Wouldn't you want to tank too with this upcoming 2014 draft class?

[lightspeed5]

How hard is it for the coach to tell his players "look, I know you guys are competitive but play like poop out there so we can win next season."

The mentality it's building in that locker room, telling the players "they are not good enough this season" and on purposely losing IS NEVER a good thing.

If we suck, we suck. But we need to suck while working and trying hard to not be, not forcefully.

i honestly think thats why ainge wants vinny to coach. Because hes the worst available coach.

[CelticsFan9]

How did tanking work out for the Celtics in 1997?

[LarBrd33]

How did tanking work out for the Celtics in 1997?

Not too well, but tanking in 2007 seemed to work out ok.

[CelticsFan9]

How did tanking work out for the Celtics in 1997?

Not too well, but tanking in 2007 seemed to work out ok.

Only because Danny was able to trade the pick for Ray.

Would you have rather gotten Durant if Boston got the first or second pick, or five years of Ray Allen?  I don't know the answer to that question.  I'd probably take Ray and the title, but I had to think about it.

[saltlover]

This draft is supposed to be like 2003, yes then its worth tanking for.

Funny, isn't it, how San Antonio never has to tank?

Yeah, Duncan was a great find in the 20's of the first round...

[RebusRankin]

San Antonio tanked to get Duncan.

[LarBrd33]

How did tanking work out for the Celtics in 1997?

Not too well, but tanking in 2007 seemed to work out ok.

Only because Danny was able to trade the pick for Ray.

Would you have rather gotten Durant if Boston got the first or second pick, or five years of Ray Allen?  I don't know the answer to that question.  I'd probably take Ray and the title, but I had to think about it.

This draft is supposed to be deeper than that draft.  The guys picked in the top 5 will probably have a ton of value.

In 2007, we intentionally lost games.  We told Pierce to stay home, Doc force-fed minutes to young players like Gerald Green in an effort to improve their trade value.  We threw games late.  Ryan Gomes essentially admitted it at one point.  There was a reason Doc wasn't fired... he was a company man doing what Ainge asked for the greater good of the Boston Celtics.

Yeah they wanted Durant or Oden.  But by tanking they knew they would get a top 5 pick.  Top 5 picks are gold in this league.  And we had acquired enough young assets that we could lure a quality player for them.  We're trying to start that process all over again.  We have some minimal young assets in Sully, Melo and Bradly.  Next year we'll probably force-feed them a ton of minutes to improve their trade value.  We'll probably have Rondo take his sweet time coming back from the ACL injury.  Perhaps he'll sit out the entire season like Rose.  We'll throw games late and try to pile on the losses.  Best case scenario, we land Wiggins or Parker in the 2014 draft and build our franchise around the guy.  Worst case scenario, we got a top 5 pick and either add that talented prospect to the rebuild mix or use it as an asset in a buffet trade for an impact player.  It's the only logical move at this point.  Boston's time is done.

One path leads to wiggins.  The other is the hope that Sully develops like Big Al and we can build a package around him and Bradley ... then build another package around our 2014 Top 5 pick and slap a couple talented stars next to Rajon Rondo.  Or countless other possibilities in between.  Tanking is a wondeful first step towards improving the health of the franchise.  And there is NO better time to tank than right now.  No guarantees this draft will actually be as good as 2003, but it's very rare that experts are ever this excited about a draft.  Take your shot now... not in 2015 when the prospects aren't nearly as touted. 

[Neurotic Guy]

This draft is supposed to be like 2003, yes then its worth tanking for.

Funny, isn't it, how San Antonio never has to tank?

Well, they sure were bad in 86-87 when they got the #1 pick to snag The Admiral.  And they sure were bad in 1995-96 when they got the #1 pick again to get Duncan.

I hope the C's don't 'tank' in that they try to lose as many games as possible.  However, I'd be glad if the residual effect of garning assets this off-season is that the C's are bad enough to get a top 10 pick in 2014.  Ping-pong balls in that lottery means a chance at a franchise changing player.  Maybe we'd get lucky like the Spurs did.

[CelticsFan9]

How did tanking work out for the Celtics in 1997?

Not too well, but tanking in 2007 seemed to work out ok.

Only because Danny was able to trade the pick for Ray.

Would you have rather gotten Durant if Boston got the first or second pick, or five years of Ray Allen?  I don't know the answer to that question.  I'd probably take Ray and the title, but I had to think about it.

This draft is supposed to be deeper than that draft.  The guys picked in the top 5 will probably have a ton of value.

In 2007, we intentionally lost games.  We told Pierce to stay home, Doc force-fed minutes to young players like Gerald Green in an effort to improve their trade value.  We threw games late.  Ryan Gomes essentially admitted it at one point.  There was a reason Doc wasn't fired... he was a company man doing what Ainge asked for the greater good of the Boston Celtics.

Yeah they wanted Durant or Oden.  But by tanking they knew they would get a top 5 pick.  Top 5 picks are gold in this league.  And we had acquired enough young assets that we could lure a quality player for them.  We're trying to start that process all over again.  We have some minimal young assets in Sully, Melo and Bradly.  Next year we'll probably force-feed them a ton of minutes to improve their trade value.  We'll probably have Rondo take his sweet time coming back from the ACL injury.  Perhaps he'll sit out the entire season like Rose.  We'll throw games late and try to pile on the losses.  Best case scenario, we land Wiggins or Parker in the 2014 draft and build our franchise around the guy.  Worst case scenario, we got a top 5 pick and either add that talented prospect to the rebuild mix or use it as an asset in a buffet trade for an impact player.  It's the only logical move at this point.  Boston's time is done.

One path leads to wiggins.  The other is the hope that Sully develops like Big Al and we can build a package around him and Bradley ... then build another package around our 2014 Top 5 pick and slap a couple talented stars next to Rajon Rondo.  Or countless other possibilities in between.  Tanking is a wondeful first step towards improving the health of the franchise.  And there is NO better time to tank than right now.  No guarantees this draft will actually be as good as 2003, but it's very rare that experts are ever this excited about a draft.  Take your shot now... not in 2015 when the prospects aren't nearly as touted.

I'm not against trying to land one of those young stars at all, I'm just saying be wary of the process possibly turning out like it has for the Bobcats.

[Evantime34]

I think next year they will end up running out a team of Rondo, Bradley, Green, Sully, Jordan, Bledsoe and 16/25.

That is a team that is going to try very hard but at best be the 8th seed in the east. If they do end up being good, they will have cap space to add to a good young team.

If that lineup does not produce wins they are in the lottery for one year with the chance to add a franchise player.

So, if you consider this trade tanking, I am all for tanking.

[LarBrd33]

How did tanking work out for the Celtics in 1997?

Not too well, but tanking in 2007 seemed to work out ok.

Only because Danny was able to trade the pick for Ray.

Would you have rather gotten Durant if Boston got the first or second pick, or five years of Ray Allen?  I don't know the answer to that question.  I'd probably take Ray and the title, but I had to think about it.

This draft is supposed to be deeper than that draft.  The guys picked in the top 5 will probably have a ton of value.

In 2007, we intentionally lost games.  We told Pierce to stay home, Doc force-fed minutes to young players like Gerald Green in an effort to improve their trade value.  We threw games late.  Ryan Gomes essentially admitted it at one point.  There was a reason Doc wasn't fired... he was a company man doing what Ainge asked for the greater good of the Boston Celtics.

Yeah they wanted Durant or Oden.  But by tanking they knew they would get a top 5 pick.  Top 5 picks are gold in this league.  And we had acquired enough young assets that we could lure a quality player for them.  We're trying to start that process all over again.  We have some minimal young assets in Sully, Melo and Bradly.  Next year we'll probably force-feed them a ton of minutes to improve their trade value.  We'll probably have Rondo take his sweet time coming back from the ACL injury.  Perhaps he'll sit out the entire season like Rose.  We'll throw games late and try to pile on the losses.  Best case scenario, we land Wiggins or Parker in the 2014 draft and build our franchise around the guy.  Worst case scenario, we got a top 5 pick and either add that talented prospect to the rebuild mix or use it as an asset in a buffet trade for an impact player.  It's the only logical move at this point.  Boston's time is done.

One path leads to wiggins.  The other is the hope that Sully develops like Big Al and we can build a package around him and Bradley ... then build another package around our 2014 Top 5 pick and slap a couple talented stars next to Rajon Rondo.  Or countless other possibilities in between.  Tanking is a wondeful first step towards improving the health of the franchise.  And there is NO better time to tank than right now.  No guarantees this draft will actually be as good as 2003, but it's very rare that experts are ever this excited about a draft.  Take your shot now... not in 2015 when the prospects aren't nearly as touted.

I'm not against trying to land one of those young stars at all, I'm just saying be wary of the process possibly turning out like it has for the Bobcats.

Danny Ainge is an elite GM in this league.  The Bobcats are very poorly managed.  And again, it's different tanking on a normal year and tanking in 2003 or 2014.  If the Bobcats were around to tank in 2003, they'd have a shot at LeBron... or Melo... or Bosh... or Wade. 

[LarBrd33]

I think next year they will end up running out a team of Rondo, Bradley, Green, Sully, Jordan, Bledsoe and 16/25.

That is a team that is going to try very hard but at best be the 8th seed in the east. If they do end up being good, they will have cap space to add to a good young team.

If that lineup does not produce wins they are in the lottery for one year with the chance to add a franchise player.

So, if you consider this trade tanking, I am all for tanking.

#1 - they will not have cap space.  Do the math.  That team is still over the cap.

#2 - Winning 38-42 games is kind of a worst-case scenario.  If we make this trade it's for the purpose of tanking.  We'll ask the coach to intentionally lose games like we did in 2007.  I don't blame Doc if he's not up for it a second time around..  We might need to hire some other ringer like ML Carr to run this team into the ground for a year.  Someone who will be able to stomach Fab Melo playing 25 minutes off the bench and asking Rondo to take the year off.

[BballTim]

One path leads to wiggins.

  No paths lead to Wiggins, the closest you'll come is a somewhat unlikely chance of landing him.

[Edgar]

Mmmmmmmm not really. Somehow i still think this team have interesting assets to wheel and deal

[D.o.s.]

One path leads to wiggins.

  No paths lead to Wiggins, the closest you'll come is a somewhat unlikely chance of landing him.

Right. Like when we tanked for Duncan. Or Durant. Neither of whom, spoiler alert, ended up as Celtics.

I can root for a team that loses a majority of their games. I can't root for a team that's tanking.
You could argue that's semantics, but I think there's a pretty clear difference.