3. "Damn...D'antoni can't even get a spot??" In response to Reply # 0
____ Some will tell you that they love you but they've got an ulterior motive - Oh what a shame They will tell you that they need you but they've got an ulterior motive - Personal gain
4. "It's a great year for CotY. Gotta be Stevens though." In response to Reply # 0
You remember how you saw the Celtics' season playing out once Hayward went down. You saw the looks in those players eyes as everything unfolded on national television six minutes into their season. That they went on to record a 16 game winning streak almost immediately after including a few of blowouts was nearly enough for me. But when you look closer, things get even more interesting to me. How many young players are on that team, how many people had to step up throughout the year from Jayson Tatum looking like a four year vet in year one to Terry Rozier having to reign in all his worst tendencies and basically do a cover version of Isaiah Thomas.
But they also had the high scorer in just 38 of their games yet just barely missed the No. 1 seed in their conference. For comparison, Golden State had 53 as the No. 2 in the west (and if that's not fair, because it's not, the Blazers had 47 and the Sixers also had 38 but spread across a wider number of players). Which brings to mind that Brett Brown would be my vote for the No. 2 for keeping that team rolling despite the media circus surrounding Fultz, Embiid constantly complaining about playing time on Twitter (I also give Brown a lot of credit for scaling back how strict he was with his Embiid Rules) and handing the keys to the car to a technical rookie.
But when I look at the Celtics season, I just see so many things that could have gone right going far better than anyone might've expected. On paper they looked a lot like the Wizards a couple years ago, young and full of potential but also riddled with questions and lessons to learn. The Celtics played this entire year like they had no other choice but to be great and perfect when they had every reason to feel demoralized, and to me that mostly comes down to the coach.
They even look like they're going to take down the Bucks, which isn't as impressive as the Blazers beating the Clippers a couple years ago, and would be a given if EITHER of Irving or Hayward were in this series, but as things are only feels like it makes sense because Stevens is on the sideline. When was the last time a team lost both its stars during the season and found itself one game away from the second round of the playoffs, especially once the first round extended to a full seven games?
8. "^yep. Stevens earned Coty" In response to Reply # 4
even if he had kyrie and hayward, he saw a roster almost entirely turn over (the only holdovers who played 20+ minutes from last year were Horford, Smart. The only other holdovers were Rozier and Brown who both played about 17 minutes per game).
he took an entirely new squad then lost their big new signing and didn't miss a beat. He's got a team that lost a 2nd tier MVP candidate in Kyrie and has them 3-2 in the first round. But he's not going to win because everyone expects him/his team to be great. But that's not smart.
----------- you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia
6. "so many candidates....so many teams exceeded expecations" In response to Reply # 0
-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.
14. "To me it's Stevens. What he accomplished w/out both Ky & G. Hay" In response to Reply # 0
is insane. They were vying for the #1 seed until basically the last week of the season - and played shockingly consistent basketball. They literally had negligible drop-off w/ Brown/Tatum & Rozier filling the shoes of Irving & Gordon.
17. "eh. Stevens/Celts had gotten 46 of their 55 wins before Kyrie went down" In response to Reply # 14 Thu Apr-26-18 05:57 PM by Aeon
1) they were a 1 seed last year. 2) it's not like anybody had any clue what to expect of the Celts WITH Hayward. 3) they lost very little in the previous offseason (bradley/crowder) and got to give those minutes to some very talented kids, got younger in the process and weren't exactly world beaters after Kyrie got shut down (9-6 including giving up 33 to Taurean Prince in a loss ATL). 4) lost the 1 seed they'd had for a good portion of the year.
i think the argument can be made for him but he should not be the favorite as people are starting to parrot these days. putting homerism aside, i think even Quinn Snyder is few lengths ahead.
18. "I read your post below and you def make a great argument" In response to Reply # 17
The growth within a season has been incredible Philly - I just think that they happen to have two of the most talented guys in the game (who are *rapidly* emerging as top 10 players) - and in my mind Stevens (and Snyder) have just done more w/ less - but my pick was definitely more about who I think is just the best pure coach in the game (I think it's Pop or Stevens) versus who deserves the aware based on the context of what's happened this year. And you're right - Brett Brown deserves uber credit - not just for the difference in win totals and securing a third seed - but for the culture that he has helped cultivate. I think Philly is the most dynamic basketball atmosphere in the Eastern Conference, on-par with Golden State and Utah in terms of home-court electricity.
15. "D'ANTONI NIGGA...wtf is wrong with yall!!!! " In response to Reply # 0
best record plus....nigga done sprankled some D in his playbook too...aint even close...
---------------------------------
So i'm smokin on this cactus, bangin Fat Patrick hustla til i die baby grindin like a savage pimp game sweet, breakin ankles and feet cuz these hoes break they toes til they job complete
16. "call me a homer but, Brett Brown by a nose." In response to Reply # 0
there's a lot of good competition this year, but i'm sorry - a 21 game improvement, out of the playoffs, to the 3rd seed, and really, the cumulative coaching during the redshirt/injury years of his 2 stars, the system/culture he's built and the indoctrination of all the added pieces (jj, bellinelli, even ilyasova to an extent) - and most importantly, having a squad of sub 5 year players alongside a few vets be the odds on favorite to come out of the east is pretty fucking spectacular.
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