NBA Season/Playoffs 2025-26

[Moranis]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

[slamtheking]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over.  Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

[SparzWizard]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over.  Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Which is why I still want Joe fired. Chuck all the 3's you can, and anytime you take a 2 you have to do drills.

[Goldstar88]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over. Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Yeah, 2024 was absolutely brutal. 

[Phantom255x]

This isn't really a statistical or analytical statement, but also watching these last few rounds of the postseason kind of drives home the fact that you also need toughness and grit.

I know these guys won it all in 2024 and have had some deep playoff runs, but sometimes I watch these teams make big runs or comebacks and wonder if this team is capable of doing that. Idk, like the team will go up 20 and blow the lead, but if the opposite happens to them can the Celtics do the same and come back or would they just chuck up 3s and die badly trying? More likely they'd do the latter, and probably start complaining or getting frustrated.

I do think this team is a bit on the softer end. Still love the Jays and most of the team, but adding some grit/toughness would also help. Holiday was that guy. So was Smart in the past. Even Porzingis when healthy had a little edge out there and was talented to dominate. Again, talent is the first priority but having some tough guys and enforcers help too. A lot of the West teams have it, and while it may not seem like it on paper, the Knicks also have guys who are tough, battle-tested and can enforce as needed. I'm not sure the Celtics or even the Cavaliers have it. The Pistons do, but they are inexperienced and haven't been there often so they lost in the second round.

[slamtheking]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over. Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Yeah, 2024 was absolutely brutal. 

thankfully they had enough talent to overcome Joe's shortcomings as the coach.  3 out of 4 playoff appearances under Joe have had the team losing to an inferior opponent including this year when they lost in the first round after being up 3-1 which had never happened in franchise history. 

[Goldstar88]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over. Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Yeah, 2024 was absolutely brutal. 

thankfully they had enough talent to overcome Joe's shortcomings as the coach.  3 out of 4 playoff appearances under Joe have had the team losing to an inferior opponent including this year when they lost in the first round after being up 3-1 which had never happened in franchise history.

Or.. The 2024 Celtics had a more talented roster and actual leaders on the court like Jrue and Horford. The players are deciding the games, not the coach. If the coach made as much of a difference as you are implying, the Miami Heat would have been in the playoffs. They have the best coach in the NBA. Instead, the Heat failed to make the playoffs this year and were swept in the first round last year.

[Roy H.]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over. Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Yeah, 2024 was absolutely brutal. 

thankfully they had enough talent to overcome Joe's shortcomings as the coach.  3 out of 4 playoff appearances under Joe have had the team losing to an inferior opponent including this year when they lost in the first round after being up 3-1 which had never happened in franchise history.

Or.. The 2024 Celtics had a more talented roster and actual leaders on the court like Jrue and Horford. The players are deciding the games, not the coach. If the coach made as much of a difference as you are implying, the Miami Heat would have been in the playoffs. They have the best coach in the NBA. Instead, the Heat failed to make the playoffs this year and were swept in the first round last year.

If coaches don't make a difference, why do teams hire them? They could probably train an AI program to call time outs.

Part of a coach's job is to make adjustments, both in game and over the course of a series.  Joe absolutely sucked at that during the playoffs.  It has never been one of his skills, but she was shockingly bad at it during the playoffs.

[SparzWizard]

This isn't really a statistical or analytical statement, but also watching these last few rounds of the postseason kind of drives home the fact that you also need toughness and grit.

I know these guys won it all in 2024 and have had some deep playoff runs, but sometimes I watch these teams make big runs or comebacks and wonder if this team is capable of doing that. Idk, like the team will go up 20 and blow the lead, but if the opposite happens to them can the Celtics do the same and come back or would they just chuck up 3s and die badly trying? More likely they'd do the latter, and probably start complaining or getting frustrated.

I do think this team is a bit on the softer end. Still love the Jays and most of the team, but adding some grit/toughness would also help. Holiday was that guy. So was Smart in the past. Even Porzingis when healthy had a little edge out there and was talented to dominate. Again, talent is the first priority but having some tough guys and enforcers help too. A lot of the West teams have it, and while it may not seem like it on paper, the Knicks also have guys who are tough, battle-tested and can enforce as needed. I'm not sure the Celtics or even the Cavaliers have it. The Pistons do, but they are inexperienced and haven't been there often so they lost in the second round.

They've always been soft. Easily punked around. Jrue had the toughness/grit. Smart was also that but also poor BBIQ. Same with Grant Williams, had the mini-Kendrick Perkins role but dumb BBIQ. Even the coach looks inanimated. See those happy smiling/jersey exchanges at the end of games even when the C's got eliminated by the 76ers? If these were the old days they'd just walk off the court like PP and KG. No losers should be smiling after blowing a 3-1 lead, should be mad and disappointed and walking off into the locker room instead.

This team needs an enforcer, need someone who can swing elbows or hound on an opponent.

[SparzWizard]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over. Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Yeah, 2024 was absolutely brutal. 

thankfully they had enough talent to overcome Joe's shortcomings as the coach.  3 out of 4 playoff appearances under Joe have had the team losing to an inferior opponent including this year when they lost in the first round after being up 3-1 which had never happened in franchise history.

Or.. The 2024 Celtics had a more talented roster and actual leaders on the court like Jrue and Horford. The players are deciding the games, not the coach. If the coach made as much of a difference as you are implying, the Miami Heat would have been in the playoffs. They have the best coach in the NBA. Instead, the Heat failed to make the playoffs this year and were swept in the first round last year.

Talent and coaching are important. Who cares if you have talent but a dud of a coach...look at those Melo/Stoudemire Knicks teams or Durant/Westbrook/Harden or KD/RW0 teams. Or even the current Jokic/Murray teams.

Joe Shmuck can't coach his way out of a paperbag

[Goldstar88]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over. Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Yeah, 2024 was absolutely brutal. 

thankfully they had enough talent to overcome Joe's shortcomings as the coach.  3 out of 4 playoff appearances under Joe have had the team losing to an inferior opponent including this year when they lost in the first round after being up 3-1 which had never happened in franchise history.

Or.. The 2024 Celtics had a more talented roster and actual leaders on the court like Jrue and Horford. The players are deciding the games, not the coach. If the coach made as much of a difference as you are implying, the Miami Heat would have been in the playoffs. They have the best coach in the NBA. Instead, the Heat failed to make the playoffs this year and were swept in the first round last year.

If coaches don't make a difference, why do teams hire them? They could probably train an AI program to call time outs.

Part of a coach's job is to make adjustments, both in game and over the course of a series.  Joe absolutely sucked at that during the playoffs.  It has never been one of his skills, but she was shockingly bad at it during the playoffs.

I?d say it is 90-95% on the players. I mean, Mike Brown and Mitch Johnson are coaching in the Finals right now. Enough said.

[SparzWizard]

Since the Knicks last loss before last night, Boston lost 3 games.  My Cavs friends thought that was funny.

Sadly drives home the point of how demoralizing/frustrating the C's have become in the playoffs since Joe took over. Not saying it's all on Joe but there's a definite change in team expectations before and after he got promoted to HC.

Yeah, 2024 was absolutely brutal. 

thankfully they had enough talent to overcome Joe's shortcomings as the coach.  3 out of 4 playoff appearances under Joe have had the team losing to an inferior opponent including this year when they lost in the first round after being up 3-1 which had never happened in franchise history.

Or.. The 2024 Celtics had a more talented roster and actual leaders on the court like Jrue and Horford. The players are deciding the games, not the coach. If the coach made as much of a difference as you are implying, the Miami Heat would have been in the playoffs. They have the best coach in the NBA. Instead, the Heat failed to make the playoffs this year and were swept in the first round last year.

If coaches don't make a difference, why do teams hire them? They could probably train an AI program to call time outs.

Part of a coach's job is to make adjustments, both in game and over the course of a series.  Joe absolutely sucked at that during the playoffs.  It has never been one of his skills, but she was shockingly bad at it during the playoffs.

I?d say it is 90-95% on the players. I mean, Mike Brown and Mitch Johnson are coaching in the Finals right now. Enough said.

TBF Mike Brown is a solid head coach.

Mitch Johnson outcoached Mark Daigneault in the last series plus Jalen Williams was injured otherwise OKC wins