What do Pro Tankers want?

[sofutomygaha]

This is a troll-tastic thread that you've started, celticsclay.

As a "pro tanker," I'm going to take it at face value. Right now, I want us to:

(1) continue to try to trade away any mid-career player with value to obtain future assets.
(2) not take on additional bad contracts (I lobbied for Amare, for example, last year). That phase has passed
(3) give our young players as much run as they can handle without developing bad habits from being in over their heads
(4) continue to pursue a fast-paced, high scoring approach. This approach will maximize our touches and opportunities to develop offensive chemistry, put more points on the board for the vets whom we want to showcase, and make it harder to keep games close against/steal wins from superior opponents (maybe it will maximize Sullinger's fitness, too)

This is not a strategy that prioritizes losing. It's just a strategy that prioritizes rebuilding and development over winning.

If our young players are still winning in spite of those obstacles, then congratulations because we're about ready to stop tanking! This may be beginning to happen, but our recent wins have been against bad teams... many of them trying to lose in even more blatant ways than we are. If our Smart-Bradley-Sullinger-Olynyk-Young celtics can pull us down the draft board despite the obstacles we are putting in their way, then that's something to be really excited about. That means that when we trade for/sign some elite-level teammates for them to play with, they'll be a team worth watching.

[ScoobyDoo]

I guess you could say I'm in the pro-tank group but I have no interest in tanking.

I also have no interest in playing mid level talented vets heavy minutes when they have absolutely"zero" future here. I want to play the young guys and develop them.

I do believe that if we did this from here on out we will end up with a top three pick - I would like that. But I call that strategic development of young assets, not tanking.

1. My core from now until the end of the season -

Zeller / Olynyk
Sully / Olynyk
Crowder / Turner
Bradley / Young / Dawkins
Smart / Turner / Pressey

2. Trade or buyout Prince and Thornton

3. Play Bass and Wallace only as much as needed.
* I would tell Bass I'd like to sign him long term as part of our big men rotation and a vet presence for the right money he deserves in the off season - I think he and Bradley provide a nice bridge of veteran leadership for out young guys. But I'd tell him I'm spending the majority of the season force feeding Sulling, Olynyk and Zeller development minutes. 

4. Get a top three pick - add a top three talent - hopefully Okafor or Towns I guess?

5. Probably target our cap space for 2016 free agency.

6.  Ideal Team going into next year -

Okafor or Towns / Zeller  / Draft pick
Sully / Olynyk / Bass
Crowder / Draft pick
Bradley / Young / Dawkins or draft pick
Smart / Turner / Draft pick

I think that team is a "very solid starting small forward away from serious contention within 2-3 years more of maturity and team chemistry.

I don't want to tank but I see absolutely zero reason to play vets that will make us good enough to win enough games to secure the 10th pick when we could take this time to simultaneously develop our youth while securing a top three pick.

it's a no brainer to me - call me a pro-tanker.   
   
   
 

[indeedproceed]

I'm pro-tank, and all I wanna do is win. But not win 38 games, or 42 games. I want to be above that 50 mark for a decade. What do we need? Talent. What do we got? Ehh....

[BornReady]

im what u would describe as a pro tanker
but not in the sense of losing games by just throwing away the ball to the other team or missing shots on purpose

i just want to lose games so we can better our odds at the lottery or even get in the top 7 of the draft to at least have a chance of getting a player with high potential and one that ainge wants

if we do win too many games we could make the playoffs for a guarantee first round loss or get a lower pick
we could end up like denver not that they got their players from the draft but because their team has so much talent and depth but there isnt really any stars (you can argue ty lawson and Nurkic who i believed had star potential during the draft)

if u dont have stars you cant be a contender without them
i dont think any team in history that won a championship didnt have at least one all star on their roster 

[crimson_stallion]

Do exactly what Danny has done so far - stockpile a crapton of assets. 

Draft picks, trade exceptions, expiring contracts, young players with upside.

The next time an opposing team has a disgruntled star they want to get rid of, Boston will be in one of the best positions to put forward a trade offer that the other team can't say no to.  If they don't get so lucky, then they can try their luck at drafting one or two key free agents.  If they don't get any luck there, they can fall back on the draft and acquire young talent the traditional way.

There are plenty of options, which is what you want.

Also for all those people who say Free agents won't come to Boston because of the weather, I ask:

1) How did New York manage to sign Amare Stoudemire and Carmello Anthony in their primes?
2) How did Chicago manage to sign Pau Gasol?

Both cities known for their not-so-winter-friendly weather.

My answer is because of franchise reputation. Both New York and Chicago have a deep history as winning franchises, and franchises who are not afraid to spend whatever they need to in order to build a contender. 

Boston has that same history and reputation.

Ultimately the one thing Danny Ainge can offer free agents - the promise that if they sign in Boston, he will open up a blank chequebook to any other star free agents who might want to join them here.

[chambers]

Pro tankers can keep telling themselves the odds are ever in our favor but I don't believe they are.

You mean if we finished with the worst record we'd get unlucky and get the 3rd or 4th pick anyway?
Or you mean this team is too good to tank?

[LarBrd33]

i was pro tank last year.  This year I don't really care.  We sort of struck out last season by missing out on Wiggins, Parker and Embiid.  Smart's a nice player, but I don't see all-star potential.  Maybe as we learn more about the talent in this draft, I'll get more excited about it.

I don't think we can rely on landing a star through the draft to build this team.  I'm actually more excited to see what we do with cap space.  We've never really had cap space until this summer. Should be interesting.

[Greyman]

I agree with the idea that it is the cap space that gets us the quality we need. Tanking is a reality but it still curdles my insides. If you pay to see a pro sporting event both teams should be playing to win. If not then play fewer games or create more incentive for teams missing the playoffs.

As a complete aside, would teams tank if too poor a season meant being dropped from the NBA? I have no idea if rules exist in this area.

[Eja117]

Pro tankers can keep telling themselves the odds are ever in our favor but I don't believe they are.

You mean if we finished with the worst record we'd get unlucky and get the 3rd or 4th pick anyway?
Or you mean this team is too good to tank?

both actually

[SHAQATTACK]

Austin Rivers

[CFAN38]

I would like to see at least two of the 3 "vets" Bass, Prince and Thorton moved at the deadline. I persoanlly would like to see Turner moved but this can wait till the offseason.


After that I want the Cs to play to win every night while Marcus gets 30+ mpg and Young gets 20+mpg. What ever that gets us for a pick I'm fine with.

[SHAQATTACK]

They need to talk to the Celtic FO and DA .....they are in charge of personnel .

The vets are only doing their jobs

Seems there is glut of rebuilding teams ...going young".........

Bass is average player.

Teams wants YOUNG players

It's up to Danny to buy em out , kick em out the door or whatever

Until then .....I'm going cheer for wins .....hating on the players for being Celtics was not their choice ,they are doing a job ...earnng a living.

[Celtics4ever]

I would hope all fans want us to get better.  Be they tank or playoff.   On one hand tanking, might get us a better pick but it might not.    Some think if we make the playoffs, it will help us attract someone but it might not.   I bet the three feet of snow didn't help in that regard.  In the end, only time will tell.  Either way I hope we all want us to get better.

[sofutomygaha]

I would hope all fans want us to get better.  Be they tank or playoff.   On one hand tanking, might get us a better pick but it might not.    Some think if we make the playoffs, it will help us attract someone but it might not.   I bet the three feet of snow didn't help in that regard.  In the end, only time will tell.  Either way I hope we all want us to get better.

This is bizarre to me, but maybe I'm taking things for granted. If there are masochistic anti-fans on the board who derive genuine pleasure simply from the Celtics being bad, I call on them to start a thread and tell their story.

[Future Celtics Owner]

I'm what you'd call a 'pro tanker' but your statement is completely wrong about being better now that Green and Rondo are gone. Do you think we wouldn't have won those games if Green and Rondo were here? Look at who we beat....

I like seeing us win certain games- but not just because the other teams stink or are injured, and I have less of a problem with it when guys like Young, Smart and Zeller get minutes, but to me, these wins over the past 2 weeks have been completely and utterly pointless.

We've beaten teams that are poor, or who were without their best player, or who have started tanking themselves (nuggets).

Look below and tell me that Green and Rondo cause us to lose any of these binkies?

Our last 10 games we've won 5 games. Who were those wins against?

Portland- without LaMarcus Aldridge or Sideshow bob (Robin Lopez)

Denver- lost 11 of their last 12 games- also didn't have Lawson that night.

Jazz- they are pretty bad but we shot very well. 42% from3 point land and just had a hot night, and the thing that p---ed me off about this win was that TayShaun Prince was the reason we won the game. A guy who has no place out there on the court for us- we are parading him around for a second round pick and hurting our own draft pick in the process.

Beat the Knicks

Beat the Nuggets again after Shaw makes some questionable substitutions in the fourth quarter and they shoot more bricks than a construction site.

And next we play the tanking 76ers- ditto.

I really fail to see what winning any of those games accomplishes for our organization- but I understand that people want to see us win.

Bass, Crowder, Prince, Thornton and Evan Turner should be gone by next season. I'm just glad that the trade deadline is coming because hopefully Danny finds deals for Bass, Thornton and Prince. Crowder is going to free agency and Turner is a trade chip that Danny's hoping to nab a first round pick for at some stage. Having Turner out there actually hurts us so I don't care if he hangs around for the rest of the season.

Anyway that's my opinion and hopefully answers your question.
I just want us to have the best possible shot at getting a franchise player. Who knows, we may get super lucky and somehow land a top 3 pick in the lottery, but it's frustrating to see us win games on the back of guys who are not going to be here next season and will have nothing to do with the Celtics in 2016.

Marcus Smart and James Young can still develop really well, it would just be nice to get them another top 4 or 5 pick rather than the 7th, 8th or 9th or 10th pick.
I'm also worried about us finishing with the 7th worst record and then getting unlucky and getting the 10th pick in the draft.
 Wouldn't that be swell?

couldnt say it better