I got my popcorn and I'm enjoying the loses

[timobusa]

We're playing hard, we're just not winning. That's all I could ask for with this current roster without Rondo.

I'll take the losses as they come.
I'll take wins gladly too.

I see our guys fighting hard, We just don't have enough talent, and chemistry just yet.

I believe in this team, We will be back contending soon enough.

I'm not sure I'm seeing "playing hard." I was looking forward to this year to tell you the truth. After three years of "they will turn it on" in the playoffs I wanted to see a team that would try hard even if they failed in the end. But I'm not sure I've seen that.

I almost have the feeling that most of these guys know this year is a bust. And that they're not going to be Celtics for very long and that this is almost pointless for most of them. I can understand that somewhat.

Good point, but we might be watching two different ball games.

There was a lot of hustle plays, and rallying back from double digit leads the last couple of games.
Granted they fumble in the end and don't finish well, but that's expected, this team does not have a closer, or an all star for that matter.

I see them playing as hard as they can.
 
Add in a new coach that is new to the NBA style of basketball.

You gotta put all that to the mix, this team is playing hard, we're just not winning.

[tyrone biggums]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

I remember being on here back when the trade broke and people were mad that Ainge traded Big Al AND G-Money. The 2006-2007 squad is beloved on this board and I still don't understand why. I think most of the "fans" here feel like the Celtics should not be in the same class as the Lakers Knicks Heat etc...which is hardly the case. People forget that the Celtics have the most titles in NBA History. Tanking makes me sick. The only thing that's worse is having 80% of your fan base cheer against you.

[LarBrd33]

Ladies and gentlemen, I see the bigger picture.  If history has taught us anything, it's that Danny Ainge is a smart dude.  I admire the way he thinks and his patience.  We're going to be the worst team in the league and it's for the greater good.  Let's keep loosing, guys.  This is the only season I would ever say that as a Celtics fan.  Let's lose and lose big.  Anybody with me?

  Plenty of people will be with you, and if history's any indicator the vast majority of you guys will furious that you had to watch such a terrible season if the Celts lose the lottery.

Tim, it's been 4 months since Danny Ainge threw away the season and traded KG and Pierce.  I can handle another 5 or so.   We're practically half of the way there.

If we keep this up and lose the next 79 games, we're guaranteed a Top 4 pick in a draft with at least 5 guys I'd be comfortable building a franchise around.

I'm totally comfortable with the losses.  It's like getting a flu shot... it hurts for a second, you might get sick for a couple days... but it's worth it.  This season is a flu shot.  It stinks, but it's necessary.

I'm enjoying this process.  Fun watching the young guys play hard.  It's just 1 season.  Whatevs.

ALso, last time Danny threw a season, I gleefully rooted for losses and I have NO REGRETS. 



Embrace the tank! 

[gpap]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

I remember being on here back when the trade broke and people were mad that Ainge traded Big Al AND G-Money. The 2006-2007 squad is beloved on this board and I still don't understand why. I think most of the "fans" here feel like the Celtics should not be in the same class as the Lakers Knicks Heat etc...which is hardly the case. People forget that the Celtics have the most titles in NBA History. Tanking makes me sick. The only thing that's worse is having 80% of your fan base cheer against you.

Tanking makes me sick too. It's just not the way of a team that's won 17 NBA titles. People bring up this myth that in the NBA "you have to get bad before you get good" but I just don't buy that for a second.

The other day I was listening to Marc Bertrand on the Sports Hub totally applaud the awful start the Celts are on just so they can get a high draft pick.

I wanted to call in to his show in the worse way and just ask him "Hey Shamu....are you even a Celtics fan? Do you know anything about pride and trying to win? Because if you answered yes to either of those, you wouldn't be advocating a tank job."

And to think this as*clown is on an FM sports station.

[LarBrd33]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

In the alternate universe where KG isn't traded to the Celtics, I can basically guarantee that KG ends up with the Lakers and Boston ends up with Pau Gasol.  It's a lock.  Ainge collected assets... we had more than enough to land Gasol.  WE would have been fine. 

[LarBrd33]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

I remember being on here back when the trade broke and people were mad that Ainge traded Big Al AND G-Money. The 2006-2007 squad is beloved on this board and I still don't understand why. I think most of the "fans" here feel like the Celtics should not be in the same class as the Lakers Knicks Heat etc...which is hardly the case. People forget that the Celtics have the most titles in NBA History. Tanking makes me sick. The only thing that's worse is having 80% of your fan base cheer against you.

Tanking makes me sick too. It's just not the way of a team that's won 17 NBA titles.

True... tanking is the way of a team that won 16 NBA titles. 

Fact:  Bottoming out has resulted in multiple Boston Celtics championships.  Check your history books, lads.  This is a good thing.  Ainge made the right move to tank.  It's been 4 months since the season was tanked...  This will be over in a blink.  You'll all be fine.

[Onslaught]

Ladies and gentlemen, I see the bigger picture.  If history has taught us anything, it's that Danny Ainge is a smart dude.  I admire the way he thinks and his patience.  We're going to be the worst team in the league and it's for the greater good.  Let's keep loosing, guys.  This is the only season I would ever say that as a Celtics fan.  Let's lose and lose big.  Anybody with me?

  Plenty of people will be with you, and if history's any indicator the vast majority of you guys will furious that you had to watch such a terrible season if the Celts lose the lottery.

If we keep this up and lose the next 79 games, we're guaranteed a Top 4 pick in a draft with at least 5 guys I'd be comfortable building a franchise around.

I

Embrace the tank! 

This is the one thing I've got a problem with. I understand it, and it's probably the best way for us to go. But I think that these kids coming out this year aren't near as good as people hope. I don't see a future James, Bird or MJ in any of these kids.

[LarBrd33]

Ladies and gentlemen, I see the bigger picture.  If history has taught us anything, it's that Danny Ainge is a smart dude.  I admire the way he thinks and his patience.  We're going to be the worst team in the league and it's for the greater good.  Let's keep loosing, guys.  This is the only season I would ever say that as a Celtics fan.  Let's lose and lose big.  Anybody with me?

  Plenty of people will be with you, and if history's any indicator the vast majority of you guys will furious that you had to watch such a terrible season if the Celts lose the lottery.

If we keep this up and lose the next 79 games, we're guaranteed a Top 4 pick in a draft with at least 5 guys I'd be comfortable building a franchise around.

I

Embrace the tank! 

This is the one thing I've got a problem with. I understand it, and it's probably the best way for us to go. But I think that these kids coming out this year aren't near as good as people hope. I don't see a future James, Bird or MJ in any of these kids.

Eh... give it a couple months into the COllege season.  Regardless, it doesn't matter.  Assets are assets.  Long-term, it was the right move to throw away this season.  I'd be comfortable with a Top 8 pick. 

[gpap]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

In the alternate universe where KG isn't traded to the Celtics, I can basically guarantee that KG ends up with the Lakers and Boston ends up with Pau Gasol.  It's a lock.  Ainge collected assets... we had more than enough to land Gasol.  WE would have been fine.

Fair point. I'd like to hope and think that if the KG deal never happened in 2007 that Ainge would've had a plan B.

And now that you bring that up, I wonder if we would've been better off dealing for Gasol instead of KG because we probably wouldn't have had to deal Jefferson to get Gasol.

I would assume that the Celts could've had Gasol for half the package they deal for KG and today you could still have Pierce, Gasol and Al Jeff in your starting lineup.

But, that's a totally different conversation for a different day.

[Onslaught]

Ladies and gentlemen, I see the bigger picture.  If history has taught us anything, it's that Danny Ainge is a smart dude.  I admire the way he thinks and his patience.  We're going to be the worst team in the league and it's for the greater good.  Let's keep loosing, guys.  This is the only season I would ever say that as a Celtics fan.  Let's lose and lose big.  Anybody with me?

  Plenty of people will be with you, and if history's any indicator the vast majority of you guys will furious that you had to watch such a terrible season if the Celts lose the lottery.

If we keep this up and lose the next 79 games, we're guaranteed a Top 4 pick in a draft with at least 5 guys I'd be comfortable building a franchise around.

I

Embrace the tank! 

This is the one thing I've got a problem with. I understand it, and it's probably the best way for us to go. But I think that these kids coming out this year aren't near as good as people hope. I don't see a future James, Bird or MJ in any of these kids.

Eh... give it a couple months into the COllege season.  Regardless, it doesn't matter.  Assets are assets.  Long-term, it was the right move to throw away this season.  I'd be comfortable with a Top 8 pick.

In the end I agree. It was time to move on no matter how much it hurt. But I fear this site could have a problem with people jumping off buildings when we don't get the number one pick this year. And we won't.

[PhoSita]

Ladies and gentlemen, I see the bigger picture.  If history has taught us anything, it's that Danny Ainge is a smart dude.  I admire the way he thinks and his patience.  We're going to be the worst team in the league and it's for the greater good.  Let's keep loosing, guys.  This is the only season I would ever say that as a Celtics fan.  Let's lose and lose big.  Anybody with me?

  Plenty of people will be with you, and if history's any indicator the vast majority of you guys will furious that you had to watch such a terrible season if the Celts lose the lottery.

The results cannot be allowed to determine the validity of the process, at least in the short term.

What I admire and respect about both Stevens and Ainge is that they have a process, a method, and they stick to it.  They change course mid-stream just because things aren't going exactly as they played.  They trust the process.  I trust them.

So if the ping pong balls don't fall our way this season, it doesn't mean it wasn't worth it.  If the team is as bad I believe it is and will be, then we'll still get a pick in the top 5-8.

History tells us that as long as you're picking in the top 10, you have a chance at selecting a really good player.  Ainge has also demonstrated an ability to find useful players in the 15-25 range, so that Nets pick -- and perhaps another late 1st we pick up mid-season via trade -- could also supply a much needed infusion of talent.

This time next year, I believe the team will be in a much better position to really begin building towards contention.  This season is really all about seeing if any of the jumble of parts currently on the roster is worth investing in long term and then beginning to jettison the rest.

[PhoSita]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

In the alternate universe where KG isn't traded to the Celtics, I can basically guarantee that KG ends up with the Lakers and Boston ends up with Pau Gasol.  It's a lock.  Ainge collected assets... we had more than enough to land Gasol.  WE would have been fine.

Interesting line of inquiry -- would the Celtics perhaps have given up less to get Gasol than they had to give up to get Garnett?  Might they have had even more talent on that team?

Also, would an Allen - Pierce - Gasol trio have been as effective?  Would they have won any titles?  Might they have won more titles because Gasol was healthy during the 2009 playoffs?

[Onslaught]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

In the alternate universe where KG isn't traded to the Celtics, I can basically guarantee that KG ends up with the Lakers and Boston ends up with Pau Gasol.  It's a lock.  Ainge collected assets... we had more than enough to land Gasol.  WE would have been fine.

Our D wouldn't be as good. Garnet made Gasol look like a little girl in the finals. It wasn't until after that smack down that he developed a pair and played like a man.

Interesting line of inquiry -- would the Celtics perhaps have given up less to get Gasol than they had to give up to get Garnett?  Might they have had even more talent on that team?

Also, would an Allen - Pierce - Gasol trio have been as effective?  Would they have won any titles?  Might they have won more titles because Gasol was healthy during the 2009 playoffs?

[LarBrd33]

Ladies and gentlemen, I see the bigger picture.  If history has taught us anything, it's that Danny Ainge is a smart dude.  I admire the way he thinks and his patience.  We're going to be the worst team in the league and it's for the greater good.  Let's keep loosing, guys.  This is the only season I would ever say that as a Celtics fan.  Let's lose and lose big.  Anybody with me?

  Plenty of people will be with you, and if history's any indicator the vast majority of you guys will furious that you had to watch such a terrible season if the Celts lose the lottery.

If we keep this up and lose the next 79 games, we're guaranteed a Top 4 pick in a draft with at least 5 guys I'd be comfortable building a franchise around.

I

Embrace the tank! 

This is the one thing I've got a problem with. I understand it, and it's probably the best way for us to go. But I think that these kids coming out this year aren't near as good as people hope. I don't see a future James, Bird or MJ in any of these kids.

Eh... give it a couple months into the COllege season.  Regardless, it doesn't matter.  Assets are assets.  Long-term, it was the right move to throw away this season.  I'd be comfortable with a Top 8 pick.

In the end I agree. It was time to move on no matter how much it hurt. But I fear this site could have a problem with people jumping off buildings when we don't get the number one pick this year. And we won't.

It doesn't matter if we get the #1 pick.  Barring some kind of freak-show overachieving miracle run, we're going to end up with a Top 8 pick in a loaded draft.  Ainge drafts well.  We'll end up with a quality asset we can either keep or use down the road.  Our Unprotected 2014 1st rounder is the best asset this team has.

Losing out on the Oden/Durant draft hurt like hell.  We ended up with a worst-case scenario #5 pick... that turned out ok.

People commonly bring up our failed tank job in 1997.  FIrst of all, that was a brutally mismanaged team with an incompetent front office.   Second of all, it was an extremely top-heavy draft with only one projected star.   Third of all, it was still the right move to make.  Superstars win championships in this league and you take your chance on one.  What was the alternative?... trading for Michael Jordan?  Trading for Shaq?  It wasn't happening.  Tanking for Duncan was the right move for a hopeless franchise.   The irony of all the bellyaching about tanking in 1997 is that the player we DID end up drafting with the #3 pick went on to be a 5 time NBA All-Star, an NBA champion and Finals MVP.   Granted, we ended up giving him away way too soon, but a future 5-time allstar aint a bad consolation prize for missing out on a 1 player draft. 

[PhoSita]

Enjoy your popcorn.

If Kevin McHale wasn't the Timberwolves GM in 2007, I wonder if people would still be throwing rose petals at Danny Ainge's feet for the 2008 championship.

In the alternate universe where KG isn't traded to the Celtics, I can basically guarantee that KG ends up with the Lakers and Boston ends up with Pau Gasol.  It's a lock.  Ainge collected assets... we had more than enough to land Gasol.  WE would have been fine.

Our D wouldn't be as good. Garnet made Gasol look like a little girl in the finals. It wasn't until after that smack down that he developed a pair and played like a man.

Interesting line of inquiry -- would the Celtics perhaps have given up less to get Gasol than they had to give up to get Garnett?  Might they have had even more talent on that team?

Also, would an Allen - Pierce - Gasol trio have been as effective?  Would they have won any titles?  Might they have won more titles because Gasol was healthy during the 2009 playoffs?

I agree that defense would be the biggest question mark with that group.  On the other hand, Gasol would have given the Celtics more of an inside scoring presence than Garnett did, and Gasol is an even better passer than Garnett is, which is saying something.  Gasol might have made the Celtics so deadly offensively that it would have made up for the defense. 

Gasol has always been an underrated defender, in any case.  He was taken advantage of by the Celtics because he was forced to play at center so often with Bynum injured.