this game put marcus in perspective

[slamtheking]

The game also put Aaron Gordon in perspective. 

not being facetious here but what perspective would that be now?

[Ilikesports17]

The game also put Aaron Gordon in perspective. 

not being facetious here but what perspective would that be now?

probably "even if one of our players looks good thats not important cus so does someone else on another team. Dont be happy, Celtics fans."

I would assume that is the perspective.

Honestly, I dont think puts x in perspective really makes any sense, but I get the point of the post. Gordon also had a really good game... This is true. He is a player on another team who we never had an opportunity to draft.

Zach Lavine dropped 35 a week ago, Deangelo Russel dropped 21 the other night and Julius Randle put up 23 and 12.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Actually, the unrealistic expectation is that these guys should do it every night. Even the best of the best can have an off night and sometimes multiple off nights. To expect the average player not to have down periods is unrealistic.

Good players produce, I expect baby steps toward the end goal.  The great players do it every night.

Please no future all star talk, until they produce like one.

I wouldn't say Olynyk disappeared last night. He may have only had 9 points, but he still was playing with confidence, which is huge for him. He kept shooting even after early misses. Was decisive when choosing to pass/drive/shoot. Made a couple nice moves toward the bucket. Normally when Kelly goes off for a few games and then vanishes, he scores like 4 points and is just tentative and lifeless. That wasn't the KO we saw last night. I see no reason to change my opinion that he's taken a noticeable step forward this year, hopefully it continues.

3-9 from the field OMITTED
0-5 from the trey OMITTED

I think he has taken some good steps this year.

That's a pretty obvious statement. The part you aren't getting is that they don't every night.Yes, the best of the best are the most consistent players but how do you hold players who are not the best to that type of standard? Doesn't make sense once you compare it to their peers.

People on this site are obsessed with shooting/scoring that they become blinded by everything else a person offers. I can only imagine what people said about Tony Allen. Look at how many people jump down Smart's throat when he doesn't shoot well.

[mgent]

Smart > Gordon

[D Dub]

He looks like a great SG not PG. But He did look Great.

I'm starting to think he's a 3. 
Put him with a couple shooters, let him handle the ball & confuse the opponent with all the cross matchs.  That game against NY where we switched him onto Porzingus and complete took him out of the game was a revelation, imho. 

He's the prototype for position-less basketball. 

[Evantime34]

Actually, the unrealistic expectation is that these guys should do it every night. Even the best of the best can have an off night and sometimes multiple off nights. To expect the average player not to have down periods is unrealistic.

Good players produce, I expect baby steps toward the end goal.  The great players do it every night.

Please no future all star talk, until they produce like one.

In general players get more consistent the longer they are in the league. Even all stars are often plagued by inconsistencies early in their careers.

Now I believe that Smart will be a future star, but that's not my point. The point is consistency from a very young player is almost unheard of.

[BDeCosta26]

Actually, the unrealistic expectation is that these guys should do it every night. Even the best of the best can have an off night and sometimes multiple off nights. To expect the average player not to have down periods is unrealistic.

Good players produce, I expect baby steps toward the end goal.  The great players do it every night.

Please no future all star talk, until they produce like one.

I wouldn't say Olynyk disappeared last night. He may have only had 9 points, but he still was playing with confidence, which is huge for him. He kept shooting even after early misses. Was decisive when choosing to pass/drive/shoot. Made a couple nice moves toward the bucket. Normally when Kelly goes off for a few games and then vanishes, he scores like 4 points and is just tentative and lifeless. That wasn't the KO we saw last night. I see no reason to change my opinion that he's taken a noticeable step forward this year, hopefully it continues.

3-9 from the field OMITTED
0-5 from the trey OMITTED

I think he has taken some good steps this year.

Yeah, he struggled shooting. Something he hasn't done much of this year. But even after the early misses he kept playing aggressively and trying to generate points. Most nights two or three of those 3's go in and he's got 15-18 points.

We've seen good improvement from KO this year. His performance the other night wasn't one of those disappearing acts we've seen from him before. I hope we keep feeding him shots tonight. I'd really like to see his improvement continue and earn him more minutes.

[spikelovetheCelts]

He looks like a great SG not PG. But He did look Great.

I'm starting to think he's a 3. 
Put him with a couple shooters, let him handle the ball & confuse the opponent with all the cross matchs.  That game against NY where we switched him onto Porzingus and complete took him out of the game was a revelation, imho. 

He's the prototype for position-less basketball.

That is what makes the Warrior so great is green can do just that. I am hopeful Smart will stay in green and grow. He really is not a pg. He just has to play it.

[CelticPride2016]

That's a pretty obvious statement. The part you aren't getting is that they don't every night.Yes, the best of the best are the most consistent players but how do you hold players who are not the best to that type of standard? Doesn't make sense once you compare it to their peers.

People on this site are obsessed with shooting/scoring that they become blinded by everything else a person offers. I can only imagine what people said about Tony Allen. Look at how many people jump down Smart's throat when he doesn't shoot well.

I don't know about this blog, but people were very down on Tony Allen for the most part. He was treated the same way a lot of us refer to Evan Turnover.

It's funny, because a lot of these people who don't think twice before tossing players into the cookie-cutter are probably the same ones who praise Isaiah Thomas but somehow miss that he makes more "bonehead" mistakes than anyone.

Perhaps a lot of people get taken in by packaging, so they become the last Celtics fans to realize Avery, Crowder, Olynyk and Tony Allen for that matter are the truth.

I think style points are overrated. We're Celtics fans. We're supposed to root for the lunch pail players, not tear them down.

I don't see what the problem is. We have three of the usual four guard positions sealed as championship potential. We only have to find the taller sort of shooting guard.

Can Crowder defend big shooting guards? I remember Wallace and a young Paul Pierce doing it. Gerald Wallace was another player who got bad reviews he didn't deserve. He was a solid ten minutes, good chemistry guy off the bench. That was a bad trade by Danny for Lee for a couple of reasons, but I am hijacking the thread.

I go back and forth all the time with my opinions. They are not from any one game though. I usually give a player one to two months before declaring they are a scrub. And it seems all rookies deserve at least three years to prove themselves. Fab Melo was the exception. He was so bad, he didn't last very long.

Smart and his shooting is a mystery. He does seem to have a fluid stroke. He's not hoisting them up there like M.L. Carr, Gerald, or Tony.

Isaiah and Smart as starters with Avery and player X off the bench could be a championship guard rotation. I am ready to roll the dice with Crowder as SF. I mean please pass me some more Jae Crowder kool-aid.

In conclusion, I feel good about our team and that includes Marcus Smart. Evan Turner and Sully are my current two Celtics on the scrub bubble. I mean from my individual angle.

I predict the Celtics win the championship within three years starting next year, fireworks or not.

[Monkhouse]

Always compared Marcus Smart to a smaller version of Draymond Green.

I remember when we played the Mavericks, and he switched on Dirk, and gave him some tough fits, and even though Dirk had at least 5-6 inches on him, there was clear frustration at being unable to take a easy shot. The same exact play Dirk took a fade away, missed it, and Smart threw a nice pass to a running Crowder for a easy bucket.

I think people expect way too much out of Smart.

The funny thing is if you compare his numbers to Draymond Green, his numbers per 36 in the same years are literally the same except for blocks/rebounds. And I think Smart actually rebounds well for his position.

[rollie mass]

nice post celtics 2016-tp as usual
Last season was rather unusual and not an easy enviornment for rookies and 2nd year players like kelly-the rondo trade had to be unsettling, hey he was a vet and all star,then green athletic and supposed to score,tyler and turner also new
 then began a parade and the whole ****g band,
forget about rotations it was a merry go round,timing and knowing your teamates moves what teamate-who are you
-a rookie point guard coming back from a high ankle sprain and then isaiah, do you think anybody had ever seen or played with that kind of player
-poor kelly must have been in shock ,then his ankle sprain and getting pushed around and smart had no lift ,little explosivness and pain all season
at least smart could fall back on defense-kelly kept hitting the gym and sully ate his way to injury-
prince gone,another vet and jerebko and gigi make there way to celtics and we do the improbable WIN and make the playoffs and the season ends
marcus is a very tough kid and finally gets out of pain and then admits playing all season in pain
 
 then  summer league , he rips his fingers out of joint, comes back and suffers a unique knee injury and out for 17games -and these stupid radio talk hosts challenge his ability to shoot  because of the absurd low percentage shooting this year-so both kelly and marcus have survived that cauldron last year-marcus is still 21 - and one of the best defensive guards in league and kelly one of leading 3 point shooters-thank God for brad

[Denis998]

Always compared Marcus Smart to a smaller version of Draymond Green.

I remember when we played the Mavericks, and he switched on Dirk, and gave him some tough fits, and even though Dirk had at least 5-6 inches on him, there was clear frustration at being unable to take a easy shot. The same exact play Dirk took a fade away, missed it, and Smart threw a nice pass to a running Crowder for a easy bucket.

I think people expect way too much out of Smart.

The funny thing is if you compare his numbers to Draymond Green, his numbers per 36 in the same years are literally the same except for blocks/rebounds. And I think Smart actually rebounds well for his position.

Not to mention the time he guarded Porzingis for seemingly the duration of a quarter, rendering porzingis ineffective.

[loco_91]

It's easy to overreact to a few games. I thought that people were overreacting to his poor start, and I think people are overreacting to his recent hot stretch. He's a .313 career 3pt shooter--below average but not terrible-- and I haven't seen anything to convince me that he is either better than that or worse than that right now. He's always been a good passer, and the most promising thing I've seen is an improved ability to drive to the rim (although the finishing isn't there yet).

People have to remember that Smart doesn't have to be great offensively. If he can be merely average on that end, he will be a really great player.

[footey]

The game also put Aaron Gordon in perspective.

Agree. Too bad he wasn't available to take at 6.  His game is really starting to take form in NBA.

[CelticPride2016]

Last season was rather unusual and not an easy enviornment for rookies and 2nd year players like kelly-the rondo trade had to be unsettling, hey he was a vet and all star,then green athletic and supposed to score,tyler and turner also new
 then began a parade and the whole ****g band,
forget about rotations it was a merry go round,timing and knowing your teamates moves what teamate-who are you

Thanks Rollie.

Zeller is making us look good tonight. We were the few thinking don't give up on him just yet. I agree with you we need to look at this team over time. It is about a year since the recent roster has settled in after the merry-go-round.

I also agree Stevens is a genius for keeping it together despite all the roster moves.

We forget these guys are human. They often end up labeled a scrub, above average, or a star before anything's been decided.

A guy like me could be completely wrong about Evan Turner. I don't know what Brad is thinking there, but it is obviously working overall. I don't know what Brad and Danny are discussing. Obviously they want every player feeling comfortable no matter how long the stay.

That must be quite the psychological battle for most players, not letting uncertainty affect their play and attitudes. Crowder got that spiffy five year deal. The certainty of his contract must be a big boost to his confidence. Meanwhile, David Lee sits at the end of the bench as a reminder to almost half the team that their next year is not guaranteed. Doc Rivers is praised for his ability to manage egos. Maybe Brad is underrated for people person skills.

The narrative last year was clearly we are moving forward with Rondo and Green. Then that all changed. I was very down on the team including Brad during that awkward transition from mayhem into a playoff team. I can't remember a Celtic I've disliked more than Jameer Nelson. There was no way he could fit in to the team philosophy that was forming. I was a bit intrigued with Wright, but I was not happy watching Brad play five bigs each game. That got quickly fixed by Danny and "now we know the rest of the story." Isaiah was great until he fell on his upper butt. We did make the playoffs which was an amazing accomplishment.

Things are consistently coming out in the wash. It doesn't look like Lee will play again. Zeller has slowly but surely reentered the picture. He was well utilized by Brad tonight against the Knicks with their twin towers.

-a rookie point guard coming back from a high ankle sprain and then isaiah, do you think anybody had ever seen or played with that kind of player
-poor kelly must have been in shock ,then his ankle sprain and getting pushed around and smart had no lift ,little explosivness and pain all season
at least smart could fall back on defense-kelly kept hitting the gym and sully ate his way to injury-
prince gone,another vet and jerebko and gigi make there way to celtics and we do the improbable WIN and make the playoffs and the season ends
marcus is a very tough kid and finally gets out of pain and then admits playing all season in pain
 

This is the genius of Brad and it has been successful except for Bogans. I bet if anyone asks Humphries, Wallace or Bass, they won't have anything but praise for the coach and their experience in Boston.

Gigi was pretty good. Hunter is young but could eventually be the rich man's Datome. This is why I am asking for a three year transition from gritty underdog to top contender with the clock starting next year. The young guys need time to amass skills, to basically get used to the NBA.

then  summer league , he rips his fingers out of joint, comes back and suffers a unique knee injury and out for 17games -and these stupid radio talk hosts challenge his ability to shoot  because of the absurd low percentage shooting this year-so both kelly and marcus have survived that cauldron last year-marcus is still 21 - and one of the best defensive guards in league and kelly one of leading 3 point shooters-thank God for brad

I agree with a lot of what you say, not just here. In general, you seem to back up my personal eye test. It's nice to get insider knowledge from people who've played.

I think the best thing about Brad, Danny, even Wyc, and most of the players is that despite making millions, they still play for the love of the game. It's a really good organization compared to a lot of the other cities.

There seemed to be some controversy with Marcus Smart's bad ankle sprain. Was it his fault for not taping it?

Injuries and roster turmoil are going to influence players, period, and I assume younger players have much more flying through their heads than established vets.

Marcus has shown he can drive to the hoop. I think he should try to hit the lane and make it to the free throw line like Isaiah does to offset the chance of having off shooting nights. Avery tonight was ice-cold and probably damaged his stats. Avery's problem on offense is he can't just drive to the hoop like Isaiah, Evan, or Olynyk and create offense in other ways than relying on jump shots. Bird and Magic were the best at that. They were transcendent because they could do everything and adjust if one part of their game just wasn't there for some reason. I agree with Shak above that there is far more to the game than being a good shooter and that one needn't be a great shooter. Probably average is all one needs to be if they are great at everything else.

Having a love for the game is oftentimes the difference between playing on winning teams, no matter if it is in the NBA or a three on three at the family get together, and being a scrub on the losing side.