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These Celtics Might Be
the Best Challengers to LeBron’s Throne Yet![[image loading]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qbTw_SQDrhyd2zt1GOuLE33fZkQ=/0x0:3000x2000/920x613/filters:focal(1298x407:1778x887)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59687135/tjarks_celtics_getty_ringer.0.jpg)
Stevens has shifted his lineups several times over the course of the playoffs, but he will likely bench Aron Baynes and move Horford to the 5 to start Brown on LeBron in the Cleveland series. That would put three no. 3 overall picks in their frontcourt (Horford, Brown, and Jayson Tatum), and a no. 6 overall pick (Smart) and no. 16 overall pick (Terry Rozier) in the backcourt. All five are plus athletes for their respective positions, with the defensive versatility to slide around the floor. The adjustment Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue made to slow down Victor Oladipo in the first round was sending multiple defenders at Oladipo in the pick-and-roll to take the ball out of his hands. Boston will have an easier time adjusting to that strategy than either Indiana or Toronto because its center (Horford) is a fluid playmaker who can read the floor and make the right decisions in a 4-on-3 situation. The Cavs still had an awful defensive rating of 110.1 in their sweep of the Raptors. It just didn’t matter because they had an even more eye-popping offensive rating of 121.5, a massive improvement over the 103.0 they put up against the Pacers. Of course, there’s still one thing that hasn’t changed. Like everyone else in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics don’t have an answer for LeBron. They have the perimeter players to theoretically match up with him, but Brown, a second-year player, and Semi Ojeleye, a rookie, are far from finished products on that side of the ball. They were destroyed in the first round by Milwaukee’s supersized wing duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo (25.7 points and 6.3 assists on 57 percent shooting) and Khris Middleton (24.7 points and 3.1 assists on 59.8 percent shooting). LeBron will be even tougher to handle, so the Celtics best bet on defense might be to focus on limiting his supporting cast.
TR
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Poll: Who wins in the West?Golden State (4) 67% Houston (2) 33% 6 total votes Your vote: Who wins in the West? (Vote): Houston
(Vote): Golden State
Poll: Who wins in the East?Cleveland (4) 57% Boston (3) 43% 7 total votes Your vote: Who wins in the East? (Vote): Boston
(Vote): Cleveland
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I don't understand how Doc get a vote for COTY but not Stevens. Guy makes players better. He got Evan Turner paid, He's going to get Terry Rozier paid, IT was in line to get paid before the injury. All the injuries this year and they still were a 2 seed. Feels wrong.
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are you guys talking about the recently awarded NBACA "Coach of the Year"?
or the yet to be decided NBA "Coach of the Year" award?
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I think Casey got the NBACA award because
(1) he is a good coach
(2) there is a perception his job is in danger; guys like Scott Brooks and Tyron Lue have already publicly endorsed him. Has any other coach had 2 coaches go to bat for him in the past week?
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On May 10 2018 20:55 JimmiC wrote:
My question is why does it matter what is weaker? Both were guys who took advantage of the rules to go to a better situation. Both gave up cash to do so (often fans blame people for just picking money). No one would disparage someone in real life for making a choice to switch employers for a better situation so I dont get mad at players.
If they bitch and moan and try to get out while under contract, sure they are dicks. If they play hard their whole contract then choose to move on, good for them.
I mean, why does anything matter? We're discussing a sport as fans, in the grand scheme of things it obviously doesn't really matter. Being a NBA player is a regular job, yes, but it's also a competitive sport, it didn't stop being a competition once these guys got paid millions.
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Well again, you're missing the point. Nobody faults Durant for leaving. They blame him for his choice of the team, and the circumstances in which he picked that team. If you don't understand why the choice itself is "weak", then you've probably not done anything competitive in your life. Humorous sayings like "if you can't beat them, join them" exist for a reason.
You're just way too focused on this "basketball is a business" side of things (which nobody denies), and forgetting basketball is actually also a competitive sport.
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ZenithM, let's concede for the purpose of discussion that what KD did was "uncompetitive".
So based on these same standards, how would you assess Lebron?
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On May 11 2018 00:00 JimmiC wrote:
[...]
Going somewhere else where he could be the Alpha and the #1 guy I would think would be super egotistical if they had worse options above.[...]
It's not really so much that Durant didn't want to be alpha or "the guy" or whatever. We now get that he's not that kind of person, and that's fine (I'm not that kind of guy either, I completely understand). It's more so: why would you pick out of 29 teams the guys that are already the best team in the NBA and that just beat you in a close series in the playoff. At some point, you could tell yourself (especially if you had problems with your current team): "I could probably go to another team, me, KD, one of the 3 best players in the league, and beat these guys next year!". But no, the hardest road was to join them, for sure...
Now as far as all the conditions you mentioned. If they really are that much better in GS than anywhere else, then fine sure, it's a good choice. But let's face it, the only thing that's significantly better here than ANY OTHER team in the NBA, is your chance of winning the ring, that's it. And that's what Durant went for.
On May 11 2018 00:02 Twinkle Toes wrote:
ZenithM, let's concede for the purpose of discussion that what KD did was "uncompetitive".
So based on these same standards, how would you assess Lebron?
The Decision was obviously a similar move. But circumstances matter. KD's were worse and made the choice of team more shocking, to me at least.
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Obviously if you think players should just pick the team that makes it more likely for them to win, in any circumstance whatsoever, then absolutely GSW was the best choice.
I can agree that it makes sense in a way, especially when the be-all and end-all assessment of your legacy is how many rings you got. As a competitor, you want the best chance to win.
I think there is also (personal) satisfaction in knowing you won a fair game, rather than one that was stacked overwhelmingly in your favor from the start. Some years ago I actually thought everyone more or less thought this, but I understand now that it's far from being the universal mindset :D.
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Were both moves uncompetitive? Yes. Were both moves "ok" in the sense that two players decided to take their destiny into their own hands? Yes. I think everyone is on the same page here.
Was KD's move more uncompetitive than LeBron's? In my opinion definitely. Again, as others have said over and over it'd be like if LeBron left to join the Boston big 3 or joined the Spurs. Teams that were championship contenders without him. Even then he didn't have a 3-1 lead on them. I don't understand what's so hard to see about that. Not to mention that KD had a competitive team himself, unless you want to argue that LeBron with Mo Williams and Mike Brown was a championship level team.
Also don't see the point of stating that you're a fan of someone just to make your point appear more rational. Stating that you're a LeBron "fan" after consistently criticizing him in these threads just comes off as disingenuous.
Kobe was an inefficient shot chucker that was labeled clutch when the stats didn't tell the same story. That was a complete myth. Also ran out a top 10 player of all time because he wanted to be the man. Threw teammates under the bus or tried to get them traded and is a bad teammate overall. It's a joke to call him a top 10 player of all time. Gasol was also the Finals MVP in the Boston series.
I'm a Kobe fan btw. Just being level-headed here.
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EPT
