Charlie Rosen: "If the Celtics can't repeat, it's their own fault"

[Roy Hobbs]

Charlie Rosen has an article up over at Fox Sports regarding the Celtics' repeat chances.  In summary, he thinks the team has an uphill struggle, because of the loss of Posey and the aging of the "big three".  He's not overly impressed by the other Celts' roster moves, either:

Given all of the possible pitfalls [that effect most teams attempting to repeat], Danny Ainge's offseason moves have been seriously inept.

Even when Darius Miles was at the top of his game, his defense was pitiful, his jumper was shaky, his game was marshmallow-soft and he was a total jerk.

The signing of Patrick O'Bryant to back up Kendrick Perkins provides little more than a sizeable warm body.

Unless Gabe Pruitt's game undergoes a stupendous improvement, or rookie J.R. Giddens turns out to be a prodigious talent — and considering that both Tony Allen and Eddie House are really 2-guards — the Celtics have no serviceable backup at the point.

None of the above is meant to predict an empty season for the Celtics. Rather, the intent is to roll out the reasons why a repeat is fraught with peril. After all, they're still the champs until somebody beats them.

Or, as is more likely, they beat themselves.

Link.

While my instinct is to rally around the team and defend it from outside critics, I think the bulk of Rosen's reasoning is correct:  Danny made things more difficult for the team in the short term.  It's more complicated than that, but at its root, that's how I see this off-season.  I don't necessarily agree that things are as doomed as Rosen seems to imply, but I do agree that this was far from an ideal off-season.

In what way did Danny "make things more difficult for the team in the short run?"  Because he didn't overpay for Posey?  I find it humorous to even characterize things this way about the man who brought #17 and has the success of the franchise, not just down the road, but this year too, as his paramount concern. I am willing to give his plan the benefit of the doubt vs some armchair observer who has nothing at stake. 

This team, the defending champs, returns all 5 starters and 4 players off the bench who were in the rotation at one point or another last year.  5 of those 9 players are 25 or under and expecting an improvement in their play, based not only on age but experience gained, is reasonable.  The chemistry of the Big 3, which took time last year, even though the results were so good even early, will be more seamless right from the beginning this year.  Not to mention the potential of getting at least something from at least 1 of the 4 new players.

The Celtics are positioned as well as any team in the league heading into the season to win the title.  Whether they do or not is dependent on many factors, not just moves they did or didn't make on paper. Even if they did everything right in the pundits' eyes in the offseason, that alone does not guarantee a repeat.  As bucknersrevenge said, repeating is a hard thing no matter what.  Just ask San Antonio during their run of 4 in 9 they claimed was a dynasty (which I think is absurd, since what other dynasty lost more years during their dynastic run than they won?), they never managed to repeat, but consistently came back the next year after falling short to go all the way yet again.  In those losing years, did they simply make all the wrong personnel moves in the offseason as to why they couldn't win the title? 

Whether the Celtics repeat or not will not be decided solely by having the best roster on paper in the league.  While the roster as constituted does not sit well with some, the reality is that it has as good a chance as anyone else in the league right now, and whatever pieces may appear to be missing as the season progresses, will be addressed at that time.  Rightly so, as trying to address perceived needs now could end up being a miscalculation of what the final ingredient is that is needed to get over the top.  Anybody else available this summer was not going to obviously answer any glaring weakness better than who Danny can get midseason when real needs are revealed, not just perceived ones.

So, do you think Danny put the team in the best possible position to succeed this off-season?

  Define "the best possible position to succeed".

I think it's pretty self-explanatory, and I've stated my feelings on the issue numerous times. 

There are many reasonable steps we could have taken to increase the probability of repeating this season.  Instead, we let our best bench player go (because of potential cap implications three years down the road), and replaced him with a scrub and a guy who was declared medically unable to continue his career.  We also lost two other players from Doc's "top 8" playoff rotation, in Brown (who was very valuable in our playoff run) and Cassell (who helped win some games, although I wasn't overly impressed). 

To me, that's not maximizing your chances at repeating, which I think should be pretty obvious.

[BballTim]

So, do you think Danny put the team in the best possible position to succeed this off-season?

  Define "the best possible position to succeed".

I think it's pretty self-explanatory, and I've stated my feelings on the issue numerous times. 

There are many reasonable steps we could have taken to increase the probability of repeating this season.  Instead, we let our best bench player go (because of potential cap implications three years down the road), and replaced him with a scrub and a guy who was declared medically unable to continue his career.  To me, that's not maximizing your chances at repeating, which I think should be pretty obvious.

  I get the guy who was declared medically unable to play part, but who's the scrub we replaced Posey with?

[Roy Hobbs]

So, do you think Danny put the team in the best possible position to succeed this off-season?

  Define "the best possible position to succeed".

I think it's pretty self-explanatory, and I've stated my feelings on the issue numerous times. 

There are many reasonable steps we could have taken to increase the probability of repeating this season.  Instead, we let our best bench player go (because of potential cap implications three years down the road), and replaced him with a scrub and a guy who was declared medically unable to continue his career.  To me, that's not maximizing your chances at repeating, which I think should be pretty obvious.

  I get the guy who was declared medically unable to play part, but who's the scrub we replaced Posey with?

Replaced his roster spot, I should have said.  In terms of role, it was P.J. we replaced with the scrub.

[BballTim]

So, do you think Danny put the team in the best possible position to succeed this off-season?

  Define "the best possible position to succeed".

I think it's pretty self-explanatory, and I've stated my feelings on the issue numerous times. 

There are many reasonable steps we could have taken to increase the probability of repeating this season.  Instead, we let our best bench player go (because of potential cap implications three years down the road), and replaced him with a scrub and a guy who was declared medically unable to continue his career.  To me, that's not maximizing your chances at repeating, which I think should be pretty obvious.

  I get the guy who was declared medically unable to play part, but who's the scrub we replaced Posey with?

Replaced his roster spot, I should have said.  In terms of role, it was P.J. we replaced with the scrub.

  Or POB replaced Pollard.

  Look, I wanted Posey back too. But I'm fine with the fact that Ainge didn't panic and wildly overpay for him. Despite all the angst I'm hearing over what might be end of the bench guys we still have at least a good a chance of winning the title that we had going into last season.

[Fan from VT]

The logic here is far too simple it's infuriating.

The biggest obstacle preventing the C's from repeating is that it's extremely difficult to win an NBA title against 29 other teams sharing the same goal in the first place, let alone repeat. San Antonio, regardless of good or bad offseasons following titles, has never repeated.

After the first Shaq-Kobe title, the Lakers replaced their third leading scorer, Glen Rice, with Isaiah Rider and Horace Grant (neither of whom broke double digits in scoring) and won the next year. The following year they lost Grant and Rider and brought in Richmond, who gave them a stellar 4.1 ppg...and won the title. After keeping basically the same team the following year, they didn't even make the finals, so the year after they decided to guarantee a championship by bringing in Payton and Malone...lost in the finals.

There is nothing the C's could do to guarantee a title this year. If he brought back the exact same roster, it's extremely likely that we don't even make the finals, and we suddenly look very old and locked into place like Detroit or Miami after their title. No wiggle room, finite ceiling. Then we'd skewer Danny for being short-sighted and overvaluing the championship roster.

Bottom line is it's very rare to win a championship let alone repeat. Ainge could do absolutely nothing to guarantee a return to the finals let alone a victory, and he has to take care of the long-term viability of the franchise.

[Roy Hobbs]

So, do you think Danny put the team in the best possible position to succeed this off-season?

  Define "the best possible position to succeed".

I think it's pretty self-explanatory, and I've stated my feelings on the issue numerous times. 

There are many reasonable steps we could have taken to increase the probability of repeating this season.  Instead, we let our best bench player go (because of potential cap implications three years down the road), and replaced him with a scrub and a guy who was declared medically unable to continue his career.  To me, that's not maximizing your chances at repeating, which I think should be pretty obvious.

  I get the guy who was declared medically unable to play part, but who's the scrub we replaced Posey with?

Replaced his roster spot, I should have said.  In terms of role, it was P.J. we replaced with the scrub.

  Or POB replaced Pollard.

  Look, I wanted Posey back too. But I'm fine with the fact that Ainge didn't panic and wildly overpay for him. Despite all the angst I'm hearing over what might be end of the bench guys we still have at least a good a chance of winning the title that we had going into last season.

Ok.  POB replaced Pollard, and *nobody* replaced P.J.  Much better.   

I know people feel a need to defend Danny and the Celtics, but it's okay to admit that he could have done better.  That doesn't make you a traitor to the cause or anything.  He miscalculated and missed out on both Posey and any viable replacement for him.  We still have a good team and a good chance at repeating.  However, those chances weren't maximized.

[jay_jay54]

Well im one who appreciates what Danny did for us lately,and dont think im not,but everytime i look at the present bench im not certain he did the best offseason job possible.I said it before and will say it again,he put to much time into the Posey affair only to come up empty handed in the end.Then it seems all that followed was scrubs and throw a-ways.Im down for giving a player another chance in the league but lf i was going to do  something like that,my bench would be a little more solidified than what it was when he decided on O'Bryant,Miles.Giddens and Walker probably will work out in the long run.In the meantime we have 8-9 guys that is proven,and  a few of them are still trying to get better.
  Oh yea,please don't remind me that if it wasn't for Danny we would not have banner#17.

[Birdbrain]

First of all Charlie Rosen is a complete hack and anyone using his opinion to back their own seems to be heading down the same path.  This is same knowledgeable basketball mind that picked the Lakers in 5....  Now the C's are their only enemy in repeating??  How does that work exactly?  Sounds like some people want others to believe in the same ill conceived logic.  I mean check the pre season prognosticators last year.  Most had the C's lucky to get 3rd in the Atlantic now they are going to struggle because they lost Posey.  I'll wait until I actually see the team that dominated the league and smoked the Lakers in the Finals struggle before I'm concerned.  Charlie Rosen now that's classic.

Like so many have mentioned there are more than a 100 reasons why they won't repeat and maybe the bench will be part of the reason but, stating that replacing Pollard with POB and losing Posey as the reason is probably ranked 99 on this list of 100.

And Ainge most assuredly did the right thing with Posey so yes he did the best for Organization in the long run.  He's paid to think about more than just next year.  

How hard is it to understand that Brown was added to the team in March?   Not too mention none of you has a single clue as to how rookies will play or in fact POB is actually a + in comparison to Pollard.  Which in long run only mean he has to be healthy. 

[Roy Hobbs]

First of all Charlie Rosen is a complete hack and anyone using his opinion to back their own seems to be heading down the same path.

Nice condescension.  I'll remind you that insulting other members isn't permitted.

[Birdbrain]

Well I'm sorry Charlie Rosen is a complete hack and I didn't specifically say anyone following his line of thinking was  a complete hack just that taking an opinion of someone that is might not be best way to back your own opinion. 

Should we all ignore his past opinions because he falls in line with our current line of thinking?

[Roy Hobbs]

Well I'm sorry Charlie Rosen is a complete hack and I didn't specifically say anyone following his line of thinking was  a complete hack just that taking an opinion of someone that is might not be best way to back your own opinion. 

Should we all ignore his past opinions because he falls in line with our current line of thinking?

I have yet to find a columnist that we all agree with 100% of the time.  The point of posting links to articles is to generate discussion.

[jay_jay54]

I noticed the insult followed  my post.If it was meant for me,for the record Charlie Rosen comments have nothing to do with how i feel or what i write.

[Roy Hobbs]

I noticed the insult followed  my post.If it was meant for me,for the record Charlie Rosen comments have nothing to do with how i feel or what i write.

I'm pretty sure they were aimed at me, since I posted the article.  If I thought he was insulting a member other than myself, I would have been a little more stern.  People shouldn't be insulting *anybody*, though, and that includes staff members.

[rickyfan3.0...]

They followed up the GREATEST offseason in league history (literally)...

...with an ABYSMAL offseason this year. No other way to put it.

[jpd985]

They followed up the GREATEST offseason in league history (literally)...

...with an ABYSMAL offseason this year. No other way to put it.

I would say ABYSNAL is too strong of a word. That word describes an Isiah Thomas off-season.