and to piggyback on this, it is easy to go with the "ahh they flipped the switch come playoff time" narrative now but they were trying hard the last month of the season to avoid the play-in and Celts/Bucks and get Philly rd 1, just couldn't do it. Then the playoff starts and they get wrecked by Atlanta followed by needing a 4th quarter comeback to beat Chicago (Chicago!). Butler is 34 years old in 4 months.
It was just gonna take more than a few wins vs Giannis for them to be given more respect. Happens.
Spo has been able to hide his deficiencies on defense by switching to that great zone when he's in there. Duncan is a crappy on ball defender, but he's not horrible in team defense. He's at least smart enough to know how to play in Spo's scheme
Call it variance I guess, but Duncan is shooting great right now (even though it's not secret he's capable of getting very hot)
Another example of good coaching/the overall mismatch in this series.
Giving Love that contract after LeBron left still is nonsensical to me. They really thought they would be a competitive team with rookie Colin Sexton and Kevin Love lol
Game 7 could have been an all-time choke if Butler hits that 3 and Miami finds a way to win that game.
Great example of Boston late game meltdowns/chaotic offense
Mazzula is not the man for the job, but it is not all his fault by any stretch. They won't solve their problems simply by adding a new coach
Before this run I would have told anyone they were nuts to think a coach in the NBA could overcome this amount of talent disparity and this isn't college ball. Spo has made me re-think this....
I mean not only do you have less talent you also have to win on the more talented teams home court to win a series...
For Love its being left at the alter syndrome. Your dream girl broke ur heart so give everything to the one that stayed and pretend its the same. Miami did the same with Bosh.
Before this series started, I had said the Celtics have better player but we have the WAY BETTER coach. If the HEAT were going to win this series, then Spo was going to have to work his magic.
He has so far.
Regarding Kevin Love, he's been fine. He plays 15-25 minutes a game depending on how well he is playing and if he fits the scheme. Usually starts the game and Q3. Havent seen him in crunch time much. He's been a nice complimentary player. LOVE his veteran leadership along with Jimmy and Lowry
Yes. I am just saying I am surprised Love is giving you that. He was cut by a PLAY OFF team. Not like it was some shit team letting a guy go because what's the point of paying him as the team is going no where....
I had even forgotten that Lowry is playing hurt.
Just amazing. I have seen coaching do this magic in college just not at the professional level. And to think at one point LeBron wanted Spo replaced. There is one thing Jordan and LeBron are neck and neck---being shit GMs
If you can get to a place where you got the best player in the series, the best defensive player in the series and roleplayers that can have open shots generated for them and hit them/not get hunted on D, as long as the other team can't just totally overwhelm you, you can definitely be competitive. There is also a run good element here, they did not shoot the ball well vs the Knicks in rd 2. Guess what? That's the perfect time to go cold shooting, the only rd you're playing an inferior team.
Yeah they had a lame year but not like it is the Hawks or Knicks. Team got to gm 7 of finals last year and only really lost PJ Tucker (Herro was hurt the last 3-4 games of that series as well)
Love, and his high salary, was cut by a playoff team. Loved getting his DNP's.
The HEAT never filled a void of having a True 4 after PJ Tucker left. Didnt want to pay luxury tax for a big man so rolled with Caleb Martin all season at the 4. He did ok. When Love first got here, he was AWFUL his first few games. They played the Knicks on a Friday nite, came back to take a lead, and he choked a pass to lose them the game. I remember Jimmy having a talk with him on court at end of game.
Picking up Love and Zeller after their contract buyouts were good moves for the HEAT as they were lacking big men (they cut Dedmon) and they were financially strapped (Lowry and Duncan's contract were too high for the way they were playing).
I remember when Lebron wanted Spo fired. HEAT fans were pissed as we love Spo. Lebron was trying to be coach, GM, and Owner down here. The front office said NO. Thats 1 of the reasons Lebron left here and why I lost a lot of respect for him.
Both Herro and Lowry were hurt last year for those last few games. HEAT were the 1 seed but werent the best team in the east. However they were a Jimmy 3 pt shot away from having a 1 pt lead with 10 seconds left in game 7.
HEAT are mentally tough. Tatum and Brown may be the best 2 players on the court are getting dominated this series. I need to find you the clip how Tatum said he was tired b/c the game started at 845. Brown hasnt impressed me this series at all.
Yet the Celtics may invest 100 million a year into those 2 guys next season?
One of the mistakes Bucks made was choosing Bobby Portis over PJ Tucker. Portis is a regular season player and PJ is a post season player.
Every year same with Portis. Wins you some regular season games and puts up numbers but becomes close to unplayable in play offs as he is hunted on defense and his O is even close enough to make up for it...
Every year same with Portis. Wins you some regular season games and puts up numbers but becomes close to unplayable in play offs as he is hunted on defense and his O is even close enough to make up for it...
Brown/Tatum wouldn't both be paid that much until '25-26, I dunno why the media runs with that framing that it is so imminent. It isn't for 3 years. Obviously if they don't win it all by then, it probably won't happen. And if they do win it all by then, it'll be largely justified.
Celts had plenty of injuries in that series as well fwiw. Horford/Smart had to miss game 1 which forced them to basically punt it, Rob Williams missed game 3, Smart missed game 4, Derrick White missed game 2.
I think collectively that Vincent, Strus, Martin and others to a lessor extent have shot their entire load. They have just played the best playoff series they will play their entire careers. Maybe it's the horrible C's defense that contributed to that
Jimmy Butler is the real deal, and Bam is ring worthy and Spro can coach, but still, WTF?
Remember, Miami was minutes away from being eliminated by the Bulls in the playin game. After they lost to the Hawks
Jimmy Butler is the real deal, and Bam is ring worthy and Spro can coach, but still, WTF?
Remember, Miami was minutes away from being eliminated by the Bulls in the playin game. After they lost to the Hawks
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Those guys are tough defensively, those guys can all defend alongside Butler and Bam. That isn't a fluke, and I have a hard time seeing that change.
Brown/Tatum are great players, but it's not exactly a secret that they both struggle to handle the ball, especially Brown.
Celtics tried to help this by bringing in Brogdon, so they do have more aggregate ball-handling. But doesn't solve the issue of having their two best players be really bad at it
Miami crowd that game 3 seemed way better than anything they had last year or that I can recall for a long time. Probably just the fun of a team having no expectations, left for dead and then all of a sudden 2 wins from the finals vs team they've played in playoffs a ton that's supposed to get to finals. But it definitely passed a tipping point that you just don't see a lot from NBA crowds anymore (considering tickets cost so much now)
