Can we stop with the excuses?

[jpotter33]

I think tonight is pretty clear how much we miss Smart and Olynyk, too.

Luckily, it looks like we'll get Smart back on Wednesday.

[TrueFan]

I think tonight is pretty clear how much we miss Smart and Olynyk, too.

Luckily, it looks like we'll get Smart back on Wednesday.

I thought this was Roziers best game. It will be nice having both of them on the court.

[hwangjini_1]

ohh and don't even get me started on Avery Bradley...

Would you instead like to issue an apology to him? 

[BDeCosta26]

We certainly need to give the team more than 2 games to gel and to work out the kinks, especially given the fact that Al is new and Marcus and Kelly are out.

On the other hand, lets not think that Marcus and Kelly, when they return, are going to solve the rebounding problem. Or that the team will significantly improve its rebounding just by getting deeper into the season with more games under its belt.

Also, though we're only 2 games in, I'm already annoyed with people passing off opponents' hot shooting as "just a fluky thing" that won't happen again. I've lost count of how many times, over the past couple of seasons, the Celtics either got torched by a mediocre player (Jerryd Bayless, Josh McRoberts, etc.) or fell victim to a team's "fluky" shooting ... and yet, every time it's happened, people line up on CB to say it's just a fluke and won't happen again. And then it does. And then they say it won't happen again. And then it does. It's true that any player or team can get hot at any time, but I would expect it to happen against any one team only a handful of times over the course of a full season. For Boston, though, it's a fairly regular thing.

Our perimeter defense with Smart playing is outstanding.  Some player gets hot in just about every basketball game from the YMCA to the NBA.  Perimeter defense is a strength of this team.

I agree—Boston's perimeter defense with Smart is strong. But even with him on the court last season, there were still (IMO) too many of those "fluky" scoring performances happening against Boston. That's how it seemed to me, anyway.

Eh, Boston has one of the leagues best defensive back-courts in the NBA. Sometimes a team just gets hot, it happens. If we played that CHI game 10 times, Wade/Rondo/Butler wouldn't be able to replicate that shooting night again. Plus, you could tell they were locked in on D, something Rondo won't continue year round.

Getting Smart back will deff help, especially with bench production. Nothing we've seen the past 3 games makes me re-think my prediction of 50+ wins for this team. It's all good man, we've got a top 7 team and some of the best assets in the league. We'll be fine

[GreenWarrior]

ohh and don't even get me started on Avery Bradley...

Bump.

But seriously, a little reactionary?

I still don't think his D is as good as it was a few yrs. ago. and while it was better last night, he's the same player to me. he struggles against taller guards and he takes bad shots.



 

[Roy H.]

ohh and don't even get me started on Avery Bradley...

Bump.

But seriously, a little reactionary?

I still don't think his D is as good as it was a few yrs. ago. and while it was better last night, he's the same player to me. he struggles against taller guards and he takes bad shots.

He scored 15 ppg on a .520 eFG%, and was All-Defense.

Every player in the NBA has defensive lapses, and they all take some bad shots. Avery is still, on average, a very good defender and shooter

[BudweiserCeltic]

ohh and don't even get me started on Avery Bradley...

Bump.

But seriously, a little reactionary?

I still don't think his D is as good as it was a few yrs. ago. and while it was better last night, he's the same player to me. he struggles against taller guards and he takes bad shots.

He scored 15 ppg on a .520 eFG%, and was All-Defense.

Every player in the NBA has defensive lapses, and they all take some bad shots. Avery is still, on average, a very good defender and shooter

To me his defense "problems" go parallel with coach's directive (and probably personal want/need) of not pressuring the ball as much and playing a bit more the passing lanes and focus more effort on help defense. So it removed him from his bread and butter.

And we should also recall that the best thing he brought was picking up PGs 3/4 or full court consistently, and sticking to guys like a glue. Much of this he can no longer though because of the directives above or because we have Thomas on the floor.

[GreenWarrior]

ohh and don't even get me started on Avery Bradley...

Bump.

But seriously, a little reactionary?

I still don't think his D is as good as it was a few yrs. ago. and while it was better last night, he's the same player to me. he struggles against taller guards and he takes bad shots.

He scored 15 ppg on a .520 eFG%, and was All-Defense.

Every player in the NBA has defensive lapses, and they all take some bad shots. Avery is still, on average, a very good defender and shooter

To me his defense "problems" go parallel with coach's directive (and probably personal want/need) of not pressuring the ball as much and playing a bit more the passing lanes and focus more effort on help defense. So it removed him from his bread and butter.

And we should also recall that the best thing he brought was picking up PGs 3/4 or full court consistently, and sticking to guys like a glue. Much of this he can no longer though because of the directives above or because we have Thomas on the floor.

so I've been thinking maybe it's time to unleash Bradley and that it should be Stevens that adjusts not the player. because thus far this isn't working.

[Celtics4ever]

AB is not the problem, folks, he is having a solid year thus far.

Denver was hot, some of their guys had the game of their life. I think that Ainge will wait until  Horford, KO and Crowder are back to decide and see how they work.   But I do think if we do not right the ship, then I could see Ainge doing a deal,

[GreenWarrior]

wow! again with the excuses.

[GetLucky]

wow! again with the excuses.

All you're doing is making different types of excuses. You're blaming the coach or Bradley's height. Other people's excuses preach patience while yours preach "X person is just bad." Not all excuses have to be pessimistic.

[BitterJim]

wow! again with the excuses.

All you're doing is making different types of excuses. You're blaming the coach or Bradley's height. Other people's excuses preach patience while yours preach "X person is just bad." Not all excuses have to be pessimistic.

"Excuses" in this case is just another way of saying "reasons that I don't want to accept/hear"

[GreenWarrior]

i'm giving actual reasons why we're not good.

everyone else on this board seems to want to shut the team down and forfeit all the games until everyone is healthy.

when I've already stated using the injuries as a reason is actually just an excuse. because before the season started and going back to last season the 1st thing everyone on this board would tell you is "we're deep". it can't be both.

[alldaboston]

i'm giving actual reasons why we're not good.

everyone else on this board seems to want to shut the team down and forfeit all the games until everyone is healthy.

when I've already stated using the injuries as a reason is actually just an excuse. because before the season started and going back to last season the 1st thing everyone on this board would tell you is "we're deep". it can't be both.

So you're saying that this team is "not good"...because some anonymous people (that you've never actually met before)...on an online celtics forum...said that this team was "deep". Am I understanding that correctly?

[Celtics4ever]

wow! again with the excuses.

My post was not excuses, Denver was hot.   They scored 77 points in the first half.

Your blaming guys like AB, I have to wonder if you have the acumen to know what an excuse is?  Scapegoating is a form of excuse, your blaming personnel as the source of our problems.