Legitimate question to the fans on this forum

[JTMVP]

Are you guys having fun watching this team? By reading all of the posts, it seems like most on here are more stressed about the potential for a poor performance or a stretch of poor play than actually enjoying the good play. In other words, people on here are more relieved when they win than joyful because of it. It seems to me that the crazy almost unattainable expectations placed on this team are ruining the experience for most fans. And this doesn’t just apply to the fans on this site. The garden crowd isn’t great. Years of success and the built-in belief that this team should destroy all opponents has turned the home court advantage into a far more neutral setting. Anything less than 30 point blowouts has become unacceptable. And I think that this has factored into the Celtics lousy home playoff record over the past few years. On the road, the team takes an us versus everyone mentality that it doesn’t have at home.

It’s just a weird feeling following this team and the ridiculous media takes surrounding it. If they win big, then they are boring and the competition sucks. If they win by a little, they are playing with their food and aren’t serious (I.e. they’ll lose when they face the dominant western conference teams). And if they lose, forget about it.

Where do you fall with this team? Has following them with these insane expectations become a joyless experience? It certainty feels that way based on what I’ve read on here.

[zoyathedestroya]

I can't be the only one who's immensely enjoyed every season I've followed closely (basically Stevens era), celebrated/lauded team for their every win/milestone, and got frustrated/disappointed by losses or poor play (w/c is very subjective) while still maintaining super high expectations on the team (w/c will be lowered once we win a title)?

A human being is capable of experiencing several emotions and having several thoughts at once. (Soon, us bots too!) And every fan should be allowed to support their team the way they want (of course within the obvious limits). It's concerning though that some fans (including me sometimes) comment more about how other fans should react or behave than talk about the actual basketball going on.

As someone who hasn't attended a game live, I don't think I've had a direct effect on team play. If our players are affected by what they read on an internet forum, they need to stop lurking. I've personally learned to put a few people on ignore, skip posts, or refrain from replying to make RGM a more pleasant experience. If I could ignore me, I would do that too.

Not that anyone's asking...

Least enjoyable season from Stevens era: 2018-19
Most enjoyable season from Stevens era: tossup between 2016-17 and 2021-22 (2024 season can exceed both with a title)

Neither was tainted/affected by other fans' behavior towards the team.

[redslastlaugh]

I agree that the vibes this postseason have felt off. Watching on TV, I’ve thought geez, what’s wrong with the crowds at the Garden, especially when I catch the maniacal crowds going off at MSG or OKC.

I really love a lot of the guys on the team like JT, JB, DWhite, Al and many others. I don’t think they’re soft or anything like that.

To me the style of play is what turns longtime fans off. We have so many possessions where a player dribbles over half court steps into a three, and that’s it, that’s the possession. It either goes in or not. No one else touches the ball and no offensive player steps inside the arc. These no-pass possessions are okay if the shot goes in but are very boring if the shot misses.

When we do run offense in the half court, we frequently run the same exact basic action over and over, high screen at the top of the arc for the ball handler while the other 3 players stand nailed to their spot behind the arc. We have so little cutting, off ball screens, post ups, give and go’s… we just run the most simplistic, basic offense without any misdirection or strategems to get easy baskets.

Reductionist analytics are basically to blame. I think the brain trust literally does not want the players to cut to the hoop from the 3 pt line because they want a high % of FG attempts to be 3s. But depressingly this in innumerate because high percentage 2s are worth more than 3s over a playoff series. If you could get a Rob Williams attempt at the rim at 85%, you’d score 170 pts per 100. But like JT or D White 3s, even if they convert at 40%, are only going to yield 120 pts per 100.

So the basic game plan that the team employs just sort of depresses the crowd by taking all of the fun, joy and teamwork out of the offense. And on a bad shooting nights it introduces unnecessary variance leading to blowout losses.

You have to remember that longtime fans grew up a tradition of Celtics basketball that emphasized ball and player movement going back decades. And even newer fans remember Paul and KG and this current play style is just kind of a drag. The fans accept it when it’s working but when it’s not working, it’s a real drag to watch.

And lastly as you get deeper into the playoffs:

Teamwork defeats indivudual play
Complexity defeats simplicity
&
Ex-steph and Klay, the team that controls the two point area wins every Finals series.

So I think that’s sort of our problem is those things and the fans are very smart and can feel it.

[BK_2020]

Our offense is horrible! We only have the best offensive rating in the history of the NBA!!!!! Why can't we be like the other teams who score less than us?!??!?!?

[BK_2020]

Why doesn't Joe just have Rob Williams dunk 100 times a game???????? HE's Such a BAD coach!!!

[Tyakack]

I don't think anybody is stressed out. Why would anyone be stressed out? The team is winning... I'm not sure how much joy you are expecting to see after we just beat the hobbled heat and hobbled cavs. We got the job done like we were supposed to. It would have been one of the biggest choke jobs in NBA history if we weren't where we are today.


Also, the competition sucks rather we win big or not. The reason alot of people are expecting us to win big is because of how much it sucks.

Where am I with this team? I'm ready for them to win a title. Point blank period. It's all I care about right now. They are deep enough, old enough, talented enough, and to throw in an extra bonus everyone else sucks and is hurt on top of that. We will likely have to play only one team that is on our level and healthy the whole way through.

So yeah, I'm happy we are in the ECF, again.. But I'm only gonna get so happy over that. Especially considering who we beat to get here but that's besides the point. I've seen us do this already many times over recent years. The only thing that is going to get me to that next level excitement is a title. Until then my joy level can only get about this high...

[JTMVP]

I don't think anybody is stressed out. Why would anyone be stressed out? The team is winning... I'm not sure how much joy you are expecting to see after we just beat the hobbled heat and hobbled cavs. We got the job done like we were supposed to. It would have been one of the biggest choke jobs in NBA history if we weren't where we are today.


Also, the competition sucks rather we win big or not. The reason alot of people are expecting us to win big is because of how much it sucks.

Where am I with this team? I'm ready for them to win a title. Point blank period. It's all I care about right now. They are deep enough, old enough, talented enough, and to throw in an extra bonus everyone else sucks and is hurt on top of that. We will likely have to play only one team that is on our level and healthy the whole way through.

So yeah, I'm happy we are in the ECF, again.. But I'm only gonna get so happy over that. Especially considering who we beat to get here but that's besides the point. I've seen us do this already many times over recent years. The only thing that is going to get me to that next level excitement is a title. Until then my joy level can only get about this high...

I think that this is the exact sentiment I’m talking about. Meanwhile, you’ve got Knicks fans and OKC fans rabid after every made basket. If the team is constantly surrounded by people with this attitude, are they themselves enjoying it? Many years ago, players could just shut it out. But in today’s 24/7 social media frenzy, I don’t think that anyone can.

[31to6]

Yes, I am enjoying this season and this postseason a ton.

[Tyakack]

I don't think anybody is stressed out. Why would anyone be stressed out? The team is winning... I'm not sure how much joy you are expecting to see after we just beat the hobbled heat and hobbled cavs. We got the job done like we were supposed to. It would have been one of the biggest choke jobs in NBA history if we weren't where we are today.


Also, the competition sucks rather we win big or not. The reason alot of people are expecting us to win big is because of how much it sucks.

Where am I with this team? I'm ready for them to win a title. Point blank period. It's all I care about right now. They are deep enough, old enough, talented enough, and to throw in an extra bonus everyone else sucks and is hurt on top of that. We will likely have to play only one team that is on our level and healthy the whole way through.

So yeah, I'm happy we are in the ECF, again.. But I'm only gonna get so happy over that. Especially considering who we beat to get here but that's besides the point. I've seen us do this already many times over recent years. The only thing that is going to get me to that next level excitement is a title. Until then my joy level can only get about this high...

I think that this is the exact sentiment I’m talking about. Meanwhile, you’ve got Knicks fans and OKC fans rabid after every made basket. If the team is constantly surrounded by people with this attitude, are they themselves enjoying it? Many years ago, players could just shut it out. But in today’s 24/7 social media frenzy, I don’t think that anyone can.

I think those fans are just happy to have a serious team for the first time in awhile. Especially the Knicks. They've sucked since forever. I'd rather be in our position than theirs. They have great crowds though. Good for them.

I'm not really overly concerned about how much the team is enjoying themselves tbh. That thought has never once crossed my mind. I think they seem to be enjoying themselves just fine. Winning is pretty fun.. And they win alot.

[gocelts]

Its frustrating.

This team beats up on lesser competition but has these lapses in offense where they look confused and unorganized.

The frustrating part is that this team has LOTS of talent. Off nights happen, but a lack of effort and lazy play when things don't go our way is going to catch up to us as the competition gets better IF we don't improve. Things like stepping out of bounds, settling for bad 3s, or getting outrebounded by small players because no one is under the basket are specific examples. Also, the demise of playoff "home court advantage" has also contributed. It seems we go either way at home or on the road in the playoffs.

The blame? It's both. The players and the coach. The Solution? Both, the players and the coach.

We are 8 wins away from a championship and four of them are against either the Knicks or Pacers, both of whom we have more talent. The anxiety is derived from where we should have beaten the Heat last year but choked and ugly losses this year. Watching a whole season and predicting where this is going to go while sitting at home...well....here we are on a message board venting frustration.

Ill be the first one to drive my family 8 hours to see a parade if it happens in June....I am enjoying the post season, no doubt, but unfortunately I also need to be prepared for another let down until they prove they can be aggressive for an entire series.

[fallguy]

Later in the thread I'll have some illegitimate questions.

[JTMVP]

The frustrating part is that this team has LOTS of talent. Off nights happen, but a lack of effort and lazy play when things don't go our way is going to catch up to us as the competition gets better IF we don't improve. Things like stepping out of bounds, settling for bad 3s, or getting outrebounded by small players because no one is under the basket are specific examples. Also, the demise of playoff "home court advantage" has also contributed. It seems we go either way at home or on the road in the playoffs.

The issue is that EVERY team does this exact same thing. You just don’t notice it because you are looking at the Celts with a far more critical eye.

Stepping out of bounds - wayyyyy more common with other teams than Celts. Can’t even remember it happening more than a few times these playoffs,

Settling for bad 3s - sure. But so do other teams. See Jamal Murray, Luka Doncic, Kylie Irving, SGA, Jalen Brunson, Halliburton, and Anthony Edwards (he’s taken a ton of bad ones but has happened to make way more than his season average).

Getting out rebounded - the Celtics are one of the top rebounding teams both in the regular season and playoffs. Talk to the Sixers and Pacers about getting out-rebounded by small (Knicks) players.

Loss of home court advantage - see Minn/Denver series, OKC/Dallas series, Dallas/LAC series to name a few.

You see what you want to see. These “issues” are present with every team, including all of the ones that will end up in the conference finals.

[chrisab123]

The only ones on the board who haven't had fun are the pro Marcus Smart crowd.

[vct33]

I feel like higher stress levels goes hand in hand with higher expectations. The more you expect from the team the more frustrating it is when they don't deliver. I've enjoyed both types of seasons. Rajon Rondo's rookie year was one of my favorite to watch with almost no expectations and then the next year was equally fun (but different) when it was Championship or bust.

[165bows]

The frustrating part is that this team has LOTS of talent. Off nights happen, but a lack of effort and lazy play when things don't go our way is going to catch up to us as the competition gets better IF we don't improve. Things like stepping out of bounds, settling for bad 3s, or getting outrebounded by small players because no one is under the basket are specific examples. Also, the demise of playoff "home court advantage" has also contributed. It seems we go either way at home or on the road in the playoffs.

The issue is that EVERY team does this exact same thing. You just don’t notice it because you are looking at the Celts with a far more critical eye.

Stepping out of bounds - wayyyyy more common with other teams than Celts. Can’t even remember it happening more than a few times these playoffs,

Settling for bad 3s - sure. But so do other teams. See Jamal Murray, Luka Doncic, Kylie Irving, SGA, Jalen Brunson, Halliburton, and Anthony Edwards (he’s taken a ton of bad ones but has happened to make way more than his season average).

Getting out rebounded - the Celtics are one of the top rebounding teams both in the regular season and playoffs. Talk to the Sixers and Pacers about getting out-rebounded by small (Knicks) players.

Loss of home court advantage - see Minn/Denver series, OKC/Dallas series, Dallas/LAC series to name a few.

You see what you want to see. These “issues” are present with every team, including all of the ones that will end up in the conference finals.

The key point to make here is that many if not most people are giant ******* beaches and the worst most enabling of all of them are the media, who widely encourage ***** behavior.

I don’t mention it much but since you asked.

[Fierce1]

This is a bed of roses compared to Celtics of Gaston in the 90s.

Some of the Celtic fans just have standards that are too high.

Never in NBA history that a championship contender has 5 legit starters who are 3pt threats.

This is really a first and I've been watching the NBA since the 80s.

[brackdan70]

I sit in silence with a scowl and pulsing veins until the Celtics are up 30 or the final buzzer. If we win I am relieved and happy. If we lose I cry myself to sleep and have nightmares of Kyrie bull fighting.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

Expectations are stupidly excessive…even as someone who doesn’t have that it’s hard to ignore the noise and not be affected by it.

However for the most part I’m enjoying the ride. The times I don’t are when the players seem to repeat old mental mistakes…that’s when it feels more like frustration.

IF Celts win the chip I reckon you’ll see a very different JT etc next year. Jrue has said he admires JT and JB even more since arriving in Boston and realising the mental strength and pressure associated with leading a sports team there is much more than any other place because of the history and expectation.

If they deliver, then that pressure is released and they can play with more freedom.

[Bad-Thoma]

The only ones on the board who haven't had fun are the pro Marcus Smart crowd.

I was a huge Marcus Smart fan and I'm having fun. I have no idea what one has to do with the other. Really weird take.

[steefP2]

Im having fun. Great team, always winning. The discourse around them is wack but **** em. This team is awesome and i dont understand this sentiment that theyre underachieving