The Long, Slow Decline

[Brickowski]

Given how this trading season seems to be going, I've resigned myself to the long, slow decine.  The saddest part, I think will be watching Garnett and Pierce ending their respective careers limping through a 30-35 win season two years from now.

I will have to start watching fewer games and become more interested in other diversions.   

[QuinielaBox]

Given how this trading season seems to be going, I've resigned myself to the long, slow decine.  The saddest part, I think will be watching Garnett and Pierce ending their respective careers limping through a 30-35 win season two years from now.

I will have to start watching fewer games and become more interested in other diversions.   

Sorry to hear you feel this way but there are other opportunities out there. I found one in Wichita St basketball last night. I watched that game instead of the All-star game. I happen to think that this will be Doc Rivers last season coaching the Celtics. Next year Tom Thibadeaux takes over and hopefully all the cancers will be out of here.

[BballTim]

  Clearly the fact that we didn't get Caron Butler means we won't make any major trades over the next three years.

[Brickowski]

I don't think they will make any major trades if they don't make one now.  Three months from now, Ray Allen won't be theirs to trade, and even if he resigns with the Celtics for much less money, his trade value will be nil.

Do you think Pierce will be traded?  I don't.  I think he will retire a Celtic because he has too much marking value.  The big marketing gimmick will be watching Pierce close in on Havlicek to become the Celtics' all-time leading scorer.  The team won't win much, but Pierce will win T-Mobile player of the decade or something, and Celtics fanboys will be thrilled!

Garnett is untradeable at the moment.  Maybe someone will be doing a salary dump in the last year of his deal, and KG will become the next Theo Ratliff.  But that's three years and alot of losses away.

I suppose they could trade Rondo, but then the team would be REALLY awful.

[PosImpos]

I suppose they could trade Rondo, but then the team would be REALLY awful.

I think we'll probably just find a way to get" REALLY awful" without trading Rondo and hope to get lucky in the draft.

[Greenbean]

That's pretty bleak. I hope you are wrong. No one saw banner 17 coming only months before the season started. If this team cannot get it done I wont be surprised if we do something drastic again to keep us out of lottery land.

[Brickowski]

I suppose they could trade Rondo, but then the team would be REALLY awful.

I think we'll probably just find a way to get" REALLY awful" without trading Rondo and hope to get lucky in the draft.

Well, that's one possibility.  Rondo could miss an entire season with a bogus injury, like David Robinson in 1995.  But it would have to be in a year when the next Tim Duncan is available, and that may not happen for awhile.

[rondohondo]

I suppose they could trade Rondo, but then the team would be REALLY awful.

I think we'll probably just find a way to get" REALLY awful" without trading Rondo and hope to get lucky in the draft.

bingo ,if they cant do a trade where they get a young all star in return for Ray and picks then I say just let the big 3 era run out .

Next year we will be a 1st or 2nd rd and out team


Then in 2012 we will suck in the last year of KG's contract, but will likely get a high lottery pick. Plus KG and Sheed come off the book that same year (2012) so the C's will have a lottery pick ( most likely) and tons of cap room and guess who are free agents that year........ Kevin Durnat and Melo!

So in 2012 we could have

Rondo
Perk
High lottery pick
Melo or Durant 


Thats a pretty good group with championship experience and they would all be entering their primes together ( except for the lottery pic)

[ManchesterCelticsFan]

The Celtics, minus Rajon Rondo, are older than dirt. With Garnett out last year we were winning more than this. Danny needs to make major trade (i.e. Trade Ray Allen) to shake-up the complacency and provide some youth and energy in the 3rd and 4th quarters. If right now can't be the start of rebuilding time, this summer should definitely be, even if they somehow pull a 1969 Celtics and win the championship. Pierce will be old next year. Danny should consider trading him for the right deal.

[PosImpos]

I suppose they could trade Rondo, but then the team would be REALLY awful.

I think we'll probably just find a way to get" REALLY awful" without trading Rondo and hope to get lucky in the draft.

bingo ,if they cant do a trade where they get a young all star in return for Ray and picks then I say just let the big 3 era run out .

Next year we will be a 1st or 2nd rd and out team


Then in 2012 we will suck in the last year of KG's contract, but will likely get a high lottery pick. Plus KG and Sheed come off the book that same year (2012) so the C's will have a lottery pick ( most likely) and tons of cap room and guess who are free agents that year........ Kevin Durnat and Melo!

So in 2012 we could have

Rondo
Perk
High lottery pick
Melo or Durant 


Thats a pretty good group with championship experience and they would all be entering their primes together ( except for the lottery pic)

Neither Melo nor Durant are coming here.  They'd rather stay with their current teams, I'm sure, than come to Boston.  We're not a big free agent destination.

In a few years, OKC will have much more talent on their roster than our team (Westbrook, Green, Harden, probably others).

Like OKC and Portland, we will have to be creative with trades and make smart picks in the draft while being legitimately awful for at least a couple years if we want to rebuild.

I suppose they could trade Rondo, but then the team would be REALLY awful.

I think we'll probably just find a way to get" REALLY awful" without trading Rondo and hope to get lucky in the draft.

Well, that's one possibility.  Rondo could miss an entire season with a bogus injury, like David Robinson in 1995.  But it would have to be in a year when the next Tim Duncan is available, and that may not happen for awhile.

That won't be necessary.  A team with just Rondo and maybe Perk (if we don't trade him for picks) without much other talent would be a 30 win team at best.

[rondohondo]

I suppose they could trade Rondo, but then the team would be REALLY awful.

I think we'll probably just find a way to get" REALLY awful" without trading Rondo and hope to get lucky in the draft.

bingo ,if they cant do a trade where they get a young all star in return for Ray and picks then I say just let the big 3 era run out .

Next year we will be a 1st or 2nd rd and out team


Then in 2012 we will suck in the last year of KG's contract, but will likely get a high lottery pick. Plus KG and Sheed come off the book that same year (2012) so the C's will have a lottery pick ( most likely) and tons of cap room and guess who are free agents that year........ Kevin Durnat and Melo!

So in 2012 we could have

Rondo
Perk
High lottery pick
Melo or Durant 


Thats a pretty good group with championship experience and they would all be entering their primes together ( except for the lottery pic)

Neither Melo nor Durant are coming here.  They'd rather stay with their current teams, I'm sure, than come to Boston.  We're not a big free agent destination.

In a few years, OKC will have much more talent on their roster than our team (Westbrook, Green, Harden, probably others).

Like OKC and Portland, we will have to be creative with trades and make smart picks in the draft while being legitimately awful for at least a couple years if we want to rebuild.

I just dont buy it. This is the most storied franchise in NBA history. That has to count for something. It's different to win a championship with the C's , like the Yankees in baseball. Why do you think free agents go to the Yankees? I know a lot of it is money , but they also want to put on that uniform to play for the most storied franchise .


Plus when have the C's ever had cap room to go after a free agent? Never


And Rondo and Perk would be still young (26) and have so much playoff experience and championship experience by then. Why wouldn't one of those guys want to join the C's?

[Jon]

First of all, we all knew that this window would be short.  Making some sort of trade doesn't guarantee that anything will change.  However, #17 makes any decline worth it. 

Second of all, I'm shocked with all the doom and gloom around here.  Am I disappointed?  Sure.  I was hoping for a 65+ win team this year.  However, the season is far from over.  In case people forgot, we got off to a blazing hot start the first two months of the season, until we were derailed by INJURIES.  It'd be one thing if this team was 100% healthy and we were playing like this, but we've yet to see this team at 100% the entire season. 

And you know what, there's no reason to think that most of our injury woes can't be overcome.  BBD's hand has healed, Daniels seems to be fine now, Ray's back spasms will subside, and Pierce's injuries aren't permanent.  And while KG may never jump like he did two years ago, there's no reason to think he can't get back to where he was two months ago when the Celtics were arguably the best team in the NBA. 

This season is very long.  Cleveland's hot now and we're about as cold as we can be right now.  It doesn't mean that won't change two months from now. 

[EJPLAYA]

That Banner bought us a little more time and ability to bring free agents, however this is still not thought of as one of the premier places to come to if you are a free agent. No one is looking at places like LA, Miami, Phoenix, Dallas, etc and thinking they'd rather live in Boston. At best we will get leftover free agents and so the moves will have to be by trade and the draft. Danny has shown he can find good value in the draft and also in the trade arena. Other than Rondo and Perk to a point, we really have only expirings to offer people. If nothing is done before the end of the week then Ray's contract value leaves along with any chance of bringing in a player who can help us win a championship. Brick unfortunately is likely dead on with his assessment. 

[Onslaught]

First of all, we all knew that this window would be short.  Making some sort of trade doesn't guarantee that anything will change.  However, #17 makes any decline worth it. 
 

This is my thinking. I knew this was coming when we built this team around old people. It just came a little sooner then I'd like. We traded away all our youth and got our one banner and now it looks like things will start going down hill. I think it was worth it.

I also haven't seen any REALISTIC trade speculation that makes us any better.

[Brickowski]

You have to stop thinking about getting better and start thinking about getting younger.