Should we shoot for the best record again?

[NJCeltsFan]

I just finished reading the Gabe Pruitt thread and there were comments about throwing Gabe into late game pressure situations.  This isn't intended to strictly be a Gabe thread but it got me thinking about how important those 66 wins were to our playoff run. 

I know the season just ended but how do we think the team should approach the regular season.  Can we coast a bit and develop the younger guys?  Does coasting turn you into the Pistons, who thinks they can turn it on whenever they need to?

I'm thinking that the window of opportunity is small, so play for home court at the expense of slower development of the young guys.

[cdif911]

No, I think we should tank this season, get the #1 draft pick and see what happens...

Of course we should try to win every game...that's the point of this whole thing isn't it?

[paintitgreen]

We all saw how important home court is - starting the series off on a good note, and if things are tight, having that final game at home is huge. Yes, I would absolutely try to win as many games as possible, whether that's 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70.

But if a close late-game situation calls for Gabe Pruitt (i.e., Rondo's having an off shooting night, we're having trouble spreading the floor, opposing PGs are killing whoever our backup point is, Pruitt has played some minutes in the game), I wouldn't hesitate to throw him in there. I hope he gets some more minutes next year because it will save roster space for extra big men to come in and it will mean Pruitt's developed to the point where he warrants minutes. 

[amenhotep04]

Most teams try to win every game with a thought for the entire season. The Celtics will do just as they did this past year.

Interesting thought however, is that prior to the season, several sports reporters were saying they thought the Cs would be better after a year together. I think most will come back hungry, but I think we could have a better team, yet win fewer games.  Without major injuries, I think we defend the east, and we'll see how the west plays out.

[dark_lord]

to answer the question posed in the title of the thread.....

[nickagneta]

I liked the way they handled things this year. Repeat that, and I'm down with it.

[LarBrd33]

if we hadn't finished with the best record we wouldn't have won the championship.   We needed every home game to beat Atlanta and LeBron came 5 points from winning the series in Boston. 

Few teams have ever needed homecourt advantage more than the 2008 Boston Celtics.   Repeat it.

[libermaniac]

There were plenty of blowout games where Pruitt could've gotten some PT without putting the wins in jeopardy.  The problem was they were also trying to get TA, House and Cassell minutes too.

[BudweiserCeltic]

We should try and get the best record. I'll say what I've said countless times in here. Statistically, home-court advantage hasn't been that big of an advantage through the playoffs, but once teams get into the finals, usually the team with the best record (home court advantage) wins the championship. As far as I know that's our goal.

Also, in recent memory, I don't remember a team that has taken it easy through the season and won the championship. We can take a look at the Pistons and the Mavs as examples of this, and I don't like what they've turned into.

Then there's the Spurs. But they are quite a strange group because they usually win a ton of games. Also, by the time they got to the finals, even while taking it easy through the season, they still came with the best record and home-court advantage, so they still had that going for them.

So, conclusion: try to win as many games as possible. Especially early in the season. The big cushion always helps.

[Mr October]

Absolutely, yes, go for the best record again! And keep the minutes in check for the bg 3 like the C's did most of last year. However I don't think home court will be as important the next time around, as this team is going to be even more confident now. Their pride will refuel them.

[bbc3341]

Playing deep into the playoffs, even in sparse minutes, will do more for the development of any young players than coasting through the season would... I get what the question is, but can you even imagine KG being cool with that? He'd kill somebody...

[Reyquila]

We played for the homecourt advantage all season and that was decisive in winning us Pennant 17. You think that we can do less and coast towards Número 18? NOT!  Can we do it again? Dont have the slightest idea.

[TradeProposalDude]

Of course. Homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs is definitely worth going all out for. This is not to suggest there are zero potential negatives in doing so, for the rotation players could grow too fatigued for the playoffs. We saw that happen with Detroit a couple times. But it is up to Doc and Danny to bring in bench players who can play and hold / build leads when the big 3 need to sit and Doc for in game management and handling minutes. I think Doc screwed up big time by not playing the first team ENOUGH over the last few games because once they started playing Atlanta they were rusty. That can't happen next year or else I'll lose my marbles totally like I almost did two or three different points during this season. Man, what a crazy year. You guys don't realize how close we came a couple times to being eliminated.

[Bahku]

Absolutely ... indirectly, isn't that what every team is trying to do? No matter who you play for, you're trying to win as many games as possible, and that should always be the goal of every team. I think we can better our record easily ... this was only this team's first year together, after all ... I think we'll be in great shape to better our record, and win another banner!

[wdleehi]

This team learned to win on the road in the playoff.   As long as they are a top 2 seed, they are in position to win a title.