Lost in all this fiasco...

[Fireworks_Boom!]

We signed Gordon Hayward this offseason. I realize we all remember this happened. But my point is that he is a two-way star in the making who is on the rise and returning to a coach he is familiar with. We will likely see an improved Gordon Hayward this year. I think his defense is highly underrated and his reliance as an offensive weapon has increased year over year.

Last year he averaged 21.9ppg up from 19.7 the year before where he played 2 less min a night. He saw a team (Utah) rely on him more and more for offense. And throughout this increased reliance increased his fg% from .433 to .471 while improving his 3-point shooting% from .349 to .398.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming that we just witnessed an offseason where we added 3 all stars (2 current and 1 future) in Hayward, Irving and Tatum.

How great it is to be a Celtics fan!!

[mmmmm]

We signed Gordon Hayward this offseason. I realize we all remember this happened. But my point is that he is a two-way star in the making who is on the rise and returning to a coach he is familiar with. We will likely see an improved Gordon Hayward this year. I think his defense is highly underrated and his reliance as an offensive weapon has increased year over year.

Last year he averaged 21.9ppg up from 19.7 the year before where he played 2 less min a night. He saw a team (Utah) rely on him more and more for offense. And throughout this increased reliance increased his fg% from .433 to .471 while improving his 3-point shooting% from .349 to .398.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming that we just witnessed an offseason where we added 3 all stars (2 current and 1 future) in Hayward, Irving and Tatum.

How great it is to be a Celtics fan!!

Well, we added 2 all-stars and a potential one, but we also lost 1 all-nba player and an all-defensive player.   And we lost another 'potential all star' in the future in the form of the BKN18 pick.

Overall, we are definitely a better team, mainly because of the addition of Hayward who, I agree, is just a huge add for our team. 

But not all steps were forward.

[KGBirdBias]

We aren't just building to win this year, look at the long view.

[johnnygreen]

We signed Gordon Hayward this offseason. I realize we all remember this happened. But my point is that he is a two-way star in the making who is on the rise and returning to a coach he is familiar with. We will likely see an improved Gordon Hayward this year. I think his defense is highly underrated and his reliance as an offensive weapon has increased year over year.

Last year he averaged 21.9ppg up from 19.7 the year before where he played 2 less min a night. He saw a team (Utah) rely on him more and more for offense. And throughout this increased reliance increased his fg% from .433 to .471 while improving his 3-point shooting% from .349 to .398.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming that we just witnessed an offseason where we added 3 all stars (2 current and 1 future) in Hayward, Irving and Tatum.

How great it is to be a Celtics fan!!

Well, we added 2 all-stars and a potential one, but we also lost 1 all-nba player and an all-defensive player.   And we lost another 'potential all star' in the future in the form of the BKN18 pick.

Overall, we are definitely a better team, mainly because of the addition of Hayward who, I agree, is just a huge add for our team. 

But not all steps were forward.

When we added that potential all star in Tatum, Danny also acquired a 2018 pick in the Philly trade, that may end up being a better pick than the Brooklyn pick that was just traded away. One benefit of potentially having only 1 pick in the top five in next years draft, is the Celtics probably reduced the number of players who may have turned down workouts. Can you imagine the number of players turning the Celtics down if they had 2 out of the top 5 picks?

[Fireworks_Boom!]

I agree one step backward (IT, BRK pick), two steps forward. Plus the acquisition of the Lakers/Kings pick whenever it converts which I struggle to believe there are 5 worse teams than the Lakers next year (which gives us an 80% chance of being top 5 pick and we cross fingers it doesnt land at 1).

But man am I giddy. Add a guy like Thomas Robinson and go 2 deep at each position with some grinders on the bench:

PG: Irving/Rozier
SG: Brown/Smart
SF: Hayward/Tatum
PF: Morris/Robinson
C: Horford/Baynes

Bench: Nader, Theis, Yabusele, Ojeleye, Larkin

[clevelandceltic]

We signed Gordon Hayward this offseason. I realize we all remember this happened. But my point is that he is a two-way star in the making who is on the rise and returning to a coach he is familiar with. We will likely see an improved Gordon Hayward this year. I think his defense is highly underrated and his reliance as an offensive weapon has increased year over year.

Last year he averaged 21.9ppg up from 19.7 the year before where he played 2 less min a night. He saw a team (Utah) rely on him more and more for offense. And throughout this increased reliance increased his fg% from .433 to .471 while improving his 3-point shooting% from .349 to .398.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming that we just witnessed an offseason where we added 3 all stars (2 current and 1 future) in Hayward, Irving and Tatum.

How great it is to be a Celtics fan!!

Well, we added 2 all-stars and a potential one, but we also lost 1 all-nba player and an all-defensive player.   And we lost another 'potential all star' in the future in the form of the BKN18 pick.

Overall, we are definitely a better team, mainly because of the addition of Hayward who, I agree, is just a huge add for our team. 

But not all steps were forward.

I certainly think if you put Kyrie on last years team he would be approaching all nba. Second, you were going to lose AB after the season no matter what. He also missed 20+ games last year so its not as if the team hasnt figured out ways to win without him. Was he valuable? Yes. Was he essential? No

The only step back I see is in terms of chemistry and fan familiarity. Those are things we wont know for awhile. Last years starters were too limited in what they could do hence Danny saying good but not great. Kyrie is a better player than IT not by much in my book but much more of a force on the game than IT.

I will add this. For as below average as Irving's D is I think the Cs will be a much better defensive backcourt with Brown starting than the starting backcourt ever was last year. I dont care if Irving's D is just about what it was last year which was awful I still think they will be a better defensive backcourt simply do to strengths of players and mismatches.

Not seeing much step back at all from last years team.

[Surferdad]

...
Well, we added 2 all-stars and a potential one, but we also lost 1 all-nba player and an all-defensive player.   And we lost another 'potential all star' in the future in the form of the BKN18 pick.

Overall, we are definitely a better team, mainly because of the addition of Hayward who, I agree, is just a huge add for our team. 

But not all steps were forward.

Jae Crowder is not, and has not, been an all-NBA defensive player.  Some argue that he actually regressed slightly on defense this past season.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/all_defense.html

[fairweatherfan]

...
Well, we added 2 all-stars and a potential one, but we also lost 1 all-nba player and an all-defensive player.   And we lost another 'potential all star' in the future in the form of the BKN18 pick.

Overall, we are definitely a better team, mainly because of the addition of Hayward who, I agree, is just a huge add for our team. 

But not all steps were forward.

Jae Crowder is not, and has not, been an all-NBA defensive player.  Some argue that he actually regressed slightly on defense this past season.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/all_defense.html

Think he probably means Avery Bradley.

[Surferdad]

...
Well, we added 2 all-stars and a potential one, but we also lost 1 all-nba player and an all-defensive player.   And we lost another 'potential all star' in the future in the form of the BKN18 pick.

Overall, we are definitely a better team, mainly because of the addition of Hayward who, I agree, is just a huge add for our team. 

But not all steps were forward.

Jae Crowder is not, and has not, been an all-NBA defensive player.  Some argue that he actually regressed slightly on defense this past season.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/all_defense.html

Think he probably means Avery Bradley.

OK, gotcha.

[footey]

Of all the proposed trades involving the Brooklyn pick, this one I can get behind primarily because of Kyrie's age, and position. Makes better sense for sure than Butler.

[Sketch5]

We signed Gordon Hayward this offseason. I realize we all remember this happened. But my point is that he is a two-way star in the making who is on the rise and returning to a coach he is familiar with. We will likely see an improved Gordon Hayward this year. I think his defense is highly underrated and his reliance as an offensive weapon has increased year over year.

Last year he averaged 21.9ppg up from 19.7 the year before where he played 2 less min a night. He saw a team (Utah) rely on him more and more for offense. And throughout this increased reliance increased his fg% from .433 to .471 while improving his 3-point shooting% from .349 to .398.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming that we just witnessed an offseason where we added 3 all stars (2 current and 1 future) in Hayward, Irving and Tatum.

How great it is to be a Celtics fan!!

Well, we added 2 all-stars and a potential one, but we also lost 1 all-nba player and an all-defensive player.   And we lost another 'potential all star' in the future in the form of the BKN18 pick.

Overall, we are definitely a better team, mainly because of the addition of Hayward who, I agree, is just a huge add for our team. 

But not all steps were forward.

Some times you have to one step back to go two steps forward.

Losing AB was kinda big, but not huge. His D wasn't like it had been, at least not all the time. Smart is going to have to step up a bit. And Brown the same.

Irving and IT put up similar numbers, but Irving was playing behind Lebron who dictated the flow of the game. Now we get to see Irving do his thing. He'll have some learning curves, but I think Stevens is really excited to teach some one with this talent.

Yeah the Nets pick was big, but we still have the LA pick, which could be better with some luck. And we really don't need two High profile rooks on the team after getting Brown and Tatum. Eventually we'd have to either trade one or two or pay them, which will lead trading the worst of the best young talent.

I'm not sure how much noise we'll make this year, but give DA an other season to make some moves, next years team could be legit.

[PickNRoll]

The net is all that matters.  If you move from a B to an A, you took a step forward.  The micro transactions don't matter.

When we traded 5 players, a pick, and cash for KG, we didn't take 7 steps backwards.  We took 1 giant leap forward.  It's a star league, as Lebron has shown 7 years running.  The top 3 players on your roster dictate if you're a contender.  You can play Channing Frye and Zaza Pachulia and Iman Shumpert, but you gotta have Kyrie.   Our top 3 is better now.

[mmmmm]

The net is all that matters.  If you move from a B to an A, you took a step forward.  The micro transactions don't matter.

When we traded 5 players, a pick, and cash for KG, we didn't take 7 steps backwards.  We took 1 giant leap forward.  It's a star league, as Lebron has shown 7 years running.  The top 3 players on your roster dictate if you're a contender.  You can play Channing Frye and Zaza Pachulia and Iman Shumpert, but you gotta have Kyrie.   Our top 3 is better now.

So, in your mind, Kyrie is of the same order of impact player as Kevin Garnett?

[mctyson]

We signed Gordon Hayward this offseason.

I don't think that was lost at all. Quite the opposite, that was central to this deal happening.

When Hayward came in as the 2nd max contract on the team, it basically ended any chance IT was getting that here.  Thus, he became an expendable contract, and one that honestly had to be traded.  There is no way that they could have $90M locked up in 2 guys (Horford and IT) in their early 30s and one on his way there (Hayward).

[PickNRoll]

The net is all that matters.  If you move from a B to an A, you took a step forward.  The micro transactions don't matter.

When we traded 5 players, a pick, and cash for KG, we didn't take 7 steps backwards.  We took 1 giant leap forward.  It's a star league, as Lebron has shown 7 years running.  The top 3 players on your roster dictate if you're a contender.  You can play Channing Frye and Zaza Pachulia and Iman Shumpert, but you gotta have Kyrie.   Our top 3 is better now.

So, in your mind, Kyrie is of the same order of impact player as Kevin Garnett?

Straw man.

Adding Garnett moved our team forward.  Adding Kyrie moved our team forward.