I Think I Am Aboard The Tank Train Now

[SparzWizard]

So are we all aboard the tank train after game 1 of 82?

AJ Dybantsa be a beast.

[scaryjerry]

So are we all aboard the tank train after game 1 of 82?

AJ Dybantsa be a beast.

As long as you have Pritchard/white/brown you?ll have guys giving their all to win games?might not really matter either way but one of those guys getting *injured*would assure a tank

[SCeltic34]

After the first game of the season against a formidable opponent?  No, not at all.  This team has too many talented players to tank properly.  Now if we suffer injuries to JB and other key players, sure.  I don't expect a deep playoff run this year.

[celticinorlando]

They will play hard but just won't win very many games. Defense is bad, bench bad and they have too many guys that really never should play.

[SparzWizard]

A part of me be hoping this team can resemble anything similar to the 2017-2018 Celtics (where we lost Hayward in Game 1 of 82 for the season, and also lost Kyrie midseason) that willed their way to Game 7 of the ECF.

But so far this sounds bad (lacking talent depth and Tatum-less), might be worse than the 2020-2021 Celtics.

[smicker16]

A part of me be hoping this team can resemble anything similar to the 2017-2018 Celtics (where we lost Hayward in Game 1 of 82 for the season, and also lost Kyrie midseason) that willed their way to Game 7 of the ECF.

But so far this sounds bad (lacking talent depth and Tatum-less), might be worse than the 2020-2021 Celtics.

They should absolutely be worse than the 2020-2021 Celtics based on the talent on the roster alone.

It is interesting how different feelings people have based on a single game. I would like to see us do a soft tank but this game made me think we are more likely to be around 38 wins as opposed to 28 as an example

[Neurotic Guy]

A part of me be hoping this team can resemble anything similar to the 2017-2018 Celtics (where we lost Hayward in Game 1 of 82 for the season, and also lost Kyrie midseason) that willed their way to Game 7 of the ECF.

But so far this sounds bad (lacking talent depth and Tatum-less), might be worse than the 2020-2021 Celtics.

They should absolutely be worse than the 2020-2021 Celtics based on the talent on the roster alone.

It is interesting how different feelings people have based on a single game. I would like to see us do a soft tank but this game made me think we are more likely to be around 38 wins as opposed to 28 as an example

Like every year, it's a good idea to wait for the 20-game mark to get a decent feel for what the team is or can be.  Obviously, team's come alive or fall apart after 20 but it's a good checkpoint.   Better than after one 1-point loss.

[keevsnick]

I will NEVER be aboard the tank train (*unless injuries happen)

Even if the Celtics were a bottom three team, and they won't be since Utah, Washington and Brooklyn all exist, they'd still only have a 40% chance at a top 3 pick.

They could stink all year, win 30 game end up 7th in the lottery and there's a 65% chance they pick 7-9 like Toronto did last year. Would a mid lottery pick still be useful? Sure. But I'd rather just watch a competitive team this year. The lottery is for hopeless teams, Celtics aren't that.

Now if injuries force it then fine, thats life. But unless White/Brown go down Im rooting for winning. 

[Goldstar88]

I will NEVER be aboard the tank train (*unless injuries happen)

Even if the Celtics were a bottom three team, and they won't be since Utah, Washington and Brooklyn all exist, they'd still only have a 40% chance at a top 3 pick.

They could stink all year, win 30 game end up 7th in the lottery and there's a 65% chance they pick 7-9 like Toronto did last year. Would a mid lottery pick still be useful? Sure. But I'd rather just watch a competitive team this year. The lottery is for hopeless teams, Celtics aren't that.

Now if injuries force it then fine, thats life. But unless White/Brown go down Im rooting for winning.

Tatum is injured. Injuries forced it. 

[Moranis]

A part of me be hoping this team can resemble anything similar to the 2017-2018 Celtics (where we lost Hayward in Game 1 of 82 for the season, and also lost Kyrie midseason) that willed their way to Game 7 of the ECF.

But so far this sounds bad (lacking talent depth and Tatum-less), might be worse than the 2020-2021 Celtics.

They should absolutely be worse than the 2020-2021 Celtics based on the talent on the roster alone.

It is interesting how different feelings people have based on a single game. I would like to see us do a soft tank but this game made me think we are more likely to be around 38 wins as opposed to 28 as an example

I took it the other way.  I mean at home with basically full health, the C's couldn't best the Sixers without George and a game in which Embiid played 20 minutes and scored 4 points on 9 shots.  The guard defense was atrocious as they let a rookie have the 3rd highest rookie debut ever and the most points for a debut rookie since Wilt in 1959.   This was a game Boston should have won. Them losing under those conditions makes me think this is a mid 20 win team because I do expect the typical 15-20 game absence from JB. 

[Celtics4ever]

Anyone who doesn't think adding a lottery level  talent to our team in the long run would not help us in the big picture is being disingenuous or dishonest.   Granted drafting is hit or miss but the old teams always added young to the old and a mix of both is handy.  That being said, you can expect no Adam Silver help for the Celtics.

[Vermont Green]

Anyone who doesn't think adding a lottery level  talent to our team in the long run would not help us in the big picture is being disingenuous or dishonest.   Granted drafting is hit or miss but the old teams always added young to the old and a mix of both is handy.  That being said, you can expect no Adam Silver help for the Celtics.

I agree.  This potential pick has a lot of value.  It is also valuable as a trade asset.

[Neurotic Guy]

Anyone who doesn't think adding a lottery level  talent to our team in the long run would not help us in the big picture is being disingenuous or dishonest.   Granted drafting is hit or miss but the old teams always added young to the old and a mix of both is handy.  That being said, you can expect no Adam Silver help for the Celtics.

I agree.  This potential pick has a lot of value.  It is also valuable as a trade asset.

No question that there is great potential value in a lottery pick.  The downside with an unintended tank (meaning just sucking) is that team culture and cohesion suffers and that takes time to restore.  A 25 or 30 win season can lead to dysfunction including frustration among players and frustration with coaches and management. But the ideal being Joe plays young players, they develop, JB and DW take plenty of time recovering from occasional injuries, and JT decides to wait out the year.   

Of course the other ideal would be miraculous development from Minott, Hugo, Baylor, Queta. And Brad swings a deal for a starting C at the deadline and JT is back 100% for April and playoffs.

[Moranis]

Anyone who doesn't think adding a lottery level  talent to our team in the long run would not help us in the big picture is being disingenuous or dishonest.   Granted drafting is hit or miss but the old teams always added young to the old and a mix of both is handy.  That being said, you can expect no Adam Silver help for the Celtics.

I agree.  This potential pick has a lot of value.  It is also valuable as a trade asset.

No question that there is great potential value in a lottery pick.  The downside with an unintended tank (meaning just sucking) is that team culture and cohesion suffers and that takes time to restore.  A 25 or 30 win season can lead to dysfunction including frustration among players and frustration with coaches and management. But the ideal being Joe plays young players, they develop, JB and DW take plenty of time recovering from occasional injuries, and JT decides to wait out the year.   

Of course the other ideal would be miraculous development from Minott, Hugo, Baylor, Queta. And Brad swings a deal for a starting C at the deadline and JT is back 100% for April and playoffs.

People say this all of the time, but I think there is very little evidence it is true.  I mean look at the defending champions. They went from a team that went to the playoffs for 5 straight years never winning less than 44 games, to immediately winning 22, then 24 games.  They then won 40 games, 57 games, and last year 68 while winning the title. 

Even the 1 year tanks have had great success, none more obvious than the Spurs that had gone to the playoffs 7 straight seasons, tanked for Duncan by winning just 20 games, and then never won less than 50 games for the 20 years Duncan was on the team and won the title in Duncan's 2nd year, just 2 seasons removed from that 20 win season.  Did their culture suffer because of that 20 win season?

Teams win or lose because of talent.  Teams have chemistry or they don't.  Teams have bad cultures because they have players that are bad culture players not because they don't win. 

[Neurotic Guy]

Anyone who doesn't think adding a lottery level  talent to our team in the long run would not help us in the big picture is being disingenuous or dishonest.   Granted drafting is hit or miss but the old teams always added young to the old and a mix of both is handy.  That being said, you can expect no Adam Silver help for the Celtics.

I agree.  This potential pick has a lot of value.  It is also valuable as a trade asset.

No question that there is great potential value in a lottery pick.  The downside with an unintended tank (meaning just sucking) is that team culture and cohesion suffers and that takes time to restore.  A 25 or 30 win season can lead to dysfunction including frustration among players and frustration with coaches and management. But the ideal being Joe plays young players, they develop, JB and DW take plenty of time recovering from occasional injuries, and JT decides to wait out the year.   

Of course the other ideal would be miraculous development from Minott, Hugo, Baylor, Queta. And Brad swings a deal for a starting C at the deadline and JT is back 100% for April and playoffs.

People say this all of the time, but I think there is very little evidence it is true.  I mean look at the defending champions. They went from a team that went to the playoffs for 5 straight years never winning less than 44 games, to immediately winning 22, then 24 games.  They then won 40 games, 57 games, and last year 68 while winning the title. 

Even the 1 year tanks have had great success, none more obvious than the Spurs that had gone to the playoffs 7 straight seasons, tanked for Duncan by winning just 20 games, and then never won less than 50 games for the 20 years Duncan was on the team and won the title in Duncan's 2nd year, just 2 seasons removed from that 20 win season.  Did their culture suffer because of that 20 win season?

Teams win or lose because of talent.  Teams have chemistry or they don't.  Teams have bad cultures because they have players that are bad culture players not because they don't win.

I?ll defer on this. Not a battle worth fighting. I know the examples of Bird, Duncan (with Robinson) and others can turn a franchise around overnight.  Winning solves culture issues, usually.  So I?ll agree that the risk of culture demolition due to sucking isn?t huge.  But we?ll see.