what would your reaction be if the C's actually made the playoffs next year?

[LooseCannon]

if we're a 50 - 60 win team making the playoffs i'll be one happy ****. if we're 20 - 30 win team making the playoffs i'll be disgusted.

winning 20-30 games and making the playoffs would just be a travesty.

If the Celtics make the playoffs, it is likely they will get more than 20-30 wins but less than 50-60 wins.

[Celtics4ever]

Disbelief would be my reaction.

I would be happy to root for them as well.

[chambers]

Horrible. It would keep us in NBA purgatory longer. That short term excitement of making the playoffs would be gone after we lose the 1st round in 5 games. We are not a championship team yet. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride for a few years and shoot for draft picks.

I see where you're coming from.
And I'd hate for us to be the eternal 6th seed while the Cavs and Bulls compete for the Eastern Conference title for the next 5 years.

But I would love to make the playoffs if Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Sullinger had groundbreaking seasons- meanwhile reassuring Rondo that we are going to be an awesome team and leaving no doubt in his mind that Boston is the place to be.
To me, Smart and Sullinger have both got All Star potential, and I'd love to see Zeller become a legitimate starting NBA center. I think Jarred Sullinger is going to become part of All Star conversations after this season, and after him, Rondo and Zeller are going to be the biggest positive surprise for people this season. Zeller loves Stevens and vice versa because has a high IQ. He's put on 15 pounds of muscle, and he can run. Rondo rewards running bigs.

In fact the only way I see us making the playoffs if we have some serious breakout seasons from 2 or more guys under age 25.

[boscel33]

how the frak did that happen!

[slamtheking]

I partially agree. At the same time there are a lot of older die hard fans here (not including myself)  who rather see the Celtics to a legit rebuild and not cut corners to become relevant again. Look at the hawks for instance. !st to 2nd round team their for idk how many years.

It really goes both ways, you can tank n hit the draft (like philly), or you can play hard and hope a Big Al type player comes out to help based on the given talent (like Charlotte).. Also might be the difference in Rondo staying or not!

To avoid being like the Hawks, you have to avoid committing to players like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.  It probably didn't help that they had three consecutive top six picks where they took Josh Children, Marvin Williams, and Shelden Williams when the next guy taken after those guys were Luol Deng, Deron Williams, and Brandon Roy.  Tanking like Philly and getting a string of good picks could make you end up like Atlanta.

Tanking should be a last resort for when you have screwed the team up so badly that you have no other choice. 

excellent point on Atlanta.  having top picks means nothing if you blow them on bad players as well as blowing cap space on overpaying good-to-mediocre players.

[cb8883]

Disgust. Treadmill teams are a waste. Need to tank as hard as possible for a legit star. Stars win in the NBA and Rondo nor Banks 2.0 nor Sullinger are close to being star players in this league.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Disgust.

My thoughts exactly after reading your post.

[Evantime34]

I partially agree. At the same time there are a lot of older die hard fans here (not including myself)  who rather see the Celtics to a legit rebuild and not cut corners to become relevant again. Look at the hawks for instance. !st to 2nd round team their for idk how many years.

It really goes both ways, you can tank n hit the draft (like philly), or you can play hard and hope a Big Al type player comes out to help based on the given talent (like Charlotte).. Also might be the difference in Rondo staying or not!

To avoid being like the Hawks, you have to avoid committing to players like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.  It probably didn't help that they had three consecutive top six picks where they took Josh Children, Marvin Williams, and Shelden Williams when the next guy taken after those guys were Luol Deng, Deron Williams, and Brandon Roy.  Tanking like Philly and getting a string of good picks could make you end up like Atlanta.

Tanking should be a last resort for when you have screwed the team up so badly that you have no other choice.

Great point on Marvin Williams. Had the Hawks selected Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams people would be talking titles instead of purgatory with them.

[DarkAzcura]

I don't know how to vote. I wouldn't be shocked, but I also don't think it is a foregone conclusion. I'm in between option 1 and 2.

[clover]

If the C's make the playoffs because it's clear their young core--AB, KO, MS, JS and TS--are emerging as stars, that's fantastic and I'll celebrate as much as anyone.

But if it's because the 'old guys' like Bass and Wallace overperform, I'll be disappointed that Danny and Stevens gave them an opportunity to temporarily pull the team into mediocrity.

[chambers]

Disgust. Treadmill teams are a waste. Need to tank as hard as possible for a legit star. Stars win in the NBA and Rondo nor Banks 2.0 nor Sullinger are close to being star players in this league.

If we make the playoffs with this roster then at least 2 guys in our young core are headed towards star status. Only way way we make playoffs is by having Sullinger turn into David West and then zac Randolph. Hell after 1 and a half seasons in the nba he's basically surpassed Taj Gibson in scoring and rebounding advanced stats- we need him to have a breakout year and dominate the boards.
 Defense is only gonna get better as he loses weight and gains some more quickness. His IQ is very high and with a bit of luck that jumpshot will start falling at 45% instead of 35% and they stop wasting possessions on him chucking up tank train threes at 4.7 per game.

If I have one developmental wish this season it's that sully becomes a top 5-10 rebounder in the NBA.

[D.o.s.]

I partially agree. At the same time there are a lot of older die hard fans here (not including myself)  who rather see the Celtics to a legit rebuild and not cut corners to become relevant again. Look at the hawks for instance. !st to 2nd round team their for idk how many years.

It really goes both ways, you can tank n hit the draft (like philly), or you can play hard and hope a Big Al type player comes out to help based on the given talent (like Charlotte).. Also might be the difference in Rondo staying or not!

To avoid being like the Hawks, you have to avoid committing to players like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.  It probably didn't help that they had three consecutive top six picks where they took Josh Children, Marvin Williams, and Shelden Williams when the next guy taken after those guys were Luol Deng, Deron Williams, and Brandon Roy.  Tanking like Philly and getting a string of good picks could make you end up like Atlanta.

Tanking should be a last resort for when you have screwed the team up so badly that you have no other choice. 

excellent point on Atlanta.  having top picks means nothing if you blow them on bad players as well as blowing cap space on overpaying good-to-mediocre players.

*Looks at our recent draft picks.*

*Looks at our roster*

*Cries*

[aingeforthree]

I expect to the make the playoffs.

Brad Stevens with experience, & the additions of Smart, Young, & Zeller add quality to the team and you should win with these types of players on your roster.

Smart is far better than anybody on here is giving him credit for.  A difference maker.  A playoff difference maker considering the talent on the team already.  He's that darn good.

[slamtheking]

I partially agree. At the same time there are a lot of older die hard fans here (not including myself)  who rather see the Celtics to a legit rebuild and not cut corners to become relevant again. Look at the hawks for instance. !st to 2nd round team their for idk how many years.

It really goes both ways, you can tank n hit the draft (like philly), or you can play hard and hope a Big Al type player comes out to help based on the given talent (like Charlotte).. Also might be the difference in Rondo staying or not!

To avoid being like the Hawks, you have to avoid committing to players like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.  It probably didn't help that they had three consecutive top six picks where they took Josh Children, Marvin Williams, and Shelden Williams when the next guy taken after those guys were Luol Deng, Deron Williams, and Brandon Roy.  Tanking like Philly and getting a string of good picks could make you end up like Atlanta.

Tanking should be a last resort for when you have screwed the team up so badly that you have no other choice. 

excellent point on Atlanta.  having top picks means nothing if you blow them on bad players as well as blowing cap space on overpaying good-to-mediocre players.

*Looks at our recent draft picks.*

*Looks at our roster*

*Cries*

and your preferred options at the time of those players available when we selected would be?  Was there a superstar we really missed out on?  Fab was a horrid pick but he was in the 20's range.  no one picked after him as really lit up the league. 

it's not like Danny had the same high-pick opportunities as Atlanta that you could reasonably expect him to get someone that could contribute.

[krumeto]

If they make it, I cheer. If they don't make it, I cheer.

Same here, but if they make it I will cheer cheerer. Give me a good mid-season acquisition and a deep playoff run and I will cheer the cheerest.

Ah, these preseason threads! The training camp with Emily Austen videos, bad quality pick-up games footages and "Rondo's form looks great on these training camp FTs" cannot come soon enough.