Celtics '20'21 - The Young and the Restless

[The Q]

I've been camping since Memorial Day weekend... totally unsurprising a crippled C's team lost to Brooklyn, but I am surprised about the shake-up at the top of the front office. Here are my thoughts:

• Ainge gets too hard a time. He's been a top executive, IMO. The criticism of him tends to be too broad and vague.... many suggest he hasn't done a great job, few even try to make a solid case as to why.
• Injuries (and/or CV19) have been a huge confounding factor these past few seasons. I don't know how anyone can properly judge Ainge, or Stevens, or Boston as a whole in light of this fact.
• Stevens to Ainge's job is a real shocker. Both Ainge and Stevens were probably worn thin in their past jobs... the time for something new I guess had come. I'm happy for Stevens, though... he's young and smart and competitive. I'm optimistic for him.
• I've seen a lot of Brooklyn vs Boston comparisons. Brooklyn hasn't done sh!t yet, though. When the Nets lose to Milwaukee in the 2nd round of the playoffs, I want to revisit these comparisons.

compare the Celtics to all 3 top east teams; that’s the bar for now.

how do they compare to Utah and Phoenix?

thise teams might need to be the model more since Boston can’t attract the top top top level free agents

 

[The Q]

The Simmons Celtics hive thinks that Chauncey Billups is in the pole position.

thats interesting

another guy with limited experience

Also, the NBA really seems to hate Patrick Ewing lol

guy had like almost 2 decades as an assistant coach and has turned Georgetown around.

can he get a look?

 

[flyerhawk]

thats interesting

another guy with limited experience

Also, the NBA really seems to hate Patrick Ewing lol

guy had like almost 2 decades as an assistant coach and has turned Georgetown around.

can he get a look?

Is he even applying for NBA jobs?

 

[The Q]

Is he even applying for NBA jobs?

I mean publicly he has to say no.

but he’s had to turn over his see multiple times now.

I would be surprised if he wasn’t interested. But it is his alma mater

 

[Gman]

compare the Celtics to all 3 top east teams; that’s the bar for now.

how do they compare to Utah and Phoenix?

thise teams might need to be the model more since Boston can’t attract the top top top level free agents

First and foremost, the C's need to get and stay healthy.

It's hard to compare them to everyone else after 3 injury wrecked seasons... we're forced to guess what a healthy C's team might look like.

Beyond that, Tatum and Brown are in their young prime. That's good... really good... perhaps great if both can keep taking incremental steps forward like they have been.

Walker looks like he is on the downslope, unfortunately... too much wear on his small body... 2 years left on that contract.

RWIII looks like a player, if heathy. Which, unfortunately, seems to be a sizeable "if" with him.

Smart is still a valuable role player.

Fournier is a bit of a liability on defense... but he could be a quality bench player on a good team, at the right price.

I like Payton Pritchard as a role player.

We'll see if Romeo Langford can ever stay healthy, and if Aaron Nesmith can make a leap after a real professional offseason.

Anywho... the most important pieces are Tatum and Brown... having them means the most, we are always in striking distance if they can keeps making strides (and if we can somehow stay healthy).

 

[Stakesarehigh]

First and foremost, the C's need to get and stay healthy.

It's hard to compare them to everyone else after 3 injury wrecked seasons... we're forced to guess what a healthy C's team might look like.

Beyond that, Tatum and Brown are in their young prime. That's good... really good... perhaps great if both can keep taking incremental steps forward like they have been.

Walker looks like he is on the downslope, unfortunately... too much wear on his small body... 2 years left on that contract.

RWIII looks like a player, if heathy. Which, unfortunately, seems to be a sizeable "if" with him.

Smart is still a valuable role player.

Fournier is a bit of a liability on defense... but he could be a quality bench player on a good team, at the right price.

I like Payton Pritchard as a role player.

We'll see if Romeo Langford can ever stay healthy, and if Aaron Nesmith can make a leap after a real professional offseason.

Anywho... the most important pieces are Tatum and Brown... having them means the most, we are always in striking distance if they can keeps making strides (and if we can somehow stay healthy).

Tatum looks like he's heading for superstar territory. If brown continues to grow they just need to add depth. Which is odd considering all the first round picks they've had.

 

[Gman]

Tatum looks like he's heading for superstar territory. If brown continues to grow they just need to add depth. Which is odd considering all the first round picks they've had.

A couple of those late first round picks did actually pan out reasonably well... Pritchard and RWIII (if healthy) look like decent picks. Langford and Nesmith are still 'maybes'.

The draft is a crap shoot. Did the C's miss on a handful of mid to late 1st rounders? Absolutely.

Is it particularly surprising to miss on those types of picks? No, not really.

The bigger issue is injuries... by far. Injuries not only have robbed this team of some of its top talent, they have forced the team to rely more on its 8th, 9th and 10th guy off the bench... with (predictable) lackluster results.

 

[The Q]

A couple of those late first round picks did actually pan out reasonably well... Pritchard and RWIII (if healthy) look like decent picks. Langford and Nesmith are still 'maybes'.

The draft is a crap shoot. Did the C's miss on a handful of mid to late 1st rounders? Absolutely.

Is it particularly surprising to miss on those types of picks? No, not really.

The bigger issue is injuries... by far. Injuries not only have robbed this team of some of its top talent, they have forced the team to rely more on its 8th, 9th and 10th guy off the bench... with (predictable) lackluster results.

seems like Danny probably should’ve either gone all in or moved up in some cases.

 

[Gman]

seems like Danny probably should’ve either gone all in or moved up in some cases.

Maybe.

As a vague, general statement... it's tough to evaluate...

... and hindsight is 20/20.

The only big move that I think Ainge "should have" made is getting Kawhi right before he went to Toronto. But at the time, there were significant character concerns swirling around Leonard after what went down in San Antonio... it's understandable why the C's shyed away.

 

[The Q]

Maybe.

As a vague, general statement... it's tough to evaluate...

... and hindsight is 20/20.

The only big move that I think Ainge "should have" made is getting Kawhi right before he went to Toronto. But at the time, there were significant character concerns swirling around Leonard after what went down in San Antonio... it's understandable why the C's shyed away.

I mean i was not a huge fan of most of dannys misses.

I wasn’t crazy about brown and he wasn’t a good pick for 3 until after his rookie deal. Guys like that who hit are rare.

but yes kawhi seemed line a good one, but it does seem that Danny was right that he would’ve paid for one shot.

he had a second chance at jimmy butler and didn’t take it.

but fair that kawhi is probably the big one.

but trading the picks for one better pick also made sense because a team with contending aspirations just can’t have that many young players on the bench

 

[Stakesarehigh]

I mean i was not a huge fan of most of dannys misses.

I wasn’t crazy about brown and he wasn’t a good pick for 3 until after his rookie deal. Guys like that who hit are rare.

but yes kawhi seemed line a good one, but it does seem that Danny was right that he would’ve paid for one shot.

he had a second chance at jimmy butler and didn’t take it.

but fair that kawhi is probably the big one.

but trading the picks for one better pick also made sense because a team with contending aspirations just can’t have that many young players on the bench

That last paragraph is the issue i had with the approach of late. I can see keeping a couple but those picks more valuable before they're taken.

 

[Gman]

That last paragraph is the issue i had with the approach of late. I can see keeping a couple but those picks more valuable before they're taken.

It's tough to know what the alternatives really were.

Mid to late 1st round picks only have so much value... everyone knows they're a crap shoot...

 

[The Q]

It's tough to know what the alternatives really were.

Mid to late 1st round picks only have so much value... everyone knows they're a crap shoot...

the sacto and Memphis picks were supposed to be 8-10 picks higher. Just bad luck

 

[Stakesarehigh]

It's tough to know what the alternatives really were.

Mid to late 1st round picks only have so much value... everyone knows they're a crap shoot...

Agreed

Hard to know the packages. Just figure there had to be opportunity

 

[The Q]

Agreed

Hard to know the packages. Just figure there had to be opportunity

The sacto and Memphis picks were two elite assets for trade purposes. Their value dropped by holding onto them

 

[Stakesarehigh]

The sacto and Memphis picks were two elite assets for trade purposes. Their value dropped by holding onto them

Agreed

 

[dtgold88]

A couple of those late first round picks did actually pan out reasonably well... Pritchard and RWIII (if healthy) look like decent picks. Langford and Nesmith are still 'maybes'.

The draft is a crap shoot. Did the C's miss on a handful of mid to late 1st rounders? Absolutely.

Is it particularly surprising to miss on those types of picks? No, not really.

The bigger issue is injuries... by far. Injuries not only have robbed this team of some of its top talent, they have forced the team to rely more on its 8th, 9th and 10th guy off the bench... with (predictable) lackluster results.

agree on your draft comments.....but other teams have had their share of injuries -some major- and are still alive.

 

[dtgold88]

Maybe.

As a vague, general statement... it's tough to evaluate...

... and hindsight is 20/20.

The only big move that I think Ainge "should have" made is getting Kawhi right before he went to Toronto. But at the time, there were significant character concerns swirling around Leonard after what went down in San Antonio... it's understandable why the C's shyed away.

Happen to agree, here. Should they have been aggressive going after AD? Sure, but we don;t know that they weren't. We don't know what he offered nor what the Pels wanted.

 

[The Q]

agree on your draft comments.....but other teams have had their share of injuries -some major- and are still alive.

no one lost 3 max players in 2 offseason

plus I’m not sure hayward was ever 100% in Boston.

 

[dtgold88]

no one lost 3 max players in 2 offseason

plus I’m not sure hayward was ever 100% in Boston.

wouldn't that be on them for losing the max players if you are using that as an excuse? And 1 they replaced with Walker which was probably a mistake, right?