Just throwing away another season seems foolish.

[liam]

When you have two allstar players on your roster you should be all in every year. The Heat when to the finals last year and the Suns did it this year. The Hawks were an injury away from going to the finals. The favorites, Lakers/Nets didn't even make the conference finals. So much can happen in an NBA season that the Celtics can't keep messaging things and saying we aren't contenders. We made the eastern conference finals 3 times in 4 years with Tatum and Brown and little else. These two young men deserve better.

[PhoSita]

I'm inclined to agree -- any year in which you have multiple All-NBA type talents on your roster is a year in which you should be trying to put the best team out there that you can.

However, I think a few things are true:

1. Ownership was simply not willing to pay luxury tax to prop up a group that just got beaten soundly in the first round

2. Due to the sins / mistakes / bad luck of the past few years, it was not possible to keep open the option of making a big splash next summer and still commit money this summer to improve / fortify the current team.

3. The Celtics have decided that Plan A is to go after a max player next summer.  The only max player that really makes sense for that is Beal.  The Celtics want Beal.  I expect them to make a push to trade for him mid-season this year, but if that doesn't work, they will clear max space and try to sign him next summer.

All of which results in

4. If the Celts don't acquire Beal by next summer, regardless of what happens this year, things are going to get really dark around here.

[bogg]

1. Ownership was simply not willing to pay luxury tax to prop up a group that just got beaten soundly in the first round

I think it's disingenuous at best to act like Boston was at full strength last year, and that the only alternative was to run back the team that was still suiting up come playoff time.

[mr. dee]

I can't believe they don't even try to sign one-and-done players. Just buffling. Even Danny makes some under the radar moves with cap flexible signings. But Brad so far just sits idle on his lap and wasting TPEs

[liam]

I'm inclined to agree -- any year in which you have multiple All-NBA type talents on your roster is a year in which you should be trying to put the best team out there that you can.

However, I think a few things are true:

1. Ownership was simply not willing to pay luxury tax to prop up a group that just got beaten soundly in the first round

2. Due to the sins / mistakes / bad luck of the past few years, it was not possible to keep open the option of making a big splash next summer and still commit money this summer to improve / fortify the current team.

3. The Celtics have decided that Plan A is to go after a max player next summer.  The only max player that really makes sense for that is Beal.  The Celtics want Beal.  I expect them to make a push to trade for him mid-season this year, but if that doesn't work, they will clear max space and try to sign him next summer.

All of which results in

4. If the Celts don't acquire Beal by next summer, regardless of what happens this year, things are going to get really dark around here.

What if the Celtics just wrote off 2008 off as a bridge year because these super teams usually take a year to gel? They didn't put players around the big three and figured they'd win down the line....

[liam]

1. Ownership was simply not willing to pay luxury tax to prop up a group that just got beaten soundly in the first round

I think it's disingenuous at best to act like Boston was at full strength last year, and that the only alternative was to run back the team that was still suiting up come playoff time.

Exactly. The healthier teams always win but no one knows who that will be until the end. The Nets and Lakers and maybe Clippers were the shoe-in contenders.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Perhaps we're waiting for the TT deal to be finalized in 3 days...I dunno.

[liam]

I'm not the only one:

Justin Leger
Tue, August 3, 2021, 5:08 PM
Celtics Talk: Are Tatum, Brown enough to attract free agents? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics are in an awkward spot with NBA free agency in full swing.

While the rest of the league wheels and deals, the C's are staying quiet. According to reports, Brad Stevens and Co. are focused on retaining a salary structure to potentially sign a "major" player next summer.

Forsberg: What's the endgame for Brad Stevens and the C's?
But do they have enough to entice such a high-caliber player to come to Boston?

On a brand new Celtics Talk Podcast, Chris Forsberg and DJ Bean discuss whether stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are enough to make free agents look at Boston as an ideal landing spot, even if the team struggles in 2021-22.

 Celtics Talk Podcast: What’s the endgame for Brad Stevens and the Celtics? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube

"My concern is, if you're always keeping recruiting in mind -- and I think that's more important today in the NBA than ever -- do you need to remain good and competitive enough, or is just having Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown enough?" Bean said. "If you use this year as a bridge year, will prospective free agents look at the Celtics and say 'Alright, let's all meet up over there because they do have Tatum and Brown, and we can make this thing amazing.' "

Do you need to remain good and competitive enough, or is just having Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown enough?

DJ Bean on C's ability to recruit free agents

Forsberg believes it's a possibility that, if the Celtics scuffle this season, they risk Tatum and Brown growing frustrated with the state of the organization.

"It's a great point, because with Brooklyn and L.A., those are destinations," Forsberg said. "It was nice that they had intriguing young cores that gave you an ability to build the thing out a little bit, but that wasn't the allure for LeBron [James]. ... Boston doesn't have that luxury. Part of my concern here is not only with recruiting other players, but let's say they get into next season and out of the gates, it's not nice ... how does Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown feel about the situation?

"They're sitting there thinking, 'Man, we were on the cusp, all they had to do was put some pieces around us, now here we are and we're sort of middling.' Everyone else is getting better. Chicago's adding players, the Hawks are making leaps, the Nets are a super team, the Bucks had Giannis and Jrue [Holiday] and all that. What are the Celtics doing? I think there's a potential for them to be frustrated."

[liam]

Perhaps we're waiting for the TT deal to be finalized in 3 days...I dunno.

Oracle:
OK, now I'm supposed to say, "Hmm, that's interesting, but..." then you say...

Neo:
..."but what?"

Oracle:
But... you already know what I'm going to tell you.

Neo:
I'm not The One.

Oracle:
Sorry, kid. You got the gift, but it looks like you're waiting for something.

Neo:
What?

Oracle:
Your next life, maybe. Who knows? That's the way these things go.

[Muzzy66]

1. Ownership was simply not willing to pay luxury tax to prop up a group that just got beaten soundly in the first round

And for that reason we are in prime position to see a repeat performance this year.

The Celtics brass are effectively throwing this season away completely, throwing all eggs in the "hope we can sign Beal next year" basket.  Wasting a valuable year of Tatum's and Brown's time together.

If the team is so eager to throw on the towel on the fans like this I don't see why the fans should do anything but the same.  Just walk away for a year and see how the team enjoys making zero money for a year.

[liam]

1. Ownership was simply not willing to pay luxury tax to prop up a group that just got beaten soundly in the first round

And for that reason we are in prime position to see a repeat performance this year.

The Celtics brass are effectively throwing this season away completely throwing all eggs in the "hope we can sign Beal next year" basket.  Wasting a valuable year of Tatum's and Brown's time together.

If the team is so eager to throw on the towel on the fans like this I don't see why the fans should go anything but the same.  Just walk away for a year and see how the team enjoys making zero money for a year.

Are they giving Tatum and Brown the year off or is management the only ones taking time off?

[timpiker]

I'm out of market and have to pay for every game I watch and have since the'80's.  Should I continue or just take the year off? 

[bdm860]

I'm inclined to agree -- any year in which you have multiple All-NBA type talents on your roster is a year in which you should be trying to put the best team out there that you can.

However, I think a few things are true:

1. Ownership was simply not willing to pay luxury tax to prop up a group that just got beaten soundly in the first round

2. Due to the sins / mistakes / bad luck of the past few years, it was not possible to keep open the option of making a big splash next summer and still commit money this summer to improve / fortify the current team.

3. The Celtics have decided that Plan A is to go after a max player next summer.  The only max player that really makes sense for that is Beal.  The Celtics want Beal.  I expect them to make a push to trade for him mid-season this year, but if that doesn't work, they will clear max space and try to sign him next summer.

All of which results in

4. If the Celts don't acquire Beal by next summer, regardless of what happens this year, things are going to get really dark around here.

What if the Celtics just wrote off 2008 off as a bridge year because these super teams usually take a year to gel? They didn't put players around the big three and figured they'd win down the line....

Well the Celtics definitely wrote off 2007 and that worked out.

And the Heat didn't do anything to improve on their 43 win team from 2009 going into 2010 while getting ready for 2011.

Sucks to have to endure it,, especially when they payout is far from assured, but it happens and sometimes it works out.

[Roy H.]

I'm out of market and have to pay for every game I watch and have since the'80's.  Should I continue or just take the year off?

Do you enjoy being frustrated?  Do you like watching teams that score 90 points per night?   Are you impressed when management hamstrings a rookie coach with a team that's ceiling seems to be 45 wins, and that could easily fall out of the playoffs?

[Muzzy66]

I'm out of market and have to pay for every game I watch and have since the'80's.  Should I continue or just take the year off?

I already cancelled my subscription because I barely watched it last year with how utterly unpleasant this team was to watch.  And looking at recent moves there's going to be zero incentive for me to sign back up again. 

In previous years I've watched just about every game.