Woj: AD Only Trade Celtics Are Thinking About

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I always feel this team looks toward the future too much.

*When we sign Horford

*When we get Kyrie and Hayward

*When Hayward gets healthy

**When we trade for AD

I'm patient and I'm trying to see the big picture.  But it kinda feels like this too.

Yeah, the can's always getting kicked down the road with this team. "Next season will be the season, you just wait and see!"

Then those same people start spouting revisionist history—"Oh, I never thought they'd be great this season; I figured they would take some time to gel."

Then the cycle repeats.

It must comfort Horford to know that in spite of being Boston's first-ever big free agent signing, he'll be long gone from Boston by the time the Celtics get around to winning their next title (unless he feels like sticking around on a much-smaller new deal).

There's a difference between not making panic moves and kicking the can down the road. This team has plenty of talent, it makes zero sense to bail on it half a season into everyone being healthy. Go ask a Suns, Knicks or Magic fan, they'd kill to have this roster.

Of course they would; those are all terrible organizations.

I'm not suggesting that the Celtics should make a panic move, or ANY move. I never said anything like that.

My point is that the goalposts are often getting moved—even during the current season, when the popular CelticsStrong wisdom has gone from "You have to give them at least 20 games" to "You have to give them at least 30 games" to "You have to give them at least half the season," and now it's shifted to "You have to give them at least till the all-star game."

Heck, there are even people saying, "You have to wait until the playoffs roll around and see how they fare then." Which, to me, is like saying, "You can't complain about the lack of security around the henhouse until the foxes have come and slaughtered the hens." Seriously, there are people on this site who have said, in not so many words, that there should be no worrying and no complaining about this Celtics team until they've been knocked out of the playoffs—and even then we should only commend the Celtics for making it as far as they did.

[Roy H.]

My point is that the goalposts are often getting moved—even during the current season, when the popular CelticsStrong wisdom has gone from "You have to give them at least 20 games" to "You have to give them at least 30 games" to "You have to give them at least half the season," and now it's shifted to "You have to give them at least till the all-star game."

I’m curious, what is it about how the team is playing that has you particularly worried ?

They stunk early. Since their 10-10 start, though, they’ve gone 19-10.  That’s a good stretch of basketball.  Is there a major problem that needs solving?

[Stig]

I agree we should avoid big trades until AD becomes available, since he's the only top 10 player we can realistically trade for.

But the strategy of betting on the disassemble of super teams like GSW is unreliable, in the future there could be GSW alike super teams consist of Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Embiid, etc. We should always try to compete when possible.

[Androslav]

Another "seismic" Woj bomb. A revelation.
We all know that AD is the guy we want for at least the last 2 years.
Maybe he should have our phone numbers as well.

[10610786d]

My point is that the goalposts are often getting moved—even during the current season, when the popular CelticsStrong wisdom has gone from "You have to give them at least 20 games" to "You have to give them at least 30 games" to "You have to give them at least half the season," and now it's shifted to "You have to give them at least till the all-star game."

I’m curious, what is it about how the team is playing that has you particularly worried ?

They stunk early. Since their 10-10 start, though, they’ve gone 19-10.  That’s a good stretch of basketball.  Is there a major problem that needs solving?

Different goalposts set by different people, too. Some saw ahead that the Celts would struggle right out of the gate. The most skeptical even saw Hayward's recovery being a problem.

[KGBirdBias]

Celtics should take the approach that Oklahoma City and the Raptors did with Kawhi and PG13. If you get him there and you're winning it will be harder for him to leave so you don't have to give up as much with the guarantee that he will stay. It will be hard for him to leave Boston. Remember even IT would've come back had Ainge called.

This way there is no need to give them everything. In addition they should want him to go to the East. Why go to the Lakers when Bron will be 36 in 2 years and Kyrie will only be 29.

[CelticsElite]

Wonder if ainge leaked this to woj  because ainge knew what was about to go down monday

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

My point is that the goalposts are often getting moved—even during the current season, when the popular CelticsStrong wisdom has gone from "You have to give them at least 20 games" to "You have to give them at least 30 games" to "You have to give them at least half the season," and now it's shifted to "You have to give them at least till the all-star game."

I’m curious, what is it about how the team is playing that has you particularly worried ?

They stunk early. Since their 10-10 start, though, they’ve gone 19-10.  That’s a good stretch of basketball.  Is there a major problem that needs solving?

They're 30-19 now, so they've actually gone 20-9 since the bad start, which is even better than what you said, but some of those losses were bad—Detroit, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, even Brooklyn, which has been hot lately but still doesn't have anywhere near the talent Boston has. Boston won 5 straight before the GS loss, including a big win over Toronto, but struggled a little too much (IMO) to beat Memphis, Atlanta, and Miami.

As for major problems that need solving, I don't think the bench is particularly strong—Brown's been mostly solid of late, but Hayward's offense is sorely lacking, Rozier's ups and downs are thoroughly documented, and as a unit the bench has had quite a bit of difficulty maintaining leads. The defense hasn't been consistently good, or able to lock down, as often as I'd like. And the team, as a whole, often slacks off against weaker competition, and struggles on the road.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

My point is that the goalposts are often getting moved—even during the current season, when the popular CelticsStrong wisdom has gone from "You have to give them at least 20 games" to "You have to give them at least 30 games" to "You have to give them at least half the season," and now it's shifted to "You have to give them at least till the all-star game."

I’m curious, what is it about how the team is playing that has you particularly worried ?

They stunk early. Since their 10-10 start, though, they’ve gone 19-10.  That’s a good stretch of basketball.  Is there a major problem that needs solving?

Different goalposts set by different people, too. Some saw ahead that the Celts would struggle right out of the gate. The most skeptical even saw Hayward's recovery being a problem.

I think very few people thought that—or at least, very few went public with that belief. It certainly seems to me that there are more people now saying "I told you they'd struggle" than there were at the beginning of the season making that prediction.

[Rondo9]

My point is that the goalposts are often getting moved—even during the current season, when the popular CelticsStrong wisdom has gone from "You have to give them at least 20 games" to "You have to give them at least 30 games" to "You have to give them at least half the season," and now it's shifted to "You have to give them at least till the all-star game."

I’m curious, what is it about how the team is playing that has you particularly worried ?

They stunk early. Since their 10-10 start, though, they’ve gone 19-10.  That’s a good stretch of basketball.  Is there a major problem that needs solving?

They're 30-19 now, so they've actually gone 20-9 since the bad start, which is even better than what you said, but some of those losses were bad—Detroit, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, even Brooklyn, which has been hot lately but still doesn't have anywhere near the talent Boston has. Boston won 5 straight before the GS loss, including a big win over Toronto, but struggled a little too much (IMO) to beat Memphis, Atlanta, and Miami.

As for major problems that need solving, I don't think the bench is particularly strong—Brown's been mostly solid of late, but Hayward's offense is sorely lacking, Rozier's ups and downs are thoroughly documented, and as a unit the bench has had quite a bit of difficulty maintaining leads. The defense hasn't been consistently good, or able to lock down, as often as I'd like. And the team, as a whole, often slacks off against weaker competition, and struggles on the road.

All I'm going to say to the losses to the bad teams is so what? It's unlikely that the Celtics will even meet them in the playoffs. They've had big wins over Toronto, Philly, Indiana and fought toe to toe with the Warriors. Those are the teams that they should focusing.

[spikelovetheCelts]

The only way you get AD this season is you have to trade Kyrie. You know Lebron is going to pressure the Lakers to make the move for AD. If this is the only way to get AD in his prime would you say Ok you can have Kyrie. Would then KI take a trade to the Lakers if we get AD. So many things to think about, but if this happened would Free Agents be scared to come here. Danny has so many things to think about with this announcement.

[Bobshot]

Kyrie's a brilliant player. I just watched the last 8 minutes of the Warriors game, and he dazzled on those drives. But he turned the ball over, too. Tends to try to do it all himself at times.

I would trade Kyrie for Davis, but they would probably have to take Holiday back, too. Which isn't bad. There would still be other pieces--players and draft picks. Maybe Horford and Tatum would go.

The Celtics would need a reset. But they could well be better after the dust settles. Right now, they look like a team with holes.