Post Trade Expectations: have they changed from earlier expectations?

[BballTim]

Fun regular season team to watch. However, I don't think they are a championship team. This trade sets the transition post big3 nicely. But who cares what the Celtics will look like 2 years from now. The Future is NOW! Short term ramification>Long Term flexibility.

  It's a little early to judge. Consider the impact from just Green alone. Any minutes he gives us in the playoffs should better than what we'd get from Quis or Wafer, even a healthy Quis. It should also give PP and possibly RA more rest, making the minutes we get from them better. They both averaged 39-40 minutes a game the last two playoffs, that shouldn't be the case this year. If Baby has to give us minutes at center Green can also spell KG.

[Jon]

Fun regular season team to watch. However, I don't think they are a championship team. This trade sets the transition post big3 nicely. But who cares what the Celtics will look like 2 years from now. The Future is NOW! Short term ramification>Long Term flexibility.

  It's a little early to judge. Consider the impact from just Green alone. Any minutes he gives us in the playoffs should better than what we'd get from Quis or Wafer, even a healthy Quis. It should also give PP and possibly RA more rest, making the minutes we get from them better. They both averaged 39-40 minutes a game the last two playoffs, that shouldn't be the case this year. If Baby has to give us minutes at center Green can also spell KG.

True.  I agree, though Baby at center and Green at the 4 could be a balancing act.  Both really need to play next to Garnett in order for that to work.  In other words, I'm not seeing a Green/BBD 4/5 combination working out so well. 

It can be done, but will take juggling. 

[BballTim]

Fun regular season team to watch. However, I don't think they are a championship team. This trade sets the transition post big3 nicely. But who cares what the Celtics will look like 2 years from now. The Future is NOW! Short term ramification>Long Term flexibility.

  It's a little early to judge. Consider the impact from just Green alone. Any minutes he gives us in the playoffs should better than what we'd get from Quis or Wafer, even a healthy Quis. It should also give PP and possibly RA more rest, making the minutes we get from them better. They both averaged 39-40 minutes a game the last two playoffs, that shouldn't be the case this year. If Baby has to give us minutes at center Green can also spell KG.

True.  I agree, though Baby at center and Green at the 4 could be a balancing act.  Both really need to play next to Garnett in order for that to work.  In other words, I'm not seeing a Green/BBD 4/5 combination working out so well. 

It can be done, but will take juggling. 

  I meant that if Baby has to play more minutes at center KG doesn't have much of a backup. Play KG and Baby, and Green and Krstic.

[GoGreen9]

  With the additions of Green and Nenad (and more help to come I'm sure) we can lose anyone to injuries except KG and still win a title.

I agree, but I think you might need to add Rondo to that.

I also think that even with Perk, I would only consider the Celtics a favorite to beat the Lakers if Shaq was/is healthy.  They could still beat them but it would be much easier with a healthy Shaq.  With Perk or Nenad (or J.O.) backing him up.

Rondo is a huge part of the team success for sure, but now with Delonte, I wouldn't say that we can't win it without Rondo. KG is the only guy that would kill our chances if he goes down.

Eh, I disagree. I still think Rondo means more to the team than anyone else.

[barefacedmonk]

  With the additions of Green and Nenad (and more help to come I'm sure) we can lose anyone to injuries except KG and still win a title.

I agree, but I think you might need to add Rondo to that.

I also think that even with Perk, I would only consider the Celtics a favorite to beat the Lakers if Shaq was/is healthy.  They could still beat them but it would be much easier with a healthy Shaq.  With Perk or Nenad (or J.O.) backing him up.

Rondo is a huge part of the team success for sure, but now with Delonte, I wouldn't say that we can't win it without Rondo. KG is the only guy that would kill our chances if he goes down.

Eh, I disagree. I still think Rondo means more to the team than anyone else.

I agree. Without Rondo, we are not beating Miami or Chicago. KG is very important to this team....but so is Rondo.

[Neurotic Guy]

I heard Chris Mannix on the radio yesterday.  His take was that the trade was a disaster from the Celtics point of view.  He said they had owned Orlando, were deeply in Miami's head and have beaten the Bulls twice this year.  He said they went from a clear favorite to the 3rd or 4th best team in the East.  Doesn't know what Ainge was thinking.

Obviously a disheartening take from a typically astute and informed analyst.   I can only hope that we see that Kristic and whatever other big comes here are inspired by the C's system and camaraderie.  Neither Pierce nor Ray were known for defense before KG got here -- now they are now very solid defenders.  Green certainly seems athletic, lithe and long enough to be effective against big 3's. Kristic, on the other hand, seems a bit lumbering and maybe not so strong (at least nowhere near as strong as Perk).  Yet, he is 7-feet and perhaps can play solid D in this system next to KG or the wide BBD. Also, his offense will help.

I'll be interested in hearing Mannix' analysis after 15 games with Kristic, Green and (?) Murphy.

[barefacedmonk]

I heard Chris Mannix on the radio yesterday.  His take was that the trade was a disaster from the Celtics point of view.  He said they had owned Orlando, were deeply in Miami's head and have beaten the Bulls twice this year.  He said they went from a clear favorite to the 3rd or 4th best team in the East.  Doesn't know what Ainge was thinking.

A handful of other people on this blog feel that way too but I'm sure you've seen the kind of reaction those posters get.

I don't think we are the 4th best though....3rd imo. Right now, I rank Miami and Chicago ahead of us.

[Jon]

I heard Chris Mannix on the radio yesterday.  His take was that the trade was a disaster from the Celtics point of view.  He said they had owned Orlando, were deeply in Miami's head and have beaten the Bulls twice this year.  He said they went from a clear favorite to the 3rd or 4th best team in the East.  Doesn't know what Ainge was thinking.

A handful of other people on this blog feel that way too but I'm sure you've seen the kind of reaction those posters get.

I don't think we are the 4th best though....3rd imo. Right now, I rank Miami and Chicago ahead of us.

Why?  We beat all of those teams without Perkins.  

We also beat them without Green and Krstic, who we now have in addition to what we had when we beat them in the first place.  

Is losing Nate Robinson really going to knock us down that much?  

[MaxAMillion]

I suspect we will end up the three seed as well, but I see the Celtics losing to either Chicago or Miami in the 2nd round.

[Mike-Dub]

Reach the finals against LA and it's a toss up from there.  Where before I believed we'd beat LA with only some trouble.