Fire and Ice: A 2K22 and Beyond Boston Celtics MyNBA

[XxVal_MarXx]

Boston is the history of the NBA, he must return to fight for the title, Lillard would be the icing on the cake

[R1zzo23]

Big Celtics fan here so let’s see what you do with my boys!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[patriotway]

Quote: Originally Posted by LoSpecialOne

I'm a Celtic.Good choise. Good luck!! P.S. At TD Garden i hear a name being spoken.....We want Lillard!

Quote: Originally Posted by XxVal_MarXx

Boston is the history of the NBA, he must return to fight for the title, Lillard would be the icing on the cake

Thanks guys. Not sure whether I'll trade for Lillard. I'll see how the Blazers are doing in game before I think make a decision.

Quote: Originally Posted by R1zzo23

Big Celtics fan here so let’s see what you do with my boys! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Hoping for much better results than the real life Celtics.

[patriotway]

2020-21 Season Review

After finishing last season with a .500 record, the Boston Celtics will continue to build around their wing stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

by Edward Kincade | October 12, 2021
BOSTON, MA

While the Boston Celtics have been on a downward trend as of late, there are two players who have seen tremendous growth. Those players are Jaylen Marselles Brown and Jayson Christopher Tatum. Both players were chosen with the third overall pick in the 2016 and 2017 NBA Drafts.

Out of the two burgeoning superstars Tatum is more well known because of his offensive prowess. Just last season in the first round of the playoffs, Tatum scored a playoff career-high of 50 points in a win over the Brooklyn Nets. During the regular season Tatum scored a career-high 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs. Tatum wasn't only putting up a lot of points, he was doing so efficiently, finishing with career-highs in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

Tatum's play helped him earn a spot on the All-Star team for a second straight season.

At the same time, Brown was having a career year. For the second straight season the fifth-year guard out of California scored more than 20 points a game to go along with a career-high in field goal, three-point and free throw percentage. This earned Brown his first trip to the All-Star game where he played against Tatum who was on Team Durant.

Brown, making his first All-Star appearance last season, played against Tatum.

Despite the individual success both Brown and Tatum had, it was not enough to help boost the team. The Celtics finished the season 36-36 and ended up matched with the Nets for the first round of the playoffs. Against a Nets team led by Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, the shorthanded Celtics were easily dispatched in five games.

For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round.

There were many reasons why last season ended in such a disappointing way. From dealing with players missing time because health and safety protocols from Covid exposure and injuries, the Celtics were unable to build any consistency throughout the season. Another year under their belt should help Brown, Tatum and the Celtics grow into the contending team they hope to be.

[patriotway]

2020-21 NBA Season Review

Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is overcome with emotion after winning his first NBA championship.

by Adam Turner | October 13, 2021
SECAUCUS, NJ

With no end to the global pandemic in sight the 2020-21 regular season had to make adjustments in order to function safely for the players and personnel. Along with it's later starting date of December 25, 2020,the regular season would be shortened to 72 games. The late starting date also meant the playoffs would end much later than usual. On July 20, 2021 the NBA Finals came to a close with the Milwaukee Bucks becoming NBA champions for the first time in 40 years.

Without the safety of the bubble that the NBA used for the remained of the previous season, players would now be exposed to the virus during the course of the 2020-21 season. This caused many games were postponed because of outbreaks and teams were forced to play without many of their starters and rotation players for a short amount of time.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic wins his first MVP award.

The amount of missed time had an effect on teams around the league. The Los Angeles Lakers, who had captured the Larry O'Brien trophy the previous season, finished seventh in the Western Conference and fell in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. The Toronto Raptors, who had made the it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, did not even make the playoffs. The Raptors were in a unique situation this season as they played in Florida due restrictions Canada had on indoor gathering because of the virus.

The Phoenix Suns, led by guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul, eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.

When the playoffs came around the NBA debuted it's play-in tournament where the the seventh through tenth spots play for a chance to secure a playoff spot. The Boston Celtics, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals just the year before, only made it to the seventh seed with a .500 record. Meanwhile the Suns made the jump from 10th in the Western Conference all the way to second on their run to the NBA Finals.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hoists his NBA Finals MVP trophy.

The NBA has committed to starting the next season on time meaning another shortened offseason, though not as abbreviated as the previous one. Many of the restrictions in terms of attendance and scheduling format aren't in effect even with the pandemic still looming because of the vaccine. Whether or not the the virus will impact the upcoming season the way it had the previous one remains to be seen. Starting on October 19, the Bucks will get a chance to defend their title with a full 82-game season.

[patriotway]

2021-22 Season Preview

As franchise-leading players, how far can Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown take the Boston Celtics?

by Edward Kincade | October 14, 2021
BOSTON, MA

After finishing 36-36 and losing to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, the Boston Celtics were left with more questions than answers. As a result of their frustrating season Brad Stevens, who had been the head coach since 2013, left for a new position as president of basketball operations. Danny Ainge had retired opening the position for Stevens. Ainge had been with the Celtics since 2003.

One of the first things Stevens did was hire Ime Udoka to be head coach for the Celtics. Udoka was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and, more recently, the Nets. Udoka's time coaching on the 2019 FIBA World Cup Team helped him build a rapport with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Those three players advocated for Udoka during the hiring process.

The Celtics hired Ime Udoka to be the new head coach after Brad Stevens stepped down during the offseason.

With a head coach in place, the next area of the team to look at was the roster. Veteran point guard Kemba Walker was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for centers Moses Brown and Al Horford. The trade was made to bring relief to salary cap as Walker makes around $20M more than Horford. The Celtics also acquired Josh Richardson, Bruno Fernando and Juancho Hernangomez from the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively.

Veteran center Al Horford is one of the players the Celtics acquired in the flurry of trades they made during the offseason.

The real question of the offseason is how these moves will impact the team moving forward. Outside of Tatum, Brown and Smart no other player averaged more than 10 points. Also, over the last several seasons, the Celtics accumulated many draft picks. Those picks so far have not panned out as many of them have not made any significant contributions to the team. This has left the Celtics lacking when it comes to depth, something that had been a strength just a few seasons ago.

Another year under the belts of players like Tatum, Brown and Smart should be beneficial to the team going forward. What will truly be important, especially if the Celtics don't make any major moves, is how the younger players develop. Center Robert Williams III has shown flashes of being a great rim protector while guards Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard could provide spacing with their 3-point shooting for the offense to operate.

The back end of the Celtics rotation will be filled with young players like Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith.

The Celtics were able to infuse some veterans into the roster like Horford and eighth-year guard Dennis Schroder but the core of the team is still relatively young. The mix of young and old players will have to figure how they fit and define their roles on the team. While the Celtics didn't bring in any recognizable veterans that can help shape the identity of the team there is plenty of experience on the roster. Whether or not it comes together this season remains to be seen.

[patriotway]

Teams to Watch: Eastern Conference

Is the addition of veteran swingman DeMar DeRozan enough to make the Chicago Bulls competitive in the East?

by Adam Turner | October 15, 2021
SECAUCUS, NJ

The 2021-22 NBA offseason featured a flurry of moves that changed the dynamic of many teams. In the Eastern Conference the Milwaukee Bucks, who had won the NBA Finals, were unable to keep some of the players who were so critical to their playoff run. Meanwhile the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks added players that can improve their rosters. Below are projections of how these teams will perform in the upcoming season.

TEAM: Milwaukee Bucks
LAST SEASON FINISH: 46-26 (3rd in Eastern Conference, won NBA Finals)
2021-22 PROJECTION: 55-27 (2nd in Eastern Conference)
BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSS: P.J. Tucker, Bryn Forbes
BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION: NONE

The Bucks, bieing the reigning NBA champions, will have a chance to try and repeat once the season start. Though the team has largely remained the same their were some small changes made to the roster. P.J. Tucker, a fierce defender, has gone to the Miami Heat while sharpshooter Bryn Forbes has gone to the San Antonio Spurs for a seconds stint. The Bucks did manage to reinforce the rotation by bringing back George Hill as well as adding Rodney Hood and Grayson Allen.

TEAM: Chicago Bulls
LAST SEASON FINISH: 31-41 (11th in Eastern Conference)
2021-22 PROJECTION: 49-33 (5th in Eastern Conference)
BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSS: Daniel Theis
BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION: DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball

The Bulls have lingered below .500 for the past several seasons even with an All-Star caliber player in Zach LaVine on the roster. In order to keep the seven-year guard, the Bulls had to make changes. During the offseason the Bulls made two trades with the hope it would make them competitive in the East. The trades for point guard Lonzo Ball and swingman DeMar DeRozan address two major needs for the team. These moves in addition to last seasons trade for All-Star center Nikola Vucevic should cement the Bulls as a force to be reckoned with.

TEAM: New York Knicks
LAST SEASON FINISH: 41-31 (4th in Eastern Conference, lost in First Round)
2021-22 PROJECTION: 42-32 (6th in Eastern Conference)
BIGEST OFFSEASON LOSS: NONE
BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION: Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier

The Knicks came out of the East as the fourth seed before being upset by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. In that series forward Julius Randle, the teams leading scorer during the regular season, struggled mightily. The addition of guards Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier are meant to alleviate that as both can score and stretch the floor with their shooting. The one downside is that neither Walker nor Fournier are known for their defense. The Knicks led the league in points allowed and were third in defensive rating last season.

[patriotway]

Teams to Watch: Western Conference

Devin Booker, Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns will look to make it back to the NBA Finals this season.

by Adam Turner | October 15, 2021
SECAUCUS, NJ

The Phoenix Suns were the surprise of the Western Conference, making it to the NBA Finals where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. With the 2021-22 season on the horizon, many of the playoff teams have fortified their ranks others are banking on experience to propel them forward.

TEAM: Los Angeles Lakers
LAST SEASON FINISH: 42-30 (7th in Eastern Conference, lost in First Round)
2021-22 PROJECTION: 58-24 (1st in Western Conference)
BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSS: Andre Drummond, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Kuzma
BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION: Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony

The Los Angeles Lakers made major changes to their roster following an abrupt exit from the playoffs. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis back and healthy, the additions to the Lakers make them one of the best teams in the league. forward Kyle Kuzma's scoring off the bench has been replaced with former All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony. Ball handling duties will most likely be split between guard Russell Westbrook and James. The only problem is whether or not these players come together on the floor and whether age will be a factor during an 82-game season.

TEAM: Phoenix Suns
LAST SEASON FINISH: 51-21 (2nd in Western Conference, lost in NBA Finals)
2021-22 PROJECTION: 52-30 (2nd in Western Conference)
BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSS: NONE
BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION: JaVale McGee

The Suns come into the 2021-22 season having not made any major changes to the roster. Instead, the Suns decided to add to their depth by signing center JaVale McGee. McGee gives the team a solid backup big when Deandre Ayton has to rest. Most importantly the Suns will get to build on the cohesion that helped them reach the NBA Finals. One of the most important pieces in that run, veteran point guard Chris Paul, doesn't seem to be slowing down. His play, along with that of guard Devin Booker, will be pivotal in this teams success.

TEAM: Minnesota Timberwolves
LAST SEASON FINISH: 23-49 (13th in Western Conference)
2021-22 PROJECTION: 38-44 (10th in Western Conference)
BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSS: Ricky Rubio
BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION: Patrick Beverley

The Minnesota Timberwolves biggest issue is their defense. Last season the Wolves finished second in points allowed and third in defensive rating. Veteran point guard Patrick Beverley may alleviate that but to what degree remains to be seen. Others such as center Karl-Anthony Towns, point guard D'Angelo Russell and swingman Anthony Edwards will have to commit to playing better on the defensive end. Offensively, the Timberwolves should be fine thanks mostly to the aforementioned players. Last season the Timberwolves were fifth in offensive rating despite being 18th in points per game.