Did the window for this Celtics team just close?

[victorycigar]

but we only have the MLE to use.  i have to think we are going to target a player in the frontcourt.  especially if we lose baby.

[liam]

No. A trade I'd like: Rondo and Ray for T-Mac, Brooks and Scola.

Why?  So insurance can pay for T-Mac contract for most the year while he can't play?  How does that win another title?

I'd take brooks and scola for Rondo.

Pass the pipe brotha.

Puff, puff,.... I love Brooks and Scola. Two good tough players.

[rgreen165]

Danny set the bar high, a few years ago. I'm actually proud that about 6-10 teams in the NBA decided to step up too. It should make for some really good regular season basketball and great playoffs. But it will be extremely tough to get back to the finals unless Danny has some more tricks up his sleeve.

I say title contenders in no particular order.

Celtics
Lakers
Cavs
Denver
Orlando
San Antonio


then

Atlanta
Chicago
Utah
Portland
Houston
Wizards

I would put SA ahead of Cleveland.

Even in no particular order?

When I see the Celtics ahead of the Lakers, I always assume it is in order.

haha dang, good one man

[Fafnir]

No. A trade I'd like: Rondo and Ray for T-Mac, Brooks and Scola.

Why?  So insurance can pay for T-Mac contract for most the year while he can't play?  How does that win another title?

I'd take brooks and scola for Rondo.

Pass the pipe brotha.

Puff, puff,.... I love Brooks and Scola. Two good tough players.

Brooks has only started and played at a slightly above average level for about half a season. Rondo has started for two years, been above average for one, and top ten for another. Not worth the downgrade at the PG to get Scola.

Besides I don't think Houston would do it. They need Scola too much and also need a PG who can shoot to play off Yao.

[Jon]

With the Cavs and Magic getting stronger, the Eastern Conf. is no longer the cakewalk of the past couple years.  Add in two young teams like Atlanta and Chicago getting more experience, the road for the Celtics just got much tougher.  Never thought the window could close this fast, especially when many thought now would be the prime time for us to contend.

At least the Spurs are better than the Lakers now.

One word: ridiculous.  And let me capitalize that with a capital R: Ridiculous. 

If Shaq was anymore than a shadow of his former self, the Phoenix Suns--equipped with a roster of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, and Amare Stoudemire--would have actually made the playoffs.  He will help the Cavs, but only marginally, which will not be enough for a Cleveland Cavalier team that couldn't even take out the Orlando Magic, a team a healthy Celtics team would have crushed. 

As for the Magic, as I just said, a healthy C's team would have crushed them.  A KG and Powe less team narrowly missed out beating them and a LA team that we fairly easily beat killed them in the Finals.  Plus, even if they get Vince Carter, what does that even mean?  What has Carter ever done in his career besides get injured, underachieve, and make some nice dunks along the way.  Antoine Walker has accomplished more in his career than Vinsanity has.  I'm not too worried about what he does for the Magic.  If anything, he could make them worse, as they're going to have to fine enough shots for Nelson, Hedo, Lewis, Carter, and Howard. 

The window certainly has not closed.  I'd say chemistry and performance issues aside, there's a fairly good chance Shaq and Carter don't make it through the season healthy anyway. 

[tenn_smoothie]

rajon rondo has huge talent and also big deficiencies in his game - he is a bit unusual in that there is not a lot of middle ground in his game.

danny ainge, i believe is over-rated as our GM. he has made some solid late draft choices and really, one great trade (for kevin garnett).

his down side includes a propensity to make impulsive trades which often turn out badly and which he tries to fix with another impulsive trade. he also has changed the rebuilding plan for the Celtics several times (going young & athletic one season followed by signing veterans of questionable character the next)until he finally stumbled on a winning combination when he aquired kevin garnett.

we finally win a long-awaited 17th title and what does ainge do ?? he allows our most important bench player to sign with another team because he is worried about year 4 of a team with a three-year window to win titles ........ what conclusion did ainge make that allowed him to let james posey get away .......... the insane conclusion that tony allen could step right into the key 6th man role and replace a player full of basketball IQ, big-game savvy and intangibles that made this team better in every facet of the game.

so danny ainge is not screwing up these days ...... he's just reverting back down to his normal level of incompetence.

[BballTim]

If it did close at least Rondo's head was'nt in it.

  Funny, but unrelated. When I was in grade school a friend of mine threw an egg out of a 3rd floor window. As I was watching it in flight my friend tried to close the window I was looking out so none of the kids who came rushing over would end up in the courtyard.

  Related: our window didn't close if we sign a couple of decent FAs and Rondo continues to improve. And it's not a given that everyone's better. Does Shaq clog the middle so LeBron has less room to drive? Does Orlando re-sign Hedo and start 4 scorers and a center who complains when he doesn't see the ball enough on offense?

[xmuscularghandix]

very nice.

[Celtics17]

Turkoglu is probably leaving the Magic and Shaq will either be injured for 25 plus games or not nearly as effective during the season and Cleveland will not win as many games in the regular season as last year. Ilgauskas is always just one step ahead of or one bad knee or foot behind a sudden injury. Rondo is going to be much better and so will Perk and if all are healthy and we add a quality big (Birdman) and a backup wing/defensive minded player, then we are right back at the top.

[Bankshot]

Turkoglu is probably leaving the Magic and Shaq will either be injured for 25 plus games or not nearly as effective during the season and Cleveland will not win as many games in the regular season as last year. Ilgauskas is always just one step ahead of or one bad knee or foot behind a sudden injury. Rondo is going to be much better and so will Perk and if all are healthy and we add a quality big (Birdman) and a backup wing/defensive minded player, then we are right back at the top.

Forget Cleveland, Orlando is the team to beat.

[bunnywhi7e]

The Window closed because Cavs got Shaq and Orl. got Vince ?? HAHAHAHHAHHAA - keep in mind we have RAY ALLEN, PAUL PIERCE AND KEVIN GARNETT. The best trio in the NBA. Nothing to be scared of.

[Hoops]

With the Cavs and Magic getting stronger, the Eastern Conf. is no longer the cakewalk of the past couple years.  Add in two young teams like Atlanta and Chicago getting more experience, the road for the Celtics just got much tougher.  Never thought the window could close this fast, especially when many thought now would be the prime time for us to contend.

At least the Spurs are better than the Lakers now.

One word: ridiculous.  And let me capitalize that with a capital R: Ridiculous. 

If Shaq was anymore than a shadow of his former self, the Phoenix Suns--equipped with a roster of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, and Amare Stoudemire--would have actually made the playoffs.  He will help the Cavs, but only marginally, which will not be enough for a Cleveland Cavalier team that couldn't even take out the Orlando Magic, a team a healthy Celtics team would have crushed. 

As for the Magic, as I just said, a healthy C's team would have crushed them.  A KG and Powe less team narrowly missed out beating them and a LA team that we fairly easily beat killed them in the Finals.  Plus, even if they get Vince Carter, what does that even mean?  What has Carter ever done in his career besides get injured, underachieve, and make some nice dunks along the way.  Antoine Walker has accomplished more in his career than Vinsanity has.  I'm not too worried about what he does for the Magic.  If anything, he could make them worse, as they're going to have to fine enough shots for Nelson, Hedo, Lewis, Carter, and Howard. 

The window certainly has not closed.  I'd say chemistry and performance issues aside, there's a fairly good chance Shaq and Carter don't make it through the season healthy anyway. 

I can't believe no one is talking about Lee in the Orlando deal. I don't want to say Lee was THE difference against the Celtics, but he was a big factor (especially defensively) - at least from my perspective. VC gives them more scoring punch, but they just traded a great defender (Lee) for a very marginal defender (VC).

[ctrey]

We are absolutely the third team in the east. We will not be back to the finals. There is no one we can pick up as a free agent that puts us over the top. We rented the title for a year. Hope we enjoyed it. Teams are getting better all around us while Danny failed to make a move, particularly with Ray's expiring contract. One of the big three will brake down because Doc over plays them and we will be on the golf course in June.

[GroverTheClover]

We are absolutely the third team in the east. We will not be back to the finals. There is no one we can pick up as a free agent that puts us over the top. We rented the title for a year. Hope we enjoyed it. Teams are getting better all around us while Danny failed to make a move, particularly with Ray's expiring contract. One of the big three will brake down because Doc over plays them and we will be on the golf course in June.

It's the very beginning of the offseason. Even with all of these moves, the C's are still very competitive with the team as is. Give it some time.

[PosImpos]

We are absolutely the third team in the east. We will not be back to the finals. There is no one we can pick up as a free agent that puts us over the top. We rented the title for a year. Hope we enjoyed it. Teams are getting better all around us while Danny failed to make a move, particularly with Ray's expiring contract. One of the big three will brake down because Doc over plays them and we will be on the golf course in June.

This is how I will feel only if we don't do well with our FA signings.  Ray could still be traded after July 1st.  We have to wait and see, unfortunately.