Game Thread: Celtics Hosting Lakers, 7:30 PM Eastern Time, January 17, 2014

[LogicMan]

Walker and Kelly are interesting young players. There going to be free agents and for the right team next year they may be good bench players. Miami, are you watching .

Rondo looked healthy

Lakers fans, yes Kelly o went off but this is not normal . Still not convinced

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

Celtics won tonight in the battle of tanking.

 

[LogicMan]

This is true

 

[Brahmsian]

Celtics won tonight in the battle of tanking.

Again, the Celtics ARE NOT TANKING!

LA's winning margin would have been 20+ if Boston were tanking.

They're inexperienced, no more than that!

 

[OutlawImmortal]

"We aren't tanking, we just trade any player with value for assets" - Brah

 

[Brahmsian]

Am I the only poster here who thinks trying to win every game is the REVERSE of tanking?

Inexperienced teams are going to have losing streaks. It's part of the learning process.

If we don't get a lottery pick in the draft the odds are good Ainge will find someone to draft who
should have been gone by our turn to pick. There are few bets better than that one.

 

[LAKERSUSCBAM]

Bragging rights in a meaningless game based on where both teams are....a D leaguer and rookie help down the stretch. Maybe Sully's back was sore but he didn't show me much.

Rondo auditioning for teams

 

[#1BostonFan]

Bragging rights in a meaningless game based on where both teams are....a D leaguer and rookie help down the stretch. Maybe Sully's back was sore but he didn't show me much.

Rondo auditioning for teams

While I think were tanking I actually think Danny wants to hang onto Rondo.

 

[#1BostonFan]

If we weren't tanking Rondo would of come back awhile ago. Danny wanted him to take all the time he possibly could.

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

Again, the Celtics ARE NOT TANKING!

LA's winning margin would have been 20+ if Boston were tanking.

They're inexperienced, no more than that!

One day, you will face reality with tanking.

 

[Brahmsian]

Bragging rights in a meaningless game based on where both teams are....a D leaguer and rookie help down the stretch. Maybe Sully's back was sore but he didn't show me much.

Rondo auditioning for teams

Let's leave it that I'm glad you're not my team's GM or in it's front office.

 

[LogicMan]

Brahm, the celtics are just trying to develop picks, evaluate talent and horse trade. Danny did the same thing from 2004 to 2007.

I am very surprised celtics announced rondo as the captain . There seems to be great respect between owner, coach and rondo. If someone gets rondo in a trad it's going to be a top 3 pick or Kevin Durant.

 

[HizzleRocker]

Lakers need to stop this shit. With every win, we get further and further away from getting either Exum or Smart in the lottery.

Lose by a point, lose by 20 - I don't care, just lose.

 

[Brahmsian]

Brahm, the celtics are just trying to develop picks, evaluate talent and horse trade. Danny did the same thing from 2004 to 2007.

I am very surprised celtics announced rondo as the captain . There seems to be great respect between owner, coach and rondo. If someone gets rondo in a trad it's going to be a top 3 pick or Kevin Durant.

I missed that announcement but am not surprised by it at all.

And Pressey has made Rondo a LITTLE more expendable than he was, but I would still want multiple, non-protected picks for him if we did trade him.

The idea of Rondo at PG for my native city's Thunder with Westwood going to the SG position I've always thought him better suited for has some appeal. Rondo would be going to a team I could root for.

Don't bet on Rajon being traded to anyone, however.

 

[Black Adam]

Lakers need to stop this shit. With every win, we get further and further away from getting either Exum or Smart in the lottery.

Lose by a point, lose by 20 - I don't care, just lose.

i understand your logic, but as a fan who's seen this team WIN way too much for 40+ years i'm always against this team LOSING games...

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

i understand your logic, but as a fan who's seen this team WIN way too much for 40+ years i'm always against this team LOSING games...

I think you are about the only speaking the truth.
No fan really wants to invest near 3 hours watching to see their team lose.
People in the mindset wouldn't even watch.

The lottery, draft, guarantees nothing.

Truth of the matter, the Lakers or no other teams players are tanking.

Some teams just don't have the talent, and some teams, and probably Lakers at the top of the list have had a an already thin roster torn apart by injuries.

 

[LogicMan]

Teams that trade away cheap but good talent for future picks are not focusing on the present. Those teams are in essence tanking. We have all seen the depth and quality of this draft. It's taking place.

 

[trojanfan12]

Am I the only poster here who thinks trying to win every game is the REVERSE of tanking?

Inexperienced teams are going to have losing streaks. It's part of the learning process.

If we don't get a lottery pick in the draft the odds are good Ainge will find someone to draft who
should have been gone by our turn to pick. There are few bets better than that one.

Tanking doesn't mean that the players on the team aren't competing and trying to win every game. These are NBA players. They are competitive, have pride and are trying to stay in the league. So, of course, the players on both teams are definitely not tanking.

However, when the front office is putting a team on the floor that is likely to lose more games than it wins, that is what is meant by tanking. It's not players tanking, it's management.

The difference is that the players are thinking in terms of their careers and the team on the schedule that night. The front office is thinking in terms of long term success. Both teams could have and could still make moves that would get them 7 or 8 seeds and first round playoff exits for years to come. Or they can sacrifice a season or 2 of playoffs for the opportunity to build a much stronger team that will contend for years to come.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think you are about the only speaking the truth.
No fan really wants to invest near 3 hours watching to see their team lose.
People in the mindset wouldn't even watch.

The lottery, draft, guarantees nothing.

Truth of the matter, the Lakers or no other teams players are tanking.

Some teams just don't have the talent, and some teams, and probably Lakers at the top of the list have had a an already thin roster torn apart by injuries.

Well said. Should have read this first. It would have saved me a post!!

 

[Brahmsian]

Tanking doesn't mean that the players on the team aren't competing and trying to win every game. These are NBA players. They are competitive, have pride and are trying to stay in the league. So, of course, the players on both teams are definitely not tanking.

However, when the front office is putting a team on the floor that is likely to lose more games than it wins, that is what is meant by tanking. It's not players tanking, it's management.

The difference is that the players are thinking in terms of their careers and the team on the schedule that night. The front office is thinking in terms of long term success. Both teams could have and could still make moves that would get them 7 or 8 seeds and first round playoff exits for years to come. Or they can sacrifice a season or 2 of playoffs for the opportunity to build a much stronger team that will contend for years to come.

Even if I went along with that definition of tanking it would not apply to the Celtics.

Starting a rebuilding process when you know your older players can't play championship caliber ball anymore is what Ainge is doing.

He is trying to AVOID the lottery, not get into it!

The Celtics may end up in the lottery anyway but that would NOT be cause for celebration on the part of the franchise's FO or fans.