Boy I want to be back in the Finals so bad.

[thirstyboots18]

I want KG, PP and RR back.  This team will not be the same team as last year....it will  be much better, despite the ages of KG and PP.

KG and PP are still premier players.  They are not over the hill.   The just have to play fewer minutes.  Last year the Celtics made the playoffs without a point guard or a Center...two of the most important positions.  This year Sully will be back, Rondo will be back, Jeff Green will be close to 100%, AB will be more than a year past his double shoulder surgery, Wilcox will be more than a year removed from his heart surgery and should be in much better shape  (he and Rondo were playing in sync before Rondo's injury)....I just don't see how they can't be
better, even bringing back essentially the same team. 

I still feel the rebuild is well under way...and we are looking for a Center and a backup point guard.  My wishful thinking is that someone already with the team can step up into one or both of those spots.   PP's replacement and KG's replacement (Jeff Green and Sully) are doing their internship now and are looking promising.  Could TWill be Rondo's backup?  That only leaves center.  Shav looked good in limited minutes and Wilcox should be close to 100%.  With a full preseason one of them may step up.   They should at least be capable of  backup roles, and Bass played well during the playoffs.

I know there will be some changes.  I am one who wants changes for the better...not sideways or down.  Tanking is out of the question.  It is not the Celtics way, and it does not work.

The big worry, in my mind, is Paul Pierce's neck injury.  Will that be healed?  Pierce is great.  Last year too much was asked of him...as it was of Bradley. Pierce, in particular, was worn out when the playoffs started.

Celtics spirit is Team Spirit...not one man wearing every hat trying to carry the team, and covering for missing pieces.

[bopna]

INJURIES

boy have we been the most unluckiest contending team since 2009 and frankly, if the Spurs are considered lucky in odd number years, we on the other hand have been atrociously unlucky in odd years since 2009(KG), 2011(Rondo) and again this yr with RR again out.

we have been better in even years as we were in the Final in 10 and last year a game short entering the Finals again.

I still feel we can be better next yr as what the Spurs have showed us this yr. But we need the basketball gods to keep this team injury free  an entire year. The cHeat really has us to challenge them and frankly we have always matched up better against them but again, we have had the toughest of luck. Here is to hoping we are up for the challenge next year.

[CoachBo]

we are in a final...........finally for a decade out of the picture. Yet there is still a stench of keeping Pierce or KG on for another year. We will get worse before better. Guaranteed. Celtic History supports this.

Or, unload this oxygen robbing group and start rebuilding.

What percentage of teams that rebuild reach the Finals?  5%?

What percentage of teams that don't rebuild reach the Finals?

0%?

Obviously not.  The Spurs are a great example of a team that hasn't "rebuilt" in over a decade, but rather has smartly reloaded. 

With some smart additions to the Celtics, they can become the second best team in the East again.  They're one Lebron injury away from a serious threat to reach the Finals.

Which is precisely the argument against the historically-proven futility of "blowing it up." I'm never, ever going to understand people's fascination with accumulating youthful ineptitude.

Made some additions in the last off-season. They didn't work out, for the most part. Time to try it again.

[kozlodoev]

Obviously not.  The Spurs are a great example of a team that hasn't "rebuilt" in over a decade, but rather has smartly reloaded.

Right, but the Spurs have had Robinson and/or Duncan for most of that time. So they are, in actuality, a pretty poor example since transcendent big men do not exactly grow on trees.

[SHAQATTACK]

Obviously not.  The Spurs are a great example of a team that hasn't "rebuilt" in over a decade, but rather has smartly reloaded.

Right, but the Spurs have had Robinson and/or Duncan for most of that time. So they are, in actuality, a pretty poor example since transcendent big men do not exactly grow on trees.

agree.....they lucked out having  Mr Robinson, Duncan , Splitter all fall in a line, all good guys with their heads screwed on tight and stable bodies . 

Without this series of steady healthy playing big men,   the Spurs would be mediocre at best.

What worries me so, nobody is on the team to take over of KG ..... its a sic feeling , I have for the Celtics to be so weak controlling the paint.

who ever is getting credit , doesn't matter without that solid core of Duncan , Robinson and Splitter standing in there year I couldn't imagine a great Spurs team , Pop or no Pop.

We have about 3-4 four decent players... we have a LONG way to rebuild.

[Roy H.]

Obviously not.  The Spurs are a great example of a team that hasn't "rebuilt" in over a decade, but rather has smartly reloaded.

Right, but the Spurs have had Robinson and/or Duncan for most of that time. So they are, in actuality, a pretty poor example since transcendent big men do not exactly grow on trees.

I'm not following, at least in relation to the argument I was making.

The argument wasn't that teams need superstars / transcendent players to win.  It was that "0%" of teams make the Finals without blowing it up.  That's simply not true.

The 2007 Spurs never blew it up, and here they are six years later in the Finals.  They held onto their aging players, and re-tooled.  Even the prior Spurs championships teams never blew it up, although they got tremendously lucky in the draft.

[ianboyextreme]

Obviously not.  The Spurs are a great example of a team that hasn't "rebuilt" in over a decade, but rather has smartly reloaded.

Right, but the Spurs have had Robinson and/or Duncan for most of that time. So they are, in actuality, a pretty poor example since transcendent big men do not exactly grow on trees.

I'm not following, at least in relation to the argument I was making.

The argument wasn't that teams need superstars / transcendent players to win.  It was that "0%" of teams make the Finals without blowing it up.  That's simply not true.

The 2007 Spurs never blew it up, and here they are six years later in the Finals.  They held onto their aging players, and re-tooled.  Even the prior Spurs championships teams never blew it up, although they got tremendously lucky in the draft.

This is an excellent point and I think the Celtics are definitely following that same type of plan.

[CelticConcourse]

Obviously not.  The Spurs are a great example of a team that hasn't "rebuilt" in over a decade, but rather has smartly reloaded.

Right, but the Spurs have had Robinson and/or Duncan for most of that time. So they are, in actuality, a pretty poor example since transcendent big men do not exactly grow on trees.

I'm not following, at least in relation to the argument I was making.

The argument wasn't that teams need superstars / transcendent players to win.  It was that "0%" of teams make the Finals without blowing it up.  That's simply not true.

The 2007 Spurs never blew it up, and here they are six years later in the Finals.  They held onto their aging players, and re-tooled.  Even the prior Spurs championships teams never blew it up, although they got tremendously lucky in the draft.

This is an excellent point and I think the Celtics are definitely following that same type of plan.

I don't see it. Are we gonna wait a few more years with KG and Pierce? Nahhh

[PhoSita]

we are in a final...........finally for a decade out of the picture. Yet there is still a stench of keeping Pierce or KG on for another year. We will get worse before better. Guaranteed. Celtic History supports this.

Or, unload this oxygen robbing group and start rebuilding.

What percentage of teams that rebuild reach the Finals?  5%?

What percentage of teams that don't rebuild reach the Finals?

0%?

Obviously not.  The Spurs are a great example of a team that hasn't "rebuilt" in over a decade, but rather has smartly reloaded. 

With some smart additions to the Celtics, they can become the second best team in the East again.  They're one Lebron injury away from a serious threat to reach the Finals.

The Spurs aren't a great example, really, because they have continuously had a championship core in place since Duncan came into the league.   They didn't have to rebuild in order to back to contender status.  Depending on your definition of contender, they've been contending pretty much the whole time Duncan's been there (50 wins each season). 

If you have multiple top 10-20 talents on your team, you're going to be in the mix.  Of course you don't need to rebuild in that situation, you just have to tweak the supporting cast.

I don't view the Celtics as being in that situation, so in my mind a rebuild is necessary in order to get back there.

I know you already get most of what I'm saying, so you are probably operating on the premise that the Celtics have that championship-worthy core already in place (hence your assertion that a little bit of luck and some tweaks to the roster could make them elite again).  I respectfully disagree.

[Boris Badenov]

we are in a final...........finally for a decade out of the picture. Yet there is still a stench of keeping Pierce or KG on for another year. We will get worse before better. Guaranteed. Celtic History supports this.

Or, unload this oxygen robbing group and start rebuilding.

What percentage of teams that rebuild reach the Finals?  5%?

So far, 100% of Celtics rebuilds have led to another ring!