POLL: By season's start, will Danny have put together the best possible team he could under the circumstances?

This is a request for a vote of confidence in Danny Ainge.  Thus, I'm using a quantitative research technique to address a decidedly qualitative matter.

We all enjoy discussing what Danny has done, what Danny is doing, and what Danny might or should do.  So now I'm trying to determine where the sum total of those discussions leaves people in their degree of confidence that, considering the circumstances, Danny will put together a team that will play entertaining basketball and will make solid strides toward the future.  I'm deliberately leaving it to the voter to define "entertaining" and "solid strides toward the future" as he or she wishes.  As always, those who wish to elaborate or qualify their answers are welcome to add commentary.

Thanks for participating,

Sam

I voted entertaining - no, strides - yes.

It's not that I don't think they'll ever be entertaining, but instead that they'll be better than last season in that regard but still be a team in search of chemistry, identity, and familiarity, which will lead to disappointing possessions too often.

Of course, much depends on your interpretation of what is "entertaining." Most people associate that term with up-tempo offense, while I don't necessarily.

A good example of how I make the distinction is Miami vs. San Antonio in the finals -- most people consider Miami to be the more entertaining team because of LeBron's capacity for spectacular individual play and consider the Spurs boring, but I think the Spurs were the most entertaining incarnation of team basketball I've seen in a long, long time. They were sublimely and completely entertaining to me.

I still consider up-tempo teams like Phoenix and the Warriors entertaining, but mostly because they have productive offenses built around sharing the ball and team concepts. Philly and the Lakers were 1-2 last season in terms of pace of play, but having a disproportionate number of possessions result in turnovers and missed shots (Philly was dead last in points per 100 possessions, and the Lakers were 21st) isn't my idea of a fun viewing experience.

Boston has a ways to go. Last season, they were 25th in turnover percentage, 28th in effective field goal percentage, 27th in points per 100 possessions, 22nd in assists, and 17th in pace. Better this season, sure, but expectations need to be realistic.

I voted yes to both entertaining and making strides towards the future..

I think the team as it stands- minus a bogans and other unguarenteed contracts would finish with a better record than last year- though I may add I think if the team had been healthier all season the teams record would also have been much better... still I forsee a much improved team this year- better than what Boston could have been last year. I'm pretty sure boston will be in the playoff race..

That said I also think Boston may not have fully left future asset accumulation mode either, and that will affect how the team looks as the season goes..

As far as entertainment value- Boston had a lot of close games last year that could have gone in either direction but most frequently went against us..

I t think a few more of those types of games will go our way this season.. guys are healthier, more experinced, we're deeper and everyone can play their more natural position- meaning more of the close games will result in Gino dancing, which indicates the greatest form of entertainment on sports today...

I voted the first option. All of the young guys will grow this year.

Also, I think Ainge did about all that could be expected, if not more, provided the circumstances.


KJ

gyso wrote:The summer is not over yet, so how can I make a realistic judgment of Danny Ainge and the team that he has assembled for the upcoming season at this time?  The pudding is still a little soupy.

See me in November.

gyso

Hah!  Throwing the old "see me in April" back at the master, eh gyso?  Sauce for the goose.

I went for what's behind door #1.

Outside makes a solid point, as usual.  What is "entertaining"?

To me, "entertaining" means 'hard fought ball'.  Scrapping.  Playing with Pride.  Ganas. We saw a lot of that last year, especially in the beginning when they did a good job with one of the worst November schedules I've ever seen.  Entertaining also means "more like San Antonio" also.

I think they'll be more entertaining next year because Brad seems to be a very good motivator (at least so far).  He is also very, very system-oriented, so I think we're more likely to see some nice TEAM ball rather than ME-ball.  Will there be breakdowns in execution?  Absolutely, but I hope to see more fluidity as we have a bunch of returning players with an entire year of Stevens' system in their DNA.

As far as "taking steps towards the future" goes unless Sully, Kelly and Phil all hit a wall, we'll be better positioned for the future, whether that means more experienced or developing better trade chips.  They'll play smarter and they'll get fewer rookie calls and that will let them play through adversity.  Marcus Smart would have to forget how to play defense for that not to be a "step towards the future".  Lastly, I think we'll take a step towards the future because we have some centers on our roster this year, which will let one, if not two players, play their real positions.  That's big.

If nothing else, we'll be a step closer to a better future as each day brings us that much closer to a bunch of expired contracts.  


bob



.

I voted for #3. They will make strides but will not play entertaining basketball.
I think their young guys will make strides to another level but I also think that Boston is one of the worst shooting teams in the league and will struggle to score, like they did last year. Having troubles shooting and not getting a lot of easy baskets could lead to a number of low scoring, not real entertaining games.
Overall, I expect them to be better because they have more talent.
Just play the young guys. Somehow get Smart and Olynyk a lot of minutes.

Outside, I feel that smooth interaction between players is as entertaining as basketball gets.

• It could be in transition.  There's nothing more thrilling for me than to see a steal followed by a crisp outlet pass followed by one or two more passes (with no dribbles) for the bucket.

• It could be in the halfcourt game.  The pick-and-roll can be effective, but I think it's over-done.  I prefer to see motion among the players, a smart swing of the ball, and a player shaking loose (perhaps with the aid of a timely pick or two) for just the right leading pass.

Sam

TJ,

I agree that I don't see a lot of improvement in the shooting department although Zeller and Thornton might make a few waves.  What I'm hoping for is that the key to the season will be a much tighter defense, with everyone playing at his best position against comparably sized players.  And I'm hoping that the improved defense will lead to a lot more offensive opportunities and to a great infusion of energy to Celtics players.

Sam

sam wrote:Outside, I feel that smooth interaction between players is as entertaining as basketball gets.

• It could be in transition.  There's nothing more thrilling for me than to see a steal followed by a crisp outlet pass followed by one or two more passes (with no dribbles) for the bucket.

• It could be in the halfcourt game.  The pick-and-roll can be effective, but I think it's over-done.  I prefer to see motion among the players, a smart swing of the ball, and a player shaking loose (perhaps with the aid of a timely pick or two) for just the right leading pass.

I agree completely. That's why I enjoyed San Antonio's play in the finals so much. Given the stats that I referenced, I just don't think that the Celtics will be in the top part of the league in terms of smooth interaction. I expect that they'll be better, but not spectacularly so.

I voted option #1, but unclear on how we are defining "solid strides towards the future"

If it is about making smart moves that brought in not only some good draft picks, but added more assets to spend in the future - then I think Danny has already accomplished both.

Marcus Smart is by all accounts a steal, who would have been a top 2 or 3 pick if he came out last year. Young is all upside, another solid pick. DA has also continued to do a great job stockpiling assets.

I dont know how many people on the team this year will still be around when the Celtics are back to being contenders. But certainly I could see Smart, Young, Sullinger, Bradley, KO, and Rondo being here over the long haul.

sam wrote:TJ,

I agree that I don't see a lot of improvement in the shooting department although Zeller and Thornton might make a few waves.  What I'm hoping for is that the key to the season will be a much tighter defense, with everyone playing at his best position against comparably sized players.  And I'm hoping that the improved defense will lead to a lot more offensive opportunities and to a great infusion of energy to Celtics players.

Sam

Sam,

I just don't see how Thornton gets much playing time this year.
As Boston's 4th guard, the minutes might be hard to come by.
He's a scorer, not necessarily a real good shooter.

Smart's low FG% might cancel and gains they receive from Zeller.
The defense should be much better and they might have some easier shot opportunities with better defenders causing turnovers.

How can we not improve with a real center on the court?

Solid strides, but not the most entertaining.

In my opinion we're making great strides in bringing in young players with potential.  I think the process of shifting lineups to evaluate and try and fit them in, coupled with what I expect to be some player turnover, will have its drag on the team.  Chemistry and pacing are going to take a while as players adapt, and lineups with balance and complementary skills are developed.

We're doing the absolute right thing.  I just expect it will take time to show on the court as pieces are tried and adjusted.