[ECSF] #1 Boston Celtics vs. #4 Washington Wizards

Who ya got?

  • Celtics in 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Celtics in 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Wizards in 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Wizards in 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Wizards in 7

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    6
  • Poll closed .
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#32
IT is guardable, smart teams will show that. The Wizards aren't a smart team. Wait until the Cavs wipe the floor with them. Look, I don't want to discredit what the Celts and IT have done, but let's be honest with ourselves. IT has free reign to go full chuck mode and not have to worry about a player or coach telling him not to do so. He is looking legendary in these first two games because the Wiz are incapable of playing any type of defense. I mean this is the playoffs and they've allowed consecutive 120+ PPG...I really don't see the fire and desire to really get physical. They chase IT around like he is a gopher rather than trapping him and making him pass over a swarm of hands. It's pitiful.
You do have to give the Celtics props for setting up IT and themselves to succeed. It's the same blueprint used by AI's Sixers filled with high end defensive roleplayers, but you have to wonder how far you can take this with IT. I wonder if these offensive explosions by IT are a curse in disguise though and the Celtics are going to talk themselves into giving him a four or five year max.

Whatever the case, the ECF is going to be a bore since Playoff Lebron has awoken and the rest of these East teams are pathetic.
 
#33
Please. Get your head out of your rear. IT works in Boston because he is option 1a and 1b. with Cousins on the team, that was not going to happen. Celtics have nothing but role players around IT. Nothing special to be honest. Players know their role, defend, hit the three, give the ball to IT...looks good when they play a team who can't defend whatsoever.
I'm just curious; What's the defensive rating of IT?
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#35
You do have to give the Celtics props for setting up IT and themselves to succeed. It's the same blueprint used by AI's Sixers filled with high end defensive roleplayers, but you have to wonder how far you can take this with IT. I wonder if these offensive explosions by IT are a curse in disguise though and the Celtics are going to talk themselves into giving him a four or five year max.

Whatever the case, the ECF is going to be a bore since Playoff Lebron has awoken and the rest of these East teams are pathetic.
I definitely don't take anything away from IT and the C's. I've said that in another post. Hell, they'll make it further into the playoffs than the Kings will for the next 5+ years, even if it is the lowly Eastern Conference. That said, the C's will have a top 3 pick to add to that core and you never know, they may use some of those assets they have to go after a Jimmy Butler or Paul George.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#37
The IT story is so hilarious to me, not because of IT, but because of people's reactions to IT. They just couldn't believe what they were seeing. The diamond was right there for them to grab, but they refused it because they saw him as a lump of coal. Then after years they grudgingly begin to see him as a lump of zinc, the little guy that can come off the bench. Now the adjectives used to describe him by HOFers are "great," "amazing" and "brilliant." And still in Kings land we hear the occasional: if he just came off the bench for us we might still have him and everything would be hunky dory. No, you still don't get it: IT was right from the very beginning and you were wrong. You were selling him short. The guy is an excellent starting point guard in this league and he's writing his own history, not you, and certainly not the clueless ones that sent him packing in Sacto and Phoenix. 53 points on 33 shots, with 20 points in the 4th quarter.
 
#38
By the time that competent front office comes around, another one would come in and get rid of one or both players. For all we know, Dave wouldn't be our head coach. Maybe Frank Vogel would be. Maybe Messina. Maybe Walton.
i know and that is who is at fault here. Our instability as a franchise has doomed us over and over when we had everything we ever needed housed already under our roof.
 
#40
The IT story is so hilarious to me, not because of IT, but because of people's reactions to IT. They just couldn't believe what they were seeing. The diamond was right there for them to grab, but they refused it because they saw him as a lump of coal. Then after years they grudgingly begin to see him as a lump of zinc, the little guy that can come off the bench. Now the adjectives used to describe him by HOFers are "great," "amazing" and "brilliant." And still in Kings land we hear the occasional: if he just came off the bench for us we might still have him and everything would be hunky dory. No, you still don't get it: IT was right from the very beginning and you were wrong. You were selling him short. The guy is an excellent starting point guard in this league and he's writing his own history, not you, and certainly not the clueless ones that sent him packing in Sacto and Phoenix. 53 points on 33 shots, with 20 points in the 4th quarter.
The problem I think is that many Kings fans consumed the propaganda about IT probably disseminated by PDA himself. I remember people calling IT a cancer and how he didn't get along with Cousins and was causing a rift in the locker room. People wanted to find every reason to get IT off the 28 win Kings team.
 
#41
This is silly, IT today is not the player he was in Sacramento, the team is built/catered to his strengths and weaknesses in Boston, and he didn't last half a season in Phoenix, a team that is a complete tire fire yet allowed him pretty free run.

I'm happy he has found his niche in Boston, a team I like, but they're going to get steamrolled by Cleveland and they are damn lucky to have gotten past Chicago after Rondo went down.
 
#42
This is silly, IT today is not the player he was in Sacramento, the team is built/catered to his strengths and weaknesses in Boston, and he didn't last half a season in Phoenix, a team that is a complete tire fire yet allowed him pretty free run.

I'm happy he has found his niche in Boston, a team I like, but they're going to get steamrolled by Cleveland and they are damn lucky to have gotten past Chicago after Rondo went down.
Whatever lets you sleep at night. The rest of the basketball world is laughing their ass off at us kicking IT to the curb.
 
#43
blah, blah role players, blah, blah wrong defense,
He is leading his team to play Cleveland in all likelihood. Stop with the nay saying already.
Al Horford is a great player that thrives under Stephens.
IT scored the second highest point total in playoff history for the Boston Celtics last night. They have won 6 straight.
The Celtics have a simple formula. Play team defense, run, rebound and launch 3s.
Look up in the rafters of Boston Garden some time.
 
#44
The IT story is so hilarious to me, not because of IT, but because of people's reactions to IT. They just couldn't believe what they were seeing. The diamond was right there for them to grab, but they refused it because they saw him as a lump of coal. Then after years they grudgingly begin to see him as a lump of zinc, the little guy that can come off the bench. Now the adjectives used to describe him by HOFers are "great," "amazing" and "brilliant." And still in Kings land we hear the occasional: if he just came off the bench for us we might still have him and everything would be hunky dory. No, you still don't get it: IT was right from the very beginning and you were wrong. You were selling him short. The guy is an excellent starting point guard in this league and he's writing his own history, not you, and certainly not the clueless ones that sent him packing in Sacto and Phoenix. 53 points on 33 shots, with 20 points in the 4th quarter.
At the time, I was willing to give PDA the benefit of the doubt. I did have concerns about IT's ability to defend at a high level. Everyone that doubted IT was wrong. He's been really something special so far these playoffs. In fairness to doubters, he has made some good improvements to his game and has worked hard to be where he is at. But yeah, the amount of franchise stupidity in the last 10 years is absolutely mind-boggling.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#45
i know and that is who is at fault here. Our instability as a franchise has doomed us over and over when we had everything we ever needed housed already under our roof.
hindsight is always 20/20, but in reality....even if IT and Cousins were on the same team, it wouldn't of worked out, you can handle one big ego on a team..but two? forget it. That's just my opinion though.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#46
Durant and Curry have their fair share of ISO's plays. Durant has deferred much more this year than prior seasons, but it just goes to show what proper coaching can do.
Curry is a willing passer, a reckless one, but still willing. Durant knew coming in he had to adapt his game to a team oriented style of basketball because he was ring chasing. Coaching can take you far, but talent and chemistry is what matters in the end IMO.
 
#47
Whatever lets you sleep at night. The rest of the basketball world is laughing their ass off at us kicking IT to the curb.
The front office personnel responsible for his departure are long gone. Most of the Kings fan base looks on PDA and Mullin with scorn and derision, so I'm not really concerned by what "the rest of the basketball world" thinks either. They sucked and set us back 5 years. That's neither here nor there. I still don't see IT working out here and it was the second change of scenery, not the first, that largely set him straight.
 
#49
The front office personnel responsible for his departure are long gone. Most of the Kings fan base looks on PDA and Mullin with scorn and derision, so I'm not really concerned by what "the rest of the basketball world" thinks either. They sucked and set us back 5 years. That's neither here nor there. I still don't see IT working out here and it was the second change of scenery, not the first, that largely set him straight.
It was the opportunity. In Sac he was option #3 behind Cousins and Gay(and btw he still averaged 20 and 6 with us despite that and he was a player in ascension). In Phoenix he was playing off the bench and they were starting Dragic and Bledsoe. They even tried to play all three together at times lol, just a Frankenstein experiment gone wrong, Sac and Phx two of the most incompetent franchises in recent memory. IT was/is clearly the best player of those three now. All Boston did was say "you know what this roster is full of role players and IT is clearly the best player , lets just put the ball in his hands and make things happen". Needless to say IT has more than delivered. Hes gone from nice story to potential HOF level player if he can keep this kind of production going for 4-5 more seasons. There is no reason that couldnt have happend here. IT is a born winner, he has the intangibles that the great players have. If he was four inches taller he is probably one of the top ten players in the world. As it stands he is clearly in the top 20. Yep no use for that for a great franchise like the Sacramento Kings. Just another feather in our incompetence cap, and probably the biggest.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#51
The fact IT improved after his first three years in the league shouldn't be surprising to anybody with a scintilla of cerebral life. He improved each and every year he was with the Kings. So why wouldn't he improve thereafter, at the very beginning of a promising career? After all, most players with a work ethic improve until they reach their prime, around 28 years of age. So why shouldn't IT? It shouldn't be shocking to the conscious mind that IT, who works on his game, would continue his ascent. And it's certainly not news that an 8th year player is typically better than in his 3rd year. These feeble excuses remind me of a few years ago when he was a King.
 
#52
Let's give New Orleans a chance to compliment Cousins with the right players before we decide this. It's harder to build around bigs in this era since it's so guard dominant.
I've heard that prayer too many times. I would be shocked if it happens. If it does, it will last one season. A certain player will hold them hostage to get what he wants. Everything surrounding will crumble. Coaches, players and front office will come and go. On the merry go round will go.
 
#53
I've heard that prayer too many times. I would be shocked if it happens. If it does, it will last one season. A certain player will hold them hostage to get what he wants. Everything surrounding will crumble. Coaches, players and front office will come and go. On the merry go round will go.
And once again you put the onus on Cousins. Was he perfect? No. Does he share the blame? Yes. Did the Kings problems predate him? Yes. He said, she said and the truth is in between.
 
#54
Let's give New Orleans a chance to compliment Cousins with the right players before we decide this. It's harder to build around bigs in this era since it's so guard dominant.
And the point is we had one of each. The best of both worlds.

The NBA has shifted to guard play no doubt but we would have had our own competitive advantage in an elite level big and an elite guard surrounded by hard nosed role players.

We even had a roster for it at the time:

C - DMC
PF - take your pick of Reggie Evans, Carl Landry, JT
SF - Omri, Quincy Acy
SG - Ben McLemore
PG - IT

Rudy as a trade chip to grab a 3 & D, SG or add depth
 
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kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#55
I've heard that prayer too many times. I would be shocked if it happens. If it does, it will last one season. A certain player will hold them hostage to get what he wants. Everything surrounding will crumble. Coaches, players and front office will come and go. On the merry go round will go.
Ouch. Is that what you thought of Cousins in his entire Kings tenure? So that must mean the rest of his career he will follow down the same path. Who knows, maybe he will. There is still a lot of time left for him to find out.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#56
And the point is we had one of each. The best of both worlds.

The NBA has shifted to guard play no doubt but we would have had our own competitive advantage in an elite level big and an elite guard surrounded by hard nosed role players.

We even had a roster for it at the time:

C - DMC
PF - take your pick of Reggie Evans, Carl Landry, JT
SF - Omri, Quincy Acy
SG - Ben McLemore
PG - IT

Rudy as a trade chip to grab a 3 & D, SG or add depth
That team would win 35 games tops, if that's cool with you...then by all means!
 
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