Are you more excited about the playoffs or the off-season?

[knuckleballer]

I'm more excited about the off season.  It's fun to think about what might be when there's a realistic chance of adding for one of the league's best players.  Plus, this season has been disappointing and the drama has been annoying.  I'm trying to put the off season out of my head though.  We do have a good team that has a shot of reaching the finals. 

[celticsclay]

It really seems extreme to say the Celtics have thrown in the towel because they had an awful game against chicago. They competed very well against the Bucks and probably win that with Hayward.

I say it not because of one game, but because it seems we've had half a dozen moments in the last few months where it seemed like the team had hit bottom and must, for the love of all that is good, realize they can't keep coasting and re-dedicate themselves to bringing it every night.

Yet here we are, talking about this again.

So when these awful games keep happening and nothing changes, I reach the conclusion that the team isn't motivated to change, at least not until the playoffs roll around.

Kyrie's comments about not being worried because he believes they can beat anybody in the playoffs only reinforce that feeling.

They don't feel any sense of pressure or urgency to change their approach.

Therefore I expect that the end result in the standings will look pretty much like things are now.

It feels like you kind of glossed over my entire point that we are in a part of the season where just about all the good teams are having an occasional dud games against a really bad team. Outside of the loss to Chicago our last loss to a bad team was nearly 6 weeks ago on the road to the magic. How is that some crazy thing that keeps happening over and over? If you go back to November and October they were actually losing to sub .500 teams pretty regularly (mavericks, knicks and hornets in november, pistons and suns in december)

If you want compare our 1-2 losses against sub .500 teams in the last 6 weeks the Bucks lost to the Magic and the Wizards.
Raptors lost to the Magic. Philly lost to the Hawks and Wizards. That is pretty similar level of letdown games.

It is hard to not feel like people on here are acting like things are worse than they are at the moment. Now if the Celtics go out and lose to the Wizards at home on Friday I would probably be ready to say they are done with the regular season. But they just had a really nice win in Philly and should have had a really nice win against the Bucks. Feels like premature panic here.

 

[SparzWizard]

Playoffs for sure. Never give up. Never surrender. This team has at least a chance at a title this year and I fully expect a heart attack inducing, up and down, deep playoff run at the very least.

Oh, I also think the following is a given:

1. Draft night it is reported that the Celtics will be drafting for another team for a couple of their picks.

2. Before July 1st it will be reported that the Celtics and Pelicans are finalizing details in a Davis for Tatum and pucks package.

3. July 1st, its announced that Kyrie Irving will be returning to Boston after signing a 5 year max.

And then Davis will bolt for the Lakers the summer of 2020 because he just isn't interested in staying long-term here. And then we'll be stuck with Irving/Smart/Hayward/washed up Horford/Williams lol.

[nickagneta]

Playoffs for sure. Never give up. Never surrender. This team has at least a chance at a title this year and I fully expect a heart attack inducing, up and down, deep playoff run at the very least.

Oh, I also think the following is a given:

1. Draft night it is reported that the Celtics will be drafting for another team for a couple of their picks.

2. Before July 1st it will be reported that the Celtics and Pelicans are finalizing details in a Davis for Tatum and pucks package.

3. July 1st, its announced that Kyrie Irving will be returning to Boston after signing a 5 year max.

And then Davis will bolt for the Lakers the summer of 2020 because he just isn't interested in staying long-term here. And then we'll be stuck with Irving/Smart/Hayward/washed up Horford/Williams lol.

Ummmmmm...nope. None of that happens in my scenario. I think Davis would be here a minimum of three years.

[wiley]

Playoffs for sure. Never give up. Never surrender. This team has at least a chance at a title this year and I fully expect a heart attack inducing, up and down, deep playoff run at the very least.

Oh, I also think the following is a given:

1. Draft night it is reported that the Celtics will be drafting for another team for a couple of their picks.

2. Before July 1st it will be reported that the Celtics and Pelicans are finalizing details in a Davis for Tatum and pucks package.

3. July 1st, its announced that Kyrie Irving will be returning to Boston after signing a 5 year max.

And then Davis will bolt for the Lakers the summer of 2020 because he just isn't interested in staying long-term here. And then we'll be stuck with Irving/Smart/Hayward/washed up Horford/Williams lol.

Ummmmmm...nope. None of that happens in my scenario. I think Davis would be here a minimum of three years.

What is the likelihood, just in case for some reason Davis decides he wants to move on/team up with others, etc., that he could inform the Celtics of this, give the Celtics his preference, and allow Danny to trade him into a situation he likes better? 

If the Celtics retain some sort of freedom to trade Davis, then I"m on board with acquiring him. 

[blink]

Well we are going to be in the playoffs either way so let’s see how far we can go.  We have a 10 deep roster that can adjust on the fly pretty well.  I just hope we can crank up the intensity on D.

[PhoSita]

It really seems extreme to say the Celtics have thrown in the towel because they had an awful game against chicago. They competed very well against the Bucks and probably win that with Hayward.

I say it not because of one game, but because it seems we've had half a dozen moments in the last few months where it seemed like the team had hit bottom and must, for the love of all that is good, realize they can't keep coasting and re-dedicate themselves to bringing it every night.

Yet here we are, talking about this again.

So when these awful games keep happening and nothing changes, I reach the conclusion that the team isn't motivated to change, at least not until the playoffs roll around.

Kyrie's comments about not being worried because he believes they can beat anybody in the playoffs only reinforce that feeling.

They don't feel any sense of pressure or urgency to change their approach.

Therefore I expect that the end result in the standings will look pretty much like things are now.

It feels like you kind of glossed over my entire point that we are in a part of the season where just about all the good teams are having an occasional dud games against a really bad team. Outside of the loss to Chicago our last loss to a bad team was nearly 6 weeks ago on the road to the magic. How is that some crazy thing that keeps happening over and over? If you go back to November and October they were actually losing to sub .500 teams pretty regularly (mavericks, knicks and hornets in november, pistons and suns in december)

If you want compare our 1-2 losses against sub .500 teams in the last 6 weeks the Bucks lost to the Magic and the Wizards.
Raptors lost to the Magic. Philly lost to the Hawks and Wizards. That is pretty similar level of letdown games.

It is hard to not feel like people on here are acting like things are worse than they are at the moment. Now if the Celtics go out and lose to the Wizards at home on Friday I would probably be ready to say they are done with the regular season. But they just had a really nice win in Philly and should have had a really nice win against the Bucks. Feels like premature panic here.

"Premature panic" is my middle name.

None of what you're saying is wrong, but my gut tells me this Celtics team is missing some crucial care gene that is going to prevent them from closing the season out like they should.  That impression is not based on just one game.

[jpotter33]

Playoffs -- they're the best team in the East. Great chance of going to the Finals and can give the Warriors a run for their money once they get there.

This is the best Celtics team since 2009.

Like the continued enthusiasm!

[tenn_smoothie]

The third option is funny as I wouldn't call this a magical season.

He was being facetious.

[tenn_smoothie]

The current team is so painful to watch because the players look miserable for the most part and I, personally, have issues with the clash of styles. At the same time, I fear that Danny will not go in the direction that I think would be most beneficial for long-term success, so I have an uncomfortable dread about the off-season. One of my biggest fears is the possible alienation of our young, talented players that were thought to be the core of a multi-championship run during the next decade.

[Moranis]

It really seems extreme to say the Celtics have thrown in the towel because they had an awful game against chicago. They competed very well against the Bucks and probably win that with Hayward.

I say it not because of one game, but because it seems we've had half a dozen moments in the last few months where it seemed like the team had hit bottom and must, for the love of all that is good, realize they can't keep coasting and re-dedicate themselves to bringing it every night.

Yet here we are, talking about this again.

So when these awful games keep happening and nothing changes, I reach the conclusion that the team isn't motivated to change, at least not until the playoffs roll around.

Kyrie's comments about not being worried because he believes they can beat anybody in the playoffs only reinforce that feeling.

They don't feel any sense of pressure or urgency to change their approach.

Therefore I expect that the end result in the standings will look pretty much like things are now.

Isn't just possible that the Celtics quite simply just aren't that good?  I mean they have no franchise level talents (unlike their main competition in the East).  They don't have a good back-up PG.  They have very little quality big man play outside of Horford who isn't an interior player.  Their best player is a sieve defensively, who doesn't play within the system as much as he should, and who is constantly missing games.  The guy who should be the best player still looks like a shell of himself after his injury. 

Maybe just maybe, Boston just isn't a great team and maybe it is time this board starts to look at the team more realistically. 

[PhoSita]

"The team you all care about so much just isn't very good and the players aren't very talented and you all should just set your expectations much lower. I'm not sure why you emotionally invested in them in the first place. By the way I am definitely a Celtics fan like the rest of you."

What a fun way to approach being a Celtics fan. 


I reject your premise.  This Celtics team is absolutely less than the sum of their parts.  I agree that they aren't a great team. I disagree that they aren't particularly talented or that they lack a franchise talent.  Kyrie is that talent, unless you want to define franchise talent as somebody like LeBron or Curry. I don't define it that way because I think that's excessively limiting.

Your post amounts to gas lighting. "Nobody should be disappointed because the Celtics were never any good.". I don't think that's a reasonable take, but I get that it's basically your thesis statement in most of your posts.

[Triplenickle]

"The team you all care about so much just isn't very good and the players aren't very talented and you all should just set your expectations much lower. I'm not sure why you emotionally invested in them in the first place. By the way I am definitely a Celtics fan like the rest of you."

What a fun way to approach being a Celtics fan. 


I reject your premise.  This Celtics team is absolutely less than the sum of their parts.  I agree that they aren't a great team. I disagree that they aren't particularly talented or that they lack a franchise talent.  Kyrie is that talent, unless you want to define franchise talent as somebody like LeBron or Curry. I don't define it that way because I think that's excessively limiting.

Your post amounts to gas lighting. "Nobody should be disappointed because the Celtics were never any good.". I don't think that's a reasonable take, but I get that it's basically your thesis statement in most of your posts.

Well they did look like a lottery team against Chicago. Their defense is absolutely horrible and has been all year. I know it's because of Brads backwards system.

Honestly I see a first round exit. Something is really bad in that locker room, and i'm very serious when I say Brad's system makes all of them work way harder than they have to and the only strength they have used this year is Kyrie.

They have fallen hard this year and it's painful to watch.

[Triplenickle]

And note that Brad never changes anything. It's because all he knows about ball is his "system" and can't really fathom anything else

[PhoSita]

"The team you all care about so much just isn't very good and the players aren't very talented and you all should just set your expectations much lower. I'm not sure why you emotionally invested in them in the first place. By the way I am definitely a Celtics fan like the rest of you."

What a fun way to approach being a Celtics fan. 


I reject your premise.  This Celtics team is absolutely less than the sum of their parts.  I agree that they aren't a great team. I disagree that they aren't particularly talented or that they lack a franchise talent.  Kyrie is that talent, unless you want to define franchise talent as somebody like LeBron or Curry. I don't define it that way because I think that's excessively limiting.

Your post amounts to gas lighting. "Nobody should be disappointed because the Celtics were never any good.". I don't think that's a reasonable take, but I get that it's basically your thesis statement in most of your posts.

Well they did look like a lottery team against Chicago. Their defense is absolutely horrible and has been all year. I know it's because of Brads backwards system.

Honestly I see a first round exit. Something is really bad in that locker room, and i'm very serious when I say Brad's system makes all of them work way harder than they have to and the only strength they have used this year is Kyrie.

They have fallen hard this year and it's painful to watch.

I agree, but it sounds like you're seeing it the way I am, which is that they are less than the sum of their parts and don't have any real excuse for being so inconsistent.

Whereas I took moranis's post as saying "the problem is all of you on this board who ever believed they were better than a mediocre playoff team."