The Plan for the rest of the year

[EJPLAYA]

I have come to accept the fact that it is likely that we will barely slide into the playoffs if we make it there at all. We have not been real competitive against anyone but bad teams. I think that the writing is on the wall and that we are going to have to realize that we really only have two options at this point. Trades aren't going to happen that will put us into contention, so here they are:

Play the veterans and miss the playoffs or slide in and get knocked out in the first round. This will basically allow the Vets to realize it is probably time to hang them up or recognize that they are going to have to come off the bench. If they want to try and believe they have a lot left still they can do so with another team.

Play the young guys and the result is likely the same. We will either miss the playoffs or just slide in. This however gives us an opportunity to see who are keepers in the rebuilding process. It also allows us to add value to them in the event of a trade scenario. It also lets the Vets know that they are on their way out.

I prefer this last option because the first scenario isn't going to help us. We need to let those big expiring contracts go. If someone dangles something we can't resist in a trade for Ray at the trade deadline then fine. If someone blows us away with a couple first rounders then fine. Fact is that now is the time to rebuild. Miami is going to be tough to beat the next few years and when they start to slide it would be nice to come together. Ask the Jazz how frustrating it was to be at their peak only to get knocked down by the Bulls again and again.

[Inside-Out]

I have come to accept the fact that it is likely that we will barely slide into the playoffs if we make it there at all. We have not been real competitive against anyone but bad teams. I think that the writing is on the wall and that we are going to have to realize that we really only have two options at this point. Trades aren't going to happen that will put us into contention, so here they are:

Play the veterans and miss the playoffs or slide in and get knocked out in the first round. This will basically allow the Vets to realize it is probably time to hang them up or recognize that they are going to have to come off the bench. If they want to try and believe they have a lot left still they can do so with another team.

Play the young guys and the result is likely the same. We will either miss the playoffs or just slide in. This however gives us an opportunity to see who are keepers in the rebuilding process. It also allows us to add value to them in the event of a trade scenario. It also lets the Vets know that they are on their way out.

I prefer this last option because the first scenario isn't going to help us. We need to let those big expiring contracts go. If someone dangles something we can't resist in a trade for Ray at the trade deadline then fine. If someone blows us away with a couple first rounders then fine. Fact is that now is the time to rebuild. Miami is going to be tough to beat the next few years and when they start to slide it would be nice to come together. Ask the Jazz how frustrating it was to be at their peak only to get knocked down by the Bulls again and again.

I think starting the vets is resonably okay, but a losing proposition mainly because they don't fit well with Rondo any more.  Mixing up the lineups could help.

Danny Ainge knows quite a bit about losing in the Finals.  He lost in the Finals with 3 teams, after all.

[Q_FBE]

How about take it one game at a time and win as many games as possible? The next eleven games should tell us pretty much where this season is going. Is being patient and waiting for the team to work their way out of a funk is the best answer? There really is only one answer to that question and that is Yes. Making a trade to shake things up will probably only cause more long term damage.

[Donoghus]

I just want to see some of veterans get back into gameshape right now.  I'm not convinced that what's going on is simply a case of "getting old overnight".

[greenpride32]

I just want to see some of veterans get back into gameshape right now.  I'm not convinced that what's going on is simply a case of "getting old overnight".

It hasn't been an "overnight" process.  The first year of the big three we dominated and won the title.  We would have had a great shot of repeatig in year 2 if KG did not go down.  Even with KG down for the last 2-3 months we still won 62 games that year.

Then came year 3 where we started great, tanked it, and got hot during the playoffs and came pretty close to another banner.  But it certainly wasn't smooth sailing like it was in 2008 and 2009. 

Year 4 (last year) you had more of those bad type of .500 stretches the team had in year 3.  And this year it's been nothing but stretches of worse than .500 so far. 

To me that seems like a pretty steady decline; and it makes sense when you realize this team has had very little depth behind the big three.  As they decline so will this team.  Rondo is not a HOF'er; he isn't going to save this team.

[BballTim]

I just want to see some of veterans get back into gameshape right now.  I'm not convinced that what's going on is simply a case of "getting old overnight".

It hasn't been an "overnight" process.  The first year of the big three we dominated and won the title.  We would have had a great shot of repeatig in year 2 if KG did not go down.  Even with KG down for the last 2-3 months we still won 62 games that year.

Then came year 3 where we started great, tanked it, and got hot during the playoffs and came pretty close to another banner.  But it certainly wasn't smooth sailing like it was in 2008 and 2009. 

Year 4 (last year) you had more of those bad type of .500 stretches the team had in year 3.  And this year it's been nothing but stretches of worse than .500 so far. 

To me that seems like a pretty steady decline; and it makes sense when you realize this team has had very little depth behind the big three.  As they decline so will this team.  Rondo is not a HOF'er; he isn't going to save this team.

  I don't think we had more bad stretches last year than the year before. Last year we were a contender. If this is how we're playing for the whole season I wouldn't call it gradual.

[Inside-Out]

I just want to see some of veterans get back into gameshape right now.  I'm not convinced that what's going on is simply a case of "getting old overnight".

It hasn't been an "overnight" process.  The first year of the big three we dominated and won the title.  We would have had a great shot of repeatig in year 2 if KG did not go down.  Even with KG down for the last 2-3 months we still won 62 games that year.

Then came year 3 where we started great, tanked it, and got hot during the playoffs and came pretty close to another banner.  But it certainly wasn't smooth sailing like it was in 2008 and 2009. 

Year 4 (last year) you had more of those bad type of .500 stretches the team had in year 3.  And this year it's been nothing but stretches of worse than .500 so far. 

To me that seems like a pretty steady decline; and it makes sense when you realize this team has had very little depth behind the big three.  As they decline so will this team.  Rondo is not a HOF'er; he isn't going to save this team.

TP for pointing out that the writing's been on the wall for a couple of years now.  In my view, it explains why Danny was interested in JGreen.

[LarBrd33]

our young guys are terrible ... who could we possibly start over Pierce, Ray or KG?  

We are basically stuck with this mediocre team for the rest of the season as-is unless we are able to trade KG or Ray for OTHER expiring contracts + draft picks.  Not a lot of options out there... I was going to say you might be able to get a late first rounder out of Dallas if you traded Ray's expiring for Jason Terry's expiring on the premise that having Ray helps Dallas try to win another title, but then I saw Terry's stats and I'm not sure it would be worth it to Dallas.  You could also do something like give KG to Dallas and take back Odom and Terry's expirings (hopefully earning a late first rounder for our troubles), but once again... Terry's production was more impressive than I thought.

Maybe we need to hope for an injury to a key player on a contender (like Terry).  Then that contender is suddenly a lot more interested in bringing in help for a playoff push ala KG or Ray.   Maybe if like... by mid-season if Denver still looks like a playoff team and then Andre Miller gets injured... we can trade Ray's expiring for Andre Miller's expiring and maybe Denver will give up a young prospect in the process.. then they can cling to some silly hope that having Ray Allen will make a difference in their playoff push.

In other words... we're stuck with this team unless some crazy set of circumstances pave the way for a logical trade.

[EJPLAYA]

our young guys are terrible ... who could we possibly start over Pierce, Ray or KG?  

We are basically stuck with this mediocre team for the rest of the season as-is unless we are able to trade KG or Ray for OTHER expiring contracts + draft picks.  Not a lot of options out there... I was going to say you might be able to get a late first rounder out of Dallas if you traded Ray's expiring for Jason Terry's expiring on the premise that having Ray helps Dallas try to win another title, but then I saw Terry's stats and I'm not sure it would be worth it to Dallas.  You could also do something like give KG to Dallas and take back Odom and Terry's expirings (hopefully earning a late first rounder for our troubles), but once again... Terry's production was more impressive than I thought.

Maybe we need to hope for an injury to a key player on a contender (like Terry).  Then that contender is suddenly a lot more interested in bringing in help for a playoff push ala KG or Ray.   Maybe if like... by mid-season if Denver still looks like a playoff team and then Andre Miller gets injured... we can trade Ray's expiring for Andre Miller's expiring and maybe Denver will give up a young prospect in the process.. then they can cling to some silly hope that having Ray Allen will make a difference in their playoff push.

In other words... we're stuck with this team unless some crazy set of circumstances pave the way for a logical trade.

Hmmm. Let's see.

PG- Rondo
SG - Bradley/Moore
SF - Pietrus
PF - Bass / JJohnson
C - Steimsma

This will tell you whether or not you have a legitimate player in Bradley. He can be cut loose after this season if not. It will tell you whether or not Steimsma is just a few game wonder, or a solid defensive anchor for us at the Center spot. It allows us to see whether Bass is a realistic starter, or a great 6th man.

I don't think this is real fair to Ray since he is one of the few that has been producing and actually playing at a high level. I'd be fine with Starting Ray but reducing his minutes for Bradley and Moore, but I think talking to him about whether or not he'd like to be moved for his own benefit would be a classy thing to do.

Keep in mind I am not saying either of these propositions is going to make us win a ton of games. I just think winning 25-30 games and seeing what we really have for the rebuild is a lot smarter than playing more starters and winning 35-40 and getting ousted in the first round. Face it. Whether we want to or not we are in rebuilding mode.

[Inside-Out]

our young guys are terrible ... who could we possibly start over Pierce, Ray or KG?  

We are basically stuck with this mediocre team for the rest of the season as-is unless we are able to trade KG or Ray for OTHER expiring contracts + draft picks.  Not a lot of options out there... I was going to say you might be able to get a late first rounder out of Dallas if you traded Ray's expiring for Jason Terry's expiring on the premise that having Ray helps Dallas try to win another title, but then I saw Terry's stats and I'm not sure it would be worth it to Dallas.  You could also do something like give KG to Dallas and take back Odom and Terry's expirings (hopefully earning a late first rounder for our troubles), but once again... Terry's production was more impressive than I thought.

Maybe we need to hope for an injury to a key player on a contender (like Terry).  Then that contender is suddenly a lot more interested in bringing in help for a playoff push ala KG or Ray.   Maybe if like... by mid-season if Denver still looks like a playoff team and then Andre Miller gets injured... we can trade Ray's expiring for Andre Miller's expiring and maybe Denver will give up a young prospect in the process.. then they can cling to some silly hope that having Ray Allen will make a difference in their playoff push.

In other words... we're stuck with this team unless some crazy set of circumstances pave the way for a logical trade.

I think you point out something here that's important:  JTerry comes off the bench, and he's better than the guy in front of him.

Ditto for Harden/Sefaloshanana.

Bringing better legs to our starting unit would improve the unit.  Bringing a veteran bail-out guy to the 2nd unit would improve that unit.

Remember when the team was more important than individual players?

[Junkyard Dawg]

we should definitely play the younger guys!

but then again, we should probably play the vets, too.

oh man I dunno this is too confusing.

[BballTim]

I have come to accept the fact that it is likely that we will barely slide into the playoffs if we make it there at all. We have not been real competitive against anyone but bad teams. I think that the writing is on the wall and that we are going to have to realize that we really only have two options at this point. Trades aren't going to happen that will put us into contention, so here they are:

Play the veterans and miss the playoffs or slide in and get knocked out in the first round. This will basically allow the Vets to realize it is probably time to hang them up or recognize that they are going to have to come off the bench. If they want to try and believe they have a lot left still they can do so with another team.

Play the young guys and the result is likely the same. We will either miss the playoffs or just slide in. This however gives us an opportunity to see who are keepers in the rebuilding process. It also allows us to add value to them in the event of a trade scenario. It also lets the Vets know that they are on their way out.

I prefer this last option because the first scenario isn't going to help us. We need to let those big expiring contracts go. If someone dangles something we can't resist in a trade for Ray at the trade deadline then fine. If someone blows us away with a couple first rounders then fine. Fact is that now is the time to rebuild. Miami is going to be tough to beat the next few years and when they start to slide it would be nice to come together. Ask the Jazz how frustrating it was to be at their peak only to get knocked down by the Bulls again and again.

I think starting the vets is resonably okay, but a losing proposition mainly because they don't fit well with Rondo any more.  Mixing up the lineups could help.

Danny Ainge knows quite a bit about losing in the Finals.  He lost in the Finals with 3 teams, after all.

  You've seen MJ's famous shot, where he pushes off of Russel to create space to get the shot off? He perfected that move against Danny in previous finals series.

[Inside-Out]

I have come to accept the fact that it is likely that we will barely slide into the playoffs if we make it there at all. We have not been real competitive against anyone but bad teams. I think that the writing is on the wall and that we are going to have to realize that we really only have two options at this point. Trades aren't going to happen that will put us into contention, so here they are:

Play the veterans and miss the playoffs or slide in and get knocked out in the first round. This will basically allow the Vets to realize it is probably time to hang them up or recognize that they are going to have to come off the bench. If they want to try and believe they have a lot left still they can do so with another team.

Play the young guys and the result is likely the same. We will either miss the playoffs or just slide in. This however gives us an opportunity to see who are keepers in the rebuilding process. It also allows us to add value to them in the event of a trade scenario. It also lets the Vets know that they are on their way out.

I prefer this last option because the first scenario isn't going to help us. We need to let those big expiring contracts go. If someone dangles something we can't resist in a trade for Ray at the trade deadline then fine. If someone blows us away with a couple first rounders then fine. Fact is that now is the time to rebuild. Miami is going to be tough to beat the next few years and when they start to slide it would be nice to come together. Ask the Jazz how frustrating it was to be at their peak only to get knocked down by the Bulls again and again.

I think starting the vets is resonably okay, but a losing proposition mainly because they don't fit well with Rondo any more.  Mixing up the lineups could help.

Danny Ainge knows quite a bit about losing in the Finals.  He lost in the Finals with 3 teams, after all.

  You've seen MJ's famous shot, where he pushes off of Russel to create space to get the shot off? He perfected that move against Danny in previous finals series.

Yeah, I think that's why Danny only plays golf with MJ now.  Harder to cheat at golf.

Interesting factoid:  Danny lost to MJ in two consecutive finals with different teams.  Weird.

[SHAQATTACK]

Lottery...Draft picks, and NO OLD MEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Danny should be scouting the college ranks with every warm body he has got.

He got us in this fix...no I expect him to do something about it POSITIVE for a change.......

[winsomme]

I just want to see some of veterans get back into gameshape right now.  I'm not convinced that what's going on is simply a case of "getting old overnight".

yeah, I don't buy "getting old overnight" either. This team always thrived off of team defense and when you have a big gaping hole in the middle the team can't do what it has always done best.

I'm just not sure why Danny doesn't see it.