If the Knicks close out Boston in 4 or 5 does that change your outlook...

[Chris]

Just another thing to remember with all this is that KG is playing on an injured ankle.  Yes, its not so hurt that he can't play, but he is not 100%.  He was a very effective player earlier in the season, but right now he is not the player he was before. 

Now, he is certainly old, so expecting him to get much better is probably a fools dream.  But, he can still be a very effective player, and if they can find a way to put an actual starting quality big man next to him (maybe that's Sully?), then he still holds a ton of value. 

[ScoobyDoo]

Not really. I think with Sully, Rondo and Barbosa, this team probably goes to the ECF and I truly believe that with the way Sully was coming on, we had a legit chance to beat Miami and vie for the title.

As much as I love KG and Pierce, if could have gotten Jordan for KG and let's say Barnes & Ezeli for Pierce, Melo and a first round pick, you'd seriously have had to look at that.

Jordan / Ezeli
Sully / Bass
Green / Player
Barnes / Lee
Rondo / Bradley

In my book you're basically rebuilt to compete. Might you have to make a another move or two to be top 2-3 in the league, yes, but that team above would be very close on it's own.

For next year, we have a couple of options or likely scenarios:

Option one:
1. KG retires
2. Pierce is traded
3. We immediately have cap space - we could a Josh Smith or an Al Jefferson level player.
4. We have a young core of Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Green, Sully, Melo and a decent first round pick.
5. That young team could make some noise

Option two:
1. KG returns, as does Pierce
2. We get a decent young draft pick at 16 to add to our growing crop of young guys
3. Rondo and Sully come back
4. That team can compete with anyone in the league
5. Because we probably won't have the best regular season record, we will get yet another decent pick in the draft

6. The key to this scenario is really, truly, honestly, getting KG some more help inside. Enough is enough, you simply need to get KG some running mates in the paint. Kenyon Martin, Birdman, whoever it is, get them.

7. Then, once KG and Pierce do retire you get that cap space.

Rebuilding? It's already underway, has been for 2-3 years -

Rondo: Starter
Bradley: excellent back up combo guard
Lee: Ideal back up off guard
Green: Starting small forward
Sully: Starter? excellent back up PF?
Melo: eventually a decent 2nd or 3rd string big

We will just need to add another true superstar level player to that core of young guys - and mix in some vets.

Danny has kept us very competitive and entertaining over the last 5-6 years and he's also managed to acquire some very intriguing young players at the same time.

have there been mistakes, sure. But even with all the mistakes the biggest thing that has prevented the KG / Pierce era form raising 2-3 banners instead of only one was injuries - just incredibly bad luck with injuries, every single year.

I don't think another team in the league, that's been a top five team had had even close to the injuries we've had, year in and year out. I mean the Lakers just finally had Kobe go down. Who else?...       
 
 


     

[Boris Badenov]

Just another thing to remember with all this is that KG is playing on an injured ankle.  Yes, its not so hurt that he can't play, but he is not 100%.  He was a very effective player earlier in the season, but right now he is not the player he was before. 

Now, he is certainly old, so expecting him to get much better is probably a fools dream.  But, he can still be a very effective player, and if they can find a way to put an actual starting quality big man next to him (maybe that's Sully?), then he still holds a ton of value.

I agree, and not to be a downer, but the number of things that have to go right in order for us to have a great season next year seems almost impossibly high.

Rondo must return at close to 100%.

KG and Pierce must avoid serious injury at their extremely advanced ages.

Sully must be healthy, or we need a high-quality replacement big man.

Bradley must become more effective offensively.

Green must continue his 2nd half performance.

Terry must rebound and have a productive season.

I think if even one or two of these things fail to come about - particularly the first two on the list - we will be a .500 team and a first-round exiter yet again. And even if all of them happen, we may not be more than a solid ECF contender.

[scaryjerry]

My outlook remains the same...this team lacked the talent without rondo, have absolutely no one who can step up and carry a team consistently, especially in the playoffs, and I wasn't wearing green tinted sunglasses thinking we as the 7 seed would easily knock off the 2ND seeded knicks like some seem to think.

[clover]

Should've traded KG when we had the chance...
Should've trade Pierce when we had the chance...

but you all wanted to hold on for sentiment. Well guess what sentiment gets you.. 10+ years of getting your butt whooped in the first round by teams like the Knicks.

ENJOY! 

Would much rather have a starting 5 of Bledsoe, Bradley, Barnes, Green, and Jordan right now and going forward

The problem is, we DIDN'T have the chance.  KG (reportedly) vetoed the trade to the Clippers, and GS (reportedly) turned down the offer of Pierce for Barnes and filler.

There are always ways to make deals work. Move Pierce first so KG wants to leave. Trade players like Lee, Sullinger, Melo etc for picks to throw in such deals for Pierce and KG. It could've been done.

I'm with you, SSMatt.  I think Danny would have made more timely trades over the last couple of years, but Wyc was the drag on it.  He was probably attached both the PP and KG emotionally and from a short-term financial/marketing perspective.

Last year was the ultimate fool's gold, and the team, at the top, fell for it.  I think KG retires after another couple of games, even though he may not announce it for a while.

Pierce likely plays next year, but somewhere else--somehow, some way.

Doc would love to take a couple of years break and avoid the rebuild, but he knows he wouldn't have the ideal management partnership he has now, so he may well stay on.

Should be an interesting summer; I'm hoping for Steven Adams in the draft.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I think we need a rebuilding coach.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[ManUp]

I didn't want to run it back this season, but I got into when it was clear that was the plan. I definitely don't want to run it back next season. This team simply isn't going to win another Championship with KG and Pierce as lead guys. Superstars win championships, KG and Pierce aren't those guys anymore. I truly hope we can start to move pass this era. There's no need for a year 6 on the 3 year plan.

[LooseCannon]

Unless KG retires, I am opposed to blowing up things in Boston until Rondo plays some regular season games and can be evaluated.

[Moranis]

My outlook is the same as it always was...make the prudent move at the time. 

Every move needs to be looked at in its own merit.  The idea of "blow it up" or not, just is way too broad. 

No matter what, they need to try to get better.  Whether that is better immediately, or in a more longterm view, depends on the deals that are available. 

But the thing is, getting better could still mean staying the course.  If you can get Sully and Rondo back healthy, and shuffle some minor cards, then you could be right back in the thick of it next year, providing you do a better job of meshing everyone together.  But it all depends on what options present themselves.

Serious question, do you really think the addition of Sullinger and Rondo, with only some minor other changes, really puts Boston as a real and true contender next year? 

[LarBrd33]

I still think we'll beat the Knicks, because the Knicks are a crap team...

That said, Boston hasn't been a real contender since Shaq got injured in 2011.  We made a run during the playoffs last year, but it was more due to the lucky draws of playing Atlanta without HOrford and a borderline lotto Philly team.  We took Miami to 7, because our team matched up well with them and our old proud lions gave everything they had left in the tank... that and the fact that Bosh missed most of that series... his return coincided with LeBron going into no-nonsense mode and taking care of us.

Rebuilding has been inevitable.  The time to trade Pierce (or Ray) for anything of value was probably 2 or 3 years ago... that window is closed now.  What we're probably looking at is 5-20 years of lotto basketball once KG and Paul retire... so I'm just trying to enjoy their farewell tour while it lasts.

Our best case scenario next year is to completely tank the season and draft Andrew Wiggins.  That's our quickest path to being a contender (5-8 years from now).

[ScoobyDoo]

I don't mind going another year or two with KG and Pierce, but:

1.You'd have to add some like Al Jeff or Josh Smith to the front court mix, somehow, some way.

2. You'd also have to add a somewhat legit center to the mix as well. Not a Jason Collins level, something much better than that with the mid level.

3. Pierce is Ok with Green able to take significant minutes at SF if necessary.

4. KG needs more help in the middle - period.


I saw some footage of the Stephen Adams kid against Nerlens Noel - he looks decent and could be another solid role player in our front court mix - center by committee...

 

[slamtheking]

depends on what KG does.  if he's back, try to swap out the useless players somehow for players that are a better fit.  (not offering a plan but that should be the goal)

if KG retires, get a few bodies to fill the frontcourt vacancies, get Rondo and Sully healthy.  hope PP uses next year as his farewell tour and then retires to free up cap space.  Still move the non-performers if possible for expiring deals or future assets (probably 2nd round picks) but of course that's easier said than done.

use the lottery pick from likely missing the playoffs to land a cornerstone player and begin the rebuild. 

[ScoobyDoo]

With the young pieces we currently have (Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Green, Sully & Melo) and then adding to that a few more draft picks and a Max level talent and a sub all star level talent once Pierce and KG go, I don't see us being anywhere near lotto land any time soon.

I remain quite optimistic whether KG retires and Pierce gets traded or if they both come back.

[pearljammer10]

My outlook doesnt change. We have been missing two key rotation guys all season in Rondo and Sully. Rondo obviously being our engine.  Right now we are running a 6 man rotation with Crawford getting the 7th man minutes and a hodgepodge of nothing beyond that.

If we have Sully and Rondo our team completely changes and makes us 8 to 9  strong as opposed to 6 strong no one being in their regular roles.

[quidinqui33]

The thing to remember is that none of the trades that were on the table at the deadline were going to make us contenders in the near future or even playoff teams for that matter.  Bledsoe, Deandre Jordan, and Harrison Barnes were not going to make that happen especially if you gave up Pierce and KG to get them.  By the time that team came into shape, you would have wasted Rondo's prime and a lot of Jeff Green's as well.

As many have said, it all depends on KG. If he decides to come back, you still try to build around rondo with KG and Pierce as relatively cheap veterans who's contract come up in a couple of years (if I am not mistaken, pierce is only partially guaranteed this year).  The key, as a previous poster mentioned, is that the team can no longer use them as the main go to guys (it's time for them to go into Jason Kidd/Grant Hill mode).  On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

Then Terry, Lee, bass and whoever else can be used in minor trades to improve if they present themselves.  Or if you happen to get a great deal for KG or pierce at the deadline, then you consider it.  But only if it is a difference maker and allows us to take advantage of Rondo's prime.

You run that for the next year or two, and hope for the best.  Are we going to be the top seed, no.  But honestly, that is still the best option to build and remain competitive rather than full blow up.  I don't understand why people don't like making the playoffs and having a puncher's chance.  I would take that over the next two years over playing for ping pong balls any year.  Full on blow just does not work unless you get extremely lucky.  We've been there and done that in the 90's and it sucked.  The Tim Duncan and Oden/Durant lottos did not work out that great for us.  That route is a long shot and lot of things not in the team's control have literally bounce your way including hoping there is a game changer available in the draft.  Luckily Danny was able to work some magic on that second one and get us a championship, 2 trips to the finals and 6 competitive years and counting.

So to answer the OP's question.  My outlook has not changed and I bet Danny's has not either.