Author Archives: Travis Babcock

About Travis Babcock

Bringing the heat on everything Boston Celtics! I post semi regularly, and try my best to write well thought out and carefully constructed pieces on the topics surrounding the Celtics that I am most passionate about. Please feel free to leave a comment, I welcome all discussion and feedback!

Kyrie Irving Readdresses Future with Celtics

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It’s been just a day since Kyrie Irving caused a storm of rumors centered around his future with the Celtics. On Monday, he spoke once more on the topic. In an interview with Boston Sports Journal, Irving expressed his excitement to get back on the court next season and play with a completely healthy group.

“I’m just excited to see what that looks like, really getting that experience with (Hayward) and seeing what other pieces we have going forward,” Irving told BSJ’s Brian Robb. “I think that’s the exciting part about all this is that when you’re shaping up to gear up to be a championship-caliber team for years to come- which I think (Danny Ainge) has echoed for a little bit. I’m just appreciative to be a part of it and see where my career can take off as well. I’m excited.”

It’s safe to presume that Kyrie Irving is excited about next season and what the future has in store. While this statement does expand upon his earlier quote published by NY Times’ Sopan Deb, it still leaves a bit of ambiguity in the air for further interpretation on his long-term future with the team.

Esoteric Kyrie

Anyone who knows Kyrie Irving should expect this level of vagueness out of him in response to such a question. Irving has always been the ‘live in the present type’ of guy. He is famous for his obscure statements about topics such as the flat Earth theory, diet preferences, faked moon landings, and the nonexistence of dinosaurs.

Kyrie Irving is either a major conspiracy theorist, or one of the NBA’s biggest trolls. He tends to take long-winded routes to his response to even the simplest questions. Take this post game interview with Jaylen Brown for instance.

If Kyrie Irving was asked about what he was going to eat for dinner later, he would probably tell you that he needs to focus on lunch first. He would follow that up with another two or three sentence response about why he feels that way. Expecting Kyrie to commit his future to the Celtics with a year left on his contract just isn’t realistic.

Kyrie In the Present

What the world knows now is that in the present Kyrie Irving is happy. He is excited to get back to basketball and play with a good young group of guys. Kyrie cannot wait to see fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward back at full health. He’s also ecstatic about the direction the organization is heading in, and he is excited to be a part of it.

The Celtics will have to wait another year before Kyrie Irving makes a decision on his future with the franchise. Until that day arrives, Celtics fans should relax and enjoy the ride. Oh, and definitely some more of this.

David Price is Back

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The Red Sox have been on a tear to start the season, sitting behind the Yankees by mere percentage points while owning the most wins in baseball. Offense has been the talk of the town for this Sox team, as the team leads the majors in runs, hits, and batting average. They are second in home runs and RBIs, trailing only the Yankees. As fantastic as MLB’s top offense has been through 65 games, they have received a lot of help from their All-Star pitching core in Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, and David Price.

Price’s Hot Streak

No pitcher on the team has been hotter than Price as of late. Last night Price delivered the team a fifth win in his last six outings. He pitched for six innings and gave up only two runs on five hits. This is Price’s second longest winning streak of his career.

“I’m throwing the baseball better and I’m throwing better strikes,” said Price. “I’m throwing it better when I have two outs and that has kind of been my Achilles’ heel this year, giving up that big hit with two outs and runners in scoring position. That is something that has hurt me a lot.”

In Price’s last six starts, he owns a 2.89 ERA, 1.1 whip, and 9.64 K/9 innings. His velocity is up and his confidence is back.

Playoff Demons

After appearing in only 16 games in the 2017 season (five of which came out of the bullpen), people started to become concerned about his future. Boston gave Price the largest pitching contract in MLB history in 2016 (7-years, $217 million). He responded with a 17-9 record in his debut season, but failed to live up to expectations in the playoffs as his team was swept handily by the Indians.

In his lone playoff start, Price gave up five runs in only 3.5 innings before being pulled from the game. Playoff demons have haunted Price throughout his career, demons Boston hoped to eliminate when they signed him on.

Now it looks as if Price will be given a second chance to right the ship and prove he can step up in October. He is pitching with a purpose, like a man on a mission to prove the doubters wrong. When asked about Price’s recent stretch of success, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “There’s purpose behind every pitch”. With his team holding the second best record in baseball, all indications point to a long playoff run for the Red Sox.

David Price is Back

In a season full of purpose for the Sox, Price is delivering all the right things at the right time. He holds a 4.0 ERA on the season and has a 7-4 record. He has recorded 72 strikeouts in just 74.1 innings played thus far. As long as he can continue delivering for the team Boston will continue to roll.

Now is the time for Price to earn his record-breaking contract and show the world why the Red Sox invested so much into him only a few short years ago.

You can find me on Twitter @Celtichottakes

Celtics Concerned about Kyrie Irving’s Upcoming Free Agency

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When Kyrie Irving sat down with the Cavaliers in the summer of 2017, he gave Dan Gilbert a list of several teams he wished to be traded to.  The New York Knicks, a franchise Irving has reportedly long sought after and even told his former teammates about, topped that list.

Kyrie was ultimately traded to the Boston Celtics, one team not on the list Kyrie gave to the Cavaliers.  However, it’s widely presumed he added the Celtics prior to the trade.

Early Irving

When the Celtics took on Kyrie they knew that they only had two seasons to convince the young star to stay. Irving now sits at the helm of a young team loaded with potential and loaded with talent. Boston made it as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, falling to Kyrie’s former team in a tightly contested seven-game series. They did all of it without the presence of both Irving and star forward Gordon Hayward.

Irving produced an exceptional first season with the Celtics, putting up 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game in 60 games played. Despite his individual success as well as the team’s overall success, reports indicate that the Celtics are concerned about his impending free agency in 2019.

Talk on the Street

Here is the full quote from Yahoo Sport’s Chris Mannix who broke the news earlier today.

“I think they’re scared. I think they’re scared and should be scared to some degree of Kyrie walking in 2019. I know he had a great year, but you know there are people in Cleveland that will tell you that the Knicks should be considered a real threat for Kyrie Irving. Because Kyrie had talked about it—about playing with the Knicks with some players in that Cleveland locker room—from what I was told.”

It would make sense that Kyrie looks at the Knicks favorably. He grew up in New Jersey and the Knicks will have a ton of cap space available by 2019. Though the team does not have nearly as bright a future as Boston’s, Irving would get his opportunity to be the lone shining star on a rebuilding franchise. This is something he has openly desired and was a major reason for his departure from Lebron James and the Cavaliers.

Ultimately the Celtics should be the favorites to re-sign Kyrie next summer. He has seen what the team can do without him.  Imagine how formidable the team will be with an active Kyrie and Hayward. Money shouldn’t be an issue as Boston will offer Irving a max contract level deal by 2019.

The concerns are very real and present, but they shouldn’t cause Danny Ainge to make a panic deal now. The team can offer Irving more than enough reason to stay on board long-term.

LeBron James Set to Meet with Celtics

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Earlier today Stephen A. Smith stated on ESPN First Take that LeBron James will meet with seven teams this summer. One of these teams are the Boston Celtics, a franchise LeBron has routinely terrorized in his distinguished career.

The Top Contenders

The end of LeBron James’s tenure in Cleveland is drawing closer by the day. It is widely speculated that after the conclusion of the NBA Finals this year LeBron will join a new team to finish out his career. The most widely speculated belief is that he will make his way to the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. There he can work under Magic Johnson as a member of one of the league’s most historic franchises. He’d be able to pursue his post-NBA career business endeavors while attracting other stars to LA to continue chasing rings.

The Philadelphia 76ers are another team that have a good shot at employing the king’s services. While the Lakers are situated in the Western Conference among the likes of the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors, the 76ers remain in the East with fewer powerhouse teams to threaten LeBron in the playoffs. He is known to be a big fan of ‘the process’, and is close with rookie Ben Simmons. He see’s a lot of himself in the self-proclaimed ‘prince’ of the league. James even believes Simmons has a chance to be better than him.

“You have an opportunity,” James told Simmons early on, “to be better than me. But you can’t skip steps. You have to do the work.”

With LeBron at the helm and so much young talent behind him, he could make a strong run at the title during his final twilight years in the NBA.

Boston

To be clear- the chances of Boston actually signing LeBron are slim to none. However, Danny Ainge having a chance to sit down with James and make his case is a thrilling opportunity.

Financially it would be a very difficult situation to work out. The Celtics are already set to breach the luxury tax for the 2019 season, and currently have two players on max contracts. The team is set to owe Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford $76 million combined next season. Boston will be $15 million over the cap limit next year, even if they decide to re-sign Smart. In order for a LeBron signing to be feasible, the team would have to re-allocate integral pieces on the bench.

Even if LeBron agrees to take a pay cut, Boston would likely need to shed one of their three major contracts. Meaning either Horford, Irving, or Hayward would have to be moved.

Danny Ainge and the Celtics management group would have to be very creative to make such a contract work financially. It is not impossible, but it is unlikely.

Would Signing LeBron be Worth It?

LeBron James is still the most dominant player in the game today. He is 33 years old and has been in the league for 15 years. In 2018 he averaged some of the best numbers of his career with 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game. He has three championship rings, three finals MVPs, four MVPs (finalist for MVP this season), and is a 14-time All-Star. The debate has already been going on for years about whether or not he is the greatest to ever play the game.

Adding LeBron James to a team that was one win away from the NBA Finals in a season without two of their All-Stars would undoubtedly make the Celtics front-runners for the championship. He would bring veteran leadership along with other-worldly talent to a roster already bursting at the seams with young potential. Championship aspirations in Boston would be a constant until the end of LeBron’s career.

Given the bright future in store for two of Boston’s younger pieces in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have a unique opportunity to pull off a huge signing and still be set up for long-term success. Add in the draft pick stockpile the team has built, and Boston could find themselves competing for championships long after LeBron retires.

Will LeBron Sign?

Odds are LeBron will not sign with the Celtics this summer. It is a complex situation financially, and no one knows how much interest James has in joining the team. That being said, in the NBA anything is possible. Just getting an opportunity to meet with LeBron is a big step in pulling off what would be the greatest free agency signing the city of Boston has ever seen.

Buckle up Celtics fans, this summer is going to be a wild one.

Terry Rozier’s Days in Boston Are Numbered

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The Birth of Scary Terry

Terry Rozier made quite the name for himself in the 2018 postseason. He took over for injured star Kyrie Irving and played a major role in Boston’s deep playoff run. The Celtics got within one win from the NBA Finals behind stellar team basketball and a few individual big-time performances from the young guard.

Entering the postseason Rozier had played in a total of 22 playoff games, starting in none. He took over as the floor general for the team with only 16 starts to wind down the season. In the 19 playoff games Boston played, Rozier averaged 16.5 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Terry Rozier made a name for himself from the get-go, hitting a big time three pointer in the final seconds of Game 1 against Milwaukee. The team took care of business in OT as he finished with 23 points. Scary Terry was born, and quickly became a common household name for fans around the world.

Rozier’s Value

Rozier’s value could not be higher than it is right now. The way he has handled the pressure of stepping up and into Kyrie Irving’s enormous shoes can not be overstated. He has molded himself into a quality young point guard with a future as a starter in the NBA. Rozier has talked about his desire to be a starter:

“I know in the future I want to be a starter. Isaiah Thomas in the past and Kyrie now. That’s the only reason I don’t start. But I know I will be a starter in this league.”

The one problem- Boston does not need a starting point guard. With superstar Kyrie Irving at the helm, there is no opportunity for Rozier to play a starting role.

Rozier will play as the team’s sixth man next season. He will see decreased minutes as both Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving return to action.

Danny Ainge has a track record for maximizing return value in every transaction. He traded the organization’s most beloved player since Larry Bird in Paul Pierce. Danny shipped out future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. He sent Doc Rivers to LA. He even maximized Isaiah Thomas’s value right before his contract was up in a trade for Kyrie Irving.

Free Agency

Rozier is set to become a free agent after the 2019 season. Teams around the league will begin bidding for the blossoming young talent.

It is not likely that Ainge will make the same mistake that general managers in recent history have made.

Pacers’ GM Kevin Pritchard failed to move an unhappy Paul George until it became public knowledge that George wanted out of Indiana. The team ended up getting a good return for the All-Star forward, but by waiting too long it forced the team into a bad situation with next to no leverage in trade discussions.

Even Boston’s own Kyrie Irving forced his way out of Cleveland by making his discontent with the team public. Cleveland’s former GM David Griffin did a poor job of keeping the situation with Irving behind closed doors, leading to a forced trade to the Celtics. A trade that thus far appears to have worked greatly in favor of the Celtics.

If Danny Ainge and the management group for the Celtics see it as an inevitability that Rozier will leave the team next summer, they will not hesitate to make a move.

Draft Rumors

With rumors swirling surrounding the upcoming NBA Draft that the Celtics are looking to move into the lottery, all eyes are on the Rozier situation. The team is interested in Mo Bamba, a pre-draft lock to be taken in the top six. If Boston seeks to make a climb from 27, they will need to put together a monster package.

Any package offered has to be centered around Terry Rozier. The draft presents the perfect opportunity for the Celtics to trade Rozier at the peak of his value.

The Memphis Grizzlies (4th) and Dallas Mavericks (5th) have both openly stated that they are considering trading their pick this year.

The Celtics could offer a package centered around Terry Rozier and the 2019 Kings first rounder to snag Bamba. Mo Bamba is a 7’1” big man with a ridiculous 7’10” wing span. His presence would instantly boost Boston’s unstable front court and provide a much-needed rim protector.

Don’t be surprised if Boston makes a move like this in the days, hours, or minutes leading up to the draft. There will not be a better time to get max value, and Danny Ainge knows it.

Trade Deadline

In the more likely scenario that the team stands pat in the draft expect plenty of trade talks surrounding Rozier at the trade deadline. The deadline will be Boston’s last chance to trade Rozier for good value before he hits free agency. Depending on his performance to start the season the team should still get a quality return for a player of Rozier’s caliber.

By the deadline Boston will have a well-rounded idea of what the team will look like moving forward. Hayward and Irving will have played half a season together at that point, and the rotation will have begun to round out.

Boston’s front office has expressed a desire to keep Rozier, as the team would prefer to retain his services as a critical player in their championship aspirations. Despite their preference in the matter Ainge will need to see the bigger picture and make a move if he feels Rozier will leave.

The worst-case scenario would be waiting until next summer to move Rozier. By that time teams looking to pry him away from Boston will wait until his free agency hits to scoop him up without moving their own assets. Boston will lose Rozier and have nothing to show for it.

Given these circumstances and Danny Ainge’s history in similar situations as much fun as it has been watching Rozier blossom and as nice as it would be to have him moving forward, his days in Boston are numbered.

The Celtics are Interested in Mo Bamba

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There are reports that the Celtics are interested in Texas big man Mo Bamba. Boston is reportedly willing to move up moving up in the draft to take him. Bamba is a 6’11” prospect with a record-breaking 7’10” wingspan.

The Prospect

Considered the most NBA ready rim protector in his draft class, Bamba has the highest ceiling out of every prospect this year. He averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and an absurd 3.7 blocks per game in 30 appearances for Texas as a freshman. He possesses good lateral quickness for a guy his size, making him a deadly offensive threat if he can improve on his footwork. His 68% shooting from the charity stripe indicates potential for a consistent outside shot, adding to his respectable 28% three point percentage.

The main drawback with Bamba is his frame. As long as he is, he weighs in at only 216 pounds. As a comparison, Marcus Morris is three inches shorter and weighs 19 pounds more than Bamba. He also tends to have an inconsistent motor. He can sometimes get hot and score in bunches, and other times he is nonexistent on the court.

Bamba is a ridiculous physical specimen that, despite a few shortcomings, has perhaps the highest floor in the draft just as much as he has one of the highest ceilings. His length and athleticism will make him an instant rim protector from the get go. His most common NBA comparison is Rudy Gobert based on his physical attributes.

Will Boston Make a Move?

The Celtics have a major need for a rim-protecting big man that can hold down the paint and grab rebounds consistently. The team has implemented a rebound by committee approach that landed them ranked fifth in the NBA in boards. However, the team struggled to control the boards against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals. In three of their four losses to the Cavs, the Celtics were out-rebounded, giving up key second chance opportunities from offensive rebounds.

Mo Bamba is the one prospect that has all of the attributes the Celtics are looking for. It makes sense that the team is looking into moving up to snag him. The team already interviewed him at the Chicago pre-draft combine a few weeks ago.

Boston has the assets to make a trade, but the question becomes- is Danny Ainge willing to cough up enough to make it happen?

Trade Assets

The Celtics possess the Sacramento Kings’ first round pick in the 2019 draft. They have their own 27th overall pick this year, and the Memphis’s first round pick in 2019. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown surely will be inquired about in such trade talks. It is doubtful that Ainge includes either in such a deal.

The Grizzlies at number four and the Mavericks at five have both expressed interest in trading their picks this year. Mo Bamba has been projected as high as third but will most likely fall to the 4-6 range.

The most likely trade scenario would have to involve Terry Rozier. He has an expiring contract after next season, leaving him expendable. There has already been talk about concern of Rozier’s ultimate departure for a team willing to let him blossom as a starting point guard. His value blew through the roof during Boston’s playoff push this season, averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38% from three.

Boston could pair him up with next year’s Sacramento pick and toss in their own first round pick this year to sweeten the deal. Boston has the assets to make it happen, it’s only a matter of if they want to pull the trigger.

Who says no? Is such a deal worth it for Boston to add another intriguing prospect to the roster? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Marcus Smart’s Impending Free Agency

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Immediately following Boston’s Game 7 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Marcus Smart was asked about his future with the team.

With the Celtics’ season over, the team will shift their focus to free agency. Boston has six upcoming free agents, including Aaron Baynes, Greg Monroe, and Shane Larkin. None of these names are bigger or more controversial than Marcus Smart.

Marcus Smart and his looming free agency has been a topic heavily debated all season long. It is no secret that Marcus wants to get paid like a big time player.

“To be honest, I’m worth more than $12-14 million,” Smart told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN. “Just for the things I do on the court that don’t show up on the stat sheet. You don’t find guys like that. I always leave everything on the court, every game. Tell me how many other players can say that.”

Smart has a point. In his first four years as a pro he has made a name for himself around the league as a bulldog. His propensity to play 110 miles an hour for 48 minutes drives the energy level of his teammates up and gets in his opponents’ heads. When Smart is in the game fans know it. He is usually found on the ground under two or three players scraping for the ball, out-sprinting the fastest guy on the court for a loose ball, or finding a way to rip down a big offensive rebound.

Off the Stat Sheet

Marcus has a knack for making “game-winning plays” while elevating the effort level and skill of his teammates. Many of his teammates have called Smart the “heart and soul” of the team. Danny Ainge even told Smart that they plan on keeping him.

Why not just pay Smart the $14 million per year?

While the things he does that don’t show up on the stat sheet help the team tremendously, he has major issues shooting and turns the ball over far too frequently. He is a career 36% shooter and an abysmal 29% from three. He also gets off 4.2 three point attempts per game. Among every player in NBA history to have connected on under 30% of three pointers, only 13 of them have shot a higher volume than Smart.

Turnovers have plagued Smart his whole career. He averaged 2.4 per game this season, and 1.8 for his career in 28.7 minutes per game. He ranked 355th in the league in turnovers per game and per 48 minutes (3.8). As great as his non-statistical attributes are, he simply isn’t a $14 million player on the stat sheet.

Money

Boston will extend a qualifying offer to Marcus Smart for $6.1 million dollars. Smart can either sign the offer or see what other offers he can get. Undoubtedly he will wait it out. If the other offers inflate too much, Boston won’t be able to match and Smart will be gone. He can either sign the qualifying offer, take the highest offer on the market, or sign a long term extension with the team well below his self-perceived value.

As much as the team want’s to keep him, they also have a ton of money locked up in future contracts. Al Horford is making $28.9 million next season with a player option he will almost assuredly opt out of. The team’s highest paid player in Gordon Hayward will make $31 million next year. Kyrie Irving is going to get $20 million. Terry Rozier will be a free agent in a few years looking for a big payday. Looking even further ahead, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will both be getting huge contracts once their rookie deals expire.

With such a loaded roster Boston just doesn’t have the cap space to pay Smart what he wants, no matter how much they desire to retain him. At the end of the day, the decision will rest sorely on his shoulders. Though he has stated that his heart is with Boston, his wallet may ultimately draw him to another team willing to pay a premium for a player with his unique skill set.

If this season does ultimately mark the end of Marcus Smart’s tenure with Boston, he sure left the fans with plenty of fond memories and plays that they will never forget. To his core he has embodied what it means to be a Celtic, and the fans will always love and appreciate everything he gave to the organization.

 

Cavs, Celtics Set for Showdown in Game 7

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Well, here we are folks.

The two greatest words in sports: Game Seven. The Celtics versus the Cavaliers. LeBron James will get his shot at an eighth straight trip to the NBA Finals as the two teams square off in Boston on Sunday, May 27th. The Celtics will do all they can to prevent a fifth straight loss at the hands of LeBron and reach the Finals for the first time since 2010.

Cleveland Takes Game 6

LeBron James put on a clinic in Game 6, dropping 46 points to go along with 11 rebounds and nine assists. The Cavaliers displayed a team effort in the victory, getting major contributions from the bench, which outscored Boston’s bench 36-23. For the first time in the series Cleveland looked like a deep team, with four players scoring in double figures. George hill scored 20, Jeff Green contributed 14, and Larry Nance added ten and seven rebounds.

The three major factors in the game was the rebounding discrepancy, missed free throws, and Al Horford being a no-show. Boston was out-rebounded in the game by 13, 44-31 and gave up a whopping 15 offensive boards. In Boston’s three wins in the series they have out-rebounded Cleveland, and in the three losses it was the other way around. This will be a major factor going into Game 7. The Celtics also missed nine free throws, going 11-20 from the charity stripe.

Al Horford will need to play significantly better in Game 7 if his team will have any hopes of a victory. He produced six points on eight shots, and often looked out of sorts on the floor. He focused more on the ball than his man, giving up several offensive rebounds that resulted in second chance opportunities for the Cavs.

Kevin Love

The major storyline as Game 7 approaches is the announcement that Kevin Love will not play. After a collision with Jayson Tatum in the first quarter of Friday’s game, Love was sidelined with a concussion. Love is averaging 12.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in the series. He has been most impactful in Boston, averaging 17.6 points and 14.3 rebounds in the three match-ups.

Love has been the second leading scorer for Cleveland in these playoffs. His high IQ passing ability and double-double threat will surely be missed for the Cavs. He is also one of the most battle tested veterans on the roster as an NBA champion back in 2016.

Cavalier Role Players

With the All-Star big man out, Cleveland will need their role players to step up now more than ever. George Hill understands the circumstances and the need to fill a bigger role in Game 7.

“It’s gonna be tough,” Cavs point guard George Hill said. “No team has won there in these playoffs so far. We’ve got to try to be the first.”

LeBron James is taking a very level-headed mindset into the game. He said he doesn’t put “too much added pressure” on himself in Game 7’s.

“I just go out and play my game,” he said. “It’s just basketball for me. I know what I’m capable of doing.”

Boston’s Mentality

The Celtics have tied an NBA record as they have won ten straight games to start the postseason. The team has outscored their opponents by an average of 11.5 points per game thus far.

In spite of their recent success the team knows they are in for a battle.

“It’s about just winning the game now,” Marcus Smart said after Game 6. “It’s not going to be pretty. You got to be able to get down and get dirty… You have to be ready for a dogfight.”

Terry Rozier is confident going into Game 7, but understands LeBron James is going to give the Celtics all they can handle.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, first and foremost. Obviously, we came up short tonight. But we need the whole city of Boston to be behind us. We know LeBron is different than a lot of other guys, but we’ve got to get the job done. That’s no excuse, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Boston has fed off of the energy their fans bring to the Garden each game, and they expect more of the same in Game 7.

“It’s going to be electric,” Horford said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to Sunday.

LeBron is Tired and the Cavs Are Dead

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Following Cleveland’s Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 loss to the Celtics, LeBron James was asked about his level of exhaustion.

“I had my moments. I think everybody at this point is tired or worn down.”

LeBron James is turning 34 in December of this year. He led the entire NBA in minutes played this season. James currently leads all players in postseason minutes played. He has played long into the postseason for most of his career, making it to an absurd seven straight Finals. The man has every reason to be exhausted at this point.

LeBron Needs a Break

LeBron has a usage rate of 35.7% this postseason, second among all players (behind James Harden). He has scored nearly as many points this postseason as his three closest teammates combined. He leads the team in assists, steals, and blocks.

Perhaps the depletion of energy has to do with the fact that he has had to carry the team on his back all year. Maybe the relentless and physically bruising defense exhibited by a younger Celtics squad is finally getting to him.

Fatigued in the Postseason

Whatever the case may be, LeBron was undeniably drained of anything left in the tank during Game 5. At times he could be seen bent over with his hands on his knees, panting for air. During timeouts he sat hunched over on the bench with a towel over his face, soaking in every moment of down time possible. He uncharacteristically lost fast break foot races to the Celtics, failing to even attempt a chase down block on a cutting Jayson Tatum. He was caught jogging back on defense, which lead to a big Morris three late in the game.

James constantly argued non-fouls, leaving much to be desired on the defensive side of the court. His refusal to attack mismatches when given the opportunity was curious. Getting Terry Rozier switched onto him was a key part of Cleveland’s success in Games 3 and 4. When he got these mismatches in Game 5 often he would settle on fade-away jumpers or just pass out of it.

The Celtics took notice of this, particularly Marcus Morris.

“He has to do a lot for that team, everybody knows at the end of the day these games are coming up pretty quick.” Marcus Morris said in a postgame interview. “We just played on Sunday and these games are coming fast. At the end of the day, I mean, **** I’m tired. Everybody else is tired. We’ve still got to play. He does a lot for his team. Scores, assists, rebounds, I would think he gets a little tired.”

Is This the End for the Cavs?

Not only did James reveal to the world in Game 5 how little he has left, he looked completely disinterested. His nonchalant demeanor and lackadaisical defense doesn’t bode well for Cleveland moving forward. Also, the absence of emotion in his play was all too transparent, and if you didn’t know any better it looked as if he was playing in a mid-regular season game.

The last time the Celtics defeated LeBron James in the playoffs it was 2010. That series marks the last time LeBron lost to any Eastern Conference team in a playoff series. The Celtics sent the king packing to Miami that year, seeking greener pastures with a better supporting cast. Many wonder if the Celtics bring down LeBron this year he will once again seek a brighter future as part of a different organization.

The Celtics are now closer than they have ever been since that fateful playoff series. They are one win from the NBA Finals and one win from sending LeBron to a long summer’s rest. A summer in which he will spend much time pondering his options. A summer full of questions.

Given what the world saw from him in Game 5, there is doubt even the king himself will be able to muster up enough of his reserve to pull out two straight wins. The Celtics have LeBron against the ropes, and it looks as if his knees are about to buckle.

Marcus Smart Snubbed from All-NBA Defensive Team

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Yesterday the NBA announced their All-NBA Defensive teams. The Celtics’ very own Al Horford made the All-NBA Defensive second team. Though all names on the list were well deserving of the award, the one glaring name that was left off was Marcus Smart.

Marcus Smart is a Top Defender

Arguably the top defender on the league’s best defense, Marcus Smart has consistently been the team’s energy guy, bulldog, and tone setter. He makes hustle plays and does the dirty work for the team, diving on loose balls and always playing physical. He is constantly communicating on defense, directing the team to their spots and making adjustments on the fly.

Smart shows no fear on the court. He can switch 1 through 5 and often shut down the opponent’s best player. If there’s a loose ball and Marcus Smart is on the court, you can bet he will be laying out to secure the possession for his team.

Not the Same Without Him

Marcus led the Boston Celtics this season in overall defensive rating (min 15 minutes/game) with an impressive score of 99.4. When Smart went down with a hand injury towards the end of the season, the Celtics were outscored by 0.4 points per 100 possessions. In the 11-game span of his injury, that figure ranked 19th in the league.

Even after coming off two straight losses in Cleveland, the Celtics are 8-4 in the playoffs since Smart’s return to the lineup. Smart returned to action in Game 5 of the Milwaukee series. He instantly showed his impact on the defensive end, stripping Dellavedova and diving on the loose ball. He had been in the game for a total of 35 seconds, and already making an impact on defense.

Brad Stevens had this to say about Marcus Smart after Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals:

“He’s as tough as they come. He’s a true competitor. Matches his intensity with a physical toughness. People talk about him all the time. Sometimes they focus on the things that don’t matter. Other times they focus on the fact that he impacts winning. We are really glad that he is on our team”

What do you think? Does Marcus Smart deserve an All-NBA Defensive team rep?