Steve Bulpett: Next year's team could be worse than this years

[gpap]

Just to flesh this out, here's a really easy way the team could be worse next year:

- Let Bass, Jerebko, and Datome walk.

- Give Crowder the QO but let him walk when some desperate team offers him well over the full MLE.

- Stay put in the draft at all spots and make a couple of draft-and-stash picks in the second round. (e.g. Portis, Wright, Jaiteh, Vezenkov)

- Sign a couple of young-ish buy-low guys (e.g. Biyombo, Aminu)



Opening night roster:

Smart / Thomas / Pressey
Bradley / Young / Wright
Turner / Aminu / Wallace
Sullinger / Portis
Zeller / Olynyk / Biyombo

Boy I hope that's not our opening night roster

Whatever happened to that Lamarcus Aldridge bull s*** that liar Sherrod started a few weeks ago.

[Roy H.]

There could be some regression, sure.  I would be surprised if Danny didn't do something useful with the cap space, though, whether that be to sign a player he hopes can be a building block, or using the space to gain other assets in the short term.

[Celtics18]

Just to flesh this out, here's a really easy way the team could be worse next year:

- Let Bass, Jerebko, and Datome walk.

- Give Crowder the QO but let him walk when some desperate team offers him well over the full MLE.

- Stay put in the draft at all spots and make a couple of draft-and-stash picks in the second round. (e.g. Portis, Wright, Jaiteh, Vezenkov)

- Sign a couple of young-ish buy-low guys (e.g. Biyombo, Aminu)



Opening night roster:

Smart / Thomas / Pressey
Bradley / Young / Wright
Turner / Aminu / Wallace
Sullinger / Portis
Zeller / Olynyk / Biyombo

But, that team could make the playoffs again.  They could even be a little bit better.

I'd have to agree.  That team I think is in the same exact position next season as they were this season, which is battling for no higher than a 6th seed in a bad Eastern conference.

Personally, I'm fine with that.  What did we get, 40, last year?  I'll pull for 41 next year for an even .500.

[PhoSita]

Just to flesh this out, here's a really easy way the team could be worse next year:

- Let Bass, Jerebko, and Datome walk.

- Give Crowder the QO but let him walk when some desperate team offers him well over the full MLE.

- Stay put in the draft at all spots and make a couple of draft-and-stash picks in the second round. (e.g. Portis, Wright, Jaiteh, Vezenkov)

- Sign a couple of young-ish buy-low guys (e.g. Biyombo, Aminu)



Opening night roster:

Smart / Thomas / Pressey
Bradley / Young / Wright
Turner / Aminu / Wallace
Sullinger / Portis
Zeller / Olynyk / Biyombo

But, that team could make the playoffs again.  They could even be a little bit better.

Completely agree.

[Celtics18]

Just to flesh this out, here's a really easy way the team could be worse next year:

- Let Bass, Jerebko, and Datome walk.

- Give Crowder the QO but let him walk when some desperate team offers him well over the full MLE.

- Stay put in the draft at all spots and make a couple of draft-and-stash picks in the second round. (e.g. Portis, Wright, Jaiteh, Vezenkov)

- Sign a couple of young-ish buy-low guys (e.g. Biyombo, Aminu)



Opening night roster:

Smart / Thomas / Pressey
Bradley / Young / Wright
Turner / Aminu / Wallace
Sullinger / Portis
Zeller / Olynyk / Biyombo

TP.  It's not very sexy, but I actually really like that team for next year. 

[Future Celtics Owner]

The east is getting better for next year.....

I think we tried the Rondo and Green thing. We winning with role players. Now it's time to trade our older players for picks. Like Avery and someone else for the pick that gets us Myles Turner. Draft Upshaw with 16th pick.

Then next year get a good pick and either trade it or draft him.

[oldutican]

Totally agree with Bulpett, except that Celts have shot at Monroe.

[gpap]

Just to flesh this out, here's a really easy way the team could be worse next year:

- Let Bass, Jerebko, and Datome walk.

- Give Crowder the QO but let him walk when some desperate team offers him well over the full MLE.

- Stay put in the draft at all spots and make a couple of draft-and-stash picks in the second round. (e.g. Portis, Wright, Jaiteh, Vezenkov)

- Sign a couple of young-ish buy-low guys (e.g. Biyombo, Aminu)



Opening night roster:

Smart / Thomas / Pressey
Bradley / Young / Wright
Turner / Aminu / Wallace
Sullinger / Portis
Zeller / Olynyk / Biyombo

But, that team could make the playoffs again.  They could even be a little bit better.

I'd have to agree.  That team I think is in the same exact position next season as they were this season, which is battling for no higher than a 6th seed in a bad Eastern conference.

Personally, I'm fine with that.  What did we get, 40, last year?  I'll pull for 41 next year for an even .500.

Disagree. That team has the potential to be absolutely abysmal. Remember the East will be better next year with Bosh and Paul George coming back. Not to mention the Knicks will probably be a lot better. Also, teams like Milwaukee and Orlando are on the rise.

We need ALOT more talent than that.

In a way, we were lucky to make the playoffs last season because the East was so bad.

Also, as the season went on, I really began to dislike Turner as a player and hope he's gone next year.

[TheFlex]

Just to flesh this out, here's a really easy way the team could be worse next year:

- Let Bass, Jerebko, and Datome walk.

- Give Crowder the QO but let him walk when some desperate team offers him well over the full MLE.

- Stay put in the draft at all spots and make a couple of draft-and-stash picks in the second round. (e.g. Portis, Wright, Jaiteh, Vezenkov)

- Sign a couple of young-ish buy-low guys (e.g. Biyombo, Aminu)



Opening night roster:

Smart / Thomas / Pressey
Bradley / Young / Wright
Turner / Aminu / Wallace
Sullinger / Portis
Zeller / Olynyk / Biyombo

Sophomore Smart/more integrated IT
Older AB/Sophomore Young

is better than the backcourt we had over the entire course of last season.

Turner/Aminu is about as good if not better than Turner/Crowder.

Older Sullinger/Portis
More integrated and older Zeller/Older Olynyk/Biyombo

is superior to the frontcourt we had over the entire course of last season.

With the youth of our team, including that of our coach's, and considering the hole that the Rondo/Green duo dug the team into early on, it is very hard -- even ignoring all the possibilities of immediate upgrades such as Love, Cousins, Monroe, Thibs as defensive assistant -- to imagine us being worse than last year record-wise.

This is just as much nonsense as optimists portraying the slim chance that we're getting Love to be a reliable option for the team's summer plans. We won't be worse next year, barring injury.

Edit: oh, and, I doubt Danny was disappointed we made the playoffs.

[gpap]

Just to flesh this out, here's a really easy way the team could be worse next year:

- Let Bass, Jerebko, and Datome walk.

- Give Crowder the QO but let him walk when some desperate team offers him well over the full MLE.

- Stay put in the draft at all spots and make a couple of draft-and-stash picks in the second round. (e.g. Portis, Wright, Jaiteh, Vezenkov)

- Sign a couple of young-ish buy-low guys (e.g. Biyombo, Aminu)



Opening night roster:

Smart / Thomas / Pressey
Bradley / Young / Wright
Turner / Aminu / Wallace
Sullinger / Portis
Zeller / Olynyk / Biyombo

Sophomore Smart/more integrated IT
Older AB/Sophomore Young

is better than the backcourt we had over the entire course of last season.

Turner/Aminu is about as good if not better than Turner/Crowder.

Older Sullinger/Portis
More integrated and older Zeller/Older Olynyk/Big mob

is superior to the frontcourt we had over the entire course of last season.

With the youth of our team, including that of our coach's, and considering the hole that the Rondo/Green duo dug the team into early on, it is very hard -- even ignoring all the possibilities of immediate upgrades such as Love, Cousins, Monroe, Thibs as defensive assistant -- to imagine us being worse than last year record-wise.

This is just as much nonsense as optimists portraying the slim chance that we're getting Love to be a reliable option for the team's summer plans. We won't be worse next year, barring injury.

Edit: oh, and, I doubt Danny was disappointed we made the playoffs.

And the flip side is Smart has a sophomore slump, Bradley, Sully and Olynyk all regress and do we really need to say anything else about Turner and how inconsistent he is?

I'd want no part of a roster like that.

And Al Farooq Aminu??? Seriously??

At least bring Crowder back.

[slamtheking]

The east is getting better for next year.....

I think we tried the Rondo and Green thing. We winning with role players. Now it's time to trade our older players for picks. Like Avery and someone else for the pick that gets us Myles Turner. Draft Upshaw with 16th pick.

Then next year get a good pick and either trade it or draft him.

Again with this?  both moves stink

[Celtics18]

And Al Farooq Aminu??? Seriously??

The Chief Has Arrived Aminu might have been my favorite part of Pho's hypothetical roster for next year.  That dude proved himself to be one of the best and most versatile (and most underrated) defenders in the league last year.

I'd be ecstatic if we signed him this off-season. 

[PhoSita]

This is just as much nonsense as optimists portraying the slim chance that we're getting Love to be a reliable option for the team's summer plans. We won't be worse next year, barring injury.

Eh, except for all of the other variables that can bring a (very, very young) team down aside from injury.

Look, I'll be the first to admit it's entirely possible the team could win MORE games next year if they head into next year with substantially the same roster. 

It's also very possible the team stumbles its way to 30 wins, or some similarly disappointing total.

Why are people so certain the Celtics are just gonna keep rolling at the same kind of pace they were on toward the end of this season, when we just watched a far more talented Hawks team race out to a league-leading record only to play .500 ball straight on into the playoffs?  The Hawks weren't really hammered by the injury bug until they got to the playoffs, either.

The smaller sample size you have with a core group of players, especially young players, the harder it is to predict how successful they will be in the future.  That principle worked in the Celtics' favor this season to the tune of 40 wins -- 10 more than the typical prediction for the team before the season started.  It could easily go the other way next year.

[PhoSita]

And Al Farooq Aminu??? Seriously??

The Chief Has Arrived Aminu might have been my favorite part of Pho's hypothetical roster for next year.  That dude proved himself to be one of the best and most versatile (and most underrated) defenders in the league last year.

I'd be ecstatic if we signed him this off-season.

I'd be stoked if the Celtics signed Aminu and the other guy with an awesome name -- The Prince Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

[Celtics18]

And Al Farooq Aminu??? Seriously??

The Chief Has Arrived Aminu might have been my favorite part of Pho's hypothetical roster for next year.  That dude proved himself to be one of the best and most versatile (and most underrated) defenders in the league last year.

I'd be ecstatic if we signed him this off-season.

I'd be stoked if the Celtics signed Aminu and the other guy with an awesome name -- The Prince Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

We need some royalty on the Celtics.