Do not sign Pierce; Blow it up!

[Michael Anthony]

How can the Celtics maximize it for a few more years when their players are all getting really old.  Pierce's game will not translate well to being older - he can barely get separation to take his step back shots as it is.
The real risk here is that, by the time the Celtics can afford to actually rebuild, Rondo will be alienated and leave.

Here's the thing about rebuilding:  a wildly, above-all-expectations rebuilding effort puts your team back in the NBA finals.  The average rebuilding, on the other team, has you missing the playoffs / earning a low playoff seed, while you struggle with mediocrity.

Why are so many in such a rush to begin that process?  Right now, we're at the level that we'd want to be after we rebuild.  Let's maximize that for a few more years.

This team was 6 minutes away from a title, despite losing their starting center.  I'd like to see what it can do next season, especially with the Eastern Conference in flux.

Seriously people.  How are you coming to these conclusions?
I will say it again.....this was the most effecient offensive year of Pierce's career!  THE MOST EFFECIENT.  That's some feat for a guy who has lost a step and can no longer get separation.  

Do not confuse numbers with performance. Watching Pierce play one-on-one, it is clear that he lost a step.

Watchin Pierce play off Rondo, it is clear he can still shoot.

[2short]

I must be missing something didnt' we just finish the season as the second best team in the entire nba?  And if you bring up the calls     KG wasn't 100%, PP played with injuries most of the year.  Danny needs to improve the bench, get the best deal for 'sheeds contract and  Rondo & Perk should be shooting free throws as I type.  Our 2 draft picks will probably be at the end of bench but that might be an improvement already.  If David Lee somehow lands here watch out.

[Tai]

How can the Celtics maximize it for a few more years when their players are all getting really old.  Pierce's game will not translate well to being older - he can barely get separation to take his step back shots as it is.

The real risk here is that, by the time the Celtics can afford to actually rebuild, Rondo will be alienated and leave.

Hasn't the "old" argument been played out for a while? In 07-08, THIS year? Isn't it ironic that most of our younger players (BBD from start of season till Christmas, Marquis for a few months because of his thumb, Perkins in Game 6 of the Finals) are the ones getting injured for a longer (extended) period of time than our older guys? KG seemed to be the only "old" guy who was out for a long time, in 08-09. Then, this allegedly "too old" team that I suppose was supposed to fall apart in the 1st round of the playoffs made it all the way to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and put up a good fight in that game without Perkins.

Then Rondo...couldn't it be argued that Rondo will feel more alienated if we re-build now, when he may feel this core still has one more year in them? If a few shots go our way in Game 7, do you even consider this, or do you say "hey we're defending champs, why break it up now?". I mean, Rondo isn't in Lebron's situation; this Celtics' core has won a ring, unlike Lebron's teams.

And at the end of the day, no true rebuilding can happen until KG's contract expires in 2011-2012. Why bother to rebuild before then?

[BballTim]

No interest in the team above but I agree on not signing Pierce and beginning rebuilding now.

I am growing increasingly uncomfortable with the long term cost of keeping this core together. With Pierce getting a four year deal.

  If you don't re-sign PP, what would you honestly put the odds at that the rebuilding process will lead to the Celts having a team in the next 5-6 years with a better chance to win the title than they'll have this year with PP and RA still in the fold?

[rkls134]

First of all, why are we trying to sign Pierce? He is a fringe all-star in decline. Iguodala is probably available for a future second, ditto Deng. Salmons offers similar output at 1/3 the price.

WHAT??!!?  YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS  

I stopped reading after I saw that second sentence.

Iguodala - $12,345,250, $13,531,750, $14,718,250, Player Option - $15,904,750  He's going to pick up his option,so it's pretty much ALL Guaranteed

Deng - $11,355,850, $12,341,275, $13,326,700, $14,312,125
ALL Guaranteed
   
 

SECOND ROUND PICK? What?

How would we afford them?

I'd rather keep Pierce and try for Melo or Durant in a 1 or 2 yrs.

[Who]

No interest in the team above but I agree on not signing Pierce and beginning rebuilding now.

I am growing increasingly uncomfortable with the long term cost of keeping this core together. With Pierce getting a four year deal.

  If you don't re-sign PP, what would you honestly put the odds at that the rebuilding process will lead to the Celts having a team in the next 5-6 years with a better chance to win the title than they'll have this year with PP and RA still in the fold?

Good question. Hard to answer because of the current landscape in the East. Not sure if I can come up with a number that means anything.

I do like the odds though, I think they are good. I believe the Celtics chances of building another contender with Rondo as the first building block are very good considering Rondo's contract + the way Rondo impacts a game + the large number of opportunities Boston will have through the draft, free agency and trades over a number of years given a pared down roster and a lot of cap flexibility. I also think that team would have several cracks at a title rather than the one year that I feel this group is only certain of having.

I am very optimistic about the Celtics building another contender around Rondo if they begin a rebuilding process early enough.

------------------------------------------

With a good GM, I think the Celtics chances of building another contender are around 80-85%. Pretty close to a certainty. So long as the rebuild soon and properly (no Joe Dumars rushing the process and wasting cap flexibility on the likes of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva).

I don't know how to gauge this current team's chances at a title yet. I need to see what the rest of the Eastern Conference landscape looks like before being able to put a number on that.

[LooseCannon]

If you really want to rebuild now, the proper way to do it is to let Pierce and Allen go and go into full tank mode.

Who's ready to chase the lottery?

[celticsclay]

When is the last time the lakers had a 5 year rebuilding process where they were out of the playoffs and getting top 5 picks? They reloaded around Kobe after Shaq left and went a few steps back, but they never "blew it up." Why does this team have to blow it up?>

[Rondo_is_better]

Here's the thing about rebuilding:  a wildly, above-all-expectations rebuilding effort puts your team back in the NBA finals.  The average rebuilding, on the other team, has you missing the playoffs / earning a low playoff seed, while you struggle with mediocrity.

Why are so many in such a rush to begin that process?  Right now, we're at the level that we'd want to be after we rebuild.  Let's maximize that for a few more years.

This team was 6 minutes away from a title, despite losing their starting center.  I'd like to see what it can do next season, especially with the Eastern Conference in flux.

Its tough to like the status quo. It takes discipline, foresight and a level head to be able to appreciate what we have right now as well as envision the proper course of action going forward.

[hwangjini_1]

Here's the thing about rebuilding:  a wildly, above-all-expectations rebuilding effort puts your team back in the NBA finals.  The average rebuilding, on the other team, has you missing the playoffs / earning a low playoff seed, while you struggle with mediocrity.

Why are so many in such a rush to begin that process?  Right now, we're at the level that we'd want to be after we rebuild.  Let's maximize that for a few more years.

This team was 6 minutes away from a title, despite losing their starting center.  I'd like to see what it can do next season, especially with the Eastern Conference in flux.

Its tough to like the status quo. It takes discipline, foresight and a level head to be able to appreciate what we have right now as well as envision the proper course of action going forward.

soooo... basically none of us here at cb will be able to envision the proper course? 

[BballTim]

Here's the thing about rebuilding:  a wildly, above-all-expectations rebuilding effort puts your team back in the NBA finals.  The average rebuilding, on the other team, has you missing the playoffs / earning a low playoff seed, while you struggle with mediocrity.

Why are so many in such a rush to begin that process?  Right now, we're at the level that we'd want to be after we rebuild.  Let's maximize that for a few more years.

This team was 6 minutes away from a title, despite losing their starting center.  I'd like to see what it can do next season, especially with the Eastern Conference in flux.

Its tough to like the status quo. It takes discipline, foresight and a level head to be able to appreciate what we have right now as well as envision the proper course of action going forward.

soooo... basically none of us here at cb will be able to envision the proper course? 

  With all of the varying opinions, some of us are bound to be right.

[CoachBo]

Yeah, I'm dying to go back to the old days over at Real GM, with people dusting off room in Springfield for Gerald Green. It was so much fun laughing at the people who rhapsodized over Orien Greene and Brandon Hunter in the summers, then watched another 50-loss pile of steaming dung in the regular season.

Interesting how no one in this thread contemplates the possibility of getting a little bit younger, perhaps through a targeted move of Wallace's contract.

It's either/or when neither is the right answer. You don't go it again with the same team, and blowing it up is pure insanity.

You put the starters out there - hopefully Rondo will close in on the ability to consistently score the basketball and make a couple of foul shots - and try to throw some youth around them.

[More Banners]

Yeah, I'm dying to go back to the old days over at Real GM, with people dusting off room in Springfield for Gerald Green. It was so much fun laughing at the people who rhapsodized over Orien Greene and Brandon Hunter in the summers, then watched another 50-loss pile of steaming dung in the regular season.

Interesting how no one in this thread contemplates the possibility of getting a little bit younger, perhaps through a targeted move of Wallace's contract.

It's either/or when neither is the right answer. You don't go it again with the same team, and blowing it up is pure insanity.

You put the starters out there - hopefully Rondo will close in on the ability to consistently score the basketball and make a couple of foul shots - and try to throw some youth around them.

Agree with just about everything here, provided those pieces come back for a reasonable contract.

Brandon Hunter, though, I loved that guy.  I think he got a raw deal in the playoffs against the Pacers, and should've played more.  Too bad to have lost him in the expansion draft, as so many subsequent picks went to trying to find someone to fill the "undersized PF" role after he left...

[CoachBo]

I agree. I don't really want to go over $10 large for Ray, frankly. But beyond that, I'd hope we can move Sheed for something useful as a young 2, 3 or 4.

[Jaycelt]

How can the Celtics maximize it for a few more years when their players are all getting really old.  Pierce's game will not translate well to being older - he can barely get separation to take his step back shots as it is.
The real risk here is that, by the time the Celtics can afford to actually rebuild, Rondo will be alienated and leave.

Here's the thing about rebuilding:  a wildly, above-all-expectations rebuilding effort puts your team back in the NBA finals.  The average rebuilding, on the other team, has you missing the playoffs / earning a low playoff seed, while you struggle with mediocrity.

Why are so many in such a rush to begin that process?  Right now, we're at the level that we'd want to be after we rebuild.  Let's maximize that for a few more years.

This team was 6 minutes away from a title, despite losing their starting center.  I'd like to see what it can do next season, especially with the Eastern Conference in flux.

Seriously people.  How are you coming to these conclusions?
I will say it again.....this was the most effecient offensive year of Pierce's career!  THE MOST EFFECIENT.  That's some feat for a guy who has lost a step and can no longer get separation.  

Do not confuse numbers with performance. Watching Pierce play one-on-one, it is clear that he lost a step.

Watchin Pierce play off Rondo, it is clear he can still shoot.

Yes, because everyone knows it's not how well you score but how you look doing it. 

Best fg%, best 3pt% and best ft% of his career.  That's not numbers that IS perfomance.