are we to assume that the starting line ups of every other nba team does NOT suffer catastrophic injuries? because without such massive and pandemic-esque injuries this celtics roster is not walking through any playoff doors next year.
look at the question this way. WITH kg and pierce, the celtics were 41-40, barely making the playoffs.
without them, meaning their scoring and defense, i would be surprised if the celtics won 30 games this season. honestly, a 15 to 20 win team is a distinct possibility.
with pierce and KG the celtics offense was a weakness. without them, scoring is going to be a real challenge for the celtics. how many possessions with 6 or less seconds less did kg or pierce manage to create a score? who else can create their own shot on the team now?
how many games did pierce and kg pull out for the celtics by scoring in the closing moments? who does that now for the celtics?
green did well as the #3 option as scorer last year. his scoring may go up this year since no one else can score effectively and consistently for the celtics. he will be the main man for scoring. but when a game is on the line the opposing team will focus on green. heck, on most possession defenses will focus on green.
will green be able to score as effectively then? we will find out. but even if green can score, who else will do this night in and night out without kg or pierce to help out? and don't forget, passing and assists have not really been part of green's game. i dont expect him to create a lot of opportunities for others when his shot is not falling.
and the defense. geez, stevens is going to implement some complex defensive schemes. it will take 1/2 season or more for the team to really know them well. until then other teams will take advantage of late switches and bad decision by the celtics. plus lots of new teammates who dont know one another yet does not bode well for the team.
with kg last year, when he sat on the bench everyone saw the celtics defense became worse. now there is NO kg at all. i dont think celtics defense will win a great number of games.
i believe that this team will be ugly next year. but that is ok.
i hope stevens plays the kids each night every night. at least then losing may show us which young players are keepers and which ones are not. at least the celtics get something positive from the train wreck season that is coming.
contrariwise, if all stevens does is play wallace and humphries, the celtics will still lose, but the youngsters won't learn as quickly.
ever the optimist, i predict that the celtics will be beaten like gongs more often than not. and i can live with that since it is a rebuilding year. this coming season should be about building the future, not winning today.
so, did i mention that i harbor doubts about the celtics' playoff chances?
Topic: With the current roster, is the Celts a playoff team?? (Read 22689 times)