Around the NBA (and other Sports), 2023-24, Part 4: Son of daughter of nephew of Around the NBA thread

[Fierce1]

Remind me again why we didn't go after Aaron Gordon when he was available? Would've been a decent big for this team.

Orlando wanted 2 1st rnd picks for Gordon.

Ainge was not willing to pay the price, so he opted for Fournier instead.

Gordon also wasn’t exactly hot property.

Teams didn’t know what to make of him.

His skill set also perfectly fits with Jokic which I think covers up some clear flaws in his game.

True.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Not over yet. Remember when we went down 2-3 to Milwaukee?

Also, the doomer stuff about a series that hasn't even started yet and may not is so pathetic.

Especially when both games were close and could have gone either way.

Even funnier is reading the stuff saying we don’t have a chance because we can’t stop Jokic.

Well nobody can. That’s not the way to beat the Nuggets.

You have to work them offensively and ensure his teammates can’t get too hot offensively.

The Wolves really made it hard defensively in the first two games. The problem is the Nuggets figured out how to score again and the Wolves have been offensively challenged compared to other contenders all season.

[Darthlukey]

Orlando wanted 2 1st rnd picks for Gordon.

Ainge was not willing to pay the price, so he opted for Fournier instead.

Gordon also wasn’t exactly hot property.

Teams didn’t know what to make of him.

His skill set also perfectly fits with Jokic which I think covers up some clear flaws in his game.

True.

Thats what I have assumed about AG. Even watching his highlights, his game is not fluid at all. Don't get me wrong, he has played very well for most of this series but it feels like brawn and matchups, rather than skill or a more cerebral approach. Having someone set the table for him, like joker or splash, has made him an elite role player rather than an underperforming stud

[Fierce1]

Gordon also wasn’t exactly hot property.

Teams didn’t know what to make of him.

His skill set also perfectly fits with Jokic which I think covers up some clear flaws in his game.

True.

Thats what I have assumed about AG. Even watching his highlights, his game is not fluid at all. Don't get me wrong, he has played very well for most of this series but it feels like brawn and matchups, rather than skill or a more cerebral approach. Having someone set the table for him, like joker or splash, has made him an elite role player rather than an underperforming stud

Yeah, when he was in Orlando, he was underwhelming for a 4th pick of the 2014 Draft.

The Magic ended up giving up on him.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[Lee Van Cleef]

We cannot stop Jokic. We cannot even slow him down. We don't have the right personnel. Al is old and short, X is short, KP is weak and skinny, Q will foul out in 10 minutes. We could really use someone like Drummond. Someone at least 6'10" with wide, heavy frame.

Double-teaming him is the worst possible defensive decision. He is the best "finder" the game has ever seen.

In that case, the only solution is to outscore them. They don't have a shot blocker. Jays should constantly attack the paint. Others should shoot the lights out.

Can we beat them 4 times? Unlikely. Denver in 6 would be my guess.

[Celts17Pride]

We cannot stop Jokic. We cannot even slow him down. We don't have the right personnel. Al is old and short, X is short, KP is weak and skinny, Q will foul out in 10 minutes. We could really use someone like Drummond. Someone at least 6'10" with wide, heavy frame.

Double-teaming him is the worst possible defensive decision. He is the best "finder" the game has ever seen.

In that case, the only solution is to outscore them. They don't have a shot blocker. Jays should constantly attack the paint. Others should shoot the lights out.

Can we beat them 4 times? Unlikely. Denver in 6 would be my guess.

It was literally just one week ago people were saying no one is going to beat Minnesota. Everyone can be beat.

[tfribs45]

We cannot stop Jokic. We cannot even slow him down. We don't have the right personnel. Al is old and short, X is short, KP is weak and skinny, Q will foul out in 10 minutes. We could really use someone like Drummond. Someone at least 6'10" with wide, heavy frame.

Double-teaming him is the worst possible defensive decision. He is the best "finder" the game has ever seen.

In that case, the only solution is to outscore them. They don't have a shot blocker. Jays should constantly attack the paint. Others should shoot the lights out.

Can we beat them 4 times? Unlikely. Denver in 6 would be my guess.

It was literally just one week ago people were saying no one is going to beat Minnesota. Everyone can be beat.

EXACTLY this board reacts to every game, is this their first rodeo with the NBA playoffs?! things change like the weather man, and everyone talks about beating Denver or Minn, how about flipping the switch and asking how difficult it will be to oust the C's 4 out of 7 times. Lets be real, we're in it to win it!

[Fierce1]

Celtics are at their best when they are being doubted.

Let it play out.

[Fierce1]

Ant Man already guaranteeing a Game 7.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Gordon also wasn’t exactly hot property.

Teams didn’t know what to make of him.

His skill set also perfectly fits with Jokic which I think covers up some clear flaws in his game.

True.

Thats what I have assumed about AG. Even watching his highlights, his game is not fluid at all. Don't get me wrong, he has played very well for most of this series but it feels like brawn and matchups, rather than skill or a more cerebral approach. Having someone set the table for him, like joker or splash, has made him an elite role player rather than an underperforming stud

It’s a bit like Draymond.

People have always loved to point to Draymond’s obvious flaws but he was placed in the perfect situation next to Steph and the rest is history.

Gordon goes elsewhere after Orlando and people would probably still be wondering what is the point of him.

His shooting and touch is still quite awful but Jokic is just perfect at getting him easy buckets.

[GrandTheftRondo]

We cannot stop Jokic. We cannot even slow him down. We don't have the right personnel. Al is old and short, X is short, KP is weak and skinny, Q will foul out in 10 minutes. We could really use someone like Drummond. Someone at least 6'10" with wide, heavy frame.

Double-teaming him is the worst possible defensive decision. He is the best "finder" the game has ever seen.

In that case, the only solution is to outscore them. They don't have a shot blocker. Jays should constantly attack the paint. Others should shoot the lights out.

Can we beat them 4 times? Unlikely. Denver in 6 would be my guess.

Nobody can stop Jokic and that is not how any team wanting to beat Denver will be trying to beat them.

It’s about stopping the other guys and making shots.

It’s really no different to those Miami LeBron teams. The Spurs beat them in 2014 by making everyone else outside of LeBron play bad and completely torching them offensively.

[Fierce1]

Remove those lobs from Jokic and Gordon will be an above average role player.

[Fencer reregistered]

Derrick Jones of Dallas had the Celtics as his second choice in FA last offseason.

That said, he's happy there and would only leave because of money, and we can offer even less money than they can, so that ship has sailed for us.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5490499/2024/05/15/derrick-jones-jr-mavericks-free-agent/

[shackles10]

55 people do it in every game thread.

Clearly and in the literal sense we are of course beatable but no team has looked as dominant as we have, notwithstanding the level of competition. But getting to face easier competition is the privilege of higher seeds and the reason why teams compete in the regular season. I don't understand why the media and fans want to disrespect the Celtics and Tatum so eagerly.

If you're the #1 seed you usually get a super easy first round and typically a solid but non-contending team the second round. That's what the Celtics got. Maybe they end up with an easier ECF but that would be about the only change from a #1 seed's average playoff run.

That's the benefit you get from crushing everyone in the regular season. The other benefit is you get to rest guys for the last month of the regular season, which means you'll be healthier. All these other teams complaining about injuries should have just been better and secured their seeds earlier. Even then losing a all-star level center for what will probably be like 8 games in a playoff run is a big deal too!

the Celtics have looked about what you'd think they are without KP. Still very good, still the best team in the East, but with a few weaknesses becasue their starting center is out.

So ya, right there with you. It feels like the c's are the only team being graded on a curve. Like if they don't win by 20+ its a loss.

They're also likely now to get the #2 seed in the ECF not some 7th seed like the Nuggets got. Sure the East is looking weak because of injuries even from the regular season that have bled into the playoffs, but what path exactly did the want the Celtics to take? lol

[keevsnick1]

We cannot stop Jokic. We cannot even slow him down. We don't have the right personnel. Al is old and short, X is short, KP is weak and skinny, Q will foul out in 10 minutes. We could really use someone like Drummond. Someone at least 6'10" with wide, heavy frame.

Double-teaming him is the worst possible defensive decision. He is the best "finder" the game has ever seen.

In that case, the only solution is to outscore them. They don't have a shot blocker. Jays should constantly attack the paint. Others should shoot the lights out.

Can we beat them 4 times? Unlikely. Denver in 6 would be my guess.

People think about a Celtics vs Nuggets match up all wrong. Beating the nuggets is not about stopping Jokic. You will never stop Jokic. Beating the Nuggets involves two steps.

1) Slow down the Nuggets just enough by taking away their easy system buckets on cuts, transition ect.
2) Shoot a ton of threes and hope you make enough of them.

That the recipe. The Nuggets are a high floor low variance offense that just keeps ticking away. They don't shoot a ton of threes because they get a bunch of stuff at the rim. If you want to beat them you try to slow them down slightly and outscore them by shooting and making a ton of threes.

Boston is basically designed in this exact way. They take more threes then anybody in the league, shoot a very high percentage on these threes, and have individually great defenders everywhere to slow down the non Jokic nuggets. When you go up against one of the greatest offensive players of all time this is your best hope.

The Wolves could do the first thing, but didn't have enough offense to do the second thing.

You might very well still lose but in the history of the league the team with the bets player in the league usually wins. You go with the high variance strategy in hope you get some luck, becasue you just won't out "beautiful game" Jokic.

The Celtics will need to bomb threes in a Nuggets series. If they make them C's fans will love it, call Joe Mazulla brilliant. If they miss them everybody will complain about too many threes. But its their bets shot.

[Fierce1]

I think fans have gotten used to seeing the Cs without KP.

Gobert will not make Jokic work hard on defense, KP will.

And the rim protection KP provides takes the Cs defense to another level.

[threrf23]

The Celtics will need to bomb threes in a Nuggets series. .

I don't agree with that much.

Bombing threes only works if you can establish rhythm and to do that you ideally need to be physical, win the possession battle, work the boards.

Jokic is an amazing offensive player and he works the boards, not a bad defensive player but defense isn't his strength. He's also not Bam or Gobert and he is not going to protect the paint like those guys. Gordon is a solid defender but also not a shot blocker.

Porter is the weakest point in their lineup, if we face the Nuggets we want the Jays taking it to him hard, not standing along the perimeter and jacking threes.

Jokic? You don't defend him by defending him IMO. You make him work on defense, and you defend his teammates, because for the most part it's all you can do. Ideally maybe you put a big body on him and hope you can get in his head. Ideally, that big body takes away easy shots near the basket.

You apply pressure in the backcourt when Jamal Murray is on the bench to take advantage of their lack of depth.

That's an hypothesis, but reg season the Nuggets were 2-3 when Jokic picked up 5+ fouls, 2-2 in the playoffs so far. They were 5-7 when he turned the ball over 5+ times, 1-1 so far in the playoffs. Interestingly, reg season they were 12-1 when Jokic did not attempt a 3 pointer, versus 2-5 when he attempted more than 6. Playoffs they are 0-1 when he shoots more than 5.

That was also the case last season, reg season Nuggets were 14-3 when Jokic did not attempt a 3, 1-6 when he shot 5+. Tho, they were 4-1 in the playoffs when he shot 5+. It make sense that his passing ability and also his rebounding ability is best leveraged near the rim.

Bruce Brown was a big loss for them because of voids he filled, was their sixth man, their backup PG, third ballhandler and was an option to play backup SG/SF if KCP or Porter were shooting poorly. In last year's playoffs the Nuggets were only beatable when Bruce Brown shot poorly. Without him they are not the same team.

[Celts17Pride]

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[Celts17Pride]

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