Category: NBA

Celtics End of the Year Check In and Seasonal Awards

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(Mattes and Dom are back to give their take on where things stand with the Celtics heading into postseason play. With a first-round playoff matchup against the Indiana Pacers on tap for Sunday at 1 p.m., here’s their two cents on the State of the C’s along with their picks for a few seasonal awards.)

(MATTES): The regular season is officially over, and we are now just a few days away from NBA playoff action, my man. While the Celtics have gone just 6-4 since our last check-in about three weeks ago, there are definitely a lot of areas in which I’ve seen some improvement. Yeah, I’m still pretty disappointed that this team couldn’t even lock up a top-three seed in the East, but it’s not like Milwaukee, Toronto, or Philly are anything to sneeze at. Also, we’ve seen what this team can do when they play full-out, so maybe we’ll see them hit another gear over the next couple weeks. I’m done trying to predict what to expect from these guys, but I am at least a bit more hopeful.

Then, last night, we got the awful news that Marcus Smart may be out for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs. That is NAHT good at all, especially for the team’s defense. However, The Boston Globe‘s Adam Himmelsbach is reporting that maybe it won’t be quite that long:

Either way, losing your best defender for any period of time in the playoffs isn’t great, but hopefully Smart – one of the league’s toughest players – is able to come back sooner rather than later. Stay tuned.

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No matter how long he’s out for, Smart’s top-notch defense and intensity on the court are going to be sorely missed.

Dom, besides the whole Smart news, what are some other things you’ve noticed over the past 10 or so games that are particularly noteworthy for you heading into a first-round playoff matchup with Indiana?

(DOM): Yeah, I think we’re all pretty disappointed with where this team finished this year. I think all of us expected too much out of Hayward right away, including Coach Stevens. He really shouldn’t have given him so many minutes, and I believe if given a second chance Brad would’ve handled it differently. At the end of the day, though, the top three in the East all played great. Milwaukee overachieved behind an MVP season from the Greek Freak, and Toronto continues to play great basketball, with Pascal Siakam a candidate for Most Improved Player and Kawhi Leonard on his way to another First-Team All-Defense honor. Philly is stacked and made some great moves, with Elton Brand staring an Executive of the Year Award in the face. So, although I think we should’ve been in that top three, the competition has definitely improved over years past.

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Giannis and his Bucks were truly a force to be reckoned with this season.

I’m with you when it comes to predicting where this team is headed. It all depends on what team shows up. I really wanted them to head into the playoffs riding a winning streak, but with the injuries sustained over the last several games, health is the top priority. Looking at the numbers, we actually don’t have much to be excited about. Although we picked up two big wins against the Pacers in the last two weeks, we haven’t played very well otherwise. Almost every statistical category is down compared to the rest of the season. Although the difference is pretty slight, we’re scoring less, and assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks are all down. The only positive stats are that our turnovers are down and our three-point percentage is up. This is just on paper, though.

In terms of the eye test, having Aron Baynes back from injury is huge. His physicality in the post and on the glass are exactly what a playoff team needs. I think he’ll be a huge part of our playoff run. I also see a much more aggressive, offensively minded Gordon Hayward. He’s been looking for his shot, attacking the hoop, and making smart plays with confidence. I wrote about both of these guys a few days ago, but they are my two X-factors in the playoffs.

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At least the big Aussie is back and ready to roll.

At this point, we know what we’re going to get out of Kyrie, Al Horford, and Jaylen Brown. Jayson Tatum is another story, but I actually think that Hayward being able to command the second unit is more important than Tatum going off with the first unit. There are enough other weapons in our starting lineup that Tatum scoring the 15-18 points a game that he usually puts up will be plenty. He just needs to take smart shots and he’ll be fine.

(MATTES): Like I said, while I’ve seen some improvements, I agree that they certainly aren’t world-beaters right now. However, I think you are really underestimating how stupid good Hayward has been playing lately. And I know I’m in the minority, but I can’t get on Brad for his insistence on using him this year. Since missing three straight in mid-March while in the concussion protocol, the man has been absolutely EN FUEGO. In our last piece, I mentioned this article from SB Nation, which highlights just how vital he had been to the team’s success the whole season, even before his recent hot streak. Yes, he was certainly prone to some clunkers; there is no doubt about that. But since March 24 alone, the dude is averaging over 16 per night with a 58/32/88 shooting line. He’s really starting to wake up at the perfect time.

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Look who finally woke up!

Outside of those solid numbers, though, which anyone could look up with a few quick clicks, inconsistency has still been rearing its ugly head. I’ve said all year long that this team has suffered from a severe lack of aggressiveness. No longer are we seeing the old “grit-and-balls” style of play that KG made so famous (save for maybe Marcus Smart), as most guys have been happy to settle for three-point attempts (7th-most 3PAs in the league) and other ill-advised jumpers. Rarely have we seen anyone on the Celts pinning their ears back and attacking the basket. As a result, the team is at the very bottom of the league in free-throw attempts per game (29th), severely limiting the amount of easy buckets they could have used, especially at the end of games.

Just take a look at this: On April 3 against Miami alone, Hayward had 13 free-throw attempts, and the Celtics as a team shot 31 of them. The game before that, also against Miami, they attempted 24 free throws as a team. But over the next two games, they shot a combined 30. To be fair, the difference in points per game between those two sets of games is nominal, and a higher amount of shots from the line does not necessarily correlate with direct success. But this team plays SO MUCH better when they’re being aggressive, which they are not too keen to be all the time, for whatever reason, and it drives me NUTS.

Again, perhaps they’ll kick it up a notch in the playoffs. And having a healthy Baynes back is huge, particularly in the rebounding department, which has been a glaring issue all season long. Hopefully he can help get the boys fired up, especially with Smart on the shelf.

(DOM): So when it comes to Hayward, most of my criticism of Brad is from the first couple months. He gave him too much too soon, and probably could’ve handled things differently. Brad readily admits that it’s been a work in progress with this quote:

“The one thing we haven’t done all year is talk about what Gordon can’t do. We talk about what he does well and try to put him in the best position to do that…We didn’t do a great job of that early on. And I think we’ve all learned how he can best help us. When he plays with the ball, he makes the right play over and over and over.”

For most of 2019, Hayward has been great. Every month we’ve seen his offensive efficiency improve, and I could not be more happy with Hayward’s performance. He played a great stretch at the beginning of January, went into a funk, then played great before getting hurt at practice right after the All-Star game. Then, as you mentioned, since the concussion he’s been lights out (pun intended).

As for your point about aggressiveness, I’m with you 100%. Kyrie is really the only one who attacks the basket with consistency, and he’s subsequently the only person on this team who should be chucking early-shot-clock jumpers. Tatum needs to cut the shit and stop settling for contested jump shots all the time. If he attacked the hoop more often, he would be Kevin Durant. Same game. Same body type. The difference is that Durant attacks the hoop to open up his outside game, not the other way around. Tatum needs to learn how to do that. Jaylen Brown is usually good at attacking the hoop and is surprisingly good at finishing, although he also struggles to attack with any consistency. It’s going to be super important for this team to attack the Pacers. If we can wear down Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis with our pace and aggressiveness and get them in foul trouble, too, this series will be a breeze.

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We need a lot more of this outta you, Jay!

(MATTES): You just absolutely nailed it with this little tidbit here: “Tatum needs to cut the shit and stop settling for contested jump shots all the time. If he attacked the hoop more often, he would be Kevin Durant. Same game. Same body type. The difference is that Durant attacks the hoop to open up his outside game, not the other way around.” Very well said. While I would never say Tatum has had a “bad” season – especially with how well he’s been playing lately – I will say that he has taken nowhere near the leap forward I’d thought he’d take in Year 2. With the way he finished last year, I thought this dude was truly ready to TAKE OFF, giving us bona fide top-20-player type of production. But honestly, I feel like he’s regressed a bit. Not so much in terms of his skillset, per se, but rather his mindset, as he just hasn’t been as confident as he was last spring/early summer. Whether it was a spending a bit too much time with “Mr. Shoot ‘Em If Ya Got ‘Em” Kobe Bryant this offseason, or maybe being a bit oppressed by Kyrie and the rest of the talent on the roster, Tatum just hasn’t shown the type of effort or chutzpah he needs to in order to get to level where he should be. At least not so far.

Jaylen has actually been one of the only guys on the team to get the line with any semblance of frequency this year. However, I think his inconsistent usage this season – something which I will get on Brad for – has hurt his further development. While the rotation has been a bit fluid at times this year, nobody has seen more fluctuation in playing time than Jaylen, and I honestly don’t know why. I truly feel like the more he plays the better he gets, and I do believe coaching has significantly held him back this year.

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I see you, Jaylen! I still believe in you!

OK, so we pretty much agree on the following:

    1. The team is still plenty talented enough to make a deep playoff run.
    2. In order to do so, they need to put their big-boy pants on and start being more aggressive in all facets of the game – especially Tatum.
    3. Having Baynes back is a lot more important than people think, particularly even more now with the Smart injury.
    4. Hayward is really starting to come alive and could be the team’s X-factor in the postseason.

Now, let’s hop into a few seasonal awards:

(TEAM MVP): Kyrie Irving – I mean, duh. Sure, he can be a bit of a pill sometimes, and I totally understand if people are fed up with his ego and, ummm, candid commentary. But he’s still the very best player on this team, bar none. Most importantly, he stayed relatively healthy this season and looks to be in top form heading into postseason play. He truly might be ready to hit another level entirely.

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Kyrie is still the king.

(MOST IMPROVED): Marcus Smart – At first I thought picking “Most Improved” was going to be difficult. But after consulting the numbers, it wasn’t. Marcus Smart is actually the only guy on the roster who has improved significantly this season. You can make a case for Irving, I guess, but Smart took a HUGE step forward offensively this year. He set career highs in field-goal percentage and three-point percentage as well as three-pointers made, steals, and games played. Both his FG% and 3P% were up by six percent over last year, his free-throw percentage was up nearly eight points. Basically, his entire offensive IQ is up. His shot selection has been so much better that he seems like a different player. He rarely chucks up shots before setting his feet, attacks more, and continues to do a good job of finding open teammates. His turnovers were also the lowest since 2015-16, when he only started 10 games. Marcus Smart is the heart of this team, and he always happens to be in the right place making huge plays at the right time. He’s the only guy that consistently gives 110 percent and never takes plays off. He’s the type of guy that wins you championships, and his new deal last offseason certainly seemed to propel him to his best season yet. Losing him for even a small amount of time this postseason could truly be a killer.

(MOST DISAPPOINTING): Terry Rozier – It was just NOT a good season for “Scary Terry.” After last season’s solid playoff performance, he just couldn’t settle into the rotation this year and finished with the lowest net rating per 100 possessions of any guy on the roster (-9.5) besides Robert Williams. He’s always been a poor shooter, but he’s hitting just under 39 percent of his shots this season and seems to be trying way too hard. To be fair, I think he’d thrive more in a spot where he’d get more volume, as the talent’s still there. But it’s pretty clear that the impending free agent is miserable here, and to be honest I don’t even want him in the rotation for the postseason. Thanks for everything, Terry, but I think it’s time to go, bud.

Be sure to check back into The 300s this weekend for a first-round playoff preview. And be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook!

Checking in on the Celtics With Just 10 Games Left to Go

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(The NBA postseason begins in less than a month, and let’s just say it’s been a rather up-and-down season for our Boys in Green. While there’s still 10 games left to go in the regular season, Mattes and Dom are here with their take on the Celtics’s play this season and where things stand with the team heading into the home stretch.)

MATTES: I’ll be honest, heading into the year I never thought I’d see this team sitting 10 games out of the top spot in the East with 10 games left to go in the season. After they were mere minutes from an NBA Finals appearance last season – without their best player, mind you – I (and pretty much everyone else) am shocked to see them sitting in freakin’ FIFTH at the moment. After two tough losses this week, the Celtics are now four games behind Philly for the 3-seed and a half-game behind Indy for fourth place. At the moment, they wouldn’t even get home home-court advantage in the first round!

If things stand pat – and they probably will, especially with Kyrie saying he’s probably going to take some time off to rest before the playoffs – the Celtics are likely to take on the Pacers in the first round. (The Pistons are 5.5 games behind the C’s, and unless The Green absolutely collapse, they should get either the fourth or fifth seed and play Indy either way.)

So, Dom, how are you feeling with just 3.5 weeks left in the season? Do you feel OK with this squad heading into postseason play? Kyrie said back in February that all that matters is getting to the dance, and basically that the regular season is overrated. Do you agree?

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Kyrie says not to worry, but shouldn’t we be?

DOM: I both agree and disagree with what Kyrie says. The big reason being that home court is important, no matter how much players and coaches try to downplay it in press conferences. The Celtics are under .500 on the road but 29-14 at home. That’s important. We’re about to start playing the best teams in the league, and although I think any team in the East will have a hard time beating us in seven games, being able to play in a building that you dominate in is a massive advantage. Combine that with the fact that since February 1, we’re 4-8 against playoff teams, so we’re going to need all the help we can get. However, I do agree with Kyrie in the sense that there’s no point risking injury in the regular season if you know where you’ll end up in the playoffs. I’d actually like him to take the less important games off so we can get Terry, Tatum, and the rest of the cast feeling better about themselves for the playoff push.

As far as preseason predictions, I’m glad I didn’t put any money on this team like I originally wanted to. That’s for sure. I think we’ll move into the 4-seed by the end of the season, as the Pacers are fading and have a really tough schedule ahead. We also get to play them twice, so that’ll be a nice postseason preview. Still, though, fourth? I’d call you an idiot if you said that to me six months ago. As for predictions now, safe money has them getting knocked out in the second round by the Bucks.

MATTES: I agree that making preseason predictions can often be a fool’s errand, but there is no doubt this team has severely underachieved. Yes, the Bucks and Raptors (especially the Bucks) are also far exceeding expectations, and Philly got even better by adding two studs (Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris) to their already loaded roster since last year. And I definitely did not expect an Indiana Pacers team which lost their best player (Victor Oladipo) for the season two months ago to still be hanging tough with the big boys in the East. So some might say that the surrounding competition is simply a lot better than we thought it would be.

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Harris (left) and Butler (right) have been two huge additions for the Sixers.

Honestly, though, I think it is much more about the Celtics themselves, as you even said they are 4-8 against current playoff teams since February 1. That includes teams out West, who do not affect the Celtics’s position in the Eastern Conference standings. To me, effort and demeanor has been the team’s biggest issue all year long; the talent is still obviously there.

It does seem as though we’ve gotten past a lot of the ridiculous off-court drama/bitch-ass-ness that was engulfing the team a few weeks ago, and it does seem as though they’re working together much better than before. (On Wednesday night, Kyrie was a wizard on the floor, making sick passes all over the court while trying to get the rest of the team involved early on in Philly. In fact, since March 1, he’s been averaging over eight assists per game, dishing out at least 10 dimes in 4-of-9 games this month.)

But again, effort is still lacking. After being a top-five defensive squad all year long, the team has dropped to sixth in terms of defensive rating. While that might not seem like a noteworthy change at all, it’s not a comforting trend when you consider they’ve given up an average of over 122 points per game (!!!) over their last five contests. They’re also 21st in the league in total rebounding, including being 20th in terms of offensive rebounding specifically. One of the first things I texted you while watching the game in Philly on Wednesday night was the fact that I was infuriated that the team refuses to even box out at times. I get that Embiid is really good. I get that we don’t really have anyone to match his size. But letting the guy get TWENTY-TWO boards on the night, including 16 on the defensive glass? That’s unacceptable.

 

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Embiid is one baaaaad man. He could be a huge problem in any potential playoff series against Philly.

DOM: All great points there. Defensively, we’ve actually been 16th in the league post-All-Star Break, and the team’s opponents’ points per game has really been driving me crazy. I often see people not knowing who to guard on fast breaks, losing their man on switches, and not closing out with their hands up. And that’s the difference in effort between winners and losers at the end of the year. Watching March Madness, you see it all over the place: teams who consistently lay out for loose balls, have their hands up and heads on a swivel, and play team defense usually come out on top.

I would also agree the competition in the East has gotten markedly better, especially at the top. The Bucks, Raptors, and 76ers are all legit championship threats, and Nate McMillan deserves serious consideration for Coach of the Year with what the Pacers have been able to do after the Oladipo injury. However, of the Celtics biggest disappointments, the coaching of Brad Stevens has to be the biggest for me. A lot of people will point to Hayward and say for a guy making $30 million a year, he sucks! But his salary doesn’t matter. The dude had one of the most horrific injuries you can possibly have, and anyone who expected him to come back and be the same player he was before is a fucking moron. Now, I’m not saying I don’t want more out of him, but his scoring and shooting percentage have increased every month this season. If you want to talk about contract value, that’s a conversation for next season.

Brad should’ve won the Coach of the Year Award last year with all the juggling of minutes of reserves, getting the most out of his players, and managing injuries as good as I’ve ever seen. This year, it seems he’s worrying too much about the egos of guys like Hayward, Tatum, and Morris and not doing the things that made them so good late last year. Namely, keeping a rotation based on who’s hot rather than giving people a set number of minutes. Although he’s been better lately, I can point to a dozen losses from earlier in the year where he failed to call timeouts when the other team went on a run, especially late in the game. Obviously the players have to perform, but as a coach you need to be able to stem the tide and know if the levee is about to break.

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Sorry, Brad. You’re not getting away scot-free here.

MATTES: YES! Brad Stevens really isn’t getting enough flak for the poor job he’s done overall this year. I’ve always been a big fan of Stevens, ever since we first brought him on almost six years ago. Especially after last season, like you mentioned, I thought he was quickly ascending up the NBA coaching hierarchy and that we’d be set for years to come with him leading the way. But, like you also mentioned, the guy refuses to take timeouts when needed or make the tough calls, and he instead seems to be more worried about upsetting the big egos on this team. (Although, much like when he called out the team for taking shortcuts on defense after the game in Toronto a few weeks ago, he seems like he’s been finding his voice at least a little bit more lately.)

As I’ve said time and time again this year, though, there might simply be too many cooks in the kitchen. There are eight very talented guys who are averaging over 20 minutes a game for the Celtics this year, and that can’t be very easy to manage. Also, in regards to Hayward, the team plays incredibly well when he specifically plays well. (But no really, they’re almost unstoppable when Hayward is on his game.) So I don’t necessarily blame Brad for continuing to play him so much, even when he’s been outright bad at times.

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As much as people might want to get on him this year, Hayward’s been huge for the team at times this season.

But, it is now March 22, and the postseason is right around the corner. Brad needs to continuing tightening things up, shorten the rotation even more, and play the guys who are really making an effort to salvage this season. No more “figuring things out.” We’re 90% of the way through the season! Get it together, boys!

DOM: Totally agree. I’m not one of these dopes calling for Brad to be fired, and even if they were to get swept in the first round, I still want Stevens as our head coach, for now at least. He’s had five years in a row to prove himself, and one bad year isn’t enough for me to call it on him as a good coach. But you’re right, Brad needs to stick with the guys who are playing well, and hopefully these guys can start playing consistently as a unit. That’s the key to winning: team basketball, on both sides of the ball.

Here’s a stat that blew my mind, and although it’s not surprising if you’ve watched this team at all this year, it is frustrating. Aside from Kyrie and Horford, the Celtics suck in the ISO. There’s two guys in particular who need to cut the shit and stop clearing everyone out: Tatum and Morris. To give people an idea of how effective people can be out of the ISO, James Harden is the league leader, averaging 18 points per game in the ISO, and Steph Curry is the most efficient, scoring 1.1 points per possession in terms of people scoring more than one basket per game in ISO. (Technically, Rodions Kurucs is No. 1 at 1.75 PPP, but we’re not gonna count that).

The best players in the league hover around 1.0 PPP, but plenty of quality players keep it above 0.9. However, once you start dipping from there, you become increasingly ineffective. And that’s where Morris and Tatum come in. Morris is averaging 0.66 PPP and Tatum is at 0.64!! And it’s not like this is Draymond Green, who’s at 0.67 but is only in ISO 2.9% of the time. Tatum and Morris get the ball in ISO 13.4% and 9.8% of the time, respectively, and both only shoot 32% in those situations. Basically, that means that when Morris or Tatum go at it alone, they only make one of every three shots, good for two points every three trips up the court. That is GARBAGE.

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Move the fucking basketball. Somehow, the Celtics actually average 26.4 assists per game, good for sixth in the NBA. But could you imagine if the ball didn’t seem to get stuck in someone’s hands so often? On the other side of it, Horford and Kyrie are both ridiculously efficient off the pick-and-roll, averaging well over 1.0 PPP each and shooting 50% or higher. That’s insane. Keep doing that.

MATTES: Well, it’s seems pretty obvious that we both feel that guys getting over themselves, learning to defer to those who deserve it, and actually acting like they care are three simple changes this team can make right now. If so, maybe – JUST MAYBE – a second straight push for the Finals isn’t such a crazy thought after all. If not, we might ultimately be looking at one of the more disappointing seasons for a Boston sports team that we’ve seen in quite some time.

The Celtics kick off their final slate of regular-season games on Saturday night in Charlotte.

JIMMER FREDETTE IS BACK IN THE NBA BABY!

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SI – The Suns will sign guard Jimmer Fredette through the rest of the 2018-19 season, according to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro. Phoenix will have a team option on Fredette’s contract for 2019-20.

Fredette will join the Suns following a stint with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association. Fredette led the league in scoring with 36.9 points per game in 2018-19.

For anyone thats been following this blog for the past two years you know full well that I am a Jimmer Fredette super fan. I’ve written all about him dominating in China, and of course the absolute fire flames shoe line he dropped.

The guy was so fun to watch in college because he played like a game of NBA 2K just pulling up for threes barely past half court.

Now obviously that didn’t translate to the NBA all that well as he only averaged 6 points a game over the course of 5 seasons. However the league has evolved into an all out air raid with every team shooting more 3’s than ever before so it could be Jimmer’s time to shine. Granted its not the best competition in the world, but he’s been averaging nearly 40 a game in China so thats gotta count for something right?

It’s a shame the Celtics didn’t sign him, but hey at least Jimmer Fredette is back in our lives. Either way I may have to get NBA League Pass just to watch Jimmer jack 3’s from 28 feet in Phoenix now.

Isaiah Thomas Was Playing Pickup Ball With Random Kids at Emerson

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Just a true man of the people. It really is crazy when you see Isaiah Thomas in a situation like this with some regular folks because he doesn’t look out of place at all. In fact it makes it look even more preposterous that this 5’8″ guy even made the NBA, let alone was in the running for MVP a couple years back. I’m still bummed about the way Isaiah’s post-Celtics career has gone since the trade, but the guy puts in the work (both with the pros and the normies) and is positive AF so here’s to hoping he gets back to that level we’ve all seen so often around here.

James Dolan is the Biggest Piece of Trash in the NBA

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Seriously, Adam Silver and the rest of the bigwigs in charge of the NBA should kick this sack of shit out of league. That’s a difficult thing to write as a Celtics fan, because he has essentially guaranteed that the Knicks are garbage year in and year out. I’d really like that to continue. However, Dolan is such a terrible person that he brings the whole league down with him when he pulls bullshit stunts like this. For anyone who missed the backstory to this whole thing, after loss at MSG to the Kings two nights ago, a fan yelled at the Knicks owner to “sell the team.” Here’s the video:

The fan was detained by security for voicing his opinion about how terrible this Knicks franchise was.

Insanity. Dolan, you fucking suck. Your team is absolute trash, and you’re banning him because he made some smart-ass comment to you as you walked out? How thin-skinned can you get? You’re lucky fans even show up to the games at all. Seriously, I’d rather watch water freeze than a Knicks basketball game, and I actually like watching them lose.

His subsequent defense of his behavior is even more preposterous than banning the guy in the first place. You ban the guy, sure. This only proves you’re a narcissistic, overly sensitive douche who can’t take deservedly harsh criticism (in a city not exactly known for their manners), but it’s your team and to a degree you can do what you want. But to say you were “ambushed” while walking down the same tunnel everyone else walks down while you’re surrounded by security guards? Ambushed, really? And you release this video as your proof??

What on God’s earth are you talking about? This happens to every single player at every single sporting event every day!! Whether it’s the NBA, MLB, NFL, whatever. Fans always have something to say, and if you don’t like it just keep walking. You only had 15 more steps and you were clear. Why stop? Also, they ambushed you to sell the video to TMZ? How much money do you actually think TMZ would pay for a video of James Dolan walking down a tunnel?

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The only reason this is a story is because of how childish Dolan’s response was. So because of how terrible he is, let’s quickly recap James Dolan’s career as the Knicks owner:

  • Dolan takes over the team in 1999, and the Knicks go all the way to the NBA Finals. The following year they lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Pacers. This is the last time they will be good.
  • Knicks go 9 consecutive losing seasons, with a brief 3 year period of playoff appearances. In those 3 seasons, the Knicks have a playoff record of 7-14.
  • Dolan hires Isiah Thomas as his President of Operations in 2003. Thomas oversees a ton of terrible decisions, including trading Stephon Marbury, trading Lamarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah for Eddy Curry, signing Jerome James (who?) to a 5 year, 30 mil contract (remember, contracts weren’t the same as they are now), and paying Allan Houston $100 million in a contract so bad, they had to create a rule to prevent teams from skirting their financial obligations.
  • Dolan recorded Carmelo Anthony because he talked trash to KG
  • Dolan didn’t talk to beat reporters from 2007-2013
  • Has hired 13 head coaches in the 20 years of owning the franchise
  • Led Knicks to a franchise worst record of 17-65 in 2014-15
  • The team currently holds the worst record in the NBA at 13-55, a solid 3 games behind the Phoenix Suns.

The Knicks play in the biggest basketball market in the world. The only thing holding them back is this asshole, and the sooner he’s gone the sooner the Knicks will compete again. For the Celtics sake, let’s hope he continues being a stubborn old buffoon a little longer.

Celtics Go 3-1 on West Coast Road Trip to Keep Their Title Hopes Alive

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The C’s finished off their tour of Cali with a dud against a red hot Clippers team after an otherwise successful trip. I said after that Warriors game that if they could rattle off 5-6 wins, I’d be pacified. Well that didn’t happen, but I do have more confidence in this team thanks to the way they performed throughout the trip. This team is going to have issues throughout the rest of the season, and unless they sweep through the rest of the season, I’m always going to have doubts about their chances at winning a title. After all, before all the mayhem that this season has brought, I was convinced this team was going to win it all this year. However, I saw enough on this trip to think that this team is still capable of a title run, despite what all the doubters may say.

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Did they beat an undermanned Warriors team? Yes. Did the defense take an early flight home from LA and forget they still had to play the Clippers? Absolutely. But here’s what I saw outside of that Clippers game. I saw a team that was finally playing together, with key guys stepping up when starters were out. Against the Kings, everyone stepped up down the stretch and fought hard in Kyrie’s absence. People were hustling, diving for balls, making the extra pass, and playing four quarters of basketball. The energy was there.

I understand the middle two games we won weren’t against great teams. The Lakers have been devastated by injuries and an awful GM, but if LeBron is on the court you can’t mail it in. We all know he’s good enough to win games on his own. The Kings would be competing for the 5 seed right now if they were in the East, and have one of the best young backcourts in basketball (De’Aaron Fox is fast as fuck; I didn’t realize just how fast until watching this game). But the Celtics seemed to gain a little swagger back, and it seems like the guys are finally starting to come around on each other. Gordon Hayward seemed to find his shot again. There was a lot to feel positive about. At even with the stinker last night, 3-1 is pretty good. Seriously, who actually thought we’d go 4-0 on this trip? If I remember correctly, we’d only be the fourth team in history to go sweep a California road trip 4-0.

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That having been said, we need to figure out what’s going on with this defense. There are games where they look great, and then there are games where nobody rotates, everyone looks slow, and people like Lou Williams (all 32 years and 6’1″ of him) get to the hoop with ease. That kind of shit can’t happen when you’re playing the Sixers, Bucks or any of the other top teams in the league. We’d play well enough offensively, but 140 points? Ouch. The Celtics somehow rank 5th in the league in Defensive Rating on the season, but over the past 15 games they’re down to a mediocre 16th.

Image result for kyrie irving apology“For me, I think because of how fixated I was on trying to prove other people wrong, I got into a lot of habits that were bad, like reading stuff and reacting emotionally. That’s just not who I am.” – Kyrie Irving

As a fan, this interview with Yahoo Sports was just as important as a winning record on the road trip. Don’t get me wrong, the W’s are great, but Kyrie holding himself accountable is a major step forward to giving me faith in the Celtics as a team. Hopefully the younger guys feel the same way. It’s not easy being Kyrie, and this is exactly the response I wanted after my initial post. Now it’s time for the media to do their part and cut him a little more slack and not take his words out of context (I’m still salty about that “can’t wait to be done with this” nonsense). As Al Horford said in reference to Kyrie and the team bonding on the plane ride:

“He’s the one who got that ball rolling…We spent a good amount of time together, we talked, we laughed, stuff like that. It just happened to be extended. As opposed to an hour or two hours, almost seven hours. You’d think we’d get sick of each other but, actually, it made the plane ride go quicker. We were just hanging out and talking.”

There’s only 14 games left. Time for the final push. Let’s go Green!

PS. Stop shooting Marcus Morris, ya big mook.

The 300s Podcast: Celtics Rise Like a Phoenix on the West Coast, Red Sox Opening Day Nears, and Patriots Attack the Offseason

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The 300s boys are back in the podcast studio discussing everything from the manic Celtics to the Red Sox inching closer to Opening Day, some good old fashioned Vegas gambling stories, and the Pats are jumping right into the offseason. Lets goo!

– Celtics Rise Like a Phoenix from the Ashes on the West Coast

– What is up with Kyrie? Miserable malcontent one day and then all happy go lucky after the Lakers game.

– Red Sox inching closer to Opening Day

– Best sporting events to bet on? March madness? Just betting 10 football games every Sunday?

– Red Sox Going With a Closer by Committee?

– Steven Wright suspension

– WEEI 8 man radio rotation

– Patriots Offseason/Free Agency

– Michael Bennett in, Trey Flowers out?

– Danny Amendola Reunion?

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.