Bob Ryan Has the Right Perspective on these Celtics

I realize that the name of Boston Globe writer, Bob Ryan, tends to polarize a lot of people, who either love him or hate him. I can't claim to be at either pole, but I've respected his perspectives ever since I saw him scrimmaging with the Russell Celtics and realized that he had a really good "feel" for the team and its machinations.

Anyway, I believe today's Ryan article contains a very sound perspective concerning the Celtics, as does his rundown on the individual players. Basically, he seems to be saying, "Hope for the ultimate (which is not an impossibility) and hunker down for the ride." As the league approaches a VERY unusual season, the unexpected could become the norm. In the meantime, we have pro basketball to watch and a Celtics entry with unknown potential. So things could be a lot worse.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2011/12/16/celtics_are_in_fifth_year_of_a_three_year_plan/?page=1

Go Celtics!

Sam

Sam,
Thanks for the link.
I happened to agree with the author. Unfortunately, the JG's situation throws a huge ? into this complex equation. In other words, if JG is OK (I hope he is) I believe that Celtics can go all the way.
In any case, it's going to be fun. Much better than lockout.

AK

Prognostication is not my bag, so I'll just say I'm pumped we'll be watching the Cs soon.

Is there a scenario out there that has the Cs hoisting Banner 18? Certainly.

Is there a scenario where things go wrong and the Cs stink? Certainly.

I met many of you on this forum online during the 2006-7 season when the Cs had the second worst record in the league. We were an enthusiastic bunch even during that season, and I expect nothing less this season. Good, Bad or Ugly they are our Celtics.

Celtics, and this Forum, Rock!

bobc33 wrote:Prognostication is not my bag, so I'll just say I'm pumped we'll be watching the Cs soon.

Is there a scenario out there that has the Cs hoisting Banner 18? Certainly.

Is there a scenario where things go wrong and the Cs stink? Certainly.

I met many of you on this forum online during the 2006-7 season when the Cs had the second worst record in the league. We were an enthusiastic bunch even during that season, and I expect nothing less this season. Good, Bad or Ugly they are our Celtics.

Celtics, and this Forum, Rock!

How can anyone not follow a guy with that attitude and a picture of Tommy for an avatar straight through the gates of hell if need be?

I'm with you Bob!

Back in the Bad Ol' Days of Curtis Rowe and Sidney Wicks I worked for a company that had season tickets to the Celtics. Normally, they'd give them to customers or whomever and I, down near the bottom of the barrel, didn't get them. However, due to the horrible season the Celts were having, nobody wanted to go to the games and I snatched the tickets. The seats were 2nd row, 1st balcony, mid-court. Those seats were right behind the press row, which was 1st row. I sat right behind Bob Ryan, he being the Globe beat writer at the time. He was a nice guy. I also always enjoyed his writing style.

In this article he points out something I've been saying all along. We are in the bonus round as far as the 3 Amigos go. NOBODY thought they'd still be around, much less playing at a high level, now. Ryan is right when he says they are playing with "the house money" now.

However, what I believe dboss has been saying is that good gamblers know when to pick up their winnings and walk away from the table and Danny hasn't done that. One question to ask ourselves is: who would take KG or RA at those salaries and at their ages? If the answer is "nobody", then they were going to be on this team no matter what Danny wanted/tried to do short of "amnesty", and why would we amnesty either of them this year? If Dwight Howard isn't interested in Boston (or Orlando isn't interested in KG) then where's our upgrade/youth movement for KG? Over the cap, with limited assets to offer, I think Danny did far better than I ever expected. He has turned a pair of tens into a decent hand and has kept our youth (Green, Bass, JJJ).

Regardless, we have who we have, we are who we are and right now we're going to war with that. I agree with Ryan's points, both collectively and individually. I don't think we're in as bad a shape as some think. Are we in a tough conference? Hell yeah, there's not much we can do about that, is there?

The loss of Green would hurt but we have Q and, if you remember, he was PP's backup last year and we were happy with him.

If the stories coming out about JON are true he might have put another year or two on his body by having that surgery. He's a year out from that surgery, so he should be getting the most out of it now.

Bass and Dooling off the bench is no worse than Davis and West off the bench. Dooling clearly isn't the shooter West is, but he's a better distributor and Bass is more dependable, and less of a drama queen, than Baby. And who knows about Stiemsma? He might be a diamond in the rough. Very rough, no doubt, but a 6'11", 260# defender is still a valued asset that Danny picked up for zilch.

I'm willing to take a "wait and see" attitude on this team. Hell, we haven't even played our first exhibition game yet. There's still lots of time to panic, and I'm in no rush to do so.

bob

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NYCelt wrote:

bobc33 wrote:Prognostication is not my bag, so I'll just say I'm pumped we'll be watching the Cs soon.

Is there a scenario out there that has the Cs hoisting Banner 18? Certainly.

Is there a scenario where things go wrong and the Cs stink? Certainly.

I met many of you on this forum online during the 2006-7 season when the Cs had the second worst record in the league. We were an enthusiastic bunch even during that season, and I expect nothing less this season. Good, Bad or Ugly they are our Celtics.

Celtics, and this Forum, Rock!

How can anyone not follow a guy with that attitude and a picture of Tommy for an avatar straight through the gates of hell if need be?

I'm with you Bob!

Make it three of us.

As Bob Ryan say "kickback" and enjoy the ride!
Whatever the outcome, good or bad! Remember there is always next year!!

beat

Beat:

Wait 'til next year should not be the cry. It doesn't matter how much cap room will be available. It is next to impossible to get quality young free agents to want to come to Boston. Garnett likely will be gone. Allen's role will be diminishing, and Pierce will be another year past his prime. Dwight Howard does not have the Celtics on his 4 team wish list. Next year's draft supposedly is rather deep. It would be in Ainge's and Boston's best interest to start stock piling draft pick, as many high ones as possible. Johnson & Moore should be given playing time to see if they are part of the retooling (NOT DOOLING WHY DID WE LET DELONTE WALK). The best way to get strong is to get as much young talent together as possible and let them develop as a unit. Hopefully, none of the young players will come in with the entitlement star complex and Doc can build a solid nucleus for the next decade.

MD!

MDCelticsFan wrote:Beat:

Wait 'til next year should not be the cry. It doesn't matter how much cap room will be available. It is next to impossible to get quality young free agents to want to come to Boston. Garnett likely will be gone. Allen's role will be diminishing, and Pierce will be another year past his prime. Dwight Howard does not have the Celtics on his 4 team wish list. Next year's draft supposedly is rather deep. It would be in Ainge's and Boston's best interest to start stock piling draft pick, as many high ones as possible. Johnson & Moore should be given playing time to see if they are part of the retooling (NOT DOOLING WHY DID WE LET DELONTE WALK). The best way to get strong is to get as much young talent together as possible and let them develop as a unit. Hopefully, none of the young players will come in with the entitlement star complex and Doc can build a solid nucleus for the next decade.

MD!

MDCeltics,

If "Wait 'til next year" should not be the cry, then what does giving a couple of unproven rookies a lot of playing time in a short season say other than "we're not going anywhere this year"?

The draft might be big and deep, the free agent bonanza next year will be too.

Atlanta is good evidence that drafting talent and keeping them together to "ripen" doesn't work. Rookies are on 3 year contracts, maximum. When they don't get the contracts they believe they deserve (or that their agents tell them they deserve) they walk. If they don't get the playing time their immature egos tell them they deserve (like Glen Davis) they walk. Plus, there's the rookies and sophomores that just don't pan out, but are taking up space on your roster in the still-important 8-10 slots.

I just don't think that keeping a team loaded with talent but not enough experience to turn that into a legitimate run at a championship together for a long team is feasible.

bob

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Bob:

Atlanta never had a coach as good as Doc Rivers to manage egos and talent. They would have had to bring back Lenny Wilkens or Mike Fratello.- to keep their core together. Glen Davis has done several disappearing acts during his tenure with the C's. Sure he has made some major contribution, but his underachieving the last 1/4 of last season and his playoof debacle sealed his fate and was his ticket (not ticket stub) out of town. I'd bet Doc could keep a young talented group from disbanding, assuming Wyc & Ainge will loosen the purse strings.

MD!

Good article by Bob Ryan. He is 100% on point with his playing with house money analogy, and I am really looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.

As to why Baby and D West were sent on their way, you need look no further than this article from ESPN

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/7354459/new-boston-celtics-bench-adds-experience-maturity

As attractive as Glen Davis and Nate Robinson could look on paper, and as productive as they could be on the floor, they also could be a handful. You have to wonder if Delonte West might have been in the same high-maintenance category, given the Celtics' refusal to bring him back. (He and Von Wafer got into a fight in practice.)

"I thought a year ago we had a lot of immaturity with our bench roster and it brought inconsistent play from them," Pierce said. "I think these guys are a lot more experienced, bring a lot more professionalism on a day-to-day basis."

MDCelticsFan wrote:Beat:

Wait 'til next year should not be the cry. It doesn't matter how much cap room will be available. It is next to impossible to get quality young free agents to want to come to Boston. Garnett likely will be gone. Allen's role will be diminishing, and Pierce will be another year past his prime. Dwight Howard does not have the Celtics on his 4 team wish list. Next year's draft supposedly is rather deep. It would be in Ainge's and Boston's best interest to start stock piling draft pick, as many high ones as possible. Johnson & Moore should be given playing time to see if they are part of the retooling (NOT DOOLING WHY DID WE LET DELONTE WALK). The best way to get strong is to get as much young talent together as possible and let them develop as a unit. Hopefully, none of the young players will come in with the entitlement star complex and Doc can build a solid nucleus for the next decade.

MD!

MD

The print media cannot protray the tounge in cheek way this was meant to be. ( with a dash of sarcasim on the side )

I really could give a rodent's rear about cap space and the like. I just want my hoops and I want MY Celtics......... good moves or bad, wins or losses. (preferably the wins)

I'll let the others worry or fret about "next year" but if I have to wait for it when/ if it becomes unbearably obvious that "this year" isn't going to be what we hope, I can live with that too. Gonna have too!

Hey it's still above freezin..........no snow on the Tug and we are a week+2 days from Christmas!! OPENING DAY!! What a present. Beats coal!

beat

MDCelticsFan wrote:Bob:

Atlanta never had a coach as good as Doc Rivers to manage egos and talent. They would have had to bring back Lenny Wilkens or Mike Fratello.- to keep their core together. Glen Davis has done several disappearing acts during his tenure with the C's. Sure he has made some major contribution, but his underachieving the last 1/4 of last season and his playoof debacle sealed his fate and was his ticket (not ticket stub) out of town. I'd bet Doc could keep a young talented group from disbanding, assuming Wyc & Ainge will loosen the purse strings.

MD!

MD,

I'd say it's pretty clear that Doc doesn't want a young, inexperienced team of talented players still on their rookie contracts. I think the odds of getting Doc to sign that 5 year contract would have been pretty long if he and Danny weren't on the same page regarding this.

There's only one Larry Brown in the NBA. No other quality coach wants to herd kittens for years.

bob

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mrkleen09 wrote:Good article by Bob Ryan. He is 100% on point with his playing with house money analogy, and I am really looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.

As to why Baby and D West were sent on their way, you need look no further than this article from ESPN

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/7354459/new-boston-celtics-bench-adds-experience-maturity

As attractive as Glen Davis and Nate Robinson could look on paper, and as productive as they could be on the floor, they also could be a handful. You have to wonder if Delonte West might have been in the same high-maintenance category, given the Celtics' refusal to bring him back. (He and Von Wafer got into a fight in practice.)

"I thought a year ago we had a lot of immaturity with our bench roster and it brought inconsistent play from them," Pierce said. "I think these guys are a lot more experienced, bring a lot more professionalism on a day-to-day basis."

mrkleen,

Good pickup on the quote by PP about last year's bench. That says a lot right there about the differences between the years (or is that "between the ears"?).

bob

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bobc33 wrote:I met many of you on this forum online during the 2006-7 season when the Cs had the second worst record in the league. We were an enthusiastic bunch even during that season, and I expect nothing less this season. Good, Bad or Ugly they are our Celtics.

Bob, a great man once said "the Celtics are a way of life" I think more than anything else, the 06-07 proved that to me, evey game we had large crowds show up for the Game ON! and like you, thats where many of our freind ships began- during that "bad and ugly season" season.

So Good, Bad or Ugly, of course we'll all be there cheering them on, its how we live. Its a good lifestyle.

Lets Go Celtics!!!

Kasekuchen!!

Hi, Nobody here, is that my new name? I am the one who said during year one that the big 3 would be together for at least five years. When will all of you learn that even though you are all smarter than me and Sam is better looking, I know the future. LOL This will not be their last year either. They will be here playing until someone better comes along.

Just to let everyone know, I did not make it to Mexico and Costa Rica after all, I have opened a new business "Red Lotus Wellness Center" in Sedona Az. It will be intersting to see the difference between a border town and upscale. LOL