Do you expect the Celts to make the playoffs next season?

[KGs Knee]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

IDK, Melo has said he's open to taking less.  How much less is the question.

[Fafnir]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

IDK, Melo has said he's open to taking less.  How much less is the question.

He's open to taking less to give a team cap space, or potentially to fit into a plan that puts him on a contender.

All reports are that he could command a max deal from the Knicks + other teams with cap space if that's what he demanded.

[Mr October]

If we have the 4th pick or better in April the real tanking will go underway. Im talking about KO, Pressey, Sully, Johnson, Anthony starting lineups...

You know, I hope your wrong, but I know your not.

And it really will be embarrassing.

Sigh...

April might be a a competitive month.

Atlanta, Detroit and Cleveland should still be battling for the 8th spot. Washington  should be fighting for home court advantage. Charlotte should still be fighting to win enough to get the 6th seed and avoid Miami and Indiana.

Then the sixers really look like a college team, or a d-league team. Will they win a single game for the rest of the season? The celtics will take those 2 wins, perhaps no more.

The celtics will land around 27 wins, and hopefully not require Stevens to join the tank.

[Moranis]

No.

[Mr October]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

IDK, Melo has said he's open to taking less.  How much less is the question.

He's open to taking less to give a team cap space, or potentially to fit into a plan that puts him on a contender.

All reports are that he could command a max deal from the Knicks + other teams with cap space if that's what he demanded.

I would be uncomfortable paying Melo over 20 million per year. Whoever signs him needs that extra dough to add more pieces around him. I only think he takes a pay cut as low as say 18 per year if his new team immediately adds another big time star.  He has seen Lebron take a big cut in Miami. That worked out well for him. If you don't see an immediate move, and you are gonna be stuck on a mediocre team, you might as well get paid as much as you can, kobe style.

I think whoever signs Rondo will be paying him 15 per year, no matter what the celtics record is next year. I think only the knicks could be desperate and foolish enough to throw the 18-20 million per year max at him.

And i think rondo's new salary would be like his current one at the lowest only if he doesn't regain his explosiveness on both ends of the court. I think he will get most of the back, and earn his bigger contract.

[Chris]

Expectations are a bad thing at this point, but if I had to guess, I would be more surprised if they were NOT in the playoffs than if they were.  I just think Danny has a lot of assets to work with, and a lot of motivation to make a quick turnaround, so I think it will be something he will try hard for.

[D.o.s.]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

This off-season will be the first time 'Melo's missed the playoffs. Ever.

If Rondo can't bring the C's to the playoffs moving forward, there's no reason to offer him a contract that's appreciably larger than the one he's on now - which is a bargain contract.

Also, the point guard position is so saturated that it's absolutely not worth paying Rondo any more than his current contract - not when you can find another point guard who can do 75% of what he can for less than half of his contract.

[Fafnir]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

This off-season will be the first time 'Melo's missed the playoffs. Ever.

If Rondo can't bring the C's to the playoffs moving forward, there's no reason to offer him a contract that's appreciably larger than the one he's on now - which is a bargain contract.

Rondo hasn't missed the playoffs since he's a rookie. Tyler Hansborough is on pace to be the playoffs every year except his rookie year too.

If Melo missing the playoffs in his prime in the worst conference in recent memory doesn't hurt his value, I see zero reason for it to effect Rondos.

[CoachBo]

Expectations are a bad thing at this point, but if I had to guess, I would be more surprised if they were NOT in the playoffs than if they were.  I just think Danny has a lot of assets to work with, and a lot of motivation to make a quick turnaround, so I think it will be something he will try hard for.

Agreed. As I've said before - if there are those excited about Ainge using all of the draft picks he's accumulated, they're going to be disappointed.

I think he trades most of them, as soon as the market will allow.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Agreed. As I've said before - if there are those excited about Ainge using all of the draft picks he's accumulated, they're going to be disappointed.

I think he trades most of them, as soon as the market will allow.

The main thing is that we have like 10 picks in the next 4 drafts and you can only roster 15 players at a time.  I mean we basically have to make a move whether we want to or not

[D.o.s.]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

This off-season will be the first time 'Melo's missed the playoffs. Ever.

If Rondo can't bring the C's to the playoffs moving forward, there's no reason to offer him a contract that's appreciably larger than the one he's on now - which is a bargain contract.

Rondo hasn't missed the playoffs since he's a rookie. Tyler Hansborough is on pace to be the playoffs every year except his rookie year too.

If Melo missing the playoffs in his prime in the worst conference in recent memory doesn't hurt his value, I see zero reason for it to effect Rondos.

Melo's almost always been the best player on his team, depending on how you feel about him and Iverson's collaboration. Dude's been the best player on ~50 win teams for 10 years straight. You, uh, can't say the same about Tyler Hansborough.

Rondo hasn't proven that he can lead a team anywhere as the best player on the team.

*cue BBallTim*

The fact that the Knicks are a mess has little to do with Carmelo Anthony. Almost everyone knows that. If the celtics, with their current roster, can't make the playoffs next year, one of the inferences you could draw from that is that Rondo's not the kind of player who can bring you into the playoffs - so why would he be worth any more than he's currently getting paid?

[LooseCannon]

Melo's almost always been the best player on his team, depending on how you feel about him and Iverson's collaboration. Dude's been the best player on ~50 win teams for 10 years straight. You, uh, can't say the same about Tyler Hansborough.

There are those who might say that guys like Marcus Camby and Nene have usually been better players than Carmelo Anthony when on the same team.

[D.o.s.]

But that would be diverging from the point, and we never do that.

[BballTim]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

This off-season will be the first time 'Melo's missed the playoffs. Ever.

If Rondo can't bring the C's to the playoffs moving forward, there's no reason to offer him a contract that's appreciably larger than the one he's on now - which is a bargain contract.

Rondo hasn't missed the playoffs since he's a rookie. Tyler Hansborough is on pace to be the playoffs every year except his rookie year too.

If Melo missing the playoffs in his prime in the worst conference in recent memory doesn't hurt his value, I see zero reason for it to effect Rondos.

Melo's almost always been the best player on his team, depending on how you feel about him and Iverson's collaboration. Dude's been the best player on ~50 win teams for 10 years straight. You, uh, can't say the same about Tyler Hansborough.

Rondo hasn't proven that he can lead a team anywhere as the best player on the team.

  Rondo's led teams farther as the best player on his team than Melo ever has. In fact he's led a team to as many playoff series wins in a single season as Melo has in his entire career.

[Jailan34]

I don't see how the C's missing the playoffs will allow us to get Rondo on a bargain contract. I mean do you really think Melo is going to be taking much less than the maximum deal this off-season?

This off-season will be the first time 'Melo's missed the playoffs. Ever.

If Rondo can't bring the C's to the playoffs moving forward, there's no reason to offer him a contract that's appreciably larger than the one he's on now - which is a bargain contract.

Rondo hasn't missed the playoffs since he's a rookie. Tyler Hansborough is on pace to be the playoffs every year except his rookie year too.

If Melo missing the playoffs in his prime in the worst conference in recent memory doesn't hurt his value, I see zero reason for it to effect Rondos.

Melo's almost always been the best player on his team, depending on how you feel about him and Iverson's collaboration. Dude's been the best player on ~50 win teams for 10 years straight. You, uh, can't say the same about Tyler Hansborough.

Rondo hasn't proven that he can lead a team anywhere as the best player on the team.

  Rondo's led teams farther as the best player on his team than Melo ever has. In fact he's led a team to as many playoff series wins in a single season as Melo has in his entire career.

I think this is a matter of opinion as Melo got his team to the wcf one year as the primary scorer and best player, while RR was on a much better team that advanced to the finals, where it could be argued he wasn't the best player.

I just don't think it was so cut and dry he was the best player.