Strategy MUST change for Celtics

[KGBirdBias]

No defensive rebounds in the last 6 minutes of the game is inexcusable. Why is Stevens going small in the 2nd half? I don't understand some of the rotations and why are the wrong players getting so many shots? Kyrie's PnR defense is atrocious and it's getting other people out of position.

Now does anyone believe me when I say Tatum isn't getting enough go-to plays. He was hot and gave the team the lead but for some reason Stevens always goes away from him.

There was one time he ran 2 PnRs for Theis. I couldn't believe we were going to Theis while Tatum stands in the corner.

I'm sick of watching this brand of basketball. No defense at the rim. Baynes has become useless and Horford is basically a PG trying to play in the post. Team has regressed and I will say it for the umptenth time...Tatum should rarely ever have less shots than Smart and Rozier. I don't understand why people can't see teams load up on Kyrie and we have no other scorers.

The Celtics don't have enough resistance and grit with this makeup of players. This is a finesse team and hopefully that changes soon.

[Moranis]

I don't know what you expected this team to be.  It is small, young, and very thin. 

[KGBirdBias]

Well we can't play lights out for the first 30 games and then drop off this much in the East. They set the expectations, not me. LOL If they've played better, then they can do it again. It's a lame excuse to say "we expected this". If they came out the blocks looking like this than yes, but they showed us what they're capable of. That's why I said either strategy, rotations or players must change because the other teams have scouted them. Your move Stevens.

[Moranis]

Well we can't play lights out for the first 30 games and then drop off this much in the East. They set the expectations, not me. LOL If they've played better, then they can do it again. It's a lame excuse to say "we expected this". If they came out the blocks looking like this than yes, but they showed us what they're capable of. That's why I said either strategy, rotations or players must change because the other teams have scouted them. Your move Stevens.

Or it was a fluke reached by unsustainable things.  Like being down by 11 and winning 7 times.  By shooting at an incredible unsustainable level.  By rebounding and defending at levels that just can't be kept.  By having a pretty easy schedule (on the whole). 

It isn't the team's fault that you thought they were something they weren't based on a 16 game stretch where everything had to fall exactly right to achieve the results achieved.  This is a 50ish win team if it stays reasonably healthy for the season.  They are still ahead of that pace.  The team has thus overachieved on the whole.

[KGBirdBias]

I'm not saying they should win 60 games of have another 16 win streak. I'm saying win the games where you're up, stop losing big leads, get a few rebounds to protect a lead, get a few big stops and go to some other players besides Kyrie down the stretch.

[Chris22]

Going small in the fourth quarter of every single game is stupid. Has Brad been possessed by the spirit of Doc Rivers?
No rebounds, no rings.

[TomHeinsohn]

You mean a Celtics team is lacking rebounding and rim protection???

[cman88]

really, we need less shots for smart, more shots for Tatum. tatum didnt have a shot until the 2nd quarter, and then he went off.

but I think the fatigue of playing more games than other teams in the league is getting to them. Think of this, the raptors have a better winning % right now. BUT the celtics have played 5 more games than them! that is a big difference.

[Moranis]

really, we need less shots for smart, more shots for Tatum. tatum didnt have a shot until the 2nd quarter, and then he went off.

but I think the fatigue of playing more games than other teams in the league is getting to them. Think of this, the raptors have a better winning % right now. BUT the celtics have played 5 more games than them! that is a big difference.

they have played the same amount road games though and the Raptors are 12-1 at home (just 11-7 on the road).  More home games for the Raptors isn't necessarily a good thing for Boston's positioning.  And BTW, it is now 6 more games played by the C's than the Raps (all home games).   

[Rosco917]

We're starting a second-year player and a rookie... what did everyone expect. The unloading of IT was a step towards the future, unfortunately, Hayward got seriously injured.

Now we have folks pointing fingers at Kyrie because his defense is suspect? Seriously? You just unloaded one of the most useless defensive players in NBA history.

I well remember the talk about this team prior to the start of the season, everyone was in agreement, the team is young, rebounding would still be a problem, and it would take time for the true potential of this team to surface. Most of what we all predicted is now coming to true.

We all got spoiled by that winning streak.

[Smitty77]

really, we need less shots for smart, more shots for Tatum. tatum didnt have a shot until the 2nd quarter, and then he went off.

but I think the fatigue of playing more games than other teams in the league is getting to them. Think of this, the raptors have a better winning % right now. BUT the celtics have played 5 more games than them! that is a big difference.

they have played the same amount road games though and the Raptors are 12-1 at home (just 11-7 on the road).  More home games for the Raptors isn't necessarily a good thing for Boston's positioning.  And BTW, it is now 6 more games played by the C's than the Raps (all home games).   

And we have played 6 back to backs thus far and it will be 7 by the end of the year!!

Toronto has played 4 back to backs and it will be 5 at the end of the year!!

Toronto will play 8 back to backs the rest of the year.

Celtics will play 7 back to backs the rest of the year.

Just FYI.

Smitty77

[KGBirdBias]

I think you're right and we all know this team is built for the future. I'm not regretting any moves that were made. I'm saying when you're leading in the games and you have a chance to win these games, that's not a time to starting saying you're young. It's winning time and we have enough to win games because we've done it. This team is still better than last year's team but we can't just give away games because we're built for the future. Small strategic moves and we win these games. It's not like we're being blown out. Is it too much to ask for a guy making $25M to get a crucial rebound? We all know Smart is trying to get a new contract...can he please take less shots to get better scorers the ball? 2nd shots are important in the 4th quarter and playing small ball kills any chance of 2nd shots...can we maybe just maybe play big every once and awhile.

[hwangjini_1]

I don't know what you expected this team to be.  It is small, young, and very thin.

well, if they resigned either sully or big baby at least one problem would be solved.

more seriously, as far as i am concerned, everything thing this team does this year is a bonus. after losing hayward and having so many kids, i thought anything over .500 would be great.

now look at this team. missing its star, only 4 returning players, how many rookies? this is still a rebuild team in my mind. a chance for tatum to develop is more important than forcing him to score regardless of any habits it gives him.

i would wish the team had one consistent scorer off the bench. rozier has flashes of scoring, but too often mixed in with flashes of bone-headed decision making. 

i am enjoying this year so far. 

p.s. to the OP, you list a series of complaints and specifics you want changed. but i dont see any mention of the particular strategy you want the celtics to change. what specifically is the strategy you want us to discuss here?

[iadera]

The only strategy that helps to these Celtics is grind-and- hustle play. This is the only right thing that kept us in this 16-game streak. Fight for every ball every game, every quarter. There's no much wisdom needed to fix things.

[tarheelsxxiii]

No defensive rebounds in the last 6 minutes of the game is inexcusable. Why is Stevens going small in the 2nd half? I don't understand some of the rotations and why are the wrong players getting so many shots? Kyrie's PnR defense is atrocious and it's getting other people out of position.

Now does anyone believe me when I say Tatum isn't getting enough go-to plays. He was hot and gave the team the lead but for some reason Stevens always goes away from him.

There was one time he ran 2 PnRs for Theis. I couldn't believe we were going to Theis while Tatum stands in the corner.

The Celtics don't have enough resistance and grit with this makeup of players. This is a finesse team and hopefully that changes soon.

Unfortunately, you're right.  A quick Google search will bring up a ton of complaints about Kyrie's defense, many from this summer (right before he reached heightened levels of privilege).  But... no one here seems to care about that.  If he's not getting it done offensively (like last night), he's completely useless.

That's a huge problem.  As you said, Tatum isn't a focal point nearly enough for us to rely on one inconsistent scorer.  I noticed that Tatum was pulled early last night for Smart, but in the 2nd half he came out more aggressive.  He was the only guy creating offense at that point, while others were watching. 

We'll be fine.  Not sure we had the talent to beat CLE even with Hayward, so an ECF appearance this season will be just fine, and is definitely possible.  I couldn't agree more that this is a soft team, though... and Jaylen Brown made a comment that alluded to this very early on in this season when commenting about the turnaround (he named IT, as well).  Our leader is squishy, and unfortunately the rest will fall in line behind him, esp with how young we are.