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Post by Admin on Dec 20, 2018 17:49:50 GMT -5
With Wednesday’s loss to the lowly Suns, the team ended that stretch having gone 11-6.
The 11-6 mark represents an obvious win percentage improvement over the 7-6 record that Boston turned in over their first 13 games, but entering play on December 21, the team will be just 18-12 and ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs began on December 21, the Celtics would draw the Indiana Pacers in the first round and would be the road team—not the best scenario.
Where things get worse for the Celtics is with Friday night’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Friday’s game will mark a new stretch of schedule for Boston where 10 of their next 15 games will come against opponents who enter play on December 20 with a record of .500 or better.
In other words, the opposite of the stretch they just completed.
Over that stretch, the Celtics will see the Bucks, Sixers, Rockets, Spurs, Pacers, Raptors and Grizzlies, twice. Of the “weaker” teams they’ll face are the Hornets, Timberwolves, Mavericks and Nets (twice). The Nets happen to enter play on December 20 with a seven-game win streak—the longest in the league.
In short, the Celtics will be thoroughly tested over the course of the next month, and if the team put together another underwhelming stretch (anything less than 10-5 should be considered disappointing), it would be difficult for them to make up enough ground on the team’s above them in the Eastern Conference to snag a top two seed. That assumes that the Raptors, Bucks, Sixers and Pacers continue to win at their current paces.
Even going 10-5 would have the Celtics arrive at the 45-game mark with a 28-17 record—not spectacular.
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Post by fierce on Dec 20, 2018 21:40:28 GMT -5
Huge win if the Celts beat the Bucks tomorrow.
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Post by elvissurfs on Dec 20, 2018 21:53:01 GMT -5
Friday thread already?...good to look forward...
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Post by elvissurfs on Dec 20, 2018 21:59:32 GMT -5
Pack of wankers, suck it up, wee wees...only guys who play with guts are Kyrie, Morris, and Smart, Baynes is gone, the new kid stands up?...Hayward gets a pass, crap he is another year away from playing with abandon...Brown is a pathetic head case, Tatum needs to learn to play guitar if he thinks he is a rock star...
disgusted...
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2018 18:13:19 GMT -5
If ever there was a game they should lose this is it! Will that stop me from watching? Nope ... Preview: Bucks (21-9) at Celtics (18-12) 12/21/18The shorthanded Celtics look to bounce back as they host the Milwaukee BucksBy flceltsfan
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Milwaukee Bucks (21-9) at Boston Celtics (18-12)
Friday, December 21, 2018 8:00 PM ET Regular Season Game #31, Home Game #14 TV: ESPN, NBCSB, FSN-WI 98.5 Sports Hub, 103.3 FM WTMJ TD Garden
This is the second of three games between these two teams this season. The Celtics won 117-113 when they faced off at the Garden on November 1 of this season, handing the Bucks their first loss of the season. They will meet a third, and final time on February 21 in Milwaukee. The Celtics come into this game on a 2 game losing streak while the Bucks have won 3 in a row. The Celtics are 5th in the East, 1 game behind Indiana and 1.5 games behind Philadelphia. The Bucks are 2nd, 1.5 games behind first place Toronto and 3 games in front of Boston. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 games while the Bucks are 7-3 in their last 10 games. With so many injuries and uncertainty, it’s hard to predict who Brad will start. I have included Jaylen and Jayson in the starting lineup with Jayson starting at power forward as he did in Wednesday’s game. I’m also guessing that Daniel Theis will start at center in the absence of both Horford and Baynes. I can, however see Brad starting Semi Ojeleye at power forward since he had some success guarding Antetokounmpo in last year’s playoffs and bringing Jaylen off the bench. The Celtics have been hit hard with injuries. Horford has missed 6 straight games and is expected to miss this one also. Guerschon Yabusele has been out since spraining his ankle on December 8 but isn’t currently on the Celtics injury list for this game and is probable to play. His return would be a boost to their very thin front court. Marcus Morris missed Wednesday’s game and is also listed as out for this game. Aron Baynes is expected to miss a month after breaking his hand against the Suns on Wednesday. For the Bucks, Ersan Ilyasova is listed as day to day.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Marcus Smart SF: Jaylen Brown PF: Jayson Tatum C: Daniel Theis
Celtics Reserves
Terry Rozier III Gordon Hayward Semi Ojeleye Robert Williams III Brad Wanamaker
Injuries
Marcus Morris, Sr (knee) out Jabari Bird (personal) out Aron Baynes (hand) out Guerschon Yabusele (ankle) probable Al Horford (knee) out
Two-Way Players
P. J. Dozier
Head Coach
Brad Stevens
Probable Bucks Starters
PG: Eric Bledsoe SG: Malcolm Brogdon SF: Khris Middleton
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Brook Lopez
Bucks Reserves
Sterling Brown Thon Maker Pat Connaughton D. J. Wilson Donte DiVincenzo George Hill Jason Smith Tony Snell Christian Wood
Injuries
Ersan Ilyasova (nose) day to day
Two-Way Players
Trevon Duval Jaylen Morris
Head Coach
Mike Budenholzer
Key Matchups
Jayson Tatum vs Giannis Antetokounmpo < I (Admin) predict Tatum gets shredded and a combo of Morris (if available), Semi & Theis try one on one until a zone is implimented using Williams.
The matchup with Antetokounmpo is very important. He is averaging 26.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks. He is by far the Bucks best player. If he has any weakness it is his 12.5% 3 point percentage. It goes without saying that it would be very good if Marcus Morris can play. Of course, Brad may start Semi as he did in last year’s playoffs.
Kyrie Irving vs Eric Bledsoe Bledsoe is averaging 16 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. He is also shooting 50% from the field and 35.2% from beyond the arc. He will need to work on defense in this game as he tries to limit Kyrie, who has been playing very well for the Celtics. (Comment: And I was looking forward to a Rozier-Bledsoe dual)
Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs Khris Middleton
Middleton is averaging 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and is shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc. This may end up being Jayson vs Middleton if Marcus Morris can play or if he chooses to start Semi Ojeleye.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense is always key to getting a win. The Celtics have dropped to 3rd in the league with a defensive rating of 102.9. The Bucks are 5th with a defensive rating of 104.7. However, the Bucks are 1st in the league in scoring with 117.8 points per game. The Celtics are 14th, averaging 111.2 points per game. The Bucks lead the league in both points in the paint (54.7) and points from beyond the arc (41.7) and so the Celtics must defend both inside and out if they want to slow them down. If the Celtics want to win this game, they will have to do it with lock down defense.
Rebound - Next to defense, rebounding is a big key to winning. The Celtics are averaging 46.1 rebounds while the Bucks are averaging 49.8 rebounds per game. Rebounding takes effort and so the Celtics must work harder to crash the boards. This is where they will miss Baynes the most.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics have to be the team that wants the game more. After the Suns game, Brad said that the Suns just wanted it more. The Celtics have to be aggressive in going after loose balls and on defense and going to the basket and grabbing rebounds. The Celtics must have an aggressive mindset and not let the Bucks outplay them. The Celtics have to play with energy and toughness because the Bucks certainly will.
Play Team Ball - When the Celtics move the ball and find the open man, they are tough to beat. The Bucks are averaging 26.5 assists per game vs 25.2 assists for the Celtics. The Celtics need to move the ball and trust each other and not lapse into hero ball. When they keep the ball moving, good things happen. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much it usually ends up in a loss. They have to play unselfish Celtics team basketball.
Play 48 Minutes - The Celtics have tended to get off to a fast start and build a lead and then let up or they start off slow and have to play catch up the entire game. They can’t afford to have a let down during games against good teams like the Bucks. They must play hard and play smart from the opening tip until the final buzzer. The Bucks will be quick to take advantage of any lapse in the Celtics’ effort or play.
X-Factors
Home Court Advantage - The Celtics are 9-4 at home while the Bucks are 7-6 on the road. The Celtics have to use their home court to give them an advantage over the Bucks, who have struggled somewhat on the road at times. The crowd should be loud and up for the game and the Celtics need to get a boost from their fans to give it that little extra they need to get by the Bucks.
Revenge Factor - The Bucks were bounced from the playoffs last season by the Celtics and then lost to the Celtics in the first meeting this season. They are bound to want to avenge those losses and will come out strong and ready to get a win in this one. The Celtics have to be ready for that extra effort from the Bucks and match their energy.
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Post by fierce on Dec 21, 2018 18:30:17 GMT -5
Morris is out.
If the Celts go on scoring droughts, Bucks will win.
Hopefully Brown and Hayward will step up tonight.
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2018 18:32:38 GMT -5
The Celtics lineups without Al Horford and Aron Baynes Boston’s thin frontcourt leaves Brad Stevens with some interesting small ball lineup combinations to test over the next few weeks. By Chris Grenham
...The probable starting five over the next few weeks is Irving, Smart, Morris, Tatum, and Theis. This combination has played 18 minutes together over three games, with a net rating of 39.4, which is the fourth-best net rating for lineup with Theis (minimum 10 minutes). Another notable Theis lineup? Hayward, Irving, Morris, Smart, and Theis. In 10 minutes played, this combo has a net rating of 62.4. Both these lineups seem to provide a good mix of length along the perimeter, with guys who can help out Theis on glass. Theis represents a more multi-dimensional game in comparison to Williams at this point in their careers. RWIII is a great rim protector and lob threat in the pick-and-roll, but still presents a limited, raw game outside of that. Theis shines when he gets the ball around 18-to-20 feet out in a non-PR set. He’s shooting 38.5% from behind the arc and has the ability to attack close outs. From less than 10 feet, Theis is shooting an effective 69.4%. The German big man has developed a decent catch and shoot game over the last year, forcing defenders to keep an eye on him along the perimeter. Three pointers account for 25.5% of his catch and shoot opportunities, in a similar fashion to the way Baynes works away from the basket. This isn’t something Theis should be relying on by any means, but it’s another dimension that can create opportunity for Brad Stevens on the offensive end, especially off high-ball screens. streamable.com/5a05vTheis’ game gives the Celtics some decent flexibility, which is why he’ll likely start in Big Al’s spot. Timelord will get his minutes too, but Theis can work away from the basket, help spacing, and be a reliable passer in Boston’s offense as the closest reproduction of Horford. Time will tell what lineups we see Brad Stevens go with in the short term, but it’s pretty clear that Theis and Williams will see the largest spikes in playing time. With Giannis Antetokounmpo coming into TD Garden tonight, the Celtics thin front court will once again be put to the test.
www.celticsblog.com/2018/12/21/18150834/a-look-at-the-celtics-lineups-without-al-horford-and-aron-baynes-boston-celtics
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2018 18:39:04 GMT -5
Morris is questionable with knee soreness. He missed the Sun’s game even though he didn’t think his injury was that bad.
The C's injury announcement did not include Guerschon Yabusele ...
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2018 18:41:30 GMT -5
Just what i asked for more of Theis and Williams.
I might be nice to Stevens for a week. ////Nah/////
Read somewhere Guerschon was ready to go earier today.
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 18:53:59 GMT -5
Pretty scary situation but I can't wait to see Williams contest the GF.
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Post by fierce on Dec 21, 2018 19:08:37 GMT -5
Morris is questionable with knee soreness. He missed the Sun’s game even though he didn’t think his injury was that bad. The C's injury announcement did not include Guerschon Yabusele ... Matt Velazquez: Brad Stevens confirms Al Horford, Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes are all out tonight. Those three have all spent time guarding Giannis in the past, leaving Semi Ojeleye as one of the only C’s left with experience regularly covering him. Should make things interesting tonight. 21 mins ago – via Twitter Matt_Velazquez
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:17:15 GMT -5
Wow semi!
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Post by fierce on Dec 21, 2018 20:20:37 GMT -5
Another surprise from Brad, starting Hayward instead of Brown.
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:20:43 GMT -5
I'm standing up (inside)
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Post by fierce on Dec 21, 2018 20:21:10 GMT -5
Celts start strong, leading 10-1.
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:21:14 GMT -5
Another surprise from Brad, starting Hayward instead of Brown. We simply need the size with this unit.
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:22:19 GMT -5
That said, the way to beat this bucks team is to outsmart them.
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Post by fierce on Dec 21, 2018 20:33:48 GMT -5
Everything is from the outside from the Cs.
Can't win like this.
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Post by fierce on Dec 21, 2018 20:34:52 GMT -5
Live and die by the 3.
Ainge should do something otherwise this would be wasted season.
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Post by kyceltic on Dec 21, 2018 20:36:34 GMT -5
I'd trade Brown and Hayward for Jeff Green!!
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:37:58 GMT -5
Whoever this wilson is, we should let him shoot.
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:40:12 GMT -5
Brown is terrible
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:42:00 GMT -5
All I can say is get your licks in now, it won't always be like this.
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Post by fierce on Dec 21, 2018 20:43:03 GMT -5
Celts about to get blown out in their own building.
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Post by cole on Dec 21, 2018 20:43:22 GMT -5
I'd trade Brown and Hayward for Jeff Green!! If we dropped brown they might go for it.
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