The Celtics don’t really let Tatum take over. The stats are out there. When he has over 32% usage they are basically unbeatable. But Brown White Porzingis etc need to get theirs. Yesterday Tatum had like 9 shots total in the mid 3rd qtr. He hit 2 3s in a row to make a 12 pt game and basically didn’t get the ball for the next 6 possessions. Brown is saying he’s adapting to a new role even tho he’s taking more shots and passing even less than he was last year. Celtics easy fix is Tatum going heliocentric
It’s because they are still doing the oh we have two great players on our team instead of just everyone being on the same page that Tatum is clearly the best player. The offense always looks better when Tatum is in control
@ and Tatum isn’t a ball hog so running the offense threw him keeps everyone involved. It’s literally their big difference in the playoffs. Come playoff time Tatum has the ball almost every offensive possession. Idk if they are trying to keep his miles down until playoffs etc but whatever it is it’s not working
@@callico4044 we also know Joe mazulla loves to experiment and will intentionally to bad lineups because he’s a psycho. I hope Tatums usage will go way up in the playoffs. Especially if brown doesn’t start playing better Tatums needs to be more involved than he was last year. Still can’t get over how brown won both playoff mvps over Tatum
@ light skin bias. Tatum led team in every statistical category both series and your right it wasn’t even close. In the finals JB didn’t even show up after game 3 in a 5 game series and still won it. And he’s still Talking about being disrespected
I watched the game last night. The Celtics don't move the ball. Tatum plays iso ball. Pritchard plays iso ball. Brown plays iso ball. Jrue can't get past his man. Porzingiz shot is flat. The roll players like Jaden Springer need more playing time
3 point variance is why I think they don’t repeat. Edit: After listening to Bill in full it sounds like it’s just a perfect storm to throw everything off. Not to mention every team that has repeated has an All Time great player. Celtics might be cooked.
It’s deeper than just threes. They are not shooting at a high clip, they’re not efficient, and they’re not moving the ball as well and def not playing defense 🤦♂️ and to Bills point, the lineups make no sense and they’re a no play design.
@@fkm512 Every championship hangover has a reason. Some teams are able to repeat, some championship teams collapse very fast. Sometimes there is good reason for it, sometimes not. It cool to analyze, and identify the reasons
@@fkm512 I feel like you’re right. They were locked first month and a half of the season - other teams kept bringing their A Game and they lost tough games. After a while when you realize you’re not breaking regular season win records, it became more logical to take their feet off the gas. They can certainly lock back in before playoffs. But I fear this streakyness can put unnecessary pressure on their path to a championship. They had an easier route by design last season. But 2 years ago they dug themselves a hole they couldn’t get out of. We should hope no one gets injured this season.
@@fkm512 Chanpionship hangover four months in? There is something going on, plus they play really one dimensional basketball (and very ugly), so it’s bound for other teams to catch up a bit.
Part of the reason we haven’t had a repeat champion the last 10 years is these teams all make the same mistake of forgetting the importance of the regular season and the team character that it builds. The best bet in sports the last 5 years has been any Defending NBA Champion against the Spread in a X Regular Season game.
Nuggets won more games last year than they did the championship run and were the favorite throughout to repeat. Warriors had the Draymond punch ruin their whole season. The bucks weren’t that much worse the following year in the regular season, they were just hurt or else they had a real shot at repeating. Not sure this is true.
It’s clear, at least to me, that they are dragging to all star break. The lack of energy and disinterest simply says to me that they’re on cruise control until after post all star break. As long as they’re healthy and remain a top 3 seed heading into the playoffs, I won’t be too concerned
That’s exactly the word I told my friend yesterday, they are on cruise control, it’s January, no need to panic, they’ll ramp up the effort after all star break, it’s very simple fixes, more effort defensively & better shot selection
As much as I HATE the Celtics, I wouldn't panic on this team until the last 15-20 games. If they can get on a nice roll heading into the playoffs, then they are good to go. Reminds me of the '01 Lakers. They put so much into winning that first ring that they slow walked the next season. But by the end of the year they went on an 8 game winning streak and went on to go 16-1 in the playoffs.
I feel like the finals are going to be like last year where everyone in their mother thought it'd be the Celtics vs Nuggets and it wasn't. This year everyone keeps saying Celtics vs Thunder but I think Cavs, knicks, or Nuggets all have a really good shot to come out of their conferences.
It's a combination of things. They are the team being the hunted because they're the defending champions so theyre getting the other team's best shot night in and night out. They are the measuring stick for other teams to see where they are in relation to being contenders. They also got out to a blistering start so right now, Mazzulla is using the cushion to explore different lineup combinations to see what could work next season as the second apron is going to kick in and have a major impact on the current construction of the roster. It's also to preserve the starters' health as much as possible in preparation for the postseason. Finally, it's midseason and where a lot of teams, especially ones that just won a championship reels into the all-star break but i do think once the all star break is over, they'll return to their regular rotation to start gearing up for the postseason.
@@geraldalves9107 the narrative that they are getting every teams “best shot” holds absolutely zero value. They have been #1 in the east for YEARS, and have always received this energy from other teams. The only time Mazzulla “explores” different lineups is when they are down 15 in the 4th quarter with 3 minutes left and the game is already over. I admire your optimism but that’s all it is, extreme optimism.
What's wrong with the Celtics?...it's called constructing your entire offensive scheme and your entire roster to shoot 3s....and then not being able to make any of your 3s. If you have a one dimensional offense and everyone knows what you're trying to do on EVERY SINGLE OFFENSIVE POSSESSION.....eventually teams are going to figure out how to play against it.
Currently the difference between this year 2024-2025 and last year 2023-2024 are: The Increase in 3 point attempts: Last year: 42.5 Attempts which was number one overall in the league. Currently on 1/24/25: 48.9 Attempts ( an NBA Record by the way) which is number one overall in the league. The Increase in 3 point Makes Last Year: 16.5 Makes which was number one overall in the league. Currently on 1/24/25: 17.8 Makes which is number 1 overall in the league. The DECREASE IN 3 point percentage Last Year: 38.8% 2nd in the league by a tenth of a point for overall percentage and 1st overall based on attempt volume (Which made them a historic team that obliterated everyone) Currently on 1/24/25: 36.3% 14th in the League in overall percentage and being number 4 based on attempt Volume with teams attempting more than 40 3's a game ( Charlotte Hornets occupy the 5th spot at 34.4% with a current win loss record of 11 wins and 29 losses). While Clevland Cavaliers are Number 1 at 39.4% and Number 1 overall based on teams that attempt 40 or more 3's a game. Also Clevland Cavaliers are 1st overall based on attempt volume(Which is why Clevland Cavaliers are on a historic pace at the current moment.) If the attempts are going up, the 3 point percentage has to remain the same or go up. Shooting 6.4 more 3 point shots with a decrease in percentage of 2.5% Is a big Deal. This means with every 3 point shot attempt compared to last year, Celtics are losing 2.5% of their points for every attempt they take. 3 point shot has high variance so obviously if they are shooting more of it and converting it less percent of the time on a consistent basis, that will leave any team good, bad or mid a wide open door to beating them night in and night out. They went from the Premier 3 point shooting team to an average 3 point shooting team. All this is reflected in their current record. Still a good team and a contender but will have issues with Clevland Cavaliers that matches nearly matches their 3 point attempts 40.8 with their overall percentage 39.4% which means every time they launch a 3, they are getting 1% of a point out of it. The current contenders in the west are the same Oklahoma City Thunder Attempts 38.6 vs 35.8% Percentage. Houston Rockets Attempts 36 vs 34% Percentage. Memphis Grizzlies 38.1 Attempts vs 37.2% Percentage. The Boston Celtics are Attempts 48.9 vs 36.3% Percentage. Boston Has the largest Margin out of all the Contenders with a shot that has high Variance which makes them Inconsistent. They are currently an Average 3 point shooting team and not a elite shooting team like Clevland Cavaliers. 40% and up is elite 3 point shooting for a player or team.
Ok so basically this is once again a product of the NBA being a copycat league with this stupid logic of copying steph curry prime warriors playstyle(who by the way didn't even take more than 32 three pts attempts in their dynasty) and once again the Mike d'antoni rockets failed, and the celtics are BARELY making this game plan work by just using the talent they have on the roster.
@@mrfinalsmvp8067 Currently on 1/24/25 at the half way point of the season Grizzlies are 5, Denver is number 4, Celtics are 3, Knicks are 2 and Cavs are number 1 in offensive ratings. Celtics compared to the teams I mentioned, All shoot way less 3s but with a higher percentage than Boston Celtics. Denver Nuggets currently are dead last in the league in 3 point attempts at 31.1 per game which is the same amount as the Dynastic Dubs of the 2010's. Those dubs teams never led the league in 3 point attempts during the start of the 3 Ball revolution in 2015-2016 to present day. The NBA Currently misunderstood that Dynastic team and are leaning more on the Dantoni Rockets "Morey Ball" philosophy which won for the first time last year with the Celtics. But Celtics are doubling down even more on this approach even more with the highest amount of 3 point attempts in NBA history. Going Back to Denver Nuggets, even being in the 3 Ball era, they show that you can have a top 5 Offense with out being a 3 point volume team. They were number 5 in offensive rating when they won the title in 2023. Nuggets basketball is primarily Jokic posting up and making passes to his teammates that are cutting to the Rim. Westbrook is excelling currently with them because of this offensive strategy. He is playing the Bruce Brown Role for them but because its Westbrook even better. The issue with Denver that makes them "pretenders" and not "contenders" is their defense. Currently they are rank 15 in defensive rating which is average. Since modern NBA basketball aka when 3 point line was added to the NBA, most teams that win the title are minimum top 11 in either offensive rating or defensive rating with the other category being a minimum of top 5. The teams that fit these category's at the moment are: 1 Cavaliers 2 Celtics 3 Thunder 4 Rockets 5 Grizzlies These are the true contenders for the 2024-2025 NBA Title. Also Notice these are the top seeds in their respective conferences currently. East West 1 Cavaliers 1Thunder 2 Boston 2Rockets 3Grizzlies Out of all the NBA Finals played in NBA history, seeds 1, 2 and 3, make up a total of 97.4% of the Champions. Denver Nuggets were the number 1 Seed in the West in the year 2022-2023 when they won! Currently they are number 4. Currently Celtics rank number 5 in Defensive Rating. Nuggets were an outlier in NBA history When they won with offensive rating of 5 and defensive rating of 15. Anyway regarding Denver offense and the Historical data since the addition of the 3 point line, you don't have to play "Mazzulla Ball" to win titles because with all changes regarding offensive styles from players, teams, coaches approaches, and nba rules itself, what has stayed consistent regarding nba teams winning titles are offensive/defensive rating along with seeding since 1979-1980 nba season to present in 2024-2025 . So The data supports that you can be a top offense and win a chip in the 3 Ball Revolution era which Denver did already with out spamming the 3 point shot. The only time "Mazzulla Ball" would obliterate teams and make every team and their offensive approach null and void when going against it is if you have a whole team of starters and bench players of prime Steph Curry's shooting 40% and higher on large volume spacing the floor. 40% and higher on high volume is elite 37% to 39% is above average 36% is league average 34% and 35% is below average 33% No midrange what so ever and has to play analytically 3's,dunks and layups to get the highest value from said player and is mostly confined to role player and only get star role with higher usage if they bring other attributes like passing, rebounding or defense. Last year Celtics of 38% was basically Prime Harden or Prime Paul George offensive output from 3 point land. they went 80-21 to win the title. So basically a team of Prime Unanimous MVP 2015-2016 Steph Curry's launching from deep with high volume aka playing "Mazzulla Ball" shooting 45.4% which was Curry percentage that season would probably about 5 games overall if not less or possibly go undefeated which would be something special.
@@DrPhill96 literally look at every team to make the conference finals in the last 25 years. I guarantee you that 95% were in the top 5 records after the all star break for that season. Most of the teams that get hot in April heat up in February and March.
@@geordiejones5618 - I’m not looking up anything. Miami has made the Finals in the past 5 years with being lower seeds. The Wolves, Nuggets and Thunder were high seeds last year and Dallas went to the Finals as a lower seed. I can go on without “looking it up”.
Van Gundy was on our staff last year. Pretty sure his job was to give Joe the common sense advice, like "call timeouts bro." Dont get why they arent playing the kid who played good defense against the clips....
I'd much rather go through a hiccup now, than after the All-Star break/heading into the playoffs -- all things being equal. If I'm a Cavs/OKC fan, I'd be a little concerned that things have been going SO smoothly with rosters that do not strike me as 70+ win teams. Neither of those teams look like Jordan/Bulls or the 2015 Warriors. I'd worry that they're either going to burn out when the season's over or have their hiccup at the wrong time -- right before the playoffs. As for the Cs, as long as everyone's healthy, this should be something they can work through.
As a Celtics fan who watches nearly every game, the vibes are OFF. Last year they started the season off by JT having that meeting with the starting 6. Meaning there’s going to have to be sacrifice. Everyone bought in. Everyone was focused on winning the championship. This summer was a mess with the Olympics. JB is my favorite player and I felt he was justified in his anger and I supported him through it all. Bill is right, he looks noticeably jacked right now, watching the clippers game, my gf kept saying his arms look attached to his body, like they’re not his. I wonder if JB put too much of his anger and energy into getting stronger and not enough into working on his game. It’s a noticeable decline from last year and it’s a bummer to see. I hope he can turn it around. It’s been great to see JT remain mostly consistent and get better from last year.
5:09 What’s ironic is Bill did all this research, mentioned Jaylen plenty of times but never brought up his mothers house being broke into literally around the day Bill identified as the beginning of this circumstance… the bulls game happened when his mothers house was broken into. This is a million dollar house, that makes things even more questionable and concerning given that most players spend more time with their team than their own family. You ever stop and think he’s still worried about home? I’m sure Bill would be concerned about his ELDER father being at risk if he traveled more than 50% of PRE-SCHEDULED season. With that being said, the major concerns are about health and endurance. To shoot well, you need to have fresh legs. I feel like this is a wall they can get off, seems like they are working on their timing for the long stretch. PS I stopped listening around the ten minute mark so if he mentions JB’s mother house then, hopefully this comment still opens more eyes.
@ Yes, it is possible to measure how much muscle mass someone has from one year to next and how that might affect their performance. You basically just said that in the dumbest way possible with emojis because you’re trying to win a stupid argument with one comment.
This Celtics team is kind of a strange combination of players/personalities (+coach) that can be amazing one night but very frustrating the next. I’m just glad they got over the hump last season, because they deserved it and fought for it long enough. Not sure we’re getting the multi champion dynasty though (hope I’m wrong). Playoffs will be interesting though..
"amazing one night but very frustrating the next" That's 100% coaching, or lack thereof. It's the coach's job to make sure the team is consistently competing at a high level.
@@JeffreyOConnell-g4x Yeah for sure, Mazzulla’s lack of experience/wisdom and stubbornness def plays a part. The whole three ball thing just seems unsustainable at times, hard to lean on that every night when your shots start not falling. Strategically they might need to evolve but not sure we’re getting it since it has worked for the most part last few years.
@@shorewall Could be the case, looking like it atm for sure. Really interested to see where they will be at once the playoffs kick in. Feels like Celtics season is truly only going to start then.
“Deserved it” yeah they finally caught a postseason where they faced absolutely 0 adversity. They’re a fraud team and I bet the Knicks take them out this year if Thibs doesn’t run OG and Bridges into the ground by playoff time
Great breakdown and correct analyst. For me the problem is the pace Celtics are allowing teams to set their defense and then not playing with rhythm and flow. A big part of it is coaching and Joe needs to identify the problems and motivate his team but I think his personality doesn't motivate the team. If you notice when the rookies come in it's like they give a spark to the team and that's what is needed this fatigue going on now whether that's conditioning that falls on assistant coaches or whatever There's something is definitely off with the pace of the game.
in my opinion, the Celtics are reverting back to the old your-turn, my-turn, your-turn style of basketball that plagued them for years leading upto their championship season. instead of ball movement creating the best possible shot, they are playing the "take turns" style which i can't stand. One guy will be "feeling it" and everyone else stands in the corner. That one guy isn't feeling it anymore, so the next guy does a few possessions and-so-on down the line. Not winning basketball.
Great summary of where the Celtics are at. I live in Sydney and my football team (which lost their finals) played very much like the Celtics are playing. They had great individual players; they won quarters, but sometimes they went missing (they relied on winning one quarter by such a large margin that they could lose all other quarters but still win the game). Something wasn’t quite right with my football team - and it’s identical with the Celtics. With the Celtics , I don’t know whether it’s something internal with the players or with the ownership of the team - but apart from Tatum, Porzingas and Pritchard who show up every game - there’s a lack of desire/passion. Something needs to change now - or the finals won’t be good. As for my Sydney football team, they ultimately won the most games of any team during the season, but got absolutely smashed in the finals- because all the troubling signs during the season (of inconsistency, similar to the Celtics, with really good players just drifting in and out of the games) were on show in the finals. We know the Celtics have the skill and the players - do they have the desire? I love Joe Mazzulla - but is it time to change the starting 5?
You're actually seriously underselling how bad they have been by just looking at the losses. 6 of the wins in this stretch were against the Magic bench, the Warriors bench, the Clippers bench, the Jokic-less Nuggets, the Rockets minus several pieces, and the Pelicans by 1 point. Since the beginning of December, we're talking about a nice blowout of the Pacers, an impressive win in Minnesota, and ....a good first half against the Thunder. That's basically it. It isn't just that the losses are bad, they haven't played 3 consecutive competent games since Thanksgiving.
I think Jrue and D. White are battling minor injuries. Both played a ton of basketball last yr. In Jrue's case I'd say he's an older vet and is saving himself for the playoffs. It's more difficult to pinpoint with D. White. I just think he's either battling some physical ailments or he's burning out from too much ball. He looks like he could use a couple weeks off. As long as everyone is healthy the last few weeks of the season and going into the playoffs I think they'll be fine and very well could repeat.
I am always telling people the Celtics don't really have any Chemistry Between the teammates. They do not seem to really trust each other. It always looks difficult for them to play as a team and I've seen that for several years. They don't have any chemistry or trust
Lack of Focus and Determination, is Ailing This Boston Celtics Team. I Think GM Brad Stevens and Fake Owner, Wyc Grousbeck, spoke with The Team, in December, and informed them of the possibility that, Trades may take place, to shed Payroll, in order to Satisfy The New Owner(s) of The Team. I believe that Conversation, Triggered Jaylen Brown, Krispas Porzingis , Jru Holiday and Derrick White.
That could be it. There’s a mix of things and the lack of certainty on the ownership has probably impacted the play of guys - def the guys you mentioned because they’re not moving from JT.
I definitely think there's something behind closed doors that's impacted the minds of some of the players. Selling the team after a championship is quite a destabilising factor, which creates a decent amount of uncertainty.
Did you even watch the video? He said he's commenting now because he finally had a chance to see them in person. You're welcome. Try to keep up next time.
The problem with Brown’s game is he got what he wanted. Recognition. It’s hard to live life in opposition when suddenly there’s no one to fight anymore. His motivation needs to come from another place now. That’s hard. That takes emotional intelligence in a pressured environment where you have little time to reflect and grow. I always thought he’d fit well in the Spurs culture. Nothing to prove, nothing to lose, just play together to win for each other.
We did this same thing last year, and then in the playoffs when the game slows down they get better looks from 3, Tatum drives more, Jrue and D white switch everything. I think they’ll be fine
Ad I'm sure you know BB better than the rest of us, right? He's 1st Team NBA multiple times, and a 1st team all star once again. He's gotten to the Finals multiple times and won one, at a younger age than many of "your heroes," I bet. Why is that no one reepcts anyone or anything anymore?
My biggest problem with Jaylen is his defense. He said at the beginning of the season he was going for all defense. At the beginning of the season he was a monster. Now he's a mouse. He'll turn it on for a few minutes here and there, but a recent game I watched as he didn't even take ONE step to a guy taking a three. I sure hope they are just bored. And he does look too big.
Uhhh, @Bill Simmons, probably worth mentioning that Jeff Van Gundy was just with the Boston Celtics as a Senior Consultant LAST YEAR, so having extra insight on who to target in crunch time isnt too much of a shocker. Also, most people ALREADY know that Jaylen Brown is susceptible to turning the ball over anyways. I assume you had to have known SVG was a part of the Celtics last year, but you of all people i would think shouldve mentioned this, and was only additional knowledge that SVG likely applied to the LAC defensive stance against Boston the other night.
@@itsDEEZY explain how tho? I want to know what specifically makes you say that. Because you haven’t given any examples other than just saying it’s the refs. Because I remember the refs just giving the clippers the ball at the end of the game when they refused to give mazulla the most obvious timeout ever at a crucial moment in the 4th. Gave the clippers an extra point with a technical free throw for djj getting hit in the face
@@itsDEEZY explain how tho? I want to know what specifically makes you say that. Because you haven’t given any examples other than just saying it’s the refs. Because I remember the refs just giving the clippers the ball at the end of the game when they refused to give mazulla the most obvious timeout ever at a crucial moment in the 4th. Gave the clippers an extra point with a technical free throw for djj getting hit in the face
Something you aren’t mentioning, but that has a huge impact, is other teams are having absolute monster games against the Celtics respective to the rest of their season. Lakers had like 12 or more 3’s in the first half. Those clippers players will not play another game as well as they did that night. I believe it’s exhausting over 82 games continuously getting everyone’s best punch.
And the Nuggets gave em all they wanted for 3.5 qtrs-despite no Jokic or AG. That's 1 of the few games we lost the last few wks.(another to Houston,on back to back-with no Jokic,& I think AG also missed) Nuggets didn't come close to winning as they ran out of gas/firepower. But I work at the arena,& see every home game,& most the road games. Our bench gave them all they wanted for 40+ minutes. I still think Boston will win the East though I give NY,& Cleveland puncher chances. Id still put my money on OKC vs Boston but not impossible we could get the matchup we should've had last year of Denver vs Boston. And don't be counting OKC as a lock there Bill. Sure they still have to be the favorites & a lot of basketball to go. But the 2023 champ Nuggets ARE COMING! Jamal Murray even just had probably his best 5 game stretch in well over a year. And the Nuggets bench has gone from awful to decent suddenly. Not tonight-i took 35,22,& 17 from Jokic to hold off Sacramento. But before tonight-Jojic had 4 straight games with a triple double through 3 qtrs-hes we finished off the opponent & didn't have to play JOKIC a second in the 4th. Which is super rare,& not something we are used to with the Nuggets. Their bench just going from terrible to so/so is a huge improvement.
Bill as a C's fan I think you are totally overlooking Cleveland. They have played great all year and will have the home court unless they somehow fall apart. They gave the C's a tough time last yr with a few key injuries as did the Knicks. When you said J Brown was playing like 2 yrs ago ( turnovers etc) I couldn't agree more. I watch the highlights most times as opposed to the whole game and I see as you pointed out open 3 after open 3. it's like a turn style when other teams go to the hoop. layup , layup dunk layup dunk. They may be able to turn it around but I don't think so. Let's face it for the most part if they aren't hitting their 3's they are in trouble. Good podcast
Apparently limiting spot up 3 point shooting (closing out) is the key to at least throwing them off their rhythm. Then once they are down, they only seem to take 3s to get back in it.
@ they attempt about 50 3s per game. In wins, they are shooting ~38% and ~32% in losses. I understand they were on a back-to-back but it seems like that 50 3pt attempts per game is pretty consistent. AD said something about advanced stats on the contested vs spot up 3s so just something to look out for. This is all just opinions also - I’m just some dude.
@@under-._.-score it's not just the celtics. It's the nba, but that I don't mind just when their not falling time to come up with a plan b instead of shooting more 3s. In football they use those advanced stats too, but there is a huge difference between going for it on 4th down in the 1st quarter, and going for it on 4th down in the 4th quarter with 1 minute left and the game on the line.
@@Lunkjohnson I feel ya - and I agree if I’m not mistaking what you’re saying. I wish there was more team specific strategies when certain stuff isnt working. I think it will balance out though over time. Pretty sure the league average 3pt percentage has remained the same regardless of volume.
I think it's a Mazzulla thing. He's clearly is a different character than your usual NBA coaches, but maybe he plateaued last year? It certainly doesn't look like he has any counters for when teams pick us apart now. Also, maybe the 'quirky' stuff has the opposite effect on the players, if he doesn't provide them with the tools to perform at their peak. Has Mazzulla lost the locker room? Let Cassell take over and we'll know...
But we also don’t know if Cassell can be that guy. We lost Charles Lee who was tremendous so that locker room. He designed the defense and schemes, look at where we are now! Surprised no one’s mentioned his name once.
@hotdogjudge mazulla has never seemed right to me. Don't like his coaching decision or rotation at times. He clearly benefited from Charles experience and what Imme started. Also the J's are to inconsistent!
Hundred percent accurate on Jaylen Brown he drove me absolutely crazy his first few years then it seemed like he was evolving out of it this year he’s completely regressed
Bill, I’m with you. I don’t think everything is fine. I find these guys are taking too many threes when they shouldn’t ,rather than attacking the basket when there’s a clear line to the basket.
The book is out on how to defend the Celtics, and it's based on the Indy playoff series last year. Sure, they swept it, but every game was difficult due to the heavy high pressure, physical to the point of nearly fouling on every play. C's don't deal with defensive pressure well, a lot of panic, sloppy, dribbling into turnovers, getting bad shots, can't finish. But on the other end, I can't figure out what's going on on the defensive end, giving up layups and not even bothering to contest 3s at times.
It felt like they spent 5 or 6 seasons in a row where every year they got a little more mature and a little hungrier, and this year it feels like theyve lost all that hunger and some of the maturity, so now they are just gonna have to learn to be humble and hungry again and then start climbing the mountain again. I hope it doesnt happen that way but thats what it has felt like
This team feels like 22-23 --> poor habits, coast in too many games too often, etc. At this point, I'd say they aren't getting out of the 2nd round. This last 8 weeks has been quite frustrating.
Theres 2 sides really 1. its really been their MO to have bad long stretches every year since Js have been here, plus theyre a bit tired and theyre waiting for playoff 2. JBs always had bad handles and tunnel vision, hes shot had gone to both extremes - from making everything he throws to being clunky, stagnant O too many 3s, even D had some bad stretches before they brought n Jrue last year.. they kept struggling against tough physical teams that are less talented - like Miami, or Orlando, or even fast teams.. Joe isnt a finished product as a coach, hes reliance on 3s is a gamble, cause it stops the flow when they start missing, but since Joe won we cant say anything against him, he also seems to be a really interesting guy Id like to have a drink with... Also Al had bad stretches last year, started showing his age, but in playoff he stepped up and hes really important for what they do both side of the floor.. its a big question if he has another geer to put in this year. 1 thing for sure - its tough to predict way its gonna go this year
I think this mainly falls on coaching. As you said they aren’t solving issues that seem obvious. I also believe Joe needs to go into his bench early and often.
Celtics peeked last year with this roster. They can't play better than that with the Tatum/Brown/Holiday core. They can play at that same level, potentially, and it definitely is enough to win another chip if things fall their way and they stay healthy and Tatum stops being so nice and gets his guys amped up to play hard, but they aren't going to improve this season, unless they make a roster move or adjust their offensive approach, which doesn't seem to be in the cards.
They've been coasting winning 3 out of 4 all season pretty much. I'm not too concerned, they have older players and KP who need the regular season to manage. It messes up their flow. They'll nail it down towards the end of the season. Short off-season for everybody and 3 of them were in the Olympics. They're coasting. They're good enough to just coast. The guy who is hurting then is really Sam Hauser. He was a really solid defender and was so clutch and lethal from 3. He hadn't been that and they've missed having a legit backup wing like him making an impact. That's the difference between what they did last season and so far this year. A few heaters from Hauser going 7/9, from 3 is the difference between 30-12 or whatever they are and being 36-6.
I agree. I also agree with Bills point, we need an athletic wing. Who that guy is? I have no idea given the limitations on what we can offer in a trade.
He needs to be making AT LEAST 40% of his 3s to even be a useful NBA player. He needs to be Kyle Korver/Ray Allen accurate. Otherwise he's just a slow, stiff player who can't create his own shot. I wonder whether he can be consistently 40-45% with that exaggerated arc on his jumper.
As a Laker fan back in the Shaq and Kobe years, I saw the same stuff after they won their 1st championship in 2000. Playing up and down to their level of competition the next regular season. Kobe‘s individual play raising to a level where he no longer wanted to be a #2 option, Shaq predictably being Shaq in response to that, them going through different injuries throughout the season, and finally toward the end, them getting back to team ball, winning 8 straight to close the season, before embarking on the greatest playoff run to a title of all time (15-1) I SUSPECT that Boston is going to get their act together and stop messing around in the latter part of the season.
Checked and in the last 10 games JT and JB shooting splits are almost identical. Ps theyre both @aprox 42% feom the field and 30% from 3. Biggest disparity is JB shooting FTs 3% pts better than JT. Btw theyre both at 3 TOs oer game. I guess I need to watch more of their ganes to figure out why JB is gettinf skewed while Tatum didn't get mentioned
@b-gamer340 ahh got it. You're right about Tatum's shot selection. it is typically bad. Depends too much on 3s (esp step backs) instead of attacking the rim or getting to a midrange.
I saw a video breaking down the exact numbers but they are taking more 3s not driving, not doing the extra pass, their 3 point percentage is down 4 or 5 % as a team which is huge when 45-50% of your shots are 3s and without Kirstraps to stretch the floor it isn’t working
This might be a stretch but two out of the three player on this team that went to Olympics are struggling this year. Derek White Struggling and Jrue Holiday also struggling. Do we think because they didn't really have an off season and they are burnt out? Just a thought
Lollygagging around and jacking up infinity threes a game isn’t a style that lends itself to tough, intense, high-effort basketball and it’s had a trickle down effect on everything.
In my opinion THE biggest problem with this team is that they have NO defensive intensity or consistency. Joe mazulla and this bombs away offense isn't working. Ive been saying since day 1 he's s not the right guy for this team and they won last year despite him. The defense they played under Ime was WAY different. Speaking of which seeing what hes doing with houston imagine Ime with this team.
While I wouldn’t panic, this is what everybody said throughout last playoffs. The Celtics went on a historic run during last regular season but they seemed to lack a real focus in the playoffs and luckily didn’t have to face top tier competition. It feels like this is carry over from the way they played in the playoffs. That being said, they’re the champs and are clearly a top 3 team in a much improved conference.
I feel like the system is taking away from JT & JB identity. They both came in the league playing inside the arc now they either play behind the arc or drive the lane for a contested lay up. No mid range game and I think it’s making them loose their confidence because that’s not who they are. My opinion 🤷🏽♂️
I've always wished Tatum had that killer mentality... But some I forget but when I think about it kind of makes sense. Tatum stays healthy, maybe sacrificing those huge performances in games that don't matter to stay right is the move. Let's be real even meh Tatum is top 10-15 . Some times the best ability is availability 🎉
Low key, I wonder if it's the dead foam in the shoes. Been using mine and not in love. But also we're getting outcoached. We don't need Joe's philosophy this year we need technical adjustments.
The Celtics were 14/41 from 3. That's where they lost. I didn't see the Lakers playing great defense or anything, just the Celtics missing a ton of 3s in the 1st quarter which caused em to fall behind early. They thought they could 3pt their way out of it in the 2nd... it didn't work. So in the 3rd quarter they tried shooting EVEN MORE 3s and still couldn't make em. By then it was a lost cause so they wisely conceded the rest of the game. I'm not worried about the Celtics but this was embarrassing vs a Lakers team that plays no defense.
the Clips win seemed like typical late-game Celts fashion -- bad turnovers, poor clock management, and an absolutely abysmal final play/shot attempt before OT. how many times have we seen Tatum or Brown dribble away the clock then huck up some horrible fade away at the end of a game? lol it's like they don't even draw up a play in those timeouts. lakers loss is almost more excusable considering its the second night of a back-to-back.
The whole laker game i just kept thinking how Bill must be feeling sitting courtside and all I could do was smile
Hell yeah 😂
It would have been even better if Bronny got some points.
Need a camera on Bill at these games
He hates on the lakers so much 😂😂
They were playing back to back night. The Celtics will be alright
The Celtics don’t really let Tatum take over. The stats are out there. When he has over 32% usage they are basically unbeatable. But Brown White Porzingis etc need to get theirs. Yesterday Tatum had like 9 shots total in the mid 3rd qtr. He hit 2 3s in a row to make a 12 pt game and basically didn’t get the ball for the next 6 possessions. Brown is saying he’s adapting to a new role even tho he’s taking more shots and passing even less than he was last year. Celtics easy fix is Tatum going heliocentric
It’s because they are still doing the oh we have two great players on our team instead of just everyone being on the same page that Tatum is clearly the best player. The offense always looks better when Tatum is in control
@ and Tatum isn’t a ball hog so running the offense threw him keeps everyone involved. It’s literally their big difference in the playoffs. Come playoff time Tatum has the ball almost every offensive possession. Idk if they are trying to keep his miles down until playoffs etc but whatever it is it’s not working
@@callico4044 we also know Joe mazulla loves to experiment and will intentionally to bad lineups because he’s a psycho. I hope Tatums usage will go way up in the playoffs. Especially if brown doesn’t start playing better Tatums needs to be more involved than he was last year. Still can’t get over how brown won both playoff mvps over Tatum
@ light skin bias. Tatum led team in every statistical category both series and your right it wasn’t even close. In the finals JB didn’t even show up after game 3 in a 5 game series and still won it. And he’s still
Talking about being disrespected
Tatum needs to act like the superstar of the team, simply demand the ball more. Its your franchise.
I watched the game last night. The Celtics don't move the ball. Tatum plays iso ball. Pritchard plays iso ball. Brown plays iso ball. Jrue can't get past his man. Porzingiz shot is flat. The roll players like Jaden Springer need more playing time
When you rely on threes so much this happens.
Yup. That's why i never bought the dynasty talks after last season.
@@wulfn7 there's not gonna be any dynasties with the second apron looming.
3 point variance is why I think they don’t repeat.
Edit: After listening to Bill in full it sounds like it’s just a perfect storm to throw everything off. Not to mention every team that has repeated has an All Time great player. Celtics might be cooked.
It’s deeper than just threes. They are not shooting at a high clip, they’re not efficient, and they’re not moving the ball as well and def not playing defense 🤦♂️ and to Bills point, the lineups make no sense and they’re a no play design.
terrible argument in general but especially a year after winning it all as one of the best teams ever..and i’m a knicks fan
What’s not to understand? Classic championship hangover
@@fkm512 Every championship hangover has a reason. Some teams are able to repeat, some championship teams collapse very fast. Sometimes there is good reason for it, sometimes not. It cool to analyze, and identify the reasons
@@fkm512 I feel like you’re right. They were locked first month and a half of the season - other teams kept bringing their A Game and they lost tough games. After a while when you realize you’re not breaking regular season win records, it became more logical to take their feet off the gas. They can certainly lock back in before playoffs. But I fear this streakyness can put unnecessary pressure on their path to a championship. They had an easier route by design last season. But 2 years ago they dug themselves a hole they couldn’t get out of.
We should hope no one gets injured this season.
With the talent on the team they should be closer to the 2016 warriors than the 2012 mavs
@@fkm512 Chanpionship hangover four months in? There is something going on, plus they play really one dimensional basketball (and very ugly), so it’s bound for other teams to catch up a bit.
Its pritchard
Part of the reason we haven’t had a repeat champion the last 10 years is these teams all make the same mistake of forgetting the importance of the regular season and the team character that it builds. The best bet in sports the last 5 years has been any Defending NBA Champion against the Spread in a X Regular Season game.
warriors repeated
@@howardbankler66 how long ago? It's different era now
Nuggets won more games last year than they did the championship run and were the favorite throughout to repeat. Warriors had the Draymond punch ruin their whole season. The bucks weren’t that much worse the following year in the regular season, they were just hurt or else they had a real shot at repeating. Not sure this is true.
@@darren806within the past 10 years which is what the original comment says.
@@darren8062017 and 2018 (and basically no one believes they wouldn’t have 3-peated if it were for the injuries in 2019).
It’s clear, at least to me, that they are dragging to all star break. The lack of energy and disinterest simply says to me that they’re on cruise control until after post all star break. As long as they’re healthy and remain a top 3 seed heading into the playoffs, I won’t be too concerned
Staying healthy is the key. I’m getting the impression that they’re just turning it on when needed to conserve energy for the post season
That’s exactly the word I told my friend yesterday, they are on cruise control, it’s January, no need to panic, they’ll ramp up the effort after all star break, it’s very simple fixes, more effort defensively & better shot selection
As much as I HATE the Celtics, I wouldn't panic on this team until the last 15-20 games. If they can get on a nice roll heading into the playoffs, then they are good to go. Reminds me of the '01 Lakers. They put so much into winning that first ring that they slow walked the next season. But by the end of the year they went on an 8 game winning streak and went on to go 16-1 in the playoffs.
@@jdub562LA thank you lol, needed to read this
Nothing matter until after the all star break. If they are still pussy footing around then... panic.
15-1 1st round was best of five back then
Needed this comment so bad 😂 I’m cool until after all star break
This is called taking a breather on the backstretch in horse racing. No need to worry when you have class.
I feel like the finals are going to be like last year where everyone in their mother thought it'd be the Celtics vs Nuggets and it wasn't. This year everyone keeps saying Celtics vs Thunder but I think Cavs, knicks, or Nuggets all have a really good shot to come out of their conferences.
I personally wouldn't trust any other team in the league to make the finals
My Nuggets winning it all
Don’t hedge; pick your finals!
@@Dr.Megladon- They won’t even win their division. And, they need home court.
Knicks have not been that good this year relative to expectations. I’d be surprised if they make it to the Finals.
It's a combination of things. They are the team being the hunted because they're the defending champions so theyre getting the other team's best shot night in and night out. They are the measuring stick for other teams to see where they are in relation to being contenders.
They also got out to a blistering start so right now, Mazzulla is using the cushion to explore different lineup combinations to see what could work next season as the second apron is going to kick in and have a major impact on the current construction of the roster. It's also to preserve the starters' health as much as possible in preparation for the postseason.
Finally, it's midseason and where a lot of teams, especially ones that just won a championship reels into the all-star break but i do think once the all star break is over, they'll return to their regular rotation to start gearing up for the postseason.
@@geraldalves9107 the narrative that they are getting every teams “best shot” holds absolutely zero value. They have been #1 in the east for YEARS, and have always received this energy from other teams.
The only time Mazzulla “explores” different lineups is when they are down 15 in the 4th quarter with 3 minutes left and the game is already over.
I admire your optimism but that’s all it is, extreme optimism.
So much for that AD to the Warriors trade Bill wanted to have happen! 😅 😂
Just talking out his ass smh 👎🏾
Yes, lakers are championship favorites now! Get the parade route ready
@@EZLongboarding Lakers have the most annoying fanbase in the NBA
What's wrong with the Celtics?...it's called constructing your entire offensive scheme and your entire roster to shoot 3s....and then not being able to make any of your 3s. If you have a one dimensional offense and everyone knows what you're trying to do on EVERY SINGLE OFFENSIVE POSSESSION.....eventually teams are going to figure out how to play against it.
No its pritchard. Let non defender jack shots, changes mentality
Casual take
Great podcast. I've been looking for a good one to help keep up with the Celtics. You have my subscription.
Currently the difference between this year 2024-2025 and last year 2023-2024 are:
The Increase in 3 point attempts:
Last year: 42.5 Attempts which was number one overall in the league.
Currently on 1/24/25: 48.9 Attempts ( an NBA Record by the way) which is number one overall in the league.
The Increase in 3 point Makes
Last Year: 16.5 Makes which was number one overall in the league.
Currently on 1/24/25: 17.8 Makes which is number 1 overall in the league.
The DECREASE IN 3 point percentage
Last Year: 38.8% 2nd in the league by a tenth of a point for overall percentage and 1st overall based on attempt volume (Which made them a historic team that obliterated everyone)
Currently on 1/24/25: 36.3% 14th in the League in overall percentage and being number 4 based on attempt Volume with teams attempting more than 40 3's a game ( Charlotte Hornets occupy the 5th spot at 34.4% with a current win loss record of 11 wins and 29 losses). While Clevland Cavaliers are Number 1 at 39.4% and Number 1 overall based on teams that attempt 40 or more 3's a game. Also Clevland Cavaliers are 1st overall based on attempt volume(Which is why Clevland Cavaliers are on a historic pace at the current moment.)
If the attempts are going up, the 3 point percentage has to remain the same or go up. Shooting 6.4 more 3 point shots with a decrease in percentage of 2.5% Is a big Deal. This means with every 3 point shot attempt compared to last year, Celtics are losing 2.5% of their points for every attempt they take.
3 point shot has high variance so obviously if they are shooting more of it and converting it less percent of the time on a consistent basis, that will leave any team good, bad or mid a wide open door to beating them night in and night out.
They went from the Premier 3 point shooting team to an average 3 point shooting team.
All this is reflected in their current record.
Still a good team and a contender but will have issues with Clevland Cavaliers that matches nearly matches their 3 point attempts 40.8 with their overall percentage 39.4% which means every time they launch a 3, they are getting 1% of a point out of it. The current contenders in the west are the same
Oklahoma City Thunder Attempts 38.6 vs 35.8% Percentage.
Houston Rockets Attempts 36 vs 34% Percentage.
Memphis Grizzlies 38.1 Attempts vs 37.2% Percentage.
The Boston Celtics are Attempts 48.9 vs 36.3% Percentage.
Boston Has the largest Margin out of all the Contenders with a shot that has high Variance which makes them Inconsistent.
They are currently an Average 3 point shooting team and not a elite shooting team like Clevland Cavaliers. 40% and up is elite 3 point shooting for a player or team.
Ok so basically this is once again a product of the NBA being a copycat league with this stupid logic of copying steph curry prime warriors playstyle(who by the way didn't even take more than 32 three pts attempts in their dynasty) and once again the Mike d'antoni rockets failed, and the celtics are BARELY making this game plan work by just using the talent they have on the roster.
@@mrfinalsmvp8067 Currently on 1/24/25 at the half way point of the season Grizzlies are 5, Denver is number 4, Celtics are 3, Knicks are 2 and Cavs are number 1 in offensive ratings.
Celtics compared to the teams I mentioned, All shoot way less 3s but with a higher percentage than Boston Celtics.
Denver Nuggets currently are dead last in the league in 3 point attempts at 31.1 per game which is the same amount as the Dynastic Dubs of the 2010's. Those dubs teams never led the league in 3 point attempts during the start of the 3 Ball revolution in 2015-2016 to present day.
The NBA Currently misunderstood that Dynastic team and are leaning more on the Dantoni Rockets "Morey Ball" philosophy which won for the first time last year with the Celtics. But Celtics are doubling down even more on this approach even more with the highest amount of 3 point attempts in NBA history.
Going Back to Denver Nuggets, even being in the 3 Ball era, they show that you can have a top 5 Offense with out being a 3 point volume team.
They were number 5 in offensive rating when they won the title in 2023.
Nuggets basketball is primarily Jokic posting up and making passes to his teammates that are cutting to the Rim.
Westbrook is excelling currently with them because of this offensive strategy. He is playing the Bruce Brown Role for them but because its Westbrook even better.
The issue with Denver that makes them "pretenders" and not "contenders" is their defense. Currently they are rank 15 in defensive rating which is average.
Since modern NBA basketball aka when 3 point line was added to the NBA, most teams that win the title are minimum top 11 in either offensive rating or defensive rating with the other category being a minimum of top 5.
The teams that fit these category's at the moment are:
1 Cavaliers
2 Celtics
3 Thunder
4 Rockets
5 Grizzlies
These are the true contenders for the 2024-2025 NBA Title.
Also Notice these are the top seeds in their respective conferences currently.
East West
1 Cavaliers 1Thunder
2 Boston 2Rockets
3Grizzlies
Out of all the NBA Finals played in NBA history, seeds 1, 2 and 3, make up a total of 97.4% of the Champions.
Denver Nuggets were the number 1 Seed in the West in the year 2022-2023 when they won! Currently they are number 4.
Currently Celtics rank number 5 in Defensive Rating.
Nuggets were an outlier in NBA history When they won with offensive rating of 5 and defensive rating of 15.
Anyway regarding Denver offense and the Historical data since the addition of the 3 point line, you don't have to play "Mazzulla Ball" to win titles because with all changes regarding offensive styles from players, teams, coaches approaches, and nba rules itself, what has stayed consistent regarding nba teams winning titles are offensive/defensive rating along with seeding since 1979-1980 nba season to present in 2024-2025 .
So The data supports that you can be a top offense and win a chip in the 3 Ball Revolution era which Denver did already with out spamming the 3 point shot.
The only time "Mazzulla Ball" would obliterate teams and make every team and their offensive approach null and void when going against it is if you have a whole team of starters and bench players of prime Steph Curry's shooting 40% and higher on large volume spacing the floor.
40% and higher on high volume is elite
37% to 39% is above average
36% is league average
34% and 35% is below average
33% No midrange what so ever and has to play analytically 3's,dunks and layups to get the highest value from said player and is mostly confined to role player and only get star role with higher usage if they bring other attributes like passing, rebounding or defense.
Last year Celtics of 38% was basically Prime Harden or Prime Paul George offensive output from 3 point land.
they went 80-21 to win the title.
So basically a team of Prime Unanimous MVP 2015-2016 Steph Curry's launching from deep with high volume aka playing "Mazzulla Ball" shooting 45.4% which was Curry percentage that season would probably about 5 games overall if not less or possibly go undefeated which would be something special.
How a team performs in the last 25-30 games of a season will always determine how they perform in the playoffs.
@@dukiino739 - No it doesn’t .
@@DrPhill96 literally look at every team to make the conference finals in the last 25 years. I guarantee you that 95% were in the top 5 records after the all star break for that season. Most of the teams that get hot in April heat up in February and March.
@@dukiino739 might want to do some homework on the 22-23 Nuggets
@ damn bro guess my opinion is moot because i went 24-1
stfu
@@geordiejones5618 - I’m not looking up anything. Miami has made the Finals in the past 5 years with being lower seeds. The Wolves, Nuggets and Thunder were high seeds last year and Dallas went to the Finals as a lower seed. I can go on without “looking it up”.
When you right, you right, Bill. Excellent analysis.
Van Gundy was on our staff last year. Pretty sure his job was to give Joe the common sense advice, like "call timeouts bro." Dont get why they arent playing the kid who played good defense against the clips....
I'd much rather go through a hiccup now, than after the All-Star break/heading into the playoffs -- all things being equal. If I'm a Cavs/OKC fan, I'd be a little concerned that things have been going SO smoothly with rosters that do not strike me as 70+ win teams. Neither of those teams look like Jordan/Bulls or the 2015 Warriors. I'd worry that they're either going to burn out when the season's over or have their hiccup at the wrong time -- right before the playoffs. As for the Cs, as long as everyone's healthy, this should be something they can work through.
As a Celtics fan who watches nearly every game, the vibes are OFF. Last year they started the season off by JT having that meeting with the starting 6. Meaning there’s going to have to be sacrifice. Everyone bought in. Everyone was focused on winning the championship.
This summer was a mess with the Olympics. JB is my favorite player and I felt he was justified in his anger and I supported him through it all. Bill is right, he looks noticeably jacked right now, watching the clippers game, my gf kept saying his arms look attached to his body, like they’re not his.
I wonder if JB put too much of his anger and energy into getting stronger and not enough into working on his game. It’s a noticeable decline from last year and it’s a bummer to see. I hope he can turn it around.
It’s been great to see JT remain mostly consistent and get better from last year.
5:09 What’s ironic is Bill did all this research, mentioned Jaylen plenty of times but never brought up his mothers house being broke into literally around the day Bill identified as the beginning of this circumstance…
the bulls game happened when his mothers house was broken into. This is a million dollar house, that makes things even more questionable and concerning given that most players spend more time with their team than their own family. You ever stop and think he’s still worried about home? I’m sure Bill would be concerned about his ELDER father being at risk if he traveled more than 50% of PRE-SCHEDULED season. With that being said, the major concerns are about health and endurance. To shoot well, you need to have fresh legs. I feel like this is a wall they can get off, seems like they are working on their timing for the long stretch.
PS I stopped listening around the ten minute mark so if he mentions JB’s mother house then, hopefully this comment still opens more eyes.
You heard it here first, Jaylen Brown got too buff over the offseason 😂😂😂
100% correct
@benl9775 was he not buff last year lol
@@turneryoung905 Not this much. We also don’t know if he changed his training.
Nice job liking your own comment as well.
@benl9775 you measure how “jacked” he was last year vs this year lol🤣🤣🤣
You seem to know everything without really know Jack shit
@ Yes, it is possible to measure how much muscle mass someone has from one year to next and how that might affect their performance.
You basically just said that in the dumbest way possible with emojis because you’re trying to win a stupid argument with one comment.
This Celtics team is kind of a strange combination of players/personalities (+coach) that can be amazing one night but very frustrating the next. I’m just glad they got over the hump last season, because they deserved it and fought for it long enough. Not sure we’re getting the multi champion dynasty though (hope I’m wrong). Playoffs will be interesting though..
"amazing one night but very frustrating the next"
That's 100% coaching, or lack thereof. It's the coach's job to make sure the team is consistently competing at a high level.
Cavs or thunder are crushing this Celtics team. Unless their opps have a ton of injuries like last year.
@@JeffreyOConnell-g4x Yeah for sure, Mazzulla’s lack of experience/wisdom and stubbornness def plays a part. The whole three ball thing just seems unsustainable at times, hard to lean on that every night when your shots start not falling. Strategically they might need to evolve but not sure we’re getting it since it has worked for the most part last few years.
@@shorewall Could be the case, looking like it atm for sure. Really interested to see where they will be at once the playoffs kick in. Feels like Celtics season is truly only going to start then.
“Deserved it” yeah they finally caught a postseason where they faced absolutely 0 adversity. They’re a fraud team and I bet the Knicks take them out this year if Thibs doesn’t run OG and Bridges into the ground by playoff time
Tell me you are worried while telling me "you are not worried yet"
Great podcast Bill, especially the in game info
This is the man who said Lakers aren't worth it and then they kill his celtics
He’s right, but that’s because the Lakers are only beating really bad teams 😅
@light-chemistry yeah whipping the 2nd in the east team lol
Celtics were on the back end of a back to back. They went into overtime against the clippers less than 24 hrs ago
Lakers are still bad and won’t win a series this year
@@401hec yeah, with a team without any of their starters…. Leonard, Harden,Powell Zubac didn’t play. The almighty Celtics should’ve wipe them…
Great breakdown and correct analyst. For me the problem is the pace Celtics are allowing teams to set their defense and then not playing with rhythm and flow. A big part of it is coaching and Joe needs to identify the problems and motivate his team but I think his personality doesn't motivate the team. If you notice when the rookies come in it's like they give a spark to the team and that's what is needed this fatigue going on now whether that's conditioning that falls on assistant coaches or whatever There's something is definitely off with the pace of the game.
They got their ring, they’re content!
@@DuaneRawlingsII EXACTLY! They Don’t Wana Play Team Ball… They Look Bored
in my opinion, the Celtics are reverting back to the old your-turn, my-turn, your-turn style of basketball that plagued them for years leading upto their championship season. instead of ball movement creating the best possible shot, they are playing the "take turns" style which i can't stand. One guy will be "feeling it" and everyone else stands in the corner. That one guy isn't feeling it anymore, so the next guy does a few possessions and-so-on down the line. Not winning basketball.
Great summary of where the Celtics are at. I live in Sydney and my football team (which lost their finals) played very much like the Celtics are playing. They had great individual players; they won quarters, but sometimes they went missing (they relied on winning one quarter by such a large margin that they could lose all other quarters but still win the game). Something wasn’t quite right with my football team - and it’s identical with the Celtics. With the Celtics , I don’t know whether it’s something internal with the players or with the ownership of the team - but apart from Tatum, Porzingas and Pritchard who show up every game - there’s a lack of desire/passion. Something needs to change now - or the finals won’t be good. As for my Sydney football team, they ultimately won the most games of any team during the season, but got absolutely smashed in the finals- because all the troubling signs during the season (of inconsistency, similar to the Celtics, with really good players just drifting in and out of the games) were on show in the finals. We know the Celtics have the skill and the players - do they have the desire? I love Joe Mazzulla - but is it time to change the starting 5?
You're actually seriously underselling how bad they have been by just looking at the losses. 6 of the wins in this stretch were against the Magic bench, the Warriors bench, the Clippers bench, the Jokic-less Nuggets, the Rockets minus several pieces, and the Pelicans by 1 point. Since the beginning of December, we're talking about a nice blowout of the Pacers, an impressive win in Minnesota, and ....a good first half against the Thunder. That's basically it. It isn't just that the losses are bad, they haven't played 3 consecutive competent games since Thanksgiving.
I think that Jrue has regressed, getting older. They are still a favorite to win, but most people will say OKC than Celtics at the moment
I think Jrue and D. White are battling minor injuries. Both played a ton of basketball last yr. In Jrue's case I'd say he's an older vet and is saving himself for the playoffs. It's more difficult to pinpoint with D. White. I just think he's either battling some physical ailments or he's burning out from too much ball. He looks like he could use a couple weeks off. As long as everyone is healthy the last few weeks of the season and going into the playoffs I think they'll be fine and very well could repeat.
He’s gonna have one of the worst contracts in the league in a couple years
@@mattsell2361lol he’s earned his contract can’t say the same for more than half of the contracts out there
I am always telling people the Celtics don't really have any Chemistry Between the teammates. They do not seem to really trust each other. It always looks difficult for them to play as a team and I've seen that for several years. They don't have any chemistry or trust
Lack of Focus and Determination, is Ailing This Boston Celtics Team. I Think GM Brad Stevens and Fake Owner, Wyc Grousbeck, spoke with The Team, in December, and informed them of the possibility that, Trades may take place, to shed Payroll, in order to Satisfy The New Owner(s) of The Team. I believe that Conversation, Triggered Jaylen Brown, Krispas Porzingis , Jru Holiday and Derrick White.
That could be it. There’s a mix of things and the lack of certainty on the ownership has probably impacted the play of guys - def the guys you mentioned because they’re not moving from JT.
I definitely think there's something behind closed doors that's impacted the minds of some of the players. Selling the team after a championship is quite a destabilising factor, which creates a decent amount of uncertainty.
They need their MVP to play on court. When will Brad Stevens join the team?
I like how every other loss they chalk it up but the moment they lost to the Lakers bill made a video to cry 😂
Did you even watch the video? He said he's commenting now because he finally had a chance to see them in person. You're welcome. Try to keep up next time.
@@grippo1927 So he couldn'tsee what's wrong with them watching on TV? You idiot
Jaylen and JT missing 4 straight free throws. Shot selection from them also concerns me. Too 3 dependent and JT has to shoot mid range shots
Yeah I knew they tired when that happened. They just need some rest and they'll be back at it.
The problem with Brown’s game is he got what he wanted. Recognition. It’s hard to live life in opposition when suddenly there’s no one to fight anymore. His motivation needs to come from another place now. That’s hard. That takes emotional intelligence in a pressured environment where you have little time to reflect and grow. I always thought he’d fit well in the Spurs culture. Nothing to prove, nothing to lose, just play together to win for each other.
My favorite team is whoever plays the Celtics.
Sounds like a whole lot of losing lol
@@AS-is4dt Celtics are 10-9 in their last 19 games.
@@mookz34 and they’re still 17 games over .500
@@AS-is4dt "This is fine"
@@mookz34 we can come back to this in april and see how much a rough patch in January actually mattered lol
At halftime I knew this podcast rant was coming
Same. Was hoping for some credit to the Lakers but of course not, we got the poo poo platter of excuses lol
We did this same thing last year, and then in the playoffs when the game slows down they get better looks from 3, Tatum drives more, Jrue and D white switch everything. I think they’ll be fine
Jayson Tatum is actually a lot softer than yall think…🤔
@@turneryoung905 you sure this is not actually brandonjennings905?
Ad I'm sure you know BB better than the rest of us, right? He's 1st Team NBA multiple times, and a 1st team all star once again. He's gotten to the Finals multiple times and won one, at a younger age than many of "your heroes," I bet. Why is that no one reepcts anyone or anything anymore?
@@garysaint-laurent6524 people can’t just compliment you for being top 10 anymore, they have to criticize you for not being top 5.
My biggest problem with Jaylen is his defense. He said at the beginning of the season he was going for all defense. At the beginning of the season he was a monster. Now he's a mouse. He'll turn it on for a few minutes here and there, but a recent game I watched as he didn't even take ONE step to a guy taking a three. I sure hope they are just bored. And he does look too big.
Uhhh, @Bill Simmons, probably worth mentioning that Jeff Van Gundy was just with the Boston Celtics as a Senior Consultant LAST YEAR, so having extra insight on who to target in crunch time isnt too much of a shocker. Also, most people ALREADY know that Jaylen Brown is susceptible to turning the ball over anyways. I assume you had to have known SVG was a part of the Celtics last year, but you of all people i would think shouldve mentioned this, and was only additional knowledge that SVG likely applied to the LAC defensive stance against Boston the other night.
And Tatum is shooting 19 percent from 3 the last 10 games
And Bill tried to trade AD a day ago lol
Lakers still suck and ain't winning shit lmfao
Lakers fans been trying to trade ad for years
@@b-gamer340speak for yourself
"These guys are all in their 20s" lol
Horford 38, Holiday 34, White 30, even Porzingis turns 30 this year
white is 27 or 28
@Kay-be9xl born July 1994.
Refs bailed them out like crazy vs the Clippers
Yeah not giving mazulla the most obvious timeout ever at the end of the 4th quarter definitely bailed them out
Always the refs ah?
Lemme play that game. We lost to the Lakers cuz of the refs.
@darkeyed.lowlander not always
But definitely vs the Clippers
@@itsDEEZY explain how tho? I want to know what specifically makes you say that. Because you haven’t given any examples other than just saying it’s the refs. Because I remember the refs just giving the clippers the ball at the end of the game when they refused to give mazulla the most obvious timeout ever at a crucial moment in the 4th. Gave the clippers an extra point with a technical free throw for djj getting hit in the face
@@itsDEEZY explain how tho? I want to know what specifically makes you say that. Because you haven’t given any examples other than just saying it’s the refs. Because I remember the refs just giving the clippers the ball at the end of the game when they refused to give mazulla the most obvious timeout ever at a crucial moment in the 4th. Gave the clippers an extra point with a technical free throw for djj getting hit in the face
You have to mention Porzingis, he’s been rock solid as well , and I love his I don’t give an F who we’re playing attitude.
Something you aren’t mentioning, but that has a huge impact, is other teams are having absolute monster games against the Celtics respective to the rest of their season. Lakers had like 12 or more 3’s in the first half. Those clippers players will not play another game as well as they did that night. I believe it’s exhausting over 82 games continuously getting everyone’s best punch.
And the Nuggets gave em all they wanted for 3.5 qtrs-despite no Jokic or AG. That's 1 of the few games we lost the last few wks.(another to Houston,on back to back-with no Jokic,& I think AG also missed) Nuggets didn't come close to winning as they ran out of gas/firepower. But I work at the arena,& see every home game,& most the road games. Our bench gave them all they wanted for 40+ minutes. I still think Boston will win the East though I give NY,& Cleveland puncher chances. Id still put my money on OKC vs Boston but not impossible we could get the matchup we should've had last year of Denver vs Boston.
And don't be counting OKC as a lock there Bill. Sure they still have to be the favorites & a lot of basketball to go. But the 2023 champ Nuggets ARE COMING! Jamal Murray even just had probably his best 5 game stretch in well over a year. And the Nuggets bench has gone from awful to decent suddenly. Not tonight-i took 35,22,& 17 from Jokic to hold off Sacramento. But before tonight-Jojic had 4 straight games with a triple double through 3 qtrs-hes we finished off the opponent & didn't have to play JOKIC a second in the 4th. Which is super rare,& not something we are used to with the Nuggets. Their bench just going from terrible to so/so is a huge improvement.
Good analysis
praying on the celtics' downfall
I’m praying for warriors downfall 🙏
@@thrower_2REAL Amen. 🙏
They haven't repeated since the 60s when 38% was a good FG% and players had part time side jobs, it's not happening
Doc rivers needs to win it all this season
Nobody praying they just falling
Bill as a C's fan I think you are totally overlooking Cleveland. They have played great all year and will have the home court unless they somehow fall apart. They gave the C's a tough time last yr with a few key injuries as did the Knicks. When you said J Brown was playing like 2 yrs ago ( turnovers etc) I couldn't agree more. I watch the highlights most times as opposed to the whole game and I see as you pointed out open 3 after open 3. it's like a turn style when other teams go to the hoop. layup , layup dunk layup dunk. They may be able to turn it around but I don't think so. Let's face it for the most part if they aren't hitting their 3's they are in trouble. Good podcast
I wish I could watch Bill watch the Lakers game.
I still have faith the boys will carry us to banner 19. 🙏🍀🍀🍀
Gonna be tougher. The Knivks round 2, Cavs round 3 and OCK finals. Much harder than last year.
Saw the result and thought 'yep, bill is gonna have something to say '
LOOOOVE seeing the self-doubt creepin in, Bill!
Tatum really isn’t that dude BUT the absolute best role player in the nba hands down 💯
Lakers game was the Celtics 5th game in 7 days.
Too many 3's, that has a high degree of variance.
They need an alternative Gameplan.
I’m glad that Bill finally acknowledges that Jayson Tatum isn’t in the same tier as Jokic, SGA, Giannis, or Luka. He’s one tier below. 🤷🏻♂️
AD was just mad that Bill wanted the Lakers to trade him for Porzingis and a second round pick. Gave them extra motivation.
Apparently limiting spot up 3 point shooting (closing out) is the key to at least throwing them off their rhythm. Then once they are down, they only seem to take 3s to get back in it.
They were tired. It was the 2nd back to back in just a cpl days, and the night before went to ot. I'm not reading too much into this game.
@ they attempt about 50 3s per game. In wins, they are shooting ~38% and ~32% in losses. I understand they were on a back-to-back but it seems like that 50 3pt attempts per game is pretty consistent. AD said something about advanced stats on the contested vs spot up 3s so just something to look out for.
This is all just opinions also - I’m just some dude.
@@under-._.-score it's not just the celtics. It's the nba, but that I don't mind just when their not falling time to come up with a plan b instead of shooting more 3s.
In football they use those advanced stats too, but there is a huge difference between going for it on 4th down in the 1st quarter, and going for it on 4th down in the 4th quarter with 1 minute left and the game on the line.
@@Lunkjohnson I feel ya - and I agree if I’m not mistaking what you’re saying. I wish there was more team specific strategies when certain stuff isnt working. I think it will balance out though over time. Pretty sure the league average 3pt percentage has remained the same regardless of volume.
@under-._.-score the Celtics could definitely play through kp or horford in the high post, then passing to cutters. Use kp like an offbrand Joker.
I think it's a Mazzulla thing. He's clearly is a different character than your usual NBA coaches, but maybe he plateaued last year? It certainly doesn't look like he has any counters for when teams pick us apart now. Also, maybe the 'quirky' stuff has the opposite effect on the players, if he doesn't provide them with the tools to perform at their peak. Has Mazzulla lost the locker room? Let Cassell take over and we'll know...
But we also don’t know if Cassell can be that guy. We lost Charles Lee who was tremendous so that locker room. He designed the defense and schemes, look at where we are now! Surprised no one’s mentioned his name once.
@hotdogjudge mazulla has never seemed right to me. Don't like his coaching decision or rotation at times. He clearly benefited from Charles experience and what Imme started.
Also the J's are to inconsistent!
If you’re blaming Mazzulla you DON’T know basketball
@@Lenrom12Nearly every point Simmons (accurately) made points directly to Mazzulla. You're a clown.
Hundred percent accurate on Jaylen Brown he drove me absolutely crazy his first few years then it seemed like he was evolving out of it this year he’s completely regressed
Bill, I’m with you. I don’t think everything is fine. I find these guys are taking too many threes when they shouldn’t ,rather than attacking the basket when there’s a clear line to the basket.
Bill almost choked up @11:41 😂😂...
The book is out on how to defend the Celtics, and it's based on the Indy playoff series last year. Sure, they swept it, but every game was difficult due to the heavy high pressure, physical to the point of nearly fouling on every play. C's don't deal with defensive pressure well, a lot of panic, sloppy, dribbling into turnovers, getting bad shots, can't finish. But on the other end, I can't figure out what's going on on the defensive end, giving up layups and not even bothering to contest 3s at times.
It felt like they spent 5 or 6 seasons in a row where every year they got a little more mature and a little hungrier, and this year it feels like theyve lost all that hunger and some of the maturity, so now they are just gonna have to learn to be humble and hungry again and then start climbing the mountain again. I hope it doesnt happen that way but thats what it has felt like
I’d be stunned if Jaylen is an all star this year
This team feels like 22-23 --> poor habits, coast in too many games too often, etc. At this point, I'd say they aren't getting out of the 2nd round. This last 8 weeks has been quite frustrating.
I get 2019 vibes from
This team.
@@BlessedDelight1 I had blocked out 2019 :
Aint nothing to worry about if the celtics is healthy come playoff time aint nobody beating them in a series
So we can get a 20-minute, 2 am (central time) post on the celtics being in 2nd place in the east but we can't get an Anchorman rewatchables?
Or Rollerball, the original?
Theres 2 sides really
1. its really been their MO to have bad long stretches every year since Js have been here, plus theyre a bit tired and theyre waiting for playoff
2. JBs always had bad handles and tunnel vision, hes shot had gone to both extremes - from making everything he throws to being clunky, stagnant O too many 3s, even D had some bad stretches before they brought n Jrue last year.. they kept struggling against tough physical teams that are less talented - like Miami, or Orlando, or even fast teams.. Joe isnt a finished product as a coach, hes reliance on 3s is a gamble, cause it stops the flow when they start missing, but since Joe won we cant say anything against him, he also seems to be a really interesting guy Id like to have a drink with... Also Al had bad stretches last year, started showing his age, but in playoff he stepped up and hes really important for what they do both side of the floor.. its a big question if he has another geer to put in this year.
1 thing for sure - its tough to predict way its gonna go this year
I think this mainly falls on coaching. As you said they aren’t solving issues that seem obvious. I also believe Joe needs to go into his bench early and often.
Agreed 💯 percent 👌🏿
Celtics peeked last year with this roster. They can't play better than that with the Tatum/Brown/Holiday core. They can play at that same level, potentially, and it definitely is enough to win another chip if things fall their way and they stay healthy and Tatum stops being so nice and gets his guys amped up to play hard, but they aren't going to improve this season, unless they make a roster move or adjust their offensive approach, which doesn't seem to be in the cards.
They've been coasting winning 3 out of 4 all season pretty much. I'm not too concerned, they have older players and KP who need the regular season to manage. It messes up their flow. They'll nail it down towards the end of the season. Short off-season for everybody and 3 of them were in the Olympics. They're coasting. They're good enough to just coast. The guy who is hurting then is really Sam Hauser. He was a really solid defender and was so clutch and lethal from 3. He hadn't been that and they've missed having a legit backup wing like him making an impact. That's the difference between what they did last season and so far this year. A few heaters from Hauser going 7/9, from 3 is the difference between 30-12 or whatever they are and being 36-6.
I agree. I also agree with Bills point, we need an athletic wing. Who that guy is? I have no idea given the limitations on what we can offer in a trade.
He needs to be making AT LEAST 40% of his 3s to even be a useful NBA player. He needs to be Kyle Korver/Ray Allen accurate. Otherwise he's just a slow, stiff player who can't create his own shot. I wonder whether he can be consistently 40-45% with that exaggerated arc on his jumper.
@15:50 for some reason I lol....😂😂bill obviously frustrated
As a Laker fan back in the Shaq and Kobe years, I saw the same stuff after they won their 1st championship in 2000. Playing up and down to their level of competition the next regular season. Kobe‘s individual play raising to a level where he no longer wanted to be a #2 option, Shaq predictably being Shaq in response to that, them going through different injuries throughout the season, and finally toward the end, them getting back to team ball, winning 8 straight to close the season, before embarking on the greatest playoff run to a title of all time (15-1) I SUSPECT that Boston is going to get their act together and stop messing around in the latter part of the season.
thats what happened when you become the hunted instead of the hunter you get every teams best shot.
Should they still trade Anthony Davis 😂?
Lol, Lakers ain't winning shit, so maybe.
Checked and in the last 10 games JT and JB shooting splits are almost identical. Ps theyre both @aprox 42% feom the field and 30% from 3. Biggest disparity is JB shooting FTs 3% pts better than JT. Btw theyre both at 3 TOs oer game. I guess I need to watch more of their ganes to figure out why JB is gettinf skewed while Tatum didn't get mentioned
Because Brown looks off. Tatum shot selection is bad as well but Brown is concerning.
@b-gamer340 ahh got it. You're right about Tatum's shot selection. it is typically bad. Depends too much on 3s (esp step backs) instead of attacking the rim or getting to a midrange.
This is what Boston media does this guy sucks and knows nothing about basketballa and clearly sucks tatums nuts
@@b-gamer340tstum looks off too tatum fanboy he just have you the facts there the exact same but you say that about jaylen brown is hate tatum fans
I saw a video breaking down the exact numbers but they are taking more 3s not driving, not doing the extra pass, their 3 point percentage is down 4 or 5 % as a team which is huge when 45-50% of your shots are 3s and without Kirstraps to stretch the floor it isn’t working
This might be a stretch but two out of the three player on this team that went to Olympics are struggling this year. Derek White Struggling and Jrue Holiday also struggling. Do we think because they didn't really have an off season and they are burnt out? Just a thought
Lollygagging around and jacking up infinity threes a game isn’t a style that lends itself to tough, intense, high-effort basketball and it’s had a trickle down effect on everything.
In my opinion THE biggest problem with this team is that they have NO defensive intensity or consistency. Joe mazulla and this bombs away offense isn't working. Ive been saying since day 1 he's s not the right guy for this team and they won last year despite him. The defense they played under Ime was WAY different.
Speaking of which seeing what hes doing with houston imagine Ime with this team.
While I wouldn’t panic, this is what everybody said throughout last playoffs. The Celtics went on a historic run during last regular season but they seemed to lack a real focus in the playoffs and luckily didn’t have to face top tier competition. It feels like this is carry over from the way they played in the playoffs. That being said, they’re the champs and are clearly a top 3 team in a much improved conference.
Your a better man than me bill, I find myself turning the games off a lot lately. The teams been hard to watch the past month.
Pritchard is the reason. Went from complaining wants more minutes to playing alot. That change in team defense mindset
Please elaborate more 🤔
I feel like the system is taking away from JT & JB identity. They both came in the league playing inside the arc now they either play behind the arc or drive the lane for a contested lay up. No mid range game and I think it’s making them loose their confidence because that’s not who they are. My opinion 🤷🏽♂️
I knew this was coming lololol
I've always wished Tatum had that killer mentality... But some I forget but when I think about it kind of makes sense. Tatum stays healthy, maybe sacrificing those huge performances in games that don't matter to stay right is the move. Let's be real even meh Tatum is top 10-15 . Some times the best ability is availability 🎉
Hopefully they will face injured teams in every playoff series and they can win again
Lets goo Lake show baby 💜💛💜💛
Low key, I wonder if it's the dead foam in the shoes. Been using mine and not in love.
But also we're getting outcoached. We don't need Joe's philosophy this year we need technical adjustments.
The Celtics were 14/41 from 3. That's where they lost.
I didn't see the Lakers playing great defense or anything, just the Celtics missing a ton of 3s in the 1st quarter which caused em to fall behind early. They thought they could 3pt their way out of it in the 2nd... it didn't work. So in the 3rd quarter they tried shooting EVEN MORE 3s and still couldn't make em. By then it was a lost cause so they wisely conceded the rest of the game.
I'm not worried about the Celtics but this was embarrassing vs a Lakers team that plays no defense.
Brown and white are having down years.
The old guys are 1 year older.
the Clips win seemed like typical late-game Celts fashion -- bad turnovers, poor clock management, and an absolutely abysmal final play/shot attempt before OT. how many times have we seen Tatum or Brown dribble away the clock then huck up some horrible fade away at the end of a game? lol it's like they don't even draw up a play in those timeouts. lakers loss is almost more excusable considering its the second night of a back-to-back.