I am shocked/disappointed that people root for the Nets now.

[LilRip]

i haven't read the entire thread, but some statements have already shocked me. I mean, for all of our talk about "loyalty" and the like, i can't believe someone would be shocked or disappointed that some fans root for the Nets because Pierce and KG are there.

I mean, as fans, can't we show a guy like Pierce a little loyalty?

He's wearing a Nets jersey, sure, but deep down, i still consider him a Celtic. When the Nets are playing the C's, then i'll root for the C's to win. But on other nights, when it's Pierce and the Nets vs. the Knicks? When it's them vs. the Heat? I think i'd find it pretty easy to root for Pierce and the Nets.

i'm sure i'm biased coz Pierce is one of my faves, but i think loyalty should go two ways. I'm disappointed in those fans who have quickly cut ties with the player who gave them his entire career and won a championship and Finals MVP here. At the end of the day, laundry would just be laundry if it weren't for those great men who wore it before.

[KGs Knee]

It's simple.

When the C's and Nets play, I root for Boston.

When the Nets play anyone else, I root for them.

I suppose the ideal scenario would be for the Nets to get the 8th seed in the East and 16th overall, but win the title.  C's get the best pick possible from a playoff team.  I suspect the Nets will finish 3rd or 4th in the East though.

[GreenFaith1819]

For me, it's crystal clear.

BKN, IMO - have a decent shot at sending LeBron back to CLE....just like Paul and KG did in 09-10 on their way to the Finals.

Fast-Forward to now? Here we are.

While I'm still in a bit of shock, admittedly, to see KG and Paul in another uni, I'm fully behind BKN in their bid to send LeBron back to CLE...because I firmly believe that that is where he'll turn up once Paul and KG - once again - stand in his way.

And yes - I still bleed Green - since 1981. And will always bleed Green.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I'm "shocked and disappointed" at how many Celtics fans have little appreciation for basketball outside of our team.  I am consistently mystified by people who get upset with me when I say I enjoy teams other than the Celtics.  I think the problem is there are too many baseball fans in Boston who have it ingrained in their heads that if you're not watching your team it's insufferable to watch a team sport.  Not all sports have 5 hour long games with 4 1/2 hours of downtime.

The bottom line is that basketball is an amazing sport and I love watching it, playing it and going to games on all levels.  The Celtics are my team and I can proudly say I was at the historic 18th consecutive loss 6 years ago and I will watch as many games as I can this season.  But at the end of the day, I will also be watching as many Warriors, TWolves and Bucks games as I can too.  Stop being such tribal ****s about it, come on

[Lucky17]

He's wearing a Nets jersey, sure, but deep down, i still consider him a Celtic.

I understand perfectly this sentiment. Pierce undeniably holds a special place in the franchise's history.

But, it made me consider the following: are there players out there who are "Celtics" even if they haven't played a single minute for Boston?

[billysan]

I will Root for Paul Pierce until his Jersey goes up in the Garden rafters.

I will always love KG's game and tenacity, no matter where he plays.

For me, a perfect scenario is for the Nets to win big this year and be mediocre next. Give us say the number 28 in 2014 and we take whatever the Clippers give in 2015. Probably still top 20 with any luck and we may be still in the 12-15 range anyway. That will be just in time for Pierce and KG to retire and we get a doozy of a pick in 2016 when the Nets are blowing up. Could even be a top ten or better.

Give us a lotto pick while we are ascending in 2016 and 2017. I count a likely 2-3 lotto picks for the Celtics  from 2014-2017. Meanwhile we get to watch Pierce and KG destroy the Heat before they retire. How could anyone not love this?

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

I'm hoping they win it all this reason and retire straight away.

[LilRip]

He's wearing a Nets jersey, sure, but deep down, i still consider him a Celtic.

I understand perfectly this sentiment. Pierce undeniably holds a special place in the franchise's history.

But, it made me consider the following: are there players out there who are "Celtics" even if they haven't played a single minute for Boston?

that's a tough question. hmm, how about that Bulls player, Jimmy Butler? and maybe Spurs players like Parker and Duncan and Kawhi Leonard. lol. The Spurs feel like the C's of the West, honestly. All team, no ego and crazy loyal.

And ironically, before the 07 trade happened, i was already a huge fan of KG and wishing he'd be a Celtic. I even had the black timberwolves away jersey of #21 and his And1 shoes, believe it or not, and so when the trade went down, you can imagine how excited i was.

[fitzhickey]

He's wearing a Nets jersey, sure, but deep down, i still consider him a Celtic.

I understand perfectly this sentiment. Pierce undeniably holds a special place in the franchise's history.

But, it made me consider the following: are there players out there who are "Celtics" even if they haven't played a single minute for Boston?

D-Wade and Michael Beasley. Perfect representatives of the Celts.
just kidding I always thought that Luis Scola played like a Celtic, and Chandler Parsons. Still annoyed that we couldn't get him

[Celtics18]

Boris,

A thousand pardons, but of course I'm going to nitpick.  In the quote about trading Pierce and Garnett, he was fairly waffly, I would definitely even call him evasive.  On the other hand, when asked about the prospect of this year's team tanking, he clearly and unequivocally has said--on the record--"we are not tanking."  There is nothing wishy-washy or hazy about that quote. 

There's a distinction there for me.  If he had said, "we are absolutely not trading Pierce and Garnett" and then gone ahead and done it within the next twenty-four hours, then, yeah, he would have made a liar of himself. 

But, he didn't do that.  He said they'd been working on deals and he didn't see anything imminent, until it was actually a done deal.  In my opinion, that was the smart thing to say.  I don't see it as outright deceit.

But here's the thing. "Tanking" is such a vague concept that he can make definitive statements about "not tanking" without really saying *anything*. Maybe he takes tanking to mean "intentionally throwing games"...in which case, he can do a lot of things I would consider tanking and still make that definitive statement without it being a lie from his perspective.

In contrast "trading KG" is a specific statement, so he has to be more evasive in the rest of the statement.

And, the other more practical concern is that the league will punish teams for tanking. So, even if you're doing it, you have a clear incentive to say you're not, or to define it in such a way that you can say you're not doing it, even if everyone else thinks you are.

That's fine.  My, original point, though, was a rebuttal to someone who claimed that management and ownership are actively rooting for ping pong balls.  I disagree with that statement.  I guess you're right that Danny would never say it publicly if that was what he was rooting for. 

I happen to think it makes more sense to try for and hope for as many wins as possible to build a winning attitude among this young team than to hope to lose more games than anyone else for a hope on a wing and a prayer at shot at a nineteen year old who might someday be a franchise player.

My guess is that Danny, Wyc, Pags, and company feel the same way that I do.

[ACF]

I am a Celtic fan. I am also a Paul Pierce fan (my favorite player ever - I've followed him and watched him grow into a man) and I have always been a Kevin Garnett fan, even way back in Minny when they really sucked. And KG just had to come to Boston for me to realize how great a player he truly is. From a business point of view, the BKN/LAC deals will probably be a great thing for us (in the long run at least). PP and KG getting a second shot at glory is only gravy.

Go Celtics! Go Nets!

[Boris Badenov]

Boris,

A thousand pardons, but of course I'm going to nitpick.  In the quote about trading Pierce and Garnett, he was fairly waffly, I would definitely even call him evasive.  On the other hand, when asked about the prospect of this year's team tanking, he clearly and unequivocally has said--on the record--"we are not tanking."  There is nothing wishy-washy or hazy about that quote. 

There's a distinction there for me.  If he had said, "we are absolutely not trading Pierce and Garnett" and then gone ahead and done it within the next twenty-four hours, then, yeah, he would have made a liar of himself. 

But, he didn't do that.  He said they'd been working on deals and he didn't see anything imminent, until it was actually a done deal.  In my opinion, that was the smart thing to say.  I don't see it as outright deceit.

But here's the thing. "Tanking" is such a vague concept that he can make definitive statements about "not tanking" without really saying *anything*. Maybe he takes tanking to mean "intentionally throwing games"...in which case, he can do a lot of things I would consider tanking and still make that definitive statement without it being a lie from his perspective.

In contrast "trading KG" is a specific statement, so he has to be more evasive in the rest of the statement.

And, the other more practical concern is that the league will punish teams for tanking. So, even if you're doing it, you have a clear incentive to say you're not, or to define it in such a way that you can say you're not doing it, even if everyone else thinks you are.

That's fine.  My, original point, though, was a rebuttal to someone who claimed that management and ownership are actively rooting for ping pong balls.  I disagree with that statement.  I guess you're right that Danny would never say it publicly if that was what he was rooting for. 

I happen to think it makes more sense to try for and hope for as many wins as possible to build a winning attitude among this young team than to hope to lose more games than anyone else for a hope on a wing and a prayer at shot at a nineteen year old who might someday be a franchise player.

My guess is that Danny, Wyc, Pags, and company feel the same way that I do.

I don't disagree, in the sense that I think Danny et al. might be hoping for as many wins as possible, *given* the players and coach they put on the team.

It's really about effort in terms of assembling the team. I think Danny's eyes are on the team he will have in 2017 or so, rather than the one we have now, and if he can make a move that makes us worse now and better in 2017 he'll do it in a heartbeat.

Getting a higher pick this year might be one of the things that accomplishes that goal, of course. We'll learn a lot over the year about how much Danny values that, I think. Will he be tinkering around the edges at the end of this year to make us better, like he's done for the last few years? Or will he stand pat, or even give up assets down the stretch?

[mqtcelticsfan]

This year I'm cheering for the Nets to win the title, and the Celtics to win the lottery. I'd never watch a game and actively root for the Nets over the Cs, but I'm definitely cheering for Pierce and KG come playoff time when Boston is out.

[feckless]

Putting a team like this years Celtics on the floor, with a  coach with zero NBA experience, is in and of itself tanking.  The Celtics players, and coaches, are expected to try and win, but those wins will be few and far between.  Danny Ainge and Wyc have already tanked this year, no matter what the record ends up being!

[indeedproceed]

Putting a team like this years Celtics on the floor with a  coach with zero NBA experience is in and of itself tanking.  The Celtics players, and coaches, are expected to try and win, but those wins will be few and far between.  Danny Ainge and Wyc have already tanked this year, no matter what the record ends up being!

That's about how I feel. Brad Stevens might have started the season as 36, but he'll end up being 50+ by years end.