7 or 8 playoff seed or Lottery pick?

[Phil125]

Looks like we are starting the rebuilding one season early.  I'm looking at the 2012 Free agent class and its Pretty dismal (Since Howard has pretty much said no way to Boston).  So the Celtics are going to have some cap space next year and not much to spend it on (Chris Kaman?).

So would I rather get bounced out in the first round by crawling in as a low seed or get the 6th pick in the draft were we sit right now.

I'd rather have the lottery pick myself.  I like Thomas Robinson out of Kansas and I think we should avoid Sullinger like the plague.  He has bust written all over him.

[CelticsFanNC]

   I look at it differently.  I look at it as we're rebuilding a season or two later then was originally projected when the Big Three first came together.

  As to the question.  A 7th or 8th seed and a 1st round exit wouldn't necessarily hurt going forward because the cap space will still be there.  We don't get lucky in the lottery anyways.  I just question whether or not this team can even get into the playoffs.  The schedule gets a lot tougher going forward with many more road games ahead.

  If at some point in a few weeks if thing don't look better and a contender is willing to give you value(young player or draft pick) for one of our veteran then I say do it.  That cap space is likely to be used to bring in someone via trade rather then as a FA anyways.  The best FA's probably won be interested  in coming to a rebuilding team and we don't need to use it to sign middle of the road guys like Detroit did with Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon.

[jbaerg]

Tank now, try and find a way to get Drummond. Bring back Green. Try and sign some solid free agents and bring back a solid bench. Have Rondo and Drummond be your foundation.

[Inside-Out]

I say get to the playoffs.  We're Celtics.  We play to win.  I do think the team will get it together at some point and make the playoffs.  Only an injury would put us in the lottery for sure.

So...if we make the playoffs with a so-so record and get, what, the 15th-17th pick, vs just missing the playoffs and getting the 13-14th pick, I'll take my chances with this group come April and let Danny work his magic in the draft.

It's not like we're winning the lottery, folks.  Stern won't stand for it.

[quidinqui33]

I'd take the playoffs in a heart beat.  I still feel that we are a team that will get better as the season goes on.  We were a .500 team the last two months of 2010 and we made it to game 7 of the finals.  Of course we are a couple of years older, but I think as our players get their rythm, our new guys get solid on their defensive rotations, and a potential small move by danny yet to be determined and we will be closer to our old selves than currently appears.  I guarantee you neither Miami nor Chicago wants to see Boston in the first round even in our old state.

As someone mentioned before, we are not going to be a celler dweller this year even if we missed the playoffs so the odds of us having a top 3 pick are pretty slim.

Get me into the playoffs and then Anything is Possible from that point on!!!

[Moranis]

I'd rather go into a sell off and be really bad and get a top ten pick (guaranteed) then barely make the playoffs and lose to the Heat or Bulls in the first round.

[snively]

Lottery pick.  We need valuable young assets more than we need the experience of another ill-fated playoff run. 

[wdleehi]

Playoffs.


Remember the last shorten season, the Knicks (I believe the 8th seed, maybe 7th) went to the finals. 

[PosImpos]

For the sake of pride and sending off the old boys right, you could say 7th or 8th seed and at least an attempt to take down a top seed.

For practical purposes, however, a lottery pick in this loaded draft is a lot more valuable than a more-than likely 1st or 2nd round fizzle to end the Big 3 era.

[Moranis]

Playoffs.


Remember the last shorten season, the Knicks (I believe the 8th seed, maybe 7th) went to the finals. 

They were the 8th seed, but NY was a team comprised of solid players all in their prime (spreewell, grandmama, houston, camby, k. thomas, and ward)  aside from Ewing and Ewing missed 12 of the 50 games and Spreewell missed 13 so that was a team that was better than their record.  The Celtics are not that team and unlike the Spurs that year don't have a Tim Duncan to carry the old men down the stretch.

[wdleehi]

Playoffs.


Remember the last shorten season, the Knicks (I believe the 8th seed, maybe 7th) went to the finals. 

They were the 8th seed, but NY was a team comprised of solid players all in their prime (spreewell, grandmama, houston, camby, k. thomas, and ward)  aside from Ewing and Ewing missed 12 of the 50 games and Spreewell missed 13 so that was a team that was better than their record.  The Celtics are not that team and unlike the Spurs that year don't have a Tim Duncan to carry the old men down the stretch.

They were also a team that took most the season to get everyone up to speed.


Come playoff time, Pierce in shape, KG stepping up his game in the playoffs (much like a Duncan does)...


I rather the team have the chance with these players then low lotto pick.

[Kane3387]

I am going 7th or 8th seed. I want to be in the playoffs and I don't see a huge difference between the 15th pick and maybe the 12 or 13th pick. The 7th and 8th team in the East will be worse then all of the teams in the West so you're looking at a pick immediately after the lottery picks. I'd rather play and have someone beat us 4 out of 7 games if it means moving back a couple selections.

[KGs Knee]

I'll take playoffs over lottery everytime.  I don't tune in to watch my team lose.

That being said, Harrison Barnes is the player to get.  And that is extremely painful for me to say, as a Duke fan.

[PosImpos]

KG stepping up his game in the playoffs (much like a Duncan does)...

I'm not sure how much optimism we should have that this is even possible. 

Though I admittedly have not spent much time watching the Spurs over the last few seasons, what I've read about Duncan (in large part because of how Pop manages his minutes), is that he has sort of taken it easy in the regular season and allowed his teammates to carry the load, for the most part.  I have not read anything about it looking as though he just doesn't have lift anymore, or that he isn't capable of doing the same things he used to do anymore -- just that he clearly isn't capable of doing them for 35+ minutes a game for an entire regular season.

With KG, on the other hand, the narrative about him has for a while been that he's struggling mightily against his own body to still have a huge impact on the game despite the fact that he can't do the same things anymore.

[saltlover]

It's not like we're winning the lottery, folks.  Stern won't stand for it.

Definitely true.  This year's winner is New Orleans.