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I am humbly asking your assistance with an emo Joe mazzulla edit.

I have been a fan of the Boston Celtics for my 42 years on this earth. I inherited this blessing from my father and his father before him. It's easy to see why my elders were fans of this amazing team and passed their fandom onto me when watching the series Celtics City. While aware of the greatness of this franchise, to see the story unfold is truly amazing. Greatest sports franchise in sports history, hands down.

I could go on and on about how fantastic this team is from a strategical business standpoint to what they've accomplished in the name of social equality - no matter what anyone wants to say. While having Luck on our side, we've experienced our deal of feeling cursed. From deaths to untimely injuries, this franchise has continued to overcome adversity and persevere.

While I wish the series would have delved deeper into how our young studs in Jaylen and Jayson were thrust into the spotlight; accomplishing more in their young careers than most, if not all, I encourage everyone to watch. Fans, non fans, and especially current players. If I'm psycho Joe, I'm spamming the series to all current Celtics or at least making them watch the final episode. A great reminder of why I love this fucking team and how fucking great we are and how great we can be!

Jayson, Jaylen - while notching one on the belt, the climb is not over. The pinnacle peak awaits. Do not be satiated. Stay Humble and Hungry. So much more is still ahead, your destinies have yet to be told. Embrace the challenge, overcome the critics and know greatness is on your side.

This in not a plug for the series but more in the name of Celtic Pride. Belief in our boys. I am guilty of getting overly frustrated knowing we are capable of being that next Celtics dynasty while stumbling, but I am grateful for what has been accomplished and KNOW there is so much more to come. Let's get this shit! Fuck the Knicks. Banner 19 awaits. Not if, but win!

The discourse around Tatum’s standing in the league has become so mind numbingly exhausting. Haters and fans alike seem to be frothing at the mouth currently over this idiotic debate about whether Tatum can ever be the “face of the league” or win MVP’s. As if either of those marks are needed to be an all time great player.

Spoiler: THEY’RE NOT.

Like many of you, I got to enjoy the full career of Paul Pierce. A true star in the NBA that could go toe-to-toe with any other player of his time, including GOAT candidates like Shaq, LeBron, or Kobe. At no point during The Truth’s career did I ever think Pierce was the best player in the league, probably never even a top 5 or 7 player in the league for that matter. Did that matter? No! Pierce is a first ballot HOF’er now and an all time great Celtic legend, just like Tatum will be.

Plenty of other amazing, first ballot hall of famers have come and gone without ever sniffing the #1 player in the league conversation. It is so incredibly stupid that for Tatum to “earn” his respect in the league, he seemingly has to cement himself as the best or else he’s just a guy with a great team. It all feels completely unnecessary and without comparison that his star completely diminishes if he’s only a top 5-7 player at his peak in this absurdly talented era of Basketball.

Injury Report for tomorrow at New York:

Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) — DOUBTFUL

Just some food for thought about this next week. Some of Tatum’s performances in do or die situations

Game 7 R1 Vs Bucks 2018: 20/5/6 W Game 7 R3 Vs Cavs 2018: 24/7/1 L Game 7 R2 Vs Raptors 2020: 29/12/7 W Playin Vs Wizards 2021: 50/8/4 W Game 3 R1 Vs Nets 2021: 50/7/6 W Game 6 R2 Vs Bucks 2022: 46/9/4 W Game 7 R2 Vs Bucks 2022: 23/8/6 W Game 7 R3 Vs Heat 2022: 26/10/6 W Game 6 R2 Vs Sixers 2023: 19/9/6 W Game 7 R2 Vs Sixers 2023: 51/13/5 W Games 4,5,6 R3 Vs Heat 2023: Avg 28/10/8 All Ws

When you put it all on a piece of paper and look at it there’s not another guy in the league with this type of resume at his age. I’m a pessimist and it feels over to me but this gives me hope. When he’s gotta show up he always does.

We curb stomp these guys if we do this the whole second half. It’s just fucking math. Do it now. If we score on a drive to to rim every two or three possessions it’s over.

Let me say this clearly...

THEY SUCKED IN THE FIRST TWO GAMES VS NY

They would tell you this, the media has told you this, we all think it, and some of us say it.

We all want them to win... Yet being a fan does not mean you have blind loyality to a shit burger.

Super hype they shit on the Knicks, Go C's!!

That was really our bread and butter last year, and this year it seems like its all run up 3's, or trying to create a shot with spacing on the 3.

i feel like thats the major adjustment we need to make because Tatum could take anyone 1 on 1 to the rim so it pulls a defender and allows us to get comfortable 3's, and if not, easy 2's. Most of the last 2 games, the knicks just had to keep us shooting contested 3's and left the lane open A LOT.

is it really that the knicks and magic's defense has been so good that we havent been able to drive to the basket? Or have we just abandoned that play for a more Warriors/Curry offense? Because TBH we dont have the splash bros rn

Interesting stat I had found the other day, in games where the Celtics outscore their opponents by at least one they're undefeated. What does this mean

The series starts now Jayson Tatum while playing with a living Pope is a legendary player 😤😤😤

Even though they’re down 2-0 going into New York and have looked pathetic and scared to close these games, I still believe in the Cs. This is because in 2023 when they went down 0-3 by being blown out by Miami, I felt the same way I feel now. I really thought they would get blown out in game 4 and roll over but they didn’t. They fought back and showed that this team has grit and toughness. Everyone wrote them off after that game and they came back and played with so much heart. This team still has that fiery beating heart. Let’s fucking go Celtics!!!!

Nobody can take away their championship last year, it is set in stone. But they have a chance to take a step higher and become legendary. No more excuses, the competition is tougher, no more "easy paths". The only way to shut the doubters up is by winning 19.

im wondering if we win another chip with derek white contributing the way he does, where would he rank all time? even though he is a "role player", i feel like he'd rank higher than players like harden and chris paul all time due to his winning. thoughts?

Game 3... I'd love to see a steady diet of White and PP initiating the offense with JT and JB playing off the ball more. Both are less susceptible to turnovers. Thoughts?

Are there any watch parties happening in NYC today for game 3? if there are any, I’d love to join.

i hope we try using schiereman, craig or queta in game 3. we desperately need a spark off the bench badly. someone is going to say in the comments how they suck, but then why did we use brissett and tillman last year in the playoffs?

i mean, we use them and it was a successful gamble. they gave us a spark, and helped win us a few games. let's try that again now that are season is on the line. not to mention, the players in the rotation are either injured, old, sick or out. we need help now. speaking of help, we need to give pritchard and kornet more minutes.

we were playing a very slow pace offensively in the 4th quarter. we need a quicker pace. that is where pritchard could come in. not to mention, he was knocking shots the last game. as for kornet, he was really efficient as well. when kp barely played in the 4th, this put a lot more pressure on al. he was just absolutely exhausted playing all those minutes. we need kornet to play in the 4th in order to save al energy.

Just looking at plus/minus from game 2, Al went -11 and Kornet was +11. I don't want to include game 1 when looking at this analytically because we used Kornet as a Mitchell Robinson Haq-a-Shaq machine. But am I the only one who sees this? I love Al but I think the way the Knicks are playing is just too fast for him. Not saying Kornet is "quicker" but maybe him or Tillman instead? KP is a constant question mark too, so I don't know.

Here's a breakdown of shot location and how well we've been shooting from those locations:

• Restricted Area: 67.4%
• Paint (Non-Restricted Area): 30.0% (EFG% of 30%)
• Mid Range: 27.8%
• Corner 3s: 21.2% (EFG% of 32%)
• Above The Break 3's: 25.9%

Despite only shooting 21.2% on Corner's, we are more efficient from there than we are anywhere within the arc that isn't the restricted area. And we are EVEN MORE efficient on Above the Break 3's. You can argue we should be taking more shots from the restricted area, which like, yes that's what every team is trying to do but also:

• Celtics in the Restricted Area: 21.5 FGA's per game
• Knicks in the Restricted Area: 17.0 FGA's per game

Some other data:

• Cavs are shooting the 2nd most shots in the restricted area on the highest % among all 2nd Round teams and they are down 0-2
• Celtics are averaging 25% from 3 on WIDE OPEN 3's

Conclusion

Despite, the frustration with our shot diet, we are literally generating the most efficient shots we can given our shooting percentages from almost everywhere else on the floor. We are already outpacing our opponent in Restricted Area FGA's and when we look at our 2point shooting from other locations, the efficiency is MORE grim than our 3 point shooting.

It's too late in the game to change our identity, but our identity is still of a team that generates the most efficient looks for itself. If we can just hit our wide open shots, then we'll be fine. If we can't? Then shooting from a different location isn't going to help either.

Day 21 Schedule:

7:30 PM, ET, ESPN, [1] Cleveland Cavaliers at [4] Indiana Pacers; Pacers lead series 2-0. LINE: CLE -5.5

10 PM, ET, ESPN, [1] Oklahoma City Thunder at [4] Denver Nuggets; Series tied 1-1. LINE: OKC -5.5

To all you who think this series is over, put your money where your mouth is and bet the Knicks.

We've had the worst 2 game shooting stretch in playoff history and have lost by a combined 4 points. Win game 3 and watch the entire narrative switch. We've been in situations like this before. not fazed. Cs in 6

"A lot of the shots that we got - we got some really, really good looks from three. We missed a lot of bunnies, a lot of layups. Those are tough, because guys work really hard on their game and their craft and prepare to be in those moments to hit open shots."

Being a Boston fan has been incredible. Lot of incredible sport memories, but there’s also been duds. Bruins choking historic season, that second Celtics season with Kyrie and how much of a let down that was. The Red Sox lol. Patriots I really don’t have many outside of 2007 giants but man some of you guys don’t know how good we have it or how to look at the situation clearly.

Like half of our team is injured as fuck. If they didn’t play yall would still be mad 😭, like if Tatum was like, “yeah you know my wrist sucks I’m gonna rest.” Y’all would still clown on him for pretending to be like Kobe because Kobe would play through it.

Jrue, Tatum, brown, hauser are all injured. KP is either injured or super sick but we are not healthy at all right now.

Do the blown leads and missed threes suck? Yes, no denying that but acting like there are zero issues with the team rn is delusional if this was the fully healthy team outside of KP last year at this time putting up this performance I’d be a bit upset too, but man look at it clearly.

Wanting mazz fired is not the move. Bro just gave us a historically dominant season. Injury point again.

Wanting either of the jays gone is wild.

However this is the same city that was hard convinced Brady was washed in 2019 and it wasn’t his abysmal situation so I dunno man 😭.

Go Celtics. Fuck the fair weathered shit,

I’d say the underlying theme that i am seeing is that your first opponent does matter. For example OKC played a weak Memphis team and when playing Denver game 1 they got surprised. Us playing the magic probably doesn’t hold up as well as compared to the knicks playing the pistons. Sure the pistons haven’t been in the playoffs for a while but damn the team was physical. And that physicality has hardened the knicks who are bringing it to the Celtics. I don’t see this Celtics team as being a physical team surely not in the 4th and that’s ultimately the reason why the knicks are up 2-0 right now.

OKC woke up in game 2 and were very physical from what I witnessed don’t just look at the score look how Denver’s Gordon and Joker got pushed around and beat up and fouled out in the third. Denver subreddit is literally whining about non-calls. Now the question remains are we going to be physical in game 3? because if not I’m feeling it’s going to be 0-3. It’s physicality I really don’t see it being anything else. The refs are letting it happen and it’s playoff basketball.

Need more proof of this ? Minnesota and golden state. Easily game one golden state was way more physical than Minnesota and got the job done. While Minnesota walked on the lakers who weren’t nearly as physical falling apart at the seams in the 4th in a must win game.

This is a team shooting slump, nothing more, nothing less. A lot of people are going defcon 3 over this and that’s excessive. It’s not a collapse, it’s not a monumental loss of focus. It’s the same basketball we have watched for years. We’re generating open looks but they just aren’t falling. Bleed Green and have faith in our boys, this team will bounce back. #DontLetUsGetOne

Feels like a game 7 need the guys to lock in and come through unacceptable for blowing 2 games at home 🤦🏽‍♂️.

The kid is only 19. Come on guys.

LFG. Celts in 6

Jaylen is battling through injury and it’s the second year in a row Tatum’s been sort of underwhelming in the playoffs. A lot of people thought Tatum should’ve won Finals MVP last year due to defense/rebounding and overall impact, but we’re seeing again why Jaylen Brown is the driving force of the Celtics’ success when it matters most.

Biggest hurdle right now is Brown isn’t fully healthy, and it’s painfully obvious that Tatum is struggling to be “the guy” that steps up and carries us when the spotlights are on. For whatever reason Tatum just doesn’t have the same confidence we saw from him early in his postseason career, and he lacks the intangible leadership qualities to elevate his teammates.

Basically just appreciating how much we need Jaylen Brown for now and the future. He may never be a 1st team All-NBA guy or in the “face of the league” discussion, but his confidence and leadership are invaluable. This team is rudderless without Jaylen Brown, and his resilience makes me proud to rock a Celtics jersey as dumb as that sounds.

I swear a couple of seasons ago Kornet would always like jump right Infront of the hoop to 'contest' a corner three that he otherwise would've been late to challenge, but I haven't seen him do it as of late. Anyone know why?

Welcome to the daily discussion thread! You can use this space to discuss little things that don't need their own post. This is also the perfect space for pictures, videos, and links that would otherwise go against the sub's rules. Just don't be jerks and don't break any Reddit-wide rules. Have at it.

Who is reffing game 3? Will Derrick White finally go off?

Next game will definitely be harder. Still need to ask how we can pull out a close game without a closer. Pretty much have to keep playing team ball to get it done.

Mazzullaball requires a pope in order for Joe to channel his special catholic powers properly.

28% from three since Pope Francis died.

36% from three while there was a living pope.

We are so back.

I believe Jayson Tatum is a super star in the NBA, as does many of the millions of NBA fans that go out and watch the Boston Celtics play proven by Tatum having one of the top selling jerseys in the league over the past few years. I also believe in his head Tatum genuinely believes that he is an NBA superstar too, I mean who wouldn’t after making 3 (soon to be 4) straight First Team All-NBA selections on top of 6 All-Star Appearances. There probably isn’t enough space here to describe just how good Tatum has been this early in his career, topping it off with his first championship last year. But despite all the success that would normally put a player in the best in the world conversations, for whatever reason Tatum has been largely ignored in MVP voting and when you think of the word superstar in the NBA it is usually reserved for the Top 3-5 players in the league and usually those are the guys that are every year competing for that MVP award.

For a lot of people this alone automatically discounts Tatum as a “true” superstar in the NBA but his accolades and accomplishments beg to differ, which is how we got to this point 2 games into a playoff series where they were largely favored and against a team that through 4 games in the regular season Tatum absolutely dominated but now are in a hole that can be largely blamed on him and the team not showing up in the last quarter of both games. This was supposed to be his moment to finally prove to everyone that yes, Jayson Tatum is one of the best players in the NBA today and is the best on most given nights in the playoffs but what we have got instead is mediocre stats that seem a far cry from the domination the Orlando Magic received just a week ago. Just look at his FGA over the last 5 games and you can paint a picture of what a confusing mess he has been over the 2 New York games.

https://preview.redd.it/kmnq7nay1pze1.png?width=658&format=png&auto=webp&s=2f552495511d3e77153a0c95617e360233bf960d

In the first game it looked like he was trying to bury the Knicks with threes completely ignoring any attempt at trying to drive to the basket as seen by his 5 field goal attempts in the paint, while in game 2 there was a large overcorrection in his part attempting only 5 threes with most of his misses this time coming from within the painted area. Now compare this to his last 4 games against the Orlando Magic and you can see the difference alone just in the attempts he made and how consistent he was at getting around the court and taking whatever the defense was giving him.

https://preview.redd.it/98ddjb022pze1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=7e7fdc7149353796163ec47f6c2f4bbdcb32cd59

Seeing all this the only thing that immediately comes to mind is why? Why were there so many threes and then a complete reversal of shots the next game out? I think it just boils down to the type of Superstar that Tatum wants to be. Look for example at the shot charts of his fellow NBA superstars below.

https://preview.redd.it/xf3rwtj52pze1.png?width=636&format=png&auto=webp&s=b44bf318e542801b7643139d4e98326eff482085

https://preview.redd.it/reqd7jp62pze1.png?width=595&format=png&auto=webp&s=4179248f1a1d53a45985c265199a1cdd5cb97d91

You can clearly see that both players have a distinct shot diet that they stick to regardless of the defense that they see with a large part of the differences game to game just being the slightly different looks that defense allows them to get. What’s shocking to me is how Tatum has seemingly bounced around between wanting to be Player A in Game 1 and Player B in Game 2.

These players being Stephen Curry and Lebron James’ shot charts respectively through 4 games in this year’s playoffs. Jayson Tatum in round 1 was a genuine superstar with a consistent recipe for scoring and playmaking that has worked for him all throughout this season but the Jayson Tatum that we have seen the past 2 games? This weird mishmash of bouncing around 2 completely different superstars that have defined the past decade of the sport is just a walking lowlight for us to see who he isn’t. It seems for a lot of fans they have yet to see a consistent playoff run where in every round he played he was Jayson Tatum and until then we’re stuck watching him choose on a nightly basis the type of superstar that he wants to be in his head and on the past few games it has just been a constant reminder of the stars that he is not. It's a good start that he has acknowledged that he isn't playing like himself but I just wanted to put in perspective how that actually looks like.

The Knicks blew a 2-0 lead in the second round of the playoffs last year against the Pacers. We have had a couple of egregious performances, but this series isn't nearly done yet. If anyone can win the next 4 out of 5 games, it's us.

Cus Crise.

Posting this with 2.5 minutes left in the game. Have we learned NOTHING from game one? I don’t care if we win, this type of play makes me fucking sick. I don’t GIVE A FUCK if a three is open. We have skilled finishers and we should drive into OPEN SPACE instead of looking like fucking MORONS out there. If this is our fucking gameplan for the rest of the playoffs my hair is going to turn fucking white

Edit: We lost. We deserved to lose. Kudos to knicks defense, im going to jump off a bridge now