Source: Celtics not optimistic about landing a star free agent big man

[Chief Macho]

Just don't spend the money to spend it.   It might be time to tank, Stevens be [dang]ed.   With the Clips pick and if the Celts tank that could be two picks withing the top 15.    Add those to Smart, Young, Zeller, IT,  the new guy..you might have something.

[Chief Macho]

Also, I see a lot people saying how all of our Future Picks are pretty worthless---Because of the other night...Well, I think they DO hold great value---it's just hard to move them on Draft Night---because teams are afraid to make a huge mistake, after they spent weeks and months working out these guys in the draft---The Picks are worth a whole lot more for in season/trade deadline deals. I believe---so people need to settle down on how bad Danny did.

Stop buying what the Celtics and Danny are selling you.   It's  basically verbatim.

[Smitty77]

If we don't land one this year with how many there are and all our cap space we can at least put to bed the debate on if we are a destination or not.

Oh, and how much that playoff run helped our attractiveness to free agents.

It is NOT even July 1st and you are putting things in bed.  I am so SICK and TIRED of the pessimism and the glass half empty attitude on this stinking blog!!!!!!!!!

Smitty77

[mahonedog88]

Unfortunately, we may have to endure another year of relatively the same team, which isn't necessarily a bad thing I guess...but after this draft, I think it's clear the rest of the league doesn't consider our assets nearly as valuable as maybe Ainge thinks they are.

The roster has some potential, but at the end of the day, it was still a 40-42 team that got swept in the first round of the playoffs.  And the picks, when you really boil it down, aren't THAT valuable right now, because most will be middle of the 1st round at best, and the Brooklyn picks, while in theory are supposed to be high lottery, there's no guarantee of that right now.

The more I think about it, the only chance we have at really shaking up the team and getting a crack at a legit star is by keeping the same team together, grow chemistry, and hope that a player or two makes another jump in their game to become a wanted commodity.  I honestly don't know how much more Danny can strip this roster, especially when other teams aren't lining up to trade for what we have.  Plus, as we saw this past season, the coach is just too good.

[GC003332]

If we don't land one this year with how many there are and all our cap space we can at least put to bed the debate on if we are a destination or not.

Oh, and how much that playoff run helped our attractiveness to free agents.

It is NOT even July 1st and you are putting things in bed.  I am so SICK and TIRED of the pessimism and the glass half empty attitude on this stinking blog!!!!!!!!!

Smitty77

There is no reason to be be SICK and TIRED of other people's opinions when you have no control of them.It is the expectation that other people should be optimistic and have a glass full attitude that needs to be questioned.

[gpap]

If that's the case, then it's time to just start going crazy with trades.

Seriously.

Offer whoever and pick up whatever you can at whatever cost.

I don't want to see this same team again next year.

I really don't.

Trade for Bledsoe, trade for Rose, try trading for Noah, pick up Birdman from Miami (we need a center anyway.)

If you throw enough *** against the wall, something will stick.

It's either that or just flat out tank next season but if that happens, I will not watch a single game and waste my time.

Nor do I want to see another season of Smart/Bradley/Turner/Sullinger/Olynyk as our starting five.

Crank up the trade machine and get REALLY creative

[badshar]

And that's how it will be. The Celtics aren't getting another legend like they did with KG and the Big 3. Not that there are much legends currently to choose from.

25 years of mediocrity, get ready.

You mean like all the other teams with stars currently on their team or teams who have had one? 

Those stars are just that-stars. They aren't legends by any means. Love, Curry, Irving, Cousins, Dwight, Harden, you name it. Comparing them to legends like KG and Duncan and Kobe is literally insulting those three guys as well as others. Those teams have stars and all, but I don't see them winning the title. With the exception of this year's Warriors, I see legends like LeBron, KG, Dirk and Kobe winning over the past 8 years. Not these so called "stars"

I am sure the Warriors are more than happy to be without a 'legend' right now. All star team mates help build these so called legends, Without Shaq leading the way the first 3 peat and Gasol's all star level of play , what is so legendary about Kobe?

They can be happy all that they want, but the minute their offense collapses, they become pathetic. We just saw that in the Finals. Also, I'd much rather have a superteam than a 3-point reliant team that gets kicked out the minute the three pointers stop falling. Difference between all star players and legends is not their play, but their mentality. Your attitude and leadership capabilities do 50% of the job for you, with your play the remaining 50%. That's what separates a Dwight Howard from a Kevin Garnett. A LeBron James from a Kevin Durant. A Kobe Bryant from an AArron Afflalo.

That's the difference. And let's not act like we don't know how pathetic a 3-point shooting team can really become if the shots stop falling. We have first-hand experience with that.

[cman88]

no need to get depressed just yet. Im sure the celtics will make a pitch to the free agent big men and will get visits.

[LarBrd33]

if we fail to make a free agent splash... prepare for a long, long winter.   None of our players have star potential.  We'll be looking to sell off assets and tank.  Book it.  We'll basically at some point need to get to where Philly was three years ago before they landed Noel.

I don't think it's quite that dire.  Philly didn't have the assets back then that we have now.  Of course, those assets have limited value, as we saw a couple nights ago, but they still do have value.

But I agree, if the team doesn't improve significantly this summer through FA, I think Danny will look to unload the excess and steer the team downward, having failed to steer them in the opposite direction.  The Celts will not enter next season on track for another 35-40 win finish.

Ben Simmons or bust...

I expect Brad to bail if we don't add real talent this summer... there's no sense in him wasting his career on a talentless 35-45 win team.

[LooseCannon]

I expect Brad to bail if we don't add real talent this summer... there's no sense in him wasting his career on a talentless 35-45 win team.

I think you just don't understand what motivates people.  Do you have some sort of quitter attitude in your nature that you are projecting onto other people?

[Smokeeye123]

if we fail to make a free agent splash... prepare for a long, long winter.   None of our players have star potential.  We'll be looking to sell off assets and tank.  Book it.  We'll basically at some point need to get to where Philly was three years ago before they landed Noel.

Exactly, although having the Brooklyn picks puts us slightly ahead of where they started. If we had just tanked this past year and got a top 5 pick things would be completely different

[Kane3387]

This was really never going to happen. Imo something to strongly consider is going hard after Brooke Lopez. Kid can play when healthy. But weakening the nets is one of our best strategies. Whoever thinks we're going to sell off all these recent draft picks to tank is senile. Ainge isnt going to scrap all these players he believes in.

That means we will be in 8th seed purgatory. Our best chance of a return to relevance is the Brooklyn picks over the next three years. Taking Lopez and leaving them with basically no other replacements wounds their chances of being competitive a great deal.

[gpap]

I expect Brad to bail if we don't add real talent this summer... there's no sense in him wasting his career on a talentless 35-45 win team.

I think you just don't understand what motivates people.  Do you have some sort of quitter attitude in your nature that you are projecting onto other people?

I totally agree with LrdBird33.

What's the sense in sticking with a losing team if you came here to win?

Some may like watching the Celtics lose, but I don't and fortunately I don't think the coach does either, thank God.

[j804]

This was really never going to happen. Imo something to strongly consider is going hard after Brooke Lopez. Kid can play when healthy. But weakening the nets is one of our best strategies. Whoever thinks we're going to sell off all these recent draft picks to tank is senile. Ainge isnt going to scrap all these players he believes in.

That means we will be in 8th seed purgatory. Our best chance of a return to relevance is the Brooklyn picks over the next three years. Taking Lopez and leaving them with basically no other replacements wounds their chances of being competitive a great deal.

Yeah and Ainge would probably think along those lines if we strike out on the other names, whats weird we havent heard anything about us being interested in so and so or about planned visits. Is that because right now it'd be tampering?

[Smitty77]

If we don't land one this year with how many there are and all our cap space we can at least put to bed the debate on if we are a destination or not.

Oh, and how much that playoff run helped our attractiveness to free agents.

It is NOT even July 1st and you are putting things in bed.  I am so SICK and TIRED of the pessimism and the glass half empty attitude on this stinking blog!!!!!!!!!

Smitty77

There is no reason to be be SICK and TIRED of other people's opinions when you have no control of them.It is the expectation that other people should be optimistic and have a glass full attitude that needs to be questioned.

Absolutely WRONG!!  I am questioning ranting and raving BEFORE we see what Danny will do in free agency now that we actually have cap room.

Stay with me.  I know I am fast:-)))  (Sort of like Rozier:-))))))))))))))

Smitty77