Posted by ashamael on 1/4/2012 7:06:00 PM (view original):
moranis, I understand your "win it all or rebuild" attitude, yet what you're suggesting doesn't really improve the Celtics' chances in the future. You're suggesting they get extremely lucky and draft someone the likes of monta ellis or david lee late in the first round. Why not just wish that they lose enough games to be the first team not in the playoffs, grab the magic ball that gets them the number one pick who turns out to be Tim Duncan!!!
You've repeatedly stated your opinion. Cool. Looks like these Celtic fans disagree with you. They would rather have a small chance at glory than watch their team be 30-35 wins for the next 3-4 years, which they'll likely do anyway if the team does what you're suggesting.
This whole discussion reminds me of when the Pistons blew up their squad. Looking back now - how'd that go for them? They went from perennial 50-win contenders to buying Charie V & Ben Gordon and being perennial basement contenders.
I'm pretty sure these Celtic fans in this thread are eager to do that.
Note that I'm not a Celtic fan (I'm not a C hater, either) and I think they have more than a 2-3% chance of winning the title. I think they have 0% chance of winning a title in the next 4 years if they make the moves you suggest. But if it is only 2%, simple math shows us:
2% > 0%
Honestly, I thought the Celtics were done in 2010. Then they handed both Cleveland & Orland their *****.
Actually if they do what I'm suggesting, there are 4 things that could happen.
1. The Celtics correctly utilize the cap space this summer and get a top tier talent (either in free agency or in trades utilizing the cap space and extra draft picks). That coupled with the extra picks (the ones they don't trade away) they will get by making trades will allow them to become a more realistic contender sooner.
2. The Celtics incorrectly utilize the cap space and sign mid level players like what Detroit did and they hover around mediocrity for awhile.
3. The Celtics don't utilize the cap space at all, PIerce retires, and the Celtics are terrible getting themselves a high lottery pick for a couple of seasons and hope to get the player or players that when paired with Rondo can form the basis for the next championship level teams.
4. The Celtics are able to make moves utilizing the extra picks to move up in the draft and get a top tier player this summer in the draft, which convinces Pierce to stay on with Rondo and the new player, and also convinces some solid to great talent to sign here as a free agent.
Sure a few other things could happen and there could be some combination of those things, but those are essentially the four paths I see. Some of those are options without making any trades this year, but they won't have as many pieces to work with.
My sports philosophy is quite simple. If you aren't realistically going to win a title without major roster changes, then you need to make the roster changes necessary to become a realistic contender (or at least have a young roster that you think could become a realistic title contender with more growth). I just don't see this team as presently construed being a realistic title contender. Had they been able to trade Rondo for Chris Paul or had David West signed on, I would feel much differently about the team and its title chances, but unfortunately neither of those things occurred.
1/4/2012 8:29 PM (edited)