In 9 playoff games, Celtics have shot 73 more FTs than their opponents

[Triple M]

The cavs are too small to guard the Celtics without fouling. Also the Celtics are defending without fouling which is emphasized by coach Mazulla. The last 2 to 3 seasons the Celtics have been among the top teams at not fouling. Finally the Celtics are shooting less 3s and diversifying their offense to match the small sample size of the playoffs.

[zimpy27]

Not the Lakers so the usual suspects don't care

+8.1 over 9 games.

Lakers were +11 for 5 straight months

Playoffs matter more, no?

[Harry Palmer]

Not the Lakers so the usual suspects don't care

I'm always amazed at the number of realgm poster who sincerely (i) believe the NBA fixes games for the Lakers (or boggeyman of the month) and (ii) care about the outcome of games.

My favorite group of posters are the ones who think the games are fixed and still bet on them. Which is a remarkable decision.

1) The NBA has been remarkably open about favouring certain franchises/players. The irony that this is still a Celtics Lakers subject is awesome.

2) Betting on a rigged game is no more stupid than betting on a non-fixed game, you’re just predicting events along different lines. In fact if you could choose to bet on rigged or non-rigged games, I might choose the latter because you arguably have to account for fewer variables. But in any event betting is recognized as psychologically unhealthy and it’s really weird to see how hard pro sports have gotten on board with it. Kids growing up watching sports are going to seriously normalize destructive behaviour.

[AussieCeltic]

Not the Lakers so the usual suspects don't care

+8.1 over 9 games.

Lakers were +11 for 5 straight months

Playoffs matter more, no?

That includes playoffs but just playoffs last season Lakers were +8.06 across a 16 game sample size.

[sp6r=underrated]

1) The NBA has been remarkably open about favouring certain franchises/players.

The Knicks have the thirst worst winning percentage of any NBA franchise since 2001. If the NBA fixes thing, why didn't they fix things to give the knicks a contender?

You have to be a pretty stupid fixer to think building a contender in SA (best winning percentage since 01) over NYC would lead to greater profits.

[makubesu]

This thread was inevitable after the Cavs players complained to the refs on nearly every possession.

[og15]

In case math isn't your thing, the Celtics are getting 8 FT attempts per game more than their opponents. Considering they were averaging a bit less than 3 extra FT attempts per game during the regular season you gotta wonder what suddenly changed.

The thing that I found particularly interesting was Tatum's FT rate. It ballooned from .349 in the regular season all the way to .479 in the playoffs which happens to be his career high. And no, he hasn't been taking more shots around the rim in the playoffs in case you were wondering.

I guess the best way to guard a guy who's shooting 41.7% from the field and 26.3% for 3 which equates to a career low 46.3 eFG% is to never stop fouling him.

Their regular season average is based on 82 games and playing against 29 other teams, while their post-season average is based on <10 games and just two opponents, lol

That's a pretty big change, like why should your sample size of FT differential vs the whole league be the same as that vs just two teams? Makes no sense.

Regular season vs Cleveland:
Boston: 19 FTA/G
Cleveland: 12.3 FTA/G

Regular season vs Miami:
Boston: 18.6 FTA/G
Miami: 17 FTA/G

Cleveland is about the same difference, but they kept the Heat off the FT line. They also blew out the Heat in like 4/5 games, so if you're fouling a lot while blowing a team out, you're doing it wrong.

[zimpy27]

+8.1 over 9 games.

Lakers were +11 for 5 straight months

Playoffs matter more, no?

That includes playoffs but just playoffs last season Lakers were +8.06 across a 16 game sample size.

And this year for the Lakers in the playoffs? I assume not as good.

[AussieCeltic]

Playoffs matter more, no?

That includes playoffs but just playoffs last season Lakers were +8.06 across a 16 game sample size.

And this year for the Lakers in the playoffs? I assume not as good.

+3 these playoffs

[CoP]

Sweet!

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

Miami and Cleveland have had a focus on running Boston off the 3 point line. Boston have been therefore driving to the basket more which I imagine has contributed to the discrepancy with the RS.

[Harry Garris]

League is rigging it for Boston I’m sure

They don't need to. Boston could beat the Heat and Cavs in their current states blindfolded.

[Lalouie]

73 sounds like a lot until you divide it by 9

[RunOKC]

Free throw merchants

[doogie_hauser]

We played Miami in the first round, by far the most dirty and fake tough guy team in the NBA.

That has to be a factor in the differential.

Our main player/star who usually gets into foul trouble (Porzingis) has also been out for a while.

Generally speaking this is just about bitter whinge/sook thread about the Celtics.

[Harry Palmer]

1) The NBA has been remarkably open about favouring certain franchises/players.

The Knicks have the thirst worst winning percentage of any NBA franchise since 2001. If the NBA fixes thing, why didn't they fix things to give the knicks a contender?

You have to be a pretty stupid fixer to think building a contender in SA (best winning percentage since 01) over NYC would lead to greater profits.

Dolan.

[Harry Palmer]

1) The NBA has been remarkably open about favouring certain franchises/players.

The Knicks have the thirst worst winning percentage of any NBA franchise since 2001. If the NBA fixes thing, why didn't they fix things to give the knicks a contender?

You have to be a pretty stupid fixer to think building a contender in SA (best winning percentage since 01) over NYC would lead to greater profits.

Dolan.

But to be clear, this is not some conspiracy theory. Look up Stern and flagships. He was very open about his marketing strategy.

[Karate Diop]

They get all kinds of big market league favorite pet calls. Not surprising.

[jfs1000d]

In case math isn't your thing, the Celtics are getting 8 FT attempts per game more than their opponents. Considering they were averaging a bit less than 3 extra FT attempts per game during the regular season you gotta wonder what suddenly changed.

The thing that I found particularly interesting was Tatum's FT rate. It ballooned from .349 in the regular season all the way to .479 in the playoffs which happens to be his career high. And no, he hasn't been taking more shots around the rim in the playoffs in case you were wondering.

I guess the best way to guard a guy who's shooting 41.7% from the field and 26.3% for 3 which equates to a career low 46.3 eFG% is to never stop fouling him.

Have to play Tatum physical or he will kill you.

Also, teams are really playing tight to take away 3s leading to a lot more drives yo the baket.


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[shi-woo]

Man the Tatum hate this year is on another level, i'll take it as a compliment to how good he really is.

Who do you want getting to the line 12 times a game for the opposing team, Max Strus or Caleb Martin?

You realize the Heat without Butler had no one who could break a defense down, kind of easy to just contain all game when the team knows you need to just bang 3's at a historic rate to beat them Same with Cavs, Mitchell was getting a favorable whistle, without him, what do you expect?

Likewise, who are the big bodied boys who can play solid defense without fouling this year? Isaac Okoro? Tyler Herro? Boston has the size, strength, speed, and talent advantage over every single player 1-4 they've faced so far.

You guys can't have it both ways, you can't rip a team for playing mediocre competition, and then complain when the mediocre competition is playing mediocre. Celtics are doing exactly what they need to do.

They are putting an insane amount of pressure on a bunch of guys that can't compete or even hope to contain all of Bostons weapons. Thus the FT discrepancies. With the exception of last game, Boston has not received a favorable whistle.