Boston Spurs

[jambr380]

As far as the negativity goes:

We are winning games that good teams should win. We beat teams in slumps. We beat teams with injuries. We beat Eastern Conference top playoff teams.

These are games that good teams should be winning. Bad teams don't win those type of games consistently. Even average teams do not have the ability to win those games consistently. We are winning those games.

We're 6-4, so it's not like we're winning anything consistently.

We could go 78-4 and I probably still won't be able to let go of those Pacers losses.

Still, we are playing great and I get where the OP is coming from - it's that cool as a cucumber approach our genius coach has and smart tenacity of our players. Regardless of what our record might end up being, we are seeing a different team than the post-big 3 Rondo-Green time (both players who I liked quite a bit). This team has a clear direction.

[DarkAzcura]

As far as the negativity goes:

We are winning games that good teams should win. We beat teams in slumps. We beat teams with injuries. We beat Eastern Conference top playoff teams.

These are games that good teams should be winning. Bad teams don't win those type of games consistently. Even average teams do not have the ability to win those games consistently. We are winning those games.

We're 6-4, so it's not like we're winning anything consistently.

6-4 actually translates to ~49 wins..that's pretty consistent honestly. It's 6 wins below the pace we had to close last season (last 36 games).

[kozlodoev]

As far as the negativity goes:

We are winning games that good teams should win. We beat teams in slumps. We beat teams with injuries. We beat Eastern Conference top playoff teams.

These are games that good teams should be winning. Bad teams don't win those type of games consistently. Even average teams do not have the ability to win those games consistently. We are winning those games.

We're 6-4, so it's not like we're winning anything consistently.

6-4 actually translates to ~49 wins..that's pretty consistent honestly. It's 6 wins below the pace we had to close last season (last 36 games).

And 1-0 translates to ~82 wins. Ten games are not enough to talk about anything being done with consistency.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Kozlodoev, I know you are trying to be realistic. I appreciate that. That shows you have the ability to see the positives and negatives. It's a balanced approach.

But sometimes, your comments betray you. A ten game streak is fairly consistent. It is 1/8 of a season, or about 16%. It is not a full season, but it is significant. It's not a one-game fluke. It's not a two game fluke. We have played 4 really good games recently, and won them with most of our players shooting below their career averages.

My point is not that we are the best team in the NBA (even though my heart says that:) ). My point is that good teams win games they are suppose to win. Good teams are suppose to beat teams in turmoil, or teams with injuries, or playoff teams in their own conference.

We are a rebuilding team. We are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. We are a team with top draft picks in a loaded 2016 draft. We are a team that is developing a feisty, defensive attitude. We are a team filled with interesting prospects.

We are a team that just beat last year's Eastern Conference 1st and 5th seed. We are a team that just dismantled last year's Western Conference 2nd seed and beat an ailing would-be contender.

We are a good team.

[CelticsBR]

What worries me at the time is that we are making great runs midgames, but the begginings are still problematic. Why do you guys think that's happening?

In my opinion, the talent level of this team is not enough to keep up with the other teams' offenses when they are still calm and a hundred percent physically. Our strenght is that we are able to keep the intensity level high for the whole match. We have a deep bench and very energetic players at EVERY position.

[Tr1boy]

What worries me at the time is that we are making great runs midgames, but the begginings are still problematic. Why do you guys think that's happening?

In my opinion, the talent level of this team is not enough to keep up with the other teams' offenses when they are still calm and a hundred percent physically. Our strenght is that we are able to keep the intensity level high for the whole match. We have a deep bench and very energetic players at EVERY position.

It is what it is. We will start OK, then grind you out. Celts intensity never waivers. Actually it increases while rw and harden are gassed.

Our strength is in our depth and togetherness

[Celtics18]

What worries me at the time is that we are making great runs midgames, but the begginings are still problematic. Why do you guys think that's happening?

In my opinion, the talent level of this team is not enough to keep up with the other teams' offenses when they are still calm and a hundred percent physically. Our strenght is that we are able to keep the intensity level high for the whole match. We have a deep bench and very energetic players at EVERY position.

It is what it is. We will start OK, then grind you out. Celts intensity never waivers. Actually it increases while rw and harden are gassed.

Our strength is in our depth and togetherness

 . . . and our defensive super stars. 

[Tr1boy]

What worries me at the time is that we are making great runs midgames, but the begginings are still problematic. Why do you guys think that's happening?

In my opinion, the talent level of this team is not enough to keep up with the other teams' offenses when they are still calm and a hundred percent physically. Our strenght is that we are able to keep the intensity level high for the whole match. We have a deep bench and very energetic players at EVERY position.

It is what it is. We will start OK, then grind you out. Celts intensity never waivers. Actually it increases while rw and harden are gassed.

Our strength is in our depth and togetherness

 . . . and our defensive super stars.

I agree.  Amir , Crowder, Smart should make 2nd all defensive team. You can add AB in the picture. 

[Celtics18]

What worries me at the time is that we are making great runs midgames, but the begginings are still problematic. Why do you guys think that's happening?

In my opinion, the talent level of this team is not enough to keep up with the other teams' offenses when they are still calm and a hundred percent physically. Our strenght is that we are able to keep the intensity level high for the whole match. We have a deep bench and very energetic players at EVERY position.

It is what it is. We will start OK, then grind you out. Celts intensity never waivers. Actually it increases while rw and harden are gassed.

Our strength is in our depth and togetherness

 . . . and our defensive super stars.

I agree.  Amir , Crowder, Smart should make 2nd all defensive team. You can add AB in the picture.

I disagree.  If the season ended today, I would have both Marcus and Smart on the 1st team.  Amir would probably be second team. 

[crimson_stallion]

As far as the negativity goes:

We are winning games that good teams should win. We beat teams in slumps. We beat teams with injuries. We beat Eastern Conference top playoff teams.

These are games that good teams should be winning. Bad teams don't win those type of games consistently. Even average teams do not have the ability to win those games consistently. We are winning those games.

We're 6-4, so it's not like we're winning anything consistently.

6-4 actually translates to ~49 wins..that's pretty consistent honestly. It's 6 wins below the pace we had to close last season (last 36 games).

And 1-0 translates to ~82 wins. Ten games are not enough to talk about anything being done with consistency.

While this is true, I think a more telling factor is our point differential.

Our point differential is currently +6.6 which ranks second in the East, and fourth in the league. 

We rank 4th in the East in Points For (10th in the league) and 3rd in the East in Points Against (5th in the league) meaning we are beating teams on both ends of the court.   

The 5 games we have won, have been by an average margin of 16.16 points.
The 4 games we have lost, have been by an average margin of 7.75 points

This team has been playing some seriously impressive basketball, and that's despite the fact that the Celtics have had one of the harder schedules in the league thus far.

Fact is, all the teams who have beaten us have been good teams.  All the mediocre teams we have blown out.  Many of the good teams we have played, we have also blown out.

Of course it's still early and the sample size is still pretty small, but there is really no evidence so far to suggest that we should be anything but very good this year.

At the start of last season, everybody in the league dismissed the Hawks.  Most people felt they would not make the playoffs, and were lottery bound.  The universal reasoning behind this was that the team had "no major stars".  Atlanta went on to play much better than anybody expected, then surprise - four of their players made the All-Star team.

Most people believe that stars make a team good.  That's often true, but sometimes it can go the opposite way as well - good teams can make stars.

Did anybody consider Kawhi Leonard a star before the Spurs won the title and he won Finals MVP?

Did anybody consider Korver or Teague stars before the Hawks emerged as one of the dominant teams last season?

Was anybody considering Deandre Jordan a star before Chris Paul showed up and turned the Clippers into a Western Conference force?

Would Draymond Green be considered anything more than a good role player if the Warriors never came out and dominated the way they did last year?

Nobody expected Boston to be a really good team this year because we had no "major stars".  But if Boston somehow manages to finish with 50+ wins and a top 4 seed in the East, you watch as Isaiah Thomas and one or two of his teammates show up on the All-Star squad.

[crimson_stallion]

Duncan? Parker? Leonard?

If you look at their Per-36 numbers:

* Amir Johnson (13 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 1.8 blk, 57% FG, 69% FT) has been [dang] near just as effective as Tim Duncan (15 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast, 2.1 blk, 54% FG, 75% FT).

* Isaiah Thomas (25 pts, 7.5 ast, 2.5 reb, 42% FG, 36% 3PT, 86% FT) has been at least on par with Tony Parker (16 pts, 5.1 ast, 2.2 reb, 53% FG, 66% 3PT, 78% FT) once you factor in Parker's unsustainably high percentages.

* Jared Sullinger (16 pts, 13 reb, 3 ast, 1.9 stl, 1.5 blk, 48% FG, 38% 3PT, 67% FT) has been at least on par with Lamarcus Aldridge (18 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast, 0.2 stl, 0.9 blk, 44% FG, 0% 3PT, 86% FT).

The one guy we don't have a match for is Leonard.  We are essentially one Kawhi Leonard away from being on par with the Spurs.

[Hemingway]

You would think that after spanking two western power houses on back to back games on the road that the negative posters here would at least take a few days off. I can understand the negativity after losses, especially losses to bad teams or big losses, but after wins where we look good? I just don't get it. If you can't be happy for our team, why be a fan at all?

And to the original post, yes we do look calm cool and collected out there.

[trickybilly]

What worries me at the time is that we are making great runs midgames, but the begginings are still problematic. Why do you guys think that's happening?

In my opinion, the talent level of this team is not enough to keep up with the other teams' offenses when they are still calm and a hundred percent physically. Our strenght is that we are able to keep the intensity level high for the whole match. We have a deep bench and very energetic players at EVERY position.

It is what it is. We will start OK, then grind you out. Celts intensity never waivers. Actually it increases while rw and harden are gassed.

Our strength is in our depth and togetherness

 . . . and our defensive super stars.

I agree.  Amir , Crowder, Smart should make 2nd all defensive team. You can add AB in the picture.

I disagree.  If the season ended today, I would have both Marcus and Smart on the 1st team.  Amir would probably be second team.

Avery and Bradley both deserve special mentions, especially given that they are undersized..

[BudweiserCeltic]

Spurs comparisons are delving into the inferiority complex zone.

If a comparison is to be made, make it to the Celtics' foundation as a franchise.

But this whole "Boston Spurs" idea just screams inferiority complex. We're the winningest franchise in the NBA, let's act like it.

[alldaboston]

As Brad has said a couple of times now, let's try to be the best us. not the best Spurs, or Atlanta, or whatever. Let's be the best Celtics.