If the C's lose in the first round again is this season a disappointment?

[Celtics18]

I think advancing past the first round is a very realistic scenario.  If we don't achieve that, I'll be disappointed but not devastated.

I'm looking forward to the playoffs.  Either Miami, Atlanta or Charlotte should be a really good matchup.

[apc]

So let's say the C's end up 4th and face Miami in the first round. Not a matchup I'd personally like to see but anyways. So they lose in 6 or 7 and fail to get out of the first round was this season a disappointment? I'd say yes simply because the team didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I don't think I feel alone in this thinking tho.

I actually like the Heat match-up the best, i will be disappointed if don't win that series.
I do not expect us to beat the Hawks, therefor i will not be disappointed.
Hornets can go either way. they are the hot team right now while we are in a slump.

[Celtics18]

So let's say the C's end up 4th and face Miami in the first round. Not a matchup I'd personally like to see but anyways. So they lose in 6 or 7 and fail to get out of the first round was this season a disappointment? I'd say yes simply because the team didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I don't think I feel alone in this thinking tho.

I actually like the Heat match-up the best, i will be disappointed if don't win that series.
I do not expect us to beat the Hawks, therefor i will not be disappointed.
Hornets can go either way. they are the hot team right now while we are in a slump.

I'm hoping for the Heat in round one.  Kemba v. Isaiah would be a fun matchup, though.

I agree that the Hawks would be the toughest of the three, but I don't see them as unbeatable.

[Who]

So let's say the C's end up 4th and face Miami in the first round. Not a matchup I'd personally like to see but anyways. So they lose in 6 or 7 and fail to get out of the first round was this season a disappointment? I'd say yes simply because the team didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I don't think I feel alone in this thinking tho.

I actually like the Heat match-up the best, i will be disappointed if don't win that series.
I do not expect us to beat the Hawks, therefor i will not be disappointed.
Hornets can go either way. they are the hot team right now while we are in a slump.

Yeah, I think the Heat are a very good matchup for Boston too. A lot of old legs on that team with Wade, Deng and Dragic. They have struggled to matchup with Boston's pace and deal with Boston's defensive quickness in the regular season matchups.

I think there is a lot of joy to be had there for the Celtics.

[apc]

So let's say the C's end up 4th and face Miami in the first round. Not a matchup I'd personally like to see but anyways. So they lose in 6 or 7 and fail to get out of the first round was this season a disappointment? I'd say yes simply because the team didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I don't think I feel alone in this thinking tho.

I actually like the Heat match-up the best, i will be disappointed if don't win that series.
I do not expect us to beat the Hawks, therefor i will not be disappointed.
Hornets can go either way. they are the hot team right now while we are in a slump.

Yeah, I think the Heat are a very good matchup for Boston too. A lot of old legs on that team with Wade, Deng and Dragic. They have struggled to matchup with Boston's pace and deal with Boston's defensive quickness in the regular season matchups.

I think there is a lot of joy to be had there for the Celtics.

Kelly vs Whiteside is a key too. KO can keep Whiteside out of the paint.
Any updates on Bosh?   

[wdleehi]

At this point, the Celtics season has been a success.



Every round won in the playoff is a bonus to this team and strengthens their position as a destination team this off-season.



Not that there are not teams the probably should beat in the first round, it is a case where they might not get that match up. 

[TheTruthFot18]

This season is a stepping stone.  I don't care what happens in the playoffs beyond how it impacts our momentum heading into the Summer.  I'd prefer we made it to the second round, because then it gives the appearance of a young team on the rise, but I don't think it really matters.  Either way, we're positioned very well for an offseason that might be spectacular.

There are many fans who have their eyes on the off season and wanting to see the squad DA can put together for next season. While the rebuild has been long and I am keen to see who comes to Boston, I will be very disappointed for this seasons team if they have a first round exit, even in 6 or 7 games. They have achieved so much as a team and individually in many cases, it would be great to see them perform at the top level over a series. This team will be 'disbanded' to some extent over the off season - I would love to see them progress a long way in the playoffs in green, since some wont be in a Celtics uniform next season.

Obviously, I'm rooting for them in the playoffs and want to see them overachieve.  I'm just saying that in the grand scheme of things, I don't really care what happens in the playoffs (as long as they stay healthy and aren't embarrassed).   When the team traded away KG and Pierce, I strapped in for the ol 3-5 year rebuild.   We're ahead of schedule.  We're coming up on 3 years this Summer.

Agreed on the playoff outcome. IF Durant is even considering coming here, I can't image losing in 6 in the first round will really turn him away as much as a loss in the 2nd in 5-6 would all of a sudden make us the ideal team to play for. Or any FA for that matter.

I saw the rebuild as 3 years since the Gerald Wallace (David Lee) contract is finally off the books to use on a max deal FA.

[pearljammer10]

So let's say the C's end up 4th and face Miami in the first round. Not a matchup I'd personally like to see but anyways. So they lose in 6 or 7 and fail to get out of the first round was this season a disappointment? I'd say yes simply because the team didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I don't think I feel alone in this thinking tho.

I actually like the Heat match-up the best, i will be disappointed if don't win that series.
I do not expect us to beat the Hawks, therefor i will not be disappointed.
Hornets can go either way. they are the hot team right now while we are in a slump.

Yeah, I think the Heat are a very good matchup for Boston too. A lot of old legs on that team with Wade, Deng and Dragic. They have struggled to matchup with Boston's pace and deal with Boston's defensive quickness in the regular season matchups.

I think there is a lot of joy to be had there for the Celtics.

I'd still rather see the Celts play the Hornets in round one as opposed to the Heat. I think the Heat are arguably the East's best team if Bosh is able to play. Wade, Bosh and Deng bring a really scary veteran presence to bring to the table. Surround that with Dragic playing well, Whiteside's above expectations defensive year, solid veterans in Joe Johnson and Amare plus, to an extent, the scoring punch from Gerald Green and the youth of a guy like Winslow... They're ability to play together and have good chemistry makes them more intimidating to me than the Cavs.

[PhoSita]

This season is a stepping stone.  I don't care what happens in the playoffs beyond how it impacts our momentum heading into the Summer.  I'd prefer we made it to the second round, because then it gives the appearance of a young team on the rise, but I don't think it really matters.  Either way, we're positioned very well for an offseason that might be spectacular.

I guess my question is, how does this season look if, once again, the potentially spectacular off-season ends up being more tinkering around the edges and "be patient until a deal presents itself"?


It seems many of us -- and I include myself in this to some extent -- are preparing to base our feelings on how this season ended up based on what happens around the draft and during the off-season.

[Donoghus]

Yeah, it'd be a disappointment.  They'd most likely be playing a team in the 1st round that they're probably better than.  So to lose a series to an inferior team would be a disappointment in my eyes.

[slamtheking]

That Crowder injury really screwed things up in terms of positioning for the 3rd seed. It's looking like the best the C's can get is the 4th seed unless they can go another winning streak soon. With all these upcoming teams fighting for positioning I'm not sure how likely that is. So let's say the C's end up 4th and face Miami in the first round. Not a matchup I'd personally like to see but anyways. So they lose in 6 or 7 and fail to get out of the first round was this season a disappointment? I'd say yes simply because the team didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I don't think I feel alone in this thinking tho.

Can't blame injuries for anything this season.  C's have been more fortunate than most teams in terms of not losing top players for long stretches of time this season compared to other teams. 

That said, I'm not sure how I'd feel.  coming into the season I figured the C's would win 40-41 games and just miss the playoffs.  With lower expectations coming into the season, I'm pleased that they've exceeded how I thought they'd perform.  They're in the playoffs and will be somewhere between the third and sixth seed so that's also an improvement over last year.   

Thing is, playoffs are a different animal from the regular season and star players advance while teams getting by on group effort struggle.  Particularly teams that rely on high pace and shot volume because the playoffs devolve into a grind-it-out pace where possessions matter more.  As far as the other playoff teams, I only see Charlotte as a team lacking that star player that we don't have to worry about. 
Regardless of seeding,
if we get Charlotte first round, I would expect us to advance.  If we don't, very disappointed if not irate.
If we get anyone else (that's not missing their star player), I think it will be a struggle to advance so I'm not sure I'd be more disappointed than I usually am when their season ends.  Of course, that mood can change depending on how they play and how that series plays out.

[Smitty77]

That Crowder injury really screwed things up in terms of positioning for the 3rd seed. It's looking like the best the C's can get is the 4th seed unless they can go another winning streak soon. With all these upcoming teams fighting for positioning I'm not sure how likely that is. So let's say the C's end up 4th and face Miami in the first round. Not a matchup I'd personally like to see but anyways. So they lose in 6 or 7 and fail to get out of the first round was this season a disappointment? I'd say yes simply because the team didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I don't think I feel alone in this thinking tho.

Can't blame injuries for anything this season.  C's have been more fortunate than most teams in terms of not losing top players for long stretches of time this season compared to other teams. 

That said, I'm not sure how I'd feel.  coming into the season I figured the C's would win 40-41 games and just miss the playoffs.  With lower expectations coming into the season, I'm pleased that they've exceeded how I thought they'd perform.  They're in the playoffs and will be somewhere between the third and sixth seed so that's also an improvement over last year.   

Thing is, playoffs are a different animal from the regular season and star players advance while teams getting by on group effort struggle.  Particularly teams that rely on high pace and shot volume because the playoffs devolve into a grind-it-out pace where possessions matter more.  As far as the other playoff teams, I only see Charlotte as a team lacking that star player that we don't have to worry about. 
Regardless of seeding,
if we get Charlotte first round, I would expect us to advance.  If we don't, very disappointed if not irate.
If we get anyone else (that's not missing their star player), I think it will be a struggle to advance so I'm not sure I'd be more disappointed than I usually am when their season ends.  Of course, that mood can change depending on how they play and how that series plays out.

You make some VERY VALID points!!!  I agree about us playing Charlotte, although Kemba gets MORE calls for a NON-All-Star than any player in the last 10 years!!!!!

Smitty77

[Vermont Green]

I feel the Celtics have over-achieved this season already.  It seems to be catching up with them to a point here at the end of these season but it is still a good season; nothing to be disappointed with in my opinion.

[TheTruthFot18]

At this point, the Celtics season has been a success.



Every round won in the playoff is a bonus to this team and strengthens their position as a destination team this off-season.



Not that there are not teams the probably should beat in the first round, it is a case where they might not get that match up.

This is key. We were not supposed to make the playoffs last year and we weren't supposed to improve this much this year. We got a little spoiled lately.

In other cities a first round birth might be a success but since it's title or bust here a first round exit is the exact same as a second or ecf exit when we really measure success. If we want to measure growth and maturity then we can more closely examine the impact of which round we get bounced in.

[cltc5]

Yep and last year was a complete waste because we didn't improve and shoulda tanked