Thanks to everyone who responded. I can only take in so much surreal politics, so basketball is a good escape.
The fifth best team in the league last year was the Clippers, right?
I could see the Celts maybe having a season like that, if all goes really well. Even then, they'd need a lot to break in their favor to get to the Finals.
I think we can compete with the Clippers, San Antonio and anyone else with potential to be considered right outside the elite of the elite. I will call that the kool-aid line. Orlando and Cleveland used to dominate the East with one superstar each. Everything flowed through Superman and LeBron. We destroyed them with somewhat over the hill or players towards the end as superstars who gave up a little ego in exchange for the team winner label. We broke superstar spirits by overwhelming them with team play.
We were in LeBron's head so much that he quit the Cavs to form his own superteam. Durant is attempting the same thing. LeBron and Durant seem to be the two best players from the last ten to fifteen years. LeBron and Durant can't do it alone and don't seem to have the bravery to face challenges. They are trying to manufacture sure-fire championships.
I agree everything would have to break right for us to seriously challenge for title #18.
We played GS very tough last year. That has to mean something. As for the debate between regular season versus playoff ball, we were extremely injured or banged up both playoffs. I was impressed we won two games.
A big flaw with the Celtics could be our conditioning coaches, although I don't want to open that can of worms right now. Maybe this year will be different and we won't end up broken down again and then the green goggle analysis will finally get its opportunity to prove itself as a methodology.
They are heading in the right direction, just keep heading there. Who knows, maybe Brown turns out to be great. Maybe the guy they get next year will. Maybe they both will. I'd love to find out.
I am not a fan of the hired gun move. Like I do not have any love for Kevin Garnett. I thought he was great for us and appreciate everything he did but I also would not have a problem if Gerald Green took back the number 5. To me 2008 was about Pierce and Tony Allen, and Rondo and Perkins. The other guys were just hired guns.
I agree with this for the most part. That team's heart and soul was Pierce, Rondo and Perk. KG was actually the heart and soul, but he was also that kind of all-in move bringing in an outsider. PJ Brown, Posey and Cassell were more like hired guns than KG. I mean, KG is one of the greatest players of all time and not the diva entitled type, plus we got him in a trade. Powe was drafted. Eddie House was probably also a hired gun.
Yes, I never want certain types of hired guns, specifically the Carmelo Anthony's or Kevin Love's. KG had a chip on his shoulder. He was going to end up a Barkley or Iverson, great players, elite of the elite, yet nothing to show for it in regards to being champions.
We got horford. That's fireworks.
I agree with Csfan1984 that Horford is small time fireworks, but who knows, he might be enough to light the skies.
Incremental progress and growth mindset. Brad loves that stuff.
http://blog.mindsetworks.com/blog-page/home-blogs/entry/celtics-brad-stevens-discusses-a-growth-mindset-1
Thanks for the link. In it there is an interview with Brad Stevens. He says the role of the coaches is not to teach players skills. He says they are arriving with them. Brad is proving that the Doc Rivers/Phil Jackson just show up and punch in a stacked lineup card form of coaching is not real life and basketball growth. Brad says that the process is the same whether a team is good or bad. The mindset is that people can always improve and change, that there are not only hired guns and then everyone else as treadmill leftovers or filler.
I agree with spikelovetheCelts and walker834 we could have fireworks already built into the team and that we just might have to let the process unfold.
I do not believe in trades as fireworks or don't expect them to happen. We are starting to accumulate solid players from top picks. Even Olynyk was a #13 pick, not that low. Great players do emerge who weren't a top pick. Sully could have been one, but he lacked the mindset.
Smart at a minimum is serviceable and competitive. Jaylen Brown would truly have to mess up to not develop into a decent player. Guys like Bradley, Isaiah and Crowder are not chopped liver.
We do have more top picks coming in the next two years unless there is a miracle turnaround in Brooklyn.
Just making the roster has become an issue for players such as RJ Hunter and perhaps Jordan Mickey. No one expects James Young to return. There are good prospects now stashed.
I doubt Ainge does anything too rash. He'd have to totally choke as a GM to ruin what looks like a guaranteed ten straight years of NBA relevance. Our job as fans seems to have become very easy over the last year. We just need to remain patient.
Tarheelsxxiii looked at the mindset article and agrees.
Vermont Green - I don't think Isaiah, KG or even Ray can be looked at as hired guns because they were acquired in trades. A hired gun was Ray going to Miami. The Red Sox went out and hired a gun named Manny Ramirez.
A hired gun is Durant signed by Golden State. That would be a pure hired gun. It's about the George Steinbrenner approach to team building to basically try to buy titles.
Ed Hollison also seems to understand that a chain reaction has already been started. It was the Ainge trade to Brooklyn! At the time, it didn't seem like it would pay off too well, but it turned out to be better than we ever could have expected.
I always looked at the rebuild as a three year process. Gerald Wallace was the penalty for all the #1 picks. Once his contract ran out, I knew we'd be well on our way. I didn't expect us to get this good, though, and so quickly.
It has to be because of Brad Stevens and the team atmosphere he has established. Ainge also deserves credit for making all those small incremental trades that have paid off big time. Isaiah and Crowder are 25% of a playoff rotation. Neither of those deals at the time were considered fireworks. It took a long time for Isaiah to remove doubts that he could be a starter and not tank us on the defensive end.
Hollison is correct. The CBA makes it difficult to buy more than one or two championships. It makes it tough for a George Steinbrenner type owner to buy titles and make a mockery out of the word competition.
We couldn't even keep Posey and Tony Allen. We couldn't keep Perk.
Ainge and Stevens are geniuses. I also think most of the players are geniuses too in regards to basketball.
Some guys like Zeller seem limited, yet he still has value as an asset. I think what is happening is that Danny is revolutionizing the use of an NBA roster. Usually there are one or two good to great players and so-called filler. Danny is hiring quality for every slot. There are no negatives assets on the roster except for James Young and that will probably be resolved soon.