Why is jae so bad suddenly?

[walker834]

Was this season a fluke or is he hurt?   SEries isn't over yet but we are starting to look more and more like those post Bird teams that were young and fun to watch but not that good when it came down to it.  Players in the nba seem to once they break through become what they are but there are players like Demarre Carroll that have a good year get injured.  Or players that have good years and just are never the same.  It doesn't seem to happen too much in the nba but I'm starting to wonder that with some of these guys.  We have been on an upward trend but might be starting to hit a ceiling with some of these guys.

Is it because he's hurt or is it playoff  basketball where he's coming back down to reality?

He was a roleplayer in Dallas.  He had a great year for us but he's been a no show.

[nickagneta]

Its been all over the reports of this series. Crowder is still severely feeling the effects of his high ankle sprain and is playing through it.

[walker834]

So this is just because Isaiah and Crowder both have ankle sprains?  And Bradley is out?  We just do not look like the same team at all. KO too.  That's our 4 best scorers during the regular season. bleh. 

[walker834]

That's not a winning formula when all our best players get hurt in the 1st round of the playoffs.  I understand injuries happen but just odd is all.  Bradley has injury issues in the past and gets hurt at bad times.  I dont know if we are asking too much of these guys or what. This team in general seems to break down.  People like to pick on sully for him hitting a wall as the season goes but it's the whole team.

Smart, jerebko, Turner and Amir are healthy. That's about it right now. So much for our depth.  We aren't going to win like that.

On the road in a critical game 5 too.

[walker834]

We need to turn these nets picks the next 3 years into 3 stud players it's looking like because none of these guys can be counted on when it matters.  Barring some miracle comeback, It's seeming like we play hard all year and when teh playoffs come its one and done like we are overextending ourselves.  We need Crowder.  We need more talent in general.

[crimson_stallion]

That's not a winning formula when all our best players get hurt in the 1st round of the playoffs.  I understand injuries happen but just odd is all.  Bradley has injury issues in the past and gets hurt at bad times.  I dont know if we are asking too much of these guys or what. This team in general seems to break down.  People like to pick on sully for him hitting a wall as the season goes but it's the whole team.

Smart, jerebko, Turner and Amir are healthy. That's about it right now. So much for our depth.  We aren't going to win like that.

On the road in a critical game 5 too.

Ok no problems, we'll just go and have a polite chat to the injury gods and tell them this is unacceptable.

Guys get injured.  That's what happens when you're playing a game where 5'10" guys jump up into 6'10" guys and get knocked to the floor from 3 -4 feet in the ait.

Basketball is a game that puts a lot of pressure on a person's body.  Out just is what it is.  Clippers have lost Blake Griffin. AND Chris Paul for the playoffs - believe me, they have it worse then us.

[alldaboston]

We need to turn these nets picks the next 3 years into 3 stud players it's looking like because none of these guys can be counted on when it matters.  Barring some miracle comeback, It's seeming like we play hard all year and when teh playoffs come its one and done like we are overextending ourselves.  We need Crowder.  We need more talent in general.

Yep, this. These picks have to be hits. Or traded for the right guys.

[Snakehead]

He's hurt.

[Csfan1984]

Al Hordford is also banged up. No team is 100% right now.

[walker834]

i'm as positive as anyone that's the thing. I watch this team all year and would normally say hey we are just hurt.  But great teams have enough talent to sustain those injuries.  We are a team right now who can't even afford the loss of jae crowder. I get its hard to win in the nba.  You need to hit right and have the best team and be healthy but the celtics of old had stars and depth where it didnt matter. 

Ever since perk went down in the playoffs against the lakers, the season is a marathon but the playoffs really become a war of attrition in ways. It's who has the best players and who can remain healthy.  It's a much more physical game especially after playing an 82 game marathon.

This team plays with heart and i'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Just back to the drawing board but it's looking like this team is breaking down much earlier than they should and are made of glass right now.

Especially with bigger and faster and more talented teams out there.  We need talent and depth. Coaching is good but only goes so far.

The hawks are a tough team and a bad luck 1st round matchup for us but we need to beat the hawks regardless. There are too many talented teams out there.

I can sit here and make all the excuses in the world.  The hawks are good.  We are banged up.  But we need to get it done and beat these teams.

Being the Boston Celtics will only take us so far in name value. We need to be the Boston Celtics.

[alewilliam789]

I still can't believe that Ainge got hung up on Crowder in a Jimmy Butler deal. You don't pass on these opportunities for stars because they don't come around often, especially two way stars. He would have fit so perfectly into this offense!! It just sucks seeing Crowder struggle and thinking that IT could have had Butler help guide them to the 2nd round. Let's say the Brooklyn pick falls at 3 this summer. Now not only are you in the same position you were at the deadline, but you have a Jae Crowder who has clearly declined in value after this playoffs, injury or not. People think that Crowder has been struggling with injuries, which he most likely is, but Atlanta has exposed his flaws immensely. They've forced him left and not allowed him to get a head of steam. Without these Crowder has struggled really bad because those are huge parts of his game. Now we have a pick that has significantly depreciated because I'm sure the Bulls believed that it had a chance at the 1st overall pick. Now we actually have a better chance to get the 4th or 5th pick. So now even if we were to trade for him we would probably have to trade more because of all our assets have depreciated.
It's good to bet on yourself like Jimmy, but sometimes the market doesn't always reward you. Too many factors.

[alldaboston]

I still can't believe that Ainge got hung up on Crowder in a Jimmy Butler deal. You don't pass on these opportunities for stars because they don't come around often, especially two way stars. He would have fit so perfectly into this offense!! It just sucks seeing Crowder struggle and thinking that IT could have had Butler help guide them to the 2nd round. Let's say the Brooklyn pick falls at 3 this summer. Now not only are you in the same position you were at the deadline, but you have a Jae Crowder who has clearly declined in value after this playoffs, injury or not. People think that Crowder has been struggling with injuries, which he most likely is, but Atlanta has exposed his flaws immensely. They've forced him left and not allowed him to get a head of steam. Without these Crowder has struggled really bad because those are huge parts of his game. Now we have a pick that has significantly depreciated because I'm sure the Bulls believed that it had a chance at the 1st overall pick. Now we actually have a better chance to get the 4th or 5th pick. So now even if we were to trade for him we would probably have to trade more because of all our assets have depreciated.
It's good to bet on yourself like Jimmy, but sometimes the market doesn't always reward you. Too many factors.

I'm sure Danny will lowball the Bulls for Jimmy. The chemistry issues they have probably make the Bulls all the more desperate to make a move, so I could see Danny remaining by his offers, whatever they were.

[walker834]

This game started off so well. I'm watching the replay right now. Bleh.. I like our team that's the thing.  I think we can look so good at times but we hit a wall pretty bad this game.    I think this is what Ainge is talking about where we hit stretches where we lack scoring.  It's about finding the right pieces and we have picks.  We have to stick to the plan here. I don't want to sell this team short but with other teams really loading up we are going to have to really build this.

Hopefully game 6 we come back and play better.  We are definately capable of that. 

[walker834]

Crowder to me is a roleplayer though.  This team would be better served with a guy who can really score at that spot in ways.  He's good when he has those 20 point games but he doesn't do it enough.  This whole series we have missed his scoring.

jaylen brown, hield, jimmy butler, simmons, bender whoever. We need a guy like that. We miss Bradley too.  We need a big man as well.  Amir is good when people pay attention to Isaiah. Sully and KO are ok.  We have good players but we lack something at times.

We basically got off to a good start then just completely fell apart for a good stretch there and never were able to recover. The hawks basically dominated every matchup.  Took isaiah away.  Bazemore outplayed crowder all down the line.

[alewilliam789]

I still can't believe that Ainge got hung up on Crowder in a Jimmy Butler deal. You don't pass on these opportunities for stars because they don't come around often, especially two way stars. He would have fit so perfectly into this offense!! It just sucks seeing Crowder struggle and thinking that IT could have had Butler help guide them to the 2nd round. Let's say the Brooklyn pick falls at 3 this summer. Now not only are you in the same position you were at the deadline, but you have a Jae Crowder who has clearly declined in value after this playoffs, injury or not. People think that Crowder has been struggling with injuries, which he most likely is, but Atlanta has exposed his flaws immensely. They've forced him left and not allowed him to get a head of steam. Without these Crowder has struggled really bad because those are huge parts of his game. Now we have a pick that has significantly depreciated because I'm sure the Bulls believed that it had a chance at the 1st overall pick. Now we actually have a better chance to get the 4th or 5th pick. So now even if we were to trade for him we would probably have to trade more because of all our assets have depreciated.
It's good to bet on yourself like Jimmy, but sometimes the market doesn't always reward you. Too many factors.

I'm sure Danny will lowball the Bulls for Jimmy. The chemistry issues they have probably make the Bulls all the more desperate to make a move, so I could see Danny remaining by his offers, whatever they were.

That's true, but you also have to look at it from this angle. There is a huge market for a player like Jimmy. For example, if a team like Philly suddenly becomes aggressive to reverse their rebuild with their assets of Okafor, Noel, Saric, Embiid, and picks then we can easily be outbidded on pretty much any player on the market. Would Chicago rather take a packaged centered around Crowder, or a package centered around Okafor or Noel and picks?? Think about this. Philly lands 1 and grabs Ben Simmons. They send over Saric, Covington, Embiid, and a pick for Butler. They can clearly send over Okafor and other players. Here's a quick rebuild though. They send Okafor for our pick 3, Avery Bradley, and Rozier. They take Kris Dunn with 3.
So here's their starting lineup:

PG: Kris Dunn
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: Ben Simmons
C: Nerlens Noel

Now tell me that wouldn't be a dangerous team in the East. The scary part is that they could easily do that.
Sorry guys it's just interesting to think about how to build some of these teams.