Live Thread: Cavs at Celtics (7:30 tip)
2015-12-15Avery Bradley has been “a nice piece” for going on five years. During that time, as Danny Ainge has hoarded power forwards and point guards, it hasn’t always been clear where Bradley fit into the rebuild. Was Ainge waiting for Bradley’s trade value to ascend to a level that could net more draft picks? Was Bradley the future point guard after the Celtics dealt Rajon Rondo? (That Rondo trade by Dallas was positively Welschian)
Bradley comes into tonight’s contest shooting a career high 43% from 3-point land. He remains a shooting guard in a point guard’s body with a poor assist to turnover ratio, on a team that nevertheless generates a lot of assists. Both Evan Turner and Isaiah Thomas far outpace him in dishing out the dimes. (Even the Celtics bigs, David Lee and Jared Sullinger, have better passing stats). Keep an eye on Bradley as the season progresses. He’s on a very reasonable contract for the “new CBA” that everyone keeps predicting. And with the way he’s playing right now, his value may never be higher.
The Celtics have blown a lot of teams out, and have been blown out a few times. They’re a strange team without a superstar to provide a stable offensive output. As we saw in last year’s playoff – Isaiah Thomas can be a frightening offensive live wire or he can sabotage his team’s offense with bad shots. They’re 4th in SRS (Cavs are currently 7th) because they play great defense and when their offense clicks, it’s high octane. They’re not great shooters so they’re a bit awkward in the Houston Rocket mold. Their style of play is very dissimilar from the Cavaliers – who rely on superstar play, slow pace, and outstanding outside shooting (Cavs are 4th in TS% – without Kyrie Irving – while the Celtics are 20th)
As for tonight’s contest, I fully expect the Bean Town crowd to boo Kevin Love because…Boston. And Jae Crowder apparently has an axe to grind with J.R. Smith. Count me in as one that would love to see the rise of a new Eastern Conference villain for LeBron to vanquish. I miss the days of Arenas, Sheed, and the thug offices of Stevenson and Stephenson. With Joakhim Noah and Derrick Rose looking nursing home bound, and the remaining Heatles staying friendly with LeBron, I hereby pass the torch on to Crowder and Co. If last season’s playoff was any indication, the Celtics are going to play as rotten as the referees will allow. And don’t be fooled by Brad Stevens’ choir boy face – he’s got his fingerprints all over this team’s style of play. He also works for Danny Ainge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN1gfT2IUuo#t=1m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV1KIkaElvg
Recap is up!
I think the Lakers have found something. If they make the playoffs, they are going to be a tough out for anyone.
Lest anyone think I’m serious, I’m not.
If a Byron Scott team ever reaches the playoffs again, I’ll eat my underwear.
Screenshot’d for posterity.
Iman Shumpert is fine, I’m told. #Cavs don’t expect him to play on Thursday against OKC. —- Chris Haynes
Well, that’s good news.
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ 6m6 minutes ago
Shumpert probably won’t play Thursday vs OKC, but #Cavs don’t believe it’s as severe as last season’s groin injury
Whew the Thunder dont have a good backcourt anyways
Yeah, Russ sucks.. Dion’s better at chucking
Without Shump, Dion is going to have a 60 point game. #GOAT
That’s Boston fans for you:
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ
Celtics fan sitting behind press tables as Love works in the post: “Rip his arm out of socket! Who cares? Rip it out!”
You said it, Zach:
Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA 1h1 hour ago
I love when national audiences discover how Heinsohn is every game.
BLATT SOUNDS CONCERNED WITH SHUMP’S STATUS —–DAMN !!!!—-TIME FOR ANOTHER XMAS ALE !!
Probably concerned since he’s had the groin injury before…
Bucks gave us a harder time than these Celtics
So the Veltics suck. They need to find some talent.
Um… pretty sure the “Veltics” are French spinning lures for fishing…
Nevertheless, they suck.
Whatever Shump’s injury situation, it highlights the fact that MDN is a much more valuable piece to have on the bench than Harris.
Agree completely.
I’m guessing he got injured because he’s out of shape, right cols?
Definitely looked fat.
I’m going conspiracy theory so we keep Cunningham
This has been true since November.
My greatest basketball wish for the future offseason is for the Celtics to use the Nets pick to draft the third biggest bust in NBA history, after Thabeet and Bennett. That would be amazing.
Why settle for the third biggest? I hope they end up trading the guy they select for Anthony Bennett their so desperate to save face.
I just had a hard time imagining a bigger bust than either of those, but if they can one up Bennett and Thabeet, I’m all for it.
Defense has been great the last three games. Let’s hope they can keep this up.
Will Kyrie comeback against the Thunder?
I have a bet going with a buddy of mine… I think he’ll be back for OKC, and he doesn’t think we’ll see him until next week…
I think he will go ballistic if he doesn’t. Rumors are he is pissed and letting the FO know about it that he’s more than ready to play. Besides I will be at that game so of course he will play. LoL
I take that as a good sign for me!
So all I want to know is whether Jae Crowder pooped his pants on a Delly foul. Otherwise, I am, not surprisingly, correct about everything.
His face looked like he crapped himself at the end…
Very prophetic JoeyB…
Oh boy… can’t wait to drive home and listen to the Lakers get smoked by the Bucks at Staples… (glee)
Cavs destroyed the Celts in the paint… 44-24
In the second half they gang-rebounded almost every missed shot. Thing of beauty
Timo was really effective in his 24 minutes too…
Great win. Hope Shump JR Mo and everyone is ok.
Mo gave us 10 pts 3 assists. . Like his mid range shot
He hit a big 3 in the second half too. Kept the offense moving.
Talking bout injuries
This feels kind of like the end of “The Sting,” when Redford says, “You were right, Henry. It’s not enough…but it’s close.”
Absolutely love this win. Defense and team ball. And we are still missing our all star point guard. Holy moly!
Crowder with that crybaby face. He so sad. A 180 from chirping at Lebron 1st quarter
He is sad… His claim to fame is somehow spraining his knee after a punch to the face… NBA footnote…
He is a joke, pretty much like most of their team. I think it funnels down from the coach, from their trash talking to their constant chippy play. I’d be fine if they lost the rest of their games this season.
Seeya Celtics, now go be lousy the rest of the season. Hope you have terrible luck in the draft.
White flag time Brad…
JR FACE! Guess the wrist is ok…
Goodnight Bahstahn!!!!!!!!!!
JR was holding his wrist briefly after that LeBron turnover.
Can only listen but man this half sounds like the Cavs we knew was possible
“Best of Tom Heinsohn”??? Glad I have the sound off!
Yeah… “best of” and “Tommy Heinsohn” seems like an oxymoron… emphasis on the “moron”…
Time to sit Lebron and Kevin down
No idea how this Celtics team has such a high point differential….they are pretty terrible.
They are pretty good defensively. When those YOLO 3s are falling they win big. When they’re not? This happens.
That’s a fair point, they have missed a ton of shots. But they also seem really careless with the ball, and they have a lot of pretty mediocre players.
This is the best defensive effort I have seen the Cavs give this season. (the second half)
The Celtics, even though they have missed tons of shots, have a crapload of offensive boards, and they are still losing big. I think they aren’t as good as their record, really. I think they are a .500 team.
I thought so too but looking at their results surprised me, They have beaten some really good teams. http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2016_games.html
They don’t usually play teams as good as the Cavs… especially on defense…
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ 2m2 minutes ago Boston, MA
Iman Shumpert left the game with a right groin injury, will not return.
Hack a TT? Okay Boston!
Bron going into milk the clock mode… I bet if you tallied up all of the seconds he spends just pounding the ball at the top of the key and deducted it from his overall minutes… he’d have about a year or two less mileage…
That’s a very good point.
Kyrie is getting antsy on the bench…
That LBJ turnaround was sick…
WE HAVE DOUBLED OUR ASISTS THIS HALF AND HELD THE CELTS TO 50 % LESS ASISTS THIS HALF —NO SECRET TO THE SCORE —–” THE BALL HAS TO CONSISTENTLY MOVE “——-MAN WHEN IS THIS INJURY JINX GOING TO LEAVE TOWN
Ugh! Shump can’t stay healthy.
Shump just seems injury prone. He always says he goes 100% all the time, but I wish he’d tone it down in the regular season. No need for him to kill himself for these games.
Might be a recurrence of the injury he had in the playoffs.
Damn f$&$(?ck.. Please nothing serious
Do some yoga Shump
SERIOUSLY
Do some groin stretches? Splits with the Cavs cheerleaders. Something….
100% cosign this..
One thing for sure (maybe with the injuries) Warrants Kyrie return and makes room for Cunningham thus pressure for Harris trade. Who knows I could be crazy
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ 12m12 minutes ago
Cavaliers notebook: As NBA trade season begins, Joe Harris could be dealt in coming months
Thank God KLOVE came in, nice post move, nice rebound and now a key 3 to go up by 12 with 5 min left.
KEVIN LOVE just when you need him! BAM 5 spot
Kevin Wesley freakin Love
The KLove Train!!!!!!!
I’d let Mosgov close in this game
He is giving them more trouble than Tristan is in this game
Totally agree… Mozzy has been doing good damage inside…
Too much Le-ISO…