Am i the only one who isn't overly concerned about our core or draft picks?

[jade88]

It seems like so many CB'ers are concerned about the Brooklyn picks and or our young core in every presumed or rumored trade thread.


My thing is, why do you care so much about what right now amounts to prospects? The point of the NBA is to acquire top shelf talent. Yes we need to avoid doing what the Knicks did in the Denver trade, we can not gut our entire rotation for one player. I get that.


At the same time though, if you have a chance to snag an All NBA player, why be so picky? If it takes Rozier, or Smart, or Brown, and some picks that aren't even players yet, isn't that a no brainer? We just added a 30 year old, we have 2 All-Stars on the roster, isn't time to win?


I feel very comfortable saying that we have nobody on our roster that is anywhere near as good as Blake, Westbrook, or Cousins. It is also completely hypothetical to say that our Brooklyn picks will be just as it not more talented than those 3 players.


I'd love some feedback on why we want to hold on to medial assets and players when a Superstar is out there?

[heyvik]

nope..the C's are in a very very good position here. They have a potentially top 3 pick, so the 'potential' of that pick is optimal right now, so the C's have to wait to use it at the right time for the right player.

[positivitize]

I don't want to get rid of Smart or Brown because I love watching them play. I really enjoy the way Smart plays the game and I think Brown is the kind of electric athlete and scorer that we've been missing for a while.

I'm okay with trading away Bradley, Rozier, Olynyk, or pretty much anyone else (except for Crowder) and future picks to get a star. That said, the 2017 class has been highly touted for the last 2.5 years, and the 2017 Nets Swap looks to be particularly valuable. If there's such generational talent available in 2017, I'd be hesitant to trade away that swap. For example--if we trade 2017 for Boogie at the trade deadline, worst case scenario is that we get 1.5 years of Boogie and lose out on 8+ years of the next Superstar payer.

If I'm Ainge, I'm telling people that they can pick 4-5 of any of the following for an all-star:

IT, Bradley, Rozier, Olynyk, Mickey, Hunter, Yabu, Zizic, 2018 Nets 1st, 2018 Celtics 1st, 2018 Griz 1st, 2019 Celtics 1st, 2020 Celtics 1st.

If that's not enough to get it done, than fine. We're in a great position to go forward with what we have and develop our young players.

[Fafnir]

I dislike the entire idea of "core" players for this roster. We don't really have any clear core players at this point, except Horford but he's older so not who people are talking about.

[CoachBo]

I dislike the entire idea of "core" players for this roster. We don't really have any clear core players at this point, except Horford but he's older so not who people are talking about.

Completely agree.

We have no untouchables.

I like watching great teams play. I care not a whit about watching individuals play.

[dannyboy35]

I think we have an awesome #3 in thimas and an awesome #4 in Horford. Unfortunately to me were missing a #1 and a  # 2.

[PhoSita]

I dislike the entire idea of "core" players for this roster. We don't really have any clear core players at this point, except Horford but he's older so not who people are talking about.

I think Isaiah and Crowder are core players, at least in the sense that they are both key components of what this team is right now -- i.e. they contribute to the unique identity of the team -- and because of their extremely affordable contracts, their value to the Celts is so much higher than their value would be to another team that I very seriously doubt they'll ever be traded.


Isaiah, Crowder, and Horford is not a "core" in the sense of having a top 3 that can contend for a title.  But those three plus a solid supporting cast, good fortune, and no major injuries, will equal 45-50 wins for at least the next three to four years.

After that, though, the Celts will need a new group to take over as the mainstays of the roster, because each of them will be on the far side of his prime.

It's also possible Danny will trade for or sign another star player, e.g. Griffin / Cousins / Westbrook, and perhaps one of those three will no longer be part of the core identity of the roster.  But in that case the Celts would be a different team.

[dannyboy35]

I know people love the Horford signing but I think it will come back to bite us. But I'm thrilled if I'm wrong.

[PhoSita]

My thing is, why do you care so much about what right now amounts to prospects? The point of the NBA is to acquire top shelf talent.

The picks are probably the only chance the Celts have of acquiring a true generational talent.  If you're a person who wants to see the Celts transformed into one of the top 2-3 teams in the league, getting the next LeBron / KD / AD / KAT at the top of the draft via Brooklyn is probably the "most likely" way.

I put "most likely" in quotes because it's still very unlikely.

Trading the picks could get the Celts are a very, very good player, e.g. Cousins / Butler / Griffin, who is not quite that "generational" guy, but who could be good enough to propel the Celts to 2nd tier contender status.

I think making such a trade would probably be worth it. 

At the same time, it could really hurt if the Celts trade the BRK picks for Cousins only to watch him leave in free agency in two years, and the Kings use one of the BRK picks to draft an ascendant talent who transforms their franchise for a decade.

That, I believe, is more or less what's going on with people (including Danny Ainge), not wanting to trade these picks for All-Star players.  It's the fear that the pick will turn into the next #1 or #2 pick that sets the league on fire.

[CoachBo]

My thing is, why do you care so much about what right now amounts to prospects? The point of the NBA is to acquire top shelf talent.

The picks are probably the only chance the Celts have of acquiring a true generational talent.  If you're a person who wants to see the Celts transformed into one of the top 2-3 teams in the league, getting the next LeBron / KD / AD / KAT at the top of the draft via Brooklyn is probably the "most likely" way.

I put "most likely" in quotes because it's still very unlikely.

Trading the picks could get the Celts are a very, very good player, e.g. Cousins / Butler / Griffin, who is not quite that "generational" guy, but who could be good enough to propel the Celts to 2nd tier contender status.

I think making such a trade would probably be worth it. 

At the same time, it could really hurt if the Celts trade the BRK picks for Cousins only to watch him leave in free agency in two years, and the Kings use one of the BRK picks to draft an ascendant talent who transforms their franchise for a decade.

That, I believe, is more or less what's going on with people (including Danny Ainge), not wanting to trade these picks for All-Star players.  It's the fear that the pick will turn into the next #1 or #2 pick that sets the league on fire.

Watching Ainge draft contradicts your point, in my view.

I don't believe Danny and little Ainge are capable of making that generational pick. Their draft record - despite the laughable attempts on this board to demand Ainge loyalty, all caps and all that - is clear.

At all.

So I am all for trading the picks.

[PhoSita]

Watching Ainge draft contradicts your point, in my view.

I don't believe Danny and little Ainge are capable of making that generational pick. Their draft record - despite the laughable attempts on this board to demand Ainge loyalty, all caps and all that - is clear.

At all.

So I am all for trading the picks.

I understand where you're coming from. 

Absolutely, if you expect Danny Ainge to screw up the pick even if the Celts get the #1 or #2 pick in a draft with a consensus group at the top (e.g. Simmons / Ingram this year, KAT last year, etc), then it makes complete sense that you'd want him to trade the picks.


To be very clear, I'm not advocating for trading the picks or not trading the picks.  Just trying to identify why people might be reticent about trading mere draft picks for proven All-Star talent.


Personally, my biggest issue with trading for Westbrook / Griffin / Cousins is my fear that they'd leave in a year or two.  Giving up 8-9 years of a top 10 prospect for 1-2 years of an All-Star who isn't likely to propel the team to a championship (especially with Golden State stacked like it is) would hurt a lot.

[Thruthelookingglass]

It seems like so many CB'ers are concerned about the Brooklyn picks and or our young core in every presumed or rumored trade thread.


My thing is, why do you care so much about what right now amounts to prospects? The point of the NBA is to acquire top shelf talent.

1.  I do not think the point of the NBA is to acquire top shelf talent.  That is a means to an end.  Case in point number 1:  Lakers roster 2004. 

2.  I think the point of the NBA is to make money.  Small market teams without the tradition of the Celtics have fan bases that still root for their teams despite lukewarm or little success over the years.  Their teams still play, their fans still cheer.

3.  The Celtics have a fanbase that includes many who believe that the only important thing is the banners.  Fine, but not all of us feel that way and we still spend money.  I want to see a team that competes hard and develops.  The Celtics and their players give us that, especially lately.

4.  I want to see all Celtics players playing to their potential.  To me they are the embodiment of the tradition, not trading chips.  If they are traded or let go, I understand that is part of the business of the NBA but until that happens they are part of "my team." 

5.  That means I'm really not as concerned as many diehard CBloggers about trades.  When I watched part of yesterday's game against Dallas, the fun was to watch a bunch of guys trying to earn the right to be REAL Celtics.  It did not occur to me once to consider how any of them fare as trade bait.

6.  So yeah, we have different motivations as fans.  Sure championships are awesome.  But I also like seeing our guys get better, and I like it more than worrying about trades.  That's just what draws me to the game.

[aingeforthree]

It seems like so many CB'ers are concerned about the Brooklyn picks and or our young core in every presumed or rumored trade thread.


My thing is, why do you care so much about what right now amounts to prospects? The point of the NBA is to acquire top shelf talent. Yes we need to avoid doing what the Knicks did in the Denver trade, we can not gut our entire rotation for one player. I get that.


At the same time though, if you have a chance to snag an All NBA player, why be so picky? If it takes Rozier, or Smart, or Brown, and some picks that aren't even players yet, isn't that a no brainer? We just added a 30 year old, we have 2 All-Stars on the roster, isn't time to win?


I feel very comfortable saying that we have nobody on our roster that is anywhere near as good as Blake, Westbrook, or Cousins. It is also completely hypothetical to say that our Brooklyn picks will be just as it not more talented than those 3 players.


I'd love some feedback on why we want to hold on to medial assets and players when a Superstar is out there?

I'm with you and believe Ainge feels the same. Adding Horford was key in the process, & I truly believe since then he's been looking for a big time addition. So everything is on the table. Right now, he's just gauging the value.

I think something will get done, and I think there is even another star out there that's not in the news. Who knows who it is ?

I think Ainges #1 is Cousins. He might be playing it a bit though and waiting for the price to come down a bit.  There is still time. Let Cousins continue to sink his ship there and maybe even take the price down even further.

I wouldn't put it past Ainge to get in IT4's ear a bit and tell him to put in a call to the Boogie man. Maybe tell him to keep tweeting,

That's what I'd do.

[Ilikesports17]

The reason people are concerned is because if we just go jaunting through the league losing value because all that matters is getting some star players then we will promptly find ourselves with a team that looks a lot like the '12 Knicks Melo Stoudemire Chandler and a bunch of trash. You have to make the right moves. This team has a lot of terrific assets. We have a great coach and solid group of players. However, our great position is very fragile. If Ainge wants to build a quasi-contender like the Bulls and Pistons of the last 5 or 6 years or like the Clippers(hed be very lucky to get that far) and Grizzlies then he can afford to not be concerned about how many assets and picks he surrenders. However, he wants to build a true contender and that is near impossible to do unless he waits for the right move to come along, not the first one.

[otherdave]

nope..the C's are in a very very good position here. They have a potentially top 3 pick, so the 'potential' of that pick is optimal right now, so the C's have to wait to use it at the right time for the right player.

Totally agree. Someone else said they want to watch great teams, not great players - I agree.  We have a great scrappy overachieving TEAM now.  It's nobodies team, "We together are the star" (or whatever their playoff t-shirts said).  Any one added has to fit this code, Coach has purposely not named one captain ("they all are").

Adding all-stars does NOT necessarily make for a great TEAM.  Boogie and Blake are loonies - I would not let them anywhere near my locker room.  I don't want any of Russell's hero ball either.  I want this done the right way (yes I get to decide what the right way is), if it ever leads to a banner great, if not great too.