Revisiting Last Fall

[Moranis]

If Simons was better maybe they could have gotten more for him than Vuc.  But that is about the only thing that was at least realistic thst could have been improved

[Celtics2021]

Is there a single thing that we could have hoped for that didn't go our way?

Vuc injury?

Drafting Maxime Reynaud instead of the trade back for Amari Williams?

Celtics are a tax team with Reynaud.

[Roy H.]

Is there a single thing that we could have hoped for that didn't go our way?

Vuc injury?

Drafting Maxime Reynaud instead of the trade back for Amari Williams?

Celtics are a tax team with Reynaud.

I don't know if that's necessarily true.  If we'd taken him at #32, sure.  But, if we'd traded less far back or had done the original deal and then moved up when Reynaud was falling, there's a good shot that he would have signed a 2-way.  The guy taken immediately before him and the next few after him all took 2-way deals.

[perks-a-beast]

6 short months ago, I was saying this team would win 34 games tops. I didnt see this coming AT ALL. They proved me wrong and I loved every minute of it.

The only thing I accurately predicted was the ascendance of Scheierman. Believed in that dude since we drafted him.

Did not believe in Hugo, Walsh, Queta, Garza, or Mazzulla, and Im sorry.

[SparzWizard]

Third to the last one sounded like something I would write. Still got it on my sig.

Though I must say, there were some improvements this season with what he had to use. But the live by the 3, die by the 3 mentality is still there and that is what doomed Boston last year (and Tatum's Achilles), esp the first two home games.

I remember back in the early Fall days half of us were fantasizing AJ Dybantsa after starting 0-3 and the choo choo train 

[Celtics2021]

Is there a single thing that we could have hoped for that didn't go our way?

Vuc injury?

Drafting Maxime Reynaud instead of the trade back for Amari Williams?

Celtics are a tax team with Reynaud.

I don't know if that's necessarily true.  If we'd taken him at #32, sure.  But, if we'd traded less far back or had done the original deal and then moved up when Reynaud was falling, there's a good shot that he would have signed a 2-way.  The guy taken immediately before him and the next few after him all took 2-way deals.

I think it is unlikely he would have taken a 2-way.  Willingness to take a 2-way is one of the things you are allowed to officially discuss with an agent prior to the draft, and I would bet that his agent said he would not sign it, which may be why he fell a little in the 2nd.  No way of knowing, of course, but given that he signed a full deal in the midst of a bunch of 2-ways, there is some evidence.

[Goldstar88]

Did anyone have the Celtics winning 56 games and finishing 2nd in the East? 

[Celtics4ever]

I did not have them at 55 games, I picked 44 games then panicked after some of the the loses and reduced that number.   This year was a pleasant surprise and I was glad to be wrong.

[Neurotic Guy]

if anyone here predicted 55+ wins they did it on a whim, just to say it, not based on roster analysis.  There isn't any possible way that anyone foresaw the performances of JB, Q, Scheierman, Walsh, Hugo, or Garza.

I didn't think they'd be awful but thought about .500.

[SHAQATTACK]

I did not have them at 55 games, I picked 44 games then panicked after some of the the loses and reduced that number.   This year was a pleasant surprise and I was glad to be wrong.

p
I did same ,  I may have had them in the high 30?s .   I  just thought it would be a great time to get in on the lottery.  Do a SPURS ?.HIDE YOUR STARS WITH INJURIES  ?and draft another 7 center

[nickagneta]

I wasn't posting here, or anywhere, last fall, but remember discussions where I thought the team would be around 48 wins. That they ended up at 56, I believe was due to me not seeing Queta's massive step forward and Tatum's return so soon and at such a high level.

But, as everyone here knows, I have always had faith Jaylen was the guy we saw this year and saw this coming. Heck, the dude averaged 30 ppg for the most part over the years whenever Tatum was out. Small sample size, but the proof of what JB could be without JT, was there in plain sight.

I also have huge confidence in DWhite and Pritchard and thought Simons would be a positive addition until he was traded. I also loved what I saw last year in Walsh and Scheierman and thought they could step up big.

I have been a big believer in Mazzulla as a coach. His developmental team is amongst the best in the league and I think his defensive and offensive systems fit well with what he had/has for talent. I just did not see Mazzulla, who has the highest coaching winning percentage in NBA history, allowing this group to finish anywhere below .500.

So, yeah, I underestimated the win total, but never saw them as anything worse than a 4 seed and thought if Tatum did come back for the playoffs, they could still be a very dangerous out in the playoffs.

[tenn_smoothie]

Pretty sure the comment about wasting a championship era on Mazzulla was mine.
If it wasn't, I wish I had thought of it.
The man is clearly doing some things extremely well and I am grateful for that.
I still don't like his offensive approach and I fear it can get us beat in the playoffs. The mindless chucking of missed 3's cost us Games 1 & 2 vs Knicks last season and thus lost us the series. Just makes no sense to not have alternative offensive options to use as needed. What harm could there be ?

I recently saw some interesting commentary from Larry Bird, who is generally complimentary of today's style of play, where he stated this exactly.
He talked about teams needing to go inside more when their 3-point shooting is cold. Yep ......... me and Larry.