overly optimistic or just realistic?

[walker834]

I don't see how this team can't improve this year.  We aren't the knicks.  We addressed needs and got shooters in the draft and addressed rebounding and rim protection as well.  So we don't have a superstar. With a better supporting cast and our young players continuing to improve there is no reason why this shouldn't be a very good team.  Who is worse?  The "optimistic" people or the negative ones?  Who really is living in lala land.  These are nba players there are people who are good at scouting and actually like the players we drafted including Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens most likely.  Otherwise they wouldn't have drafted them.  Is DA overly optimistic or is he just a good GM?

We have a very talented team.  I don't think that is being overly optimistic.  I take offense to that stuff because I think I have a good eye for talent and am just realistic.

[walker834]

DA has been drafting this team even during the big 3 era of Pierce, KG and Ray and has been keeping the good ones plus adding more talent for quite some time now.

[LooseCannon]

I don't see how this team can't improve this year.

Be one of the teams hardest hit by injuries.

[walker834]

The nba season is a marathon not a sprint.  I'd say the celtics are one of the better teams set up to handle injuries which should go a long way.   We have so much depth and youth.

[walker834]

We also have a coach who is notorious for taking butler teams that were sans superstars and A level talent against the duke's of the world.  Isn't this his calling card? We have Brad Stevens.  Isn't this the team we are trying to build?

I think Danny knew getting a superstar here this time would prove to be difficult. 

[Celtics4ever]

I think we have improved but so have other teams.  INDY will be getting PG back.  MIA added Winslow.  The longer teams know your stuff the more they can figure you out. 

[MBunge]

The answer is the Celts could improve and still miss the playoffs.  If Miami gets back Bosh, there's a team that could knock Boston to the eighth spot.  Then it's just a matter of losing one or two more games to teams like New York, Detroit and Orlando who should all be at least a little better than last season.

To me, optimism and realism aren't mutually exclusive.  I'm optimistic that the team will play with the same spirit and Stevens will get the players to buy in to a system where they're not going to get the minutes they might normally get.  But I'm also realistic that it is very hard for young teams to win in the NBA and it's almost certain that Ainge is going to make at least one semi-huge move.  There's just no way that ET, Lee and Amir are all going to be on the roster after next season.

But thinking this team is a lock to win 50 games is stretching optimism almost to the breaking point, while thinking this team is going to win 25 games is about as realistic as my chances with Jennifer Garner.

Mike