The love for young players, explain it to me?

[C3LTSF4N]

Their contracts and potential to exceed their cost 10 fold.

The warriors are a prime example of success with young players.  Yeah it takes some luck but that's how it is.  We can't have everything now by going out and buying all the puzzle pieces and expect instant championships.  A situation like the '08 team will probably never happen again and if it did, it would end soon after. 

The idea of "the love for young players" is to get cheap pieces and create a culture with them.  You can't fit 4-5 max players into the salary cap.  So the love comes from the idea of building a team that'll last more than 3-4 years and bring good contracts because you aren't firing out $25-30m on each piece.

[Somebody]

Their contracts and potential to exceed their cost 10 fold.

The warriors are a prime example of success with young players.  Yeah it takes some luck but that's how it is.  We can't have everything now by going out and buying all the puzzle pieces and expect instant championships.  A situation like the '08 team will probably never happen again and if it did, it would end soon after. 

The idea of "the love for young players" is to get cheap pieces and create a culture with them.  You can't fit 4-5 max players into the salary cap.  So the love comes from the idea of building a team that'll last more than 3-4 years and bring good contracts because you aren't firing out $25-30m on each piece.

This,TP man. Jade, I like your posts but if you're reading this please do start understanding why we like youth rather than getting a bunch of stars to compete for a year or two before we are forced to break up the team. The 08 situation will most likely never happen again and the next best way to build a team is to develop young talent, which requires a lot of high picks in the draft.

[Beat LA]

The problem I have with youth is they don't usually contribute to total winning basketball until they are off their rookie contracts.

Also, the constant bellowing that teenagers will be stars is getting so old on this board. These teenagers take years and years of development because it takes that long to reach two way star levto. Heck, I have seen posters advocating for tanking so that we can get some 16 year old 3 years from now because he is the next______(fill in the superstar).

Expectations for youth are off the charts on this board. Prime examples are RJ Hunter and Jordan Mickey.

Ahh, but is that the fault of the rookie(s) in question or the craptastic environment, team-wise, into which they're often thrown?  And I'm not just talking about lottery picks, btw.

I would say it's typically on the rookie.

I'd say that it's at least 50/50, no matter how talented the guy is.  Well, unless you're Larry Bird, anyway .

[Onslaught]

I’m not in love with either option. I don’t see drafting a kid or trading him for someone like Butler or George will put us over the Cavs and even if it did we won’t be near the Warriors. So I’ll take my chances that a kid will give me more down the road then a “star” who’s not been able to do it for years.

As it stands right now we can't make a team that can beat the Warriors in 7 games with what out there. So I want to make a team that can in the future and be good for a long time. 

[BlackCeltic]

I love young players because finally Boston get to draft athletic and skilled players. So many years we had to suffer with slow, plodding teams lead by the likes of Dino Radja and Antoine Walker only to get run off the court by athletic squads like Kenyon Martin/Richard Jefferson NJ Nets. Prior to Jaylen, our most athletic player ever was arguably Dee Brown. We had Dominique Wilkins the year he retired and Kedrick Brown, not even worth mentioning them. I don't want to part with any of the BK picks unless Anthony Davis is walking through those doors. Bring on the Draft and Summer League. Its brings excitement and Im beyond ready.

[acieEarl]

It's that connection of seeing the kid grow and develop under the Cs system. If you draft a kid like Kobe or Garnett it's pretty cool seeing them develop into at superstar. Getting a proven star is great but I don't think you have that same connection as watching the kid grow in your system.

[OldSchoolDude]

The problem I have with youth is they don't usually contribute to total winning basketball until they are off their rookie contracts.

Also, the constant bellowing that teenagers will be stars is getting so old on this board. These teenagers take years and years of development because it takes that long to reach two way star levto. Heck, I have seen posters advocating for tanking so that we can get some 16 year old 3 years from now because he is the next______(fill in the superstar).

Expectations for youth are off the charts on this board. Prime examples are RJ Hunter and Jordan Mickey.

Ah, yes. The Legend of Jordan Mickey.

Who will soon go the route of Brandon Hunter, Etwan Moore, Gabe Pruitt, Delonte West, and so on and so on.

I'm still waiting on the Ainge draft pick who plays a central role in an NBA title. Perhaps that's about to change.

Rondo,  Big Baby Davis, Perkins, Leon Powe
All props to the big three, but if you're honest about it, we don't win without these 4. They were key contributors in the rotation. Also, if Perkins doesn't get suspended then hurt we win another title for sure.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Their contracts and potential to exceed their cost 10 fold.

The warriors are a prime example of success with young players.  Yeah it takes some luck but that's how it is.  We can't have everything now by going out and buying all the puzzle pieces and expect instant championships.  A situation like the '08 team will probably never happen again and if it did, it would end soon after. 

The idea of "the love for young players" is to get cheap pieces and create a culture with them.  You can't fit 4-5 max players into the salary cap.  So the love comes from the idea of building a team that'll last more than 3-4 years and bring good contracts because you aren't firing out $25-30m on each piece.

yup

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

The problem I have with youth is they don't usually contribute to total winning basketball until they are off their rookie contracts.

Also, the constant bellowing that teenagers will be stars is getting so old on this board. These teenagers take years and years of development because it takes that long to reach two way star levto. Heck, I have seen posters advocating for tanking so that we can get some 16 year old 3 years from now because he is the next______(fill in the superstar).

Expectations for youth are off the charts on this board. Prime examples are RJ Hunter and Jordan Mickey.

Ah, yes. The Legend of Jordan Mickey.

Who will soon go the route of Brandon Hunter, Etwan Moore, Gabe Pruitt, Delonte West, and so on and so on.

I'm still waiting on the Ainge draft pick who plays a central role in an NBA title. Perhaps that's about to change.

Rondo,  Big Baby Davis, Perkins, Leon Powe
All props to the big three, but if you're honest about it, we don't win without these 4. They were key contributors in the rotation. Also, if Perkins doesn't get suspended then hurt we win another title for sure.

we shoulda won game 7 even without perk. doc blew it. it was laid out here how and why he blew it many times in the past.

[slamtheking]

So admittedly i'm the type of guy who isn't into watching young players, i don't watch college basketball. So when these guys come into the NBA, especially on my Celtics, i just hope they don't drag the team down when they hit the floor. We have a 53 win playoff team, it's nice to be in the mix, a few pieces short or not.


I just like watching the best players in the world, the NBA's top 20-25 players and all of the great role players. Basketball is a joy to watch, i just don't like watching unpolished kids. When they mature it's great, but i don't like '' The Process''. 27 years old and up is where it's at for me, not that there aren't very good players below that.


It just seems like on internet forums like this, they love them some youth. I see Philly and their rebuild cheered on with tons of hyperbole comments about their future, people like what the Bucks have going on, add the Wolves and it's hysteria. It's just funny, we don't have a Wiggins or Towns and we're a better team. We roll out IT4 who never saw a combine he impressed in, Al Horford, and a few vets mixed with some young kids and we make it to the ECF.

For all of the hype for the internet darling kids out of college, nothing is guaranteed to any of those teams. Hell nothing is guaranteed to us! We can hope Jaylen Brown and Fultz are as good as Paul George and Gordon Hayward, but they could easily not be.

Give me the sure thing, especially when it's already great. Some flame me if you must, but i don't get the fascination with these kids out of college and the philosophy that waiting for them is better than adding to what we have. What excites some of you about the long road and the unknown?

Ted Stepien, is that you?

granted, there a some people here who are all about constant rebuilding and the hype of the draft but for the most part, many seem to follow the premise that you want to have a constant pipeline of talent.  As players age and either get injured, decline in ability or price themselves off the team due to the cap, you need have younger, cost-controlled players with talent to step into those minutes.  the end goal should be contend for as long a stretch as possible, not have a 1-3 year window and have to start yet another rebuild. 

A sure thing is fine, if it's a good sure thing.  a player can be constantly underwhelming.  That's a sure thing but not something I'd be interested in.

as for your love of the NBA itself, to each his own.  I find the current NBA product to be awful.  the game is far different from the glory days of the 80's when I first starting following the NBA in Bird's rookie year.  personally, I follow the Celtics and only the Celtics and couldn't care less about the rest of the league.

[slamtheking]

The problem I have with youth is they don't usually contribute to total winning basketball until they are off their rookie contracts.

Also, the constant bellowing that teenagers will be stars is getting so old on this board. These teenagers take years and years of development because it takes that long to reach two way star levto. Heck, I have seen posters advocating for tanking so that we can get some 16 year old 3 years from now because he is the next______(fill in the superstar).

Expectations for youth are off the charts on this board. Prime examples are RJ Hunter and Jordan Mickey.

Ah, yes. The Legend of Jordan Mickey.

Who will soon go the route of Brandon Hunter, Etwan Moore, Gabe Pruitt, Delonte West, and so on and so on.

I'm still waiting on the Ainge draft pick who plays a central role in an NBA title. Perhaps that's about to change.

Rondo,  Big Baby Davis, Perkins, Leon Powe
All props to the big three, but if you're honest about it, we don't win without these 4. They were key contributors in the rotation. Also, if Perkins doesn't get suspended then hurt we win another title for sure.

Agreed.  not to mention is took Delonte West, Big Al and Gerald Green in trades to get Ray and KG.

of course Bo talks like Danny's had a plethora of high draft picks and failed to get a superstar with any of those picks. 

[Somebody]

The problem I have with youth is they don't usually contribute to total winning basketball until they are off their rookie contracts.

Also, the constant bellowing that teenagers will be stars is getting so old on this board. These teenagers take years and years of development because it takes that long to reach two way star levto. Heck, I have seen posters advocating for tanking so that we can get some 16 year old 3 years from now because he is the next______(fill in the superstar).

Expectations for youth are off the charts on this board. Prime examples are RJ Hunter and Jordan Mickey.

Ah, yes. The Legend of Jordan Mickey.

Who will soon go the route of Brandon Hunter, Etwan Moore, Gabe Pruitt, Delonte West, and so on and so on.

I'm still waiting on the Ainge draft pick who plays a central role in an NBA title. Perhaps that's about to change.

Rondo,  Big Baby Davis, Perkins, Leon Powe
All props to the big three, but if you're honest about it, we don't win without these 4. They were key contributors in the rotation. Also, if Perkins doesn't get suspended then hurt we win another title for sure.

Agreed.  not to mention is took Delonte West, Big Al and Gerald Green in trades to get Ray and KG.

of course Bo talks like Danny's had a plethora of high draft picks and failed to get a superstar with any of those picks.

But...Jaylen Brown's a bust!!!

[scientific_thinker]

There are two reasons for me.

1. If you look at championship teams, all of them built through the draft. Almost all championship teams for the last several decades drafted their best player. The few exceptions drafted the second best players and these teams are like one-offs since none of them had a sustainable run. I think the Lakers had the best run with Shaq with three wins but it is also debatable which player was better Shaq or Kobe. Next best is the Heat with two where it is clear the best player wasn't drafted by the team.

So, if past success is any indication of future success, the only path to a championship is through the draft for your first or at least second best player (not ideal because of the clearly smaller window for success).

2. Imagine watching the next great player's first game and watching that player grow into something special as he progresses through his career. There is nothing like that.

Like many others here, I have watched every professional game played by Tom Brady. I got to watch him evolve into the greatest player ever to play the game. I would enjoy the opportunity to have that experience again.

[mmmmm]

We made the ECF because we have Brad Stevens and those teams have Jason Kidd, Brett Brown, and Thibs (with all offensive minded players). Young players can grow up and become good and you don't have to max them out unless they get really, really good. Signing vets is expensive.

Ideally you have a mix of both but if you don't have a strong core (our core is medium-strong) you need to build that first.

We had a top 3 scorer, who was the 2nd best closer in the NBA. Literally one of the best scoring seasons overall in a Celtics uniform. I like Brad but c'mon, he isn't and wasn't winning anything until he got a scorer like Thomas.

Yup.  This team doesn't sniff the playoffs the last 3 years without "peaked, no more potential at 27" Thomas.  And not to mention the addition of a veteran, "old, over-the-hill at 30" Al Horford, who was a huge part of the difference between a first round exit and an ECF appearance.

[gouki88]

There are two reasons for me.

1. If you look at championship teams, all of them built through the draft. Almost all championship teams for the last several decades drafted their best player. The few exceptions drafted the second best players and these teams are like one-offs since none of them had a sustainable run. I think the Lakers had the best run with Shaq with three wins but it is also debatable which player was better Shaq or Kobe. Next best is the Heat with two where it is clear the best player wasn't drafted by the team.

So, if past success is any indication of future success, the only path to a championship is through the draft for your first or at least second best player (not ideal because of the clearly smaller window for success).

2. Imagine watching the next great player's first game and watching that player grow into something special as he progresses through his career. There is nothing like that.

Like many others here, I have watched every professional game played by Tom Brady. I got to watch him evolve into the greatest player ever to play the game. I would enjoy the opportunity to have that experience again.

With Jaylen and Markelle hopefully we have done both  Barring any draft night trades (I pray this doesn't occur, unless we get away with absolute robbery).

Shaq was definitely the man on that Lakers team though.