Would you rather make the playoffs or get a Top 5 pick?

[Celtics18]

getting into the playoffs and getting swept in the 1st round would not be fun. it'd be a waste. we'd draft jajuan johnson part 2 with our late 1st and stay in nba purgatory

we need a top pick

^This. We weren't even good enough to beat the Nets... we were lucky they had a bad shooting night. We had 28 turnovers... This team would be absolutely embarrassed in the playoffs and we'd be on the path to becoming Atlanta 2.0. No point, I'd much rather lose now and get a potentially great reward than make the playoffs for nothing, especially since we'd only make them because the East is awful. If we were in the West, this wouldn't even be a question

I re-iterate; to make the playoffs, we'd probably need to win at least 75% of our remaining 20 games.  If we could pull that off (not likely, but still possible), we'd look like a good team heading into the playoffs. 

If all of a sudden we played .750 ball to close the season, we'd look like a team that had a chance to pull a major upset in the first round--or at least take a couple of games and make it a good series--against one of the two heavyweights in the East.

I'd take closing out this up-until-now woeful season on a positive note.  We still have 9 first round picks over the course of the next 5 years (including two this year). 

We are in a nice position to rebuild, with or without a top five pick.

i'm curious, what if we played close to .750 ball more likely due to circumstance (e.g. almost all the other teams between us and the 8th seed suffered major injuries to 2-3 of their current main starters) rather than the team playing well above the sum of its parts? would you still take that? how about if we just miss the playoffs, 0.5-1 game back (9th seed)?

[assume that the remaining #1-7 remain intact as they are]

Forget about the "75%" thing for a second.

We are only 6 games out of the 8th spot... the 8th spot is held by a below .500 crap team.  It's conceivable that everyone in front of us will continue to play like crap.

If we win enough games to make the playoffs it will not be because we are suddenly world-beaters... it will be because we have Philly on our schedule twice, half the teams we play stink, and most of the competent teams will be resting their starters down the stretch to prepare for the playoffs.


Honestly I think making the playoffs this year is probably not happening... but I do think we're going to play well enough to end up picking 8-12.

And while it's cute that Celtics18 brings up our mass assortment of picks... You'd probably have to trade all "10" of those late 1sts for 1 top 3 pick in 2014.

With eleven teams currently ahead of us in the East (many of them, admittedly, "crappy"), I do think we'd have to be close to "world beaters" over the course of the remainder of the season to have any shot at the playoffs.

Again, winning 15 of the remaining 20 games would be impressive, regardless of any extenuating circumstances.

Why are you acting like it would be some feat of dominance to make the playoffs?  We're 5 games out of the playoffs right now.  Our 2 game win streak took us from #4 pick to #7.   We are only 2 games behind Detroit (#10 pick)...

all your dreams are coming true, Celtics18... perpetual mediocrity is within reach

I'm fairly sure you know that perpetual mediocrity isn't my dream.  I'm also fairly sure you are aware that one season of mediocrity does not represent a guaranteed sentence of perpetual mediocrity.

[D.o.s.]

Hahahahahahaha.
TP.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

The only way I'd feel cool about sneaking into the playoffs this season is if it was clearly down to the efforts, of our under 25s (Olynyk, Sullinger, Bradley etc) and some basketball prophet revealed to me that Danny Ainge is set to become the King Midas of the NBA.   Draft for years to come. Otherwise What's the use? There is no need to draft in the middle of the first round just because you have roster who's absolute ceiling is a 1st or 2nd round exit, when a couple of salary dumps could land you in the lottery. On the other hand, if an early playoff exit is with a roster with plenty of upside, then you have something to work with. Also the higher you pick in the draft the bigger the talent pool you are looking at (unless Mike Jordan's picking ahead of you ;-) ). So to sum up, as much as I'm not for losing seasons generally, some times you need a little short term pain to set yourself up for long term gain.

[Snakehead]

There's a bit of a middle ground here.  I really like this draft up to like the top 8-9 picks so I'm good with that whole range.  Not interested in the Playoffs at all but at the same time I don't watch games and root for the team to lose.

Riding this wave out like I have all year.  Just love seeing Rondo run a team.  To me, it's clear to see it's not only possible but that it's the right move for us going forward.

[Fafnir]

I don't want to make the playoffs with a crappy record. But I am very happy to see Rondo looking good and playing like the player I remember.

[Phil125]

We need Green and Rondo to have a midcourt collision and miss about 3 weeks each.