There isn't a single thing in this post I agree with.

The problem with your logic is that every team drafting, especially those with top 10 picks is looking to "draft a stud".....how often does that happen, relative to having a higher pick? If this were somehow a guarantee, your argument is obviously without flaw. Draft two "studs" back to back and have them under controlled contracts. Hopefully every key player on the team as assembled is retained, so we remain competitive as the youth (Smart, Brown, Rozier, Stud 1, Stud 2) all develop together, and we magically are able to keep them all. Zizic, Nader, Yabu also start killing it...

It's just way too much going on in reality, IMO. Too much youth, which isn't a BAD problem to have at all, but it is simply a quality over quantity thing. You need stars to win championships, period. Every 20 years or so, a true balanced team finds their way in some sport, and usually it's baseball. The NBA is predicated on the top 25 or so players ruling every game they play in.

Generally, most of them are that much better than every other player in the league. I would say we currently have 1, and a borderline 2nd in Horford. Are 1 star (IT) also happens to be one of the most noticeable outliers due to his size.

Most teams winning championships have at least 2, if not 3 or 4 of these players.

The Celtics window is NOW and the next 2 years, while everyone is under contract, and their current deals are affordable. After that, whether they stay or not is dependent on our cap situation. I do agree that we need to develop our youth movement, however, it absolutely needs to be consolidated, and the staff must choose which players to retain and focus on.

How many teams have followed the "add prime draft picks and we'll be contenders" strategy? How many teams has it worked out for?

The chances of our draft pick ever being as good as Cousins (who won't be available, unfortunately) is extremely small.  I wouldn't move one of the picks for Carmelo, but for the other guys on your list, it's a reasonable decision. My hope is that Hayward is sending signals that he'd sign here, but if not, there's a ton of appeal to George or Butler.

I'm not going to rehash Ainge's draft record, except to say I agree entirely with Roy's post.

I haven't really expected a big deadline move, but if Ainge doesn't add a rebounder at lower cost, he's sending a clear message that this season does not matter - to the people who buy tickets and to the locker room.

This summer, Ainge needs to turn this team into a championship contender. Period.,

Is Gordon Hayward really worth the max?

I feel like signing him would only tie us down to mediocrity.

Disagree. You know for a fact that the current team + one more star cannot beat Golden State.  Choose any star that could be available in the next two years.  Even if you added Anthony Davis, we wouldn't be at that level.  Why do something that you know will probably not lead to a title?

There is a chance that in three or four years, whoever's left from the current team plus our developed prospects will be better than Golden State, or that Golden State will simply break up at some point before that.  That's our window.

you do not know that our current team + Butler cant beat GSW.

You  do know our current team + Butler wont be better than GSW.

this distinction is huge.

Cleveland wasnt better than GSW last year.

Dallas wasnt half as good as Miami.

You cant worry about other teams. You must maxmize YOUR talent and assets.

Right now you have the Isaiah Thomas Al Horford Jae Crowder Avery Bradley Marcus Smart and an opportunity to add a borderline top 10 player who can defend Lebron James and KD as well as anyone outside of Kawhi Leonard.

There is zero guarantee that your core of draft picks in 5 years is even as close to as good as the core we have right now.

Again will brown ever be as good as Thomas
will '17 ever be as good as Butler?
will '18 ever reach Horford's level
how will we recreate this current elite supporting cast.

Its not necessarily a bad idea to keep the picks and build for 5 years, but if you close your eyes to the possibility of going for it now, then that is stupid.

Disagree. You know for a fact that the current team + one more star cannot beat Golden State.  Choose any star that could be available in the next two years.  Even if you added Anthony Davis, we wouldn't be at that level.  Why do something that you know will probably not lead to a title and will take away our ability to improve?  Once you commit the Brooklyn picks to Butler or George, the only way to improve further is to go through the entire rebuilding process all over again.

There is a chance that in three or four years, whoever's left from the current team plus our developed prospects will be better than Golden State, or that Golden State will simply break up at some point before that.  That's our window.

Completely and thoroughly disagree.

Quote from: oldtype on February 15, 2017, 06:16:03 PM

Disagree. You know for a fact that the current team + one more star cannot beat Golden State.  Choose any star that could be available in the next two years.  Even if you added Anthony Davis, we wouldn't be at that level.  Why do something that you know will probably not lead to a title and will take away our ability to improve?  Once you commit the Brooklyn picks to Butler or George, the only way to improve further is to go through the entire rebuilding process all over again.

There is a chance that in three or four years, whoever's left from the current team plus our developed prospects will be better than Golden State, or that Golden State will simply break up at some point before that.  That's our window.

Completely and thoroughly disagree.

The idea that you could add Jimmy Butler to this team and beat Golden State in a seven-game series is borderline delusional.  I doubt you'd even be a favorite against full-strength Cleveland.