Will we make the playoffs this year? Standings, stats and numbers (merged)

[Tr1boy]

Yup...the East is that BAD. Right now we're a 4 seed in the playoffs.  So no lottery pick guys...kiss those dreams goodbye. Unless BK is bad these next few years (and we get a lotto pick) I see us running the mediocrity treadmill for awhile.

Fun fact Phoenix who is 9-8 and currently out of the playoff race in the West would be a THREE SEED in the East. Honestly I think its time we do away with this Eastern/Western Conf playoff thing and just go with the teams with the best records make the playoffs. It would be a lot more fun to watch New Orleans in the playoffs then a Bos/Atl series sans PP and JJ on their old teams...yea no thanks.

if you are not contending you had best be getting a lotto pick. We very well could be stuck in that no man's land called NBA hell. for years. 

Thats worse case. Best is becoming like the pacers.

We got luck on our side

Why do some people seem to think that neither getting a lotto pick nor being a contender almost guarantees that your team is stuck in between the two for years?

See ATL 2005-2012...mediocrity is the kiss of death. No lotto picks and early playoff exits. Not fun.

[Kuberski33]

If you think about it....Sully may be a cornerstone guy.  Rondo we know is...so that's 2.  Danny needs to bring in one more stud...he may get it in the draft regardless of how the team performs on court, given where the Nets are headed - and that's even if Brooklyn has to swap with Atlanta this year.

Stevens really is a terrific coach.  He's getting about as much out of this team as he can right now and they'll probably get better as the season moves along.

There may be no way to avoid the playoffs...

[jambr380]

Yeah, I don't know what to think - Wiggins, Parker, Randle, etc all seem to be slipping further and further away. As a die-hard Celtics fan, it is always nice to see the Celtics win, but with so many flaws, I really wouldn't have minded one rough season to attain a franchise level player (a la Spurs with Duncan).

I know, I know, Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, Shawn Bradley, Darko, etc etc are no guarantees of that great talent, but if ever there was a year to blow it (and not by trying to lose), it was this one.

I guess we can hope for Atl and NJ to implode and maybe Danny will turn a pick or two into a long term center prospect mid-season for a decent playoff run...it's been an interesting season to say the least.

[Celtics18]

Yup...the East is that BAD. Right now we're a 4 seed in the playoffs.  So no lottery pick guys...kiss those dreams goodbye. Unless BK is bad these next few years (and we get a lotto pick) I see us running the mediocrity treadmill for awhile.

Fun fact Phoenix who is 9-8 and currently out of the playoff race in the West would be a THREE SEED in the East. Honestly I think its time we do away with this Eastern/Western Conf playoff thing and just go with the teams with the best records make the playoffs. It would be a lot more fun to watch New Orleans in the playoffs then a Bos/Atl series sans PP and JJ on their old teams...yea no thanks.

if you are not contending you had best be getting a lotto pick. We very well could be stuck in that no man's land called NBA hell. for years. 

Why do some people seem to think that neither getting a lotto pick nor being a contender almost guarantees that your team is stuck in between the two for years?

See ATL 2005-2012...mediocrity is the kiss of death. No lotto picks and early playoff exits. Not fun.

The Hawks are a really bad example to try to make your point.

'99-10th pick
'00--6th pick
'01--3rd pick
'04--6th pick
'05--2nd
'06--5th
'07--3rd

You can't possibly claim that they didn't tank hard enough. 

[gar]

Don't worry we are not that good. Will be surprised if we reach 500. Not bad enough for some but a worthy goal for this team.

[BballTim]

Yup...the East is that BAD. Right now we're a 4 seed in the playoffs.  So no lottery pick guys...kiss those dreams goodbye. Unless BK is bad these next few years (and we get a lotto pick) I see us running the mediocrity treadmill for awhile.

  Not getting a high draft pick this year doesn't mean we're automatically on the mediocrity treadmill.

Fun fact Phoenix who is 9-8 and currently out of the playoff race in the West would be a THREE SEED in the East. Honestly I think its time we do away with this Eastern/Western Conf playoff thing and just go with the teams with the best records make the playoffs. It would be a lot more fun to watch New Orleans in the playoffs then a Bos/Atl series sans PP and JJ on their old teams...yea no thanks.

  Feel free to not watch if we make the playoffs, I'm sure someone will fill you in on what happens.

[Smokeeye123]

We beat the Bucks and after 20 games are 8/12 and suddenly we are guaranteed the 4th seed?

Nets and Knicks will rebound if after 40 games they are still at rock bottom than we can have this thread.

Also the Bucks were missing 3 of their starters...They could very well end up with a better record than us...If we are locked into the 7-8th or slightly under by the trade deadline, I expect Ainge to be a seller anyways, so we will get even worse after that.

[LooseCannon]

Also, this thread is just as much of an overreaction as the chicken little posts when we'd lost our first four games. We're not even 20 games into the season, and we're still four games under .500.

So, this is a .500 team when Avery Bradley isn't forced to play as a point guard?

For people who want to tank, moving Bradley to his proper role as starting 2-guard might the critical moment that you can look back and say was the point where Brad Stevens strangled your dreams of Wiggins and Parker.

[D.o.s.]

Also, this thread is just as much of an overreaction as the chicken little posts when we'd lost our first four games. We're not even 20 games into the season, and we're still four games under .500.

So, this is a .500 team when Avery Bradley isn't forced to play as a point guard?

For people who want to tank, moving Bradley to his proper role as starting 2-guard might the critical moment that you can look back and say was the point where Brad Stevens strangled your dreams of Wiggins and Parker.

.500 team with Rondo at the point.

.500 team with Crawford at the point.

Crawford is Rondo.

Rondo is Crawford.

Finkle is Einhorn.

[GreenWarrior]

we'll get whatever draft pick we deserve. everyone should just chill and let the season play out. it's a long season.

enjoy the ride. I honestly don't think I would've appreciated banner 17 as much as I did if I didn't have to endure watching the pain and nonsense of 20 plus yrs.

so glad cooz and tommy got to see another one.

[Interceptor]

Tommy's rant about tanking changed my mind again. Bring on the playoffs, baby!

[LooseCannon]

Tommy's rant about tanking changed my mind again. Bring on the playoffs, baby!

What was the gist of it?

[D.o.s.]

Tommy's rant about tanking changed my mind again. Bring on the playoffs, baby!

What was the gist of it?

Winning is good. Losing is bad. Winners are good. No one wants a team full of losers. Tanking is for losers. The Celtics have never won the lottery. Scotch, scotch, I love scotch. The team needs to run more.

[Interceptor]

Winning is good. Losing is bad. Winners are good. No one wants a team full of losers. Tanking is for losers. The Celtics have never won the lottery. Scotch, scotch, I love scotch. The team needs to run more.

He also ripped the pundits. And it was a two-parter, took a 90 degree turn at highway speed changing the subject to finish his thought while someone was taking free throws later on.

""[Sports broadcasters] haven't got a CLUE how to build a team! What do you want ... Bunch of LOSERS?!""

"If people are saying you should tank the season, you destroy the Celtics mystique, and the Celtics legend in confidence and teamwork!"

[D.o.s.]

Winning is good. Losing is bad. Winners are good. No one wants a team full of losers. Tanking is for losers. The Celtics have never won the lottery. Scotch, scotch, I love scotch. The team needs to run more.

He also ripped the pundits. And it was a two-parter, took a 90 degree turn at highway speed changing the subject to finish his thought while someone was taking free throws later on.

""[Sports broadcasters] haven't got a CLUE how to build a team! What do you want ... Bunch of LOSERS?!""

"If people are saying you should tank the season, you destroy the Celtics mystique, and the Celtics legend in confidence and teamwork!"

Never mind the fact that if Rick Pitino and ML Carr couldn't destroy the "Celtic Mystique" and the "Celtics Legend," I doubt another tanked season would do much in either direction.

And never mind the fact that the teams that Tommy was involved in as a player and as a coach that helped defined said mystique and legend were successful in an era that is so completely foreign to the way the game is played today (on the court and in the front offices) as to be neigh irrelevant to a discussion on tanking in the present day.


I did like his back-to-the-basket running hookshot montage, though.