Time for a change?

[smicker16]

I think the playoffs are different than the regular season. I do not think Simons would have gotten a ton of play in these playoffs honestly because you have to choose him or Pritchard. It?s tough to have two guys people can attack and Pritchard has a bit more strength to resist at times than Simons. Same for Brunson since he is pretty strong so he is not as easy to pick on as Simons in my opinion. I would take Simons back if we trade Pritchard otherwise not really worth what we would likely have to pay for him.

[Goldstar88]

Sign 1 of Porzingis/Timelord using the full MLE

I am glad Rob is healthy, but we should stay away from these two due to rich injury/medical histories.

3B.) .....OR if they can get Anfernee Simons back for cheaper instead of trading for Jerome, I'd take that too.

I hear all the podcasts, say bring back Simons.   We all know he was a good soldier here, and he can score.   But the thought of him trying to guard Maxey or Edgcombe should scare you.

It would depend on the price tag. I?m sure other teams are going to be hesitant to pay a lot for those two due to the injury history.

I don?t really want Simons back. He would get Hunted in the postseason. Teams already do this to Pritchard.

Smart teams should also hunt Brunson, but for some reason they don't.  Or the Knicks' team defense does a good job covering for him.

Simons did a much better job than anticipated on defense when he was here.  It's not like he's 5'9".

Playoffs are different animal. Pritchard was fine in the regular season last year and then the Knicks hunted him relentlessly in the Postseason. Teams would do the same to Simons.

My point again is that Simons would be no worse than Brunson in terms of teams ?hunting? him.

Plus he?s a taller better defender than Brunson anyway.

Sometimes you have to give a little (defense) to get a little (offense). 

Heck, Simons is no worse than Mitchell for the Cavs on defense.

My point is that you can?t have two small guards playing big minutes in the playoffs. The Celtics will get eaten alive. Pritchard is more than just a microwave scorer, so that makes up for it to some extent.

The stats don't seem to back up your argument.  One of our colleagues on this board laid it out...

I understand the worry, but we did run a White/Pritchard/Simons backcourt for much of this year and still had a top 5 defense. With a much better defender in Tatum out there instead of Brown, and presumably a premium big like Giannis or Bam (yes, I have now added Bam as a Jaylen trade hopeful lol), the defense should be that much better. Especially with Queta, Walsh, and Hugo also still getting plenty of minutes.

Playoffs and regular season are not the same thing. Teams will target small guards like Simons and Pritchard in the postseason. We?ve already seen this.

[Goldstar88]

I think the playoffs are different than the regular season. I do not think Simons would have gotten a ton of play in these playoffs honestly because you have to choose him or Pritchard. It?s tough to have two guys people can attack and Pritchard has a bit more strength to resist at times than Simons. Same for Brunson since he is pretty strong so he is not as easy to pick on as Simons in my opinion. I would take Simons back if we trade Pritchard otherwise not really worth what we would likely have to pay for him.

Exactly. Knicks surrounded Brunson with a lot of size so they can get away with it to some extent. Feel like it is going to catch up with them in the Finals, though. Assuming they advance. I expect NY to lose in 4 or 5 games.

[No Nickname]

Sign 1 of Porzingis/Timelord using the full MLE

I am glad Rob is healthy, but we should stay away from these two due to rich injury/medical histories.

3B.) .....OR if they can get Anfernee Simons back for cheaper instead of trading for Jerome, I'd take that too.

I hear all the podcasts, say bring back Simons.   We all know he was a good soldier here, and he can score.   But the thought of him trying to guard Maxey or Edgcombe should scare you.

It would depend on the price tag. I?m sure other teams are going to be hesitant to pay a lot for those two due to the injury history.

I don?t really want Simons back. He would get Hunted in the postseason. Teams already do this to Pritchard.

Smart teams should also hunt Brunson, but for some reason they don't.  Or the Knicks' team defense does a good job covering for him.

Simons did a much better job than anticipated on defense when he was here.  It's not like he's 5'9".

Playoffs are different animal. Pritchard was fine in the regular season last year and then the Knicks hunted him relentlessly in the Postseason. Teams would do the same to Simons.

My point again is that Simons would be no worse than Brunson in terms of teams ?hunting? him.

Plus he?s a taller better defender than Brunson anyway.

Sometimes you have to give a little (defense) to get a little (offense). 

Heck, Simons is no worse than Mitchell for the Cavs on defense.

My point is that you can?t have two small guards playing big minutes in the playoffs. The Celtics will get eaten alive. Pritchard is more than just a microwave scorer, so that makes up for it to some extent.

The stats don't seem to back up your argument.  One of our colleagues on this board laid it out...

I understand the worry, but we did run a White/Pritchard/Simons backcourt for much of this year and still had a top 5 defense. With a much better defender in Tatum out there instead of Brown, and presumably a premium big like Giannis or Bam (yes, I have now added Bam as a Jaylen trade hopeful lol), the defense should be that much better. Especially with Queta, Walsh, and Hugo also still getting plenty of minutes.

Playoffs and regular season are not the same thing. Teams will target small guards like Simons and Pritchard in the postseason. We?ve already seen this.

Then why haven't teams hunted Brunson?

I can see how teams hunted Harden, but I don't think you can be 100% sure that someone like Simons would be hunted... and that it is something other teams can get a significant advantage from, especially when you factor in his considerable impact on the C's offense.

[Larry for 3]

I think the playoffs are different than the regular season. I do not think Simons would have gotten a ton of play in these playoffs honestly because you have to choose him or Pritchard. It?s tough to have two guys people can attack and Pritchard has a bit more strength to resist at times than Simons. Same for Brunson since he is pretty strong so he is not as easy to pick on as Simons in my opinion. I would take Simons back if we trade Pritchard otherwise not really worth what we would likely have to pay for him.

Exactly. Knicks surrounded Brunson with a lot of size so they can get away with it to some extent. Feel like it is going to catch up with them in the Finals, though. Assuming they advance. I expect NY to lose in 4 or 5 games.

Did you expect the Pacers to take OKC to 7 games last year? I doubt it. You would think a team that owns the Celtics and is running roughshod through the eastern conference with 10 straight playoff wins and about to have back to back sweeps would get a little more respect than that. Do I think the Knicks will win? Probably not. But I give them a fighting chance. Id be surprised if was an easy series for OKC. Team is too good.

[Who]

I think the playoffs are different than the regular season. I do not think Simons would have gotten a ton of play in these playoffs honestly because you have to choose him or Pritchard. It?s tough to have two guys people can attack and Pritchard has a bit more strength to resist at times than Simons. Same for Brunson since he is pretty strong so he is not as easy to pick on as Simons in my opinion. I would take Simons back if we trade Pritchard otherwise not really worth what we would likely have to pay for him.

Exactly. Knicks surrounded Brunson with a lot of size so they can get away with it to some extent. Feel like it is going to catch up with them in the Finals, though. Assuming they advance. I expect NY to lose in 4 or 5 games.

Did you expect the Pacers to take OKC to 7 games last year? I doubt it. You would think a team that owns the Celtics and is running roughshod through the eastern conference with 10 straight playoff wins and about to have back to back sweeps would get a little more respect than that. Do I think the Knicks will win? Probably not. But I give them a fighting chance. Id be surprised if was an easy series for OKC. Team is too good.

I don't know what to make of the Knicks right now.

I was down on their team all season and all last season. I did not like how they played. I have enjoyed Mike Brown opening up their offense more, playing through KAT, and getting more ball movement. Less Brunson isos.

However, I also wonder how much of this run is just hot shooting. Will their offense be resilient when their shooting cools off? Will the players stay committed to it? Or will they revert back to ugly iso-ball where Brunson plays 1 on 5 and the other 3 stars (Towns, M Bridges, Anunoby) are underutilized.

So I don't know what to expect of NYK in the Finals. If they can keep going, we should have a good series. I don't think it will be a walk in the park for OKC. I am looking forward to it. I wasn't looking forward to whoever came out of the East against the best of the West a month ago. So credit to NY for that.

[slightly biased bias fan]

Sadly, the most likely scenario is the Celtics core stays intact this offseason. Stevens seems to prefer the conservative approach.

The front office will duck the tax (again) to reset everything, and the Celtics will waste another season without a clear route for a title.

By the time Celtic management is ready to spend, Tatum will be 30 years old, Brown 31 and White 33.

[slamtheking]

Sadly, the most likely scenario is the Celtics core stays intact this offseason. Stevens seems to prefer the conservative approach.

The front office will duck the tax (again) to reset everything, and the Celtics will waste another season without a clear route for a title.

By the time Celtic management is ready to spend, Tatum will be 30 years old, Brown 31 and White 33.

I think that's what will most likely happen.

my biggest concern isn't their age but by waiting another year to reset the repeater tax, what tools will Brad have left to restock the roster with players that can make them contenders?  they won't have the salary structure to be big players in free agency, they won't have bluechip prospects to trade and they won't have mid-size contracts that make good deals possible

[slightly biased bias fan]

Sadly, the most likely scenario is the Celtics core stays intact this offseason. Stevens seems to prefer the conservative approach.

The front office will duck the tax (again) to reset everything, and the Celtics will waste another season without a clear route for a title.

By the time Celtic management is ready to spend, Tatum will be 30 years old, Brown 31 and White 33.

I think that's what will most likely happen.

my biggest concern isn't their age but by waiting another year to reset the repeater tax, what tools will Brad have left to restock the roster with players that can make them contenders?  they won't have the salary structure to be big players in free agency, they won't have bluechip prospects to trade and they won't have mid-size contracts that make good deals possible

All great points.

TP

[Goldstar88]

Sadly, the most likely scenario is the Celtics core stays intact this offseason. Stevens seems to prefer the conservative approach.

The front office will duck the tax (again) to reset everything, and the Celtics will waste another season without a clear route for a title.

By the time Celtic management is ready to spend, Tatum will be 30 years old, Brown 31 and White 33.

I mean, Brad has made trades for White, Horford, Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday. Not sure how that is being conservative.

It is going to come down to Bill Chisholm and whether he lets Brad spend or not.

[slightly biased bias fan]

Sadly, the most likely scenario is the Celtics core stays intact this offseason. Stevens seems to prefer the conservative approach.

The front office will duck the tax (again) to reset everything, and the Celtics will waste another season without a clear route for a title.

By the time Celtic management is ready to spend, Tatum will be 30 years old, Brown 31 and White 33.

I mean, Brad has made trades for White, Horford, Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday. Not sure how that is being conservative.

It is going to come down to Bill Chisholm and whether he lets Brad spend or not.

Those trades involved fringe underperforming players and low level draft picks. They were great moves, but still part of conservative approach.

Danny traded Perkins, Pierce, Garnett, Rondo, and was actively shopping Allen before he left for Miami.

[No Nickname]

I think the playoffs are different than the regular season. I do not think Simons would have gotten a ton of play in these playoffs honestly because you have to choose him or Pritchard. It?s tough to have two guys people can attack and Pritchard has a bit more strength to resist at times than Simons. Same for Brunson since he is pretty strong so he is not as easy to pick on as Simons in my opinion. I would take Simons back if we trade Pritchard otherwise not really worth what we would likely have to pay for him.

Well I'm just some schmo on the internet.  So let's allow his coach tell us how Simons' defense is completely different now:

https://www.tiktok.com/@nbcsboston/video/7595799206477024567

And here's video evidence of the transformation he made from the first two months of the season to the last two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy6N9ogl8C0

That's better evidence than what my personal opinion is on a keyboard.

[Celtics2021]

I think the playoffs are different than the regular season. I do not think Simons would have gotten a ton of play in these playoffs honestly because you have to choose him or Pritchard. It?s tough to have two guys people can attack and Pritchard has a bit more strength to resist at times than Simons. Same for Brunson since he is pretty strong so he is not as easy to pick on as Simons in my opinion. I would take Simons back if we trade Pritchard otherwise not really worth what we would likely have to pay for him.

Well I'm just some schmo on the internet.  So let's allow his coach tell us how Simons' defense is completely different now:

https://www.tiktok.com/@nbcsboston/video/7595799206477024567

And here's video evidence of the transformation he made from the first two months of the season to the last two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy6N9ogl8C0

That's better evidence than what my personal opinion is on a keyboard.

Simons finished the season hurt after reaggrevating an injury from the Celtics training camp, so I am not sure he would have gotten any playing time.  I also am not convinced that some nice things were not said about him just to try to improve his trade value.

That said, I liked him and would be happy to have him back next year.  Defense aside, we could have used his offensive energy during the Philly series if he were available.

[slightly biased bias fan]

I am going to keep saying it, the Celtics should have initiated a full rebuild last offseason.

The Dallas Mavericks trade

Nico Harrison wanted to contend right away, and he had already committed to Irving & Davis.

Starting in 2027, the Dallas Mavericks do not have control of their first round pick until 2031. If the Celtics had offered Tatum for Flagg, Nico would have jumped at that offer. The trade would have given Nico more time as Mavs GM.

Tatum, Davis, Irving, Lively II, 2026 lottery pick.

That is a contending core for the Dallas Mavericks.

Now after sacking Nico Harrison, salary dumping Davis & Masai Ujiri coming in, the Mavs are in full rebuild mode.


The San Antonio Spurs Trade

The Spurs have always been enamoured with Jaylen Brown. He is the prototypical Spurs Guy. They had already traded for Fox, who is in his prime. There is no way the Spurs would have turned down a Brown for Dylan Harper trade.

Fox
Vassell
Brown
Castle
Wembanyama

Johnson, Champagnie, Bryant, Kornet

Now after a season, Harper has vastly exceeded expectations and seems to have beaten out Fox.

[Ilikesports17]

I am going to keep saying it, the Celtics should have initiated a full rebuild last offseason.

The Dallas Mavericks trade

Nico Harrison wanted to contend right away, and he had already committed to Irving & Davis.

Starting in 2027, the Dallas Mavericks do not have control of their first round pick until 2031. If the Celtics had offered Tatum for Flagg, Nico would have jumped at that offer. The trade would have given Nico more time as Mavs GM.

Tatum, Davis, Irving, Lively II, 2026 lottery pick.

That is a contending core for the Dallas Mavericks.

Now after sacking Nico Harrison, salary dumping Davis & Masai Ujiri coming in, the Mavs are in full rebuild mode.


The San Antonio Spurs Trade

The Spurs have always been enamoured with Jaylen Brown. He is the prototypical Spurs Guy. They had already traded for Fox, who is in his prime. There is no way the Spurs would have turned down a Brown for Dylan Harper trade.

Fox
Vassell
Brown
Castle
Wembanyama

Johnson, Champagnie, Bryant, Kornet

Now after a season, Harper has vastly exceeded expectations and seems to have beaten out Fox.

Spurs 100% say no btw