Boston=UCLA?

[green_bballers13]

Both teams were incredibly successful many years ago. Both had architects (Auerbach and Wooden) that have been gone for a long time. I think fans of both teams think that both are superior programs.

The reason why I ask is because it seems like some fans think that the Celtics are owed a championship because of their reputation. I'm too young- I wasn't around for Russell so I didn't see 11 rings in 13 years.

Do you think UCLA fans expect championships every year at this point?

My point: both the Celtics and Bruins (of UCLA) were the best teams at one point, but this isn't the case anymore. We're closer to being an annual contender vs a shoo in champ. Maybe the expectations are too high.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

nah. we have waited a long time to have a window like this and brad might pizz it away.

since 2012 ECF this team has made 5 ECF's? 1 Final? it is time to win. nothing is guaranteed. we blew a great shot this year. dan marino made one SB and never made it back. never won one. you must strike while the iron is hot. look at Denver. They will win it all. when was last time they made a WCF? We spent years drafting smart, brown and tatum and trying to develop them. Feels like they have been together 20 years now. what you see is what you get.

[green_bballers13]

I think a lot of fan bases would look at all these ECF appearances as a good thing. We were a top 3 team this year with a rookie coach. We were a top 2 team last year with an entirely different rookie coach. A lot of people view that as a failure. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Some teams have the same coach and stars for 15 years and never win.

[CelticsWhat35]

The Celtics were favored to win the title going into each of the last two playoffs.  This isn’t an entitlement thing.  It’s about expectations based on talent level.  No one was calling the IT years a failure because there was no expectation of winning anything.

When’s the last time UCLA has been any good?  Honest question.  I don’t follow college much

[Who]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

When we do not have a title capable squad, we do not have expectations for titles. But we do want plans for how we get to having a title squad. All fan bases are like this. Not all owners. But all fan bases. Not all the fan base but the majority. Most fans are not happy with just being a 50 win team and getting to the playoffs each year. They are happy with that for 1-2 seasons and then they want to take the next step. The goal is winning. Always. Step by step growth until you reach the mountain top and get the title. Always the goal.

[tenn_smoothie]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

You could include the Green Bay Packers, Montreal Canadiens, Notre Dame football and maybe the Yankees in this discussion as well.

After Russell and Sam retired, we expected some down years to rebuild, same with the Cowens, Hondo and Jo-Jo team and then Bird's crew, though Red had set them up for continued success until the losses of Bias and Lewis. So, Celtic fans have been patient during rebuilding years and have expected success as the talent level was raised again thru the draft and trades. Red was a genius. Imagine what he would do with this situation and it wouldn't be walking around on eggshells trying not to hurt anyone's feelings.

No one has expected a repeat of the 50-60's run of titles. But the team has been rebuilt since the Garnett/Pierce trade and had plenty of time and experience to now be championship-ready. But there are specific problems that everyone can see and that can be fixed with competent management. Current ownership and Brad Stevens are throwing away this opportunity.

[green_bballers13]

The Celtics were favored to win the title going into each of the last two playoffs.  This isn’t an entitlement thing.  It’s about expectations based on talent level.  No one was calling the IT years a failure because there was no expectation of winning anything.

When’s the last time UCLA has been any good?  Honest question.  I don’t follow college much

They've been good the last couple of years. A couple sweet sixteen appearances and a final four. They are good (not great) just like the Celtics. The Celtics have absolutely been overrated the last two years by Vegas.

[green_bballers13]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

When we do not have a title capable squad, we do not have expectations for titles. But we do want plans for how we get to having a title squad. All fan bases are like this. Not all owners. But all fan bases. Not all the fan base but the majority. Most fans are not happy with just being a 50 win team and getting to the playoffs each year. They are happy with that for 1-2 seasons and then they want to take the next step. The goal is winning. Always. Step by step growth until you reach the mountain top and get the title. Always the goal.

I think we're fooling ourselves if we think that the Celtics are an amazing squad. They're good- probably top 5 and def top 10.

Top 2? I don't think so. The Celtics don't have one experienced player who has won a championship.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

You could include the Green Bay Packers, Montreal Canadiens, Notre Dame football and maybe the Yankees in this discussion as well.

After Russell and Sam retired, we expected some down years to rebuild, same with the Cowens, Hondo and Jo-Jo team and then Bird's crew, though Red had set them up for continued success until the losses of Bias and Lewis. So, Celtic fans have been patient during rebuilding years and have expected success as the talent level was raised again thru the draft and trades. Red was a genius. Imagine what he would do with this situation and it wouldn't be walking around on eggshells trying not to hurt anyone's feelings.

No one has expected a repeat of the 50-60's run of titles. But the team has been rebuilt since the Garnett/Pierce trade and had plenty of time and experience to now be championship-ready. But there are specific problems that everyone can see and that can be fixed with competent management. Current ownership and Brad Stevens are throwing away this opportunity.

[/b]

[Surferdad]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

You could include the Green Bay Packers, Montreal Canadiens, Notre Dame football and maybe the Yankees in this discussion as well.

After Russell and Sam retired, we expected some down years to rebuild, same with the Cowens, Hondo and Jo-Jo team and then Bird's crew, though Red had set them up for continued success until the losses of Bias and Lewis. So, Celtic fans have been patient during rebuilding years and have expected success as the talent level was raised again thru the draft and trades. Red was a genius. Imagine what he would do with this situation and it wouldn't be walking around on eggshells trying not to hurt anyone's feelings.

No one has expected a repeat of the 50-60's run of titles. But the team has been rebuilt since the Garnett/Pierce trade and had plenty of time and experience to now be championship-ready. But there are specific problems that everyone can see and that can be fixed with competent management. Current ownership and Brad Stevens are throwing away this opportunity.

Red was indeed a genius, but these two deaths knocked the franchise down a couple of rungs. None of us saw Bias play pro ball but he was probably better than Reggie who was himself a rising star at the end of the Bird era. Bird and Kevin McHale had tough injury problems towards the end, but Robert Parish continued to play for a while. A 'big-3' of Parish/Bias/Lewis could have been formidable.

[CelticsWhat35]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

When we do not have a title capable squad, we do not have expectations for titles. But we do want plans for how we get to having a title squad. All fan bases are like this. Not all owners. But all fan bases. Not all the fan base but the majority. Most fans are not happy with just being a 50 win team and getting to the playoffs each year. They are happy with that for 1-2 seasons and then they want to take the next step. The goal is winning. Always. Step by step growth until you reach the mountain top and get the title. Always the goal.

I think we're fooling ourselves if we think that the Celtics are an amazing squad. They're good- probably top 5 and def top 10.

Top 2? I don't think so. The Celtics don't have one experienced player who has won a championship.

So the reason the Nuggets are going to win is because KCP has a ring?  The Celtics are clearly a top team in the league with championship aspirations as they should have.  They have flaws like any team.  There are no truly great teams.  There haven’t been since KD left the Warriors.  Which makes it all the more frustrating that the Celts are letting these opportunities slip away

[Surferdad]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

When we do not have a title capable squad, we do not have expectations for titles. But we do want plans for how we get to having a title squad. All fan bases are like this. Not all owners. But all fan bases. Not all the fan base but the majority. Most fans are not happy with just being a 50 win team and getting to the playoffs each year. They are happy with that for 1-2 seasons and then they want to take the next step. The goal is winning. Always. Step by step growth until you reach the mountain top and get the title. Always the goal.

I think we're fooling ourselves if we think that the Celtics are an amazing squad. They're good- probably top 5 and def top 10.

Top 2? I don't think so. The Celtics don't have one experienced player who has won a championship.

Just going by the bottom line of how close they got to a championship compared to all other teams, the Celtics are arguably the #3 team this year. Lakers got swept.

[RodyTur10]

I think a lot of fan bases would look at all these ECF appearances as a good thing. We were a top 3 team this year with a rookie coach. We were a top 2 team last year with an entirely different rookie coach. A lot of people view that as a failure. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Some teams have the same coach and stars for 15 years and never win.

As you said that has been accomplished with rookie coaches. Imagine if we had a proven veteran coach.
Two years in a row we came short where there was a legitimate chance to win the championship.
As BGL said nothing is guaranteed.

[RodyTur10]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

When we do not have a title capable squad, we do not have expectations for titles. But we do want plans for how we get to having a title squad. All fan bases are like this. Not all owners. But all fan bases. Not all the fan base but the majority. Most fans are not happy with just being a 50 win team and getting to the playoffs each year. They are happy with that for 1-2 seasons and then they want to take the next step. The goal is winning. Always. Step by step growth until you reach the mountain top and get the title. Always the goal.

I think we're fooling ourselves if we think that the Celtics are an amazing squad. They're good- probably top 5 and def top 10.

Top 2? I don't think so. The Celtics don't have one experienced player who has won a championship.

The Heat have Lowry, Love and Haslem with championship experience. It's a huge factor which is probably too much to overcome for the inexperienced Jokic, Murray, Gordon, Porter Jr, KCP and B.Brown.

Oh wait, I overlooked that Caldwell-Pope has won a ring. In that case KCP may guide Jokic and co to victory.

[GreenEnvy]

Expectations are relative to the talent we have.

When we have a title capable squad, our expectations are for titles.

When we do not have a title capable squad, we do not have expectations for titles. But we do want plans for how we get to having a title squad. All fan bases are like this. Not all owners. But all fan bases. Not all the fan base but the majority. Most fans are not happy with just being a 50 win team and getting to the playoffs each year. They are happy with that for 1-2 seasons and then they want to take the next step. The goal is winning. Always. Step by step growth until you reach the mountain top and get the title. Always the goal.

I think we're fooling ourselves if we think that the Celtics are an amazing squad. They're good- probably top 5 and def top 10.

Top 2? I don't think so. The Celtics don't have one experienced player who has won a championship.

Celtics were an elite offense and an elite defense last season.

They finished with the second-best record. They won the third-most playoff games.

Your opinion is not based on facts. You simply cannot name 3 better teams.

And if you are a top-3 team, you are a title contender (barring a dynasty/juggernaut, which the NBA doesn’t have at the moment).