2024 NBA Playoffs: East Semifinals: #1 Boston Celtics vs #4 Cleveland Cavaliers (BOS WINS 4-1)

[jasonxxx102]

Celtics scare me much less than Orlando. Cavs potentially get back Allen and Wade; meanwhile Celtics lose Porzingis, and people don't even mention that.

People really hate the Cavs. For the last three season we've been a pretty ugly team when Allen doesn't play, but still.

If Allen and Wade are out for a majority of the series, we're going to lose. You can't play your starters 40+ minutes over an entire series. Good on JBB for trying it in a Game 7, but that's not scalable. I think you can play TT a few more minutes when Horford is on the floor, but if Morris and Niang get serious minutes again, we're almost certainly screwed.

Honestly, Wade has been out for two months and I don't see how he plays himself into game shape by the end of this series let alone the start. Allen needs to be back no later than Game 2 for us to have a chance.

Why are we even talking about Dean Wade?

He’s not good. At no point has he been a valuable piece to the team and even if he was healthy he wouldn’t be playing

[jasonxxx102]

I wish I could see who voted Cavs in 4. I’ve got a bunch of ocean front property for sale in Montana!

[Triple7]

Celtics in 5.

[mcfly1204]

Celtics scare me much less than Orlando. Cavs potentially get back Allen and Wade; meanwhile Celtics lose Porzingis, and people don't even mention that.

People really hate the Cavs. For the last three season we've been a pretty ugly team when Allen doesn't play, but still.

If Allen and Wade are out for a majority of the series, we're going to lose. You can't play your starters 40+ minutes over an entire series. Good on JBB for trying it in a Game 7, but that's not scalable. I think you can play TT a few more minutes when Horford is on the floor, but if Morris and Niang get serious minutes again, we're almost certainly screwed.

Honestly, Wade has been out for two months and I don't see how he plays himself into game shape by the end of this series let alone the start. Allen needs to be back no later than Game 2 for us to have a chance.

Why are we even talking about Dean Wade?

He’s not good. At no point has he been a valuable piece to the team and even if he was healthy he wouldn’t be playing

That's... just not true. Wade showed himself to be the most versatile defender on the roster, and would have played a significant role defending the likes of Franz and Paolo in the last series. Along with the defense, Wade was taking 3.7 3PA per game, while knocking down almost 40% of those.

[UNCBlue012]

I'm starting to see a trend that people do not respect Boston based on past playoff failures when this team is very different. It's clear that Porzingis' injury is tough, but Boston went something like 19-4 without him in the regular season and had a slightly better point differential. The playoffs are tricky, but bad logic is being thrown around to fit agendas.

[brackdan70]

Celtics scare me much less than Orlando. Cavs potentially get back Allen and Wade; meanwhile Celtics lose Porzingis, and people don't even mention that.

People really hate the Cavs. For the last three season we've been a pretty ugly team when Allen doesn't play, but still.

If Allen and Wade are out for a majority of the series, we're going to lose. You can't play your starters 40+ minutes over an entire series. Good on JBB for trying it in a Game 7, but that's not scalable. I think you can play TT a few more minutes when Horford is on the floor, but if Morris and Niang get serious minutes again, we're almost certainly screwed.

Honestly, Wade has been out for two months and I don't see how he plays himself into game shape by the end of this series let alone the start. Allen needs to be back no later than Game 2 for us to have a chance.

Why are we even talking about Dean Wade?

He’s not good. At no point has he been a valuable piece to the team and even if he was healthy he wouldn’t be playing

He was like a tall Steph Curry in the game the Cavs won vs Celtics this year. A bit tongue in cheek. Yes in reality he doesn’t matter.

[GoCeltics123]

Cleveland rarely had a healthy team the entire season. I would hope that you as well as others have been watching the NBA long enough to know that there is more to it than the records of the two opposing teams, especially after what just happened last year.

This is HOF homerism lol

Me stating facts is homerism?

Cavs haven't been healthy all year for sure. But the starting lineup was average at best when they did play together.

The Cavs' problem this whole year is the one part of the season they made a run in, Garland and Mobley were out. They were winning games with Mitchell going off as kind of the lead guard who gets most of the touches, while Jarrett Allen held down the paint with Okoro and Dean Wade did a better job than expected at the 4. Garland is a great talent, but him and Mitchell have been an awkward fit at times because of the defensive issues and that Garland can be so turnover-prone and takes touches away from Donovan.

Mobley/Allen problem on offense is well documented. Mobley's terrible shooting ruins their spacing.

[Cricket23]

Celtics fan here, and I picked them in 7 with the assumption that Allen plays and KP doesn't. I've been concerned about a Cavs matchup since before the season started and I still feel the same way. I was more impressed with Cleveland beating a healthy Magic team in 7 than I was with Boston, NY, and Philly beating teams that were severely compromised. I'm more concerned about the Cavs than I am Indy or NY. I think we know who those teams are, as I believe their average play is close to their ceiling. I don't think Cleveland's average has been close to their ceiling with all of the lineup shuffling they've had to do. I do not discount the 64 wins that Boston put up, but I'm more interested in the matchup and current health. I don't care what the stats say, I believe the Magic's defense is better equipped to slow down Cleveland than Boston's is, especially without KP's rim protection. Holiday and White form a terrific defensive backcourt, but not necessarily against quick shifty guards in which the Cavs have two. Suggs was and is a better defender against players like that. Boston also gives up a lot of open 3's, just not from the corners, so I see Cleveland not only being able to drive and get open shots, they will also have an advantage in the paint. Boston has advantages too, but it is ludicrous that this poll is more lopsided than Bos/Mia. Many of us believe Tatum is a top 5 quality player. If he is and he plays like it then Boston will take this series. If he's not and he doesn't, they will lose. Scoring 16 and getting his teammates involved is not going to cut it this series. He needs to put up big numbers this time. If Boston takes the first 2 at home they will be fine. If they lose one then watch out.

[TravisScott55]

This series won't be easy for the Celtics without Porzingis.

[JujitsuFlip]

I wish I could see who voted Cavs in 4. I’ve got a bunch of ocean front property for sale in Montana!

Haha i did but i did in the last series too. I don't believe it but i gotta put it out to the universe.

[bmurph128]

If you were ranking the starters in this series, this isn't too far off from what people would agree on (if Allen plays and KP doesn't):

Tatum
Mitchell
Brown
Garland
Allen
Holiday
White
Mobley
Strus
Horford

There could be some variation at the bottom, but overall that's 1/3/6/7/10 for Boston and 2/4/5/8/9 for Cleveland. The Cavs will need Mitchell to be close to Tatum, Garland close to Brown and Mobley close to White/Holiday - all of that happening isn't super likely, but that's the Cavs only chance. And then Allen would be the x factor....if he doesn't play, we have absolutely zero chance.

[Vee-Rex]

Rarely am I ever as pessimistic as I am now, but I got Celtics in 4.

Boston is a great team no doubt about it, but I am so low on these Cavs and have been for awhile now. We're nowhere near good enough to compete with a championship contender.

[Vee-Rex]

Cleveland's gonna be tired. Its unfair that they get one full day of rest between series

Was it unfair when your Olympic-Durant-Warriors were sweeping the entire Western conference?

If the Cavs want more rest then they need to not go 7 games with the Magic.

[yoyoboy]

If Allen and Wade are out for a majority of the series, we're going to lose. You can't play your starters 40+ minutes over an entire series. Good on JBB for trying it in a Game 7, but that's not scalable. I think you can play TT a few more minutes when Horford is on the floor, but if Morris and Niang get serious minutes again, we're almost certainly screwed.

Honestly, Wade has been out for two months and I don't see how he plays himself into game shape by the end of this series let alone the start. Allen needs to be back no later than Game 2 for us to have a chance.

Why are we even talking about Dean Wade?

He’s not good. At no point has he been a valuable piece to the team and even if he was healthy he wouldn’t be playing

He was like a tall Steph Curry in the game the Cavs won vs Celtics this year. A bit tongue in cheek. Yes in reality he doesn’t matter.

It’s not tongue in cheek though. Wade has been sorely missed by this team since he went out.

Dean Wade has by far the best Net Rating on the team this year (+10.1 while Mitchell is 2nd at +7.2) and that’s not by accident. He’s the most versatile defender on the team, the only guy who you can really throw at big wings, he’s a great rebounder, and he spaces the floor at the 4 spot by shooting almost 40% from 3.

[Jadoogar]

Celtics like to mess around so they will definitely drop 1 but this shouldn't take more than 4 games.

[jbk1234]

Celtics scare me much less than Orlando. Cavs potentially get back Allen and Wade; meanwhile Celtics lose Porzingis, and people don't even mention that.

People really hate the Cavs. For the last three season we've been a pretty ugly team when Allen doesn't play, but still.

If Allen and Wade are out for a majority of the series, we're going to lose. You can't play your starters 40+ minutes over an entire series. Good on JBB for trying it in a Game 7, but that's not scalable. I think you can play TT a few more minutes when Horford is on the floor, but if Morris and Niang get serious minutes again, we're almost certainly screwed.

Honestly, Wade has been out for two months and I don't see how he plays himself into game shape by the end of this series let alone the start. Allen needs to be back no later than Game 2 for us to have a chance.

Why are we even talking about Dean Wade?

He’s not good. At no point has he been a valuable piece to the team and even if he was healthy he wouldn’t be playing

As someone else pointed out, he had a higher net rating than anyone else on the team. All of those shorthanded lineups that worked when he was on the floor, when the Cavs were the deepest team in the league and won a bunch of games, stopped working completely when he was injured and Niang or Morris got extended run.

Now it's fair to point out that his rating is likely inflated due to a number of factors. He started during the easiest part of the schedule, and got injured right before the hardest part of the schedule. He got injured the same time as not only Mitchell, but Mitchell, Strus, and even Mobley.

Scouting reports on SL Champs became available and the height of Merrill and CPJ would inevitably become an issue against better teams.

But make no mistake, he's a far superior player than our other backup bigs. He's enough of a shooter that ignoring him is dangerous. He can defend either forward position and is good rebounder. We missed him badly against the tallest lineup in the NBA in Orlando. Without him and Allen, we're forced into either playing Mobley at the 5 and putting a very undersized defender on Tatum, or putting Mobley on Tatum and playing TT at the 5,. We went from matching up very well against the Celtics to it now being a problem.

[TheBounceIsReal]

If you were ranking the starters in this series, this isn't too far off from what people would agree on (if Allen plays and KP doesn't):

Tatum
Mitchell
Brown
Garland
Allen
Holiday
White
Mobley
Strus
Horford

There could be some variation at the bottom, but overall that's 1/3/6/7/10 for Boston and 2/4/5/8/9 for Cleveland. The Cavs will need Mitchell to be close to Tatum, Garland close to Brown and Mobley close to White/Holiday - all of that happening isn't super likely, but that's the Cavs only chance. And then Allen would be the x factor....if he doesn't play, we have absolutely zero chance.

I don't know that most people would agree with that. I agree with your conclusion about the series, but In tiers, I'd rank the starters as follows:

1A:
Tatum
Mitchell

1B:
Brown

2A:
White

2B:
Holiday
Garland
Allen

3A:
Horford
Mobley

3B:
Strus


Reasonable people can disagree, but I think White is clearly above Garland and Allen, having scored 63 points over games 4 and 5 and being an all-defensive guard. I also put Horford above Mobley, if only because Al is a 40% 3pt shooter and still plays very good defense. Mobley's an excellent defender but his offense is rough, career 47/25/65 shooting splits in the playoffs.

[Sweet Serenity]

If you were ranking the starters in this series, this isn't too far off from what people would agree on (if Allen plays and KP doesn't):

Tatum
Mitchell
Brown
Garland
Allen
Holiday
White
Mobley
Strus
Horford

There could be some variation at the bottom, but overall that's 1/3/6/7/10 for Boston and 2/4/5/8/9 for Cleveland. The Cavs will need Mitchell to be close to Tatum, Garland close to Brown and Mobley close to White/Holiday - all of that happening isn't super likely, but that's the Cavs only chance. And then Allen would be the x factor....if he doesn't play, we have absolutely zero chance.

White’s better than Garland mate

[cgf]

I'm starting to see a trend that people do not respect Boston based on past playoff failures when this team is very different. It's clear that Porzingis' injury is tough, but Boston went something like 19-4 without him in the regular season and had a slightly better point differential. The playoffs are tricky, but bad logic is being thrown around to fit agendas.

Aren’t the old weaknesses still there? Coming through in crunch time when their offense develops to the Js iso’ing. Getting out coached. Getting outworked & beaten up inside.

The bar is higher because your strengths are even stronger so it’s easier to just out talent your problems, and when KP can drag his man out to the perimeter that negates some of the disadvantage inside.

Of course some of those concerns could be solved just by your core maturing and Mazulla’s improvement, but until we see that I think it’s fair to question.

[bisme37]

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