How soon 'til we contend again?

[Onslaught]

5 years before we're a good playoff team again. As for contenders? I have no idea how long that will take.

[LooseCannon]

Regardless of whether the Celtics draft 1st or 12th or somewhere in-between, I can see the Celtics being a playoff team in 2014-2015 and a contender the following season.

[LarBrd33]

If we get a top 5 pick this year, i think we can contend in 3-5 years.

If we make the playoffs and pick #15-18... I'm think we'll be indefinitely mediocre.   Ranging from bad to ok, but never great.

All things considered, our most valuable trade asset right now is Rajon ROndo.  If our pick ends up in the Top 5, it becomes BY FAR our best trade asset.

[gpap]

I think we're three to five seasons away.

3-5 sounds about right to me too.

I think there are going to be a lot of disappointed people as I see a lot of people comparing this season to 2007. That was at the end of the last rebuild. This year is the start.

On the positive side, Ainge has more assets at the start then he did in 2003 but on the negative side, players like KG don't become available all of the time. It's one thing to collect the assets that make such a deal possible, but you also need to have a seller.

So we have a great start on collecting the assets but it might take a few years for that last major piece to get within our grasp.

You could be right. It could be 3-5 years.  Problem with that is, the longer it takes, the more fans you lose.

I love the Celts, but there's no way I'll wait 3-5 years to watch another contending team.

For the fans sake, they should bring this team back to contention as soon as possible.

I would also think if takes 3-5 years for the Celts to contend again, that Ainge either would or should be on the hot seat.

I mean the Cavs GM got fired today and he just got the job the summer that Lebron left for Miami.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Also, I kinda think the Sox caught lightining in a bottle last season and will now come back down to earth (and thus play like they appear on paper, a sub 500 team.) Also doesn't help that the Sox lost Ellsbury and Salty and then literally did nothing all offseason.

Only because you're ignoring how strong of a farm system the Red Sox have currently.

Also Salty sucks, he was useless in the playoffs to begin with and everyone could run on him, and I guess adding A.J. Pierzynski doesn't count. Or Edward Mujica who is a [dang] good relief pitcher, and Burke Badenhop who's a solid reliever.

Will see if Grady Sizemore will contribute or not, but now that he's healthy he's a low risk high reward addition.

In all, we've retained most of our roster and didn't break the bank on free-agents, now we'll have to see if we can perform with the solid replacements we have acquired. If it doesn't work, then we have the financial flexibility to get someone going forward supported by a strong farm crop... but this "literally did nothing all offseason" is a bit of nonsense.

Not that I'm expecting the team to be as good as last year, but we'll see... I didn't expect much from the last year either. But even back then I thought that we were moving in the right direction, and that sentiment is even stronger now than previously.

So in all the Red Sox might not be all that good this coming year in particular, or they could be... but this downward spiral talk doesn't apply as the team currently stands.

/enough MLB

[rondohondo]

If we get a top 3 pick it will be 3 or 5 years

Embid,wiggins parker are all possible franchise players

Exum,randle,gordon possible all-stars

Marcus smart I think will be a bust

If we do get a top 3 picks, I think Danny trades Rondo and gets a high pick back or some younger talent that will be entering their prime with the top 3 pick and sully.

If we miss out on a possible franchise top 3 pick I see us going after a few all-stars vets

Love
Melo
Marc Gasol
Noah
Millsap


I could see danny trying to add 2 of those players to rondo and see what happens. If we go melo and gasol/noah I think we could be contenders in 2 years
 2015-16

[LooseCannon]

If we do get a top 3 picks, I think Danny trades Rondo and gets a high pick back or some younger talent that will be entering their prime with the top 3 pick and sully.

I'm not sure Ainge thinks it makes sense financially to have your top three players entering their prime together under the new CBA.

The ideal core might be a young player still on his rookie deal, Rondo, and one of those mature veterans who might be willing to give up some money to be part of a strong program.

[BleedGreen97]

I believe that the Celts will be back in contention by 2015-2016. I think that the celts will get robbed again by the lottery once again and Danny will blow up the roster. The first thing that I stress is the Celtics hold on to Rondo, he has championship experience and is KEY if they want to contend for a championship. One player who could put the Celts in immediate contention is Anthony Davis. He is the youngest/ most dynamic player in the NBA (Imagine him with Rondo). Another move that would be beneficial is aquiring Omar Asik, he would be a decent center.  The final move is they need to get a veteran SG who can provide leadership and championship experience. Perhaps Arron Afflalo or a young guy like Lance Stephenson.  Their roster would be have a good combination of youth and veteran:

Pg: Rondo
SG: Afflalo/Stephenson
SF: Green
PF:Davis/Sully
C: Asik

[rondohondo]

I believe that the Celts will be back in contention by 2015-2016. I think that the celts will get robbed again by the lottery once again and Danny will blow up the roster. The first thing that I stress is the Celtics hold on to Rondo, he has championship experience and is KEY if they want to contend for a championship. One player who could put the Celts in immediate contention is Anthony Davis. He is the youngest/ most dynamic player in the NBA (Imagine him with Rondo). Another move that would be beneficial is aquiring Omar Asik, he would be a decent center.  The final move is they need to get a veteran SG who can provide leadership and championship experience. Perhaps Arron Afflalo or a young guy like Lance Stephenson.  Their roster would be have a good combination of youth and veteran:

Pg: Rondo
SG: Afflalo/Stephenson
SF: Green
PF:Davis/Sully
C: Asik

welcome to cb

I don't think there is anything the c's could offer , except for maybe rondo and a top 3 pick to get davise, he is untoucheable until at least the end of his 2nd contract in about 7 years.

[BleedGreen97]

Do you guys think there is any way for them to contend by 15-16? I think the draft is good and see Parker as a similar player to Pierce. IMO I think that with a top 3 draft pick they are 3-5 years away but a 7-10 pick may lead to Danny trying to hit a home run.

[Celtics4ever]

Depends on the draft and potential trades.   I think 2-3 years is realistic though.

[Evantime34]

I think playoffs next year contending for a title two years later

[BASS_THUMPER]

get Paul back during the summer and we win a ring

[Boris Badenov]

If we get a top 3 pick it will be 3 or 5 years

Embid,wiggins parker are all possible franchise players

Exum,randle,gordon possible all-stars

Marcus smart I think will be a bust

If we do get a top 3 picks, I think Danny trades Rondo and gets a high pick back or some younger talent that will be entering their prime with the top 3 pick and sully.

If we miss out on a possible franchise top 3 pick I see us going after a few all-stars vets

Love
Melo
Marc Gasol
Noah
Millsap


I could see danny trying to add 2 of those players to rondo and see what happens. If we go melo and gasol/noah I think we could be contenders in 2 years
 2015-16

I'm with you - I think the wait will be longer, the better our pick this year. If we get someone Danny thinks is a franchise guy, he'll have patience to build around that guy for a few years.

If we end up in a slot Danny isn't excited about, then I think it's likely that we flip the pick and some other assets for a couple of stars.

[freshinthehouse]

Contend means different things to different people, but if things go right I'd say 5-6 years and we could be true title contenders.