Celtics must either win or tank next season

[D.o.s.]

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!!!

No, we don't. We have a bad team. Our team is bad. We are much more likely to wind up in the lottery than in the playoffs.

Right now we have a top ten, give or take, point guard. That is our only positionally exceptional player. Teams with only one better than average starter are not the teams that hang banners, and no amount of "put my fingers in my ears, use caps lock, and embrace excessive punctuation" changes that. Not one iota.

[cltc5]

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!!!

hahhahahaha

[Celticjay]

In the east we aren't too bad.

We have much better depth this year and a health Rondo on a contract year shouldn't be overlooked.

We now have a passable center in Zeller, who can make a 15 footer.

Olynk, Sullinger should be better..

Smart could make an impact with his defence and young will add some spacing with his shooting.  Let's not sleep on him.  He was amazing in the bright lights during the final four.   He's only 18 but he has that star gene.

Stevens will be much better accustomed to the NBA game.

Green won't be the focal point of other teams defensive plan as much as last year so he can be himself.

Overall, I'm optimistic that we can improve in many areas, which will in turn increase the value of our players.  With all our picks don't rule out an in-season trade for a star if we don't get Love this off season.

Also, next summer we'll have a tremendous amount of flexibility as most of our rosters key players will be on their rookie deals sans (Wallace, Bradley).

I suspect our team will be completely different by the start of the 2015 season.   That will be when we can really get excited.   

Let's just  keep in mind how we are really trending in the right direction!!

[Boris Badenov]

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'.

False dichotomy.

Even if we decided to devote all possible effort to "winning" we could end up mediocre for all kinds of reasons.

And even if we devoted all possible effort to "tanking" we could end up with the 3rd or 4th pick in the draft, or even lower depending on how things break.

These are not switches you can turn on and off with a certain outcome guaranteed in each case. We have a GM who understands that, even if other people don't.

[Ogaju]

I agree with you that you cannot guarantee an outcome, that does not mean you should not commit to a course of action though.

You increase your chances of succeeding by choosing a definite course of action.

[Celticjay]

Tanking is for losers!.  Breeds a poor culture for everyone on the roster, the coaching  staff and especially the fan base.  It also decreases the trade value of your players.  We have too many draft picks to  be worried about tanking and besides there are no guarantees with rookies and the lottery..

Let's bury this tanking plan!!

[mmmmm]

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'.

False dichotomy.

Even if we decided to devote all possible effort to "winning" we could end up mediocre for all kinds of reasons.

And even if we devoted all possible effort to "tanking" we could end up with the 3rd or 4th pick in the draft, or even lower depending on how things break.

These are not switches you can turn on and off with a certain outcome guaranteed in each case. We have a GM who understands that, even if other people don't.

TP.

You can only control that which you can control.

It seems to me, a sound strategy would be that you should try to put most of your eggs in the basket you control, not depend on lotteries and what other people do.

Right now we have various 'assets' in the form of picks and young players.   We can't control how well the picks of other teams (i.e., Clippers, Philly) turn out and we have only, as you point out, limited control over how our own picks turn out.

We do have some control over the value of our young players.  It is in our best interest that those players increase in value as assets -- and that's true whether we intend to keep them or to trade them.   

It does not help this team if at the end of next year, the trade value of Sully, Olynyk, Zeller, etc. has stagnated or declined due to having another season where players perform poorly or inconsistently due to injury, imbalanced, wacky rosters, forcing players to play out of position, and to shoot 1000 shots from their 'weak spot on the court' just to 'develop it'.

If that happens again, we won't be able to GIVE those players away.   Is that lost value worth getting another mid-lottery pick?

In my opinion, it is in the best interest of the team to try as much as possible to put those players in position to have success, because that increases their perceived value in the league.

Chances are, if those guys have decent seasons, then we aren't tanking.   Probably not contending for a title any time soon, but not likely tanking.

There is also an argument to be made that having the team perform at least 'well' (as in compete for a playoff spot even if they fall short) would make the roster a lot more attractive for any potential pending free agents (including Rondo).

As others have also pointed out, both Rondo and Green will be in contract years as well.   

There seems to me to be a lot of motivation on the part of both players and team to NOT repeat last year.

[Ogaju]

Good then we should commit to WINNING!!!! NOW!!!

[D.o.s.]

Gee, with such a bulletproof strategy, its a wonder that more NBA teams don't follow suit.

[fantankerous]

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!!!

As an aside, what I find ironic in this contemptible poster is that his thoroughly authoritarian personality on this forum is in complete contradiction with the tradition from which his profile picture is derived.  It seems he hasn't read his Proudhon, Kropotkin, Malatesta or Bookchin very well.

[D.o.s.]

Those were names I didn't expect to be referenced on CB when I woke up this morning.

TP.

[loco_91]

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?

There's a real good big man crop of FA's next year: LaMarcus Aldridge, Gasol, Hibbs, Asik, Chandler, Lopez if he opts out for some reason, and obviously Love.

I'm a big fan of Marc Gasol's game, I think he'd put us in the second tier of the East (after Cavs, probably Pacers and Bulls).

[freshinthehouse]

I'd gladly offer Gasol a 4 year max level deal.  It'd be a slight overpay, but IMO the dude is worth it.

But the question is, would Memphis also make an offer like that.  if they would, I'd doubt Gasol leaves.

[Celtics4ever]

I think the signing of ET might mean some other moves are coming given the logjam and amount of people on the roster.  Also that the tank job might be off.

[Phantom255x]

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?

There's a real good big man crop of FA's next year: LaMarcus Aldridge, Gasol, Hibbs, Asik, Chandler, Lopez if he opts out for some reason, and obviously Love.

I'm a big fan of Marc Gasol's game, I think he'd put us in the second tier of the East (after Cavs, probably Pacers and Bulls).

Also there is the other Lopez, Robin Lopez, starting C of the Trail Blazers.