A strange season

[Khelsier]

Hi everybody,

this is kind of a strange season. I like this Celtics team. I like to watch them play. The last couple of games they played too much iso ball for my taste, but generally they are fun to watch. I root for them every game. However I think it is in a strange sense unimportant how many games they win.

The East seems to be divided in 3 groups. Cleveland, who look like they are above and beyond everybody else, Philly who are just atrocious, and then the rest (with hopefully Brooklyn joining Philly).  There is still good chance for every team, to make the playoffs, other then Philly and probably Brooklyn. I can easily see Milwaukee, Washington and the Knicks make a decent run. There is so much parity in the East right now. It looks like nearly everybody could be able to win a playoff series against everybody else, excluding the Cavs. We could make the playoffs and if we are lucky and do not have to play the Cavs we have a decent chance against anybody in the East. So there is a chance to win a playoff series or maybe two. That would be really, really nice. On the negative side we could just end up where we are right now and not make the playoffs. That would be kind of nice too because a pick in the 10-14 range would not be bad for the future at all.

Off the court is where nearly all the important stuff (everything other then player development) will happen this season. The big questions still are who we will draft, who we will sign in free agency this off-season, and who we will trade for in the next couple of month. Those are the things that will define what kind of team the Celtics will be in the next couple of years.

I think it is in a way kind of sad that the on court part is, at least in my point of view, less important then the off court part of the year. On the bright side it makes a loss here and there a lot less important, as long as they don´t start to really pile up. I can live with watching the team loose some as long as the effort is there. Even in a three game slump (against good teams btw.) the future still looks pretty bright.

[Thruthelookingglass]

Cheers Kelsier!

It's a good approach to ENJOY and be entertained by our Celtics squad.  When they are executing as planned, I agree it is a joy to watch.  My young son's favorite game ever was our double OT loss to the Warriors.  The excitement is definitely there.

I also like your understanding that improvement has many factors and isn't necessarily in a straight line.  It's not the end of the world--it's also part of the entertainment and the circus that is professional hoops. 

So absolutely root for our squad and have a great time!

[mctyson]

A very strange season indeed.  I agree with almost everything you say.

[GreenWarrior]

i don't think there is anything strange here at all.

this season is going about as I expected. we weren't a playoff team last yr., we just "benefited" from the state of the east. the eastern conference seems better this yr. and as I said at the beginning of the season our record will be determined by how well or bad the eastern conference is. and overall the east seems better and big surprise! we are out of the playoffs as of today.

there are no mysteries with this team when it comes to why we don't play well though. when our shots don't fall we play horrible D. for a team that practices and preaches D so much i'm disappointed in this.

[tstorey_97]

Team plays "over their heads" often enough to keep us all entertained. I guessed 43 wins...almost everyone seems to be in agreement on the .500 mark for these guys. Of course, 50 would be great, but, Celtics simply get outgunned out front too often.

They play their hearts out most nights. What else is there? Ainge is lurking on the roof...maybe he'll come down the chimney with something.

[Greyman]

Team plays "over their heads" often enough to keep us all entertained. I guessed 43 wins...almost everyone seems to be in agreement on the .500 mark for these guys. Of course, 50 would be great, but, Celtics simply get outgunned out front too often.

They play their hearts out most nights. What else is there? Ainge is lurking on the roof...maybe he'll come down the chimney with something.

TP for this. Last few games may have been a reality check for the overly optimistic but the team is placed where this squad would be expected. We have had highlights like the form of AB and Sully at different points and we know on most nights we can mix it with most teams, but struggle against real quality.

The team is feeling the physical side of playing a lot of games against mostly top teams, more than you would expect from a young side. That would be cured by DA getting that reliable scorer. Great young (mostly) squad with lots of potential, great coach and Santa Danny to top things off.

[86MaxwellSmart]

I think teams have actually been scouting us and game-planning too...Avery can't get his shot off--and IT has been double teamed a lot lately...ball movement has almost stopped too.

[GreenWarrior]

I think teams have actually been scouting us and game-planning too...Avery can't get his shot off--and IT has been double teamed a lot lately...ball movement has almost stopped too.

that's why I hate most of the shots he takes. they're mostly bad shots, if you put any effort into it it's fairly easy to defend...and even if you don't there's a fairly decent chance he'll still miss because they're bad shots.

[flybono]

Soon Stevens will be back in Indiana and the Celtics purgatory trip continues..

But hey, we got 10 picks in June.

[KG Living Legend]

 Stevens isn't going anywhere, this is a dream job, one of the top basketball jobs in the world. #1 if your going by titles and prestige.

[Rondo9]

i don't think there is anything strange here at all.

this season is going about as I expected. we weren't a playoff team last yr., we just "benefited" from the state of the east. the eastern conference seems better this yr. and as I said at the beginning of the season our record will be determined by how well or bad the eastern conference is. and overall the east seems better and big surprise! we are out of the playoffs as of today.

there are no mysteries with this team when it comes to why we don't play well though. when our shots don't fall we play horrible D. for a team that practices and preaches D so much i'm disappointed in this.

Please.... they're only a few games out of the playoffs with plenty of season to go. The Celtics are a playoff team, though may be one of the good teams left out this year but like I said there's plenty of season to go.

[flybono]

 Stevens isn't going anywhere, this is a dream job, one of the top basketball jobs in the world. #1 if your going by titles and prestige.

One title since the Bird era no longer makes this a prestigious coaching job.

Im not blaming Stevens. NBA is what it is. It's a League run by a few superstars who pick and choose  where they play.
There is no development League run by each individual team to find good players and the biggest problem is allowing College players to enter the draft after one season..

Yes, you can get lucky in  the draft finding hidden gems.  In most cases you have better luck being hit by lightening..

[Celtics4ever]

One title since the Bird era no longer makes this a prestigious coaching job.

I think we are still one of the most recognizable NBA teams out there.   Stevens built Butler into a team.   We have a lot more history than  Butler, too.   Pretty sure, he thinks it is prestigious from the way he talks about our history.

BTW Lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge during an electrical storm between electrically charged regions of a cloud.  Lightening is the descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity, occurring toward the end of pregnancy, changing the contour of the abdomen and facilitating breathing by lessening pressure under the diaphragm.

[sawick48]

i don't think there is anything strange here at all.

this season is going about as I expected. we weren't a playoff team last yr., we just "benefited" from the state of the east. the eastern conference seems better this yr. and as I said at the beginning of the season our record will be determined by how well or bad the eastern conference is. and overall the east seems better and big surprise! we are out of the playoffs as of today.

there are no mysteries with this team when it comes to why we don't play well though. when our shots don't fall we play horrible D. for a team that practices and preaches D so much i'm disappointed in this.

seconded.  there was a clear divide on this site over the summer of the group that felt last year's playoff push was due to talent and cohesiveness and those that believed there was smoke and mirrors involved.  I personally was part of the latter (and had many a battle trying to defend my position to the majority opposing view).  People forget just how much had to go right in the last month last season just for us to sneak in at the 7 seed with 40 wins (including 2 wins over cleveland in the second to last week where they were dealing with numerous injuries one game and rested everybody the next).  Miami and Indiana are drastically improved from last season, each essentially acquiring an all star in the offseason that wasn't there last year.  Washington may be in trouble but they certainly have the talent to turn it around in a hurry.

I said this last year and as of this point in the year it still seems true to me, there aren't a whole lot of teams in the league you can say we are definitively "better" or "more talented" than.  CBS is an advantage and a top 3 nba coach, no doubt.  however by my count the only teams we absolutely can consider ourselves above as a whole are Philly, Brooklyn, Denver, LAL, Portland, maybe Utah, and maybe Milwaukee.  that leaves 22 teams that have the potential to finish ahead of us IMO, of which there are at least 7 which should absolutely be considered better than us (Cleveland, Indiana, Miami, GS, SA, LAC, OKC).

also lest we forget, we were relatively healthy to finish last year.  knock on wood we haven't really been bit too hard yet by the injury bug save for Smart so far, but the long season takes its toll on every team.  would another playoff appearance shock me? of course not.  we have the coaching and depth to pull it off.  but struggling to hit 37 wins and missing the dance entirely wouldn't shock me either, especially with how much better teams that finished below us last year have gotten.

[Rondo9]

i don't think there is anything strange here at all.

this season is going about as I expected. we weren't a playoff team last yr., we just "benefited" from the state of the east. the eastern conference seems better this yr. and as I said at the beginning of the season our record will be determined by how well or bad the eastern conference is. and overall the east seems better and big surprise! we are out of the playoffs as of today.

there are no mysteries with this team when it comes to why we don't play well though. when our shots don't fall we play horrible D. for a team that practices and preaches D so much i'm disappointed in this.

seconded.  there was a clear divide on this site over the summer of the group that felt last year's playoff push was due to talent and cohesiveness and those that believed there was smoke and mirrors involved.  I personally was part of the latter (and had many a battle trying to defend my position to the majority opposing view).  People forget just how much had to go right in the last month last season just for us to sneak in at the 7 seed with 40 wins (including 2 wins over cleveland in the second to last week where they were dealing with numerous injuries one game and rested everybody the next).  Miami and Indiana are drastically improved from last season, each essentially acquiring an all star in the offseason that wasn't there last year.  Washington may be in trouble but they certainly have the talent to turn it around in a hurry.

I said this last year and as of this point in the year it still seems true to me, there aren't a whole lot of teams in the league you can say we are definitively "better" or "more talented" than.  CBS is an advantage and a top 3 nba coach, no doubt.  however by my count the only teams we absolutely can consider ourselves above as a whole are Philly, Brooklyn, Denver, LAL, Portland, maybe Utah, and maybe Milwaukee.  that leaves 22 teams that have the potential to finish ahead of us IMO, of which there are at least 7 which should absolutely be considered better than us (Cleveland, Indiana, Miami, GS, SA, LAC, OKC).

also lest we forget, we were relatively healthy to finish last year.  knock on wood we haven't really been bit too hard yet by the injury bug save for Smart so far, but the long season takes its toll on every team.  would another playoff appearance shock me? of course not.  we have the coaching and depth to pull it off.  but struggling to hit 37 wins and missing the dance entirely wouldn't shock me either, especially with how much better teams that finished below us last year have gotten.

Miami and Indiana have been slumping lately and what makes you think Washington will turn it around especially with the constant injuries to Beal?