Brutal Reality Check: This Team Won't Win Championship this Season

[gouki88]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

Ever the pessimist. Indiana is not a mighty foe

[GreenEnvy]

This team beats Golden State Warriors in a 7-game series (literally built to beat them), but they ain't beating the Raptors, tough Bucks, or the physical Pistons in the East.

We certainly are the team most capable of beating the Warriors, but can we get there?

The Pistons, c’mon. We beat them rather easily.

The Raptors are more dangerous than the Bucks. Their star has zero weaknesses and has been there before. I feel in a long series we can really make Giannis work and wear him down.

The rest of the East isn’t scary. Sure Philadelphia has hype and some names but I see them losing to Boston, Toronto, and Milwaukee. Indiana won’t go anywhere without Oladipo.

Next season Kawhi will probably be gone and we will have Davis to combat Giannis. We know why Ainge didn’t do anything this season.

Sign TRob or whoever to fill the void until Baynes returns, and hopefully Gordon continues to get more confident/comfortable and he can take some minutes from Morris/Tatum when they are screwing around.

I think Brad is going to coach MUCH differently once the playoffs begin and the players will not be as selfish. I know they have a lot of bad habits to kick, but this season has been a struggle because they always had their sights set on the playoffs.

[celticsclay]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

what the heck pho, i normally think you have level-headed takes, but this is bizarre. If Smart is not ejected this game we probably win it on the road. Crazier still, we are locking in to playing the pacers. You expect us to lose to them because we don't have baynes. We would be favorite even without homecourt advantage. Wow... the sky is falling around here is something else.

[Androslav]

We will win flawlessly - by fatality no less, Mortal Kombat, Baraka style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dYEUC_tOlc

[Big333223]

lol at this being a "brutal reality check."

[BlackCeltic]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

Ever the pessimist. Indiana is not a mighty foe

Thaddeus Young and Sabonis are going to eat Marcus Morris's lunch.

[gouki88]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

Ever the pessimist. Indiana is not a mighty foe

Thaddeus Young and Sabonis are going to eat Marcus Morris's lunch.

Just like Kyrie will make Collison look like a G-Leaguer

[Somebody]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

Ever the pessimist. Indiana is not a mighty foe

Thaddeus Young and Sabonis are going to eat Marcus Morris's lunch.

Just like Kyrie will make Collison look like a G-Leaguer

And how Brown will make Bogdanovic look like a plodding SF in the 80s.

[PhoSita]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

what the heck pho, i normally think you have level-headed takes, but this is bizarre. If Smart is not ejected this game we probably win it on the road. Crazier still, we are locking in to playing the pacers. You expect us to lose to them because we don't have baynes. We would be favorite even without homecourt advantage. Wow... the sky is falling around here is something else.

Baynes is very important particularly against opponents with quality bigs, e.g. the pacers or sixers.

[BlackCeltic]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

Ever the pessimist. Indiana is not a mighty foe

Thaddeus Young and Sabonis are going to eat Marcus Morris's lunch.

Just like Kyrie will make Collison look like a G-Leaguer

And how Brown will make Bogdanovic look like a plodding SF in the 80s.

Except Coach Brad doesnt play Brown anymore.

[Banner18now!]

More like the brutal reality is the second round is their ceiling. You could tell a few months back this team wasn’t a championship team because they simply aren’t a team.

[KGBirdBias]

This team might not make it out of the first round.

Considering that baynes will probably miss the first round I think it's quite likely.

Ever the pessimist. Indiana is not a mighty foe

Thaddeus Young and Sabonis are going to eat Marcus Morris's lunch.

Yeah this is what worries me. We need to sit Morris for Baynes

[gpap]

This team beats Golden State Warriors in a 7-game series (literally built to beat them), but they ain't beating the Raptors, tough Bucks, or the physical Pistons in the East.

We certainly are the team most capable of beating the Warriors, but can we get there?

The Pistons, c’mon. We beat them rather easily.

The Raptors are more dangerous than the Bucks. Their star has zero weaknesses and has been there before. I feel in a long series we can really make Giannis work and wear him down.

The rest of the East isn’t scary. Sure Philadelphia has hype and some names but I see them losing to Boston, Toronto, and Milwaukee. Indiana won’t go anywhere without Oladipo.

Next season Kawhi will probably be gone and we will have Davis to combat Giannis. We know why Ainge didn’t do anything this season.

Sign TRob or whoever to fill the void until Baynes returns, and hopefully Gordon continues to get more confident/comfortable and he can take some minutes from Morris/Tatum when they are screwing around.

I think Brad is going to coach MUCH differently once the playoffs begin and the players will not be as selfish. I know they have a lot of bad habits to kick, but this season has been a struggle because they always had their sights set on the playoffs.

Not so sure about that. Celts didn't look like they had much of an answer for Embiid last night except Baynes and he gets injured at the drop of a hat.

[Moranis]

This team beats Golden State Warriors in a 7-game series (literally built to beat them), but they ain't beating the Raptors, tough Bucks, or the physical Pistons in the East.

We certainly are the team most capable of beating the Warriors, but can we get there?

The Pistons, c’mon. We beat them rather easily.

The Raptors are more dangerous than the Bucks. Their star has zero weaknesses and has been there before. I feel in a long series we can really make Giannis work and wear him down.

The rest of the East isn’t scary. Sure Philadelphia has hype and some names but I see them losing to Boston, Toronto, and Milwaukee. Indiana won’t go anywhere without Oladipo.

Next season Kawhi will probably be gone and we will have Davis to combat Giannis. We know why Ainge didn’t do anything this season.

Sign TRob or whoever to fill the void until Baynes returns, and hopefully Gordon continues to get more confident/comfortable and he can take some minutes from Morris/Tatum when they are screwing around.

I think Brad is going to coach MUCH differently once the playoffs begin and the players will not be as selfish. I know they have a lot of bad habits to kick, but this season has been a struggle because they always had their sights set on the playoffs.

Not so sure about that. Celts didn't look like they had much of an answer for Embiid last night except Baynes and he gets injured at the drop of a hat.

Embiid was on a mission last night to prove a point, but Horford absolutely does a better job on him then just about any other team because Horford is quick enough to stay with him, strong enough to not be bullied, and long enough that he can't just be shot over.  There quite simply aren't many players in the league that can do all 3 of those things.

[footey]

Where are you getting that this is so unlikely? We will most likely be a pickem or favorite for 9 of the 11 games remaining. The only teams we will clearly be an underdog for are at indiana and tonight (tonight we are 3 point underdogs for perspective). Now I don't think we will necessarily win 9, in fact i don't think we will. However, 7 is certainly extremely possible.

Here's the remaining slate of games -- I've listed what I think will be the outcome considered "more likely" heading into the game.

@PHI - L
@CHA - W
vsSAS - L
@CLE - W
vsIND - W
@BKN - L
vsMIA - W
@MIA - L
@IND - L
vsORL - W
@WAS - W


That would be 6 wins 5 losses, final record 49-33.

So if we win tonight we get to 50 most likely... seems like so bizarre to act like it is very unlikely to happen when it is basically a coin flip...

Edit Phosita I know you were not the one that said it.

I doubt we get to 50 because of our inconsistency all season. Also because Horford is getting rested. We have since learned Baynes is out and Kyrie is going to rest.

But even if we manage to get to 50 wins, you have to admit the odds are still quite long. Teams with mediocre regular seasons very rarely end up as NBA champions.