I Think I Am Aboard The Tank Train Now

[slamtheking]

This is a play-in team.

still don't see it.  still think they're a lottery team.

[Goldstar88]

This is a play-in team.

still don't see it.  still think they're a lottery team.

I was thinking maybe a 9 or 10 seed. Not a playoff team, which is what many thought going into the season. I hope they are a lottery team, though.

[lbgreen33]

All aboard ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay
Crazy, but that's how it goes!!

Thanks Qzzy, I think you summed it up best!

[slightly biased bias fan]

This is a play-in team.

still don't see it.  still think they're a lottery team.

I was thinking maybe a 9 or 10 seed. Not a playoff team, which is what many thought going into the season. I hope they are a lottery team, though.

Either or, the Celtics are only missing Tatum.

This team is no where near capable of winning a title next season. That is where I am confused. Porzingis is our only centre option in the 2026 free agency and I would imagine Atlanta has a better chance at re-signing him than the Celtics.

Celtics were crazy not to rebuild while our stars have maximum return value. I am sure Flagg & Harper would have been available for Tatum & Brown.

[Goldstar88]

This is a play-in team.

still don't see it.  still think they're a lottery team.

I was thinking maybe a 9 or 10 seed. Not a playoff team, which is what many thought going into the season. I hope they are a lottery team, though.

Either or, the Celtics are only missing Tatum.

This team is no where near capable of winning a title next season. That is where I am confused. Porzingis is our only centre option in the 2026 free agency and I would imagine Atlanta has a better chance at re-signing him than the Celtics.

Celtics were crazy not to rebuild while our stars have maximum return value. I am sure Flagg & Harper would have been available for Tatum & Brown.

Tatum is 27 years old and has been first team all NBA 4 years in a row. Unless you are getting back a top 5 player in the NBA, you don?t trade him. JB on the other hand..

[slightly biased bias fan]

This is a play-in team.

still don't see it.  still think they're a lottery team.

I was thinking maybe a 9 or 10 seed. Not a playoff team, which is what many thought going into the season. I hope they are a lottery team, though.

Either or, the Celtics are only missing Tatum.

This team is no where near capable of winning a title next season. That is where I am confused. Porzingis is our only centre option in the 2026 free agency and I would imagine Atlanta has a better chance at re-signing him than the Celtics.

Celtics were crazy not to rebuild while our stars have maximum return value. I am sure Flagg & Harper would have been available for Tatum & Brown.

Tatum is 27 years old and has been first team all NBA 4 years in a row. Unless you are getting back a top 5 player in the NBA, you don?t trade him. JB on the other hand..

Flagg & Harper are generational top picks, these prospects almost never get traded. But the Celtics were in a rare position where the Mavs & Spurs are both ready to compete for a title.

Flagg is a MVP talent but he is still a teenager. He is not going to win the Mavs a title now, no matter how much potential he has. The Mavs have a short window for a title, built around Davis (32) & Irving (33).

Same goes for the Spurs. Harper looks like an All-NBA calibre guard but he needs development. The Spurs already have Fox locked into a long term max deal, they need wings, and they have long been an admirer of Jaylen Brown. Wembanyama, Brown, Castle & Fox core would move them into the contender ranks.

[Birdman]

This team doesn?t have to tank they just a bad team

[Moranis]

This team doesn?t have to tank they just a bad team

I agree, which is why when Tatum comes back I don't see them as a true contender anyway.  They need multiple players and I have no idea how they are going to get them.

[Big333223]

The worst part of the first two games for me was the team showing no chemistry at all. That's something that could get ironed out as we go along and they could wind up a low playoff team. If that doesn't get figured out... it'll be a long season.

[Neurotic Guy]

Two games and I enjoyed the first one a lot and the second one I stuck with and watched an entertaining second half.  I?m ok with losses as long as we see individual progress from future rotation players or future trade bait.  I?m happier with wins now, but depending how things go, I could be outright rooting for losses by the all-star break.

[Goldstar88]

This is a play-in team.

still don't see it.  still think they're a lottery team.

I was thinking maybe a 9 or 10 seed. Not a playoff team, which is what many thought going into the season. I hope they are a lottery team, though.

Either or, the Celtics are only missing Tatum.

This team is no where near capable of winning a title next season. That is where I am confused. Porzingis is our only centre option in the 2026 free agency and I would imagine Atlanta has a better chance at re-signing him than the Celtics.

Celtics were crazy not to rebuild while our stars have maximum return value. I am sure Flagg & Harper would have been available for Tatum & Brown.

Tatum is 27 years old and has been first team all NBA 4 years in a row. Unless you are getting back a top 5 player in the NBA, you don?t trade him. JB on the other hand..

Flagg & Harper are generational top picks, these prospects almost never get traded. But the Celtics were in a rare position where the Mavs & Spurs are both ready to compete for a title.

Flagg is a MVP talent but he is still a teenager. He is not going to win the Mavs a title now, no matter how much potential he has. The Mavs have a short window for a title, built around Davis (32) & Irving (33).

Same goes for the Spurs. Harper looks like an All-NBA calibre guard but he needs development. The Spurs already have Fox locked into a long term max deal, they need wings, and they have long been an admirer of Jaylen Brown. Wembanyama, Brown, Castle & Fox core would move them into the contender ranks.

Wayyy too early to call either Flagg or Harper generational players. The odds of either of them being as good as Tatum are very low. If the C?s are moving on from Brown, I?d prefer a package around Castle, not Harper.

[Vermont Green]

We are only two games in.  Granted, these games were not pretty, and there will probably be a lot more ugly games this season.  But I think the team will get better.  There are fixable things.  I think Brown will be better (he does not seem 100% to me).  Pritchard has been missing shots he will start hitting.  I think Simons will bet better too.  That said, I believe that if Tatum plays, BOS is 2-0.

But the big question or debate seems to be whether a team built around Tatum + Brown + White can be a contender or has the window completely closed and it is now time to blow it up (starting with trading Brown it seems).  I say no to blowing it up right now.  I want to see the team with Tatum back and probably some added talent, even just one solid starting level big (which is not unrealistic).

The alternative is to trade Brown for some package of picks and young players.  But is a team of Tatum + White + rookies and young players better in the near term?  I doubt it.  So if you are going to trade Brown for assets that don't help you win now, you may as well trade Tatum and White too.  Then maybe you are good again in 6 years, maybe.

No thanks.