Talent and Size Wins in the Playoffs

[PhoSita]

Our scrappy, hustling, undersized team of 10-12 quality role players has been fun to watch.

Today is the reminder: the regular season is one thing, the playoffs another. 

How will the Celtics add the kind of size and talent that will allow them to keep pace in the playoffs?

[Rondo9]

Can you say this until after the celtics are eliminated?

[droopdog7]

I don't think anyone on the planet is shocked by the result.  But thanks for the breaking news. 

[celtics2030]

Sullinger

Size, but not skilled (NBA)

[Vox_Populi]

Trades, draft and maybe free agency.

[Who]

Trade up on draft day. Probably go after a SF like Stanley Johnson.

Go after Greg Monroe in free agency. Young, still improving. Good player. Skilled size.

[wdleehi]

I had already came to the conclusion that this team is to much like those old Bobcat teams lead by Wallace.



Made up for non-star talent by playing harder every night then other teams.  Come playoffs when all teams start playing all out for every game, the talent level issue became more obvious and 1st round exits followed.



Best difference, the belief in Ainge's ability to find a way to keep significantly improving this team.

[Who]

I am concerned by lack of high quality trade assets on Celtics roster.

Reminds me of those Pau Gasol Memphis Grizzlies teams that won 45-50 games but had no real 2nd option behind Pau. They had lots of depth but nobody with star talent. Nobody that other teams would give up a star for. So they were stuck and unable to make that next move to get Pau the help he needed.

I think this Celtics team has a lot of solid pros but little to no star talent. Smart will need to do more than he has to convince someone he is a star in the making. Sully hasn't broken through yet. Neither has Olynyk. Thomas is a flawed player who is best as a 6th man. Young glued to the bench. Rest of the guys are role players. Best assets are the two Brooklyn picks.

Boston needs to find a way to improve star talent on roster. I think the two best ways to do that are to (1) trade up on draft day (2) go after young and up comers in free agency.

[Who]

Really disappointed to lose out on a lottery pick in this year's draft. That asset was best short term opportunity to add a young player with star.

And we lost that, for what? To get walloped in the first round? Blown out in multiple (I expect) and lose in 4-5 games? I'd much rather have gotten that draft pick.

It would be one thing if C's made the playoffs because young guys were playing at a high level but they got here because of depth. Not young guys breaking through and showing they are stars in the making.

[makaveli]

good game, let's get ready for tuesday

[PhoSita]

Trade up on draft day. Probably go after a SF like Stanley Johnson.

Go after Greg Monroe in free agency. Young, still improving. Good player. Skilled size.

I'm interested in Monroe, but I think he's a center long term.  The Celts would really need to revamp the roster to make it work with Monroe at the 5, I think.

[PhoSita]

Really disappointed to lose out on a lottery pick in this year's draft. That asset was best short term opportunity to add a young player with star.

And we lost that, for what? To get walloped in the first round? Blown out in multiple (I expect) and lose in 4-5 games? I'd much rather have gotten that draft pick.

It would be one thing if C's made the playoffs because young guys were playing at a high level but they got here because of depth. Not young guys breaking through and showing they are stars in the making.

You said it, man.  Exactly.

The players on this team are individually better than I thought they were at the start of the season (or whenever they joined the team).  I'll readily admit that.

Still, like you say, they made the playoffs by virtue of having depth and playing an up-tempo, floor-spreading style.  They're no closer to being a really good team than the other teams that missed the playoffs.

I don't think the difference between picking 9 and picking 16 will ultimately mean much, but this team needs the kind of talent that you only get with a truly high pick.  It's tough, though, because I am not one of those people that would have preferred to see them tank.  It's just frustrating to feel like they're kind of stuck hoping to get lucky picking in the teens.

[LarBrd33]

Every year some fanbase gets all excited about their starless group of overachievers and then gets throttled by a talent buzzsaw once the playoffs starts.  You'd think a team that has built 17 champions on the shoulders of 30 Hall of Fame players would understand how important talent is in this league.  It's the professional sports league with the least amount of parity.  The teams with the best talent always win.

[chambers]

I am concerned by lack of high quality trade assets on Celtics roster.

Reminds me of those Pau Gasol Memphis Grizzlies teams that won 45-50 games but had no real 2nd option behind Pau. They had lots of depth but nobody with star talent. Nobody that other teams would give up a star for. So they were stuck and unable to make that next move to get Pau the help he needed.

I think this Celtics team has a lot of solid pros but little to no star talent. Smart will need to do more than he has to convince someone he is a star in the making. Sully hasn't broken through yet. Neither has Olynyk. Thomas is a flawed player who is best as a 6th man. Young glued to the bench. Rest of the guys are role players. Best assets are the two Brooklyn picks.

Boston needs to find a way to improve star talent on roster. I think the two best ways to do that are to (1) trade up on draft day (2) go after young and up comers in free agency.

Problem for us is that we don't even have a Pau Gasol level guy yet, let alone Pau Gasol's butler. Maybe Isaiah Thomas but he's just not the two way star that can play 40 mins a game in the playoffs and not be a liability on the defensive end.

Good news is that Danny's in charge and at least he knows how good Stevens is after this year.
Would not be surprised to see some serious culling going on in the offseason.
Move Turner, let Bass, and one of Jerebko/Crowder walk, look to move Bradley with our pick to move up and try and get a real impact player- especially if we have no luck in free agency.

[LarBrd33]

I am concerned by lack of high quality trade assets on Celtics roster.

Reminds me of those Pau Gasol Memphis Grizzlies teams that won 45-50 games but had no real 2nd option behind Pau.

Boston has no 1st option... which is why they lost more games this year than they won.  They aren't a good team.   A top 5 pick would have done FAR more for our future than a pointless sweep.  A couple weeks ago I did a poll and 70% of the fans here preferred missing the playoffs and having the 9th best draft odds.   

But whatever.   We were mediocre enough that a Top 5 pick wasn't going to happen.  Danny certainly tried to set this team up for failure, but they kept winning games in spite of it.  The difference between 9-16 probably isn't going to be that dramatic.   I like Stevens long-term.  I like that he's built a culture here.  Hopefully they can lure some talent via free agency.  We don't have the trade assets to get the first option.  We'll need to get lucky.  There's a good chance we'll get stuck in perpetual mediocrity.