Celtics now on a 59 win pace, pretty much everyone is healthy, and they have the third easiest remaining strength of schedule.

[Phantom255x]

Celtics now on a 59 win pace, pretty much everyone is healthy, and they have the third easiest remaining strength of schedule.

Really? Dang I was looking at the schedule thinking we had some pretty rough stretches coming up in late February and a decent chunk of March 

But honestly we should be able to "sleepwalk" to the 2 seed now. Up 4 games on the Knicks and have the tiebreaker.

[Silas]

I'm very pleased with yesterday's win and looking forward to the Cs next 5 games; 3 of the top 5 teams in the league.  We will see what this team is made of....

New York ... 37-18 - Feb. 23
Cleveland ... 45-10 - Feb. 28
Denver... 37-19 - Mar. 2

I'm hoping for at least 2-1 or 3-0

One down and two to go...