"Silver linings" suck...

[Roy H.]

Sorry, not the most inspired title for a post, I know.

I've just done a lot of thinking lately about last season, and about how the injuries to Kyrie and particularly Tatum were supposed to be silver linings.  The thinking was that Tatum and Jaylen would get more playing time, and would develop faster.  Then, when Kyrie went down and the team played well, the positive outlook was that Rozier had either become a key piece of the rotation, or had boosted his trade value significantly.

Here were are a year later, and it's as if we're looking at a worst case scenario.  There is no silver lining to the Hayward injury.  He's still not fully recovered, and seemingly has lost his aggressiveness.  Worse, the young guys getting more minutes has caused the a trifecta of issues:

1.  There are chemistry problems / fit issues with guys who have "proven" themselves now coming off of the bench.  Rozier, in particular, is almost certainly looking to free agency;

2.  After a year of starting, it's harder to ask Brown and Tatum to take a back seat, in turn making it harder for the team to justify force-feeding Hayward (which in turn might aid his recovery.);

3.  For better or for worse, our guys showing that they can play has made them desirable around the league.  If Tatum and JB had played fewer minutes last season, maybe the Anthony Davis trade talks would have been less prominent, and the team could have kept it's focus on this season, rather than worrying about the off-season.

We haven't heard the same type of rationalizations this season.  I think people recognize that very little good comes out of a regular season like this.  But, for the sake of symmetry, allow we to offer a silver lining:  this is probably the very last season we have to worry about Terry Rozier playing for the Celtics.

[Who]

I'd still like to bring Rozier back if Kyrie leaves despite Rozier's bad season. Rozier is a solid player. Wild (erratic) but capable.

[celticinorlando]

Hayward looks like a shell of a player at this point. I don't expect much of anything out of him. The only silver lining about him is he has been able to play in the majority of games this season. Other than that, it has been a waste. He is mentally toast. Physically not even close to being the guy he was. No lift on his shot.

Rozier will be gone if Kyrie stays. Still trying to figure out who is the root of the chemistry issues...Rozier is a big part of it....sure Brown played a role in it when he was benched or did not get his shots. Tatum's game is too much Kobe.

I want to believe they are waiting for the playoffs. But I honestly think this is who they are.

[Silky]

I'd still like to bring Rozier back if Kyrie leaves despite Rozier's bad season. Rozier is a solid player. Wild (erratic) but capable.

and utterly replaceable.

[celticinorlando]

I'd still like to bring Rozier back if Kyrie leaves despite Rozier's bad season. Rozier is a solid player. Wild (erratic) but capable.

and utterly replaceable.

If they don't keep Kyrie, I do not see them trading all their young players for AD. Keep the picks and draft a PG. Build around Smart, Brown, Tatum, etc. Don't care if Rozier goes or stays

[PhoSita]

I sure hope you're right about Terry.

I would be very afraid of the team matching an offer on Terry (e.g. the Suns offer 4 years / $55 million or something) because of uncertainty with Kyrie, or because Kyrie leaves.


The silver lining for last year, I would say, is that despite everything that went wrong, we got a really enjoyable, if ultimately disappointing, playoff run out of it.

Looking back, I would say we can take the lesson that you should appreciate every season on its own merits and not base everything on the big, long term picture. 

Based on how things went last year, it seemed like the future was super super bright for this team.  Yet here we are.


It is ironic that this year relatively little has gone wrong by comparison, yet the team is doing much worse and the lasting impression of this season is going to be overwhelmingly negative.  Probably the most disappointing Celtics season in over a decade.

[Who]

I'd still like to bring Rozier back if Kyrie leaves despite Rozier's bad season. Rozier is a solid player. Wild (erratic) but capable.

and utterly replaceable.

Definitely. If the price ain't right, let him walk.

[Jiri Welsch]

Silver lining: next year we can build a roster with guys who actually want to be here.

[gouki88]

Gosh I’ll be excited when Rozier goes.

Amazed DA didn’t trade him

[PhoSita]

Silver lining: next year we can build a roster with guys who actually want to be here.

Unless we trade half the team for AD and re-sign Kyrie but only for one year guaranteed, then we do this year all over again but with two griping, maybe-soon-to-be-gone stars instead of one.

[gouki88]

Silver lining: next year we can build a roster with guys who actually want to be here.

Unless we trade half the team for AD and re-sign Kyrie but only for one year guaranteed, then we do this year all over again but with two griping, maybe-soon-to-be-gone stars instead of one.

Again, Anthony Davis has never been thought of as anything close to “griping”. Not sure where that’s coming from

[SCeltic34]

Agreed.  I've always said that there are no silver lining in professional sports.  But it was impossible not to be optimistic coming into this season with the return of Hayward and Irving, and the solid play that our youngsters showed in the playoffs last year (the silver lining, youngsters getting experience in place of the injured vets, which I myself did buy into).  This set up enormous - and in hindsight clearly unrealistic - expectations for this season, which has led us to feeling disappointed (to put it lightly) with our team this year.  It's frustrating to have the chemistry issues we're having this far into the season.  That's on our players, but on Brad too.

I'd still like to bring Rozier back if Kyrie leaves despite Rozier's bad season. Rozier is a solid player. Wild (erratic) but capable.

I typically agree with your assessments, but I just don't see Rozier ever being a winning piece on a contender.  He has a poor feel for the game when asked to function as PG.  He's inconsistent, has poor passing ability, is suspect defensively (team defense), and is inefficient (woeful shooting percentages).

Rozier being gone if we have a short postseason run - now THAT's a silver lining I can believe in.

[MichiganAdam]

TR should have been traded last off season.  MM should have gone at this years deadline.  Too many guys who feel entitled to get their shots and not enough who want their assists.

[drooldaddy]

I agree that the only person Scary Terry scares anymore is me when he comes into the game. He’s not a point guard and now seems to hesitate before shooting. I like it when he picks his man up full court. At least he makes him expend a little energy.

Hayward is not going to get it done this season. He also hesitates before shooting. Obvious lack of confidence. I hope he gets it back over the Summer or we are stuck with that bad contract.

We have 3 max guys and IMO only Irving has been worth the money. Horford is a great all around guy but max contract???

I apologize for ranting . It’s only because I care and am so disappointed

[footey]

Actually I thought it was a pretty decent movie. Oh wait, you were talking about last season.

I don't think last season has had as much to do about our problems this season.

Our biggest problem this season (and there are many) has to do with the fact that no one is willing to hold Kyrie accountable. The only time a player stood up to him (Brown) he was literally pulled away by Smart.  There is a clip of him playing matador defense on Chris Paul early third quarter that Brad would have benched any other player for. But not Kyrie.  That has to demoralize a team.

I blame Brad and Danny for this situation. Brad claims he wants to empower the players to police themselves. But everyone is on egg shelves when it comes to Kyrie.  He is an immensely talented scoring guard, who can play the role of Robin to someone's Batman. But we don't have a Batman on this team yet. I don't event think Anthony Davis is the answer, he doesn't strike me as an alpha dog.

Brad and Danny are biting their tongues from giving Kyrie any criticism, for fear that it will provoke him to leave.  I would think Kyrie would respect Brad more if he called him out more when he screws up.

This is a **** mess.