I hope everybody had a great Memorial Day weekend and took some time to think about those who sacrificed their lives for our country and safety. Because of the holiday, I didn’t want to drop a rant on the Celtics, so I didn’t post. That rant starts now.
CELTICS NEED TO FIGURE THINGS OUT
I can’t remember a more frustrating team in sports to watch than this Celts team. Every step of the way they are favored but find every way possible to make it hard on themselves. Miami deserves credit for their fight, but the Celtics have so much more talent that they should have won on it alone, and it isn’t even up for debate. Plus, the Heat had two of their best players miss the entire series due to injuries. There is simply no excuse to lose to an eight seed in the first place, but tack on those injuries and it becomes inexplicable.
Now, let’s discuss game seven. That performance was outright embarrassing all around. Tatum’s injury at the start of the game was tough to watch, but judging off of the way our surrounding cast played, we would’ve gotten whomped even if he stayed healthy.
Jaylen Brown, my FORMER favorite player, had the ugliest night of basketball in recent memory. I cannot believe that Mazzulla kept him in the game after what he continued to do quarter after quarter (more on Mazzulla later). 1-9 from three, eight turnovers, and a point differential of minus 17 are the only stats you need to see to know that this guy is not cut out for when the lights shine the brightest. Throughout the whole year he has expressed that he hates the notion of him being a second option to Tatum, but when Tatum goes down, he failed to step up. Usually, my favorite players are traded away before I begin to dislike them. Tyler Seguin, Chandler Jones, Isaiah Thomas, the list goes on and on, but Jaylen Brown has cemented himself as the first person to go from being my favorite player to on my “be gone” list. He needs to go. If I were Brad Stevens and Jaylen Brown walked into my office asking for a supermax, I would tell him to turn right around and to not let the door hit him where the good lord split him.
Enough JB talk, let’s move on to other guys. As sad as it may be, Horford is getting up there in age and just doesn’t have it anymore. He shows flashes here and there that make you think otherwise, but he just can’t play a complete game anymore. He still has two years left on his contract, so I see him being a valuable second option to Robert Williams who will continue to develop in that time.
Derrick White is the only player I am really happy with after this series. He showed so much heart and determination, and I am just happy to see him get the recognition he deserves after his efforts these playoffs.
Tatum is another player that I can’t think too negatively about. While I am quick to point out the lack of dawg inside of him, I do have to recognize his few spectacular games these playoffs and his will to stay in the game this last game seven. He is still so young and will continue to learn, but my one hope for him is that he starts to run the offense the way LeBron does. The ball should move through him as he makes plays happen for himself and others. Gone should be the days where he waits in the corner while Smart or JB huck up horrible shots on possessions where the ball never touches the hands of our best player.
My last thought about the Celtics is that Mazzulla should be fired immediately. There are too many good coaches available for hire, and Mazzulla proved throughout these playoffs that he is utterly incompetent at his job. This last series should have been a cake walk to the finals, but he was outcoached every step of the way by Spoelstra. Relying on talent is not a way to win championships, and that is all Mazzulla did all season. Get him out of Boston!
QUICK PREDICTIONS FOR THE NBA AND NHL PLAYOFFS
The NBA Playoffs tip off tomorrow night, and I think that the Nuggets are going to run through the Heat. Their offense is operating at such a high level that I don’t think Miami will be able to keep up. Denver has also been more disciplined on perimeter defense than the Celtics were, so the three point barrage from the Heat’s role players should be toned down. I’m taking the Nuggets in no more than five games and betting the over for Jokic’s PRA every game.
The puck drops for the NHL Playoffs on Saturday, and my prediction is that the Florida Panthers will lift the cup by the end of the series. I think that this will be a much closer matchup than the NBA Finals, but I’m confident that Florida will emerge victorious. They have faced far more difficult opponents than the Golden Knights, and I think they just want it more. Tkachuk is playing at an MVP level and Bobrovsky has been a brick wall all playoffs. I don’t think Vegas will be able to outlast this team, so I am going with Florida in six.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!