Jay King thoughts on the Celtics

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I wish that people would stop acting as though shots have a mind of their own, as though some fickle, nebulous force (and not the players) is what determines whether shots go in.

Players are responsible for poor shooting. And if the players keep taking and missing a particular type of shot -- like, say, the three-pointer -- it's on the coach to make his players try something different.

When shooters don't make shots in pressure situations, it's called choking.  Celts, unfortunately, have a propensity for this and tend to be contagious with it.  They're not a bad shooting team - until they are - then they don't seem to know what to do when except try shooting their way out of it.

Agree 100%.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I wish that people would stop acting as though shots have a mind of their own, as though some fickle, nebulous force (and not the players) is what determines whether shots go in.

Players are responsible for poor shooting. And if the players keep taking and missing a particular type of shot -- like, say, the three-pointer -- it's on the coach to make his players try something different.

Just want to say, this is a great line. I'm sitting at a Dunkin and actually laughed out loud reading this 

Thanks. Happy to add to your day!

And I wish I was at a Dunkin right now.

[Who]

I am wondering what it would cost to get CJ McCollum for a couple of seasons to be that starting guard that is needed.

Atlanta are saying they want to keep McCollum so I would expect them to pay him a good amount. More than the MLE. I don't think he is gettable.

It also looks like they will draft a PG at #8 and go with a three guard rotation of NAW, McCollum, #8 pick. Dyson Daniels to play more SF moving forward. Kuminga and Risacher to battle it out for backup forward minutes. One of those guys should become available in a trade at some point.

[Goldstar88]

Wt

[Phantom255x]

I wish that people would stop acting as though shots have a mind of their own, as though some fickle, nebulous force (and not the players) is what determines whether shots go in.

Players are responsible for poor shooting. And if the players keep taking and missing a particular type of shot -- like, say, the three-pointer -- it's on the coach to make his players try something different.

Just want to say, this is a great line. I'm sitting at a Dunkin and actually laughed out loud reading this 

Thanks. Happy to add to your day!

And I wish I was at a Dunkin right now.

Yeah I'm on summer break now and am back home so I'm cherishing Dunkin as much as I can 

[celticinorlando]

They have to add a center that can start.

Move Hauser and let Baylor and Hugo assume that role. Both should be in the gym shooting 1000 3s a day.

They still need guard depth.

[Roy H.]

They have to add a center that can start.

Move Hauser and let Baylor and Hugo assume that role. Both should be in the gym shooting 1000 3s a day.

They still need guard depth.

Who would you target at center?

[Celtics4ever]

Wendall Carter, is one of the guys I would target with a Hauser trade.  They still lack shooting and their team chemistry is suspect.  I would even throw is a future number one for him.

[Neurotic Guy]

They have to add a center that can start.

Move Hauser and let Baylor and Hugo assume that role. Both should be in the gym shooting 1000 3s a day.

They still need guard depth.

Who would you target at center?

No love for Queta?  Idk - he looks like a starting center to me.

[Jiri Welsch]

They have to add a center that can start.

Move Hauser and let Baylor and Hugo assume that role. Both should be in the gym shooting 1000 3s a day.

They still need guard depth.

Who would you target at center?

No love for Queta?  Idk - he looks like a starting center to me.

I guess it depends on what your definition of starting center is. He was a net negative in the playoffs. Seems like something they should try to improve upon rather than crossing their fingers and hoping he continues to develop.

[Celtics4ever]

No love for Queta?  Idk - he looks like a starting center to me.

He was during the year, but he could not stay on the floor due to fouls in the playoffs. He needs to become more cognizant of the need to switch his style of play to match the calls of the refs.  He needs to go to pick school and not move or lean when he is setting them.  He should work some of his agility as well.  He took tremendous strides last year and was very serviceable.

It did not help that Embiid gets every call and is subsidized by the league in terms of FTAs and his production.    I think we could have won this series if he was not so rested, he looked ever bit the superstar, but after our series he was the same old tired gimpy Embiid.

Vuc could not switch.  Garza was great in the regular but he seems like a third stringer in the playoffs.

We need another center, whether that is a depth piece or a starter.   

[Phantom255x]

They have to add a center that can start.

Move Hauser and let Baylor and Hugo assume that role. Both should be in the gym shooting 1000 3s a day.

They still need guard depth.

Who would you target at center?

No love for Queta?  Idk - he looks like a starting center to me.

I guess it depends on what your definition of starting center is. He was a net negative in the playoffs. Seems like something they should try to improve upon rather than crossing their fingers and hoping he continues to develop.

Queta is fine, they just need another guy to pair with him. Like an actual playable big man in the postseason, not Vucevic or Garza. Garza is alright just eating up spot minutes but I don't think he's a true backup big either. Even if you added a Claxton or Wendell Carter-type with Queta and each of them went 24 minutes per game, that's fine.

Me personally, I'd try to add two guys. Trade for someone like Gafford/Lively/Claxton/WCJ and then sign someone with the MLE like Porzingis, Timelord, Nurkic or Mamu. Revamp the frontcourt, but in essence just have a better rotation and mix of guys that can alleviate Queta's role. It became clear Vucevic was toast in the playoffs, but then with Queta also getting in foul trouble fast he couldn't go heavy minutes either.

Baylor, Hugo and others can still help out the guards/wing spot, but the frontcourt needs more. I personally thought the two biggest issues in the series (besides the 3-point Mazzulla philosophy) was White being bad, but also the frontcourt situation looking hopeless. And guess what, the league is trending towards those guys too (Embiid, KAT, Wemby, Jokic, etc.), you're gonna need to beef it up more and add size to combat it/neutralize it. Relying on smallball to cover those guys like the C's did in Game 7 vs PHI is tough.

[Who]

And guess what, the league is trending towards those guys too (Embiid, KAT, Wemby, Jokic, etc.), you're gonna need to beef it up more and add size to combat it/neutralize it. Relying on smallball to cover those guys like the C's did in Game 7 vs PHI is tough.

I was reading some quotes from unnamed league executives a few days ago and they were talking about this. They were not talking about bigs in general in the league but solely in terms of Wemby. Saying that everyone is looking for ways to add size to try and combat Wemby. That everyone is terrified of him.

A bit like with Shaq. Everyone need 3 centers who were roughly 7 feet and 250+lbs to try and combat him.

Now teams are loading up in size to deal with Wemby. They won't need as much beef as they did with Shaq but height and length. Bigger forwards. Bigger guards. More switchability. Quality defensive centers. That seems to be the idea.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

But I was told that true big men were dinosaurs.

[Donoghus]

But I was told that true big men were dinosaurs.

The 90s are in again.