Rivalry with L.A.

[Androslav]

We always keep an eye on them.
I see a discrace on thier part.
I think winning should be priority by default.
Ok to tank 1 year, it happens even to the best.
They are literaly giving 60 games of non NBA basketball/life time achievment award product this year.
This Kobe sherade is just an insult to those rooks.
Not a way to develop winners imo.
3rd year in the rebuilt, just as we are. 
Their coaching staff is lost and inadequate for anything but tanking.
I havent seen any watching now against Atlanta or before.
They should run with young guys, but managment gave them Hibbert to drag on the floor.
If that top 3 pick gets away...
Sad state of L.A.

[Androslav]

I apologize for not giving some data driven analysis and including a question to entice a deeper disscussion. It is my first post. Will do a better job next time.
To introduce myself. Im from Croatia, baskeballwise i was raised on Croatian golden generation in the 80s/90s.
I love and respect game very much and i feel like game is disrespected for the sake of entertainment.
Do you feel the same?

[GC003332]

Welcome to Celticsblog , hope you enjoy your time here.

I feel the same about the product taking a change for the worst.

[GreenFaith1819]

Welcome to CelticsBlog

Magic Johnson was recently quoted as saying that he wouldn't mind if they tanked...he said that if you're going to be bad - be good at it, lol.

While I don't agree with him, I loved his game and the rivalry he had with BOS and Larry.

[Hemingway]

Well Kobe really did right by LA. He forced his way there from the get go and never wanted out and got them a lot of rings. We can hate them all we want but they are a classy org as we are.

[Redz]

Tanking, in general, is a tough pill to swallow.  It can't be easy for the players and it's rarely any fun for the fans.  Pinning your hopes on the lottery stinks, but the system leaves few options.

[MBunge]

The Lakers aren't so much tanking as sacrificing their entire franchise to keep Kobe happy.  I admire it but I have to say I'm glad Ainge didn't do the same for KG and Pierce.

Mike

[Monkhouse]

I see LA paying the respect that Kobe felt he deserved, by giving him a nice goodbye contract. We, as Celtics fans, blasted LA for that albatross contract. But Kobe did enough to warrant that, although Ainge wouldn't have ever done the same for Pierce/KG/Allen if they won 3-5 rings.

Maybe, or maybe not?

I think LA losing Jackson is what led to so much disarray.

At the end of the day, a lot of fans wanted to never trade Pierce away, but looking at it now, from a different perspective and knowing that the BKN trade might net us a potential lottery pick for Pierce/KG, you have to say Ainge had some serious grit and balls to do that.

[Celtics18]

Tanking, in general, is a tough pill to swallow.  It can't be easy for the players and it's rarely any fun for the fans.  Pinning your hopes on the lottery stinks, but the system leaves few options.

Bunk.  I'm tired of hearing that.  The system leaves plenty of other options.  It's a cop out. 

[SCeltic34]

Well Kobe really did right by LA. He forced his way there from the get go and never wanted out and got them a lot of rings. We can hate them all we want but they are a classy org as we are.

Kobe demanded a trade back in 2007.  He wanted to go to Chicago and had no intentions of staying with LA at that time.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/3446/kobe-bryant-says-he-d-like-to-be-traded
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-kobe-bryant-wanted-trade-2007-chicago-bulls-20150223-story.html

The Lakers are a great organization though.  They get their hands on stars and they win championships.  Even recently, they could have had Chris Paul in a lopsided trade.  Got Dwight Howard, even though that actually hurt them in the long run. 

I'm not so ready to say that the Lakers planned a full blown tank to begin the season.  They picked up the reigning 6th man of the year in Lou Williams.  Got Hibbert and Bass in the offseason, whom are both flawed, but veteran players that can certainly help to round out a decent roster.  Their roster has a fair amount of firepower.  They appear to be tanking primarily because Kobe is flat out terrible at this stage of his career, and because Byron Scott is just an awful coach who won't limit Kobe's minutes (probably because Kobe would give him hell if he did).  That and their defense is a mess.

[Redz]

Tanking, in general, is a tough pill to swallow.  It can't be easy for the players and it's rarely any fun for the fans.  Pinning your hopes on the lottery stinks, but the system leaves few options.

Bunk.  I'm tired of hearing that.  The system leaves plenty of other options.  It's a cop out.

The system heavily encourages entering the lottery with as many ping pong balls as possible.

Yes, there are options. Celts in 08 and current rebuild hopefully being prime examples. 

Not saying the lottery isn't often false prophecy, just that it is often viewed as the best option.

As a fan, I much prefer the current Celtics approach to the outright tank, but we also have the luxury of those Nets picks in hand.

[Celtics18]

Tanking, in general, is a tough pill to swallow.  It can't be easy for the players and it's rarely any fun for the fans.  Pinning your hopes on the lottery stinks, but the system leaves few options.

Bunk.  I'm tired of hearing that.  The system leaves plenty of other options.  It's a cop out.

The system heavily encourages entering the lottery with as many ping pong balls as possible.

Yes, there are options. Celts in 08 and current rebuild hopefully being prime examples. 

Not saying the lottery isn't often false prophecy, just that it is often viewed as the best option.

As a fan, I much prefer the current Celtics approach to the outright tank, but we also have the luxury of those Nets picks in hand.

I agree with this, and I apologize if I came across as snarky. 

I do think, though, that the media and fan acceptance of "tanking" as a viable--even optimal--rebuilding strategy is really bad for the NBA. 

Personally, I think we are being a bit bamboozled.  Although there are a few tanking success stories, for the most part, being really bad (particularly for an extended period of time) hasn't proven beneficial to most teams that have gone that route.

[tazzmaniac]

Tanking, in general, is a tough pill to swallow.  It can't be easy for the players and it's rarely any fun for the fans.  Pinning your hopes on the lottery stinks, but the system leaves few options.

Bunk.  I'm tired of hearing that.  The system leaves plenty of other options.  It's a cop out.

The system heavily encourages entering the lottery with as many ping pong balls as possible.

Yes, there are options. Celts in 08 and current rebuild hopefully being prime examples. 

Not saying the lottery isn't often false prophecy, just that it is often viewed as the best option.

As a fan, I much prefer the current Celtics approach to the outright tank, but we also have the luxury of those Nets picks in hand.

I agree with this, and I apologize if I came across as snarky. 

I do think, though, that the media and fan acceptance of "tanking" as a viable--even optimal--rebuilding strategy is really bad for the NBA. 

Personally, I think we are being a bit bamboozled.  Although there are a few tanking success stories, for the most part, being really bad (particularly for an extended period of time) hasn't proven beneficial to most teams that have gone that route.

Which teams besides the Sixers have intentionally tried to be really bad for an extended period of time?  Most teams that are bad for an extended period of time are so because of lousy ownership and management.  Lousy ownership and management is going to cause teams to fail regardless of the strategy employed.  Look at the lousy situation that the Nets are in now after their owner and GM's desperate all-in gamble to get a championship. 

[CelticPride2016]

I apologize for not giving some data driven analysis and including a question to entice a deeper disscussion. It is my first post. Will do a better job next time.
To introduce myself. Im from Croatia, baskeballwise i was raised on Croatian golden generation in the 80s/90s.
I love and respect game very much and i feel like game is disrespected for the sake of entertainment.
Do you feel the same?

Hi. Most of my life has been in the Boston area.

I agree with you that the purity of the game is at a low point. I think a lot of it has to do with the lottery and how raw top college players are. The other bad part is the officiating, imho. The worst part, for me, are the rookie and star calls.

Philadelphia is definitely making a mockery of the sport, but Adam Silver doesn't seem too concerned.

Under the current system, Los Angeles has no other choice but to lose early and often.

It will be a very dramatic lottery show for many teams. Thanks, Brooklyn.

Philly currently has a 64.3% chance of getting a top three pick.

The Lakers currently have a 55.8% of doing the same.

Boston is definitely a top five team in regards to the future.

If I was from Philly or Los Angeles, I would stop following the NBA. The Celtics are looking healthier by the day. That's what keeps me coming back. Most of the games have been very good to watch. I understand and sympathize with fans of other teams who are unbearable.

[Ogaju]

I apologize for not giving some data driven analysis and including a question to entice a deeper disscussion. It is my first post. Will do a better job next time.
To introduce myself. Im from Croatia, baskeballwise i was raised on Croatian golden generation in the 80s/90s.
I love and respect game very much and i feel like game is disrespected for the sake of entertainment.
Do you feel the same?

welcome to Celticsblog TP for your first thread.... The Lakers will be okay, they are not going to be down for long, the NBA loves them too much for that. Here is the deal, they already have Randle and Russell. They will probably get Simmons next year with the number 1 pick. Kobe retires and they will use his money to bring in a Durant or LBJ (who has already bought a house in LA from what I hear). But lets assume the Lakers do not get the #1 pick but it goes to Philly instead...Philly is loaded with NBA Centers...they will send one of those centers to Lakers for the number 2 pick and all of a sudden Philly is sitting on picks 1 and 2 in the NBA draft and they will end their tankbuild... You have two monsters in the league. Philly and Lakers both traditional Boston rivals.