Deveney: Season could be deemed failure if Boston Celtics lose tonight

[Tr1boy]

http://www.csnne.com/video/deveney-season-could-be-deemed-failure-if-boston-celtics-lose-tonight

Agree or disagree?

At this pt does it matter, as either Wiz or Celts will likely get blown out of water by the Cavs in the next series?

I disagree with Deveney... If the Celts lost to the Bulls or Wiz in 5 ...then yes - season was a failure .  But imo this team has already overachieved. If Celts had another all star/good player this series with the Wiz would have been over last week

[Roy H.]

Losing to an inferior team is always disappointing. Being the #1 seed but not making the ECF is probably a failure.

[Drucci]

Losing to an inferior team is always disappointing. Being the %1 seed but not making the ECF is probably a failure.

Agreed. Plus, it's not like we've been outmatched by the Wizards (well, we did technically for 2 out of 3 games in DC) and don't stand a chance against them. By definition, since it's a game 7, the winner of the series will have emerged out of a very close one so we're evenly matched and I would consider it a failure to see the season end there, knowing that we had homecourt advantage.

[jpotter33]

Perhaps "failure" is a strong word, but it'd also be hard to consider it an objective success. I've held that we were the second best team in the East since getting Horford this summer, and with that I've argued that a successful season means an ECF berth.

[Tr1boy]

Losing to an inferior team is always disappointing. Being the %1 seed but not making the ECF is probably a failure.

I agree .... But Celts only had 4 more wins vs the Wizards

Not a big difference between the two teams regular season accimplishment

[green_bballers13]

Losing to an inferior team is always disappointing. Being the %1 seed but not making the ECF is probably a failure.

I'm not convinced that the Wizards are the inferior team. I think they're evenly matched with the Celtics.

In most years, being the #1 seed carries with it certain expectations. If the Cavs got the #1 seed and lost to the Raptors, that would be an upset.

For a rebuilding Celtics team, I don't think they are the average #1 seed.

I think the lottery balls will have a bigger outcome 5 years down the road than tonight's game.

[Darío SpanishFan]

I thought in the middle of the series that the season was already a success.

Now when we've been in game 6 so close, two points ahead with seconds to go, I guess most of all would feel disappointed.

[Evantime34]

Disagree. My criteria for success is improving upon last year's team while maintaining the ability to improve long term. They won more games, got further in the playoffs and seemed poised to continue improving via the draft/offeseaon. So I think the season is a success regardless of what happens tonight.

My opinion might be clouded in that I think the C's will win tonight making it a moot question.

[Green-18]

http://www.csnne.com/video/deveney-season-could-be-deemed-failure-if-boston-celtics-lose-tonight

Agree or disagree?

At this pt does it matter, as either Wiz or Celts will likely get blown out of water by the Cavs in the next series?

I disagree with Deveney... If the Celts lost to the Bulls or Wiz in 5 ...then yes - season was a failure .  But imo this team has already succeeded. If Celts had another all star/good player this series with the Wiz would have been over last week

I completely disagree.  A loss tonight would certainly leave a sour taste when you consider the context of being up 3-2.  However, that doesn't diminish the fact that this team has made significant progress for 3 straight years without compromising any of our future flexibility.  I can list off a number of reasons to highlight the success of this season.

1. We won a playoff round and went deep into round 2
2. IT's development into an elite scorer/ Horford's positive impact on his efficiency
3. Al Horford playing at an All-Star level consistently in the playoffs
4. Avery Bradley coming up huge in a number of playoff games on both ends of the floor
5. Terry Rozier showing his ability to make plays under the pressure of post-season basketball


I could continue to list off more but the most important thing is that we accomplished all of this without sacrificing any of our future.

 

[Redz]

In other news, I might be hungry if I skip dinner tonight.

[The One]

The season would not be a failure if they lose tonight, but tonight's game could be a failure aka the C's get "blowed out."

Their starting five is much better than ours.

Our bench is much better than theirs.

In the playoffs, the rotation is much shorter, so in the end...I think they are evenly matched.

[CELTICSofBOSTON]

Definitely not.  In basketball, makes and misses change everything. For example, if Joun Wall missed that pull up three(a shot he has a 73% chance of missing), we would be playing game one of the ECF tonight.

I think the Wizards are just as good a basketball team as we are.  If they didn't start off the year so terribly they'd probably be close to having the one sees themselves.

My goal this year was to ge the first pick and make the ECF.  If those things don't come true, I would not be disappointed.  Things happen.

Besides, this season was awesome.  We got the one seed, we witnessed IT become a legit MVP candidate, we saw great flashes from our #3 pick, the Nets gave us the best chance to get the top pick, etc.  Thid was the best season as a Celtics fan since 2008 imo.

[18isGREATERthan72]

I don't think it's fair to push the tape back as the season progresses...

Thoughts going into this season...

52+ wins (Success)

Get out of the first round (Success)

Take care of business against Brooklyn to ensure best pick possible (Success)

Other things the Celtics achieved this year that nobody expected going into the season...

1st seed (Success)

Field an MVP level player on the roster (Success)

Only in Boston journalism could you be a 1st seed, improve upon the team from last year, and have the best chance at the #1 pick in the upcoming draft and think it's arguable the season was a failure...

[liam]

Losing to an inferior team is always disappointing. Being the %1 seed but not making the ECF is probably a failure.

I'm not convinced that the Wizards are the inferior team. I think they're evenly matched with the Celtics.

In most years, being the #1 seed carries with it certain expectations. If the Cavs got the #1 seed and lost to the Raptors, that would be an upset.

For a rebuilding Celtics team, I don't think they are the average #1 seed.

I think the lottery balls will have a bigger outcome 5 years down the road than tonight's game.

Well said. The lottery balls tomorrow will be huge! How many playoff teams even have any interest in the lottery! The Celtics are in great shape.

[nickagneta]

Kinda depends on how you look at it. If you look at it as an entire season and what the twam accomplished as opposed to,last year, then there is really no way you can't say this season was a huge success.

If you take Devaney's much more focused look at things where he is saying because they should have won game 6 so if they lose game 7 its a failure because they should have been in the ECF, then I guess its a failure.

I'm taking the long view. I never expected this team to get the number 1 seed. I hoped they would get past the first round and they did. And even if they lose tonight, this semi-final against a team thats evenly matched up with Boston went 7 games.

I don't see it as a failure of a season if they lose. They made tremendous progress and I feel this is the offseason the Cs will turn themselved into true contenders.