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Do the Celtics Really Want to Make the Playoffs?

903 views 23 replies 10 participants last post by  Curious George 
#1 ·
Ainge says yes. I say no.

1. If McCarty continues to play 25 minutes a game, they will not make the playoffs. If, on the other hand, Brandon Hunter starts getting Waltah's minutes it means they are serious about making the playoffs.

2. If they trade Mills for a player like Brent Barry it means they are not serious about the playoffs because they could be hopelessly out of it by the time Barry's broken finger heals.

3. If they trade Mills for Clifford Robinson it means that they want to make the playoffs but are not serious about advancing beyond the first round.

4. If they trade Blount (because he has indicated that he does not intend to return to Boston under any circumstances) they will not make the playoffs unless the replace him with a player like Dale Davis or (possibly Samuel Dalembert).
 
#3 ·
I think naturally Ainge and the players all want to make the playoffs. They are not tanking the season yet.

I think Ainge would like to make the playoffs with all the adversity that has gone on it would be a nice feather in the teams cap.

Paul Pierce elevates his game in the playoffs. This unit will have more time together. The Vin Baker situation will be further away.

What I am saying is that in the weak East this team is still a contender even with how poorly they are playing.
 
#4 ·
Re: To answer your question...

Originally posted by <b>Truth34</b>!
I say yes. I think it helps Banks and Welsch to get playoff experience.
Yeah, I think so too.

Although, and I believe Ainge would agree, we should not sacrifice any flexibility for the future in order to make the Eastern Conference playoffs this year.

It should be *a* goal, not *the* goal.
 
#5 ·
Originally posted by <b>Big John</b>!
If they trade Blount (because he has indicated that he does not intend to return to Boston under any circumstances) they will not make the playoffs unless the replace him with a player like Dale Davis or (possibly Samuel Dalembert).
When did he indicate that he doesn't want to come back to Boston?
 
#6 ·
Re: Re: Do the Celtics Really Want to Make the Playoffs?

Originally posted by <b>Epadfield</b>!


When did he indicate that he doesn't want to come back to Boston?
Surely you jest. He will forego his player option and go where Obie goes, unless the Celtics are willing to pay a premium abouve market value to keep him.
 
#7 ·
Re: To answer your question...

Originally posted by <b>Truth34</b>!
I say yes. I think it helps Banks and Welsch to get playoff experience.
Well, I listed 3 clear indicators of what they intend to do. Big minutes for Wahtah= no playoffs.

Brent Barry=no short term help to make the playoffs. Mills would help almost as much, and he can't walk.

No Blount=no playoffs, unless they replace him with a decent from court player.
 
#8 ·
Re: Re: Re: Do the Celtics Really Want to Make the Playoffs?

Originally posted by <b>Big John</b>!


Surely you jest. He will forego his player option and go where Obie goes, unless the Celtics are willing to pay a premium abouve market value to keep him.
Well, I know about him opting out after this season. I haven't been paying much attention to the C's lately so I thought he may have said something about not coming back.
 
#12 ·
So... let me get this straight re: the way the soft cap/luxury tax threshold works...

If we traded for Barry right now, we could re-up his contract and we'd have the ability to do so above and beyond the soft cap?

Is that the way it works, as opposed to signing another team's FA, where we couldn't go above the soft cap?
 
#13 ·
Originally posted by <b>adamatic</b>!
So... let me get this straight re: the way the soft cap/luxury tax threshold works...

If we traded for Barry right now, we could re-up his contract and we'd have the ability to do so above and beyond the soft cap?

Is that the way it works, as opposed to signing another team's FA, where we couldn't go above the soft cap?
Right. If a player hasn't been a FA or hasn't been waived or renounced within the last 3 years, that player has "Bird rights" and a team can go over the cap to re-sign its own player. You can't go over the cap to sign a FA unless you have an exception (such as the MLE) or the player is willing to accept the veterans' minimum. You can sign as many guys as you have roster space for to minimum deals, even if you are over the cap.

This all works because B. Barry has been with the Sonics since '99. If, hypotethically, he had signed with the Sonics as a FA two years ago, you wouldn't have Bird rights and you could not go over the cap to resign him.
 
#14 ·
I don't want to make the playoffs this year, why for an embarrasing exit in the first round, no thanx. I'm not saying I want them to tank the season either, what I'm saying is I want them to do the SMART thing for once, that is start playing the kids who will be our future. Yes play Brandon Hunter 20 minutes a game, give Perkins 15 minutes a game, let Marcus start to see if he is gonna be able to give us what we need, let Mihm start and play 35 a game and let Jiri play 35 a game. If we do that, we will not make the playoffs, what we will do is give these young guys a bunch of experience so that when they come back next season (a season that actually matters), they won't be so wet behind the ears and we will have a better idea of what we can expect from them. What this also gets us is a LOTTERY draft pick....this draft coming up is very deep so even with a mid-level lotto pick we could pick up a future star. That could be our missing link.
 
#15 ·
Upcoming Draft/Barry

The upcoming draft is not very deep at all compared to last year's, the year before, in fact, it is regarded as one of the weakest in years.

I think that Barry would not get much more than the MLE in the offseason, and that his demands are a bit high, but for Mills it would be a good deal because we could get him for a month prior to the playoffs and then the playoffs if we can make it, and then negotiate. If we can't pay him what he wants, he can go work for the MLE someplace else, and we get the cap space regardless.
 
#17 ·
Re: Upcoming Draft/Barry

Originally posted by <b>Truth34</b>!
The upcoming draft is not very deep at all compared to last year's, the year before, in fact, it is regarded as one of the weakest in years.

I think that Barry would not get much more than the MLE in the offseason, and that his demands are a bit high, but for Mills it would be a good deal because we could get him for a month prior to the playoffs and then the playoffs if we can make it, and then negotiate. If we can't pay him what he wants, he can go work for the MLE someplace else, and we get the cap space regardless.
I don't know where you get your information but it's obviously from a clueless source or yourself because all the NBA scouts are saying this draft will be as deep if not deeper than last years which is already considered one of the best in the history of the NBA and for big guys it is being regarded as possibly the best ever. College guys are not the main focus anymore so if thats what your basing it off of you need to start understanding that foreign players and even high school players are becoming much more significant. Howard, Deng, Gordon, Okafor, Nelson, Splitter, Ha, Perovic, Josh Smith, Podkolzine, Humphries, Biedrins, Chiriev, Felton, Telfair, Livingston, Iguodola, just to name a few...this is ANYTHING BUT a week draft. And as you can see there are very few college guys I named.
 
#21 ·
Originally posted by <b>Big John</b>!
My list:

1. Okafor
2. Nelson
3. Biedrins
4. Splitter
5. Howard


There could also be some decent players available with the Dallas pick also, including Sasha Vujacic (the kind of player Ainge says he likes), Viktor Khryapa and Ricky Paulding.
Paulding is a good shooter and I like Khryapa, but we don't need them. I think it would be better to trade the Dallas pick for a 2005 pick. Our roster would look better then.
 
#22 ·
What, Celts 11, you think this Celtics team is so good that it can afford not to draft as many good players as possible? Besides, if you are a running team you need 9-10 good players. An 8 man rotation is too short in the NBA, and teams without a bench run out of gas in the playoffs.

Right now the Celtics are one of the 3-4 worst teams in the league. Sad but true. No rebounding and no offense.
 
#23 ·
Originally posted by <b>Big John</b>!
What, Celts 11, you think this Celtics team is so good that it can afford not to draft as many good players as possible? Besides, if you are a running team you need 9-10 good players. An 8 man rotation is too short in the NBA, and teams without a bench run out of gas in the playoffs.

Right now the Celtics are one of the 3-4 worst teams in the league. Sad but true. No rebounding and no offense.
I totally agree, but I just expressing the possible truth. It looks like we're not developing players right now, so I don't know if their going to.

Next season:

Pierce
Welsch
Davis
Kendrick
MLE guy
Draft Pick
Draft Pick
Banks
Hunter
James
Baker (maybe)
Lafrentz
McCarty
Jones

Thats 14 players. I don't want to see another youth talent riding the pine or in street clothes.
 
#24 ·
Originally posted by <b>Celts11</b>!


I totally agree, but I just expressing the possible truth. It looks like we're not developing players right now, so I don't know if their going to.

Next season:

Pierce
Welsch
Davis
Kendrick
MLE guy
Draft Pick
Draft Pick
Banks
Hunter
James
Baker (maybe)
Lafrentz
McCarty
Jones

Thats 14 players. I don't want to see another youth talent riding the pine or in street clothes.






I think Baker may be gone soon..What's up w/ the whoLe countdown thingy????????
 
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