Am I the only one worried about where this team is headed?

[Clench123]

I've accepted the fact that we're not winning jack.

One word...RONDO.

[ScottHow]

Maybe if Rondo wasn't pounding the ba......oh wait, wrong losing streak.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I've accepted the fact that we're not winning jack.

One word...RONDO.

even if we had him i am not sure it would matter that much with so many others MIA at times. rondo cannot overcome that.

[The Rondo Show]

Maybe if Rondo wasn't pounding the ba......oh wait, wrong losing streak.

haha

[CelticsFan9]

I wrote this a couple days ago:

The only true building blocks we have right now are Rondo and Bradley.  They are two established players in the league who have proven that they can play well together while having elite attributes (passing for Rondo, defense for Bradley).  These are the only two guys who I can safely say will be here in the next couple years once we rebuild.

Jeff Green has the potential to be another piece.  He's proven that he can be a high-level backup on a good team, and has shown flashes of excellence when inserted into the starting lineup.  If he can develop any sort of consistency, he can become a solid starter in the NBA.  That's probably his ceiling.  If he does continue to improve, his contract might finally be tradable, and we could possibly move him in a deal for another player, preferably one who performs and shows up every night.  Green's future in Boston has yet to be determined.

When Danny drafted Sully and Melo, I'm assuming that he intended those two to be assets primarily, and, if trades could not be made, our front court for the future (in 4 or 5 years).  Sully has proven he has an elite skill (rebounding), but unless he can improve defensively, as well as shows signs that he can score more consistently, he's probably better off as a team's first big off the bench.  Melo has shown us next to nothing in his few appearances in the NBA, and I have my doubts that he'll improve to be anything other than an average backup center.  We'll see if he can improve over the next two or three years.

Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass are guys who are great off the bench for good teams because they provide skills that are very helpful.  I don't expect either of these guys to be a part of our rebuild, as they're best suited as supporting pieces on winners, not teams that are rebuilding.  Both are solid trade assets at best, so it might be tough to move them.

Terrence Williams, DJ White, and Jordan Crawford are really just fillers in trades to me.  We've seen what Crawford's done on rebuilding teams before (in Washington), and we've read about Williams' antics in NJ (bad attitude).  White seems like a great eleventh or twelfth guy on a rebuilding team, so maybe we keep him around.  Personally, I wouldn't.

All that being said, here's a realistic view of our team going forward (once Pierce, KG, and Terry either retire/get traded):

*This team does not include draft picks that we make in the future, as it's [dang]-near impossible to predict those.

Rondo
Bradley
Green
Sully
Melo

That's our starting unit.  Depending on how you project the development of these players determines how many games they would win.  In my opinion, this starting unit, along with a mediocre bench (which most rebuilding teams have), wins you probably 35-40 games at most.  Not enough floor-spacing, not big enough, and a lack of shot-creators really hurts this unit.  They could be decent defensively, if only for the brilliance of Bradley picking up guys full-court.

Crawford
Lee
Williams
Bass
White

Let's say no free agents want to come to Boston (which is absolutely realistic).  That leaves us with the players we already have.  This bench is truly awful.  The only above-average defender is Lee, the size is terrible, and I can't see this unit putting very many points up on the board.  When our starting unit goes out, the other team is going to have a field day.

So there, that's our realistic future.  I'm not really surprised that the future looks a little dim, as Danny has currently constructed this team so that it can win now.  By doing that, you have to make sacrifices.  In this case, Danny sacrificed the future.

Development could be a huge factor in whether this team is lottery-bound or early-round fodder in the playoffs.  It really depends on how you view these players.

One last note: Danny Ainge has stones.  That can be good and bad.  We've seen him land two stars in the span of two months, rejuvenating the franchise and landing one championship.  I wouldn't rule out that he could do this again.  If anything, it's realistic to assume that Danny, once the rebuild hits, will be working the phones to make us a contender again, and save us from the mess of a team I showed you above.  Hopefully, he pulls it off.

Our team could very likely look like that next year.

If you ask me, that team sucks.

[clover]

I wrote this a couple days ago:

The only true building blocks we have right now are Rondo and Bradley.  They are two established players in the league who have proven that they can play well together while having elite attributes (passing for Rondo, defense for Bradley).  These are the only two guys who I can safely say will be here in the next couple years once we rebuild.

Jeff Green has the potential to be another piece.  He's proven that he can be a high-level backup on a good team, and has shown flashes of excellence when inserted into the starting lineup.  If he can develop any sort of consistency, he can become a solid starter in the NBA.  That's probably his ceiling.  If he does continue to improve, his contract might finally be tradable, and we could possibly move him in a deal for another player, preferably one who performs and shows up every night.  Green's future in Boston has yet to be determined.

When Danny drafted Sully and Melo, I'm assuming that he intended those two to be assets primarily, and, if trades could not be made, our front court for the future (in 4 or 5 years).  Sully has proven he has an elite skill (rebounding), but unless he can improve defensively, as well as shows signs that he can score more consistently, he's probably better off as a team's first big off the bench.  Melo has shown us next to nothing in his few appearances in the NBA, and I have my doubts that he'll improve to be anything other than an average backup center.  We'll see if he can improve over the next two or three years.

Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass are guys who are great off the bench for good teams because they provide skills that are very helpful.  I don't expect either of these guys to be a part of our rebuild, as they're best suited as supporting pieces on winners, not teams that are rebuilding.  Both are solid trade assets at best, so it might be tough to move them.

Terrence Williams, DJ White, and Jordan Crawford are really just fillers in trades to me.  We've seen what Crawford's done on rebuilding teams before (in Washington), and we've read about Williams' antics in NJ (bad attitude).  White seems like a great eleventh or twelfth guy on a rebuilding team, so maybe we keep him around.  Personally, I wouldn't.

All that being said, here's a realistic view of our team going forward (once Pierce, KG, and Terry either retire/get traded):

*This team does not include draft picks that we make in the future, as it's [dang]-near impossible to predict those.

Rondo
Bradley
Green
Sully
Melo

That's our starting unit.  Depending on how you project the development of these players determines how many games they would win.  In my opinion, this starting unit, along with a mediocre bench (which most rebuilding teams have), wins you probably 35-40 games at most.  Not enough floor-spacing, not big enough, and a lack of shot-creators really hurts this unit.  They could be decent defensively, if only for the brilliance of Bradley picking up guys full-court.

Crawford
Lee
Williams
Bass
White

Let's say no free agents want to come to Boston (which is absolutely realistic).  That leaves us with the players we already have.  This bench is truly awful.  The only above-average defender is Lee, the size is terrible, and I can't see this unit putting very many points up on the board.  When our starting unit goes out, the other team is going to have a field day.

So there, that's our realistic future.  I'm not really surprised that the future looks a little dim, as Danny has currently constructed this team so that it can win now.  By doing that, you have to make sacrifices.  In this case, Danny sacrificed the future.

Development could be a huge factor in whether this team is lottery-bound or early-round fodder in the playoffs.  It really depends on how you view these players.

One last note: Danny Ainge has stones.  That can be good and bad.  We've seen him land two stars in the span of two months, rejuvenating the franchise and landing one championship.  I wouldn't rule out that he could do this again.  If anything, it's realistic to assume that Danny, once the rebuild hits, will be working the phones to make us a contender again, and save us from the mess of a team I showed you above.  Hopefully, he pulls it off.

Our team could very likely look like that next year.

If you ask me, that team sucks.

Green was already a solid starter in this league, out of his natural position, for years in his early 20's.

He's still recovering from heart surgery and being forced to often play out of his best position, but I believe his play is at the solid starter, albeit inconsistent, level today.  The question is whether he can take the next step and be a top-two scoring option.

I believe he can, but it is yet to be seen if he will.

[nickagneta]

Pierce and Garnett are good friends with Rondo. They know he will return and be hungry for another run. I say they stay one more year and try to get one very very last run out of themselves with Rondo/Bradley/Green/Sullinger/Lee/Crawford.

I could see everyone else being on the trade block though.

[nickagneta]

Also, the C's are 10 games in front of Philly right now. There's almost now chance of the Celtics not making the playoffs.

So, looking for the silver lining in this, who cares how many games the Celtics lose. let them lose as many as possible and get that 15th seed in the draft. That way they can play Miami in the first round and have their fun. If they lose in the first round to Miami but give them a heck of a fight, I really think that's all we can expect from this injury riddled group.

[gpap]

Also, the C's are 10 games in front of Philly right now. There's almost now chance of the Celtics not making the playoffs.

So, looking for the silver lining in this, who cares how many games the Celtics lose. let them lose as many as possible and get that 15th seed in the draft. That way they can play Miami in the first round and have their fun. If they lose in the first round to Miami but give them a heck of a fight, I really think that's all we can expect from this injury riddled group.

And I would hardly consider that a successful season   I guess I fall in the crazy category of expecting my team to win a championship, NOT finish with a measly 8th playoff seed and give the best team in the NBA a "valiant run for their money," but still lose.

[nickagneta]

Also, the C's are 10 games in front of Philly right now. There's almost now chance of the Celtics not making the playoffs.

So, looking for the silver lining in this, who cares how many games the Celtics lose. let them lose as many as possible and get that 15th seed in the draft. That way they can play Miami in the first round and have their fun. If they lose in the first round to Miami but give them a heck of a fight, I really think that's all we can expect from this injury riddled group.

And I would hardly consider that a successful season   I guess I fall in the crazy category of expecting my team to win a championship, NOT finish with a measly 8th playoff seed and give the best team in the NBA a "valiant run for their money," but still lose.

I am not saying its a successful season. I am saying let's make the best out of a bad situation. Given the injuries, expecting a championship is unrealistic, IMHO.

When a team's best player gets injured and then other injuries pile up, I don't care what sport you play, its pretty unrealistic to still expect that team a get a banner.

I didn't expect the Pats to win a ring when Brady got hurt a few years back.
I wouldn't expect Green Bay to win a ring without Rodgers or Miami without LeBron, or New York without Melo, or LA without Kobe or LA without Chris Paul or Detroit without Verlander or the Yankees without Jeter or ......

[gpap]

Also, the C's are 10 games in front of Philly right now. There's almost now chance of the Celtics not making the playoffs.

So, looking for the silver lining in this, who cares how many games the Celtics lose. let them lose as many as possible and get that 15th seed in the draft. That way they can play Miami in the first round and have their fun. If they lose in the first round to Miami but give them a heck of a fight, I really think that's all we can expect from this injury riddled group.

And I would hardly consider that a successful season   I guess I fall in the crazy category of expecting my team to win a championship, NOT finish with a measly 8th playoff seed and give the best team in the NBA a "valiant run for their money," but still lose.

I am not saying its a successful season. I am saying let's make the best out of a bad situation. Given the injuries, expecting a championship is unrealistic, IMHO.

When a team's best player gets injured and then other injuries pile up, I don't care what sport you play, its pretty unrealistic to still expect that team a get a banner.

I didn't expect the Pats to win a ring when Brady got hurt a few years back.
I wouldn't expect Green Bay to win a ring without Rodgers or Miami without LeBron, or New York without Melo, or LA without Kobe or LA without Chris Paul or Detroit without Verlander or the Yankees without Jeter or ......

That's true. I just wish our FO had the foresight to prepare for injuries (especially when the team is old) by adding more depth to the team.

[kgainez]

honestly, I think there's a lot going on that we have no clue about.

And we will only find those things out when Doc/KG/PP retires.

Think about how Ray/Big Baby/JO, etc talked after they left. Wasn't all daisies.

[jpk2000]

-Four losses in a row (two of them to teams below 500.)

-The pace of the way the team is playing, it's like they just don't care. They only play in intervals and that's it.

-Doc is starting to become a really big crybaby with the officiating. Usually a sign that the team's quality of play is for the birds.

-Injuries starting to creep back up (KG and Courtney Lee.)

Speaking of injuries, the KG situation is starting to become borderline frightening. He's missed 3 of the team's last 5 games and I think there's alot more to it than just "rest." How many more games does he need off?

-Terry makes a questionable comment about Lee not getting back up quick enough, last night

-They play the Knicks twice next week and Atlanta and the Knicks crushed Toronto tonight (I know it's just Toronto, but don't forget the Knicks are also banged up.)

-NOT looking good and if I am suppose to believe that come playoff time everything is just going to miraculously fix itself, then the Celts are going to have to send out their best salesman

Not too worried, but not surprised as well. You or any other Celtics fan shouldn't be surprised. The Celtics have been up and down all season. They've been inconsistent winning and losing streaks. The Celtics often and too often play down to their opponents. We've seen this story the past 2 seasons. If they're playing up or past the level of competition, the Celtics will findsways to blow leads or lose games.

Part of this up and down season can be blamed on Ainge, Rivers, and his coaching staff with the questionable rotations and last minute play calls. Ainge for some reason has not addressed this team's flaws which is rebounding and size. If the C's drop to the 8th seed it's, because they deserve to. You don't win games your suppose to, then u falter.

As for these upcoming games I wouldn't be too concerned about the Knicks or Hawks. The Knicks have been up and down during the second half of the season. As for their current 4 game win streak. I wouldn't read too much into it. They've beating Utah, Orlando and Toronto 2x without Gay or Bargnani. But knowing this Celtics team they could possibly play down to the Knicks and Hawks leading to 6 game losing streak.

[aporel#18]

Not worried at all. I expected .500 ball until the All Star Break and then something like .650 ball after that... but that was with a 100% healthy team and time to figure out how to do.

When Rondo AND Sully went down, I expected .500 or worse, but they did pretty decently. Then Barbosa's out for the season too... the Celtics look like they're still in preseason due to the rotation changes, new faces, and lack of creativity by Doc, who sticks with HIS idea forever.

We're headed to 7th/8th seed, and something like the 16th-17th pick. While I'd prefer a 7th and trying to reach the ECF through Indy/NYK, if we are to face elimination in the first round, why not using our few bullets against the Heatles. Of course, not a successful season, but if you eliminate them it would be great, probably would mean one of the Three Stooges is headed out of Miami next season. Bosh/Wade trade value is at an all-time low, and LeBron is their team. Not a bad thing. A good effort, knocking them out or not, could mean KG/PP try another time with healthy Sully and Rondo, and completely recovered JG/AB.

Get the best player available with the pick, and try to rise the value of our assets before the trade deadline. Make trades, retire KG/PP numbers at the end of the season and get cap space to sign a max FA and a good rookie in next year's draft. Rebuild. A por el #18! (Let's get #18!)