If Love Fails, Can Rondo Lead This Team to the Playoffs?

[TheFlex]

Rondo/Semaj Christon/Pressey
Waiters/C.J. Wilcox/[Chris Johnson]
J. Green/H. Barnes/G. Wallace/C. Johnson
Sullinger/KO/[Marreese Speights]/[G. Wallace]
Embiid*/M. Speights/Faverani/C. Iverson

* denotes the assumption that Embiid will miss the majority of the regular season. Thus, this lineup is a representation of what this fantasy 2014-15 Celtics team could look like by April of 2015 (with Speights/KO/Faverani taking Embiid's place until he returns).

The Draft

Embiid to Cs is picking up steam. Let's hope assume Embiid falls to Boston at #6. Every indication points to Ainge gambling on Embiid. Select Joel Embiid with the #6 pick.

Trade #17 to HOU for #25 and #42. Select C.J. Wilcox with the #25 pick and Semaj Christon with the #42 pick.

July/August

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=qfwlrpx: Trade Joel Anthony, 2015 PHI 1st rounder (or 2016 seconds), 2015 BOS 2nd rounder for Dion Waiters

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=m68rd9n: Trade Brandon Bass, 2015 BOS 1st rounder, SAC 2nd rounders (2015 & 2017, top 55 protected), cash for Marreese Speights, Harrison Barnes

Keep Chris Johnson, cut Chris Babb (maybe have him sign a contract with Maine Red Claws?).

Obviously this is a very specific lineup, but the point of a thread like this is to evaluate a team of similar talent and future outlook. The Cs could keep Bass, sign Jimmer Fredette, then take Dwight Powell with #42 or rework the HOU deal to receive #25 and future considerations instead of #25 and #42. The Cs could trade Jeff Green for Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Miller, keep the #17 and select T.J. Warren (... or Shabazz Napier... or James Young if he slips... or Jusuf Nurkic... etc.). There's a lot of different means to achieve the ends of having a young and exciting team (just as the Cs could assemble a win-now squad in a number of different ways).

I like the team I assembled above. We're left with all three (including 2017 swap) BKN picks, the LAC pick, and all of our own 1st rounders except 2015's. And there's still a whole lot of financial flexibility on that team as well. The Cs could officially drop Keith Bogans, which would save them $5 million in salary. Keeping Jeff Green in the scenario above would make him more attractive to potential trade partners the following offseason (another year off his deal following a potential playoff run with the team above).

I welcome any analysis of the team listed above, but more importantly (and more generally), how many on CB forums could get excited for a Rondo-led youth squad?

[Smokeeye123]

I dont think the majority of celticsblog want the celtics to be an 8th or 7th seed. It's pretty much tank to the bottom of the league and get completely young or make major moves on the fly and become a top 3 seed.

[Lucky17]

To me, that looks like a lottery team.

Way too much inexperience on the bench. Jeff Green still required to do a lot of heavy lifting on offense (didn't go well this past season).

Also don't like the idea of Speights as a trade target for such a young team.

[Sketch5]

I dont think the majority of celticsblog want the celtics to be an 8th or 7th seed. It's pretty much tank to the bottom of the league and get completely young or make major moves on the fly and become a top 3 seed.

I think if the Celts tried last season they could have had the 4th seed by winning the Atlantic. The East is so weak,Remember how hard it was to stay out of the playoffs?

Now that being said, they could win the Atlantic next season with that team, but get bounced in the second round. There isn't much difference between 4 through 8 in the East right now. And not much difference from the teams after that until you get to Orland/Philly/Milwaukee. Any of those teams could get into the playoffs with a simple move or two. Just last season everyone that was boarderline was fighting to stay out.

[TheFlex]

I dont think the majority of celticsblog want the celtics to be an 8th or 7th seed. It's pretty much tank to the bottom of the league and get completely young or make major moves on the fly and become a top 3 seed.

I disagree. A number of posters this year have praised Phoenix's patience and future outlook. To me, this is a legitimate option in between a full-blown rebuild and an asset dump for Love. It has only been recently, coinciding with the Love sweepstakes, that Celtics fans have adopted this extreme mindset in which the Celtics can only be a contender next year or absolutely stink. This is not reality, and in fact if I'm correct, Ainge said himself that there is some middle ground that the front office is looking at.

What I've proposed is not something like signing Charlie V and Ben Gordon, sacrificing all cap space and future outlook in hopes of being the 7th or 8th seed. It's a patient, deliberate step to keep Rondo entertained, keep our options open (there's a lot of young, cheap contracts on that team) and maybe make a playoff run next year.

[TheFlex]

To me, that looks like a lottery team.

Way too much inexperience on the bench. Jeff Green still required to do a lot of heavy lifting on offense (didn't go well this past season).

Also don't like the idea of Speights as a trade target for such a young team.

The trade target is not Speights but rather Harrison Barnes.

I'd look for Sully to start picking up slack on offense, as well as a healthier Rondo. That's a very solid bench loaded with shooters/scorers. Also, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Embiid's name yet. Even if we barely miss the playoffs, it's not like our cupboard is bare. We'd have Rondo/Waiters/Barnes/Sully/Embiid/other youth/picks/cap space going forward.

[D.o.s.]

I dont think the majority of celticsblog want the celtics to be an 8th or 7th seed. It's pretty much tank to the bottom of the league and get completely young or make major moves on the fly and become a top 3 seed.

I think if the Celts tried last season they could have had the 4th seed by winning the Atlantic. The East is so weak,Remember how hard it was to stay out of the playoffs?

Now that being said, they could win the Atlantic next season with that team, but get bounced in the second round. There isn't much difference between 4 through 8 in the East right now. And not much difference from the teams after that until you get to Orland/Philly/Milwaukee. Any of those teams could get into the playoffs with a simple move or two. Just last season everyone that was boarderline was fighting to stay out.

I think that a second round exit is an optimistic viewpoint.

[Lucky17]

To me, that looks like a lottery team.

Way too much inexperience on the bench. Jeff Green still required to do a lot of heavy lifting on offense (didn't go well this past season).

Also don't like the idea of Speights as a trade target for such a young team.

The trade target is not Speights but rather Harrison Barnes.

I'd look for Sully to start picking up slack on offense, as well as a healthier Rondo. That's a very solid bench loaded with shooters/scorers. Also, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Embiid's name yet. Even if we barely miss the playoffs, it's not like our cupboard is bare. We'd have Rondo/Waiters/Barnes/Sully/Embiid/other youth/picks/cap space going forward.

So Speights is the cost of acquiring Barnes. Except Barnes gets how many minutes off the bench?

[Who]

No -- center position is too weak. Interior defense too vulnerable.

[BballTim]

I dont think the majority of celticsblog want the celtics to be an 8th or 7th seed. It's pretty much tank to the bottom of the league and get completely young or make major moves on the fly and become a top 3 seed.

I think if the Celts tried last season they could have had the 4th seed by winning the Atlantic. The East is so weak,Remember how hard it was to stay out of the playoffs?

Now that being said, they could win the Atlantic next season with that team, but get bounced in the second round. There isn't much difference between 4 through 8 in the East right now. And not much difference from the teams after that until you get to Orland/Philly/Milwaukee. Any of those teams could get into the playoffs with a simple move or two. Just last season everyone that was boarderline was fighting to stay out.

I think that a second round exit is an optimistic viewpoint.

 
  I don't think they could have won the atlantic last year, Toronto was better than people think.

[freshinthehouse]

I dont think the majority of celticsblog want the celtics to be an 8th or 7th seed. It's pretty much tank to the bottom of the league and get completely young or make major moves on the fly and become a top 3 seed.

I certainly fall into this group.

[celticbos]

I really think there is too much chatter about Rondo wanting out if there isn't a major move this off season. Rondo can lead this team to the playoffs as it is contructed right now. This is not a bad team right now and with more time together and a few moves we can be contenders, we just need to be patient.

[Roy H.]

That's a pretty rough squad.  There probably aren't 5 guys in the league who could lead that team to the playoffs.

[LilRip]

That team will probably win 30 games next season so no, no playoffs. Definitely not a 2nd round exit.

[Aymanelgowainy]

This teams pretty average... Glaring holes at Center and Shooting Guard... Also majority of our bench are below average players and unless Embiid recovers quickly and plays majority of the season (highly unlikely) as well as plays like Hakeem Olajuwon in his rookie year... This team isnt sniffing amything past a first round sweep by the no 1 or no 2 seed...