Chris Forsberg: If the Celtics are tanking, they're terrible at it.

[LarBrd33]

So far, the Suns and 76ers are terrible at it too.

Players/coaches don't tank.  The GM tanks.  Ainge put this team in position to lose.  The players can (and should) still try their butts off, but in the end talent wins out.

We'll see what happens.  I think lack of talent will eventually catch up with the Suns, 76ers and Celtics.

[Snakehead]

So far, the Suns and 76ers are terrible at it too.

Players/coaches don't tank.  The GM tanks.  Ainge put this team in position to lose.  The players can (and should) still try their butts off, but in the end talent wins out.

We'll see what happens.  I think lack of talent will eventually catch up with the Suns, 76ers and Celtics.

Especially coaches, who are forced to fall on the sword over and over again in the NBA.  Win coach of the year and you still get fired.

[chambers]

Guys I wouldn't get too excited just yet.

We've won four games out of 8 and we've beaten the Magic and Jazz in three of those- both teams that project to be bottom 3 in their conferences.
We've beaten the Heat off an incredible shooting game and a game winning three (in which Jeff Green somehow got off a shot in 0.6 seconds over Lebron James) and Dwayne Wade decided to have a brain fart on that second free throw.

If you expect us to shoot like we did against the Magic and the Heat every game you're going to be depressed when the reality of our lack of scoring kicks in.

Jordan Crawford hasn't suddenly become and All Star. The guy is a chucker and he'll always be a chucker. He's going to give us 15-20 great games where he hits 50% of those terrible shots- but he's also gonna have 30 games where you want strangle him and ask yourself why he didn't pass to a better option.

Just keep things in perspective.

[clover]

Guys I wouldn't get too excited just yet.

We've won four games out of 8 and we've beaten the Magic and Jazz in three of those- both teams that project to be bottom 3 in their conferences.
We've beaten the Heat off an incredible shooting game and a game winning three (in which Jeff Green somehow got off a shot in 0.6 seconds over Lebron James) and Dwayne Wade decided to have a brain fart on that second free throw.

If you expect us to shoot like we did against the Magic and the Heat every game you're going to be depressed when the reality of our lack of scoring kicks in.

Jordan Crawford hasn't suddenly become and All Star. The guy is a chucker and he'll always be a chucker. He's going to give us 15-20 great games where he hits 50% of those terrible shots- but he's also gonna have 30 games where you want strangle him and ask yourself why he didn't pass to a better option.

Just keep things in perspective.

The thing with Steez is that his efficiency has gone up because he's taking fewer funky shots. He came in to the league as a good shooter, but he always diluted his stats with overshooting.

At this point I'd be surprised to see him regress on Stevens's watch, though sure, his averages will go down a little. He's the only C's starter with a PER over 17.4--and he's at 22.3.

[Celtics18]

So far, the Suns and 76ers are terrible at it too.

Players/coaches don't tank.  The GM tanks.  Ainge put this team in position to lose.  The players can (and should) still try their butts off, but in the end talent wins out.

We'll see what happens.  I think lack of talent will eventually catch up with the Suns, 76ers and Celtics.

The Suns and Sixers don't have a four time all star waiting in the wings.

[D.o.s.]

So far, the Suns and 76ers are terrible at it too.

Players/coaches don't tank.  The GM tanks.  Ainge put this team in position to lose.  The players can (and should) still try their butts off, but in the end talent wins out.

We'll see what happens.  I think lack of talent will eventually catch up with the Suns, 76ers and Celtics.

The Suns and Sixers don't have a four time all star waiting in the wings.

That's not exactly true.

I'm sure Allen Iverson would come back to the 76ers if asked.

[saltlover]

Guys I wouldn't get too excited just yet.

We've won four games out of 8 and we've beaten the Magic and Jazz in three of those- both teams that project to be bottom 3 in their conferences.
We've beaten the Heat off an incredible shooting game and a game winning three (in which Jeff Green somehow got off a shot in 0.6 seconds over Lebron James) and Dwayne Wade decided to have a brain fart on that second free throw.

If you expect us to shoot like we did against the Magic and the Heat every game you're going to be depressed when the reality of our lack of scoring kicks in.

Jordan Crawford hasn't suddenly become and All Star. The guy is a chucker and he'll always be a chucker. He's going to give us 15-20 great games where he hits 50% of those terrible shots- but he's also gonna have 30 games where you want strangle him and ask yourself why he didn't pass to a better option.

Just keep things in perspective.

I suppose you can look at it that way.  I look at it as a team that's gotten better almost every game.

Game 1:  Trailed for most of it.  Came back near end of third quarter/most of fourth quarter before falling short.  On road against another mediocre team.
Game 2.  Led most of the way before faltering in 4th and losing at home to mediocre team.
Game 3.  Like game 1, except lost by a bit more against a slightly better team.
Game 4.  Stayed closer with conference finalist.  Lost close at the end on the road.
Game 5.  Beat worst team in the league at home, comfortably but not going away.
Game 6.  Snuck by mediocre-to-bad team on road.
Game 7. Buzzer-beater vs. defending champs on road.
Game 8.  Won going away against Team 6 at home.  Started to look like game 2, but C's kept control.

To me, not only has the W-L record improved, so has the quality of play.  I said from the getgo that I thought this would be a 35-40 win team, and I'm excited that it looks like it will.  My biggest fear was being mired into a Washington a Wizards death spiral -- talented players that don't have the work ethic to win.  Being competitive in this transition year is a good way to avoid that.

[Celtics18]

So far, the Suns and 76ers are terrible at it too.

Players/coaches don't tank.  The GM tanks.  Ainge put this team in position to lose.  The players can (and should) still try their butts off, but in the end talent wins out.

We'll see what happens.  I think lack of talent will eventually catch up with the Suns, 76ers and Celtics.

The Suns and Sixers don't have a four time all star waiting in the wings.

That's not exactly true.

I'm sure Allen Iverson would come back to the 76ers if asked.

True.  Maybe Grant Hill will suit up for the Suns as well.

[BballTim]

So far, the Suns and 76ers are terrible at it too.

Players/coaches don't tank.  The GM tanks.  Ainge put this team in position to lose.  The players can (and should) still try their butts off, but in the end talent wins out.

We'll see what happens.  I think lack of talent will eventually catch up with the Suns, 76ers and Celtics.

The Suns and Sixers don't have a four time all star waiting in the wings.

That's not exactly true.

I'm sure Allen Iverson would come back to the 76ers if asked.

  I doubt he'd turn down the Suns either.

[bobbyv]

I have ZERO concerns on how Rondo will play with this team.

He'll make Bradley and Olynyk's lives in particular a lot easier

[KGs Knee]

So far, the Suns and 76ers are terrible at it too.

Players/coaches don't tank.  The GM tanks.  Ainge put this team in position to lose.  The players can (and should) still try their butts off, but in the end talent wins out.

We'll see what happens.  I think lack of talent will eventually catch up with the Suns, 76ers and Celtics.

Well certainly.  I mean, any player actively trying to lose games would be guilty of "throwing games".  A coach can really only do what the GM does, from the perspective of absurd rotations or playing certain players for reasons other than putting the best team on the court (many times this is at the behest of the GM).  But yes, tanking is almost exclusively an act perpetrated by upper management.