Blow It Up.

[LarBrd33]

as long as KG continues to play like a franchise player (as he did from February to the end of the playoffs), we are contenders to at least make the ECF.

[Boris Badenov]

as long as KG continues to play like a franchise player (as he did from February to the end of the playoffs), we are contenders to at least make the ECF.

Agreed, although I was pretty concerned by how gassed he seemed when he went over his allotted minutes in the playoffs. I hope a full 82 game season (albeit without the compression of last year) doesn't wear him out even more.

I could see Doc limiting him to 25-28 minutes per game this year.

[BballTim]

as long as KG continues to play like a franchise player (as he did from February to the end of the playoffs), we are contenders to at least make the ECF.

  As long as he (and PP) doesn't resemble that 40+ year old out of shape player he looked like at the beginning of the year we're contenders.

[RAcker]

Let's trade KG for Kwame Brown.

Or the proposed deal we all joked about for Scal for years...KG for half a ham sandwich.

[Sizzlack]

Yea, haven't you learned from Orlando? They didn't build around Howard, so he wanted out. Now you want to potentially put Rondo in the same situation? Whatever, man. 

Precisely the point - I WANT to build around Rondo!  The current team was built around KG/PP.  Which was great 5 years ago, but the situation has changed.

You clearly haven't been paying attention to this off season. This ENTIRE TEAM is built around Rondo, KG and PP are now complimentary pieces, this is Rondo's team, there is 0 question about it.

Actually other than Pierce/KG, and Sullinger the entire team is young, athletic players who can run in transition, and can play from mid-range. In other words, the exact players you want on the court with Rondo. 4 guys who can shoot from anywhere, run, and play defense.

 

[snively]

No need to blow it up.  We're really just one piece away from very serious contention: we need a really good starting 4.  (I'd also like a solid back-up center but the Wilcox/Collins combo will do in a pinch).

We also have a slight surplus at the 2 and 4 to facilitate trades: our team can readily survive the loss of one of Bradley/Lee and one of Bass/Sullinger.

And there are a lot of interesting targets out there. 

Bradley/Bass for Paul Millsap would provide a solid boost to our scoring and rebounding. 

Lee/Sullinger/non-guaranteed guys for Anderson Varejao would dramatically improve our rebounding and size inside.

[Lightskinsmurf]

I'm so confident in our team im gonna say it now. If we stay healthy *Our main pieces, starting 5 and Terry Lee Green Collins* I don't see us losing to the heat! I look at how the heat won last year to back up what im saying. They didn't have bosh for half of the series I GET THAT however look at what they had going for them. They squeaked out of game 2 with that win and had no business winning that game. They needed the most lopsided officiating to get that one. They also needed bradley green wilcox to not play AT ALL also a banged up pierce and hobbled ray allen. We had no business taking that team to 7 games and 12mins away from going to the finals. People need to stop buying into the hype. The heat are a great team but in no way shape or form are they unbeatable. They already got beat by dallas and came within 12mins of losing to us and some how that makes them untouchable? On what planet?!

[Tgro]

This..

this team is build around rajon rondo now if it wasnt they would've given ray allen his wish of 20 sumn million over 3yrs. this is rondo's team and i rather we stay competitive than have dog days wishing for something good to happen

I guess we will agree to disagree.

I don't want "competitive." 

I want "champion."

And This....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRXLYKwZF8o&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3D2006%253A%2BPee%2BWee%2Bfootball%2Bparents%2Battack%26oq%3D2006%253A%2BPee%2BWee%2Bfootball%2Bparents%2Battack%26gs_l%3Dyoutube.12...956.956.0.2745.1.1.0.0.0.0.82.82.1.1.0...0.0...1ac.AoVemhvC7Qo


....Are kind of similar mindsets to me.

[SHAQATTACK]

something like half of the team is new this year, its been an overhaul of sorts. Nice start and we still get to see some good basketball in the meantime.

The Celtics have improved across the board from last years team. What we need is a little luck health wise and LA and Miami to have issues.

IMO DA did a masterful job of dumping players , bringing in younger talent and resigning the vets. 

[sofutomygaha]

Does "blowing it up" actually work any more? The reason everyone is going to the Heat and the Lakers (ahem, and us) is because good basketball players seem to really want to play for contenders these days. That means that, with respect to attracting talent, being a contender is a considerable asset. Blowing it up undercuts that... I think the only time when blowing it up is a good idea is when you're salary cap is loaded down with burdensome long-term contracts. That's not the case for us.

Let's watch how blowing-it-up plays out for Houston and Orlando over the next few years and then revisit. =)

[scottwedman]

What does that add up to?  A couple of 45-52 win seasons and 2nd round exits, with an occasional foray into the ECF.  Until KG retires . . . and PP retires . . . without preparation and we become a perennial 41-50 win/5th-6th seed, stuck in the middle.  Not good enough to win it all, but too good to strike it rich in the lottery.

A 52 win, veteran team with good depth and what you claim to be a top 5 NBA player isn't good enough to win it all?

This is the key question in your response.

In the last 30 non-strike seasons, exactly TWO teams have taken the NBA Championship while winning 52 or fewer regular season games.

The 94-95 Rockets did it, but they were the defending champs, had the #1 player in the game (Olajuwon) and acquired a HOF (Drexler) at the break and all of their injured guys got healthy by playoff time.

The 2005-06 Heat did, as well, and conspiracy theories aside, that team had the two best players in the league at their positions.

In order to win the NBA Finals, you pretty much need home court advantage.  Something like 77% of NBA Champions did it with home court.

52 wins is nice and solid . . . but not championship.  You probably need 54-57 to have a "puncher's chance" in the east.

We got better.

Indy got better.

Miami got way better.

Philly got way, way better.

[BballTim]

What does that add up to?  A couple of 45-52 win seasons and 2nd round exits, with an occasional foray into the ECF.  Until KG retires . . . and PP retires . . . without preparation and we become a perennial 41-50 win/5th-6th seed, stuck in the middle.  Not good enough to win it all, but too good to strike it rich in the lottery.

A 52 win, veteran team with good depth and what you claim to be a top 5 NBA player isn't good enough to win it all?

This is the key question in your response.

In the last 30 non-strike seasons, exactly TWO teams have taken the NBA Championship while winning 52 or fewer regular season games.

The 94-95 Rockets did it, but they were the defending champs, had the #1 player in the game (Olajuwon) and acquired a HOF (Drexler) at the break and all of their injured guys got healthy by playoff time.

The 2005-06 Heat did, as well, and conspiracy theories aside, that team had the two best players in the league at their positions.

In order to win the NBA Finals, you pretty much need home court advantage.  Something like 77% of NBA Champions did it with home court.

52 wins is nice and solid . . . but not championship.  You probably need 54-57 to have a "puncher's chance" in the east.

  We should try and win an extra 2 games then. Someone should tell Doc that winning an extra couple of games furing the season is of paramount importance.

We got better.

Indy got better.

Miami got way better.

Philly got way, way better.

  The Heat got better, I don't know that their additions are so much greater than ours. How much better Philly will be remains to be seen.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

as long as KG continues to play like a franchise player (as he did from February to the end of the playoffs), we are contenders to at least make the ECF.

He doesn't even have to be to be honest. He can be a 15 points/8 rebounds/1 block/50% shooting guy this year. As long as he stays healthy and his fire and passion for the game stays fueled up, that's all we need. That thing is CONTAGIOUS and will only do good things for us.

[ACF]

I am very confident this Celtics roster will have a great season and if all cylinders click (and we can stay healthy, of course) we have a pretty good shot at at least an ECF appearance, IMO. I'd truly rather have Courtney Lee and the Jet, because 2 is > 1 (even if we are talking about the man with the most 3-pointers made)...

Everyone knows this is Rondo's team now, so if we just surround him with the talent and the hard workers, we'll be fine. And as last season showed us, Danny is not afraid to push the Trade Button if something good comes along. It's all about what's best for the Celts. The name on the front, you know. Rondo has to remember that, too and keep his head in the game. He could be the best and I think he eventually will. But he has to keep his head in the game.

To sum up:

We'll be just fine. And I can hardly wait. Go Celtics!

[mctyson]

Yeah, blow up a team that has a realistic shot at the title this year...

Define "realistic"?

I think as currently constructed, C's are a top 4 team in the East.  Not top 2 - top 4. 

Isn't that what we were last season?  Did we not take the eventual NBA champs all the way to the 4th quarter, in a Game 7, on their home court, in the Eastern Conference finals, after being up 3-2 and seriously threatening them with a major upset?

Didn't that team, at least on paper, get better this offseason?

If that is not a "realistic" shot at contention, then nothing is.