Can a core of Horford, PG13, Hayward, IT4 contend for a championship? (Poll)

[the TRUTH]

I think some people are underestimating that hypothetical team's ability and also Ainge's ability to surround a contending core with quality role players. Three of our best assets are Brown, the '17 Nets pick and the '18 Nets pick. If we can retain two out of those three assets, plus a core of IT, Hayward, George and Horford, we've still got a ton of talent, two young potential stars getting better and better every day coming off of the bench, ring-chasing role players and plenty of trade assets for the right opportunity at the right time.

In the OP's scenario, I don't think anyone in the East has a team that good both in the present and the future, including the Cavs. Can that team beat the Warriors? Probably not in 2018, but it's still a contending team with a ton of upside as two of Brown/Fultz/Nets '18 pick ideally develop into star players.

[moiso]

Surprised by the "No" counts so far

Why not?

Who covers Kyrie and Lebron?

Who covers Durant and Curry? Green?

Paul George is as good as anybody to cover Lebron and Durant.  We may still have Smart or Bradley to help with Curry and Irving.

[the TRUTH]

As several people have correctly stated, IT has been exposed - to a certain extent - at times in the playoffs over the past three years. But all of that happened when he was the go-to, number one scorer for our team. I love Paul George as a player, and with him on board, that immediately takes a ton of pressure off of IT, and Hayward also helps in that regard. With IT as a second or third scorer, he becomes a lot more dangerous. And hopefully Brown, Fultz and/or the '18 Nets pick also develops into a legit second or third option on a contending team (and as a quick aside, that may enable the C's to bring IT off the bench as the sixth man in 2-3 years). This hypothetical Celtics team would be loaded with scoring options. It would be up to Danny to surround them with some defensive stoppers and bigs that can rebound. If he can pull that off, that team should win at least one title.

[gouki88]

Surprised by the "No" counts so far

Why not?

Who covers Kyrie and Lebron?

Who covers Durant and Curry? Green?

Paul George is as good as anybody to cover Lebron and Durant.  We may still have Smart or Bradley to help with Curry and Irving.

Exactly. I'm sure DA would be able to keep a solid amount of good role players surrounding our elite core.

[mqtcelticsfan]

With these 4 as your core for the next 2-3 years... Can it beat the Cavs, GSW, Spurs?

No Fultz in the picture

Curry > IT
Durant > George
Klay > Hayward
Green > Horford


I wouldn't count on it.

[GreenCoffeeBean]

As several people have correctly stated, IT has been exposed - to a certain extent - at times in the playoffs over the past three years. But all of that happened when he was the go-to, number one scorer for our team. I love Paul George as a player, and with him on board, that immediately takes a ton of pressure off of IT, and Hayward also helps in that regard. With IT as a second or third scorer, he becomes a lot more dangerous. And hopefully Brown, Fultz and/or the '18 Nets pick also develops into a legit second or third option on a contending team (and as a quick aside, that may enable the C's to bring IT off the bench as the sixth man in 2-3 years). This hypothetical Celtics team would be loaded with scoring options. It would be up to Danny to surround them with some defensive stoppers and bigs that can rebound. If he can pull that off, that team should win at least one title.

If we have George and/or Hayward, there is no Fultz and maybe even no '18 Nets pick. Maybe even no Brown or Smart.

[the TRUTH]

As several people have correctly stated, IT has been exposed - to a certain extent - at times in the playoffs over the past three years. But all of that happened when he was the go-to, number one scorer for our team. I love Paul George as a player, and with him on board, that immediately takes a ton of pressure off of IT, and Hayward also helps in that regard. With IT as a second or third scorer, he becomes a lot more dangerous. And hopefully Brown, Fultz and/or the '18 Nets pick also develops into a legit second or third option on a contending team (and as a quick aside, that may enable the C's to bring IT off the bench as the sixth man in 2-3 years). This hypothetical Celtics team would be loaded with scoring options. It would be up to Danny to surround them with some defensive stoppers and bigs that can rebound. If he can pull that off, that team should win at least one title.

If we have George and/or Hayward, there is no Fultz and maybe even no '18 Nets pick. Maybe even no Brown or Smart.

I don't know that that's necessarily true. Hayward is a free agent, so he wouldn't cost us any of those assets. George definitely would, but I think a price of two out of three among the Nets '17 pick, the Nets '18 pick and Brown would be too steep for Ainge to agree to. With that in mind, the only way I think we get George is if the trade centers around one of Brown, the Nets '17 pick or the Nets '18 pick.

[gouki88]

With these 4 as your core for the next 2-3 years... Can it beat the Cavs, GSW, Spurs?

No Fultz in the picture

Curry > IT
Durant > George
Klay > Hayward
Green > Horford


I wouldn't count on it.

I don't think the gap between those 4 pairs is as significant as most think. Especially when you take into account depth and coaching. A more seasoned Coach Stevens with 3 All-Star's at his disposal, rather than 1.

[LilRip]

I think people give GSW too much credit. They're a super team, yes, but a quartet of IT/Hayward/George/Horford is a superteam as well.

Kawhi, PG and Butler are the players who are able to best guard Lebron in the league. Swap IT for a guy like Jimmy Buckets and we can run a lineup of Smart/Butler/Hayward/George/Horford. That is a super team that can take down GSW.

[mctyson]

With these 4 as your core for the next 2-3 years... Can it beat the Cavs, GSW, Spurs?

No Fultz in the picture

No. They cannot beat GS.

[Tr1boy]

With these 4 as your core for the next 2-3 years... Can it beat the Cavs, GSW, Spurs?

No Fultz in the picture

No. They cannot beat GS.

Even if Hayward , PG13, IT4 score 25 pts each...and Horford scores 15-20points , 8 assists?

In case any one struggles another player or two can go off for 30 plus points?

You sure?

[Tr1boy]

CBS - Reid Forgrave's Mock Draft 6 hours ago

1. Pacers via trade with Celtics
Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington
Trade: Boston sends No. 1 overall pick in 2017, both of their second-rounders this year as well as a 2019 first-round pick (which had been acquired from the Clippers) to Indiana for Paul George and Al Jefferson.
Why not just go for it? The Celtics came as close as they were going to come with their current roster at unseating LeBron's Cavs atop the East – in other words, not particularly close at all. Getting Paul George from the Pacers and trying to sign him to a long-term deal is the ultimate win-now move. This trade assumes that George shows interest in staying with Boston and not just in hopping on the first train to Los Angeles, and that Gordon Hayward stays put in Utah instead of heading to Boston. It helps that the Pacers are throwing in someone who can shore up the Celtics' post play in Al Jefferson.

As for the Pacers? They get to start their rebuild on the back of Fultz, one of the most dynamic guards to come into the NBA in years. They'll get a couple more potential assets in the deal, too, which should turbo-charge a rebuild.

[Tr1boy]

Rather give up Crowder than 2019 1st

Al Jefferson??  Interesting

[bknova]

With these 4 as your core for the next 2-3 years... Can it beat the Cavs, GSW, Spurs?

No Fultz in the picture

No. Stay the course.  Make the pick.  No need to be short sighted, or reactionary.  Contend for the next ten to 15 years, not 3. 

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Surprised by the "No" counts so far

Why not?

Why not? Because most fans see the potential of Fultz, how great the prospects at the top of the '18 draft are, and how good Jaylen Brown could be.

I think most fans rather win championships then see how three good prospects would mesh in 3-4 years..

That team would almost certainly not be good enough to win a title, and we'd have surrendered our future for a couple years before the reality of the salary cap tore the team apart.

no mortgaging the future. we need a 10 year window