Cavs blowing out Hawks...what does that say about the Celtics?

[MikeB12]

When the Hawks beat the Celtics in 6 games, many said the reason why the C's lost was because of the Hawks defense.  Well that D is getting killed by Cleveland. 

To me the Hawks getting blasted by the Cavs indicates the Celtics are a LONG way off from getting to the second and third rounds of the playoffs in the East.

Still hoping that this draft will give the C's some offensive help...but those who think they will get a superstar or a great player in the offseason by trade or free agency are kidding themselves.

MikeB (Celtics fan since the '60s)

[straightouttabahstun]

It's matchups and expectations I think. The C's clearly did not want to play Atlanta after beating the Heat. They wanted Miami or Charlotte because they knew they could beat those team. And they expected CLE in the second round should they win round one. ATL, while obviously has shooting which we lack, has way better big men. Horford may have had a bad series, but he is better than any big men we have on both ends of the ball. Same with Paul Millsap. Their guards are also better. Both Charlotte and Miami have flaws in all of those areas (even if Miami has Whiteside) that are easier to exploit for the C's.

[Csfan1984]

I thought about this last night and said sell sell sell. Good bye IT and AB try to score Kings pick or Pelicans they might be buyers. Then I remembered to say no we are building little by little and trending up with cap space. C's aren't contenders of course but in two years C's could be. There is also injuries to consider. C's had bad luck and I believe would have won or got to game 7 if AB and KO were healthy. There can always be health in C's favor next year's playoffs as well we just never know. So stay the course.

[Smart457]

We definitely still suck. 

Unfortunately for us we have a coach who knows how to maximize talent. We probably are sitting with an extra lottery pick from last year. Maybe Winslow. And another this year if it wasn't for Steven's brilliance.

Hopefully we get Durant out of this or else we really messed up over achieving just to get embarrassed two years in a row in the first round.

[Roy H.]

We are not close to the Cavs.  That's clear.

Still, we weren't at full strength against the Hawks. I still think we're a better team.

[Quetzalcoatl]

This offseason we need to add one of Simmons, Ingram, Durant or Butler - and I suppose Bender counts if he ends up being amazing, although it's way less likely.  We just need a legit star or the second round is our absolute ceiling.  The Hawks have 3 All Star level players and are getting smoked.  We need a star on the next rung up.  If we have to wait a couple of years for them to get good, so be it.

[Drucci]

The Hawks' defense wasn't great against us either : they basically swarmed IT and dared our other players to shoot. Most of their shots were wide open. The Cavs are making the shots we didn't make, it's as simple as that (which comes down to having more talent/better health of course).

[saltlover]

It's pretty simple.  Firstly, the Cavs are better.  Period. 

Secondly, the Cavs seven players who shoot league-average or better from 3.  All of them are healthy.  The C's have 4, two of whom were hurt.  (Arguably we had five, since injured Crowder pulled his numbers below league average, but he was still hurt during the playoffs.). It's a lot easier to play defense when you can ignore several players on the perimeter.

Thirdly, they have LeBron, who is very, very good, especially when on a team that requires defenders to stay home or give a good shooter an open 3, which, as already noted, the Cavs are.

I will always be convinced that a healthy Celtics team beats a healthy Hawks team this postseason, but that's not what we were.  It's been no question that we were limited shooting from the perimeter.  And while in one sense we had depth, it was more defensive depth than shooting depth.  Of course, Ainge knows this.  He knew we weren't that close, which is why a trade wasn't made for Horford, for example.  The series showed us nothing new, except maybe some of us, myself included, how we need to have multiple scoring threats on the court at the same time, because good defenses can take away the main option, as we saw with IT at the end of the series.  But we also have a solid foundation, that needs that one great player to join on and take it to the next level.  Luckily we have the cap room, players, and picks that give us a great chance to get that player.  Ainge will keep swinging for the fences, all the while improving incrementally if the homerun isn't there.

[hpantazo]

We are not close to the Cavs.  That's clear.

Still, we weren't at full strength against the Hawks. I still think we're a better team.

I agree. The Celtics I believe were the better team if fully healthy, and as much as they are not close to the Cavs, they would have matched up better vs Cleveland than the Hawks do, and would have put up a better fight.

[LHR]

...It says that this Celtics team ARE WHO WE THOUGHT...errr, whatever.  We knew this team was so far away from an elite team.  Doesn't take anything away from the season they had and the entertainment they provided fans.  Nor does it detract from the long term prospects.  Sorry to sound so rosy, but I mean there's no other way to put it.

To steer off topic a bit - pondered before the playoffs if the Cavs would win the title.  I had an inkling they were on cruise control.  Their lineup with Thompson in there was the second best five in the NBA in net rating if I believe.  They're using that now.  They're going to fo-fo-fo the East I believe then be completely rested for the Finals.  This NBA Playoffs is a lot more interesting than people expected.

[celticsclay]

We definitely still suck. 

Unfortunately for us we have a coach who knows how to maximize talent. We probably are sitting with an extra lottery pick from last year. Maybe Winslow. And another this year if it wasn't for Steven's brilliance.

Hopefully we get Durant out of this or else we really messed up over achieving just to get embarrassed two years in a row in the first round.

Wait going 6 games including a 1 point loss is being embarrassed? What the heck is a sweep? Not to mention we lost our best perimeter defender for the whole series

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

When the Hawks beat the Celtics in 6 games, many said the reason why the C's lost was because of the Hawks defense.  Well that D is getting killed by Cleveland. 

To me the Hawks getting blasted by the Cavs indicates the Celtics are a LONG way off from getting to the second and third rounds of the playoffs in the East.

Still hoping that this draft will give the C's some offensive help...but those who think they will get a superstar or a great player in the offseason by trade or free agency are kidding themselves.

MikeB (Celtics fan since the '60s)

I'd say the main reason the Cs lost to the Hawks was because the Celtics couldn't hit water if they were falling out of a boat in the middle of a flood-swelled lake. The Hawks defense is good, but Boston just plain missed a bunch of good looks.

But yeah, the Celtics have a ways to go, for sure, to be a title contender.

[Smartacus]

Do think with a healthy Crowder, we match up a bit better against the Cavs than the Hawks do, I don't think Cleveland would be dropping 20+ 3's on us at the very least.

But yea no question we're far from being able to hold a candle to the Cavs but, not to be overly optimistic/delusional, lets not forget that Avery Bradley going down when he did was easily one of the biggest factors in the Hawks series.

I don't think Schroeder would have carved up Bradley as much as he did some of our other guards. With Bradley on Schroeder, you've got Smart on Korver for longer stretches and IT dueling with Teague. Bazemore would have still posed problems but maybe Crowder would have shot better/been more open if Bradley was spacing the floor.

Unfortunately for us Bradley going down to injury just as the playoffs are starting is quickly becoming an alarming trend. Down the road he might need to adopt a Dwayne Wade style regimen of sitting out games during the regular season. he's starting to look as worrisome as Eric Gordon and Bradley Beal. (Not supported by actual events)

[saltlover]

Unfortunately for us Bradley going down to injury just as the playoffs are starting is quickly becoming an alarming trend. Down the road he might need to adopt a Dwayne Wade style regimen of sitting out games during the regular season. he's starting to look as worrisome as Eric Gordon and Bradley Beal.

Don't know what you're talking about here.  Bradley played every game last playoffs, averaging 33 minutes a game.  The playoffs before, he played every game and averaged 32 minutes a game.  The year before he did get hurt, but he played 10 games before finally having to shut it down.  Furthermore, that was the lockout year when everyone was getting hurt due to the schedule. I just think you're flat-out wrong about there being anything resembling a trend here.

[Neurotic Guy]

Ahhh Transitive property (or something like that):

Given that A=Atlanta; B=Boston; C=Cleveland:
 
If A is better than B, and C is better than A, then C is better than B. 


So what this says about the C's is that the Cavs are better.  Not too shocking a headline.