Everything 2017 Off-Season

[TrueTorontoFan]

Lowry doesn't play defense consistently anymore. Sure he has his moments, but nowhere close to his bulldog reputation from 3-4 years ago.

His steals were pretty much the same as two years ago and 3 years ago...in fact slightly above. He gambles less but I think that that is better and partly because of scheme. He still takes tons of charges.

[Mack North]

C**tic fans burning IT jerseys. Stay Classy, Boston.

https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-new...ng-begun-fans/

[Demographic Shift]

Is Irving a franchise player, though? That's the crux of it and highly debatable. To date, nothing he's done without Lebron indicates that he's anything more than an empty stats guy who doesn't affect winning, except in a negative way.

Until Kyrie proves otherwise, I gotta agree with Naismith. Ainge got fleeced. Stevens has his hands full.

Irving on his own has had a rather unspectacular run as the go to guy. Drafted in 2011 he improved the Cavs win total by 2 wins over the previous year. From 19 to 21 albeit in a shortened 66 game season.For the next 2 years he led the club to 24 then the apex of his career to date a 33 win plateau.

Then Lebron and Love arrive and they go to the NBA Finals 3 straight years.

In Boston he has Hayward and Horford to work with right now. Hayward is better than Luol Deng and Horford is better than Tristan Thompson was on that 33 win team.... But .....Love and Lebron aren't coming in that door on game night. Irving got what he wanted. He will be the focal point of the Chowderheads offence. Has he honed his game and demeanour enough to lead the Celtics to 50 wins ? Because that's the bar he has to get over.

I think no.

We will find out by Christmas if Irving can cash cheques with his body that he writes with his mouth.




Cleveland Cavaliers Records Year by Year:

2016-17 Cavaliers 51-31 .622 2nd, East Conference 13-5 .722 Lost NBA Finals
2015-16 Cavaliers 57-25 .695 1st, East Conference 16-5 .762 NBA Champions 2016 NBA Champions
2014-15 Cavaliers 53-29 .646 2nd, East Conference 14-6 .700 Lost NBA Finals
2013-14 Cavaliers 33-49 .402 10th, East Conference - - DNQ
2012-13 Cavaliers 24-58 .293 13th, East Conference - - DNQ
2011-12 * Cavaliers 21-45 .318 13th, East Conference - - DNQ
2010-11 Cavaliers 19-63 .232 15th, East Conference - - DNQ

[Mess]

Cavs got a pretty damn nice return for Kyrie, even if IT isn't healthy to start the season (and they don't have to resign him, max or otherwise, if Lebron bails).

Celtics will be alright with Taytum, Hayward and Brown to fill Crowder's minutes/role. And I guess Kyrie holds up better on D than IT just by virtue of him being bigger. I imagine Hayward will have the ball in his hands a lot so Kyrie won't be a one man team like his early days (will help him play more than 50ish games too).

And I'd rather Kyrie on the Celtics than Butler or PG. Even though Kyrie in a Stevens offense is going to be even more nuts....you'd think it cuts down on the iso-Kyrie 20 dribble-then shoot possession.

Speaking of which:

"QUIT FUCKING DRIBBLING AND GIVE IT TO HAYWARD BOY!!!" pic.twitter.com/r5G2xGnEx5

— Valyrian Velour. (@doylenoir) August 22, 2017

[gk17]

C**tic fans burning IT jerseys. Stay Classy, Boston.

https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-new...ng-begun-fans/

As if he had wanted to leave...

[slaw]

C**tic fans burning IT jerseys. Stay Classy, Boston.

Worst sports fans in North America....

[Bendit]

So, Danny Ainge got his shiny bauble. Personal opinion, based on the chatter of course and the current demands leading to this deal, Kyrie has always struck me as a petulant. Oh and I forgot his flat earth tweets. Translation...will he rise above the tough times as "leader" of the pack and bring joy to the Celtics fandom. I am doubtful.

I think Danny boy fucked up here. He should have done the deal for Butler with the Bulls. I believe the 1st rounder of the Nets was the issue...but he spit it up here. ANd depending on circumstances KI can walk in a couple of years.

I look forward to the Cavs-Celtics tilts next season. IT and LBJ will be sky high for a beat down. Will KI respond?

From a Raps. standpoint (as already alluded to) it's the best outcome imo... no Butler or PG on the Celts and one less major 1st rounder pick in '18. We can overcome!

[Mack North]

So, Danny Ainge got his shiny bauble. Personal opinion, based on the chatter of course and the current demands leading to this deal, Kyrie has always struck me as a petulant. Oh and I forgot his flat earth tweets. Translation...will he rise above the tough times as "leader" of the pack and bring joy to the Celtics fandom. I am doubtful.

I think Danny boy fucked up here. He should have done the deal for Butler with the Bulls. I believe the 1st rounder of the Nets was the issue...but he spit it up here. ANd depending on circumstances KI can walk in a couple of years.

I look forward to the Cavs-Celtics tilts next season. IT and LBJ will be sky high for a beat down. Will KI respond?

From a Raps. standpoint (as already alluded to) it's the best outcome imo... no Butler or PG on the Celts and one less major 1st rounder pick in '18. We can overcome!

We don't have to wait long either... first game of the season, Oct 17!

[Shaolin Fantastic]

I think I'm actually going to get league pass. So many storylines to follow this year.

[tDotted]

We don't have to wait long either... first game of the season, Oct 17!

Awesome.

The schedule makers would've definitely made us wait longer for that matchup if the trade had gone down earlier.

[magoon]

Their wing defense is just nonexistent now... lol.

Um, guys? Gordon Hayward is a better wing defender than Jae Crowder is, and he's also larger than Crowder is. That was one of the major reasons the Celtics signed him; in addition to being a secondary scorer and playmaker he's also an upgrade on their defense because the Celtics can't get bullied on the wing now.

[magoon]

CLE annihilated this trade!

They basically got back the same player (no defense, score first PG that is super clutch), added a MUCH needed physical defender that can now keep LeBron fresher by helping guard one of Klay, KD or Green instead of LBJ doing it by himself while also gaining a top 5 pick in a super stacked top 7 draft next year that they either kick start their rebuild if there was a "post-LeBron" (now I think he stays) or it's a piece to bring in yet another all-star and win another ship, retain LBJ and murder the East for another 2-3 years just in time for us to have wasted everybody's damn time when BOS, PHI and MIL takeover after that point and we recycle the next wave of overacheivers.

Well done Masai, you fence sitting over evaluating and overrated bum.

I agree that Cleveland won the trade (seriously, if you were going to burn the Nets pick on a player, it should have been Paul George), but:

1.) There are a lot of people worried that Isaiah isn't going to be the same player after his hip surgery.

2.) Kyrie is "only the same player" if he doesn't commit on defense. Isaiah commits on defense as much as possible because that's the kind of player he is, and he has about the same impact on defense as not-caring Kyrie does because he's tiny. If Kyrie getting the chance to be The Man makes him elevate his defensive game even to "passable" he's a much better player than Isaiah.

3.) Isaiah's value was diminished because this is his contract year; Kyrie has two years left on his deal at excellent value. Next summer, Cleveland will have to compete for both LeBron AND Isaiah and spend even more money, which is nuts.

4.) Crowder is a great pickup but he was completely expendable for Boston because once they got Hayward he was a fine bench player to them and nothing more.

5.) The real giveaway that makes Cleveland win the trade isn't IT or Crowder; it's the additional inclusion of the Nets pick, which they can use to either draft a potential star next year (if LeBron leaves) or trade for another star (if LeBron stays). IT and Crowder for Kyrie would have been pretty much fair value. The pick is what makes it great for Cleveland.

[c-troop]

Um, guys? Gordon Hayward is a better wing defender than Jae Crowder is, and he's also larger than Crowder is. That was one of the major reasons the Celtics signed him; in addition to being a secondary scorer and playmaker he's also an upgrade on their defense because the Celtics can't get bullied on the wing now.

Scenario: you're Demar DeRozan and you're driving to the bucket for a layup/floater.

Who would you rather have trying to block you?

Jae Crowder 6'6" 225 (The Beast)? or Gordon Hayward 6'8" 226 (hair gordon)?

[c-troop]

Kyrie and Gordon Hayward have the same birthday lol

March 23 is gonna be a party in Boston

[tDotted]

Um, guys? Gordon Hayward is a better wing defender than Jae Crowder is, and he's also larger than Crowder is. That was one of the major reasons the Celtics signed him; in addition to being a secondary scorer and playmaker he's also an upgrade on their defense because the Celtics can't get bullied on the wing now.

Uh no. Wing defense was not the Celtics' issue last year and they clearly got worse in that area by losing both Crowder and Bradley. Hayward is okay but won't help the Celtics make up (let alone improve upon) the loss of both those guys.