Okay, I understand why, but .....

[celticsclay]

I disagree with most of the positive mental attitude stuff from the OP. 

The Indy game was hugely disappointing but not nearly as bad as the DET game when they were up by 8 with only a couple of minutes to go.  Good teams do not lose those games, let alone great ones.

They are beating bad teams and teams missing key star players.

D-White has come down to earth and is not better than J-Rich.

JT is not hitting shots this year. Both JT and JB still fall back into bad habits, and turn the ball over at an alarming rate.

Al Horford is washed up.

Ime Udoka is a rookie coach who hasn’t found his groove yet.  I see no reason why this team should progress past the 2nd round in the playoffs, but more likely it will be 1st round exit.

I suppose there’s some off-season cap flexibility but not picks.

Signing at least 3 G-league players instead of one good experienced vet, preferably a big banger, was a mistake.  Theis is not physical enough.

There’s only one bright spot this season: Robert Williams III (with Grant honorable mention).

What banger could we have signed though? The buyout market this year was horrific. It was Tristan Thompson (who I don’t think we wanted, and I don’t think he wanted to come here) and deandre Jordan who is so beyond washed up at this point and shouldn’t be in the league. I would have liked someone like robin lopez or Gary Harris but they never got bought out. There wasn’t an Aldridge, Drummond or Blake out there this year. It was completely scrubs

[Moranis]

I'd have rather taken a flyer on someone like Cody Zeller than signing guys like Martin and Fitts.  The team needs some more veterans not super old inexperienced guys. 

[Celtics2021]

I'd have rather taken a flyer on someone like Cody Zeller than signing guys like Martin and Fitts.  The team needs some more veterans not super old inexperienced guys.

Zeller had surgery on a fractured kneecap in late January, and was to be reevaluated 8 weeks after surgery.  Doesn’t make sense to sign now, and probably won’t be healthy enough for the rest of the season.

[Moranis]

I'd have rather taken a flyer on someone like Cody Zeller than signing guys like Martin and Fitts.  The team needs some more veterans not super old inexperienced guys.

Zeller had surgery on a fractured kneecap in late January, and was to be reevaluated 8 weeks after surgery.  Doesn’t make sense to sign now, and probably won’t be healthy enough for the rest of the season.

Perhaps, but if he was back in April as projected he'd be available for the playoffs and I have way more faith in him actually being able to help than some random undrafted guy.

[johnnygreen]

I'd have rather taken a flyer on someone like Cody Zeller than signing guys like Martin and Fitts.  The team needs some more veterans not super old inexperienced guys.

Zeller had surgery on a fractured kneecap in late January, and was to be reevaluated 8 weeks after surgery.  Doesn’t make sense to sign now, and probably won’t be healthy enough for the rest of the season.

Perhaps, but if he was back in April as projected he'd be available for the playoffs and I have way more faith in him actually being able to help than some random undrafted guy.

Ime has been using an 8 man rotation in the regular season, so there is no way he will expand that for the postseason. In other words, someone like Zeller would never play.

[Androslav]

Great post Nick.

[todd_days_41]

D-White has come down to earth and is not better than J-Rich.

I don't think White's done anything but be himself.

First, Celtics fans overrated him, as prone to do in the honeymoon phase, and;

Second, he's further down the totem pole on a better team. His opportunities and numbers are going to lower here.

The notion that he was going to be significantly better than what Richardson produced while here was just plain wishful thinking.

[Celtics2021]

I'd have rather taken a flyer on someone like Cody Zeller than signing guys like Martin and Fitts.  The team needs some more veterans not super old inexperienced guys.

Zeller had surgery on a fractured kneecap in late January, and was to be reevaluated 8 weeks after surgery.  Doesn’t make sense to sign now, and probably won’t be healthy enough for the rest of the season.

Perhaps, but if he was back in April as projected he'd be available for the playoffs and I have way more faith in him actually being able to help than some random undrafted guy.

Signing guys to 10-day contracts now doesn’t preclude adding Zeller if he’s healthy in April, you know.  They’re called 10-day contracts for a reason.  Also, Zeller is not projected to be back in April.  Being reevaluated in 8 weeks is not the same thing as being able to return in 8 weeks.

[Androslav]

D-White has come down to earth and is not better than J-Rich.

I don't think White's done anything but be himself.

First, Celtics fans overrated him, as prone to do in the honeymoon phase, and;

Second, he's further down the totem pole on a better team. His opportunities and numbers are going to lower here.

The notion that he was going to be significantly better than what Richardson produced while here was just plain wishful thinking.

White is a keeper. Young, versatile, and on a long-term market-friendly deal.
Richarson is a good player, but the weaknesses on our team (quick decision making, passing, dribble penetration) aren't his strengths. Therefore he isn't a keeper. That's why I think White is worth the 20th pick in the draft along with Rich.
One is a keeper, one isn't.

[Moranis]

I'd have rather taken a flyer on someone like Cody Zeller than signing guys like Martin and Fitts.  The team needs some more veterans not super old inexperienced guys.

Zeller had surgery on a fractured kneecap in late January, and was to be reevaluated 8 weeks after surgery.  Doesn’t make sense to sign now, and probably won’t be healthy enough for the rest of the season.

Perhaps, but if he was back in April as projected he'd be available for the playoffs and I have way more faith in him actually being able to help than some random undrafted guy.

Signing guys to 10-day contracts now doesn’t preclude adding Zeller if he’s healthy in April, you know.  They’re called 10-day contracts for a reason.  Also, Zeller is not projected to be back in April.  Being reevaluated in 8 weeks is not the same thing as being able to return in 8 weeks.

8 weeks from his surgery is in like two weeks.  April is more like 10 weeks from the surgery.  I'd just rather get a guy in now, get him rehabbed, and get him ready than wait and hope someone else doesn't lock him up first.  Cody Zeller is pretty clearly a NBA rotation level player.  There aren't many of them around this year.  Boston has a ton of open roster spots, signing him now just makes sense to me even if he can't play for another month.

[ozgod]

I understand, there is a huge section of the fan base here at CelticsStrong that just prefers to be hyper negative. There is a section that lives day by day and refuses to look at the larger picture. It has always been that way and always will.

But come on!!!

The Celtics have won 11 of 13 and 18 of 24. They now have the 2nd best defense in the league and it's been the best by a historically wide margin for 6 weeks. There is so much to be positive about.

The defense
The cohesion of the rotation and specifically the starters
The passing
The ball movement
The increase in pace
The development of both Jays playmaking
The climb up the standings
The prospects in the playoffs

Things are looking up yet some just only want to look down

Yes, they lost two of their last 4 games, those two games being against bad teams. But those bad teams played well and this is still the NBA where even the best of teams can lose 2 of 4 while losing to 2 bad teams if those teams play great. It happens a lot.

And in those two games the Pistons and Pacers shot a combined 33 for 63 from three point land. An unreal 52.3% rate. Boston, in both games were missing at least one starter. Two against Detroit. I don't care how good a team you are, if you're missing important starters and the opposition plays inspired ball while shooting over 50% from three at a high volume, there's an extremely good chance you're going to lose.

It doesn't matter how or why you get knocked down. It matters that you get up and how you respond. The Celtics have three tough games coming up. Let's see how they perform there.

You can't win every game and teams made up of a bunch of guys 27 years old and under are going to stink on occasions. But if the Celtics can play great defense and overall play top notch basketball the rest of the way, record be da(m)ned, this team is going to make some major noise come playoff time

And, in the off-season, they have picks to trade, TPEs to trade players into, the taxpayer MLE and some interesting pieces to trade to upgrade the team, including the bench, like Horford and/or his contract, Grant, Smart, White, Pritchard and Nesmith. Now, I'm not advocating trading all or even any of those guys, but as a package for a star or amazing upgrade at the PG or PF position, then yeah, they are available.

Overall, I am really excited for this team, this year and beyond. I hope most everyone else would be too. But I get it. I understand. It's CelticsStrong. Expecting anything more than silence from some during times of amazing play is probably setting myself up for disappointment.

TP, totally agree! 

Unfortunately we live in an era of instant gratification...and so we as sports fans react on a daily basis to what we see. So when the team is playing well everyone is on cloud nine...then the team loses a bad game or three and the knives are back out. Sometimes it makes sense to look at the team through a wider lens because when you're living in the moment you can miss out on incremental improvement that can only be seen over time.

Then again, some people like living through the highs and lows of sports fandom - looking for evidence of incremental improvement is boring after all. It's more fun to b***h about how horrible a job those Celtics knucklehead management are doing and how I would do a much better job running the team from the comfort of my armchair! 

[todd_days_41]

D-White has come down to earth and is not better than J-Rich.

I don't think White's done anything but be himself.

First, Celtics fans overrated him, as prone to do in the honeymoon phase, and;

Second, he's further down the totem pole on a better team. His opportunities and numbers are going to lower here.

The notion that he was going to be significantly better than what Richardson produced while here was just plain wishful thinking.

White is a keeper. Young, versatile, and on a long-term market-friendly deal.
Richarson is a good player, but the weaknesses on our team (quick decision making, passing, dribble penetration) aren't his strengths. Therefore he isn't a keeper. That's why I think White is worth the 20th pick in the draft along with Rich.
One is a keeper, one isn't.

razor sharp analysis all the way around. thanks for bringin' me up to speed.

[boscel33]

D-White has come down to earth and is not better than J-Rich.

I don't think White's done anything but be himself.

First, Celtics fans overrated him, as prone to do in the honeymoon phase, and;

Second, he's further down the totem pole on a better team. His opportunities and numbers are going to lower here.

The notion that he was going to be significantly better than what Richardson produced while here was just plain wishful thinking.

White is a keeper. Young, versatile, and on a long-term market-friendly deal.
Richarson is a good player, but the weaknesses on our team (quick decision making, passing, dribble penetration) aren't his strengths. Therefore he isn't a keeper. That's why I think White is worth the 20th pick in the draft along with Rich.
One is a keeper, one isn't.

Agree, White for Rich/20 is awesome!  But, it wasn't just that, it was White/Romeo/20/Swap!  That's where I think it's an overpay.

[slamtheking]

D-White has come down to earth and is not better than J-Rich.

I don't think White's done anything but be himself.

First, Celtics fans overrated him, as prone to do in the honeymoon phase, and;

Second, he's further down the totem pole on a better team. His opportunities and numbers are going to lower here.

The notion that he was going to be significantly better than what Richardson produced while here was just plain wishful thinking.

White is a keeper. Young, versatile, and on a long-term market-friendly deal.
Richarson is a good player, but the weaknesses on our team (quick decision making, passing, dribble penetration) aren't his strengths. Therefore he isn't a keeper. That's why I think White is worth the 20th pick in the draft along with Rich.
One is a keeper, one isn't.

Agree, White for Rich/20 is awesome!  But, it wasn't just that, it was White/Romeo/20/Swap!  That's where I think it's an overpay.

agreed.  still think a fair payment was JRich and either the first or Romeo, not both and never mind that ridiculous pick swap.

[Surferdad]

I'd have rather taken a flyer on someone like Cody Zeller than signing guys like Martin and Fitts.  The team needs some more veterans not super old inexperienced guys.

Zeller had surgery on a fractured kneecap in late January, and was to be reevaluated 8 weeks after surgery.  Doesn’t make sense to sign now, and probably won’t be healthy enough for the rest of the season.

Perhaps, but if he was back in April as projected he'd be available for the playoffs and I have way more faith in him actually being able to help than some random undrafted guy.

Ime has been using an 8 man rotation in the regular season, so there is no way he will expand that for the postseason. In other words, someone like Zeller would never play.

That's not necessarily true.  If there's an injury to say, Timelord, you are giving a lot of playoff minutes to Theis and Kornet (gasp).  Zeller would have been better.