we're winning too many games lately (bad for tanking)

[PhoSita]

don't focus so much on the % chance of getting the #1 pick.  that would only be truly important if this were a 1 player draft.  it isn't.

focus on our chance of getting a top 5, top 8, top 10 pick.  right now those chances are still very, very good.

To me it's top 5 or bust. Embid, Wiggins, Parker, Exum, Vonleh. If we can't get one of those 5 we should trade the pick as part of a package for a strong player or trade down for a couple of picks.

I think there are at least 2-3 other names that are high on most mock drafts that plenty of knowledgeable people would argue belong higher than at least one of the guys you mentioned.

There's plenty of talent in the top 10.

I know that Vonleh is not as high as Randle and Smart and Gordon on most mocks. I still take him at 5 over those guys. Huge upside, 7'3" wingspan . Rebounding machine.

I don't think those other 3 guys are worth using the pick on. I trade down or out if its passed 5.i know that's not the general sentiment out there.

I guess I'm a little skeptical about there being a really great trade to make with that pick.  What sort of trade are you imagining?

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

don't focus so much on the % chance of getting the #1 pick.  that would only be truly important if this were a 1 player draft.  it isn't.

focus on our chance of getting a top 5, top 8, top 10 pick.  right now those chances are still very, very good.

To me it's top 5 or bust. Embid, Wiggins, Parker, Exum, Vonleh. If we can't get one of those 5 we should trade the pick as part of a package for a strong player or trade down for a couple of picks.

I hate that I'm rooting for them to lose. I hate more that they're winning utterly meaningless games. Too good for a top 5, too bad for a playoff spot. This sucks.

C'mon Ainge. Green has to go as does Bass. Hump has value to a contender as a contributor to a stretch run and a big expiring. Start dumping.

It blows my head that people are glad we are winning meaningless games....sounds like big time rationalization too me.

Yea it's that.... ORRRRR, maybe some people want us to win because that's why it is a sport, you play to win! Now maybe you think we should lose to get better (you have a right to what you think should be done) but let's not pretend like the game is not meant to be played to win! Maybe we should lose like the Bobcats, it sure helped them to the trophy...

[Yoki_IsTheName]

don't focus so much on the % chance of getting the #1 pick.  that would only be truly important if this were a 1 player draft.  it isn't.

focus on our chance of getting a top 5, top 8, top 10 pick.  right now those chances are still very, very good.

To me it's top 5 or bust. Embid, Wiggins, Parker, Exum, Vonleh. If we can't get one of those 5 we should trade the pick as part of a package for a strong player or trade down for a couple of picks.

I hate that I'm rooting for them to lose. I hate more that they're winning utterly meaningless games. Too good for a top 5, too bad for a playoff spot. This sucks.

C'mon Ainge. Green has to go as does Bass. Hump has value to a contender as a contributor to a stretch run and a big expiring. Start dumping.

It blows my head that people are glad we are winning meaningless games....sounds like big time rationalization too me.

I agree.

Disagree. Look at Cleveland right now. For the past three (or four, cant remember) years they had a top 5 pick, two of them 1st overall and they are still in a mess.

Why? Because no one from that lineup knows how to win, or experienced winning. We can have all the great top 5 talent we want, but if we don't have a winning culture or at least a winner's mentality to approach things, we're only going to get a very god player but not wins.

Out team should still be bad enough to be able to have a chance at a top 5 pick. But let the players indulge on the little wins they get. Losing is never fun for morale. Let the players be competitive, and go for the win. Makes them hungrier for more. Then add to it a great talent, you got a winning team.

nonsense

they aren't winning because they made awful draft picks, which is why they fired their GM.

Danny is one of the best drafting gm's in the league.

They have a Star PG out of that draft. Thompson and Waiters are starter level talent that they cant develop because they don't have the right mentality. Bennett maybe I bust I give you that (that's how Grant got fired).

It's not nonsense at all. They signed a veteran PG in Jarret Jack who flourished under GSW, and he's playing absolute garbage. They have Deng now. You got two leaders on that locker room along with talent and they are having a hard time getting W's.

Now compare that lineup to ours. When you look at the names, Cleveland should be the more talented team but they are struggling to win and that team is a mess.

We on the other hand are less talented but looked more cohesive. Why? Because most of our players experienced WINNING, and they know how to play winning basketball. Despite the results, you dont see the guys playing for themselves unlike Cleveland, because they have the mentality that regardless of talent, they need to do certain things to be able to win.

Cleveland doesnt have that, as evident in the New York game where it looked like a pick up game from the gym in which everyone is calling for their own shots. They have no winners mentality, and everyone on that team is playing hero ball than playing for each other and doing the little things. They dont do it, because they havent experienced it. They haven't realized that not only do they need their talents, they need to play with heart and play as a team. Losing does that to you. Look at the Kings and now the Cavs. Look at the Raptors early in the season and compare how the Raptors are playing now after the Gay trade and they started playing better as a team because they started winning.

This is why winning is also important. You try to win, you make your players know that there's a certain system and a mentality for them to get the W. Trying to lose will just make us end like the Cavs. Full of talent, no winning culture.

[LarBrd33]

can't panic until the deadline.  Ainge will do right by this team.  If he doesn't think it can contend as-is, he'll trade us back down the standings.

[Celtics18]

Danny Ainge walks into the team practice facility where he proceeds to give the players a pep talk. He concludes it by saying " now you guys give it all you have, be competitive, and try hard to win".

He then leaves and subsequently returns and says to coach Stevens "make sure they try hard to win but seriously make sure they try harder to lose".

Apparently that's how a majority of CB posters think that it actually works.

I'm quite sure that's not how it works.  However, I do think that Danny and Stevens communicate frequently about the team's long and short term goals, and how to best achieve them.  That probably includes talking about how to focus on player development rather than worrying about sticking with more successful conventional / veteran-heavy lineups.

Theoretically, I guess that sounds like a plausible tanking strategy, but I don't see it at play with the current Celtics.  Could you explain in which instances you are seeing young guys playing over vets where you think it's hurting our chances at winning ball games?

[kg is king]

Yes we're winning games. But how does one coach go about telling the players to lose? These are NBA players, super determined, ultra competitive human beings. I can't imagine being told to lose will sit well with players, not to mention our coach, who's won his whole career and don't strike me as ML Carr.

Only thing that can be done is to ship out talent in exchange for less talent, which Danny has been doing with the Lee and Crawford trade.

We as fans should cheer no matter what. We win, awesome. We lose, well in a rebuilding year that can be a plus as well. Just gotta hope for the best when there are no other options. I think that's what us Celtics fans pride ourselves on no? To be the best fans in the NBA no matter how our team performs, unlike cities like Washington where it's a struggle to fill up half the arena even with a playoff team.

[fandrew]

We aren't going to be any better in the standings than where we are now at the end of the season. And that is with a 3 game win streak that we are in. We have a brutal schedule coming up where maybe we win 1 or 2 out of the next ten or so games. We will probably be ranked at 3rd worst at some point this season again. And that is with Bass/Green and Hump/Wallace, and Bayless. What is the point of trading away most of these pieces now if it does not improve financial flexibility, get us a draft pick, or get us a player that would be a good fit for the team that Ainge wants to put together.

Ainge is trying to put together a winning team, and those players are his tradeable contracts. This summer, those pieces will have even more value, because then real dealing will begin; major roster overhauls are going to be all over the league. pieces can be used to move up in the draft if we only get pick 5 or 6. The draft is easily 6 deep with tier 1 prospects at this point. and at least from 7-15 with tier 2 prospects. this is a deep draft, and I expect Danny to move up to at least the number 4 spot if he falls short of that. But he will be using his contracted assets and his draft pick assets to get there, which means that he cant just trade everything away right now hoping to get a higher pick. He will get the higher pick one way or another.

And if we end up with better that the 5th worst record in the league I will be surprised. Maybe Ainge doesn't trade all those pieces at the deadline, but someone is going. And with the lingering injuries to AB and Rondo's recovery, I expect that we will continue to see them sitting, and against better teams than Sactown. I think that we will end the season with 8 more wins. that is all. I think that the lakers, sac, phili, orlando, teams will have better records than us. Only Utah and and Bucks are sure things to really bottom out.I think the Cavs will make a desperate attempt to get better by the trade deadline, but only just get better enough to either just make the playoffs or just miss them. All and all, I think that we are in good shape right now. Its good for the team to win sometimes.

[Kane3387]

Yeah it blows

[Afam]

Deleted.

[Spicoli]

The players are out there busting their tails trying to win, which is what they should be doing. The coach is doing a magnificent job with the roster that he's been given. When i watch this C's team, even though they lack talent, i can clearly see that they are well coached. This is evident by the good, clean looks that they get on a consistent basis. Bad coached teams never get good looks or put up good shots.

The best case scenario for me would be for them to play hard and try to win, but to come up short in the win/loss column. If they can avoid trading anyone from the roster and still land in the top 5 of the draft because of a difficult upcoming schedule that would be ideal. I'm not so sure trading Bass or Green will prevent these guys from beating up on the Kings and Sixers of the world because Stevens is a very good coach.

I say Ainge should keep all these guys, and hope that the difficult upcoming schedule works in his favor. That way if they land a top 5 pick, whoever is drafted will not be joining a team that's been completely gutted.

[BleedGreen1989]

Guys, we've beaten the Magic, 76ers, and the Kings (no Rudy) who all are worse than us and will be for the remainder of the year.

The overreaction to a few wins is hilarious on this board.