How far can the Celtics go in the Playoffs, w/o a healthy Porziņģis?

[31to6]

They can get to the finals... But even that I wouldn't bank on without KP there. They aren't winning it all without him.

I strongly disagree, I think if you look at how much better we are as a team than when we went to the finals vs GSW- we are on a completely different level. Tatum is a facilitator now. Even without Porzingis, we are still a more talented + deeper team than anyone in the West. The Nuggets have the MVP, and he is an enormous challenge- but we have an MVP candidate and our starting 5 and7/8 man rotation is much stronger IMO. Combine that with Murray battling a pretty bad injury and we have a great shot with or without KP. Al Horford is basically the perfect Porzingis replacement in a Nuggets series and our front court of Jrue and White is the perfect combination to destroy Denvers sketchy front court performance this season. Yeah Murray's had some big shots and a big game the other night vs LA, but overall he's been nothing like last season- he's simply not healthy enough.

feel free to fact-check me on this, but this prompts the memory that Tatum had something wild like 13 assists in his first-ever NBA Finals game?

[robbie84]

They can get to the finals... But even that I wouldn't bank on without KP there. They aren't winning it all without him.

I strongly disagree, I think if you look at how much better we are as a team than when we went to the finals vs GSW- we are on a completely different level. Tatum is a facilitator now. Even without Porzingis, we are still a more talented + deeper team than anyone in the West. The Nuggets have the MVP, and he is an enormous challenge- but we have an MVP candidate and our starting 5 and7/8 man rotation is much stronger IMO. Combine that with Murray battling a pretty bad injury and we have a great shot with or without KP. Al Horford is basically the perfect Porzingis replacement in a Nuggets series and our front court of Jrue and White is the perfect combination to destroy Denvers sketchy front court performance this season. Yeah Murray's had some big shots and a big game the other night vs LA, but overall he's been nothing like last season- he's simply not healthy enough.

feel free to fact-check me on this, but this prompts the memory that Tatum had something wild like 13 assists in his first-ever NBA Finals game?

No fact check needed, because his game has evolved into a playmaker and not just a scorer. He trusts this group alot more with Smart gone.

[31to6]

I strongly disagree, I think if you look at how much better we are as a team than when we went to the finals vs GSW- we are on a completely different level. Tatum is a facilitator now. Even without Porzingis, we are still a more talented + deeper team than anyone in the West. The Nuggets have the MVP, and he is an enormous challenge- but we have an MVP candidate and our starting 5 and7/8 man rotation is much stronger IMO. Combine that with Murray battling a pretty bad injury and we have a great shot with or without KP. Al Horford is basically the perfect Porzingis replacement in a Nuggets series and our front court of Jrue and White is the perfect combination to destroy Denvers sketchy front court performance this season. Yeah Murray's had some big shots and a big game the other night vs LA, but overall he's been nothing like last season- he's simply not healthy enough.

feel free to fact-check me on this, but this prompts the memory that Tatum had something wild like 13 assists in his first-ever NBA Finals game?

No fact check needed, because his game has evolved into a playmaker and not just a scorer. He trusts this group alot more with Smart gone.

1. I'm as bullish on this team's prospects as you are, just bored at work.

2. I agree Tatum has developed as a playmaker. My recollection is that this development first stood out in 'the bubble' when he blossomed as an all-around player. I think he's been fairly consistent as a playmaker since then -- maybe improving in consistency and quality of looks generated for teammates, but only slowly. Stats back this up:

Tatum's playoff assist % and assists/game over his career to date:
2017-18 (19 games): 13% 2.7 assists/game
2018-19 (9 games): 10% 1.9 assists/game
2019-20 (17 games): 21% 5.0 assists/game
2020-21 (5 games): 23% 4.6 assists/game
2021-22 (24 games): 27% 6.2 assists/game
2022-23 (20 games): 21% 5.3 assists/game
this year (4 games): 25% 6.0 assists/game

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tatumja01.html

[jfs1000d]

They are still best team in east. They can get to finals. Only team that wouldn’t be favored against is the nuggets.

Injuries can not be an excuse. we have a balanced team and next man up.


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[zoyathedestroya]

feel free to fact-check me on this, but this prompts the memory that Tatum had something wild like 13 assists in his first-ever NBA Finals game?

No fact check needed, because his game has evolved into a playmaker and not just a scorer. He trusts this group alot more with Smart gone.

1. I'm as bullish on this team's prospects as you are, just bored at work.

2. I agree Tatum has developed as a playmaker. My recollection is that this development first stood out in 'the bubble' when he blossomed as an all-around player. I think he's been fairly consistent as a playmaker since then -- maybe improving in consistency and quality of looks generated for teammates, but only slowly. Stats back this up:

Tatum's playoff assist % and assists/game over his career to date:
2017-18 (19 games): 13% 2.7 assists/game
2018-19 (9 games): 10% 1.9 assists/game
2019-20 (17 games): 21% 5.0 assists/game
2020-21 (5 games): 23% 4.6 assists/game
2021-22 (24 games): 27% 6.2 assists/game
2022-23 (20 games): 21% 5.3 assists/game
this year (4 games): 25% 6.0 assists/game

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tatumja01.html

He might just be the type of star that tops out at 20s assist % like Paul George, Kawhi, and KD. Due to position played, role, and the teammates he's played with. He's not a Doncic, Jokic, Lebron, or Harden type of playmaker. Which is fine. My hope for him is to be a more efficient scorer esp in the playoffs. His playoff career-high in TS% is 58.5% and it's usually his FT/FT% that does the heavy lifting.
Kawhi has 8 playoff runs (minimum 10 games) that has a higher TS% than Tatum's career-high. KD has six.

[Riverwalk2021]

They can get to the Finals especially if they let White take on a bigger role, which I expect he will with Porzingis out. Jrue also needs to put together some efficient games on both ends. His playoff rep is unfortunately true but I expect him to look better in the next round. He better!

Pritchard also needs to score more than 0

[KillahGhostface]

Celtics expect him back in 3 weeks.

[fallguy]

Celtics expect him back in 3 weeks.

Which is fine. We just need to get through Miami tonight and round two and neither should require him.

[GregB]

I don't think Cs can beat Denver without Porzingis.

But Cs can definitely beat all east teams without KP.

I definitely want KP back. But jokic has had his way with him.

In the past we have had our greatest success against Jokic running him into the ground. Our roster with Al can do that.

[31to6]

Can win Finals without him, even if significantly harder.

Healthy, Cs are maybe 75% to reach Finals and 50% to win it. Without KP, I’d make those 65% and 35%?

Kristap’s “post ups” floating up to the free throw line itself — and almost never below it — has frustrated me. If refs let contact go on that line drive jumper he shoots over wings while they smack his arms, he’s not that appealing an offensive weapon IMO.

[djFan71]

I'm honestly not that worried about not having KP for the next few rounds. Obviously, I'd rather everyone be healthy, but if Al/X can steal us 6-8 minutes in the first and 4-6 in the second halves to rest Al in the eastern rounds, you're good. Throw some small ball in.
Get Al to the Finals rested and play 6.5-7.5 man rotation and our chances are pretty good against anyone.

[Triple7]

We can beat the nuggets even without KP. They don’t really impress me that much. They barely beat the lakers, trailing almost every game, and just stealing it at the end. I’ll admit that they are pretty tough down the stretch of a close game. Jokic and murray are clutch. They beat us two games but it came up to the last seconds of the game, with JT playing horrible in one. If we shoot lights out, we blow them out. We just need to do that 4 games, which is very doable. They also lost bruce brown and jeff green. Key contributors off the bench. They have no bench this season.

[Fencer reregistered]

We can beat the nuggets even without KP. They don’t really impress me that much. They barely beat the lakers, trailing almost every game, and just stealing it at the end. I’ll admit that they are pretty tough down the stretch of a close game. Jokic and murray are clutch. They beat us two games but it came up to the last seconds of the game, with JT playing horrible in one. If we shoot lights out, we blow them out. We just need to do that 4 games, which is very doable. They also lost bruce brown and jeff green. Key contributors off the bench. They have no bench this season.

Payton Watson?

[zoyathedestroya]

We can beat the nuggets even without KP. They don’t really impress me that much. They barely beat the lakers, trailing almost every game, and just stealing it at the end. I’ll admit that they are pretty tough down the stretch of a close game. Jokic and murray are clutch. They beat us two games but it came up to the last seconds of the game, with JT playing horrible in one. If we shoot lights out, we blow them out. We just need to do that 4 games, which is very doable. They also lost bruce brown and jeff green. Key contributors off the bench. They have no bench this season.

Payton Watson?

Watson's a really good defensive player. Liability on offense. Nearly Brissett-level bad on offense.

So it's him, Reggie Jackson, and Christian Braun. Oh, and Justin Holiday as 9th man.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

I think the simplest way to keep Al fresh is to blow out every game by 30…or just rest him and let Luke start.

[celtxman]

The Celtics can win it all without KP. It doesn't mean they will. But if the Jays turn on the clutch gene they will be hard to beat. The Celtics could have won either/both Denver games. But being honest, who would you rather have for a game winning shot? JB/JT or Jamal Murray? That's really what this is about, moreso than KP.

[Parliament10]

I think that we need Porzingis by the time we get to Game 3, of the ECF.
That's our first Away Game of that Series.

[jfs1000d]

Finals. But without a good Porzingis dont think we can beat the west


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