What are the Celtics trying to accomplish next year

[LarBrd33]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

Last year may have been a total waste.  Note that the bottom 4 teams got the top 4 picks.  Each of those picks nets that team a player with higher upside than any player on the C's.   The only chance that this year's performance wasn't a terrible mistake is if somehow the Danny turns some of the current players into valuable future assetts.  I know it's a terrible digression to go there, but how many of you would trade the 0-4 playoff series for Towns, Okafur, Mudiay, Russell, WCS or Winslow...?   2016 draft is our chance.  If Danny can't land Aldridge or Cousins he should go all-in on the draft.

But what if a star now will agree to come here that otherwise wouldn't have? Plan A has got to be get 2 star FAs and be a top team again right away. It's a long shot, but winning at the end of last season made it go from a crasy long shot to a realistic long shot. That is something. Even if we don't get top guys, it could still be worthwhile if we can get a get a tier 2 guy instead of a tier 3 guy.

It's possible.  I think it'll take a pretty ignorant player to see our playoff appearance as signs of a bright future.  There are several teams that missed the playoffs that, purely from a roster standpoint, seem a better spot for a free agent looking to help a team take a leap.  Like, you really going to argue that Boston is further along than Indiana or Oklahoma City (both teams that missed the playoffs)?  The Jazz were on fire down the stretch with the emergence of Gobert as a defensive powerhouse... they missed the playoffs, but they are further along.   Even teams like the Knicks and Philly could be argued as a better free agent destination now.  The Knicks due to Melo returning and the valuable #4.  The Philly roster built around Russell, Embiid and Noel would be intriguing for a young player looking to build something special.   

But I do agree that Brad Stevens made noise.  Stevens proved he's the basketball equivalent of MacGyver.  He could win 40 games with a coat hanger and papier-mache dolls  The Celtics are a prestige franchise.  Boston is a sports city.  Our front office appears competent.  Making the playoffs might have given this sales pitch the push it needed.  I'm holding out hope that Ainge will pull something off.   We need a gift from someone.  Either a team needs to stupidly gift us an all-star for middling pieces... or an impact player needs to take a leap of faith and choose Boston as a destination.  We can hope for these things, but we can't count on them.  As I said in another thread, it's going to take some deus ex machina for us to have a happy ending.

[LGC88]

Everybody know the good recipe for contention :
1. A good organisation
2. A great coach that knows modern nba and make the best out of each player.
3. A deep team. In case of injury, next man standing isn't altering (much) the team production and results.
4. Very talented players that can score when it matter the most.

I believe we have the first 3 covered.
We need the obvious, and for that, some luck when opportunities come. (Cousins tired of Sacramento or Durant wanting a change of scenery, etc.)

[Celtics18]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

It gets the team a higher draft pick next year and the years after. That is the purpose.

To build team through multiple top 5 draft picks.

I very much disapprove of that plan.  The reality is that plan has shown to almost never work.

Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder, I can't think of a single team from the current millenium that has made it as far as the NBA finals following the multiple top five draft picks method of rebuilding.

Every plan has "shown to almost never work." It's just math. One team wins and every other team loses. What's worse, a total of 9 teams have won the last THIRTY FIVE championships. This means that the vast majority of teams have struck out completely for nearly a third of a century.

So yeah, the teams that build through the draft almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "draft one star and sign two others" strategy almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "create cap room and sign top FAs" almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "balanced squad of almost-stars" strategy almost always lose. Almost everyone almost always loses.

Winning requires a phenomenal combination of front office skill and luck. But I don't think you can just cast aspersions on one strategy and say it's been proven worse than others.

(And for what it's worth, the majority of those 35 championships have been won by teams who drafted their best player rather than acquiring him via trade or FA).

Good point.

Given that reality, I'm rooting for the plan that doesn't involve years of continual losing. 

[tazzmaniac]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

Last year may have been a total waste.  Note that the bottom 4 teams got the top 4 picks.  Each of those picks nets that team a player with higher upside than any player on the C's.   The only chance that this year's performance wasn't a terrible mistake is if somehow the Danny turns some of the current players into valuable future assetts.  I know it's a terrible digression to go there, but how many of you would trade the 0-4 playoff series for Towns, Okafur, Mudiay, Russell, WCS or Winslow...?   2016 draft is our chance.  If Danny can't land Aldridge or Cousins he should go all-in on the draft.

But what if a star now will agree to come here that otherwise wouldn't have? Plan A has got to be get 2 star FAs and be a top team again right away. It's a long shot, but winning at the end of last season made it go from a crasy long shot to a realistic long shot. That is something. Even if we don't get top guys, it could still be worthwhile if we can get a get a tier 2 guy instead of a tier 3 guy.

It's possible.  I think it'll take a pretty ignorant player to see our playoff appearance as signs of a bright future.  There are several teams that missed the playoffs that, purely from a roster standpoint, seem a better spot for a free agent looking to help a team take a leap.  Like, you really going to argue that Boston is further along than Indiana or Oklahoma City (both teams that missed the playoffs)?  The Jazz were on fire down the stretch with the emergence of Gobert as a defensive powerhouse... they missed the playoffs, but they are further along.   Even teams like the Knicks and Philly could be argued as a better free agent destination now.  The Knicks due to Melo returning and the valuable #4.  The Philly roster built around Russell, Embiid and Noel would be intriguing for a young player looking to build something special.   

But I do agree that Brad Stevens made noise.  Stevens proved he's the basketball equivalent of MacGyver.  He could win 40 games with a coat hanger and papier-mache dolls  The Celtics are a prestige franchise.  Boston is a sports city.  Our front office appears competent.  Making the playoffs might have given this sales pitch the push it needed.  I'm holding out hope that Ainge will pull something off.   We need a gift from someone.  Either a team needs to stupidly gift us an all-star for middling pieces... or an impact player needs to take a leap of faith and choose Boston as a destination.  We can hope for these things, but we can't count on them.  As I said in another thread, it's going to take some deus ex machina for us to have a happy ending.

Other than having a star in George, I don't think Indiana is further along.  They're looking to get rid of Hibbert and West.  Unfortunately for them, neither player is going to opt out so they are stuck in limbo.   Teams like OKC are obviously ahead of us but they don't have any cap space to sign free agents. 

Considering the overall weakness in the East, the possibility exists for us to make another leap.  What we need are some surprises (e.g. Aldridge leaves Blazers, Gasol leaves Grizzlies, Love opts out, etc) to put more talent on the market and shake things up.  I trust in Ainge's ability to make us better but the opportunities have to be there for him to do so. 

[Evantime34]

The plan next year is develop young players, and improve the talent base of the roster even if only incrementally. If there is incremental improvement every year then I am happy.

The C's are going to try to win the Atlantic. They are going to hope that Dallas, Brooklyn and or Minnesota provide lottery picks in the 2016 draft.

The 2013-2014 season was insufferable, I have no desire to watch my team tank again to try and get a top 5 pick. As long as the C's draft well, develop the players they do draft and continue have a strong winning environment for the young guys to develop then they are going in the right direction.

[hwangjini_1]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

It gets the team a higher draft pick next year and the years after. That is the purpose.

To build team through multiple top 5 draft picks.

I very much disapprove of that plan.  The reality is that plan has shown to almost never work.

Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder, I can't think of a single team from the current millenium that has made it as far as the NBA finals following the multiple top five draft picks method of rebuilding.

Every plan has "shown to almost never work." It's just math. One team wins and every other team loses. What's worse, a total of 9 teams have won the last THIRTY FIVE championships. This means that the vast majority of teams have struck out completely for nearly a third of a century.

So yeah, the teams that build through the draft almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "draft one star and sign two others" strategy almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "create cap room and sign top FAs" almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "balanced squad of almost-stars" strategy almost always lose. Almost everyone almost always loses.

Winning requires a phenomenal combination of front office skill and luck. But I don't think you can just cast aspersions on one strategy and say it's been proven worse than others.

(And for what it's worth, the majority of those 35 championships have been won by teams who drafted their best player rather than acquiring him via trade or FA).

Good point.

Given that reality, I'm rooting for the plan that doesn't involve years of continual losing.

yes, but as boris so succinctly points out, there ain't so such plan. the majority of nba teams suffer year after painful year of losing.

if anyone can lead our beloved celtics to the holyland of nba greatness, it will be ainge. but patience is both a virtue and a necessity during this long and arduous march foward.

[GC003332]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

Last year may have been a total waste.  Note that the bottom 4 teams got the top 4 picks.  Each of those picks nets that team a player with higher upside than any player on the C's.   The only chance that this year's performance wasn't a terrible mistake is if somehow the Danny turns some of the current players into valuable future assetts.  I know it's a terrible digression to go there, but how many of you would trade the 0-4 playoff series for Towns, Okafur, Mudiay, Russell, WCS or Winslow...?   2016 draft is our chance.  If Danny can't land Aldridge or Cousins he should go all-in on the draft.

But what if a star now will agree to come here that otherwise wouldn't have? Plan A has got to be get 2 star FAs and be a top team again right away. It's a long shot, but winning at the end of last season made it go from a crasy long shot to a realistic long shot. That is something. Even if we don't get top guys, it could still be worthwhile if we can get a get a tier 2 guy instead of a tier 3 guy.

It's possible.  I think it'll take a pretty ignorant player to see our playoff appearance as signs of a bright future.  There are several teams that missed the playoffs that, purely from a roster standpoint, seem a better spot for a free agent looking to help a team take a leap.  Like, you really going to argue that Boston is further along than Indiana or Oklahoma City (both teams that missed the playoffs)?  The Jazz were on fire down the stretch with the emergence of Gobert as a defensive powerhouse... they missed the playoffs, but they are further along.   Even teams like the Knicks and Philly could be argued as a better free agent destination now.  The Knicks due to Melo returning and the valuable #4.  The Philly roster built around Russell, Embiid and Noel would be intriguing for a young player looking to build something special.   

But I do agree that Brad Stevens made noise.  Stevens proved he's the basketball equivalent of MacGyver.  He could win 40 games with a coat hanger and papier-mache dolls  The Celtics are a prestige franchise.  Boston is a sports city.  Our front office appears competent.  Making the playoffs might have given this sales pitch the push it needed.  I'm holding out hope that Ainge will pull something off.   We need a gift from someone.  Either a team needs to stupidly gift us an all-star for middling pieces... or an impact player needs to take a leap of faith and choose Boston as a destination.  We can hope for these things, but we can't count on them.  As I said in another thread, it's going to take some deus ex machina for us to have a happy ending.

MacGyver didn't get the Celtics the 8th best defense after the all star break.
NBA executives voted Ainge the 7th best last season and 4th best this season so they think he is well above competent 
Since when is Russell a member of the Sixers, could have sworn the draft is a month away.

So what your saying is the Boston rank virtually last in talent, free agent destination, you can't even admit that Ainge is ahead of the curve.
And virtually the entire league has a better future than them.

Does the Cavs mauling of Atlanta make the Celtics playoff performance seem better, oh wait Lebron was sleepwalking, forget the fact that he stated how he thought the Celtics were well coached and how hard they played

Go Celtics

[PhoSita]

Good point.

Given that reality, I'm rooting for the plan that doesn't involve years of continual losing.

I guess you have to weigh the value of watching a lunch-pail team with no chance at going far in the playoffs and no future as a contender against the value of getting to actually have a shot at drafting the sort of player who might be the centerpiece of a team that's genuinely exciting beyond the third week of April.

[Rondo9]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

It gets the team a higher draft pick next year and the years after. That is the purpose.

To build team through multiple top 5 draft picks.

I very much disapprove of that plan.  The reality is that plan has shown to almost never work.

Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder, I can't think of a single team from the current millenium that has made it as far as the NBA finals following the multiple top five draft picks method of rebuilding.

Every plan has "shown to almost never work." It's just math. One team wins and every other team loses. What's worse, a total of 9 teams have won the last THIRTY FIVE championships. This means that the vast majority of teams have struck out completely for nearly a third of a century.

So yeah, the teams that build through the draft almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "draft one star and sign two others" strategy almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "create cap room and sign top FAs" almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "balanced squad of almost-stars" strategy almost always lose. Almost everyone almost always loses.

Winning requires a phenomenal combination of front office skill and luck. But I don't think you can just cast aspersions on one strategy and say it's been proven worse than others.

(And for what it's worth, the majority of those 35 championships have been won by teams who drafted their best player rather than acquiring him via trade or FA).

Good point.

Given that reality, I'm rooting for the plan that doesn't involve years of continual losing.

yes, but as boris so succinctly points out, there ain't so such plan. the majority of nba teams suffer year after painful year of losing.

if anyone can lead our beloved celtics to the holyland of nba greatness, it will be ainge. but patience is both a virtue and a necessity during this long and arduous march foward.

So what do you want the Celtics to do? Lose constantly?

[hwangjini_1]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

It gets the team a higher draft pick next year and the years after. That is the purpose.

To build team through multiple top 5 draft picks.

I very much disapprove of that plan.  The reality is that plan has shown to almost never work.

Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder, I can't think of a single team from the current millenium that has made it as far as the NBA finals following the multiple top five draft picks method of rebuilding.

Every plan has "shown to almost never work." It's just math. One team wins and every other team loses. What's worse, a total of 9 teams have won the last THIRTY FIVE championships. This means that the vast majority of teams have struck out completely for nearly a third of a century.

So yeah, the teams that build through the draft almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "draft one star and sign two others" strategy almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "create cap room and sign top FAs" almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "balanced squad of almost-stars" strategy almost always lose. Almost everyone almost always loses.

Winning requires a phenomenal combination of front office skill and luck. But I don't think you can just cast aspersions on one strategy and say it's been proven worse than others.

(And for what it's worth, the majority of those 35 championships have been won by teams who drafted their best player rather than acquiring him via trade or FA).

Good point.

Given that reality, I'm rooting for the plan that doesn't involve years of continual losing.

yes, but as boris so succinctly points out, there ain't so such plan. the majority of nba teams suffer year after painful year of losing.

if anyone can lead our beloved celtics to the holyland of nba greatness, it will be ainge. but patience is both a virtue and a necessity during this long and arduous march foward.

So what do you want the Celtics to do? Lose constantly?

ooooo...we seem to have entered non sequitur world. 

[Rondo9]

If we are not spending money on a big free agent or two, I'd prefer to see Ainge dismantle most of this team and build up the team through high draft picks.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, although it would make this past year feel like a total waste.

Dismantling this team would mean, what, though?

Trade Sullinger and Olynyk for unproven young bench guys and / or late 1st round picks. 

Dump Bradley for a 1st rounder (or, ideally, use him to move up in the draft). 

Trade IT for a pick or two. 

Give lots of playing time to the four or five rookies they draft this summer plus James Young and Smart. 

Look into trading away Zeller for a couple younger players with higher upside but no proven ability.


Dismantling what they have now isn't going to help you much besides ensuring that the team loses more games.  You're not going to get any superior future assets by trading away any of these guys.

It also might actually drive Stevens to consider a different coaching opportunity, since he seems to really want a consistent group that he can build over time.

It gets the team a higher draft pick next year and the years after. That is the purpose.

To build team through multiple top 5 draft picks.

I very much disapprove of that plan.  The reality is that plan has shown to almost never work.

Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder, I can't think of a single team from the current millenium that has made it as far as the NBA finals following the multiple top five draft picks method of rebuilding.

Every plan has "shown to almost never work." It's just math. One team wins and every other team loses. What's worse, a total of 9 teams have won the last THIRTY FIVE championships. This means that the vast majority of teams have struck out completely for nearly a third of a century.

So yeah, the teams that build through the draft almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "draft one star and sign two others" strategy almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "create cap room and sign top FAs" almost always lose. The teams that pursue the "balanced squad of almost-stars" strategy almost always lose. Almost everyone almost always loses.

Winning requires a phenomenal combination of front office skill and luck. But I don't think you can just cast aspersions on one strategy and say it's been proven worse than others.

(And for what it's worth, the majority of those 35 championships have been won by teams who drafted their best player rather than acquiring him via trade or FA).

Good point.

Given that reality, I'm rooting for the plan that doesn't involve years of continual losing.

yes, but as boris so succinctly points out, there ain't so such plan. the majority of nba teams suffer year after painful year of losing.

if anyone can lead our beloved celtics to the holyland of nba greatness, it will be ainge. but patience is both a virtue and a necessity during this long and arduous march foward.

So what do you want the Celtics to do? Lose constantly?

ooooo...we seem to have entered non sequitur world. 

Eh the Celtics have a bright future they just need to build on this success they had this season. They purged their roster twice in the middle of the season. Despite it all they've still improved on their record and I think they should be fine moving forward.

[GratefulCs]

Next year, they'll try what they've always tried to do




TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!