Would you rather make the playoffs or get a Top 5 pick?

[LarBrd33]

Alright guys... 20 games left.  I've been leading the tank bandwagon since July 12, 2013.  Gradually more people hopped on board.  Let's see where everyone stands.

Our one win vs Brooklyn dropped us from #4 to #6.  The win felt good... like a little drug fix that has the repercussion of losing us Exum/Embiid/Wiggins/Parker.  Rondo looks SENSATIONAL.  His shooting shockingly looks majorly improved.  All those fears that "Rondo will play us out of a superstar!" are starting to look like a real possibility.  With Sully and Oly both showing game, a mini win streak would definitely NOT surprise me.

We are currently 21-41 (6th pick)
 
We are 3 games behind 24-38 Detroit (#10 pick)

We are 6 games behind 26-34 Atlanta (8th seed/#15 pick)

We are 2.5 games ABOVE 19-44 Orlando (3rd pick)


This season could still go a number of ways.  We have some competent teams left on the schedule (Indiana, Suns, Dallas, Toronto, Miami, Chicago), but we also have plenty of bums left on our schedule (Knicks, Philly, Atlanta, Charlotte, Philly again, Cleveland)

At the moment, picking in the Top 5 seems like a long-shot unless we sit Rondo.   

At the moment, I doubt anyone (aside from maybe Celtics18) thinks this team can win a championship... but the playoffs are still within reach.

Make your choice!  Do you want us to continue freebasing long-term damaging wins... or do you want us to sit Rondo and tank this up good and proper?

 

[Onslaught]

I don't care. Ping pong balls can go any way no matter how bad or good we finish. I'll just trust in Danny to do what's best with whatever happens. What I want or think is irrelevant to be honest.

[dreamgreen]

No question I want the pick, the reality as you mentioned is most likely we end up with the 7 or 8 pick which would be a major bummer. I wouldn't count on the ping pong balls going our way, they seem to screw us every time.

I wish Bass and Green would sprain their ankles.

[Spilling Green Dye]

Top 5 pick since day 1. I wouldn't even consider last night too much of a positive win b/c it really felt like the Celtics won by default.... the Nets missed a TON of wide open 3's and we had some lucky 3's go in.  However, it was nice to see the continual development of Rondo's shooting! I don't mind winning so much if it's b/c of the core 3 (Rondo/Sullinger/Green) playing great, but when Babb is hitting fade away 3's it doesn't feel worth it. 

It's a shame that the bottom teams are all so close in record.  But it is what it is, and we really need to lose as many games as possible.

[LarBrd33]

Screw it... beating Brooklyn felt good.  The heck with ping pong balls.  Let's make the playoffs, baby!

[lightspeed5]

getting into the playoffs and getting swept in the 1st round would not be fun. it'd be a waste. we'd draft jajuan johnson part 2 with our late 1st and stay in nba purgatory

we need a top pick

[BleedGreen1989]

Screw it... beating Brooklyn felt good.  The heck with ping pong balls.  Let's make the playoffs, baby!

I knew you were the OP before even clicking on the thread, but any Chappelle Show reference gets a TP lol. That's just funny

[jambr380]

'Top 5 pick' should probably re-worded to '5th pick'. At this point in the season, anyone in the right mind would be crazy to choose playoffs over #1-4, but drafting Randle/Vonleh/Smart might not be everyone's cup of tea. I just want this season to be over with and have a top 4 pick in exchange for this lackluster bball we have had to watch.

[SparzWizard]

Of course the top 5 pick. I mean, I don't want to get swept by the Pacers in the first-round all for nothing right 

[crimson_stallion]

Right now, definately the pick.

No matter what we do this offseason, we have precious little cap space for improving our team via free agency.

We have the assets to make some small improvements via trades, but not enough to make us a contender - adding a guy like Kevin Love won't achieve that for us, yet will cost us half our assets to acquire.

Through the draft we can essentially get a talented young player for nothing.  We don't need to give up any of out own guys, and we don't have to waste massive amounts of cap space...and Danny gets complete freedom to choose who he wants out of the 25 or so guys who remain on the draft board at that time.

Plus in any lottery there is always a slight chance that the ping-pong balls could fall our way, and we may end up with a top 3 pick.  If that happens we can draft somebody like Embiid, Exum, Parker or Wiggins.  Some of those guys have more potential than others, but ever one of them could improve this team right now.

If we added one of those exceptional draft picks AND we managed to also pull of a trade to being an All-Star calibre player over...that then leaves us with a lineup that starts with Rondo, a potential future all star, an actual current all-star. 

Plus on top of that we'd still have some excellent talent to fill in the roster, such as Sully, Bradley and Olynyk (who all have high upsdide).  We'd also have tons of picks in the future, which would allow us to bring in young talent every year for as far forward as I can see.  With Brooklyn looking like they will be terrible after next year, a number of those could be lottery picks too.

Basically if we sacrifice this season, that puts us on tracks to be very, very, very good two seasons from now when out new talent develops, and our big contracts (like Bass, Wallace, Green) have expired.   

[Chief Macho]

the pick.   sadly i don't think it will make much difference.  this draft class is completely overrated.

[RebusRankin]

The pick

[Neurotic Guy]

Not any question that I'd want a top 5 pick.  I'd rather a top 10 pick than the playoffs.

I also really want Danny to pick ahead of the Lakers.  It will burn me to see them pick ahead of us as Kobe, the fierce competitor who always comes back sooner than expected, watches in street clothes.

The win against Brooklyn is acceptable since I have been convinced that Brooklyn will still end up with the #3 seed in the East -- if they can lose a few and stay in the 16-18 range it will be good.   But frankly, no win is good as far as I am concerned.  I want competitive, close losses.

Really need to get to the 4th worst record, and hopefully the 3rd.  Someone from out of the top 5 will get a lucky ping-pong ball and we'll be moved 1, maybe 2, notches back.

[sofutomygaha]

I want Rondo, Green, Sullinger, and Olynyk to be men, win basketball games together, and earn some respect. The more they win now, the more they'll win next year.

[LarBrd33]

I want Rondo, Green, Sullinger, and Olynyk to be men, win basketball games together, and earn some respect. The more they win now, the more they'll win next year.

Not really.