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.

[CoachBo]

I can't find a whole lot to fault in Rosen's argument, frankly. I don't like the off-season - at all - and I agree with you, Roy: Danny has made a repeat more difficult this summer.

Give the season about six weeks, and then let's compare the average minutes of Pierce, Allen and Garnett to last year. Therein will be your answer on how this team will fare.

[Champzilla]

There are alot of question marks with our bench, however, it good go both ways.  Our bench good be either really bad or pretty good.  Tony Allen hopefully coming back healthy, POB could be a suprise same with the rookies, and I have no clue how Darius Miles is going be.

[bucknersrevenge]

I dont know...the way I see it repeating regardless of the circumstances are difficult period. What else is new? Last year we had doubters and naysayers. This year we already have doubters and naysayers. Shocker!! Didn't see that one coming.  We'll play it out and see what happens. In considering the longterm prospects of this franchise, I'm excited about what this offseason's moves may yield. Our new young talent and athleticism may allow for a more versatile team in the long run. Gives us some good stuff to talk about as the season unfolds.

[wdleehi]

There are alot of question marks with our bench, however, it good go both ways.  Our bench good be either really bad or pretty good.  Tony Allen hopefully coming back healthy, POB could be a suprise same with the rookies, and I have no clue how Darius Miles is going be.

Was TA's health the problem last year?



When I watched, it was the mental part of the game he seem to most struggle with. 

[nickagneta]

Wow, did he steal that article from the Celticsblog "At times hard to stay positive over off season moves"?

He's probably a closet CB member.

And he's right. Let's hope Danny's work is ongoing and will be up until the playoff roster deadline time because otherwise, I dopn't have a whole bunch of confidence in repeating unless Doc plays the Big Three into the ground and all but ends any chances of future years chances.

[durpman]

The article did forget a few positive things things like Rondo will only get better, as well as, Powe and Davis are ready to carry more of the load and can do it. Lets not forget O Bryant will at least be no worse than Polard was. Also, Good news is they have done it and know what takes to win a title.

All in all, I agree with the article, I am sad to say. Losing Posey kills I may have given him the years he wanted even though it does not help latter. Losing PJ Brown was unavoidable short of getting on your knees and begging (probably not even then). So the best two players off the bench are gone.  Losing Sam Cassell hurts too.  Miles is a long shot at best and he usualy makes a team worse. It will be harder this year the Sixers, Magic, Cavs all look better and to make matters worse The Lakers may be much harder with Gasol and Bynum on the the front line.

[BballTim]

  The more I read about last year's Celts team the more I'm outraged that Posey didn't garner more MVP votes.

[brownbagger]

Putting your team in the best possible position to win is usally one of the best ways to repeat a

championship.On paper it doesn't  appear so far thats what Danny Ainge has done.But until someone

has beaten them they are still the champs.

[RebusRankin]

Why put stock in Rosen's opinion? He's a hack.

[MVP]

Give the season about six weeks, and then let's compare the average minutes of Pierce, Allen and Garnett to last year. Therein will be your answer on how this team will fare.

In the first month of last year, Allen averaged 39.7 minutes/game, Pierce 38.3 minutes and KG 37.2 minutes. I don't see them playing more then that in the first month this year.

In regards to Rosen, I think most of his arguments are flawed. He points out how our only proven true pg is Rondo and that House is a sg...but we are even better off this year then last since Rondo/Pruitt should be better with a year of experience (Cassell was a failed experiment). He points out how the big 3 are a year older and thus their production should decrease, but doesn't point out how Rondo/Perk/Powe/Big Baby/TA/Pruitt should increase their production. He raves about Posey shutting down Kobe, but he didn't. Ray and Pierce defended Kobe most of the time. Posey did a good job and Lebron though. He points out how O'Bryant only provides a warm body to back up Perk, but that's as good or better then what Pollard provided last year. If you compare our team at the start of this year to the start of last year, I think we are better off and have fewer question marks.

[KJ33]

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.

[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?

[Celtics17]

I think Danny is counting a lot on development of the younger players. I also think that noone around knows the players on this team better then Danny and while it would have been great to see Posey resigned I have a lot of confidence in Danny.

A little improvement out of Rajon, Kendrick, Big Baby and Powe and this team is considerably better. Throw in an active big man in Obryant and a healthy Tony Allen and I believe we are all going to be surprised by this team by around December. If a couple of the players do develop I would not be at all surprised to see pretty significant trade happen before the deadline too.

[BballTim]

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".