I'm not sure if I should be excited or not!

[Kiorrik]

We are .500 in a season that's just started, with a pretty much all-new core of the team, and question-marks around the return of our lone all-star / star player / captain.

This teem can go either way, and everyone knows this.

Right now, most of the people posting on this blog/forum have split into two camps; those that believe we're tanking, and those that don't.

I'd like to make a case for both of these camps to join the middle grounds, where we just wait and see, and forego the chance to say "I told you so" in favor of rooting for a team that has a lot of young developing talent.

This change in approach to these games will allow both camps to focus less on calling each-other out over nothing, and more on rooting and predicting where individual players will go.

In other words, I'm kind of hoping people will stop presenting their opinions and guesses as facts and obvious truths.

So yes, be excited. By all means, root for this team to do as best they can. The better they do, the more we get back for their contracts, or perhaps even develop them into (fringe-) stars or rotation players.

[Interceptor]

If you're excited, you're excited. It ain't subject to anyone's approval.

Me personally, I was hoping for a tank season full of hard-fought losses, so that we could get a good young player in the draft. If we already HAVE that good young core (and it appears that we do, at every position), then there is not a whole lot of value in losing, so I'm on board.

Ainge is smart enough to add pieces with the assets he has, so I don't care if this team gets the nine seed as long as you can see good potential.

[Mazingerz]

You should. . .

I for one am excited that the young core is carrying the team and succeeding at it because of excellent coaching;

We have Brad Stevens and Ron Adams on board plus the stat wiz kid;

Man, I feel giddy that we can really make some noise this year and the years to follow;

P.S.

Some people may now clamor that we tank or trade Rondo. IMHO Rajon is an important piece of the puzzle for the Cs and with him who knows we may end on top of the mountain sooner than we expect it.

Running game aka Tommy ball is what was needed by this team.

[Bahku]

Be excited!

What's the point of being a Celtic's fan if you can't get excited?

I know what you're saying, but this is fun, if nothing else, and better things are on the way.

[Kuberski33]

Showing my age here, but they are playing the style that the Celtics played when Tommy Heinsohn coached back in the 70's.  Rebound, get it in the guards hands as quickly as possible, get the break going and put pressure on the D before it can get set.

Tommy's been preaching this style since the end of the Bird era and no Celtics team has done it -- and no NBA team has done it. 

It's almost like Stevens studied Celtics history and pulled this style out of the mothballs.  It will be fascinating to see whether it continues and whether the Celtics can be successful with it long term once teams start to really focus on slowing them down.

On the other hand, as Tommy mentioned tonight - Rondo is made for this style.  This may be the most interesting team in the NBA to watch...successful or not.

Tommy didn't sound all that shocked at what he was watching so I'm betting he and Stevens have talked at length.

[Boris Badenov]

We are .500 in a season that's just started, with a pretty much all-new core of the team, and question-marks around the return of our lone all-star / star player / captain.

This teem can go either way, and everyone knows this.

Right now, most of the people posting on this blog/forum have split into two camps; those that believe we're tanking, and those that don't.

I'd like to make a case for both of these camps to join the middle grounds, where we just wait and see, and forego the chance to say "I told you so" in favor of rooting for a team that has a lot of young developing talent.

This change in approach to these games will allow both camps to focus less on calling each-other out over nothing, and more on rooting and predicting where individual players will go.

In other words, I'm kind of hoping people will stop presenting their opinions and guesses as facts and obvious truths.

So yes, be excited. By all means, root for this team to do as best they can. The better they do, the more we get back for their contracts, or perhaps even develop them into (fringe-) stars or rotation players.

Terrific post, TP for that.

[pokeKingCurtis]

In other words, I'm kind of hoping people will stop presenting their opinions and guesses as facts and obvious truths.

Celticsblog the internet in a nutshell

[LooseCannon]

Me personally, I was hoping for a tank season full of hard-fought losses, so that we could get a good young player in the draft. If we already HAVE that good young core (and it appears that we do, at every position), then there is not a whole lot of value in losing, so I'm on board.

I've been saying for a while that the Celtics are not a good candidate for a tanking strategy because too much of the team's talent is tied up in young players.  If the Celtics sneak into the playoffs for a first-round exit, then the team is not stuck on the dreaded "treadmill of mediocrity" because it will have gotten there with the help of young players who have the potential to improve.

I just don't see this as a bottom five team unless the young players fizzle, the team gets hit by injury, or playing time is doled out in a way that prioritizes losing over player development.  I'm not saying this team will make the playoffs, but I stand by my belief since before the season started that the playoffs are not a laughable impossibility.

[fairweatherfan]

Well, if we turn out to be a decent team already, it means we're a decent team with 9 1sts and a right-to-swap in the next 5 years, most of which aren't tied to our record.

So I'd say we're doing fine.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Tommy didn't sound all that shocked at what he was watching so I'm betting he and Stevens have talked at length.

With all due respect to Tommy, if I heard him compare Kelly Olynyk to Bill Russell it wouldn't even phase me

[BballTim]

I mean...is this a good thing?  Yea, we're winning and winning is good and all but if we're not good enough to contend (which I know we aren't), then I don't know if we should be cheating ourselves out of what could be a great long term plan.

With that said, I am loving Brad Stevens.  He is godsend...

If these toddlers keep putting up games like this... yes, you can be excited.  There's hope in either direction... either we bottom out and land a superstar prospect or Oly/Sully surprise everyone by being far better prospects than anyone expected. 

  I don't think that everyone's as surprised at Sully and Olynyk as you are. Sully averaged 11/11 (per36) as a rookie and clearly would have gone much higher in the draft if not for his back. Olynyk seemed to be pretty highly regarded by nba GMs in their preseason poll.

[Mazingerz]

Well, if we turn out to be a decent team already, it means we're a decent team with 9 1sts and a right-to-swap in the next 5 years, most of which aren't tied to our record.

So I'd say we're doing fine.

I can remember the 80s Celtics where we still had the Big three (Bird, Mchale, and Parish) and we had several firsts also (rememember Len Bias?);

[Snakehead]

I mean...is this a good thing?  Yea, we're winning and winning is good and all but if we're not good enough to contend (which I know we aren't), then I don't know if we should be cheating ourselves out of what could be a great long term plan.

With that said, I am loving Brad Stevens.  He is godsend...

If these toddlers keep putting up games like this... yes, you can be excited.  There's hope in either direction... either we bottom out and land a superstar prospect or Oly/Sully surprise everyone by being far better prospects than anyone expected. 

  I don't think that everyone's as surprised at Sully and Olynyk as you are. Sully averaged 11/11 (per36) as a rookie and clearly would have gone much higher in the draft if not for his back. Olynyk seemed to be pretty highly regarded by nba GMs in their preseason poll.

Olynyk was voted as the draft steal by the GMs and he was taken 13th lets keep in mind.  Usually steals would be higher than that obviously, closer to 20.  I wonder where he would be in a redraft.

[Celtics4ever]

We've won against one good team really.   I like how hard  we play night in and night out.   I still think we will lose some games because some nights we are not going to match up well with some teams.   Our schedule this month is brutal but we have played some crappy teams thus far.   There is a lot to get excited about I think.   I think some of the youth movement guys have been exciting.   Stevens has the lads playing hard and with a fire.   We have been in every game save one.

I think we are one free agent and a good draft pick away from being good.   Right now I would rate us as a bad team when AB was at PG.  With him at SG we are actually decent.

[D.o.s.]

Showing my age here, but they are playing the style that the Celtics played when Tommy Heinsohn coached back in the 70's.  Rebound, get it in the guards hands as quickly as possible, get the break going and put pressure on the D before it can get set.

Tommy's been preaching this style since the end of the Bird era and no Celtics team has done it -- and no NBA team has done it. 

It's almost like Stevens studied Celtics history and pulled this style out of the mothballs.  It will be fascinating to see whether it continues and whether the Celtics can be successful with it long term once teams start to really focus on slowing them down.

On the other hand, as Tommy mentioned tonight - Rondo is made for this style.  This may be the most interesting team in the NBA to watch...successful or not.

Tommy didn't sound all that shocked at what he was watching so I'm betting he and Stevens have talked at length.

Not a Suns fan, I take it?