Watching the playoffs and thinking about the evolution of the game, I cannot help but wonder what kind of team that Coach Stevens and GM Ainge would need to create to win another championship. Of course the answer is the best team that fits the personnel, but at the same time I think its important to have a clear direction so that you target and acquire the right players and stay ahead of the "game".
To borrow from our Boston city-mate the Patriots, Coach/GM Belichick has recently stayed ahead of the game (or identified the market inefficiency, in sabermetric terms) by employing double tight end formations. Once the league responded with bigger linebackers, Belichick is now is using players with positional versatility/speed to exploit the weaknesses of that kind of defense. In some ways the 2008 championship team was also ahead of the game as it employed Thib's D (heavy showing by the big man and overloading one side of the court) which was relatively new to the game.
Now I understand basketball is a little less tactical/more player-driven than the NFL, and has little variety when it comes to strategy. Still, even if basketball is a more cyclical (in terms of strategy), what would be the next type of team that wins us Banner #18?
Looking at the current playoff teams, there could be a couple of ways that Stevens/Ainge construct the next championship team. Of course each team has aspects that can fit in multiple categories, but for a thought experiment, I've created the following types:
First, the
Max Effort team that plays every possession like its the last shot in Game 7. Diving for balls, out-hustling the opponents, getting a little feisty during pileups. The Chicago Bulls are a prime example.
Second,
the "analytics" team, where teams run and gun and bomb away beyond the arc, and try to win 127-118 games. Flashy, fan-friendly, and fun to watch.
Third,
a team with savvy veterans that know their role, know exactly what they need to do, and do not wilt under pressure.
Fourth, a
"sweat equity" team, (a term coined by Doug Collins and heavily pushed by Bill Simmons) which means a team full of players that have went through the hard times and the good, so they know each other well and trust one another. Indiana looked like this team last year in the playoffs, and Memphis is a good example.
I think the flexibility of the current roster, and the war chest of draft picks allow the Celtics to mold the next team into any of the above. If we want a max effort team, Ainge and Stevens should push Rondo to playoff mode, and get players that like to hustle and play hard. If we want an execution team, we get veterans at the mid-level and coach Olynyk and Sully as hard as we can. If we want a sweat equity team, we keep Bradley, draft high-upside guys and ride it out a couple of years until they mature. It also links to the upcoming draft, as Embiid, Exum, Parker, Wiggins, and all the other prospects would thrive in a different system. (and by "we" I mean Ainge and Stevens.)
I'm new the forum, and I don't know if this has been discussed before (searched and failed to find anything). If it has, apologies. Please let me know what you guys think, and hopefully this is a start of a fun debate.
I've also allowed all users to vote up to 4 times - I'm sure you want the next great Celtics team to be all of the above
Poll
Topic: "Identity" for Banner #18? (Read 1336 times)