Analyze This Quote From Wyc

[johnnygreen]

For some teams, part of the equation of having a long playoff run or even making it to the Finals, is having a bit of luck (or key injuries on the opposing team) along the way. When you look back, the luck portion of the equation becomes more clear. And the thing with luck, is you can't rely on it from year to year. Maybe this is what Wyc is talking about, without actually saying it.

[sgrogan]

I think he’s trying to help his team get in the right headspace so there isn’t a repeat of 2018-2019 or 2020-2021.  The last two deep playoff runs led by Tatum and Brown have been followed up by disappointing seasons, so it would be nice to break that trend.

I hope your right.

Wyc says they will spend into the tax for a contender. It took a while to see what a contender was, but it looks like an NBA finalist.
Brad has no restrictions, Banner 18 or die trying.

But we may have been a flash in the pan, so let's not get ahead of ourselves. If an injury to the 8-9th man derails our hopes than no reason to spend money on 10-12th guys, we were doomed anyway. We should wait to see if we are in it. If we are we can "spend" at the deadline. Spending to avoid a foreseeable risk seems folly.

[celticsclay]

Agree on the comments above about putting the team in the right headspace.

Maybe it’s because I lean pessimistic/motivate myself the same way, but I also agree with Wyc’s analysis as a statement of fact. We got healthy at the right time while others did not. We have to prove it (and maybe get a little lucky again).

I don’t feel like we had incredible health though. The warriors were certainly healthier than we were. Tatum had a fractured wrist basically the whole post season. Rob was a shell of himself. Weren’t the warriors basically at full strength? The bucks were missing their third most important player despite a much older than us. I feel like some people act like the heat were down butler and bam, the bucks missed Gianni’s and the nets didn’t have Durant.

[Who]

This was my mindset prior to acquiring Malcolm Brogdon. We were a very good team but no frontrunner. One of a few elite teams in the East (Philly, Brooklyn, Milwaukee). However, after adding Brogdon to a group that was already so good, I believe the time for that mindset has passed. This team is elite. Truly elite.

And ownership should represent this.

This was overly pessimistic and downbeat from Wyc.

[Roy H.]

Another Wyc quote:

"I think we’re spending about $200 million on the roster this year, and Brad has the green light to spend more," Grousbeck told the Globe. "People can write or think whatever they want. Or, you can actually look at what we do, which is do whatever we possibly can to win a championship. And we’re in the mode right now of completely adding on. Are you going to trade future draft picks and young players under 30? Hopefully not. But money is not a consideration whatsoever, and this roster shows that."

This seems a bit disconnected from reality, after we just let a $17 million TPE expire, and are dumpster diving for free agents.

[Rosco917]

I feel Wyc is being realistic, and its a difficult pill to swallow but if the Bucks were healthy... I'm not sure we would have gotten past them. They definitely needed their second best player in that series. It would have been like the C's missing Brown.   

Calling this team elite at this point is a stretch IMO. But they do have the potential to be elite, especially with the pieces they've added and another healthy dose of maturity.   

[SparzWizard]

Another Wyc quote:

"I think we’re spending about $200 million on the roster this year, and Brad has the green light to spend more," Grousbeck told the Globe. "People can write or think whatever they want. Or, you can actually look at what we do, which is do whatever we possibly can to win a championship. And we’re in the mode right now of completely adding on. Are you going to trade future draft picks and young players under 30? Hopefully not. But money is not a consideration whatsoever, and this roster shows that."

This seems a bit disconnected from reality, after we just let a $17 million TPE expire, and are dumpster diving for free agents.

Soooo is this a Brad problem or what? He could've made the move with the TPE then?

[celticsclay]

Another Wyc quote:

"I think we’re spending about $200 million on the roster this year, and Brad has the green light to spend more," Grousbeck told the Globe. "People can write or think whatever they want. Or, you can actually look at what we do, which is do whatever we possibly can to win a championship. And we’re in the mode right now of completely adding on. Are you going to trade future draft picks and young players under 30? Hopefully not. But money is not a consideration whatsoever, and this roster shows that."

This seems a bit disconnected from reality, after we just let a $17 million TPE expire, and are dumpster diving for free agents.

Well isn’t the worst part that we are signing scrub free agents when guys like howard or Carmelo would cost essentially the same?

[Celtics2021]

Another Wyc quote:

"I think we’re spending about $200 million on the roster this year, and Brad has the green light to spend more," Grousbeck told the Globe. "People can write or think whatever they want. Or, you can actually look at what we do, which is do whatever we possibly can to win a championship. And we’re in the mode right now of completely adding on. Are you going to trade future draft picks and young players under 30? Hopefully not. But money is not a consideration whatsoever, and this roster shows that."

This seems a bit disconnected from reality, after we just let a $17 million TPE expire, and are dumpster diving for free agents.

Well isn’t the worst part that we are signing scrub free agents when guys like howard or Carmelo would cost essentially the same?

I’d wait to see where Carmelo ends up before worrying much about him.  My guess is he wants to wait until February to pick a team, rather than sign somewhere now.

[Big333223]

This feels on-brand for Wyc. I don't have an example at the ready but I feel like he's said things like this in the past. He tamps down expectations. Doesn't want the team getting a big head. Whether it's a good strategy or not is up for debate but I don't think it's anything to worry about.

As for the expiring TPE, I legit think they just didn't have anyone that they wanted with it that made sense to go get.

[Sophomore]

Agree on the comments above about putting the team in the right headspace.

Maybe it’s because I lean pessimistic/motivate myself the same way, but I also agree with Wyc’s analysis as a statement of fact. We got healthy at the right time while others did not. We have to prove it (and maybe get a little lucky again).

I don’t feel like we had incredible health though. The warriors were certainly healthier than we were. Tatum had a fractured wrist basically the whole post season. Rob was a shell of himself. Weren’t the warriors basically at full strength? The bucks were missing their third most important player despite a much older than us. I feel like some people act like the heat were down butler and bam, the bucks missed Gianni’s and the nets didn’t have Durant.

We didn’t have “incredible” health. But I’m far from sure we would’ve beat the Bucks or Miami without their injuries. Are we in their league? Yes. Does last year count? Of course - all teams have injuries. Am I convinced we beat the Bucks and Sixers *this* year? No, and I do think health could play a major role.

As for the warriors’ health - they beat us.

[nickagneta]

If money has been no issue, why did Stevens halt at just Gallo, Brogdon and nobodies who are barely NBA players, as additions to the top 8 rotation guys?

They had a $17M TPE and two smaller TPEs of around $6M and $7M, which they still have. All three could and still can bring in better players than what will make up the last 7 positions on the roster. Price no problem, then get better players.

At any point, the use of draft picks would need to happen to complete trades with the TPEs. Is this why Stevens stopped at Gallo? Is this why the $17M TPE went unused? Stevens, who has had a short history of using draft picks to close deals, suddenly has had an aversion to using draft picks in trades to better the ball club? Are we to believe this?

Or is it that no one wanted to talk trade with Stevens about salary dumping someone for draft picks? You need two to tango, but Stevens couldn't find a partner willing to deal with him? I guess this is possible.

Honestly though, I am not buying that money is no object. I think ownership put the kybosh on the team salary going much beyond $200 million(salary + tax). So we are stuck with a bench of:

Brogdon, Grant, White, Pritchard, Gallo(out for season), Hauser, Kornet, Davison(2-way), Kabengele(2-way) and 3 of any of the following: Vonleh, Caboclo, Jackson, Thomas, Layman and Valentine. Is that everybody?

So yeah, the top five....sorry, due to Gallo's injury.....top 4 bench guys are great though there's no big men there. After that the talent falls off a cliff.

Sure, Hauser could have Duncan Robinson potential, but he has to show more defensively to get a rotation position. Kornet is probably a great third/fourth center at the 14th slot on the roster type guy but right now, he's third after Big Al and Timelord. Both guys that will sit out a lot of games. Both might not be playing one game of back to back's. After that .... G-Leaguers each and every one of them. Bench guys on Euro teams type quality.

If price is no problem, the big TPE and the 2 smaller should already have been used. A 13 player group you could keep for years and be a real contender for the next  5-6 years. Price be dam(n)ed!

Or Wyc's nose might be a little longer than it was before he made that statement.

[gouki88]

To me it reads of trying to avoid anyone in the organisation just expecting it to come easily. If that kind of attitude is coming from the very top, then nobody down the chain should have any right to expect to just rock up and be in the Finals.

[vjcsmoke]

I agree with Wyc actually.  We shouldn't be considered favorites till we step onto that court again and play like we should be considered favorites.

Losing Gallo was definitely a blow to our chances.  We were counting on his size and shooting for that extra depth to take us over the top.

I am encouraged by Wyc's statement that the owners are willing to spend whatever it takes to contend.

So let's say near the deadline, if we can package gallo and a trade exception for a better piece to help us win, Brad Stevens has the greenlight to push past that luxury tax to get us an upgrade if it improves our chances of winning.

I'm hearing the right things from ownership at this point.  Let's just see how this plays out.

[tenn_smoothie]

I think he’s trying to help his team get in the right headspace so there isn’t a repeat of 2018-2019 or 2020-2021.  The last two deep playoff runs led by Tatum and Brown have been followed up by disappointing seasons, so it would be nice to break that trend.

That may be fair.  But if you're a player, doesn't part of you say "then why didn't you bring in better players?"  I mean, I assume that our veterans are pretty knowledgeable dudes.  Can they really be happy with a training camp roster that includes 20 spots, 1 injured for the season, 10 scrubs, only 4 of them with any sort of decent NBA potential.

If I was a player reading those comments, I think I'd be giving a big middle finger to the team's self-imposed spending cap and strategy of bringing in end-of-roster crap.

I just keep getting the same feeling - that ownership is not willing to spend past a certain point unless guaranteed a title. Obviously Wyc does not believe we are and the lost TPE is just another in a series of decisions that points to cheap ownership.

The team with the highest league payroll won the title - and were far from being clear favorites entering last year's playoffs. Do our two owners want to be the leadership for this iconic franchise or not? This is the first team since Red's three title groups, 60's, 70's, 80's that has young homegrown talent capable of winning multiple banners. Red always added to those teams with a couple of key players to get us over the top to win titles. So ownership needs to open their checkbooks to get Brad and Ime what they need to win big or get the hell out of the way.