Tag: Boston Celtics

“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.

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!

What Celtics Should Do Before Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline

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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.

BREAKING: Anthony Davis Wants Out of New Orleans

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After years of dreaming, wishing, and hoping that NBA superstar Anthony Davis would eventually make his way up to Boston, we got a major WOJ BOMB regarding the Pelicans’ All-World forward early Monday morning:

*HEAVY BREATHING*

But, in the words of the great Phil Collins:

“Hold on my heart.
Just hold on to that feeling.
We both know we’ve been here before.
We both know what can happen.”

Everyone knows that anything Wojnarowski says is pretty much Bible. BUT, before you go throw on your Green jammies, I’m going to crush your dreams (and mine) and inform you right away that the Celtics are not allowed to trade for The Brow right now, no matter what they’d be willing to offer.

Why? I’mma let Boston.com’s Nicole Yang explain the reason why:

Both Davis and Irving signed their contract extensions under the “Rose Rule,” named after point guard Derrick Rose because he was the first player to sign such an extension. The “Rose Rule” allows certain players coming off their rookie-scale contracts to earn 30 percent of the salary cap as opposed to 25 percent. To be eligible, a player must have achieved one of three accolades during the first four seasons of his career: MVP award, Defensive Player of the Year award, or two All-NBA selections. (When Davis and Irving inked their extensions in 2015 and 2014, respectively, two All-Star starter nods was in place of DPOY.)

NBA teams cannot trade for more than one player who has signed an extension under the “Rose Rule” — a limitation that is only applicable when the players are still on their “Rose Rule” extensions. The Celtics acquired Irving via trade in August 2017, so they cannot deal for Davis — or any other player that has signed such an extension — until Irving leaves or agrees to a new deal. Irving will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this season and has expressed his intention to re-sign with the Celtics. The earliest he can do so is July 1, 2019.

Seriously, that SUCKS, but such is the reality right now. Sorry to ruin your week already.

Again, it doesn’t change the fact that the Celtics are the team with likely the best combination of current players AND future assets to offer New Orleans. And, with the way the team has been playing this year, I’m pretty much ready to deal anything and everything we’d need to in order to get it done.

But, alas, we can’t do a damn thing.

Everyone now assumes that the Lakers will make a Godfather offer in order to bring Davis to L.A., which would pair him up with the King. The Lakers may not have the same abundance of draft capital the Celtics have right now, but they do have plenty of young talent that could tempt the Pelicans into moving the 25-year-old. But truthfully, who knows where he could end up? When a player this good hits the trade block, pretty much any team would jump at the chance to get him.

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Seriously, this man is a true franchise-changer.

Davis is also signed through next season, with a player option for 2020-21. This makes him even more enticing, as whoever obtained him in a trade wouldn’t just be getting a rental. However, this also means the Celtics can’t just wait until next summer and try to sign him because: 1) he won’t be a free agent and 2) something could happen well before then anyway.

All the team can do is hope that he stays with New Orleans through the rest of this season. Then, after July 1, hopefully we’ll have already locked Kyrie up for the long term and we’re able to put together a package to acquire Davis before next season. And it’s really not all that crazy of a scenario, as the Pelicans don’t “need” to trade him any time soon, and they know they’re unlikely to get as good of a deal from anyone else as the one they’d get from the C’s.

So, sorry to break it to you, Celts Nation. But hey:

Stay tuned…

Missed Chances Kill Celtics in Heartbreaking Loss to Golden State

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Never in my life have I seen a team blow so many chances and do everything they could not to win a game as I saw in the Celtics’ 115-111 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

Yes, the Warriors are really good. And, sure, some people may look at the fact the team only lost by four as a “good” thing. Some may also say the team was coming off a five-game winning streak, which started with a sound victory against No. 1 seed Toronto 11 days ago. But let’s also not forget that three of those wins came against some of the very worst teams in the league (Memphis, Atlanta, and Cleveland).

Back to Saturday night. The Celtics were able to keep it pretty close the whole contest, save for a nice little run by Golden State in the second quarter, helping the Warriors build a nine-point lead at one point. The Celtics battled back, however, and cut the deficit to only two at the half.

From there on out, it was a battle. The Warriors did get the lead back up to six by the end of the third, after Jayson Tatum almost single-handedly kept the C’s alive throughout the quarter with 14 points in those 12 minutes. Then it was a fight to the finish in a neck-and-neck fourth quarter, with Al Horford and Kyrie Irving leading the way. (And I also can’t forget to mention the clutch three-pointer that Marcus Smart nailed in Draymond Green’s eyeball to tie the game at 111. Seriously, that was a sick shot.)

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Tatum stepped up big when it counted last night.

Yet when you really look at how that fourth quarter went down, the Celtics simply gave the game away. Plain and simple. It actually physically hurt to watch.

First, there’s the fact that they committed SIX turnovers in the quarter, and finished the game with a grand total of 14  – with nine (!) coming from Kyrie and Big Al alone. To be fair, Golden State committed 14 turnovers on Saturday night as well, and the total was not at all far off from the Celtics’ turnover-per-game mark of 13.4, which is actually the fourth-best in the whole league. But, as they say, timing is everything in life, and six giveaways in the final eight minutes are not going to do you any favors. Period.

It’s even worse when you consider that Golden State made just five shots from the floor in the fourth quarter, for a total of 11 points. However, they were able to sink 14 points at the line – aided by some horrendously soft calls from the officials, yes – and the Celtics even out-rebounded the Warriors 15-13 over the game’s final frame.

But the final half-minute of action tells the whole story. Just look at this cluster-eff of events that happened in the game’s final moments: with Golden State up just two points and 32 seconds left, Durant tries to throw the game away (literally) with a horrible pass that sailed out of bounds; the Celtics get the ball and Kyrie misses a two-pointer; Draymond Green then tries to grab the rebound and muffs it out of bounds; Celtics get the ball back AGAIN and Marcus Morris misses a three; Green gets the rebound again, is immediately fouled by Horford, and MISSES BOTH FREE THROWS; but, of course, the ball is rebounded by Steph Curry, he’s fouled by Kyrie, hits both shots at the line, and the game was pretty much over.

WOOF! Just brutal.

While the team did prove that they still have the firepower to hang with the league’s best, it was an awful way to end the game. And the team still sits fifth in the Eastern Conference, barely making up any ground on the four teams ahead of them, even with their five other victories over the past week. Besides two respective matchups against Charlotte and Oklahoma City, the Celtics have a beatable slate of opponents coming up over the next two weeks. Hopefully they can bounce back quickly from this one.

A few more quick notes on the Green:

  • After being arguably the Celtics’ best player besides Kyrie over the first half of the season, Marcus Morris is starting to come back to down to Earth a little bit, averaging just 9.5 points over the team’s last seven contests. After failing to score in double-figures just once from Thanksgiving through the first week in January, Morris has surpassed 10 points in just four-of-the-last-nine games.
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Still love ya, man, but what happened?

  • Terry Rozier is also really struggling to find his place on this squad. It’s been up and down all year long for the 24-year-old, with much of that likely having to do with the inconsistent minutes he’s been given, seeing well over 30 minutes of play some nights and just barely over 15-18 in others. Also, it has been U-G-L-Y for him over the past two weeks, as he is shooting an abysmal 18 percent from the floor (YUCK!) over the past nine games. He is a guy who needs a ton of volume to be successful, and he just ain’t gonna get it here. Danny, I think it’s time to move the young guard and at least get something for him before he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. (Remember, in the NBA, if a team fails to match an offer sheet, the other team is NOT required to provide any compensation.)
  • The same goes for Gordon Hayward. One of the team’s all-time biggest free-agent acquisitions is simply not living up to the hype. He was absolutely invisible against Golden State, going 0-for-5 from the floor in 22 minutes of action. And besides two 18-point games this month, he’s failed to crack double-digits in six-of-his-last-eight games. Maybe he’s still healing. Or maybe he’s just not used to playing on such a loaded squad. Regardless, he’s been a major bummer.
  • On a good note, Marcus Smart may finally be developing a three-point shot! I already mentioned the huge one he hit on Saturday night, and the defensive intensity and grit-and-balls attitude he brings to the table every night has long been well-known. Most people probably aren’t aware that he is shooting 41 percent from deep since Thanksgiving, even though he is at just 36.3 percent for the season overall. If he keeps trending in this direction, Smart could become the true X-factor on this team.
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Yeah, I see you, Marcus!

  • Things have taken a bit of a turn for our boy Robert Williams – aka the “Time Lord.” After playing in only six games since Christmas, he was officially sent back down to the G-League just three days ago. But we know it’s only temporary, young fella! You’ll be back up in no time, and we’ll be waiting with baited breath.

So there’s your quick little Celtics round-up after Saturday night’s heartbreaker. Be sure to keep checking in with The 300s for all your news on the Green all season long.

REAL TALK: OK, So Maybe the Celtics Aren’t Fine

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No, but really: What the hell is going on with this Celtics team?

For team that was supposed to dominate the East this season, it’s really disappointing to see them sitting fifth in the conference at 26-18, a measly eight games above .500 and behind teams like Indiana and Philly.

I know just 10 days ago I said this team was doing just fine and that soon they’d hit their stride. And they did indeed beat the best team in the conference just two nights ago. But that win was coming off a 2-3 stretch – during which they lost to Miami, Brooklyn, and freakin’ Orlando – and after multiple instances of bitch-assness from a few players throughout the roster.

First, there was Marcus Morris shoving a completely unengaged Jaylen Brown against Miami on January 10:

Then, Kyrie Irving threw a hissy fit on the court after Jayson Tatum’s missed last-second shot attempt just two days later in Orlando, which ultimately led him to call everyone out after the game. To be honest, I’m not even mad about the postgame comments; a leader should step up and call out the young guys when they’re slacking, and I applaud him for doing so. I also think Jaylen Brown acted like a whiny child when he said Kyrie shouldn’t have been “pointing fingers” because it will make some on the team “go into their shells.” (Kyrie actually ended up apologizing for what he said, but Brown’s response was soft.)

BUT NOW, we get the news – compliments of Kyrie himself – that after those postgame comments he made down in Orlando, he called “old friend” LeBron James (catching the sarcasm there?) to apologize to him for being so difficult and not recognizing what a leader he was during their time together in Cleveland. Kyrie said he, too, used to do the very same things that he’s currently accusing the Celtics’ younger guys of doing, and that LeBron was simply trying to teach everyone how to win, much like he’s trying to do in Boston right now.

Wow, Kyrie.

No, seriously, though. A leader doesn’t to try and grandstand his entire team by calling the self-proclaimed “G.O.A.T.” to talk about what could have been and then go out of his way to tell the whole world about it. You’re acting like a manipulative girlfriend who brings up her ex whenever she’s mad at you. What you did was a complete bitch-ass move, Kyrie. It was a textbook LOSER move all around, and I wouldn’t blame the rest of the guys in the locker room for shutting you out for a bit because of it. That was just plain WEAK.

But how about what’s been happening on the court? Well, they did just beat the No. 1 seed Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night – yes, led by Kyrie’s 27 points – but that was after losing to Brooklyn on Monday night, in a game during which they were down by 30 at certain points.

So, while there’s no doubt the roster is still loaded with talent, the inconsistency is what is killing the team right now. This team has flipped flopped between piping hot and ice cold throughout the entire season. Need proof? Here’s a snapshot of how things have gone since Thanksgiving:

  • Won eight straight
  • Lost three in a row
  • 3-2 stretch
  • Won four straight
  • Lost three in a row
  • Win

And what’s even crazier is that, according to the numbers, the team should be one of the top squads in the entire league right now, let alone the Eastern Conference. They’re 11th in terms of offensive rating (112.2) and they’re fifth in defensive rating (106.1). Though they’re technically 14th in points per game (111.8), the stats say they should be able to make up for it with their play on the other side of the ball.

But again, inconsistency has been the killer. While Kyrie – as pissed as I am at him right now – has remained hot for pretty much the whole year, others haven’t been so reliable. For example, Al Horford, who came up huge with 24 points against Toronto on Wednesday, put up totals of 8, 10, 2, 6, and 12 in the five games prior. Gordon Hayward, who was heating up just two weeks ago, put up a total of just 17 points during the team’s three-game losing streak before scoring 18 on Wednesday night at the Garden. Even Jaylen Brown, who is finally starting to pick it up, has seen his totals fluctuate wildly over the past two weeks as well.

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It’s seriously tough to predict how the book on the Gordon Hayward era in Boston is going to be written when it’s all said and done.

Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum have been pretty reliable, with each consistently contributing 15-16 points a night. But even their once vaunted group of role guys like Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart have not been able to cement their purpose in the rotation; yes, they’re all still playing, but not as cohesively as hoped.

The problem is that there are just too many cooks in the kitchen right now, and it’s hard for anyone to start to simmer. This has also caused some serious issues in the locker room – some of which we still might not even know about – and that old “Ubuntu” mentality, championed by Celtics teams of old, seems to be a thing of the past.

Again, as I said the other week, I do believe this team can still get hot. But we’re now officially over halfway through the season, and things have actually been trending downward lately, as opposed to getting any better. Maybe Danny Ainge should think about blowing things up a bit (e.g. trading Rozier), allowing for guys to actually be a bit more selfish and solidify their respective roles a bit more. Or maybe some guys can get over themselves a bit and try to be a better teammate.

Either way, something’s gotta give, for better or worse, and something needs to be done sooner rather than later.

The Time Lord Returns and Celtics Win Third Straight

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After being out the past six games with a groin injury, the Celts’ beloved rookie did not make much too much noise in his return the court against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, finishing with just two points in a little over four minutes of play.

Those two points, though? They came on this showstopper:

Again: this kid can ball! The dunk was impressive enough, but his steal also set up the fast break that allowed it to happen in the first place. That steal was also his third in his past four games. Over that time, he’s also compiled a total of eight blocks, including his second five-block performance of the year against Phoenix just before Christmas.

Sadly, we didn’t get to see what he could do against Joel Embiid and the Sixers on Christmas Day, as both Williams and Aron Baynes had been out nursing injuries since that game (and even beforehand in Baynes’s case). Therefore, for about the past three or four weeks, the Celtics have been rolling with Daniel Theis, a still-not-fully-healed Al Horford, and an extremely underwhelming Guerschon Yabusele as the team’s only bigs.

Along with Williams’s return last night, Celtics fans also got some good news yesterday about Baynes, who has been out since December 19 with a broken finger. Both he and Coach Stevens seemed pretty positive about his healing progression when speaking to the media yesterday, and the 32-year-old Aussie could return to the C’s lineup as early as next week.

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Baynes and his man bun will soon be back on the court.

But what about the rest of the team? How have they been doing since the jolly ole fat man came down the chimney a few weeks ago?

Since beating Philly on December 25, the Celtics are 4-2, with those two losses coming against San Antonio and a scorching-hot Houston Hardens squad – oops, sorry, I meant Houston “Rockets” – respectively. And since Thanksgiving, they are a very respectable 15-6. Three of those losses, however, have come with either Williams and/or Baynes out of the lineup, so this team could be ready to roll once everyone is finally healthy once again. Don’t be so worried about that fifth-place spot in the East right now, as disappointing as it may seem.

Speaking of people who are healing up, Gordon Hayward may finally be showing signs of being the All-Star he was out in Utah. Taking away an absolute clunker against the Spurs last week, Hayward has otherwise averaged 17.2 points per game since the Philly contest, including a 35-point outburst against Minnesota. He’s also shot 54 percent from the field in those five games and over 42 percent from deep.

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Look who’s finally coming alive!

Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris have also continued to roll, and both should receive serious All-Star consideration this year. Jayson Tatum has not taken quite the leap that everyone expected and hoped for this year, but he’s certainly not playing poorly, by any stretch of the imagination. And Marcus Smart is showing signs of rounding out his game, shooting over 40 percent from deep in six-of-his-last-11 games. The team is still playing top-five defense as well.

If there’s one noteworthy issue with this team, it’s in the rebounding department, especially on the offensive end. Again, though, with both Williams and Baynes back (or soon to be back) in the rotation, hopefully we see some signs of improvement there in short order.

So, at just about the midway point of the season, I’d say I’m feeling OK about this Celtics squad. Yes, I do believe they’re underperforming a bit relative to expectations, but the East is also the best it’s been in years (collectively, at least), and this team still has time to get hot.

Don’t believe all the negative rhetoric flooding the sports talk airwaves right now. The Time Lord is back! And this team is still doing just fine.

The Time Lord Made a Statement Tonight Against the Hawks

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If you’re not on the Time Lord bandwagon yet, then you better hop on fast, because those seats are gonna fill up pretty quickly after Friday night.

While his two points in 16 minutes of action against the Hawks at the Garden may not be all that impressive, we all know that’s not where his value lies. The rookie was EVERYWHERE on the defensive end against Atlanta, finishing with five monster – and I mean just lethal – blocks that would make even Ben Wallace blush.

Seriously, just LOOK at some of these swats: (Here’s the link to Dan Greenberg’s compilation of all five blocks, because apparently Twitter doesn’t want to cooperate with me tonight.)

He might not get enough consistent action this year to get Defensive Player of the Year consideration, but that type of talent is there. Oh, it-is-THERE.

(Can you tell I’m just a little excited?)

The Celts also won their eighth in a row and are still undefeated in the month of December. Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, and Marcus Morris led the way on offense. Also, as mentioned the other day, Gordon Hayward is starting to cook, too, finishing with 19 points in just 18 minutes.

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He’s heating up!

But the real story of the night is Robert Williams. And while he’s apparently not too keen on the whole “Time Lord” nickname, you can’t tell me this 300s original design isn’t dope as hell:

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Get all your Time Lord gear here while it’s hot! We got shirts, mugs, and even actual friggin’ clocks! (And you know it’s all out of love, Bob; nobody’s shown you more support than we have since you got here. NO ONE.)

Next up is a matchup in Detroit on Saturday night against the Pistons and a red-hot Blake Griffin. But if anyone can slow him down, it’s Mr. Williams. On to Motor City!

Williams, Morris Shine Against Anthony Davis and the Celtics Are Surging

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Photo credit: Charles Krupa/Associated Press

As already noted earlier today by Red, what a night it was for Bob at the Garden on Monday! His performance helped the Celtics win their seventh game in their last eight tries, and it really seems like The Green are starting to turn it on.

The Celtics rookie played a season-high 26 minutes against New Orleans and proved exactly why he was being projected by many as a lottery pick before this past June’s draft. His seven points and 11 boards were solid enough, but he also compiled three blocks – TWO of which were on none other than Anthony Davis.

Even more impressive is the fact that he held Davis to 7-of-17 shooting overall on the night; so, yes, while Davis did score 41, over half of those points were actually allowed by Daniel Theis and others besides Williams who covered The Brow last night. Bob also showed incredible discipline, playing so aggressively yet only committing one foul and zero turnovers.

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The rookie big man was all over Davis last night.

Red and I have been telling you since July that this kid was going to be something special, and we got our vindication last night. This is just a sign of things to come.

Another 300s favorite, Marcus Morris, was also huge in last night’s win. He posted 31 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Ever since being inserted into the starting lineup at the end of November along with Marcus Smart, Morris has averaged over 15 points per game.

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This man has kept on rolling all year long.

Brad Stevens’ choice to switch things up a few weeks ago has proven to be a very underrated (and potentially season-saving) move. Replacing Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown in the starting lineup for Morris and Smart may have sounded foolish just three months ago, but there is no doubt that the decision has injected some much-needed life into this team; the Celtics are undefeated through four games in December, and they have lost just once since Thanksgiving. I know that “season-saving” may sound a bit melodramatic, but this was a team that had lost five of their previous nine beforehand, and something needed to be done – and quickly – to get the team back on track.

Kudos on that one, Brad.

And what’s even better is that neither Hayward nor Brown have suffered as a result of the move, as both are still a huge part of the rotation and are each playing well over 20 minutes per night. Though Brown missed three games after injuring his back against Dallas on November 24, he’s averaged over 20 points per game in three games since returning. Hayward has been a bit more inconsistent and is still trying to find his groove, but his 30-point explosion against Minnesota on December 1 should give fans hope that he’s not too far off.

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Hopefully, this was Hayward’s coming-out party.

The team now currently sits fifth in the East, which is certainly not where most expected them to be this far into the season. Alas, don’t worry, Celtics Nation; it is still early and we’ve seen plenty of encouraging things over the past couple weeks which leads me to believe they’ll be just fine in the end.

Next up is a matchup with the Wizards on Wednesday night. The Celts then get Atlanta, Detroit, and Phoenix before a Friday night showdown against the No. 2-seed Bucks just before Christmas.

So while November was a bit of a rough patch, I’ve been liking what I’ve been seeing lately, boys! Keep it up!

Why the Celtics Need to Trade for Anthony Davis NOW…Like TODAY

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The idea of Anthony Davis in a green and white uniform is something Celtics fans have been dreaming about for what seems like half a decade now. However, as time wears on, it seems like the chance of that happening continues to become slimmer and slimmer.

Much of this has to do with Danny Ainge’s seeming reluctance to trade away the assets it would take to acquire a guy like Davis. There’s also the fact he did already trade away one of his precious lottery picks for Kyrie before last season. Plus, after two-straight seasons that saw the Pelicans lose at least 48 games, they had quite the resurgence last year – 48 wins and a first-round playoff series victory over Portland – and are now a respectable 7-7 so far in 2018.

Still, there may have never been a more perfect time to trade for Davis than right now, and Danny NEEDS to make a Godfather offer to New Orleans ASAP to get it done. I’ll tell you why.

I’ve already made note of the fact, as have plenty of others out there, that the Celtics offense has been absolutely putrid this year. Not only do they currently rank 24th in terms of points per game, but they are dead last in the league in terms of points in the paint.

Mattes, who cares? The NBA is all about the three-point shot now. Bigs are a dying breed – if they’re not completely dead already. It’s all about SHOOTERS, SHOOTERS, SHOOTERS!

First and foremost, while Davis is indeed listed at 6’10”, he is more than just a “big.” Even though he may only have a career 31-percent mark from deep, he has shot over 34 percent from three for two consecutive seasons, including a really impressive 40 percent last year.

He can also pass, defend the rim (3.1 blocks per game this season), and is athletic enough to get out in transition and run with all of the Celtics’ young gunners. Many people may not be aware that Davis was actually a point guard in high school, but he grew seven inches between his junior year and graduation – no, but really though – and made the switch to forward.

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This man has come a loooong way.

But it’s about so much more than who Davis is as a player. There’s no denying that Davis is a generational talent – a rock-solid top-five player in the league who would improve any squad in the Association.

Here’s a stat for you: Of the teams that finished in the bottom 10 in points in the paint last season – which did indeed include the Celtics – only four of them made the playoffs. One of those teams, the Houston Rockets, were so predicated on three-point shooting that they almost didn’t even need to step foot inside the arc to win last year, so I’m not going to count them. Therefore, in sum, only about 30 percent of the ten worst teams inside the paint made the playoffs last year. Basically, unless you have all-time shooting talent like Golden State or Houston, you still absolutely need some guys down low.

ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry wrote an excellent and incredibly stat-driven article on the state of the Celtics offense right now. I highly suggest taking the time to read it all the way through, but here’s a great quick-hitter from that piece supporting the evidence I just mentioned:

Despite the league’s rising obsession with the 3, shots near the rim remain the best looks in the game. They’re essential. Not only do close-range shots yield points at the highest rates, but players attacking the paint also elevates everything else. Things like shooting fouls and offensive rebounds tick up. Those 3-pointers see more daylight.

Any basketball fan knows that strong play up front opens things up for the rest of the offense, and the Celtics’ current group of post men just aren’t getting it done. As Goldsberry also points out, Al Horford – our $29 million “force” up front – is attempting less than three shots within eight feet of the rim per game. That is just shameful. And while Aron Baynes and Danny Theis are two tough, solid role players, there is just nobody else down low who has the talent to pick up the slack right now.

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Still love ya, Al, but I’m gonna need a bit more than that.

The team has also been super skiddish in terms of their attack. They average less than 20 free throw attempts per game – only the Magic attempt less – and are all too quick to settle for ill-advised, risky jumpers.

Davis is third in the league in free throw attempts per game (8.5) and fourth in the league in points in the paint per game (14.4). He’s also tenth in offensive rebounds per game (3.5), which is another area the Celtics have struggled with mightily this season.

With a .500 record in a tough conference, New Orleans may be more willing than usual right now to listen to trade offers. And as I mentioned above, it’s also only going to get tougher to make a trade happen the more time goes on.

First, there’s the fact that both Philadelphia and Sacramento – both of whom determine the fate of the extra draft pick the Celtics receive in next June’s draft – are both playing extremely well this season, continuing to fade the value of what was once thought to be such a valuable asset. Also, as I mentioned earlier this week, with guys like Terry Rozier already starting to express their displeasure with being “just another one of the guys” on a crowded roster, the Celtics could soon lose all of the almost ridiculously unfair leverage they once held in their favor. And worst of all, another team  – e.g. Lakers, Rockets, Timberwolves, Warriors (yes, I’m serious; it could happen), etc. – could swoop in first and end the discussion altogether.

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You might be smirking now, Danny, but don’t get too cocky.

Look, it’s not going to be easy, and the Celtics will have to give up A TON to make it happen. But rather than spitball different scenarios, I think it’s safe to say the Celtics are one of the only teams in the NBA right now with enough young talent and draft picks to make it happen. I would be willing to give up ANYONE on the team to get this done – except maybe Jayson Tatum, but even still his inclusion wouldn’t necessarily be a non-starter for me – because Davis is just that good. Davis is also locked up for the next two seasons after this one, so it’s not like the team would be risking everything for a rental or short-term solution.

Somehow, someway, we need to get this one done, Danny. Get on that horn and make a call down to the Bayou IMMEDIATELY.