Celtics must either win or tank next season

[Ogaju]

none of the twink/twank effort they put out last year.

To paraphrase Red from the movie ShawShank Redemption 'get busy winning or get busy tanking'.

[adam.jones614]

They don't have the talent to contend, it's not in the team's best interest to tank.  So you'll see them try to win as many as possible. My guess is in the 35-40 range.

[indeedproceed]

Boston probably has one more terrible year left in them. They're gonna ride out this Kevin Love fiasco and see if there are immediate improvements to be made, but Danny won't put lipstick on a pig. He's always targeted next summer, and this season was always potentially slated as a casualty of rebuild.

The only real question is Rondo. If Danny feels 2016 can be a contending/fringe contending season, Rondo stays. If not, he goes. If Rondo goes, so does Jeff Green.

[BudweiserCeltic]

If you have cap space next year, which we do in spades, it's in our best interest to make the playoffs. Why? Because if we show the league that this is an up-and-coming talented team that's good enough to make a playoffs as is it'll attract the heck out of potential key free-agents.

You do the best you can with what you have, don't compromise the future for a short/quick gain, and if a good opportunity presents itself, then take it, otherwise stay on course and stop worrying about "winning too much" if we aren't going to be contending for a championship.

Developing our current roster towards becoming a winner is more important than crossing our fingers for a lottery pick next year.

Changing the perception of the direction of our team is more important than anything in a year when we'll be players in the free-agency market.

[indeedproceed]

If you have cap space next year, which we do in spades, it's in our best interest to make the playoffs. Why? Because if we show the league that this is an up-and-coming talented team that's good enough to make a playoffs as is it'll attract the heck out of potential key free-agents.

You do the best you can with what you have, don't compromise the future for a short/quick gain, and if a good opportunity presents itself, then take it, otherwise stay on course and stop worrying about "winning too much" if we aren't going to be contending for a championship.

Developing our current roster towards becoming a winner is more important than crossing our fingers for a lottery pick next year.

Changing the perception of the direction of our team is more important than anything in a year when we'll be players in the free-agency market.

But a healthy bit of it is hinged on who will be a free agent next year. They're looking at what..Kevin Love and a bunch of RFA's?

[Beat LA]

Boston probably has one more terrible year left in them. They're gonna ride out this Kevin Love fiasco and see if there are immediate improvements to be made, but Danny won't put lipstick on a pig. He's always targeted next summer, and this season was always potentially slated as a casualty of rebuild.

The only real question is Rondo. If Danny feels 2016 can be a contending/fringe contending season, Rondo stays. If not, he goes. If Rondo goes, so does Jeff Green.

So the only way to rid ourselves of Jeff Green is if Rondo is traded?  Well that's certainly depressing, haha.  I know I've said it a million times, but I really believe that Green would thrive in Memphis, and they would be a legitimate contender, imo.

[BudweiserCeltic]

If you have cap space next year, which we do in spades, it's in our best interest to make the playoffs. Why? Because if we show the league that this is an up-and-coming talented team that's good enough to make a playoffs as is it'll attract the heck out of potential key free-agents.

You do the best you can with what you have, don't compromise the future for a short/quick gain, and if a good opportunity presents itself, then take it, otherwise stay on course and stop worrying about "winning too much" if we aren't going to be contending for a championship.

Developing our current roster towards becoming a winner is more important than crossing our fingers for a lottery pick next year.

Changing the perception of the direction of our team is more important than anything in a year when we'll be players in the free-agency market.

But a healthy bit of it is hinged on who will be a free agent next year. They're looking at what..Kevin Love and a bunch of RFA's?

You simply have to get yourself into position to make things happen. Worrying about things you can't control isn't worth the effort.

But that's how all free-agencies look like. A couple of high quality players that are unrestricted and another bunch that are restricted.

If nothing comes of it, nothing comes of it. Nothing else to do but look for the next best alternative.

[Future Celtics Owner]

Boston probably has one more terrible year left in them. They're gonna ride out this Kevin Love fiasco and see if there are immediate improvements to be made, but Danny won't put lipstick on a pig. He's always targeted next summer, and this season was always potentially slated as a casualty of rebuild.

The only real question is Rondo. If Danny feels 2016 can be a contending/fringe contending season, Rondo stays. If not, he goes. If Rondo goes, so does Jeff Green.

So the only way to rid ourselves of Jeff Green is if Rondo is traded?  Well that's certainly depressing, haha.  I know I've said it a million times, but I really believe that Green would thrive in Memphis, and they would be a legitimate contender, imo.

Im betting Green has his best year as a pro this season(why do i put myself through this again).  He has the incentive to opt out and I just think now that no one expects anything from him...he will surprise us.

[CelticSooner]

They'll try their best to win as they should. Hoping for luck in the lottery has done nothing for the C's. Build up the young players while giving the fans a future to look forward to.

[pokeKingCurtis]

Or they could just wink.

Or wa-

Or they could just wink. 

[Beat LA]

Boston probably has one more terrible year left in them. They're gonna ride out this Kevin Love fiasco and see if there are immediate improvements to be made, but Danny won't put lipstick on a pig. He's always targeted next summer, and this season was always potentially slated as a casualty of rebuild.

The only real question is Rondo. If Danny feels 2016 can be a contending/fringe contending season, Rondo stays. If not, he goes. If Rondo goes, so does Jeff Green.

So the only way to rid ourselves of Jeff Green is if Rondo is traded?  Well that's certainly depressing, haha.  I know I've said it a million times, but I really believe that Green would thrive in Memphis, and they would be a legitimate contender, imo.

Im betting Green has his best year as a pro this season(why do i put myself through this again).  He has the incentive to opt out and I just think now that no one expects anything from him...he will surprise us.

Yeah, why do you keep doing that to yourself?

[Beat LA]

They'll try their best to win as they should. Hoping for luck in the lottery has done nothing for the C's. Build up the young players while giving the fans a future to look forward to.

Well said, TP.

[adam.jones614]

Another thing to consider is how sad the Atlantic Division is looking this year. I don't see any team that is considerably better than the C's.

[Endless Paradise]

I dunno, I'd have to seriously disagree; Philly's really the only team in the Atlantic that's on comparable ground to the Celtics.  The Raptors are good and brought back everybody in their 48-win rotation, the Nets will be mediocre at worst so long as they stay healthy, and the Knicks will be sub-mediocre at worst.  All three of those teams finished with at least 10 more wins than the Celtics last year. 

The Knicks have gotten worse by virtue of replacing Chandler with Dalembert, but Calderon will inevitably be an upgrade over Felton's play last year.  I don't foresee them dropping off to such an extent that the Celtics can leapfrog them; it's not like Boston has made particularly impressive short-term acquisitions over the offseason.  And I just cannot see Boston pulling ahead of the Nets or the Raptors by any means.

[DesertDweller]

You guys are all close on what you're saying but you haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel. you are making it sound like we have a long ways to go and you're not realizing that this year is the key year because of the fact that Green and Rondo are both free agents next year.  they will both play to the max this year.  our younger players want to win so bad they will follow Green and Rondo's lead and we will be contenders this year and next year players will be banging our doors down to play here and hang four more banners in the rafters!!!

You all make it sound like we have this terrible team when in fact we have some [dang] good players and all it would take to motivate these guys is to have Rondo and Green make it known that they're "ALL IN".  screw all this stuff about,  we need this and we don't have that. this team, the way they stand, can contend.  also, look for DA to make one more move this year that will change a bunch of your minds!!!!  this is the year, not next year or two years down the road so take your lottery and any thoughts of tanking, to some other board room!!!