NBA 2021-22 Season Thread - [Insert Whitty Title Here]

Honestly, if you do a deep dive on Jaylen Brown, you see that he isnt close to All NBA, and his 3.5 assist to 2.7 turnover playmaking numbers are not good enough for a number two. Tatum struggled in the finals, but some of that was due to him not having a playmaker to help him generate offense. Brown also made multiple head scratching turnovers in critical situations, almost costing the Celtics the series against the Heat with a boneheaded play.

He is 25, with 2 years left on his contract. I would submit that he might have reached his peak. Getting better as a playmaker is the direction he needs to move in, but will he be able to? Is he going to improve enough to have the impact the Celtics need?

Enter Durant. 33 years old, 4 years left on his deal. If he stays healthy you have at least two All NBA caliber seasons. He is still 7 feet tall, and can operate like a Dirk Nowitzki type player as he continues to lose athleticism, able to fill any offensive or playmaking role (6.5 assists per) with a considerable better handle and command of the court. Losing Smart in the trade, and the first round futures is tough, but honestly if they could figure it out without having to give up Smart I would definitely do it if I was the Celtics. Hell, even with Smart in the deal I would be tempted to do it. Durant, Tatum, Brogdon, Horford and Williams is nuts.

edit: What about this, would you trade Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant straight up?

Jozu said:

Honestly, if you do a deep dive on Jaylen Brown, you see that he isnt close to All NBA, and his 3.5 assist to 2.7 turnover playmaking numbers are not good enough for a number two. Tatum struggled in the finals, but some of that was due to him not having a playmaker to help him generate offense. Brown also made multiple head scratching turnovers in critical situations, almost costing the Celtics the series against the Heat with a boneheaded play.

He is 25, with 2 years left on his contract. I would submit that he might have reached his peak. Getting better as a playmaker is the direction he needs to move in, but will he be able to? Is he going to improve enough to have the impact the Celtics need?

Enter Durant. 33 years old, 4 years left on his deal. If he stays healthy you have at least two All NBA caliber seasons. He is still 7 feet tall, and can operate like a Dirk Nowitzki type player as he continues to lose athleticism, able to fill any offensive or playmaking role (6.5 assists per) with a considerable better handle and command of the court. Losing Smart in the trade, and the first round futures is tough, but honestly if they could figure it out without having to give up Smart I would definitely do it if I was the Celtics. Hell, even with Smart in the deal I would be tempted to do it. Durant, Tatum, Brogdon, Horford and Williams is nuts.

edit: What about this, would you trade Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant straight up?

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You spent your entire post saying how Brown isn't an All NBA player and all this shit he needs to fix and then hype up Durant with having two more All NBA seasons. Then suggest the two be traded straight up. That's some fantasy football commissioner logic.

The thing is it's not a straight Brown for KD trade. It's Brown, someone else like maybe Smart and some picks.

I just find it crazy that so many Celtics fans are being emotional against Durant. Yea he belongs to the streets, so what, he is still fucking Kevin Durant.

I bet Celtics fans wouldnt want to trade Jaylen Brown for LeBron, nevermind Durant.

Who would you trade Brown for lol?

Age and recent injury history matter a bit here too, I think. He's played just over a third of possible games over the last three seasons (though Brown has missed 20 games a season during that time as well).

Jozu said:

I just find it crazy that so many Celtics fans are being emotional against Durant. Yea he belongs to the streets, so what, he is still fucking Kevin Durant.

I bet Celtics fans wouldnt want to trade Jaylen Brown for LeBron, nevermind Durant.

Who would you trade Brown for lol?

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Neither Lebron or KD. Both are pussies.

Brahma you wouldnt trade Jaylen Brown for LeBron James tomorrow?

Everyone hates LeBron and KD until they are on their team and winning games.

Lebron is almost 38. I wouldn't do that trade for a team that just went to the finals. Not even if it was straight up. He will completely change the chemistry and culture of the team. I think the Celtics window is longer than two years right now.

Jozu said:

Brahma you wouldnt trade Jaylen Brown for LeBron James tomorrow?

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They JUST went to the finals. Hell, they were favored at one point in the series. I'd rather bide my time and see what happens and not blow it up, for what honestly does not give you much better chance at beating Milwaukee.

Finals windows are overblown. If you have a chance to go win one, go all in. The Thunder had one hell of a title window...

The East is likely to be even harder to win this season than it was last season. And obviously age matters but I feel like there's certain people here that wildly overrate what Brown actually is. He's a good player that could be the 2nd best player on a championship team, or should be maybe the 3rd best player and a really good team. People making him out to be a top ~ 15 player in the league are delusional.

Sterling said:

The East is likely to be even harder to win this season than it was last season. And obviously age matters but I feel like there's certain people here that wildly overrate what Brown actually is. He's a good player that could be the 2nd best player on a championship team, or should be maybe the 3rd best player and a really good team. People making him out to be a top ~ 15 player in the league are delusional.

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Brown is GOOD. Not great. He's a solid number two guy on a championship team. He gives it his all. In that finals he was clearly the most invested and consistent on the Celtics. I don't think anyone thinks he's on KD's level. I have a couple issues with KD to the Celtics though.

I think KD is not a winner. Be honest here...If KD stayed put, or joined ANY team outside of GS, would he have a championship? He'd be one of those great Vagabond players like Harden to CP3 etc, that just never got it done.

Also pairing KD with Tatum seems meh. You are clearly making Tatum the number two, as well as it should be in that scenario. I personally still want Tatum as that one on the Celtics despite his poor showing in the finals. From here on out, it only gets better with experience. These years he coming into his prime, I do NOT want him taking a back seat to a KD.

Age. KD is at that age where injuries will start to be a major factor. Age with Brown. You literally can have Brown and Tatum together for the next two years. In FIVE years they may be the best duo in the league, once others age out or if Dallas can get their act together and pair up someone with Luka.

The blueprint is out on KD now, thanks to the Celtics. Body him up even without the ball. It clearly threw him off enough that he wasn't the KD people expected. Not sure what changed in the playoffs, but they let the Celtics play hard against KD.

I'm honest here. No way Boston gets by the Bucks if Middleton is playing. Does Tatum and KD get by them? I say no.

Brown definitely a top 15 FRINGE player. I'd say 15-20 since clearly those top 10 are locks from Curry to Embiid to KD. We are not talking night and day from 15 to 20 man. Nor would you or anyone have an issue trading let's say Brown for Trae Young, Booker etc straight up. Also I never understood why everyone does this with top 10 in the league. You need to look at it top 10 in your conference. If you have two top 10 players in your conference, your chances of GETTING to the finals are much greater no?

So the question is do you want a much longer championship potential window (Assuming Brown and Tatum are together). Or do you roll the dice and take your chances you could potentially win it all in the next couple years with KD. My issue with the latter is that I don't think you get past the Bucks even with KD in the next 2 years or so. You MIGHT get past them over the next ten years?

Brahma said:

The blueprint is out on KD now, thanks to the Celtics. Body him up even without the ball. It clearly threw him off enough that he wasn't the KD people expected. Not sure what changed in the playoffs, but they let the Celtics play hard against KD.

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This point is stupid. That is how he has been defended his entire time in the league. Brown isn't even remotely in KD's league. He has one mediocre playoff series and suddenly he went from top 1-2 player in the league to bum. If the Celtics can add him for a guy who cannot dribble, you do it. He is one of the greatest players ever, and you can snag the last couple years of his prime.

Not trading Brown straight up for KD would be preposterously stupid. The total package Brooklyn wants in addition could certainly make it an undesirable trade though. Also he's not top 20 either. That would make him the best player on like half of the teams in the league.

Ameraves said:

That's not true at all. I hated Lebron before he went to the Lakers, and I still hate him now. I did not celebrate their championship with him there.

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You're not alone there. One of my good friends is a hardcore Laker fan and doesn't give a shit about them as long as LeBron is around.

And even when KD was on the Warriors I don't think anyone really loved him. It's always been Curry's team and KD's bitch ass knew that and took it personally. He wants to be the big alpha dog on a team but doesn't have the mentality to be that guy.