We Win it all with a 30 game lockout

[KG Living Legend]

 Yeah that's right, a thirty game lockout would be perfect for are group of soon to be crusty Hall Of Famers.

 52 Game Regular Season. Aprox 18 playoff games, around 70 NBA level games, Yeah we can handle that. 100 plus games, sorry no way, that's the sad truth with even a great veteran team.

 We ran out of gas last year, compound that with Rondo's injury among others, and the Big man situation forget about it.

 But I'm telling you a short season is are best chance next year.

[PosImpos]

50ish games in 2 and a half to three months, for our group of old fogies?  I'm not so sure that would yield good results for us.

Not to mention that our team won't be nearly as good next year as it was in previous years unless we somehow acquire an impact big man to play center.

[cman88]

50ish games in 2 and a half to three months, for our group of old fogies?  I'm not so sure that would yield good results for us.

Not to mention that our team won't be nearly as good next year as it was in previous years unless we somehow acquire an impact big man to play center.

if JO can stay healthy, he was a 13ppg scorer a year ago in Miami(before his injury before the playoffs)

hopefully we can acquire a decent backup big using the MLE

[PosImpos]

50ish games in 2 and a half to three months, for our group of old fogies?  I'm not so sure that would yield good results for us.

Not to mention that our team won't be nearly as good next year as it was in previous years unless we somehow acquire an impact big man to play center.

if JO can stay healthy, he was a 13ppg scorer a year ago in Miami(before his injury before the playoffs)

hopefully we can acquire a decent backup big using the MLE

That was 2 years ago; he was also essentially the #2 or #3 option on offense for that team.  That's not the role he plays here.  We should be happy if JO can play most of the games and average 4-5 pts along with as many rebounds and a block.


The MLE may not exist for us to use.  Even if it does, I think it's unlikely we'll find an impact big who will take the MLE for only a year guaranteed (Danny is unlikely to compromise cap space with a longer term deal).  Maybe Kenyon Martin -- though I would have to imagine he'd be a target for the Heat, where he'd get more playing time and a better chance at a ring.

[cman88]

I think JO was pretty effective in the playoffs...defensively and offensively...either way..him being helthy is key here.

I think a lockout would help our and most veteran teams...we seem to always come out of the gate strong winnning most all our games, grabbing the #1 seed in the east....and then break down near the end of the season blowing all our great strides...

if we start essentially playing those first 50games...we're golden

[PosImpos]

I think JO was pretty effective in the playoffs...defensively and offensively...either way..him being helthy is key here.

I think a lockout would help our and most veteran teams...we seem to always come out of the gate strong winnning most all our games, grabbing the #1 seed in the east....and then break down near the end of the season blowing all our great strides...

if we start essentially playing those first 50games...we're golden

JO was solid, but that kind of play for 20-25 minutes a game isn't enough to make our team championship caliber.  The only times that the team truly looked capable of winning a championship last year was when they had a healthy Shaq in the starting lineup.  Unless the Celtics get a player who can have that kind of impact on both ends of the floor, I just don't see them competing at that level.


As far as the schedule goes, keep a couple things in mind:

1) Have you noticed how our team hits a slump / breaks down a little after the first 35-40 games the past few years?  Last year it was KG's calf strain and Shaq's achilles thing getting worse, the year before it was Paul's knee getting drained, and the year before that it was KG's knee injury.  I'm not so sure this team would be in a great place after a 40-50 game season even if the schedule were otherwise normal.

2) By all accounts, a shortened season would result in games being closer together.  If these 50 or so games were crammed into only 2-3 months, our old team could be very worn out by the end of the regular season, let alone the playoffs.

[cman88]

I guess i just dont think we necessarily need a "high impact big" to win it all...we looked Downright scary with Shaq in the lineup....but we were close to winning it the year before with Perk...and hes certainly not a high impact big offensively.

what we need to win it all is another defensive big, JO to stay healthy and for Rondo/the bench to be big contributers next year offensively...Green(assuming we keep him) needs to be the 6th man we were looking for when signing him...

if Rondo can stay agressive and Green can be more agressive, I like our chances.

its hard not to tire out your aging superstars when your bench gives away large leads....and it showed in the playoffs when our big 3 tired themselves out trying to "do it all themselves" which they physically cant anymore.

[CeltsRoxfan]

Maybe a shortened season will help these guys or maybe not. Because shortened season = more back to backs.
Also, I don't understand why everyone is saying, oh... these guys are too old and are a veteran team... Didn't Dallas win this year? Their roster is relatively old. Our big 4 can still get it done as a core, granted if we surround them with young pieces. Go all in this year, and wait for them to come off the books next year.

[PosImpos]

Maybe a shortened season will help these guys or maybe not. Because shortened season = more back to backs.
Also, I don't understand why everyone is saying, oh... these guys are too old and are a veteran team... Didn't Dallas win this year? Their roster is relatively old. Our big 4 can still get it done as a core, granted if we surround them with young pieces. Go all in this year, and wait for them to come off the books next year.

Dallas has Dirk, who only just turned 33.  He's younger than any of the Big 3.  Jason Terry was their second best player -- he's only a month older than Pierce.  Their third best player, Shawn Marion, is a few months older than Dirk.  Of those three, only Dirk has anything close to the wear and tear on him that our Big 3 do from playing in the post-season so much.

Dallas was certainly an old, veteran team.  But their best players were not quite as old or worn out as our best players.  Even so, they were very lucky that all season long the only time they dealt with injuries to their older core players was in the middle of the season when Dirk had some knee trouble.  In the playoffs, they were in really good shape (other than missing Caron Butler).  

Point being, Dallas was very lucky to have the kind of run they did with a team that old.  Our Celtics have much more in common with the San Antonio Spurs than the Dallas Mavericks when it comes to the effect of age on our core players.

[LooseCannon]

Dallas has Dirk, who only just turned 33.  He's younger than any of the Big 3.  Jason Terry was their second best player -- he's only a month older than Pierce.  Their third best player, Shawn Marion, is a few months older than Dirk.  Of those three, only Dirk has anything close to the wear and tear on him that our Big 3 do from playing in the post-season so much.

How does your analysis change if you expand it to the top four players and include Kidd (who some might say is the third best player for the Mavs) and Rondo?

[Celtics18]

Maybe a shortened season will help these guys or maybe not. Because shortened season = more back to backs.
Also, I don't understand why everyone is saying, oh... these guys are too old and are a veteran team... Didn't Dallas win this year? Their roster is relatively old. Our big 4 can still get it done as a core, granted if we surround them with young pieces. Go all in this year, and wait for them to come off the books next year.

Dallas has Dirk, who only just turned 33.  He's younger than any of the Big 3.  Jason Terry was their second best player -- he's only a month older than Pierce.  Their third best player, Shawn Marion, is a few months older than Dirk.  Of those three, only Dirk has anything close to the wear and tear on him that our Big 3 do from playing in the post-season so much.

Dallas was certainly an old, veteran team.  But their best players were not quite as old or worn out as our best players.  Even so, they were very lucky that all season long the only time they dealt with injuries to their older core players was in the middle of the season when Dirk had some knee trouble.  In the playoffs, they were in really good shape (other than missing Caron Butler).  

Point being, Dallas was very lucky to have the kind of run they did with a team that old.  Our Celtics have much more in common with the San Antonio Spurs than the Dallas Mavericks when it comes to the effect of age on our core players.

 Things broke Dallas' way and they really came together on a mission.  Very few expected them to be the champs when the season started.

They weren't too old.  The Celtics aren't too old, but, yeah, we'd need a luck to go all the way.  Who doesn't?

[fantankerous]

 Yeah that's right, a thirty game lockout would be perfect for are group of soon to be crusty Hall Of Famers.

 52 Game Regular Season. Aprox 18 playoff games, around 70 NBA level games, Yeah we can handle that. 100 plus games, sorry no way, that's the sad truth with even a great veteran team.

 We ran out of gas last year, compound that with Rondo's injury among others, and the Big man situation forget about it.

 But I'm telling you a short season is are best chance next year.

People claimed that the lockout-shortened 1999 season would help an old Utah Jazz team.  How did that work out for them?

[PosImpos]

Maybe a shortened season will help these guys or maybe not. Because shortened season = more back to backs.
Also, I don't understand why everyone is saying, oh... these guys are too old and are a veteran team... Didn't Dallas win this year? Their roster is relatively old. Our big 4 can still get it done as a core, granted if we surround them with young pieces. Go all in this year, and wait for them to come off the books next year.

Dallas has Dirk, who only just turned 33.  He's younger than any of the Big 3.  Jason Terry was their second best player -- he's only a month older than Pierce.  Their third best player, Shawn Marion, is a few months older than Dirk.  Of those three, only Dirk has anything close to the wear and tear on him that our Big 3 do from playing in the post-season so much.

Dallas was certainly an old, veteran team.  But their best players were not quite as old or worn out as our best players.  Even so, they were very lucky that all season long the only time they dealt with injuries to their older core players was in the middle of the season when Dirk had some knee trouble.  In the playoffs, they were in really good shape (other than missing Caron Butler). 

Point being, Dallas was very lucky to have the kind of run they did with a team that old.  Our Celtics have much more in common with the San Antonio Spurs than the Dallas Mavericks when it comes to the effect of age on our core players.

 Things broke Dallas' way and they really came together on a mission.  Very few expected them to be the champs when the season started.

They weren't too old.  The Celtics aren't too old, but, yeah, we'd need a luck to go all the way.  Who doesn't?

Every team needs luck to win it all -- but our team would need an incredible amount of luck even if Danny managed to put together an adequate supporting cast.

[Celtics18]

Maybe a shortened season will help these guys or maybe not. Because shortened season = more back to backs.
Also, I don't understand why everyone is saying, oh... these guys are too old and are a veteran team... Didn't Dallas win this year? Their roster is relatively old. Our big 4 can still get it done as a core, granted if we surround them with young pieces. Go all in this year, and wait for them to come off the books next year.

Dallas has Dirk, who only just turned 33.  He's younger than any of the Big 3.  Jason Terry was their second best player -- he's only a month older than Pierce.  Their third best player, Shawn Marion, is a few months older than Dirk.  Of those three, only Dirk has anything close to the wear and tear on him that our Big 3 do from playing in the post-season so much.

Dallas was certainly an old, veteran team.  But their best players were not quite as old or worn out as our best players.  Even so, they were very lucky that all season long the only time they dealt with injuries to their older core players was in the middle of the season when Dirk had some knee trouble.  In the playoffs, they were in really good shape (other than missing Caron Butler). 

Point being, Dallas was very lucky to have the kind of run they did with a team that old.  Our Celtics have much more in common with the San Antonio Spurs than the Dallas Mavericks when it comes to the effect of age on our core players.

 Things broke Dallas' way and they really came together on a mission.  Very few expected them to be the champs when the season started.

They weren't too old.  The Celtics aren't too old, but, yeah, we'd need a luck to go all the way.  Who doesn't?

Every team needs luck to win it all -- but our team would need an incredible amount of luck even if Danny managed to put together an adequate supporting cast.

If our big four can be healthy when it counts, this team will be a legitimate contender again. 

A couple of tweaks are needed to the bench, most notably adding a serviceable center to the roster.  This is a very doable task to accomplish, I would think. 

[CelticsFanNC]

  In a shorter season there are likely to be more back to backs and that probably isn't a good thing for our Celtics unless they get a heck of a lot more from their bench and the Big Three are asked to carry less of the load.