Do you guys really think we can win 40+ with kg and pierce gone?

[Monkhouse]

I don't know why everyone is so skeptical...

Rondo/Green/Bradley/Sullinger given time to work together, I don't see why they won't get 30-32 wins easily in the East that has been really weak as of late.

Not to mention if we could get a big like Al Jefferson, or if Doc is staying playing small ball, with Josh Smith at C. I don't see why it wouldn't be bumped up to 35-42.

Without our star PG, we made it to 41 with all of our star veterans driven into the ground and our team riddled with injuries.

i agree
i really expect a line up of rondo, green, bradley and sully to play really good, sound basketball.
rondo sets it up, green stays aggressive, AB has that midrange jumper and corner 3, sully scraps for the rebounds and post work.

Exactly... Rondo was very important to this team, and has developed beyond wonders... Imagine a few years ago, all the trash talk about how he would fail and fall flat on his face without Ray/KG/Pierce doing all the work! Green needs to be aggressive, learn a left, and try to rebound better. AB needs to improve his midrange J/Corner 3, and bulk up a little more. It seemed to me Felton just took out too much of his energy by overpowering him.

Sully could help rebound, and be a double double machine if he puts on more muscle.

T-Will as our back up PG, Shav as a cheap C/PF. Try to draft G Deng, or Mason Plumlee, retain KG/PP by restructuring their contracts. And hope Al Jefferson or Josh Smith would take a huge pay cut.

Jefferson has said he wants to come back definitely. Josh Smith wants to come to Boston, and has applauded us! (the fans!) as dedicated.

I'm hoping if KG/Paul Pierce doesn't come back, that we could hopefully grab one of the two, or both if we could somehow let DA work his magic.

[Lucky17]

I think a core of Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Terry, Bass, Green, and Sullinger gets somewhere around 35 wins, give or take.

Possibly approaching 40 depending on the talent of the other frontcourt players.

[FreeGreen]

This year's team WITH Rondo, Sully, et al was sub .500.

Why would you think a post-injury Rondo / Sullinger team (without PP and KG) would have any chance of reaching that mark?

In today's NBA you cannot play a 5 man lineup with 0 shooters.  It doesn't work.  You will not be able to score against any half decent team.

Look how hard a time we had spreading the floor this year.  Teams could double PP in the high post at will because there was no 3 point threat on the kick outs.

As for Milsap, Jefferson, Josh Smith etc ... let's skip over the question of why they all are going to be begging to sign with a sub .500 Boston team ... how are we going to get them under the salary cap?  (It should also be noted that none of these 3 guys can shoot the 3 ball, and would just clog up our interior even more.)

If you jettison KG and amnesty PP, you are about $9m under the cap.  Our first round draft pick eats up $1.5m of that, so you're looking at $7.5m. 

Jefferson made $15m last year.  Milsap made $8.5m and is surely in line for more. Smith has already said he thinks he's a max deal player.

I hope they bring everyone back.  Transition JG and PP (Paul playing JGs # of minutes and vice versa), transition KG down another few minutes a game.

Sign a knock down shooter, or draft one.  (or get Lee, Terry, or Crawford to be more consistent.)

I'm not down on this team just because we got bounced.  Of course, we got bounced in the 1st round.  Our best player was out with an injury.  Do the Heat get passed Round 1 if Lebron went down for the season in January?  The Clippers can't get out of Round 1 WITH a healthy Chris Paul.

I think Danny did a nice job and we just get CRUSHED by injuries.

With Rondo -- we blow the doors off the Knicks in that series and we're facing a very beatable Indiana team.  Could we beat the Heat?  It's probably 8 to 1 against, but there was a puncher's chance.  Probably as good as a chance as anyone else really.

With only 5 players on the court, losing a key player in basketball is much more punishing then any other sport.  Rondo's 40 minutes a game had to trickle to down to significantly less effective options.  (Same for Sullinger ... did anyone see Wilcox, Randolph, etc in the playoffs?)

Look -- you're stuck with a lot of MEH baggage.  (Lee for 3 years, Terry for 2, Bass for 2.)  No one's going to give you anything for those guys.

So since you're stuck with them, you can either be a 20 to 30 win team for 2 years without PP and KG or hope Rondo comes back at full tilt and be a 45 to 55 win team that always has a puncher's chance in any 7 game series.

[kgainez]

This year's team WITH Rondo, Sully, et al was sub .500.

Why would you think a post-injury Rondo / Sullinger team (without PP and KG) would have any chance of reaching that mark?

In today's NBA you cannot play a 5 man lineup with 0 shooters.  It doesn't work.  You will not be able to score against any half decent team.

Look how hard a time we had spreading the floor this year.  Teams could double PP in the high post at will because there was no 3 point threat on the kick outs.

As for Milsap, Jefferson, Josh Smith etc ... let's skip over the question of why they all are going to be begging to sign with a sub .500 Boston team ... how are we going to get them under the salary cap?  (It should also be noted that none of these 3 guys can shoot the 3 ball, and would just clog up our interior even more.)

If you jettison KG and amnesty PP, you are about $9m under the cap.  Our first round draft pick eats up $1.5m of that, so you're looking at $7.5m. 

Jefferson made $15m last year.  Milsap made $8.5m and is surely in line for more. Smith has already said he thinks he's a max deal player.

I hope they bring everyone back.  Transition JG and PP (Paul playing JGs # of minutes and vice versa), transition KG down another few minutes a game.

Sign a knock down shooter, or draft one.  (or get Lee, Terry, or Crawford to be more consistent.)

I'm not down on this team just because we got bounced.  Of course, we got bounced in the 1st round.  Our best player was out with an injury.  Do the Heat get passed Round 1 if Lebron went down for the season in January?  The Clippers can't get out of Round 1 WITH a healthy Chris Paul.

I think Danny did a nice job and we just get CRUSHED by injuries.

With Rondo -- we blow the doors off the Knicks in that series and we're facing a very beatable Indiana team.  Could we beat the Heat?  It's probably 8 to 1 against, but there was a puncher's chance.  Probably as good as a chance as anyone else really.

With only 5 players on the court, losing a key player in basketball is much more punishing then any other sport.  Rondo's 40 minutes a game had to trickle to down to significantly less effective options.  (Same for Sullinger ... did anyone see Wilcox, Randolph, etc in the playoffs?)

Look -- you're stuck with a lot of MEH baggage.  (Lee for 3 years, Terry for 2, Bass for 2.)  No one's going to give you anything for those guys.

So since you're stuck with them, you can either be a 20 to 30 win team for 2 years without PP and KG or hope Rondo comes back at full tilt and be a 45 to 55 win team that always has a puncher's chance in any 7 game series.

team also had a healing jeff green who wasn't contributing, bass was butt, pp and kg were shaky

i expect rondo to still be able to pass a ball and hit his midrange jumper consistently. at some point ppl will have to respect it. AB can shoot. i'm not sure why this is still a discussion. he had a slump just like everyone else on this team. he will HAVE to take more shots with a line up without kg and pp and he will make em. i'm also not sure if you've seen jeff green shoot.

we could run our team like the nuggets or the grizzlies. we could find another guy who's a pure scorer (though I think that will land on JGs shoulders).

and yes, the Heat would do well in rounds 1-2 without LBJ. They STILL have more talent than anyone else out here.

[krook]

I think a core of Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Terry, Bass, Green, and Sullinger gets somewhere around 35 wins, give or take.

Possibly approaching 40 depending on the talent of the other frontcourt players.

that will record will not bring you to playoffs

[SparzWizard]

I think a core of Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Terry, Bass, Green, and Sullinger gets somewhere around 35 wins, give or take.

Possibly approaching 40 depending on the talent of the other frontcourt players.

that will record will not bring you to playoffs

Considering this is the EASTERN CONFERENCE, the Milwaukee Bucks clinched a playoff berth with a 38-win record. Boston's not too far behind with 41-win.

[Kane3387]

Depends who is replacing them

[syfy9]

There are quite a few rising lottery teams in the East that could make the playoff jump.

The Wizards - Wall and Beal could make the jump next season for all we know. Wall had been showing a lot of potential late this season. Add in Nene/Okafor, and you have a very solid roster with nothing to lose.

The Raptors - Gay/DeRozan/Ross is an uber athletic trio. With Gay, they have a go to player, not to mention the likes of Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciuanas.

The 76ers - If Bynum can come back healthy, they are super scary. Holiday was posting up very good numbers and Turner could become more consistent. They have good role players surrounding them and are a solid team predicated on defense.


Cavs w/ Irving. Pistons w/ Drummond and Monroe. Magic w/ their Afflalo, Harris, Harkless, Vucevic set.

Overall, I really don't like out chances making of making the playoffs against these teams.

[Q_FBE]

No I don't think the Celtics can win 40 without KG and Pierce. Perhaps they win 30 to 35 games if everyone is healthy. I do not think that Doc Rivers really has the energy to go through rebuilding and being patient with 2 to 3 years of losing records. He wants to win NOW. That is why you saw KG and PP gassed in Game 6. This Doc-PP-KG-Rondo clique probably needs to be broken up. It remains to be seen if Rondo-Bradley-Green-Bass-Sullenger can work reasonably well together. My guess is they would run more - a lot more. Lack of depth will be a major issue.

[krook]

I think a core of Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Terry, Bass, Green, and Sullinger gets somewhere around 35 wins, give or take.

Possibly approaching 40 depending on the talent of the other frontcourt players.

that will record will not bring you to playoffs

Considering this is the EASTERN CONFERENCE, the Milwaukee Bucks clinched a playoff berth with a 38-win record. Boston's not too far behind with 41-win.

with bynum healthy in sixers with new coach, if they resign bynum

[Lucky17]

I think a core of Rondo, Bradley, Lee, Terry, Bass, Green, and Sullinger gets somewhere around 35 wins, give or take.

Possibly approaching 40 depending on the talent of the other frontcourt players.

that will record will not bring you to playoffs

35 wins won't. 40 could be in the mix for the 8th seed.

[LarBrd33]

we were 20-23 with a healthy KG, Pierce, Jeff Green, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Bass, Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, etc...

Someone needs to posts the defensive stats with and without KG on the floor... it's absurd how much of an impact KG made.

Pierce has been the go-to guy in our offense for years.  Even with Rondo on the floor, the offensive threat of Paul Pierce overshadows anything else happening.  In the rare games Pierce misses, this team is dreadful. 0-3 this year without PIerce... including a 100-74 beating by the Charlotte Bobcats of all teams.

Anyone remember us starting last season 0-3 without Pierce?  That 3rd game we lost 97-78 to the eventual 21 win New Orleans Hornets.

You eliminate KG and Pierce, I strongly believe this team is a lotto squad.  You eliminate KG and Pierce and through some miracle land Josh Smith, I still say this is a lotto team.  25-38 wins.

A lot of people disagree with me, but I really believe it... Rajon Rondo (when healthy) is the 3rd most important player on this team.  This team is all about the talents of KG and Pierce.  KG with his dominant defense and Pierce with his all-around game.  Pierce post all-star 32 minutes, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists 49%/43%/78%. 

That said, both KG and Pierce are regressing with age... it's not a guarantee we even win 40+ WITH them at this point.

[LarBrd33]

A starting lineup of Rondo, Bradley, Green, Bass, and Sully with Terry as our sixth man could easily make the playoffs in the weak East. Most likely a first round exit but that isnt all that bad.

I STRONGLY disagree with this.  That team would struggle to win 30.  Two undersized bigs (both of which are bench players), an incredibly undersized (offensively inept) SG.  A point guard who can't shoot.  And Jeff Green...  that's a lotto team.

[ejk3489]

You eliminate KG and Pierce, I strongly believe this team is a lotto squad.  You eliminate KG and Pierce and through some miracle land Josh Smith, I still say this is a lotto team.  25-38 wins.

Well a 38 win team in a crappy Eastern Conference will land you an 8th spot in the playoffs, so...

And a Smith/Horford/Teague led team net the Hawks 44 wins this season, so I can't see why a Smith/Green/Rondo core wouldn't get you at least 35-40. They would obviously struggle to score, but that's really nothing new in the Big 3 era post 2009.

[staticcc]

I don't know why everyone is so skeptical...

Rondo/Green/Bradley/Sullinger given time to work together, I don't see why they won't get 30-32 wins easily in the East that has been really weak as of late.

Not to mention if we could get a big like Al Jefferson, or if Doc is staying playing small ball, with Josh Smith at C. I don't see why it wouldn't be bumped up to 35-42.

Without our star PG, we made it to 41 with all of our star veterans driven into the ground and our team riddled with injuries.

i agree
i really expect a line up of rondo, green, bradley and sully to play really good, sound basketball.
rondo sets it up, green stays aggressive, AB has that midrange jumper and corner 3, sully scraps for the rebounds and post work.

Exactly... Rondo was very important to this team, and has developed beyond wonders... Imagine a few years ago, all the trash talk about how he would fail and fall flat on his face without Ray/KG/Pierce doing all the work! Green needs to be aggressive, learn a left, and try to rebound better. AB needs to improve his midrange J/Corner 3, and bulk up a little more. It seemed to me Felton just took out too much of his energy by overpowering him.

Sully could help rebound, and be a double double machine if he puts on more muscle.

T-Will as our back up PG, Shav as a cheap C/PF. Try to draft G Deng, or Mason Plumlee, retain KG/PP by restructuring their contracts. And hope Al Jefferson or Josh Smith would take a huge pay cut.

Jefferson has said he wants to come back definitely. Josh Smith wants to come to Boston, and has applauded us! (the fans!) as dedicated.

I'm hoping if KG/Paul Pierce doesn't come back, that we could hopefully grab one of the two, or both if we could somehow let DA work his magic.

wow you guys are dreaming.