If the Season Ended Today

[LarBrd33]

We can keep this thread updated throughout the season.

December 26th 2:13pm Eastern -   If the season ended today:

#1 - Boston would have the 8th seed in the playoffs.  Likely get swept by Indiana in the first round.  They just destroyed us by nearly 30 points on Sunday. 

#2 - Boston would have picks #15 (our own) and #20 (Atlanta's).  Picks would be locked in (non-lotto).

#3 - Hawks would have Brooklyn's pick (6th best odds in lotto).  Gives them a great shot at the players thought to be the Top 6 right now: Parker, Wiggins, Embiid, Smart, Randle, Exum

#4 - The Chicago Bulls... who currently are essentially tied with us record-wise... would miss the playoffs and have the 9th best odds in the lotto.

#5 -  Denver, Minnesota, Pelicans, Lakers, Grizz would all miss the playoffs and have higher picks than us (10th-14th best odds)... rich potentially getting richer.  Any one of those teams could theoretically land a Top 3 pick through the lotto.

#6 - The Toronto Raptors, who have been trading away players (like Rudy Gay) in an effort to tank, would have the 4th seed in the playoffs and the #16 pick in the draft.

I think that covers the basics.



 

[slamtheking]

you're missing a critical point (IMHO), most of the Leastern teams that have a worse record than us have a worse record playing other Leastern teams (with the exception of the Knick who have the same record against the East as us). 

I had hoped that most of those teams were getting creamed primarily against the West and holding their own in the East and as they played each other more, some would rise in the standings.  So much for finding something optimistic there.

looks like the crappy team below us will probably stay there unless they turn it around (cleveland, brooklyn, NY, Chicago primarily).  just need one to get it together to knock us into the lottery.

[KGs Knee]

As of 12/26/2013

Two really important things are currently making me very happy.



#1  The Celtics would be in the playoffs.  Being in the playoffs is ALWAYS a good thing.

#2  LarBrd33 and all the 'tankers' are mad.  This probably should be #1 on my list.

[hpantazo]

you're missing a critical point (IMHO), most of the Leastern teams that have a worse record than us have a worse record playing other Leastern teams (with the exception of the Knick who have the same record against the East as us). 

I had hoped that most of those teams were getting creamed primarily against the West and holding their own in the East and as they played each other more, some would rise in the standings.  So much for finding something optimistic there.

looks like the crappy team below us will probably stay there unless they turn it around (cleveland, brooklyn, NY, Chicago primarily).  just need one to get it together to knock us into the lottery.

cleveland and chicago will pass us, it's inevitable, unless Danny makes a trade to help us this year which I doubt. The thing is we still need to make sure Toronto or someone else wins the Atlantic division

[KGs Knee]

double post

[KGs Knee]

double post

[Birdman]

If Chicago are in the lottery, they will get the #1 pick..the NBA will make sure of that 

[nickagneta]

#1 The season doesn't end today

#2 There's still a lot of basketball to play.


My completely off the wall thought as to where our picks will be, which is what I think this thread is all about is 9th or 10th and 19th or 20th. Should still be able to get some great players in this draft selecting at those spots.

[chambers]

we have a very brutal January coming up- which is probably why Rondo says he won't come back till late January or early Feb.
we could slide to 30-33% quite easily.
Check out the schedule and see our lovely walk in the park.

[chambers]

As of 12/26/2013

Two really important things are currently making me very happy.



#1  The Celtics would be in the playoffs. Being in the playoffs is ALWAYS a good thing.

#2  LarBrd33 and all the 'tankers' are mad.  This probably should be #1 on my list.

Being in the playoffs is nice, but it's not always a good thing. Danny Ainge said it's not always a good thing.

I'd rather have a shot at one of the top 5 picks this year and finishing 21st instead of 16th.

[nickagneta]

As of 12/26/2013

Two really important things are currently making me very happy.



#1  The Celtics would be in the playoffs. Being in the playoffs is ALWAYS a good thing.

#2  LarBrd33 and all the 'tankers' are mad.  This probably should be #1 on my list.

Being in the playoffs is nice, but it's not always a good thing. Danny Ainge said it's not always a good thing.

I'd rather have a shot at one of the top 5 picks this year and finishing 21st instead of 16th.

Well if you consider a shot at a top three pick of 1% as being an actual chance at landing a top three pick then you should be thrilled because this team will probably finish in the 10th slot or so.

But if you think they will fall all the way to the bottom 5, then I think you are going to be sorely disappointed. The teams below Boston right now, except Brooklyn, are going to start or are already tanking hard. Boston is also a bunch better than some of those teams so there won't be a lot of losses happening against those teams.

Boston most probably will not finish as a playoff team but they most probably won't finish amongst the bottom 9 teams either which means almost zero chance at a top pick

[kingtutts]

I for one cannot fathom watching Pierce and KG in another uniform unless we have a decent shot at one of the top 5 picks in the draft.  An 8th seed and first round loss in the playoffs we could've done with Paul and KG, and still probably had the 15th, 16th pick in the draft, and given both of them a chance to retire in green.  I'm not okay with mediocrity. 

We are not the Wizards, or the Pelicans, or the Hawks.  Making the playoffs is just not acceptable.

Put a young elite level player with Stevens, Rondo, and Sullinger, then, and only then, do you have the foundation for an accelerate rebuild and the next great Celtics era. 

Lose Lose Lose.

[guava_wrench]

As of 12/26/2013

Two really important things are currently making me very happy.



#1  The Celtics would be in the playoffs. Being in the playoffs is ALWAYS a good thing.

#2  LarBrd33 and all the 'tankers' are mad.  This probably should be #1 on my list.

Being in the playoffs is nice, but it's not always a good thing. Danny Ainge said it's not always a good thing.

I'd rather have a shot at one of the top 5 picks this year and finishing 21st instead of 16th.

Being in the playoffs is a good thing. Having a lottery pick is a good thing.

Missing the playoffs is a bad thing. Not having a lottery pick is a bad thing.

So, the real question is which good thing will have more value. Long term, the lottery would have more value, but it is that much more that it is compensates for the lost value of making the playoffs (to be crushed in the first round)?

This is a bit tangential anyway. The real question would be whether our current assets would have more value down the line than the assets other teams would offer in a trade for our current assets. Clearly, Ainge is more concerned about us having a higher peak over the next few seasons than he is with our record this season.

[LarBrd33]

As of 12/26/2013

Two really important things are currently making me very happy.



#1  The Celtics would be in the playoffs.  Being in the playoffs is ALWAYS a good thing.

#2  LarBrd33 and all the 'tankers' are mad.  This probably should be #1 on my list.

I'm not mad.  I just think this will be a fun thread to keep track of.  I've already relented and said that I'm 100% on board with winning if the team gets to .500.    As of right now we're projected to win 34 games... which is on the high end of the 24-35 win projection.   Rondo probably will not come back this season... there is still 53 games left to play this season and we're basically tied for a lotto slot as-is.  I still figure New York and Brooklyn will get it together.

Also, I do get the defense of how "building a winning culture" is better than potentially landing one of the 6-9 stars in this draft.  Totally understand that.  For instance, I figure Toronto is a primo destination for superstar free agents now that they have the 4th seed in the East, right?  I mean who wouldn't want to be playing for that wonderful "winning culture".  11-15 record... The heck with landing a franchise player, Toronto's already got the studs that will lead them to a championship, right?  Alls they need is someone like Omer Asik and they'll be right in business.  I'm sure there fans are very happy to have the 4th seed and #16 pick.  They have a very bright future.   

Sounds pretty absurd when it's not the Celtics we're talking about, eh?  Lol.. anyways... we'll keep this thread updated.  Lots of stuff can shift day-to-day and week-to-week.  Plenty of time.

"Being in the playoffs is always a good thing".  Totes.  Being swept in the first round is awesome for the big picture success of a team.  Can you imagine if Boston hadn't gotten a chance to be whipped in 6 games by New York last season?  Thank god we made the playoffs.

[guava_wrench]

I for one cannot fathom watching Pierce and KG in another uniform unless we have a decent shot at one of the top 5 picks in the draft.  An 8th seed and first round loss in the playoffs we could've done with Paul and KG, and still probably had the 15th, 16th pick in the draft, and given both of them a chance to retire in green.  I'm not okay with mediocrity. 

We are not the Wizards, or the Pelicans, or the Hawks.  Making the playoffs is just not acceptable.

Put a young elite level player with Stevens, Rondo, and Sullinger, then, and only then, do you have the foundation for an accelerate rebuild and the next great Celtics era. 

Lose Lose Lose.

I find your statement inconsistent. You are not okay with mediocrity, yet you talk about keeping KG and Pierce. We would still be quite mediocre with them.

Add to that the fact that the trade will have draft benefits for the next few years. Those are assets that we can leverage to get talent. KG and Pierce retiring would bring us nothing. So we would essentially have the same team except we would still have Terry's contract and we would have 3 less first rounders and no option to trade #'1 with the Nets. The only plus future-wise is not having Wallace's contract.

Why should having a top 5 pick be the magic criteria that makes trading them acceptable? So having 3 #6 picks would not be sufficient? How about if they were traded for Durant. Would that be acceptable? Perhaps what really matters the the drastically increased probability of adding substantially more talent going forward than would have been possible watching Pierce and KG fade into irrelevance here is Boston.

What makes Ainge's move even better is the significant chance that Pierce might have left the Celtics as a free agent after his contract expires for a last title run, leaving us with nothing. The sentimental people here would not see him retire in green, and the team would not acquire future assets.