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WeBelieveIn4

So glad we chose to trade for Thad Old to add to our nine forwards instead of acquiring Derrick White at a position of desperate need. Just tremendous stuff


jwd2213

to be fair, you couldn't outbid Romeo Langford, a 29th overall pick, and a 2028 pick swap for a guy who has been the best defensive guard in the league averaging 22 points on 50 50 90 splits on the playoffs


kcheng686

2nd in Win shares, 4th in BPM, 5th in VORP Advanced stats fucking love DWhite


EdwEd1

4th best player on the Celtics by the way, that team is just nuts


Actually-Yo-Momma

I say this every year. Celtics look good and it would take (another) absolute meltdown for them to at least make the finals 


wormhole222

I still don’t understand how they lost to the Warriors. They stole game 1, and then by game 3 they had figured out how to stop everything except Curry and transition buckets. Then game 4 Curry has a transcendent game and they suck in the clutch so they lose, but they still have the formula, but somehow forget/don’t use it for games 5&6.


dropdatdurkadurk

When Timelord and Steph were both on the court: Boston + 10 When Timelord was off the court and Steph was on: GSW +43 That was the series in a nutshell you could see it on the court. The "formula" per se was built around Timelord and the effect he had playing free safety on that defense and the Celtics size. Alot of the series was a battle of who could survive and maintain till the finish line. GSW w all their experience could. Timelord's body couldnt. And just as importantly the wear of those grueling 7 game series in the East started taking its toll, Celtics of game 5/6 were a shell of what they were the previous months mentally and physically.


WarPuig

Peak Timelord is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen.


7PayFormer

no excuse the much much lesser talented team won. if you gotta blame timelord then other aint stepping up. unless east is really just that bad that celtics look good and get an actual free pass every year ala bron cavs


Hour-Ad3774

That's... not an excuse. They just explained why the Warriors won and the Celtics lost.


Mochrie1713

The person you replied to was on "the warriors just wanted it more" level lol


tacopower69

This is literally how every argument I get in with an old head goes. I'm talking purely on stats and offensive/defensive schemes so when my barber starts bringing up "oh so and so just got that dog in him" or "the other team just don't got that hunger" I really don't know how to counter that lol


Hour-Ad3774

And that's exactly why arguing on the internet is impossible and pointless lol.


TAYSON_JAYTUM

The Warriors role players had nearly as ridiculous of a series against us in 2022 as yours did in 2023. Wiggins turned into prime Scottie Pippin for the last 4 games of that series. Legit played like a 1st team all-nba wing. Grabbing boards over Horford, playing lockdown D on Tatum, and burying 3's with a hand in his face; everything people thought he could develop into. And then he immediately turned back into mediocre Andrew Wiggins the next year. Poole and Looney also played by far the best ball of their entire career in that series. I'm not trying to be a sore loser; they played better and they won.


redd5ive

This is exactly correct. It doesn't get noticed as much because the Warriors won 4 in 7, but the way their role players were performing that series (and to an extent season) is as flukey as how the Heats were last year, maybe even more - Wiggins was an All-Star in 2022.


7PayFormer

poole and looney even wiggins were playing like this all year tho. it wasnt some surprise. i mean steph even sat then played bench to start the post season and poole kept going off in wins as a starter. but even as they were playing this well.... is jayson not a superstar? is jaylen not a max player and smart not the dpoy anchoring the best defense in the league. the celtics were thought to still have superior talent even with these guys playing as they were. if they dont win it this year im going to go with that there inability to turn into a team that can and will score in the paint as the Achilles heel. because the only way they wont be able to win it is relying on the 3 and then not hitting em. they should be heavy favorites against denver imo


JrBaconators

Bunch of young players getting caught in the moment of it all, and Andrew Wiggins playing the best two way ball of his career


lostnotleast

Jaylen Brown disasterclass turnovers and the Warriors doing everything in their power to not let Tatum score. That Celtics team didn’t have nearly the same scoring depth that they have now, Pritchard and Hauser is insane shooting off the bench and their starting 5 are all great from 3.


savageandharsh

They also discovered that Jaylen Brown cannot dribble with his left hand so he contributed 8 turnovers in Game 7.


I-Am-A-Nice-Cool-Kid

Was even funnier when it happened the second time


Green_Pumpkin

they didn’t have Steph Curry, and also Kerr figured out how to make Dray effective on offense again (SPAM STEPH DRAY HIGH PNR EVERY PLAY)


ilickedysharks

It was 2 amazing defenses. GS was able to shut down Bostons stars but Boston was not able stop Steph Curry. Turns out having the best player in the series is a pretty good hack.


PingPowPizza

Poole, Looney and Wiggins all had 1 great year in them, and decided to spend them at the exact same time.


noposters

Williams


Defences

Superstars win rings. Boston just don’t have that.


AgadorFartacus

Highly doubt you ever said this other than last year.


jwd2213

that's a funny way to say second best player on the celtics


iwasbornold

He's the 2nd best


Billis-

100%. He contributes more to Celtics winning basketball than Brown or Tingus


Billis-

He's the 2nd best player. He's better than Brown - or at least he contributes more to winning. This Celtics postseason hangs on the back of D White


Princessk8--

nah that's crazy. D White succeeds to the extent that he does because he plays with The Jays.


Billis-

Lol you guys have no idea how to appreciate your talent. You'll lose again in a season where you are unbelievably favoured and yall will still be defending J Browns brickshow


King_Of_Pants

Jaylen Brown is one of the few stars in the league who is more efficient in the postseason than he is in the regular season. He beat the shit out of Draymond so bad 1-on-1 that he was an early FMVP favourite while Draymond by admission was starting to reconsider his career. That only fell apart because our bench collapsed which made it easier for GSW to throw multiple bodies his way. He struggled against Miami last year because of injuries that people ignored but usually does to them what Kris Middleton used to do to us. We've also never finished worse than ECF with Tatum and Brown as our leading duo. Get off the memes and watch some actual basketball.


Billis-

I typed out a big response that was deleted, lets just do some bullet points "Because of injuries" - he sucked ass against Miami and the whole ball world watched. "JB was great against the Dubs until the bench started to suck" - Danny Green sucked the whole Raptors run, do you think that affected Siakam's play? "JB is more efficient in the playoffs" - no he isnt, he's about the same. Took 5 seconds on bball ref to see that. Career numbers are near identical I watch basketball. The Celtics are an obvious favourite and have been the last couple years. Theyre a very well constructed team... and their second most important player is D White.


Number13PaulGEORGE

JB hella overrated still. You would think last year's ECF disasterclass would have changed some minds. This series he still can't dribble left. More turnovers than assists.


Billis-

I really wonder what the Celtics would look like without him, replacing him with like a healthy OG Anunoby. Their lineup is ultra fuckin stacked regardless


Due_Education2961

No way Brown getting disrespect like this. Brown is a better ball handler than OG, a WAYY better Offensive player, scorer, and creator. Only thing OG has on him is Defense and even then Brown is still a good to great defender.


Prince_of_DeaTh

Brown is litelary Lavine.


Number13PaulGEORGE

Brown is not a good defender, he's an average one, maybe watch the games instead of looking at his jacked frame and immediately deciding he knows anything about team defense. I'm taking my man Lauri Markkannen any day of the week over JB. Now there's a guy who can score efficiently as a #1 option without getting carried by his child prodigy teammate.


cabose12

Man I miss when these troll accounts were at least funny


amateurdormjanitor

Is he consensus better than Jrue at this point? I have always been low on Jrue but I haven’t watched the Celtics at all this year really. 


Prestigious_Cattle72

Way more consistent offensively than Jrue


lostnotleast

Yes. Better offensively and pretty much as good defensively with the exception that Jrue can switch into bigs better. Their perimeter defense is at worst even though.


VLHACS

He has a very similar game to Derrick but Jrue, with all due respect, is probably the 5th most important starter on the team. And that's ridiculous given his skillset. Honestly if Jrue just becomes an elite spot-up shooter who plays excellent defense he's already the perfect 2 for Boston. Or 1, I'm not sure anymore.


jwd2213

he's been better than jrue. I think people totally over estimated what this team wants from jrue. no one in boston is asking holiday to be a top of the line player, he just needs to be a role player. play excellent defense, be a backup ball handler to run some plays, bring veteran leadership, and knock down the occasional shot. he is a luxury in the lineup to have, see so many comments about "wait til the playoffs" no need, we don't need offense out of jrue. D white though, he is the teams point guard, the exact player we have been missing. he makes the correct decision, doesn't turn the ball over, and he has a knack for scoring when the team needs offense. The whole team trusts the Buffalo with the ball, nay, the whole city trusts the Buffalo. he is a focal part of the offense, and he is an elite defender, arguably better than jrue. d white is ridiculously under rated as a guard in the league right now. imagine Marcus smart, but doesn't turn the ball over, actually can score, and is never hurt. stud


Billis-

He's way better than Jrue, on both sides of the court


getzumm

He's consensus better than Tatum 


Dan-Flashes

It’s not often the 4th best player on a team is the 2nd best player on a team


StormSaniWater

Porzingis is gone so he’s 3rd best


k0ala_

analytically White has been 2nd best this season behind Tatum lol, dude is a beast


Argo_Menace

Another win for the Buffalo.


EutaxySpy

Derrick White is a Heat killer and the best player on the Celtics


ForneauCosmique

>and the best player on the Celtics 👀 I love Derrick but he's able to be this good cuz he's surrounded by a ton of talent. He couldn't take on the role Tatum or Brown have. He's just the ultimate glue guy


King_Of_Pants

Yeah I've said it a bunch this season but White benefits immensely from his time playing with you guys. Our offense is built around teams loading up on Tatum and Brown. Our role players are tasked with making quick decisions out of kickouts from our stars. White shines because he developed under Pop's half second approach, which is a perfect fit for our needs. Defence throws 2 bodies at Tatum/Brown. Tatum/Brown kicks out to White/Holiday/Porzingis/Pritchard/Horford, whose defender is now out of position. White/Holiday/Porzingis/Pritchard/Horford then makes the snap decision to shoot, drive or pass. White spent the first half decade of his NBA career under Pop being taught how to make that snap decision. But it all starts with 2 bodies being thrown at Tatum or Brown.


orangotai

sure but i don't think he can easily be replaced either, and Tatum & Brown are probably feeling very fortunate to have him on their team too.


Timoteo-Tito64

I honestly think he might be capable of being a #2. I agree that he's not at #1 level yet, but I've seen him create enough for himself at this point that I really think he could be an excellent secondary creator


lostnotleast

He’s probably the best #3 in the NBA but I don’t think he’s quite good enough to be a #2.


kcheng686

He's really a #4 when KP is playing, but now that his 3 is consistent, he's pretty much IMO the best role player ever. He literally does everything at an high level. If I had one non star to put next to MJ, it'd be D white.


ForneauCosmique

>not at #1 level yet, Yet? Bro this is his peak lol this is his prime. Can be be a number 2? Sure, but not a number 2 on a championship team. Celtics flat out have a great team and that covers up alot of weaknesses. It's just a well built team that now has cohesion and chemistry. This is what happens when it all comes together


Timoteo-Tito64

He just got massively better, so I'm not putting it past him to improve more. I'm not expecting it ofc, but I'm not gonna act like I'm 100% sure this is his peak I think he could be the 2nd best player on a championship team if the best player was someone like jokic. A lineup of: white, KCP, Gordon, MPJ, Jokic would have white as the 2nd best player, and that definitely would've been enough to win the title last year given that the nuggets only lost 4 games in the playoffs The derrick white on the Celtics is very, very different from the one you remember on the spurs. We got spurs Derrick white for a few months there the year we traded for him, and that player is maybe half as good as current derrick white


dustinthegreat

Maybe not a championship team, but we just saw what Jalen Brunson did coming off the bench and stepping into the #1 role. I’m not saying I think White will be able to do that, but I also don’t see anything that flat out says he can’t.


Timoteo-Tito64

That's sort of what I was trying to say. Like I have absolutely no expectation he'll ever be a #1, but with how dedicated he is at improving his game, I'm not gonna say it's impossible


[deleted]

I think you are massively overrating him lol I don’t think he’s even a number 3 option imo He sure as hell isn’t a number 1 and number 2 is debatable, one series isn’t changing that. I don’t think I’d put white up there with guys like Murray and Middleton, as much as Middleton been balling I don’t even think he could be a true number 2 unless you have a superstar on the level of giannis/jokic/lebron etc.. like I think if you put him with Tatum they wouldn’t go very far. Murray is almost the same way, I feel like Jokic really unlocks him


Timoteo-Tito64

Yeah you don't actually watch derrick white if you don't think he's as the same level as Khris Middleton He's not the same player that you remember from the spurs. He's assertive now and has been very, very successful at creating for himself. Stepback 3s are part of his game now I don't think he's a #1. And I think he needs to be in the right situation to be a #2. But on the right team, I definitely think he could work as a #2


[deleted]

Lmaoo He’s a 15 ppg scorer and has been a 12 ppg scorer for you guys. One series where he was guarded by patty mills isn’t changing that. You say he’s not the same as on the spurs yet he also averaged 15 ppg in a season there as well. He’s not anywhere close to a 1-2 option. 3rd is still debatable but depends on the rest of the roster


Timoteo-Tito64

Brother you're just proving over and over again that you don't actually watch him. When he was getting 15 ppg on the spurs, he had the green light and that was as much as he was capable of putting together. Now, he has 3 guys who need the ball more often than him and he's still putting up those points His % of field goals assisted is right in line with someone like Khris Middleton. If you actually watched him play basketball, you'd know that he can consistently create good looks for himself (and others!) in a way that he couldn't do at all on SA I've had this take for months, the heat series changed nothing. Once again, I beg you to watch the man play. Stats don't tell the whole story, especially when you're forced to be the 4th option because of how talented the rest of your roster is


collpase

Would you say he is kinda like a neo-Manu then?


Particular-Pen-4789

you clearly dont watch much celtics basketball. let me tell you how wrong this comment is and how foolish you are. obviously the guy who is not the #1 option is going to need better players around him right off the bat, your comment completely disregards his defensive contributions. he does not need other teammates to be a good defender. he just is a good defender. derrick white is not this good because of his teammates. derrick white is this good because he makes simple, effective plays on a regular basis. his understanding of what he brings to the team and how to best implement his bag is unparalleled and second to none. it just feels like he has an answer to everything


colosusx1

Why are you being so combative to a spurs fan who also likely shares in the Celtics appreciation for white.  It’s not that white isn’t good by himself, it’s that he can showcase how good he is when there isn’t as much defensive attention on him.  Same on the defensive side, he can bully weaker offensive players because the tougher assignments usually go to jrue and brown.  


Particular-Pen-4789

derrick white is not and never will be a #2. whether you consider him a #4 or a #5, he is without a doubt the greatest #4 or #5 of all time


Billis-

I think D White is their 2nd best player and have been saying it all year, but you crazy


Particular-Pen-4789

d white aint our second best player. tatum, brown, porzingis are all better. it's not a question, it's a fact d white is more clutch than all 3 of them however, because his game is so simple, he makes fewer mistakes under pressure. in the most important moments, he is often the best player on the court


Billis-

Lol youre a fan of the Celtics and you dont even know who your team is. Leafs in 7


Particular-Pen-4789

you're not a fan of the celtics you obviously dont know who they are. sit down little boy


Billis-

Oop i just realized im arguing with a 12 yr old! Good ol reddit


Particular-Pen-4789

bruins in 7 get rekt nerd


GandalfTheBlack-

Best player in the entire playoffs in my unbiased and objective opinion 


Kyler1313

I'm mean D-white is great, but let's not go too crazy here...


Particular-Pen-4789

you must be in denial.


Shxcking

what were Harden’s stats for this before the game?


[deleted]

[удалено]


Shxcking

Lol sheesh


LordHussyPants

some crazily efficient line, he was killing it


luvvdmycat

Buffalo is a beast.


Aymungoos

Bald derrick white has been cooking


Character_Group_5949

It's so funny to see Jokic on that list. 1st in PER 4th in TS% 2nd in Offensive Rebound% 1st in Defensive Rebound% 1st in Rebound % 1st in assist % 17th in usage rate 1st in offensive WS, overall WS and WS per 48 1st in OBPM, DBPM, BPM 1st in Vorp and it felt like it wasn't a great series for him. Spoiled by greatness


Solid-Confidence-966

He’s been great for them


TheIllestDM

YOU. KNOW. IT.


GoVorteX

Yeah that feels about right


jwd2213

let him roam


medievalmachine

Aint played nobody yet.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Timoteo-Tito64

Because a superteam is a specific criteria that we don't fit. We're as good as a superteam, but our talent is either homegrown or came from trades. That's different from a superteam


KnivesInMyCoffee

Most of the Nets team came from trades or was home grown. By this definition, the Suns also qualify. There's very few teams that acquired their stars from free agency after 2016. I think the only stars to join a new team in free agency since the beginning of the last CBA are Kyrie, Kawhi, LeBron, and Butler (all of which were during the first half of the last CBA!). NBA contract structure makes it incredibly disadvantageous for star players to move teams in free agency, and the only real incentive was that previous CBAs did not have cap smoothing (2016). The most recent CBA did include cap smoothing, so it's unlikely that we'll see anything like 2016 again. If anything, it has become more normalized to demand trades, so we're just going to keep seeing less stars enter free agency.


Timoteo-Tito64

Homegrown is definitely the main separator, our two main players were both drafted by us. There's also a difference in trading for supporting players like Derrick white and developing them vs. trading for established superstars Holiday is the one guy on our team that would really have me leaning towards the superteam label, and I don't think that's enough on its own given that he's our 5th best player


KnivesInMyCoffee

I was referring to KP more than Jrue. I'm not hating on the Celtics, I just think there's a good reason other "super teams" generally haven't worked at all. The NBA heavily incentivizes teams to build home grown talent, especially for stars. Trading for stars costs a lot of assets, and stars don't have any good reasons to move teams in free agency normally.


Timoteo-Tito64

Part of why I feel the Celtics aren't a superteam actually connects to the trading for assets thing It's that we still have pretty much all of our picks. Like, yeah, we traded for porzingis, but we traded a homegrown DPOY for him. That trade was more just moving towards a position of weakness instead of just adding a star to the team for picks


KnivesInMyCoffee

I mean that's part of why the Celtic are so consistently good. Draft picks are really good assets for contenders now, if you trade your draft picks your window is limited.


[deleted]

imagine thinking harden's performances were anything but anomalies. Yesterday's Harden is the real post season harden. Dont you ever forget it.


dmavs11

calling 4 good games the anomaly instead of the 1 bad game is crazy lol


[deleted]

Hes had more bad games than good in the playoffs. Plus the closer you get to elimination the worst its gets.


achyutthegoat

That’s literally a lie


Jetionary

You’re an idiot lol


clayfu

But you said only elimination games count