Category: Celtics

The Celtics Continue to Be a Roller Coaster Ride

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Seriously, what the hell is this team??

Last week, everyone (myself included) was doing their best Chicken Little impression when talking about the Celtics, and now the media is acting like they are the King of the East this morning after taking out Golden State last night.

Yes, the Celtics did beat the Warriors in their own area by 33 points last night, which was the worst defeat Golden State has ever suffered at home in the Steve Kerr era. Gordon Hayward also had his best performance of the season – 30 PTS, 7 REB, and 4 AST on 12-of-16 shooting – and Jaylen Brown continued to be a force off the bench. All 13 guys who played for the C’s finished with a plus rating, and the team overall finished with 38 assists (including 11 from Kyrie) on 49 made shots. They actually played like a TEAM last night, which should be the game’s biggest takeaway.

There were also no post-game blowups or bitchy comments. Brad did not seem exasperated after the game. And again, we beat the two-time reigning champs by over 30 on their home floor. It’s OK to be happy about this one.

BUT don’t be fooled into thinking this team is definitely “back.” Right off the top, it’s important to note that the Warriors were playing without Klay Thompson last night. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant also sat out the entire fourth quarter (sure, the game was already well out of hand at this point, but still). Also, the Warriors are reeling a bit right now, losing 5-of-their-last-8 games; the Celtics may have very well caught them at the perfect time. It also helps when you shoot over 50 percent from the floor, and your opponent barely cracks 40.

Above all, there is also one glaring issue with this team right now that is being overlooked, and it is one that still remained true even during last night’s big win: free throw attempts. The Celtics are shooting the second least amount of free throws per game this season (19.2), and last night three starters failed to attempt even ONE. Overall, the team shot 17, while Golden State had 23.

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We haven’t really seen a whole lot of this in 2018-19.

I am not saying there is a direct correlation between success and free-throw attempts; while teams like Orlando, Cleveland, and Chicago all rank near the bottom of the league in this category with the Celtics, others like Indiana, San Antonio, Denver, and Golden State are also in the bottom-eight. The Celtics have also been able to overcome a lack of volume at the charity stripe by shooting the sixth-most three-pointers in the league and converting over 36 percent of them. Fine.

But it still illustrates the team’s lack of aggressiveness much of the time, as it is much easier to settle for a three than it is to take the reigns and drive it to the bucket. With guys like Kyrie, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier – all of whom have great slashing ability – it’s a bit frustrating to see them pass up some easy opportunities. It also speaks to the overall psyche of the team right now as well as the fact that we still aren’t exactly sure who wants to be THE top dog behind Kyrie.

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The time is now, Gordon! Carpe diem!

So, it’s not so much the lack of free throws, per se, but rather it’s the lack of cajones – from both the players and coaching staff alike – that has held this team back. Nobody wants to be the man to step up and do what needs to be done to right the ship.

OK then. I’ll do it for them. After last night, I think it’s glaringly apparent that a few things need to happen going forward:

  • Jaylen Brown needs to be starting again. After being bumped up to the starting five around Thanksgiving, Marcus Morris was on fire during the month of December. Since this time, he’s been mediocre to outright bad (which included putting up a GOOSE EGG in 17 minutes against Houston on Sunday). Brown, however, is shooting over 46 percent from the floor in his past five games and just looks like he wants it out there. The young fella could provide this team with the energy and spark it needs to get out of their funk.
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The kid is locked in right now.

  • Morris then needs to battle Gordon Hayward to be the sixth man. Bench scoring has been a huge issue on this team, but one of these guys needs to step up and solidify themselves as the consistent top dog off the pine.
  • Brad needs to keep tightening the rotation, giving the minutes to those who show that they actually want to play and burying those that don’t. It’s March, the playoffs are right around the corner, and it’s time for the men to be separated from the boys.

So, there was definitely a lot to like from last night, but this team still has a ways to go. The Celts have another sneaky tough contest tonight in Sacramento and aren’t home again until next Thursday night. Here’s to hoping the boys can keep it up!

Celtics Put Up Their Best Effort of the Year Last Night

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Wow. That was unexpected. In the midst of all the drama and doubt, the Celtics easily pulled off their most decisive win of the season last night, handing the Warriors their worst home loss in the Steve Kerr era. They absolutely wiped the floor with GSW, dominating every quarter in a wire to wire win. And as we all know, it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Dubs may have been without Thompson, Looney and Livingston, but even still, the Celtics were able to do something they’ve struggled with all year, and that’s beat a good team on the road.

The offense looked totally in sync, the defensive rotations were much improved, and the passing was as crisp as it’s looked in a while. The Warriors shot under 23% from deep and 40% from the floor, with the Celtics defense finally making an appearance after taking several weeks off. Kyrie looked focused, the bench played as good as they’ve played all year, and Marcus Morris only took 8 shots (seriously, why he’s been taking more shots than Kyrie recently baffles me). Jaylen continues to provide an explosive energy when he comes in, and Gordon had his best first half as a Celtic and as efficient of a game as he’s had in green. Maybe he needs a black eye all the time a la Jan Wolfhaus.

The thing that gives me the biggest confidence boost was that they finally played like a team, both laughing and supporting each other and having each others backs when Boogie started running his mouth.

Now, I’m not about to say all our problems have gone away. Far from it. Could this team still get bounced in the first round? Absolutely. But I fully believe the Celtics are the only team that can stop the Celtics from reaching the finals. When they play like they did tonight, there isn’t a team in the East who can beat them in a 7 game series. This west coast trip is huge for team building and a much needed respite from the over-analyzing Boston media. If they can rattle off 5-6 straight wins here, I’ll be pacified. Honestly, I didn’t expect them to beat the Rockets the other night, and the way they finished that game did actually give me a little confidence, although I still think Jaylen should be starting over Marcus Morris. My biggest problem with their play recently has been the way they play in the second and third quarters, but they killed it tonight.

Speaking of over-analyzing, why the hell were people freaking out about this? Read the whole quote. Obviously he’s not going to miss cameras following him everywhere he goes all the time, are you kidding me? I was driving home after that game and all anyone could talk about on the late night talk shows were his atrocious, anti-Boston pregame comments and that’s what he says? Fuck outta here. You assholes on the radio are half the reason why the circus surrounding Kyrie exists in the first place. You misconstrue his candid takes and twist them to try to make him look bad, and then go and blame him for those mischaracterizations which you made in the first place. Same thing they did with Jaylen Brown’s “toxic” comment too. Hey guys, cut that shit out and try rooting for the hometown team for a change. Whaddya say?

“Ubuntu” No More, This Celtics Squad is Simply Not a Team

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Earlier today, Dom already hit you with a reaction piece from last night’s debacle north of the border, and I could not agree more with his overall assessment: this Celtics team is displaying ZERO passion, heart, or drive right now, and it’s kind of hard to see them playing much past April this year.

All of this has become glaringly apparent for anyone who has watched them lately. Even putting aside Tuesday night’s complete submission in Toronto – which was their fifth loss in their last seven games – this team has just been piling up embarrassing, vomit-inducing losses in recent weeks, some of which being completely and utterly unacceptable:

  • A five-point loss at home to Golden State at the end of January after turning the ball over 14 times and missing key opportunities in the game’s final minutes.
  • A tough one-point loss at home to the Lakers on February 7th.
  • A horrendous loss to the Clippers just two nights later – a game in which the C’s blew a 28-POINT LEAD AT HOME and ultimately lost by 11. (This was easily the worst loss of the year so far.)
  • An inexcusable 10-point loss to the Bulls – the 16-45 freakin’ BULLS – this past weekend, during which they allowed Zach LaVine to somehow score 42 points.

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I feel ya, Brad. WTF???

I get that there have also been times the Celtics have played extremely well this year. After all, they did win 10-of-11 from mid-January through the first week of February, a run which actually started off with a nine-point home victory against the very same Raptors team that eviscerated them on national TV just last night. But they’re currently in fifth place in the conference right now, two games behind Philly for fourth. That is just completely unacceptable for a team that pretty much everyone – fan or not – considered to be the consensus runaway, No. 1 favorite in the East this season. (Remember, this team was mere minutes away from an NBA Finals appearance less than a year ago!)

I’ve complained on numerous occasions about the team’s maddening inconsistency this year, both as a unit and from an individual standpoint. While Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Marcus Morris have each put up some points this season, the only truly consistent player, night in and night out, in terms of scoring the ball has been Kyrie Irving (minus last night’s seven-point performance).

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Even through all the drama, Kyrie is still getting it done.

It really is a crapshoot as to who is going to show up for the Celtics each night otherwise, and much of that has to do with the fact that everyone is fighting for a role on a completely overcrowded roster. Most of the time, teams are happy to have such an “embarrassment of riches,” but there’s also a lot to be said about the whole “too many cooks in the kitchen” adage, too.

Just look at last night against Toronto, for example: Brad Stevens used 11 guys in total – with nine of them receiving at least 20 minutes of action on the floor! In comparison, the Raptors used 13, BUT only five guys saw over 20 minutes, with two of their best receiving over 30. That’s how it should be: Use your best guys a lot, and let everyone else settle into lesser roles. Enough of this little-league style, “everybody gets to play” B.S. It’s now almost March. If this team has any chance of making a run this season, Brad needs to buckle down and tell his guys to stop chirping, play harder, and learn their role. If you can’t take over a game, then take a back seat.

But what really struck me last night was the continuously deteriorating attitude and psyche surrounding the team. This, folks, is what will be the team’s Achilles’ heel.

First, there was this little candid moment from a usually very even-keeled Brad Stevens:

Nahhht a great look there. Brad also blatantly called the team out after the game and said they were “taking shortcuts,” particularly on defense.

Then, there was also this quote from Marcus Smart:

And thereeeee we have it. That’s the problem: this “team” is just simply not a team right now.

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“It’s going slower than we expected,” Marcus??!! Dude, there’s a month and a half left in the season. WAKE UP.

Unfortunately, this not an easy thing to fix. It’s also not something new nor an issue that anyone should find surprising. With Kyrie running his mouth all year long, younger players like Jaylen Brown clapping back at him, and others throughout the roster looking like Gloomy Gus in multiple media clippings this year, all we were waiting for is a quote like this to give us vindication. OH, and now the coach is joining in on the melancholy, too? AWESOME.

Alas, this is the NBA, and hot streaks can happen. I could be sitting here in three weeks looking like a moron if Brad tightens the rotation, lets the talent take over, and tells anyone who doesn’t like it to pound sand. After all, they’re still a top-five defensive squad and possess the star power to be a force when they want to be.

But with games against Portland, Houston, Golden State, Sacramento (twice), and both L.A. teams over the next two and a half weeks, how many people feel confident that will happen?

Yeah, that’s what I thought. Wake me up when the boys are ready to act like men, and maybe we can do something here. Until then, I’m putting the children in time out.

Knee Jerk Reactions to the Celtics Atrocity in Toronto

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That pretty much sums it up. God, what an atrocity. I figured that after a Bucks game that we were one blown call away from winning and a disaster in Chicago we’d be able to bounce back and at least compete in Toronto, but boy was I wrong. What is it with this team and second quarters? I didn’t see a single positive out of this team, and am left questioning if this team even has enough to make it through the first round of the playoffs, let alone make a deep run.

Can you imagine what that postgame locker room and subsequent flight back to Boston were like?

As for knee jerk reactions, here’s what I saw. I saw a team that completely and utterly lacks the heart, focus and energy needed to compete at the highest levels. I saw players dropping easy passes, not getting back on defense, pointing fingers, yelling at each other, forgetting how to run a fast break, not knowing who to guard, and making every possible middle school mistake you can think of. It was disgusting. And don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect the Celtics to win this game, but I thought they’d show up.

Related imageBrad Stevens watching the other team go on a run and wondering if he should call a timeout.

Image result for well were waiting gifLiterally every Celtics fan watching opponents go on 12-0 runs while Brad wonders if he should call a timeout.

Now, I stand by everything I said about Kyrie last week. I’m sick of the drama surrounding him, not that it’s all his fault. However, I don’t blame him for all of our troubles in the least. The struggles this Celtics team have been going through are on everyone’s shoulders, and that’s reflected in the box score. Smart was -25, Morris -24, Horford -16, Brown -13, Rozier -11, Irving -10, and Tatum -8. Kyrie usually has no problem taking things into his own hands, but it seemed like he didn’t even try. This may be a result of good defense from Toronto, but the killer instinct he usually has was nowhere to be found. He only had SEVEN POINTS on ten shots. How does that happen? I understand this game meant more to the psyche’s of the Boston fan base than to the actual playoff picture, but still. That can’t happen.

On the plus side, this happened.

Danny needs to sign a big man and bring in some much needed toughness, as well as challenge these guys to earn their minutes. Brad needs to make changes to the rotation stat. Bench some people. Theis is trash and shouldn’t see the court. One of the Marcus’ should come off the bench. Shorten the leashes and pull anyone who isn’t making shots or hustling back on defense. For the love of god, change it up. The rotations are lazy, the play calling predictable, and the defense lethargic. Now excuse me while I go finish ralphing all over my shoes.

Does Kyrie Realize He’s Only 26 Years Old?

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ESPN – “It’s been a trying year for us,” Irving told Nichols. “We basically have a bunch of young men in our locker room who feel like they’re capable of doing a lot more than they’re doing. And that’s OK, but there’s a maturing that you have to have. There’s a professionalism that you have to showcase every single day, and that’s what the great ones do.

“I initially didn’t play the minutes I wanted to play. I’m 26 years old, heading into my prime, like, why do I have to wait for anybody? [Terry Rozier] played in the playoffs. He did extremely well. Coming back, that’s a natural competition that me and him have.

“It is what it is. No one wants to say it, but I will. You know, [Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum], all these guys, it’s part of their growth. When you have winning in mind, you’ve gotta understand that. You gotta do what it takes, but you gotta understand your teammates.”

I fully understand I’m probably just listening to too much talk radio, but the quotes that have come out of this Kyrie Rachel Nichols interview where he’s constantly referring to the “young men” on the Celtics is becoming a bit much for me.

Kyrie is 26.

He’d be on the same high school varsity team with a lot of these dudes. Terry Rozier is 24, Jaylen Brown is 22. Tatum is a bit younger at 20, but the point remains. I was a moron at 26 and I cringe at the idea of talking down to slightly younger co-workers. Maybe its because as a millennial I am hyper aware of that disrespect from older bosses and baby boomers who can’t open a PDF.

I think Kyrie just needs to practice a bit more self awareness. You’re not that much older than these “young guys” that you are constantly shitting on in interviews. Jaylen Brown was just named the Vice President of the NBA Players Association for crying out loud. Maybe its not a maturity issue with the slightly younger players on the Celtics roster?

NBA Trade Deadline Deals with Biggest Impact on Celtics

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The Celtics were completely silent this year at the NBA trade deadline, which expired at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and I’m not technically upset about the inactivity; I said on Wednesday that I didn’t think they should do much at all, and that’s exactly what they did: diddly squat. Not one move, not even for cap space or “future considerations,” was made by Danny Ainge on Thursday.

Three of the other top-five teams battling for position in the East with you right now did make a move this week, however. And each of those moves was pretty significant, only improving each of those squads, which is a bit unsettling.

It doesn’t necessarily change my feelings on the Celts themselves; they’re still one of the top-four teams in the conference, but they are certainly not the ass-kicking, run-away No. 1 seed everyone thought they’d be. (But hey, winning 10-out-of-your-last-12 isn’t a bad way to start morphing into the squad, though. We’ll see.)

And most importantly, the best move that happened all day was the one that didn’t happen, as Anthony Davis is still a Pelican. (Red’s got a great piece here on just how huge this was for the C’s and speculates on how it could all shake out with The Brow going forward.)

Still, the point is there were a few teams around the Association that made some nice deals this week, with a few of them being other Eastern Conference powerhouses. There was also a trade out West that affects the future, as well as one that solidified Danny Ainge as the coldestttt GM in the league. (In a good way.)

Here are the biggest deals from this week that, while not involving the Celtics in any way, will still carry a lot of significance for the franchise – both now and in the future:

Tobias Harris Goes to Philly

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Already loaded with three studs in Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, and Ben Simmons, the Sixers added a guy who most casual fans may not know, but he is one that definitely now turns them into a “Big Four.” (That’s also not even counting J.J. Redick, who’s averaging 18 points a night. So, maybe even “Big Five” is more appropriate.) Harris’s career 15.3 points-per-game average might not be super impressive, but the 26-year-old forward did just average over 20 a contest in his 87 games with the Clippers. He’s also shooting a sparkling 43.4 percent from three-point range this season. The point is, the guy is another legit scorer for Philly, and he’s just one more piece to worry about. Sure, you beat them in five games in the Eastern Semis just eight months ago, but they didn’t have Harris (or Butler, for that matter). OH, and on top of that they added some bench depth with a few other deals too. Last year, they were talented and hungry but inexperienced; this year, they’re loaded and ready to battle with pretty much anyone. Philly got better this week, guys – a LOT better.

Marc Gasol Heading to Toronto

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After already nabbing a former Defensive Player of the Year this offseason in Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors went out yesterday and got another one by acquiring Marc Gasol from Memphis. Sure, he’s now 34 years old and it’s been six seasons since he won the award, so maybe he’s not quite as much of a force as he used to be. Still, though, I think talk of his “decline” has been highly exaggerated. His 15.7 PPG this year are right in line with his career average (15.2). Already a stellar rebounder, Gasol has also increased his output on the glass over the past two seasons, currently grabbing 8.6 rebounds a contest. (And if there’s any area in which you can attack this Celtics team, it’s down in the post with big bodies.) He’s also an elite passer through whom the entire offense can run when Leonard and/or Kyle Lowry need a rest. Already a top-10 offensive and defensive squad, Toronto is only further enhanced in both areas with Gasol. Even worse, much like Philly, they barely needed to give up anything in order to bring him in. (Jonas Valanciunas is a fine young player and still only 26, but you can find at least 15-20 other similar guys throughout the league. He’s a dime a dozen, and he’s nowhere remotely close to as good as the guy they just got to replace him in the lineup.) Currently sitting No. 2 in the East, things just got even better for fans up in The 6.

Bucks Land Mirotic

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I’ve always been a huge fan of Nikola Mirotic ever since he came over from Europe five seasons ago, even though this is the second straight year that he’s been dealt at the deadline. (He spent his first three seasons in Chicago before being dealt away to New Orleans last February.) A career 35-percent shooter from deep, the 6’10” stretch forward is taking over seven treys a game this year (on about 13 total shots per contest), so he will fit in perfectly on a Milwaukee team with the second most three-point attempts in the league. He’ll also open up even more space on the floor for MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. (That is absolutely frightening to think about.) And he’s a pretty decent rebounder, too. In sum, without trying to sound like a broken record, he is another guy who simply makes the team he went to immensely better than they already were.

As you can see, things really did just get a whole lot tougher for the Celtics in the East. The only other current top-five squad in the conference who did not make a big move this week was the Pacers, who now sit in front of the Celtics as the No. 3 seed after the Green’s loss to the Lakers on Thursday night.

There were also two other moves I want to highlight. These trades may not necessarily affect the Celtics all too much on the floor this season, but they still carry some noteworthy significance.

Harrison Barnes Going Back to Cali

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This was a trade between two Western Conference squads, one of which owes the Celtics their first-round pick next season; unfortunately, that team (Sacramento) is the one that got the better end of this deal. After serving as no better than the fourth-best option on a loaded Golden State roster for four years, Harrison Barnes finally got his chance to be a leading man when he signed a big free-agent deal with Dallas just before the 2016-17 season. And he’s rewarded them for doing so with over 18 points and five rebounds a night in 2.5 seasons. But, after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis last week, the Mavs needed to clear some space to re-sign him for the long-term. It’s going to be the Porzingis/Luka Doncic show in Big D from here on out, which meant Barnes needed to go. So, the Kings, who are playing wayyy better than anyone thought they would this season (No. 9 seed in the West), just got an All-Star caliber player for nothing more than an expiring contract (Zach Randolph) and a decent young player (Justin Jackson). They’re not a legit contender by any means, but they’re also not the bottom-feeder everyone expected they’d be. Therefore, their solid play has only continued to devalue the once-expected-to-be-premiere bargaining chip the Celtics thought they’d have in their pocket heading into this offseason. Barnes is only going to further enhance that issue.

Sixers Give Up on Fultz and Give Him Away to Orlando

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Even though the Celtics were not involved in this trade in any way, shape, or form, there’s no doubt that the clear-cut winner here was Danny Ainge. “Trader Danny,” the man whom has repeatedly swindled other GMs throughout the league – on numerous occasions – has done it again! After being in prime position to take Markelle Fultz – the unquestioned No. 1 prospect in the 2017 draft whom the rest of the league was salivating over – Ainge traded away the pick to Philly in exchange for the No. 3 pick that same year as well as a future first-rounder (which will likely turn out to be the Kings’ pick mentioned before). He was BLASTED by many in the media for trading away the top pick and the chance to land a “generational talent.” But what has Fultz done since entering the league? He’s played in a total of 33 games, shooting 41 percent overall and averaging just under eight points a game. Even when he has played, he’s looked completely lost at times, and many have seriously questioned his mental toughness. Maybe a change of scenery will help, but so far he’s been a real dud. Oh, and that No. 3 pick the Celtics got in that previously mentioned trade only turned out to be JAYSON TATUM. In the grand scheme of things, this deal doesn’t really have much impact on the Celtics either now or going forward, but Danny’s gotta feel prettayyy, pretttayyyy, pretayyyy good about this one.

So, even though the Celtics stood by and minded their business this week, it’s clear that the same certainly can’t be said for others around them. It’ll be interesting to see just how big of an impact each of these guys has in their new home. Regardless of what happens, though, at least we know we’re in for a fun second half of the NBA season!

Celtics Lose On a Buzzer Beater by Old Friend Rajon Rondo, But That Wasn’t the Worst Part

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Last night the Celtics blew an 18 point lead to LeBron and the Lakers and lost on a buzzer beater by our old friend Rajon Rondo. The Lakers were hotter than the sun as they set a franchise record for 3 pointers made.

LeBron was even using some sort of black magic while en route to another triple double he somehow converted a sloppy turnover down the stretch into a fadeaway three under pressure.

And then of course Rajon Rondo, whom I adore by the way, couldn’t hit a jump shot in 9 years in Boston yet corrals a loose ball and pulls up to hit a buzzer beater before I could even blink.

Unbelievable. Just look at Rondo’s shot chart over the course of his career, courtesy of our friends at NBAsavant.com.

Rondo is literally just as likely to hit a corner 3 as he is to hit that jumper at the elbow.

Whether its primetime games on ESPN and TNT or postseason games, Rajon Rondo morphs into Playoff Rondo every time the spotlight is on.

But that all paled in comparison to what we saw immediately after the game. My basketball nemesis LeBron James leaping for joy and hugging my man Rajon Rondo on the sacred Celtics hardwood.

That one hurt boys.

Anthony Davis NOT Traded Before Deadline. Lakers Now Salty as Celtics Are Very Much in Play.

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Good. I for one am tired of the Lakers just getting superstars in their prime simply because they want them. I have dealt with players not wanting to come to Boston for my entire life because its cold like 9 months out of the year. So for a team in the Pelicans to just flip the bird right in Magic and LeBron’s face brings me great joy.

And now the Lakers are saltyyy.

HAHAHA

You can literally hear LeBron’s voice coming through Windhorst’s face with this nonsense. For the Lakers Windhorst to act appalled that the Pelicans didn’t want to do business with the Lakers is hilarious. It’s a holier than thou take from a tampering franchise because as I said last week there is no more powerful motivator than spite and the Lakers Anthony Davis’ agent Rich Paul essentially planted a poison pill in the New Orleans locker room a week before the trade deadline after publicly requesting a trade and then leaking reports that Davis only wants to play in LA. If I’m the Pelicans I would 1000% do the same thing. I might even take a lesser deal if I had to purely out of spite rather than gift wrap another superstar in his prime to the Lakers.

Now as a Celtics fan we’ve heard all kinds of packages and proposals and potential deals. They all make me nauseous because I don’t want to trade Tatum and Smart and whoever the hell else gets thrown in. Buttt, I also didn’t want to trade Big Al Jefferson and look how that worked out for the Celtics.

Am I concerned with trading a boatload of assets for potentially one year of Anthony Davis? Absolutely. But I just cannot see how AD could come here and play alongside Kyrie (more on that in a second) and most likely go on a deep playoff run, if not win a title, and then say nah I still would rather go play on a bum ass Lakers team with a LeBron James that is closer to 40 years old than 30. Cannot see it.

What if Kyrie jets? Well thats your doomsday scenario right there. The Celtics trade a bundle of assets for Davis and Kyrie leaves anyways because then there is a zero percent chance Davis re-signs with Boston to be a part of that lottery team. You’d basically be left with the Time Lord who hopefully could send the team back in time to avoid the entire thing.

But, I also just cannot see Kyrie leaving. If he wants to be *the* guy, then thats what he has here. From all accounts he wants to play with Anthony Davis too, who is a megastar, yet is a pretty quiet, unassuming guy.

So that would be perfect for Irving; Kyrie would be the man even if he’s not technically the best player on the team. But if he truly wants to be the guy scoring 40 a game, the hands down best player on the team, surrounded by a bunch of deferential no names, then he can be 2006 Paul Pierce on a lottery team somewhere. I don’t think he wants that though. I think he wants to win, albeit his way, but Kyrie wants to win. If the C’s can get AD to pair with him then it locks this team into being a co-favorite to win the NBA title for the next several years. Plus, you would have to be a total sociopath to grab a microphone and announce to a crowd of people that you plan to re-sign with the team only to say PSYCH like 6 months later. I think Kyrie’s council of wise elders would advise him to stay in Boston.

I remain cautiously optimistic at the house of cards our lord and savior Danny Ainge has built.

What Celtics Should Do Before Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline

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Image result for danny ainge celtics

What a crazy past week in the NBA, huh?

It all started with last Monday’s huge news that Anthony Davis doesn’t want to stay in New Orleans, which immediately caused a whirlwind of trade rumors, future roster predictions, and A LOT of false hope being doled out to desperate NBA fans around the country. It’s also caused some other soon-to-be-free-agents’ names to be dragged through tireless speculative “reports” – many of which are based on literally ZERO evidence – regarding where they will all go to create the new “superteam.” And it all seems to hinge upon Davis. On top of all that, we also got a major blockbuster between the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks involving Kristaps Porzingis just before the weekend.

(It was actually tough to keep up with everything, but for those who need a more in-depth refresher on last week’s events, Red’s got you covered with a great roundup on all of it here.)

The NBA trade deadline is this Thursday, and teams have continued to make even more moves this week, with many others sure to come before tomorrow afternoon.

In what amounts to awful news for the Celtics, the 76ers acquired forward Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night in exchange for a criminally overrated veteran shooter (Wilson Chandler), a decent backup center (Mike Muscala), and future draft picks. So, Philly just got significantly better, adding a 20-point-per-game scorer to an already loaded lineup, and they did so without having to give up virtually anything for this season. Yeah, it’s definitely not good news for Green Nation. (The Pistons also traded former first-rounder Stanley Johnson to Milwaukee for Thon Maker on Wednesday. But, honestly, this move means zilch for anyone in the grand scheme of things.)

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The 26-year-old, Harris, is one of the most underrated players in the league.

So what should the Celtics do?

First, just to reiterate, the Celtics are not able to trade for Davis until at least after July 1, 2019, so we already know he’s not coming here this season. However, the team could potentially do a bit more to put themselves in an even greater position to acquire The Brow this summer if New Orleans decides to stand their ground and wait for what they know will already be the best offer out there. Much has been made about everything the Lakers have allegedly offered to the Pelicans over the past week, but they still can’t match the level of talent and future assets the Celts currently possess.

If the Celtics were to trade someone like Terry Rozier – an impending restricted free agent – for, say, another first-rounder, they could sweeten the pot even more. They’d also be getting at least something in return for someone who is very likely to leave in the offseason. But, they’d also be leaving themselves desperately thin at the position, especially if Kyrie Irving were to get injured, and this team is still right in the middle of contending; even after the frustrating loss to Golden State on January 26, the team has won five straight and vaulted up to third place in the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, there really just aren’t many teams who’d be willing to trade such a valuable future asset for a guy who could walk in five months. So, Scary Terry ain’t going anywhere.

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Terry’s time will come soon enough. He’ll have to tough out just being “one of the guys” for a bit longer.

Or – and make sure you’re sitting down for this one – the Celtics could trade Kyrie Irving. Much like Rozier, Kyrie is also a free agent this summer; unlike Rozier, Kyrie is an unrestricted free agent, meaning he can go wherever he wants and there’s nothing the Celtics can do to stop him.

Just to set the record straight: I do not think the Celtics should trade Kyrie right now. However, I can see some logic in doing so, especially after his pretty frank comments last week regarding his commitment to the team’s future. In case you missed what he said, here ya go:

To be fair to Kyrie, I think he was just getting frustrated with the incessant “rumors” and “predictions” of where everyone was going to be next season, himself included, and we still haven’t even reached this year’s All-Star break! It’s actually pretty ridiculous, and to be entirely honest I’m getting sick of it myself. Slam Magazine also made sure to focus on other things he said during the interview, which pretty much back up what I just surmised and also points out the fact he still views the Celtics as the lead dog in the race. Finally, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, Danny Ainge is refusing to take calls from any team that’s even tried to start the conversation anyway.

Were Kyrie to actually up and leave this summer, though, the Celts’ title contender status would immediately evaporate. And then, even if they still somehow traded for Davis, there’s no way he’d re-sign for the long term without at least one more superstar. So standing pat on Kyrie does not come without risk. But, keeping Kyrie right now at least gives you a plausible scenario which could see both he AND Davis here next season; trading him now does not give you anything close to that. In sum, the Celtics need to keep Kyrie and hope for the best.

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The Celtics need to do everything they can to keep this man happy for the next couple of months.

OK, so they can’t really trade Rozier or Kyrie at the moment. So what else should they do?

Honestly, nothing. Sure, maybe they could use some help in the rebounding department from time to time, but this team really doesn’t have any glaring issues. As I’ve said multiple times this year, I just believe there’s actually too much talent on the roster, and they just need to learn how to play better together as one unit.

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Or maybe a little more playing time for Robert Williams and his 10.0 rebounds per 36 minutes could provide a big help, too!

Again, while this team has certainly struggled much more so than I thought to this point in the season, they’ve still shown the ability that got them within minutes of an NBA Finals appearance last year. They’ve also quickly jumped up two spots in the standings after ripping off five-straight victories, and they’re still a top-five defensive team.

Brad Stevens has also started to refine the rotation a bit more in recent weeks, which will hopefully help guys settle into their roles for the stretch run and provide a bit more consistency. This team can still do some damage, as evidenced by their sound victory over the Raptors three weeks ago followed by a close defeat to Golden State, and I don’t think a major shakeup would be helpful right now in any way.

So, for the first time in years, I will be perfectly content with Ainge & Co. deciding to pass on doing anything at the deadline. Seriously, shut the phone off, Danny. Just bide your time and let the rest of the league continue to tire themselves out. Our golden opportunity still awaits.

Soon. Soon.