How will you remember this past period of Celtics basketball? (2016-19)

[angryguy77]

As a moment where a very promising Celtics squad got close to being a contender, but failed to make the final move despite having the assets available to do so.

Hopefully we can add to that as being a starting point of the successful Brown-Tatum era.

this

[SparzWizard]

I'll remember Al Horford for his selfless, teamwork and leadership. Exciting young players like Jaylen, Tatum and Rozier playing alongside Al and leading this team to the ECF. Smart, of course, next to Horford, as a beacon of leadership and hustle.

I won't remember Kyrie much at all. He was forgettable.

I won't remember IT much either. Not that he did anything wrong. Just never connected him. Undersized score-first PG who don't play defense don't thrill me.

Olynyk and Sullinger were more memorable. Solid role player bigs. Olly with his great skills but unfortunate lack of assertiveness in using them. Sully for his good skills and rebounding but bad coaching (getting him to shoot 3s) and bad weight management did him in.

'16-17 didn't do anything for you?  That was arguably the greatest season by a Celtic since the Bird era.   Certainly one of the most remarkable & entertaining runs by a Celtic in franchise history.

If Rondo didn't get hurt in the first round of the playoffs, the celtics would've been swept by an 8th seed lol.

[arctic 3.0]

King of the fourth!

[Donoghus]

I'll remember Al Horford for his selfless, teamwork and leadership. Exciting young players like Jaylen, Tatum and Rozier playing alongside Al and leading this team to the ECF. Smart, of course, next to Horford, as a beacon of leadership and hustle.

I won't remember Kyrie much at all. He was forgettable.

I won't remember IT much either. Not that he did anything wrong. Just never connected him. Undersized score-first PG who don't play defense don't thrill me.

Olynyk and Sullinger were more memorable. Solid role player bigs. Olly with his great skills but unfortunate lack of assertiveness in using them. Sully for his good skills and rebounding but bad coaching (getting him to shoot 3s) and bad weight management did him in.

'16-17 didn't do anything for you?  That was arguably the greatest season by a Celtic since the Bird era.   Certainly one of the most remarkable & entertaining runs by a Celtic in franchise history.

If Rondo didn't get hurt in the first round of the playoffs, the celtics would've been swept by an 8th seed lol.

I'm talking about IT4, not the team there.

[Valid]

As a disappointment and the beginning of the treadmill. 

The conference was there for the taking and Ainge's consistent hesitation really cost the team.  Plus, the one major move he made completely backfired and set back the growth of the young guys as well as cost another real asset.

Lol. Ainge's "consistent hesitation" cost the team? Not Gordon Hayward breaking his leg in half and Kyrie having to have knee surgery last year?

Those two things don't happen, the Celtics are in back-to-back finals and win a championship.

But yeah. Ainge ruined it. Lol.

[Valid]

I'll remember Al Horford for his selfless, teamwork and leadership. Exciting young players like Jaylen, Tatum and Rozier playing alongside Al and leading this team to the ECF. Smart, of course, next to Horford, as a beacon of leadership and hustle.

I won't remember Kyrie much at all. He was forgettable.

I won't remember IT much either. Not that he did anything wrong. Just never connected him. Undersized score-first PG who don't play defense don't thrill me.

Olynyk and Sullinger were more memorable. Solid role player bigs. Olly with his great skills but unfortunate lack of assertiveness in using them. Sully for his good skills and rebounding but bad coaching (getting him to shoot 3s) and bad weight management did him in.

'16-17 didn't do anything for you?  That was arguably the greatest season by a Celtic since the Bird era.   Certainly one of the most remarkable & entertaining runs by a Celtic in franchise history.

If Rondo didn't get hurt in the first round of the playoffs, the celtics would've been swept by an 8th seed lol.

To think that Rondo made THAT much of a difference that series is absolutely ludicrous given how lopsided it was after Game 2. Are you forgetting that IT lost his sister and that perhaps the miserable performances by the team in Games 1 and 2 may have had something to do with that?

The Celtics hammered the Bulls in Games 3 through 6. They absolutely would have won that series whether or not Rondo was playing.

[arctic 3.0]

King of the fourth!

Plus two of the best feel good seasons i’ve ever watched, and one of the most disappointing

[Vermont Green]

I will remember that Isaiah put up one of the best single seasons in recent memory, right up there in the neighborhood of some of the Celtics greats.  It was a stunningly good season from a very unexpected source.

Second is the "what could have been" with Kyrie.  Getting hurt in 2018 playoffs and then really not gelling in 2018-19 is a real missed opportunity.  I am not trying to blame anyone, just acknowledging the missed opportunity.

And finally of course, it is the beginning of the Brown Tatum era.  Let's see what this brings.

[Roy H.]

I’ll remember it as the era of PGs, specifically as the King In The Fourth versus the Beta Flake.

[GreenCoffeeBean]

How do we know the period is over?

[mmmmm]

I'll remember Horford and IT being awesome, and I'll remember being so dang disappointed with what happened to Gordon and with Kyrie.

Most of all I'll remember being sooooooo close in game 7 of the ECF.

Yeah, you make a good point.  The Gordo injury will always be a major in Celtics history.



Man, most of all I really wish that Isaiah had never hurt his hip and Gordon hadn't injured his ankle.


I really wanted to get to see Isaiah Thomas, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford playing together through the remainder of their prime years.

This^.   So very much, this.

In some other, alternative universe, those guys stayed healthy and the Celtic fans there got to experience it, at least.

[Neurotic Guy]

How do we know the period is over?

C's may not take a step back record-wise this season, but the team is quite different.  If Al had stayed, I think I would feel more like the period was extended.   As the dust settles on this off-season, it's become Al's decision not to return (yes, I get that he was offered more) that hurts the most.  As it played out, if Al had returned the C's would be right in the mix in the East. 

[TheSundanceKid]

From a Cs perspective, I will remember it as "IT, king in the fourth" and I'll remember the run to the ECF that the young guys made.

Probably more the first than the second if this future core doesn't go on to success.

Man, I'm just not gonna forget what IT did here. Short and sweet, but very special

[Grnpeak]

I'll mostly remember how much I enjoyed watching Isaiah Thomas's heroics and Al Horford's all around excellence.

I'll remember the 2018 playoff run, too.

I'm sure the 2018 "Year From Hell" will stand out in my memory too, but if you're asking how I will label this era of Celtics basketball in my head, I'll think of it as the Thomas / Horford era, with the last bit bleeding into the "Tatum & Brown" era.

First time poster on CelticsStrong, long time lurker (since the title run of '08, in fact, back when it was Celticsblog, so I feel I know many of you tho you don't know me, which is one of the weird effects of the Internet era): I feel strongly enough about IT to say that PhoSita's post sums it up, for me, at least. I will remember this era as what could have been, tho that in no way detracts from IT's heroics (in fact it makes his heroics seem all the more so), nor does it make Horford's consistent excellence any less admirable, nor Hayward's injury & struggle any less tragic.

Though really I'd reserve that word for IT, who has been my favorite Celtic since KG & Pierce. He played like there was no tomorrow, and unfortunately we're in it. Though the Jays give me hope.

[Excapegoat]

Danny Ainge and the Celtics did what they had to do. It was simply Golden State and/or LeBron James' era.  We could not go past LeBron's Cavs before this season.  Even we can go past the Bucks this season, we probably won't beat the GS and Toronto. Except for this past season, we probably overachieved.