Do 60% of Celticsblog truly believe this team won't make the playoffs? HUH?

[Moranis]

last night was pretty demoralizing.. but people say the big 3 aren't the same players they used to be; what about LAST YEAR?  isn't it at least somewhat reasonable to think they could get up to the level they were playing at for most of LAST YEAR, when they were the 2nd best team in the league until the trade deadline?

Last year the Celtics were a team that wore down done the stretch and got blitzed in the 4th quarter of a lot of games.  That was what indicated to me the team was done as a contender before the season even started.  I would have traded away at a minimum the expiring contracts before the season started as that was the time when their value was the greatest.  Old teams don't get younger they just get older.

[timpiker]

Stick a fork in them - they're done, they're cooked - BLOW IT UP DANNY !!!!!!!!!!

[kozlodoev]

More than 20% of the season has past, and we're a bottom-dwelling team that's shown very little in terms of improvement as the season goes on. It boggles me why people wouldn't think that we won't make the playoffs.

[33_Larry Legend_33]

I still think we sneak in.  Look at the bottom feeders of the East...  We can beat some of those teams...

Well, then again...

[vinnie]

Front page post Phoenix game write up (great as always) has a poll.

'Do you think this team can still make the playoffs?'

Over 1000 people have voted.
600ish have voted that this team will not make the playoffs.
I mean, a first or second round exit is probable, but not even making the play offs this year?
Do people remember we had Rondo, Wilcox and Dooling all sitting out? KG is supposedly playing with a sprained ankle...
I'm shocked at the poll results with over 50 games left.
People don't even think we can limp into the playoffs?

I just feel that I've seen this team play worse than this, the difference the poor play just came after a great start. We are all used to seeing this team come charging out of the gates to the top of the East.
Is this the main reason for such worry?
Do people think we cannot improve enough to make the playoffs?
Seriously?

Seriously, you want to pin our hopes of turning things around on nobodies like Wilcox & Dooling?

We were loosing with Rondo healthy as well.
KG is supposedly not 100%, but there comes a time that age starts creeping in.  I think that regarding our Big three, we are currently overestimating their current playing abilities due to our memories of them from a few years back.  They are not those players anymore.

Our bench stops after Bass & Pietrus & is as bad as the one from the Lakers.

The only way we get into the playoffs is because other teams ( NY & Cle) suck even more...

Um, Dooling is our number one backup point guard.
Wilcox is our number one back up center.

I'm not pinning our hopes on their returns- but they are a large piece of the puzzle for getting our playoff team in motion and firing as a unit.

We are without two of our biggest offseason signings.

"Memories of a few years back"..
Did you know that Pierce, Rondo and KG were all voted as top 25 NBA players last year?
They can't have physically fallen off as badly as they are currently playing so it becomes the norm.
Not even 20% of the season had been played yet.

Between injuries and uninspired play, WIlcox has played something like a total of 53 minutes this year.

As for Dooling, he clearly is not a point guard and has no clue how to run a team. I do not think they will make the playoffs, because I am convinced that there will be a major injury -- probably Rondo because of the way he throws his body around each game.

Imagine what is going to happen when the athletic and talented Sixers play this team.

[PosImpos]

With the way they are playing, they can't afford any major injuries . . . if guys miss significant time, especially Rondo, there's no way they are going to win half their games.

Given the age of our players, the chances of them all staying healthy seem pretty slim, especially since we're playing catch-up every night.  So yeah, I think there's a pretty good chance this team won't make the playoffs.

Even if they do make the playoffs, it'll be as a bottom seed and they'll get swept out of the playoffs.  So I really don't see the point.

[gizmo010101]

It's not so unreasonable to think that we won't make the playoffs.  I'm not sure why people are so shocked at the poll results.  We have played 9 home games and only 5 on the road. While we have had some tough opponents, there are many we should have beat and we didn't.  This team is used to fast starts and they usually fall off later in the season.  I know the lockout plays a factor but you can't ignore the pattern of seasons past. Sure they will get in shape and may put together a string of wins against sub-par opponents but can we really expect that they would make some miraculous turn-around mid season when they have never done that before?  Don't get me wrong, I love this team and will never turn on them.  I don't want to see the core broken up. 

My perfect scenario, especially in a deep draft, is to miss the playoffs and get a late lottery pick.  The LA pick will probably be in the early 20's.  Resign KG and Ray for 2 yr. deals and they can be key reserves.  Convince Bass to pick up his player option.  Resign Pietrus and Steemer.  With Rondo,  Pierce, Bradley, Moore and JJ and a couple good 1st rounders that's a pretty good start at a rebuild.  I am by no means an expert at all the ins and outs of the contract stuff but I would think we could do all that and still have a sizeable amount of cap space to get a couple quality free agents.  I don't think this is too far fetched.

I just don't see the need to blow it up now when we are already set to do that in a few months.  There is no point on trading so we can barely get into the playoffs with a 1st round exit and hurting our draft position.  Any thoughts?     

[wdleehi]

Too many games.


Too many teams in the East that I think will drop back. 



And I expect the Celtics stars to show their skills sooner or later.  Especially Pierce once he is back in better shape.

[vinnie]

Too many games.


Too many teams in the East that I think will drop back. 



And I expect the Celtics stars to show their skills sooner or later.  Especially Pierce once he is back in better shape.

How many games does it take for Pierce to get back into shape? How long do we make excuses for Pierce being out of shape?

[MBz]

What do you expect?  They havn't shown us they are a playoff caliber team at all yet.  Until they do that we should think that they will be in the lottery.

I would have thought that previous years play with the same squad and three guys in the top 25 players in the NBA would be good enough for enough faith for us to drool/stumble/limp into the playoffs.
Not saying that's something I'd be happy with- I'd rather trade an rebuild as early as possible but I doubt Danny is going to do that at this point.
I just feel they deserve more credit then not even making the playoffs after everything they've proven over the years as a veteran team...without even playing 20% of games.

Because we don't have three guys in the top 25.  I don't even think KG deserved to be in the top 25 last year.  Also, last night put us over the 20% mark of the season.  This is a shortened season,  these early losses count a whole lot more.  The other thing is the past years dont matter.  KG in 2012 is a lot different then KG in 2008.  All that matters is this, we're 5-9 and we havn't beat a team with a winning record yet.  That sounds like a lottery team to me, until that changes, we honestly can't expect them to even make the playoffs.  

[vinnie]

What do you expect?  They havn't shown us they are a playoff caliber team at all yet.  Until they do that we should think that they will be in the lottery.

I would have thought that previous years play with the same squad and three guys in the top 25 players in the NBA would be good enough for enough faith for us to drool/stumble/limp into the playoffs.
Not saying that's something I'd be happy with- I'd rather trade an rebuild as early as possible but I doubt Danny is going to do that at this point.
I just feel they deserve more credit then not even making the playoffs after everything they've proven over the years as a veteran team...without even playing 20% of games.

Because we don't have three guys in the top 25.  I don't even think KG deserved to be in the top 25 last year.  Also, last night put us over the 20% mark of the season.  This is a shortened season,  these early losses count a whole lot more.  The other thing is the past years dont matter.  KG in 2012 is a lot different then KG in 2008.  All that matters is this, we're 5-9 and we havn't beat a team with a winning record yet.  That sounds like a lottery team to me, until that changes, we honestly can't expect them to even make the playoffs.  

Of the teams the Celtics have beaten, the most wins any of the has is FOUR. 

[Celtics4ever]

I used to think or hope it was conditioning but as we get deeper in the season I don't think that was right.   I think KG and JO are severely damaged goods, old or whatever you want to call it.

[kozlodoev]

Of the teams the Celtics have beaten, the most wins any of the has is FOUR. 

Well, the strength of our schedule is .433, and we're 5-9. I'd understand people who are hoping for playoffs if we were a .500 team under these circumstances... but we're not.

[wdleehi]

Too many games.


Too many teams in the East that I think will drop back. 



And I expect the Celtics stars to show their skills sooner or later.  Especially Pierce once he is back in better shape.

How many games does it take for Pierce to get back into shape? How long do we make excuses for Pierce being out of shape?

Who knows.  It takes longer to get back to playing shape when you are older.  


Even with that issue, they are still only 1/2 a game out of being a playoff team.  

[ACF]

Too many games.


Too many teams in the East that I think will drop back. 



And I expect the Celtics stars to show their skills sooner or later.  Especially Pierce once he is back in better shape.

How many games does it take for Pierce to get back into shape? How long do we make excuses for Pierce being out of shape?

We know you're not making any excuses, vinnie