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

[perks-a-beast]

With our two best players gone and a bunch of new guys coming in, it feels as if we are coming up on a new era of Celtics basketball. In a decade, what will you think of when you think of these past couple of years?

Honestly for me, it’s going to be hard to not remember this time as the failed Kyrie experiment. Of course making two ECF and 1 ECSF was all dandy, but it’ll be hard forgetting how we gave up an absolute warrior in IT for a narcissistic diva in Kyrie.

[Jiri Welsch]

Generally, I'll remember it as the period when Golden State had its super team (despite their two losses in the Finals) and when the Celtics overachieved for three years. They never really had a chance at the title, but they made a couple exciting runs.

I'll also remember Boston's "blockbuster" free agent signings--Horford, Hayward, and Kemba--and how that was the first time in my decades as a fan that I can remember us landing big FAs.

Last, I'll likely remember our most recent season as the year that the Celtics imploded and had their "Kyrie year."

[slamtheking]

Generally, I'll remember it as the period when Golden State had its super team (despite their two losses in the Finals) and when the Celtics overachieved for three years. They never really had a chance at the title, but they made a couple exciting runs.

I'll also remember Boston's "blockbuster" free agent signings--Horford, Hayward, and Kemba--and how that was the first time in my decades as a fan that I can remember us landing big FAs.

Last, I'll likely remember our most recent season as the year that the Celtics imploded and had their "Kyrie year."

pretty solid assessment

[PhoSita]

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.

[Who]

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.

[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.

[Fafnir]

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.

[Moranis]

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.

[Who]

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.

No. I remember the guys that did the donkey work. Crowder, Smart, Avery Bradley. Horford. Amir. Olynyk.

Those guys never got the credit they deserved.

Always bugged me.

[indeedproceed]

I will remember it fondly, except for the gap in my brain from 9/2018 through 7/2019. According to my notes I hit myself over the head with a sledgehammer just enough times to forget everything that happened because last year's Celtics were so unlovable. My wife says we had a baby last winter too? I'll play along for now.

[PhoSita]

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.

[gpap]

As three seasons where we didn't win a championship.

Lakers need just one more banner to tie us.

[nickagneta]

I most likely have dementia in my future so I probably won't remember any of it. But the memories that may linger

...IT's amazing run in 2017, until the very end, through grief, hip pain and oral surgery. That's heroic Celtic stuff right there.

...Hayward's ankle facing the wrong way and knowing deep in my heart that any chance of a title in the near future was  gone.

[GreenFaith1819]

I don't want to believe that this era is over..

IMO we should look at this as the GH-JB-JT show.....TWO of these players figured prominently in our magical run in 2017-18.

If JT and JB can approach that level and exceed it and GH return to form this era should stretch well into the 2020's.

Hopefully this past period can be extended from 2016 to around 2026 or longer if this happens.

[RodyTur10]

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.