playoffs?! And other thoughts...

[piercetruth34]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE

Do you think we make the playoffs or not?  I think we miss out.  Miami is sitting in the 8th seed and just helped themselves with Dragic.  Some interesting teams on the outside looking in though. Boston gets Thomas.  Detroit gets Jackson.  Brooklyn we have their pick and they just traded KG.  Is not making the playoffs even imperative?  Indy has Paul George possibly making a comeback.   I don't think the trade effects us at all as each team made moves.

Also am I the only person who still believes in rivalries and certain players belong on certain teams?  I don't mind talking about upgrading players but trading for plaeyrs that are rivals is like talking about trading for Patrick Ewing when he was with the knicks.  I know the NBA is different now but even still.

Greg Monroe would be nice but it would mean we feel Sully isn't going to be that guy for us.  I'd still rather Sully work out.  Monroe is a piston..  I like Monroe and all and if we decide to go another route with Sully but for the time being Sully is our guy and Monroe is a piston......

I still believe in building something and certain things aren't as simple as saying we are going to trade for KObe Bryant or Lebron James.

I still believe in rivalries as well and that the celtics have always done things differently.

[celticsclay]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE

Do you think we make the playoffs or not?  I think we miss out.  Miami is sitting in the 8th seed and just helped themselves with Dragic.  Some interesting teams on the outside looking in though. Boston gets Thomas.  Detroit gets Jackson.  Brooklyn we have their pick and they just traded KG.  Is not making the playoffs even imperative?  Indy has Paul George possibly making a comeback.   I don't think the trade effects us at all as each team made moves.

Also am I the only person who still believes in rivalries and certain players belong on certain teams?  I don't mind talking about upgrading players but trading for plaeyrs that are rivals is like talking about trading for Patrick Ewing when he was with the knicks.  I know the NBA is different now but even still.

Greg Monroe would be nice but it would mean we feel Sully isn't going to be that guy for us.  I'd still rather Sully work out.  Monroe is a piston..  I like Monroe and all and if we decide to go another route with Sully but for the time being Sully is our guy and Monroe is a piston......

I still believe in building something and certain things aren't as simple as saying we are going to trade for KObe Bryant or Lebron James.

I still believe in rivalries as well and that the celtics have always done things differently.

If reports are true and Bosh is done for the season, the heat lost their most irreplaceable player and had far and away the worst downgrade of any team in the league in the last 24 hours. Dragic, Gimpy Wade, Deng, Haslem? and Whiteside with Birdman off the bench is just decimated in the Frontcourt. People also may not realize that Whiteside has played more than 25 minutes in a game about 3 times in his career due to foul trouble and possibly conditioning.

[piercetruth34]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE

Do you think we make the playoffs or not?  I think we miss out.  Miami is sitting in the 8th seed and just helped themselves with Dragic.  Some interesting teams on the outside looking in though. Boston gets Thomas.  Detroit gets Jackson.  Brooklyn we have their pick and they just traded KG.  Is not making the playoffs even imperative?  Indy has Paul George possibly making a comeback.   I don't think the trade effects us at all as each team made moves.

Also am I the only person who still believes in rivalries and certain players belong on certain teams?  I don't mind talking about upgrading players but trading for plaeyrs that are rivals is like talking about trading for Patrick Ewing when he was with the knicks.  I know the NBA is different now but even still.

Greg Monroe would be nice but it would mean we feel Sully isn't going to be that guy for us.  I'd still rather Sully work out.  Monroe is a piston..  I like Monroe and all and if we decide to go another route with Sully but for the time being Sully is our guy and Monroe is a piston......

I still believe in building something and certain things aren't as simple as saying we are going to trade for KObe Bryant or Lebron James.

I still believe in rivalries as well and that the celtics have always done things differently.

If reports are true and Bosh is done for the season, the heat lost their most irreplaceable player and had far and away the worst downgrade of any team in the league in the last 24 hours. Dragic, Gimpy Wade, Deng, Haslem? and Whiteside with Birdman off the bench is just decimated in the Frontcourt. People also may not realize that Whiteside has played more than 25 minutes in a game about 3 times in his career due to foul trouble and possibly conditioning.

If we fight for a playoff spot is this necessarily a bad thing though? That's what i mean is the celtics to me have always been about winning.  Getting some competitive fire in todays NBA is difficult to come by sometimes.  DEtroit has Monroe and Drummond and just added Jackson. They added more talent.  Are they going to swap Sully for Monroe to give them more of a different look? Why would we need sully and monroe?  I just dont get that stuff.  Why would we want monroe when the pistons dont? Is that to our advantage having Sully and KO there and gives us a different look?  Sully needs to get with it and get his health sorted out but my point being is it isn't all about just tanking the season. We have to start trying to establish something at some point.  Being in the mix is good. We saw teams like charlotte do this last year and get in the mix.  We might not be there yet but I think competing is good.

I can understand not wanting to kill our draft position but I made a post the other day that having a late pick or a lottery pick the last 15 years.  MOst teams that have won it's been a mix and probably a handful of guys.  You need that guy but I don't think you purposely try to tank the season. Let that stuff take care of itself.

Most teams that try to tank end up doing that year after year looking for the next best thing. There's no guarantee we get up  there we are going to get that guy.  You still have to build something I'd like to think.

This is one thing i  despise about fans in general nowadays though. They have zero concept of that.

[celticsclay]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE

Do you think we make the playoffs or not?  I think we miss out.  Miami is sitting in the 8th seed and just helped themselves with Dragic.  Some interesting teams on the outside looking in though. Boston gets Thomas.  Detroit gets Jackson.  Brooklyn we have their pick and they just traded KG.  Is not making the playoffs even imperative?  Indy has Paul George possibly making a comeback.   I don't think the trade effects us at all as each team made moves.

Also am I the only person who still believes in rivalries and certain players belong on certain teams?  I don't mind talking about upgrading players but trading for plaeyrs that are rivals is like talking about trading for Patrick Ewing when he was with the knicks.  I know the NBA is different now but even still.

Greg Monroe would be nice but it would mean we feel Sully isn't going to be that guy for us.  I'd still rather Sully work out.  Monroe is a piston..  I like Monroe and all and if we decide to go another route with Sully but for the time being Sully is our guy and Monroe is a piston......

I still believe in building something and certain things aren't as simple as saying we are going to trade for KObe Bryant or Lebron James.

I still believe in rivalries as well and that the celtics have always done things differently.

If reports are true and Bosh is done for the season, the heat lost their most irreplaceable player and had far and away the worst downgrade of any team in the league in the last 24 hours. Dragic, Gimpy Wade, Deng, Haslem? and Whiteside with Birdman off the bench is just decimated in the Frontcourt. People also may not realize that Whiteside has played more than 25 minutes in a game about 3 times in his career due to foul trouble and possibly conditioning.

If we fight for a playoff spot is this necessarily a bad thing though? That's what i mean is the celtics to me have always been about winning.  Getting some competitive fire in todays NBA is difficult to come by sometimes.  DEtroit has Monroe and Drummond and just added Jackson. They added more talent.  Are they going to swap Sully for Monroe to give them more of a different look? Why would we need sully and monroe?  I just dont get that stuff.  Why would we want monroe when the pistons dont? Is that to our advantage having Sully and KO there and gives us a different look?  Sully needs to get with it and get his health sorted out but my point being is it isn't all about just tanking the season. We have to start trying to establish something at some point.  Being in the mix is good. We saw teams like charlotte do this last year and get in the mix.  We might not be there yet but I think competing is good.

I can understand not wanting to kill our draft position but I made a post the other day that having a late pick or a lottery pick the last 15 years.  MOst teams that have won it's been a mix and probably a handful of guys.  You need that guy but I don't think you purposely try to tank the season. Let that stuff take care of itself.

Most teams that try to tank end up doing that year after year looking for the next best thing. There's no guarantee we get up  there we are going to get that guy.  You still have to build something I'd like to think.

This is one thing i  despise about fans in general nowadays though. They have zero concept of that.

I kind of don't really know what you are talking about. What is this thread about?

[piercetruth34]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fjDS0jKiE

Do you think we make the playoffs or not?  I think we miss out.  Miami is sitting in the 8th seed and just helped themselves with Dragic.  Some interesting teams on the outside looking in though. Boston gets Thomas.  Detroit gets Jackson.  Brooklyn we have their pick and they just traded KG.  Is not making the playoffs even imperative?  Indy has Paul George possibly making a comeback.   I don't think the trade effects us at all as each team made moves.

Also am I the only person who still believes in rivalries and certain players belong on certain teams?  I don't mind talking about upgrading players but trading for plaeyrs that are rivals is like talking about trading for Patrick Ewing when he was with the knicks.  I know the NBA is different now but even still.

Greg Monroe would be nice but it would mean we feel Sully isn't going to be that guy for us.  I'd still rather Sully work out.  Monroe is a piston..  I like Monroe and all and if we decide to go another route with Sully but for the time being Sully is our guy and Monroe is a piston......

I still believe in building something and certain things aren't as simple as saying we are going to trade for KObe Bryant or Lebron James.

I still believe in rivalries as well and that the celtics have always done things differently.

If reports are true and Bosh is done for the season, the heat lost their most irreplaceable player and had far and away the worst downgrade of any team in the league in the last 24 hours. Dragic, Gimpy Wade, Deng, Haslem? and Whiteside with Birdman off the bench is just decimated in the Frontcourt. People also may not realize that Whiteside has played more than 25 minutes in a game about 3 times in his career due to foul trouble and possibly conditioning.

If we fight for a playoff spot is this necessarily a bad thing though? That's what i mean is the celtics to me have always been about winning.  Getting some competitive fire in todays NBA is difficult to come by sometimes.  DEtroit has Monroe and Drummond and just added Jackson. They added more talent.  Are they going to swap Sully for Monroe to give them more of a different look? Why would we need sully and monroe?  I just dont get that stuff.  Why would we want monroe when the pistons dont? Is that to our advantage having Sully and KO there and gives us a different look?  Sully needs to get with it and get his health sorted out but my point being is it isn't all about just tanking the season. We have to start trying to establish something at some point.  Being in the mix is good. We saw teams like charlotte do this last year and get in the mix.  We might not be there yet but I think competing is good.

I can understand not wanting to kill our draft position but I made a post the other day that having a late pick or a lottery pick the last 15 years.  MOst teams that have won it's been a mix and probably a handful of guys.  You need that guy but I don't think you purposely try to tank the season. Let that stuff take care of itself.

Most teams that try to tank end up doing that year after year looking for the next best thing. There's no guarantee we get up  there we are going to get that guy.  You still have to build something I'd like to think.

This is one thing i  despise about fans in general nowadays though. They have zero concept of that.

I kind of don't really know what you are talking about. What is this thread about?

It's about starting to establish an identity as a team.  Other teams are doing that as well.   I just was reading earlier how we should trade Sully and bring in Monroe and Hibbert when that stuff is just silly to me. I can understand doing that stuff if we decide Sully isn't our guy but for the time being other teams are starting to establish an identity.  There are some talented young teams on teh outside looking in this year.

Not one person on this board thought we were going to trade for Isaiah Thomas. Maybe this is just ainge finding a player he likes and can help us now and in the future without sacrificing that.

[celticsclay]

I think people just like to speculate about trades, and most people are pretty happy we got Thomas. I can't speak for other fans, but I have hope and some belief we make the playoffs. I think some other people are pretty disappointed about the Sully injury and that has hampered enthusiasm about us making the playoffs. Then again, who thought we would get better after trading Rondo, Green, and then even Wright and nelson.

I think this west coast trip is pretty important. We have very winnable games against Sacramento and LA. We are short handed tonight, but so is Sacramento (no collison, just traded sessions). If we can two of out of three on this trip and then beat the Knicks at home I think the optimism will return. 

[Quetzalcoatl]

538 just put out an article about playoff odds after the trade deadline:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/nba-power-ratings-and-playoff-odds-what-the-trade-deadline-hath-wrought/

The article notes that: "the Celtics, for all their improvements on deadline day, are still staring at a mere 12.1 percent chance of making the playoffs."  Their modeling is pretty good so I'm guessing this is pretty accurate.

Dallas is 99.5% likely to make the playoffs even though they lost Parsons and what's funny is that their modeling docked them points for adding Amar'e.  Clippers also saw their rank rise pretty high, I think that puts an end to our optimism about that pick.  I don't think we're getting much from that anymore....

[celticsclay]

538 just put out an article about playoff odds after the trade deadline:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/nba-power-ratings-and-playoff-odds-what-the-trade-deadline-hath-wrought/

The article notes that: "the Celtics, for all their improvements on deadline day, are still staring at a mere 12.1 percent chance of making the playoffs."  Their modeling is pretty good so I'm guessing this is pretty accurate.

Dallas is 99.5% likely to make the playoffs even though they lost Parsons and what's funny is that their modeling docked them points for adding Amar'e.  Clippers also saw their rank rise pretty high, I think that puts an end to our optimism about that pick.  I don't think we're getting much from that anymore....

If I was to try and look at this objectively,  it is hard to understand why Detroit is so likely to make the playoffs after their trades. I guess the model can't take the return of George into their projections, but hard to see them not being underdogs to both Miami and a healthy Indiana and not equal to Charlotte with a returning Kemba. At best Detroit should be about 25%

[D.o.s.]

Teams are ranked according to a projection of their strength over the upcoming week using Real Plus-Minus (RPM) player ratings provided by Jeremias Engelmann and Steve Ilardi. For more details on these numbers, see our introductory rankings post.

[celticsclay]

Teams are ranked according to a projection of their strength over the upcoming week using Real Plus-Minus (RPM) player ratings provided by Jeremias Engelmann and Steve Ilardi. For more details on these numbers, see our introductory rankings post.

This isn't helpful at all. You wasted time for both of us.

[Who]

Indiana have been playing much better lately. 8 wins in their last 11. George Hill's return has finally given them some balance. Detroit should do well with Reggie Jackson. Detroit were in trouble with Brandon Jennings injured but they have some creativity on perimeter again now with R.Jackson. I think SVG is getting closer to balanced rotation. I'd expect one of his teams to improve as the season goes on.

Brooklyn got better at the trade deadline with Thaddeus Young and Deron Williams is starting to play well now too. Charlotte have done much better since Christmas (playing .500 for last two months) after a bad start to the season. Getting MKG back was huge for them. They are .500 in the 38 games MKG has played this season (3-13 without). Lance Stephenson being moved to the bench where he is less of a problem has helped too.

I think Boston will have a very difficult time passing all 4 of those teams out. Beating out of one is possible but all 4? I am not believer. I actually think the Celtics are weakest team in this group and the most likely to finish bottom amongst this set of teams and are likely to finish with a 6th-10th pick in the draft.