Personally I think this team can beat any other team in the NBA as is. They are going to score as well as any team in the league. They don't have the best individual defensive players but they do have a defensive anchor in the paint. All they need is the will to play team defense together and they can be a good defensive team. I think this is a good mesh of personality and ability for Stevens to work with and it gives him a lot of flexibility. We are going to watch as he genius pours out in this team's efficiency.

Golden State, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Houston, and Cleveland are all better on paper. Who's the superstar on Boston? You have to have a stud.

You don't have to have a stud. There have been many great teams without studs. Some have been champs some haven't. If you can make it work with 5 superstars you can make it work with zero. If you play team D and rebound you are going to be in any game. As long as they run the offense the way it's constructed to (evidence says they will) they can score as much as any team can. I am a little worried about guarding LeBron as he is really the ONLY player that can single handledy beat a great team D. I don't see Cleveland being as good as everyone else does. Kevin Love has only disappointed me in CLE Dwade really isn't more than a 6th man at this point. Their strength is they have a crew of guys that will give them the ability to gain a lot of favorable matchup but again team D is the factor

"a defensive anchor in the paint" ?! Did they make a trade only you know about?
The Defense and even more so the rebounding for this team has the potential to be terrible.

I don't like losing all your defenders and I'm not sure Irving for IT isn't a push but Irving is physically better suited for the rigors of the post season (just because he isn't a midget) I guess

aren't you the same guy who said Lilliard is better than Curry?

Posted by Coach_Nate on 9/30/2017 3:26:00 AM (view original):
You don't have to have a stud. There have been many great teams without studs. Some have been champs some haven't. If you can make it work with 5 superstars you can make it work with zero. If you play team D and rebound you are going to be in any game. As long as they run the offense the way it's constructed to (evidence says they will) they can score as much as any team can. I am a little worried about guarding LeBron as he is really the ONLY player that can single handledy beat a great team D. I don't see Cleveland being as good as everyone else does. Kevin Love has only disappointed me in CLE Dwade really isn't more than a 6th man at this point. Their strength is they have a crew of guys that will give them the ability to gain a lot of favorable matchup but again team D is the factor

nah - Chauncey's Pistons and who else? Every titlist has a top 10 stud (or more) all the way back to like the 77-79 Sonics/Wizards back and forth seasons (and even those teams had a few HOFers on hand (DJ, Hayes, Unseld))

Horford is a big man who can anchor down a good team D. And the guys in top 10 change from year to year and both Irving and Hayward can be top ten guys. Maybe not every year and maybe not at the same time but it's highly possible given coach Brad Stevens offense. Rebounding may be a problem but this team isn't going to be a slow down team any way

Celtics will make the playoffs. They may even make it to the finals. There are at least 2 - 3 teams in the west that can beat the Celtics in a 7 game series.

Posted by Coach_Nate on 10/3/2017 3:37:00 PM (view original):
Horford is a big man who can anchor down a good team D. And the guys in top 10 change from year to year and both Irving and Hayward can be top ten guys. Maybe not every year and maybe not at the same time but it's highly possible given coach Brad Stevens offense. Rebounding may be a problem but this team isn't going to be a slow down team any way

Even Horford knows he shouldn't be playing C, but you claim he can anchor a good D playing there.
I think I'll take his word over yours.
You have been known to be off a bit in your NBA assessments.

Weather or not that's the case he is a well abled center in today's league and he's going to play there

the best part of the Celtics as constructed to me is that Horford doesn't have to be the 5 at all

Posted by edsortails on 10/4/2017 1:13:00 AM (view original):
the best part of the Celtics as constructed to me is that Horford doesn't have to be the 5 at all

Many options of numerous lineups for Brad Stevens

no, that's right, they can totally start Aron Baynes....

Posted by copernicus on 10/4/2017 8:51:00 AM (view original):
no, that's right, they can totally start Aron Baynes....

Nate will probably claim that Baynes is the 2nd-best Defensive Center in the League; right behind Horford.