Will you be upset if we make the playoffs?

[rondoallaturca]

I'm curious if any of the folks who are dead set on tanking for a high draft pick will be upset if the team plays above their expectations and sneaks into the playoffs? 

I'm going to guess that Rondo is going to be very anxious to get back on the court, and that the team won't be able to hold him out if he feels ready to play.  If Sully's back holds up and we get healthy seasons out of Green and Bradley, I could definitely see this team being a contender for a playoff spot. 

If this happens will you curse Rondo and Jeff for playing like winners?  Will you say; "darn it, Kelly Olynyk turned out to be better than I expected"?  Will you root for Sully's back to go out again? 

Personally, I'm rooting for the playoffs.

ding ding ding!

The pro-tankers continually overlook this. Again...and again.

Pro-tankers overlook a lot of things while making a lot of silly assumptions.

[Who]

No -- I think if this team makes the playoffs it will probably be a very enjoyable team to watch. A scrappy tough minded team that is maxing out their collective ability. East to root for.

[LooseCannon]

I wouldn't be upset at all, I would welcome it.

I would much rather the Celts remain a respectable contender and get back into the finals by just reloading with established players as opposed to tanking and drafting a player with so much hype and ends up being a bust (Kwame Brown, Michael Olowakandi, Andrea Bargani, etc.)

You act like those are the only two options.

[lightspeed5]

we wont as long as our 2nd best player is gerald wallace

(rondo wont be playing much this year)

[Celtics18]

If Olynyk is our starting center, then theres no way we making the playoffs!!

I just realized that Olynyk has the same exact wingspan of the 6'4 Oladipo

Maybe we should start Kelly at the two.

[BballTim]

we wont as long as our 2nd best player is gerald wallace

(rondo wont be playing much this year)

  (Do you have a link to back up that claim?)

[Celtics18]

we wont as long as our 2nd best player is gerald wallace

(rondo wont be playing much this year)

I wouldn't be so certain of that. 

[Roy H.]

No.

In 2003-04, a lot of folks were upset that we made the playoffs.  That worked out well, though, as we got a chance to draft Big Al, who eventually turned into Kevin Garnett.

There's no guarantee that tanking / losing games will lead to an impact player.  If the team plays hard and makes the playoffs, I'll hope it works out for the best.

[Humble G]

No -- I think if this team makes the playoffs it will probably be a very enjoyable team to watch. A scrappy tough minded team that is maxing out their collective ability. East to root for.

TP- ditto to what Who said

[manl_lui]

personally, I hate Felger and Mazz but they made a point today on the radio. If your strategy is to tank and wish to get within the top 5 or even top 8 (as people said the top 8 players are very good), then I don't want to make playoffs. Even if we make 8th seed, that blows our chances with the lottery.

I do not however agree with the point of "If you tank and want to get the lottery, then you absolutely have to trade Rondo because he is too good to have the Celtics not make the playoffs" or that "we should take back bad players because it will increase our chances with the lottery"....

my opinion is that if we tank, have Rondo sit out the season or even half the season to rehab his knee and have Jeff Green grow as a player. That way if we do tank and get the lottery we can rebuild easier that way...

[Celtics4ever]

No, I will not be upset.

[hpantazo]

we wont as long as our 2nd best player is gerald wallace

(rondo wont be playing much this year)

  (Do you have a link to back up that claim?)

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2013-07-01/rajon-rondo-trade-boston-celtics-nets-kevin-garnett-paul-pierce-nba-free-agency

"But Rondo is coming back from an ACL injury, and is expected to miss the start of the season. Even when he does come back, he might not be quite himself from the get-go—very often, players need more than a year to fully get comfortable with a surgically repaired knee. Part of the goal of next year for Rondo, then, will be making his way back to 100 percent."


I'm amazed at how many CB posters believe that Rondo will be back to start the season, and/or will play his regular minutes and dominate. The guy will take a full year or more to recover, and will not rush back. Even when he returns, he will be nowhere near full speed this year.

[BballTim]

we wont as long as our 2nd best player is gerald wallace

(rondo wont be playing much this year)

  (Do you have a link to back up that claim?)

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2013-07-01/rajon-rondo-trade-boston-celtics-nets-kevin-garnett-paul-pierce-nba-free-agency

"But Rondo is coming back from an ACL injury, and is expected to miss the start of the season. Even when he does come back, he might not be quite himself from the get-go—very often, players need more than a year to fully get comfortable with a surgically repaired knee. Part of the goal of next year for Rondo, then, will be making his way back to 100 percent."


I'm amazed at how many CB posters believe that Rondo will be back to start the season, and/or will play his regular minutes and dominate. The guy will take a full year or more to recover, and will not rush back. Even when he returns, he will be nowhere near full speed this year.

  I was looking for something from Rondo's camp or the Celts (someone with firsthand knowledge of the situation), not idle speculation by some internet reporter. And didn't his doctor also operate on Adrian Peterson, and wasn't his recovery much, much faster than what you're describing? Obviously Rondo won't dominate right out of the gates but how he'll play this season is much less cut and dried than you're claiming it is.

[LarBrd33]

Assuming you mean we stick with Ainge's plan of acquiring young assets and draft picks... so in other words, we trade Rondo in a couple weeks after the Nets deal finally becomes official and are left with a team that roughly resembles PG - Bradley, SG - Datome?, SF - Green, PF - Olynyk, C - Sully ...

If that team manages to make the playoffs... wow.  Hat's off to them.  It means that we were somehow better without Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.  Incredible.  Who woulda thunk?  That's unbelievable.    I'm not even mad... I'm shocked.  I'm just completely dumfounded and shocked.  How is it possible that we were BETTER without Kevin Garnett and Pierce.  HOw did this happen?  I'm drooling on myself right now.  I think I need to sit down... I'm passing out.  Where am I?  What does my life mean?   Where do I buy my Kelly Olynyk All-star jersey?  I don't normally buy jerseys... I'm a classy white dude.  Does reebok still make them?  Is it worth buying a replica or can I get away with just buying some cheapo made-in-caspiar knockoff via ebay.com?  My grandma use to be really good at knitting.  She made me a badass Ninja Turtle sweater in 2nd grade that everyone was jealous of.   Wait... The Celtics made the playoffs ?  Seriously???  Wow.  Awesome.  Danny Ainge is a god.  We got 3 1st rounders for dead weight that was holding us back.

[Celtics18]

Assuming you mean we stick with Ainge's plan of acquiring young assets and draft picks... so in other words, we trade Rondo in a couple weeks after the Nets deal finally becomes official and are left with a team that roughly resembles PG - Bradley, SG - Datome?, SF - Green, PF - Olynyk, C - Sully ...

If that team manages to make the playoffs... wow.  Hat's off to them.  It means that we were somehow better without Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.  Incredible.  Who woulda thunk?  That's unbelievable.    I'm not even mad... I'm shocked.  I'm just completely dumfounded and shocked.  How is it possible that we were BETTER without Kevin Garnett and Pierce.  HOw did this happen?  I'm drooling on myself right now.  I think I need to sit down... I'm passing out.  Where am I?  What does my life mean?   Where do I buy my Kelly Olynyk All-star jersey?  I don't normally buy jerseys... I'm a classy white dude.  Does reebok still make them?  Is it worth buying a replica or can I get away with just buying some cheapo made-in-caspiar knockoff via ebay.com?  My grandma use to be really good at knitting.  She made me a badass Ninja Turtle sweater in 2nd grade that everyone was jealous of.   Wait... The Celtics made the playoffs ?  Seriously???  Wow.  Awesome.  Danny Ainge is a god.  We got 3 1st rounders for dead weight that was holding us back.

I see you are channeling your inner Andy Kaufman now.  Very clever. 

I meant with Rondo, though.  My sources are telling me that he's not going anywhere.