ESPN geeks liking the Celtics upside

[Lucky17]

Pistons have Harris, Jackson, Stanley Johnson, and Morris all under contract through at least the 2018-19 season.

They have Drummond's RFA rights this summer, and KCP's RFA rights next summer.

That's a six-man core that is unbreakable if billionaire owner Tom Gores is willing to retain them all. [And I see no reason why he wouldn't pay to keep them.]

They can add a major free agent this offseason before resigning Drummond as well. They also have all of their own draft picks.

They're in a really good place to build a good team that will stay together for many, many years.

[saltlover]

Toronto, Boston and Detroit are going to own the East for years to come.

The praise heaped on Boston and Detroit is quite obviously warranted, but I'm surprised no one took the time to talk about the Raptors. Lowry, DDR and Valanciunas are all under 30. DDR and Valanciunas are well under 30 while Lowry has one of the best value deals in the NBA. They've got some nice prospects (Delon Wright, Caboclo, Nogueira, Biyombo) and they should own a lottery pick, albeit in the back half of the lottery, thanks to the Andrea Bargnani trade (lol Knicks). This team could reach the Finals this year if they get D. Carroll healthy.

Surprisingly, despite the consistent foolishness of James Dolan throughout his entire tenure as owner, the Knicks could challenge this group. He isn't talked about as much anymore, but Phil Jackson has done a terrific job with these Knicks. He's added Porzingis, Galloway, Jerian Grant and Lance Thomas while balancing the ongoing process of appeasing Carmelo Anthony with the signings of Afflalo and Robin Lopez. While those signings could easily be characterized as overpays, they allowed the Knicks to sustain a level of competitive integrity that has prevented Melo from demanding a trade and thus crushing his trade value.

Finally, don't sleep on Philadelphia. As a fan, I don't condone the extremism with which they allow their strategy to be founded on, but they have the assets and franchise appeal to come out of nowhere. Once they lose their tanking stink (probably next year), they'll look a lot more formidable.

The reason that Toronto can't be talked about as a team of this future is that DeRozan is an unrestricted free agent.  If they are unable to retain him, that team takes a hit.  I think he's more likely than not to stay, but it makes their future a bit too uncertain to put them at the top of the list of teams with bright futures.

[Hawkeye199]

Here's some inside information.

1. Which East team should be most excited about its upside?

Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider:  Boston. Right now the Celtics are in the gravy portion of their life cycle: not good enough to warrant expectations but good enough to beat anyone in the East. The home stretch and playoff run awaiting Boston will give valuable experience to its young roster, experience that will carry over to future permutations of the Celtics and/or increase trade market value this summer.

Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Boston Celtics. They have a great coach, a winning franchise, a top-notch culture, young talent and assets galore. Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers have the highest ceiling, that also comes with enormous expectations. The Celtics can play out the season feeling giddy about their future whereas the Cavs might feel burdened by it.

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider:Boston in a runaway. For the remainder of this season, if the Celtics play to their point differential, they'll win a playoff series and pose a major challenge for whoever they play in the second round. They'll enter the offseason perceived to be "one step away". By then, they might own the top pick of the draft if the lottery goes well. Then free agency hits, where Danny Ainge has the cap flexibility and pieces to acquire an upper-tier star.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: The Boston Celtics. On May 17, the NBA will hold its draft lottery before Game 1 of the conference finals. It's conceivable the Celtics could win the lottery (via the Brooklyn Nets) and then take the court in the Eastern Conference finals. And if that dream scenario unfolds, Boston would become a very interesting player in free agency this summer.

David Thorpe, ESPN Insider: Gotta be the Pistons. Think about it. Andre Drummond is still just 22, Stanley Johnson is a teenager, and both have significant upsides to uncover. But that's just the beginning. Tobias Harris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are 23 and each has a solid future ahead, while Reggie Jackson has made the big jump to playing like an All-Star. Combine these "kids" with a coach who knows how to build cohesion around a team identity of defense and playing the right way and you have an attractive team to veteran free agents.

 Your not from Boston are you? you are to optimistic about Boston sports. While we have been looking good and our offense has been improving. I have noticed without olynyk our bench is suffering. Not only that but we have dropped to 15th in defensive rankings

[TheFlex]

Toronto, Boston and Detroit are going to own the East for years to come.

The praise heaped on Boston and Detroit is quite obviously warranted, but I'm surprised no one took the time to talk about the Raptors. Lowry, DDR and Valanciunas are all under 30. DDR and Valanciunas are well under 30 while Lowry has one of the best value deals in the NBA. They've got some nice prospects (Delon Wright, Caboclo, Nogueira, Biyombo) and they should own a lottery pick, albeit in the back half of the lottery, thanks to the Andrea Bargnani trade (lol Knicks). This team could reach the Finals this year if they get D. Carroll healthy.

Surprisingly, despite the consistent foolishness of James Dolan throughout his entire tenure as owner, the Knicks could challenge this group. He isn't talked about as much anymore, but Phil Jackson has done a terrific job with these Knicks. He's added Porzingis, Galloway, Jerian Grant and Lance Thomas while balancing the ongoing process of appeasing Carmelo Anthony with the signings of Afflalo and Robin Lopez. While those signings could easily be characterized as overpays, they allowed the Knicks to sustain a level of competitive integrity that has prevented Melo from demanding a trade and thus crushing his trade value.

Finally, don't sleep on Philadelphia. As a fan, I don't condone the extremism with which they allow their strategy to be founded on, but they have the assets and franchise appeal to come out of nowhere. Once they lose their tanking stink (probably next year), they'll look a lot more formidable.

The reason that Toronto can't be talked about as a team of this future is that DeRozan is an unrestricted free agent.  If they are unable to retain him, that team takes a hit.  I think he's more likely than not to stay, but it makes their future a bit too uncertain to put them at the top of the list of teams with bright futures.

Eh... I disagree. DDR is the last player I expect to change locations this offseason.

Sure, it's not a guarantee and thus anything that is unguaranteed is an uncertainty. But it's a little extreme to ignore them in the discussion entirely simply because one of their players is an impending FA. That player can be characterized as very likely to re-sign as easily as he can as "an unrestricted free agent."

[max215]

The idea of winning the lottery then a few minutes later playing the first game of the Conference Finals is intoxicating.

[PhoSita]

The idea of winning the lottery then a few minutes later playing the first game of the Conference Finals is intoxicating.

It would be unreal.  Unreal.

[PhoSita]

Toronto, Boston and Detroit are going to own the East for years to come.

The praise heaped on Boston and Detroit is quite obviously warranted, but I'm surprised no one took the time to talk about the Raptors. Lowry, DDR and Valanciunas are all under 30. DDR and Valanciunas are well under 30 while Lowry has one of the best value deals in the NBA. They've got some nice prospects (Delon Wright, Caboclo, Nogueira, Biyombo) and they should own a lottery pick, albeit in the back half of the lottery, thanks to the Andrea Bargnani trade (lol Knicks). This team could reach the Finals this year if they get D. Carroll healthy.

Surprisingly, despite the consistent foolishness of James Dolan throughout his entire tenure as owner, the Knicks could challenge this group. He isn't talked about as much anymore, but Phil Jackson has done a terrific job with these Knicks. He's added Porzingis, Galloway, Jerian Grant and Lance Thomas while balancing the ongoing process of appeasing Carmelo Anthony with the signings of Afflalo and Robin Lopez. While those signings could easily be characterized as overpays, they allowed the Knicks to sustain a level of competitive integrity that has prevented Melo from demanding a trade and thus crushing his trade value.

Finally, don't sleep on Philadelphia. As a fan, I don't condone the extremism with which they allow their strategy to be founded on, but they have the assets and franchise appeal to come out of nowhere. Once they lose their tanking stink (probably next year), they'll look a lot more formidable.

The reason that Toronto can't be talked about as a team of this future is that DeRozan is an unrestricted free agent.  If they are unable to retain him, that team takes a hit.  I think he's more likely than not to stay, but it makes their future a bit too uncertain to put them at the top of the list of teams with bright futures.

Also, Lowry is right around 30 and it's fair to wonder how many more seasons like this one he has left.  Once Lowry stops playing like a top 20 guy, that team isn't so impressive anymore, unless Derozan stays and actually improves, Valanciunas takes another step forward, or they get an unexpected contribution somewhere else.

[GreenFaith1819]

Great times to be Green.

And it will only get better.

[Evantime34]

Here's some inside information.

1. Which East team should be most excited about its upside?

Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider:  Boston. Right now the Celtics are in the gravy portion of their life cycle: not good enough to warrant expectations but good enough to beat anyone in the East. The home stretch and playoff run awaiting Boston will give valuable experience to its young roster, experience that will carry over to future permutations of the Celtics and/or increase trade market value this summer.

Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Boston Celtics. They have a great coach, a winning franchise, a top-notch culture, young talent and assets galore. Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers have the highest ceiling, that also comes with enormous expectations. The Celtics can play out the season feeling giddy about their future whereas the Cavs might feel burdened by it.

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider:Boston in a runaway. For the remainder of this season, if the Celtics play to their point differential, they'll win a playoff series and pose a major challenge for whoever they play in the second round. They'll enter the offseason perceived to be "one step away". By then, they might own the top pick of the draft if the lottery goes well. Then free agency hits, where Danny Ainge has the cap flexibility and pieces to acquire an upper-tier star.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: The Boston Celtics. On May 17, the NBA will hold its draft lottery before Game 1 of the conference finals. It's conceivable the Celtics could win the lottery (via the Brooklyn Nets) and then take the court in the Eastern Conference finals. And if that dream scenario unfolds, Boston would become a very interesting player in free agency this summer.

David Thorpe, ESPN Insider: Gotta be the Pistons. Think about it. Andre Drummond is still just 22, Stanley Johnson is a teenager, and both have significant upsides to uncover. But that's just the beginning. Tobias Harris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are 23 and each has a solid future ahead, while Reggie Jackson has made the big jump to playing like an All-Star. Combine these "kids" with a coach who knows how to build cohesion around a team identity of defense and playing the right way and you have an attractive team to veteran free agents.

 You're not from Boston are you? you are too optimistic about Boston sports. While we have been looking good and our offense has been improving. I have noticed without olynyk our bench is suffering. Not only that but we have dropped to 15th in defensive rankings

We are 4th in defensive rating not 15th. We have recently dropped from 2nd to 4th. The argument of the article was essentially that we are playing with house money because this team has so much upside. Even if we aren't playing our best right now (I think we go on a run during this homestand), the future is really bright.

[KeepRondo]

More Pelton -

Eric (Austin)

Leaving aside fit, which can be worked out, would Kevin Durant put a team like Indiana, Boston, or Toronto on par with the Cavs in the East? If so, given LeBron's coming decline and the still-tricky fit issues in Cleveland, wouldn't it make a lot of sense for him to sign with one of those teams and have a much easier path to the Finals?

Kevin Pelton  (3:34 PM)

Durant's about a 15-win player in terms of wins above replacement, so I would say he would definitely elevate the Celtics and the Raptors to that level in a scenario where they could add him without sacrificing much else. (Boston could pull this off; Toronto not so much.) Indiana is a maybe, and possibly even a probable yes if you think Myles Turner is going to get a lot better in a hurry.

[jambr380]

Even more so than the Cs, Toronto is a team you look at and wonder how they can possibly be as good as they are. At least with Atlanta last year, you had a full team of all-stars who all had a history of performing at a high level / name recognition.

I am not sure if it's the mere fact that they are in Toronto that they don't seem all that impressive from the outlook or if their coaching is really that good. Either way, they seem to have a lot to build on there.

[mgent]

David Thorpe can go climb a tree

I don't think he's wrong. Pistons have a bright future.

They do have a bright future, but they don't have any reason to be more excited for their franchise than the Celtics.

[DarkAzcura]

Even more so than the Cs, Toronto is a team you look at and wonder how they can possibly be as good as they are. At least with Atlanta last year, you had a full team of all-stars who all had a history of performing at a high level / name recognition.

I am not sure if it's the mere fact that they are in Toronto that they don't seem all that impressive from the outlook or if their coaching is really that good. Either way, they seem to have a lot to build on there.

Not sure where you have been but Lowry and Derozan have been one of the best starting backcourts in the league for three years running now. Val was a pretty heralded draft pick back in 2012 and he is finally coming into his own on both sides of the court.

Atlanta was the team that surprised everyone, and it's clear it was an outlier seeing as they have crashed back to earth this season.

[hwangjini_1]

Poor Sam Hinkie.

ha, ha, ha... you beat me to it.  tp to you sir. 

we now await the arrival of larbrd.

[GreenFaith1819]

Poor Sam Hinkie.

ha, ha, ha... you beat me to it.  tp to you sir. 

we now await the arrival of larbrd.

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