I knew about the potential deal beforehand....but you always hold out a bit of hope that it doesnt go through. Sure we get 3 first round picks. Sure we decide to tank during a great draft. Sure we allow KG/Pierce to compete one last time.
But how did we get here? A LeBron unbelievable 45/15/5 game from going to the finals a year ago. Then a Ray Allen going to Miami (looks like he knew what was coming eh?), our coach deciding to jump ship (did he know what was coming...or did he ultimately cause whats happening...I lean towards the former). Now giving up KG...the player who changed this franchise around. The player who finally gave the Celtics an attitude. The guy who if healthy would have made the Celtics Threepeat. We gave that up? Now to Paul Pierce....A guy put in 15 years as a Celtic. The guy who played with a number of terrible players (who I will name later....) bad times, TOUGH LIFE SITUATIONS, and through all that tough time...he remained the constant. It was so satisfying to see him get the players around him he deserves. Then Paul finally on the big stage won MVP. We gave that up? The rare chance for a player to play their entire career in one uniform. Something it looks like his former draft mate DIrk will get to enjoy.
Maybe its just the crapshoot of the draft. I know that feeling of waiting for Oden and Durant....only to be in the position to draft Jeff Green. I know that crushing feeling. I've felt it twice. Once in 2007 and the other in 1997. Now we dodged a bullet in Oden, but missed on Durant....but we were giving a GIFT that lasted these good years. We got KG and Ray Allen. We became the team that forced Miami to be "the team". Owining LeBron and Wade and making them want to join up. Even while joined up....KG frightening Chris Bosh. We gave that up.
Forget the crap shoot....remember the young prospects? I do. In fact I really enjoyed it....but that in hindsight was more my satisfaction of short term unhappiness. It was good to have a bad squad. Just keep collecting those young assets. Just keep hoping all these young inexperienced players will figure it out. Everybody had they're own "binky"
Ahh the Gerald Green days. Use to get excited about his dunks in a meaningless game. Use to look for any and every improvement. Hoping he can be one of the guys to turn this thing around. Ahh the Sebastian Telfair addition. A crazy hyped PG outta high school. Just needed a change of address. He'll figure it out. He's the PG that's going to change the franchise. He'll be the Chris Paul lite they said. He was the one starting over Rondo the year they first got here. We remember hoping Telfair would find a jump shot...improve his quickness...become a good defender.
Ahh the Perk/Jefferson front court. I remember people miffed at the idea of giving up Al in a trade for KG (yes this is true) Al had such natural scoring ability. We just saw the potential, the what could have been. We were overjoyed about our Perk/AlJeff big man duo. Al Jefferson was going to be our cornerstone player. I remember. I remember getting excited about Perkins 4 assists in the 1st half of a summer league again. Thinking with his passing and Perk's post play...we'll be ready to go in the future. Not knowing that Perk would never reach his full potential before or since playing with KG. Days before Utah would practically give up on him. The TWolves knowing that Kevin Love is a better option. No..not during these days. Just belief in another prospect.
The Kedrick Browns, the Jerome Moiso's. Yes they share a memory as well. Excited about this athletic defender that can shoot the 3. Kawhi Leonard before Kawhie Leonard basically. Jerome Moiso, the shotblocking demon. Two nice additions to the roster. That Joe Johnson guy whose talented, but juuuuuusststt not quite ready for playoff basketball. I remember those days. Sadly Kedrick never cared and Jerome was well...Jerome. I am reminded of days of Mark Blount, JR Bremer (though its a disrespect to him to mention him with Blount) and other players. We always found our gem. BLount was a gem for sure. Not like we thought...but always good for a laugh.
What i'm saying isnt too frighten you. I could all the way back to 93. But I remember the bad just as well as the good over these 20 years. And through some good movement we got some enjoyable years. I understand that players come and go. I understand that there is no beating father time. I understand it would happen sooner or later. I understand that the Celtics need to rebuild. I'm just reminding those who are "Happy" that we've been here before. We can go back to 97.....we can be not bad enough. Wallace, Humphries will compete enough....Rondo still has major heart. And more importantly teams like the Bobcats, Suns and Kings exist.
So we can talk Wiggins. But chances are we wont. We'll get a good young player...but chances are he's "Billiups" talent player we give up on too soon....cause he's not quite ready yet. Oh we'll get that Ron Mercer type freshman or sophomore next year as well. Kid thats able to step in get double figures. Yea that'll get us excited and believing. We'll talk about the young pieces that can go around Rondo. But even Rondo will looking for the vets.
I'm not saying we cant or wont come out of the abyss. But we will spend quite some time in the abyss.
Will the NBA do us a solid and give us Wiggins? Give us Parker/Randle as a consolation prize? Eh. They havent before. I shouldnt expect it now.
We will turn it around because I believe. It will take years to fix this and maybe even some more....because we've been here before.
This is a new era....we'll be strong. We'll enjoy following college players in January/February. We'll all have our favorite young player. People will argue back and forth about who will be the guy on this team. We'll all be Celtics fans. We'll all remain them. I'm just saying we are in an uphill battle the few years. So here we are...once again.
And if you made it this far...I'll give you some humor..
TL;DR
Topic: Crushed..not defeated..but deflated *Django......Unchained* (Read 530 times)