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The Celtics Are Just Getting Started

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The Celtics are not finished. Everyone and their Podcast partner is writing them off. Boston sports radio is dancing over their graves. The team is at rock bottom, down 3-1 to the Greek Freak and a band of also-rans playing over their heads. But just like last year’s Patriots, rock bottom is where they strip out all the noise and bring it back to team basketball.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving hasn’t forgotten how to play basketball. His talk isn’t for everyone, but it’s just talk. Between the lines this guy is a certified basketball genius, he’s just been a little sidetracked.

On Basketball Reference there is a stat called Game Score (GmSc). Like WAR in baseball, it’s a stat that tries to take everything into context. It’s not the be all end all, but it’s a nice umbrella of everything a basketball player is doing on the court. Over the 2016 playoffs Kyrie averaged 18.2 per game. Over the 2017 playoffs Kyrie averaged 18.1 per game. That is consistency over 39 games like you read about.

Right now Kyrie is averaging 15.8 in the 8 playoff games for the Celtics. That is not Kyrie Irving. But he had a similar eight game stretch in 2017, averaging 15.9 over the first eight games. Yes, Cleveland lost in the finals that year, but Kyrie went on to average 19.8 over the remaining 10 games.

Even the great Steph Curry looks less than sometimes. For example, he went 4-14 from 3 in his last playoff game. But people aren’t shoveling dirt on his playoffs. Forget the body language and ‘effort’ police. Kyrie Irving is not perfect, but he’s one of the best players in the NBA and a noted playoff performer. Count on a dominating performance in Game 5 and going forward.

Brad Stevens

Remember when Brad Stevens was the next great coach in the NBA? It wasn’t that long ago. And it wasn’t a flash in the pan. He grew to that level over years, not one great year.

Somewhere along the way he lost his voice this year. The team did not give an all out level all the time like they have in past years. This team did not meet the lofty expectations placed in them at the beginning of the year. Hey, they went to the Eastern Conference Finals without their best player. Of course there were high expectations. But ego, it seems, has gotten the better of them to this point.

But what can cut through all the noise of ego? Getting thumped on your home floor in the playoffs, pushing you to the brink of elimination, getting called out nation wide. When the players are reeling and wondering how they got here who can they turn to? Brad Stevens, the man with a plan. And when the players follow the plan of Brad Stevens, great things happen.

Stevens is being bashed for not throwing his players under the bus right now. That is building trust. Look for the players to start playing the Stevens game, team basketball, the best of the Celtics, in Game 5 and moving forward.

Bucks Over Their Heads

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a certified NBA Super Star. He’s so great his same now rolls off the tongue. But he is one man. Khris Middleton is pretty good.

But 33 year old George Hill averaged a 6.6 Game Score for the Cavs in the playoff last year. Verse the Celtics in the last two games? 15.75. Overall for this playoffs? 10. George Hill’s cameo as bad Kyrie is just that, a two game cameo.

Pat Connaughton turned into current George Hill the last two games with an 11.2 average Game Score. His total playoff average is 4.4. Give the 26 year old the benefit of the doubt and this year his average is 8.5 in the playoffs. He’s played the last two 30% better than that. It won’t last.

Some would say these Bucks are on a roll. From here it’s an aberration with a current expiration date.

Poking Marcus Smart

It is advisable to rile up Marcus Smart? Antetokounmpo thinks not.

A motivated Marcus Smart is almost as important as a healthy Marcus Smart. Expect good things from Marcus Smart in Game 5 and going forward.

The Bucks are playing over their heads, the Celtics are playing poorly. Getting humiliated was just what the Celtics needed to turn things around. Get ready for a different series starting tomorrow night.

Photo via AP/Charles Krupa

Celtics Beat Bucks 117-113 in Eastern Conference Showdown

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Kyrie Irving had a team-high 28 points and the Celtics drilled a franchise record 24 threes to hand the Bucks their first loss of the season on Thursday night. A few quick thoughts on last night’s wild win coming up right after I stop smiling like a doofus at this video…

Gordon Hayward Heating Up

The Celtics are still being careful with Hayward, with good reason. The star forward has been understandably inconsistent in his first 7 games, as he shakes off rust and continues to make his way back from last season’s gruesome injury. However, last night he showed flashes of why he was such a highly sought after free agent two summers ago. Hayward scored a season-high 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, and added 4 rebounds and 5 assists. He drilled three triples as well, and is shooting 40.7% from downtown so far this year.

Hayward’s most encouraging moment came early in the 1st quarter:

That play is a microcosm of what a healthy Hayward brings to the table. Smart defense (and the athleticism to execute), the ability to go coast to coast, and finish strong in traffic. Hayward has now attempted double-digit shots in three straight games, a sure sign that his game is beginning to round into form.

Greek Freak: Definitively Good

Milwaukee’s MVP candidate was lights out again last night. Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in a 33-11-2 game, and added three steals to boot. He was also out there traversing time and space like William S. Preston Esq. and Theodore Logan:

I mean COME ON. He’s doing up-and-unders now?

The Celtics still have as good a chance as anyone to make the Finals this year. But they’ll likely have to go through Giannis and Kawhi Leonard to do it, making things a taller task than expected a couple of months ago.

Get ‘Em Mook!

Marcus Morris has been huge this season. With Gordon Hayward working his way back to form, the C’s have needed one of their top role players to step up. He’s done that, and more. After last night’s 17 point, 5 rebound performance, Morris is averaging 14.8 points and 7.1 boards in only 25.3 minutes per game. It helps that he’s been on fire from beyond the arc. He’s drilling threes at a 51.3% clip, including a 5-for-8 performance from downtown on Thursday.

There was some question entering the season whether or not Morris would have a defined role with the return of Hayward and the continued progression of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. As fate would have it, he’s been more important than ever.

Shot Selection Struggles

On one hand, last night was an improvement in this area. 55 attempted three pointers is better than the bevy of long twos we had seen through the first 7 games. It also helps when you make 24 of those shots.

Yet, despite nearly setting an NBA record with made threes, the Celtics nearly coughed this one away late. They’ll continue to find themselves in that position as long as they remain allergic to attacking the rim and getting in the paint. Boston is dead last in field goals attempted within 8 feet. They’re also only 13th in field goal percentage within that range. For comparison’s sake, Golden State has attempted the second fewest shots inside 8 feet, but is 1st in field goal percentage. It’s really difficult to build a championship level offense around that combination of lack of volume and middle of the road efficiency, especially when you aren’t getting to the line either (C’s are 26th in free throws attempted per game). The numbers bear that out: the Celtics currently rank 27th in ORtg.

Simply making more threes like they did against Milwaukee will be helpful towards rectifying things. But not being able to get easy buckets late was an issue last night. The Celtics missed their last 6 field goal attempts (4 threes and 2 mid-range jumpers). That gave the Bucks an opening which they couldn’t take advantage of. It’s absolutely something to keep an eye on going forward.

Don’t look now, but after a sluggish 2-2 start the C’s are 6-2 (a 61.5 win pace). They’ll take their 4 game winning streak on the road for the next 5 games, starting on Saturday night in Indiana vs. the Pacers.