What's realistic to expect from Celtics this year?

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/09/bulpett_whats_realistic_to_expect_from_celtics_this_year



Bulpett: What's realistic to expect from Celtics this year?




Saturday, September 26, 2015


By:  Steve Bulpett





WALTHAM — The clock on the scoreboards at the Celtics practice facility read 18:18. The score for both the “HOME” and “GUEST” was 18. The foul count for each side was 18.

The inference was clear. As the Celts gathered for media day, the goal is an 18th NBA championship.

But as circumstances stand on this fine first weekend of autumn, one of the only certainties for this club is that the empty green-bordered banner on the wall next to the other title flags will remain unlettered.

It’s important to keep reality close at hand when assessing the 2015-16 Celtics, and at this stage of their development, they are simply not ready to contend for a championship. Nor should they be.

To accelerate their pace to contendership in the here and now would likely require more than one blockbuster move.

Fireworks? We’re talking something seismic here.

The encouraging aspect for Celtics followers is that Danny Ainge and friends have acted well on the few fine things that have been laid upon their table. They have gathered good young players, draft picks and, most coveted, options.

But they’re not yet where they wish to be. While the Cavaliers and Bulls and Hawks will tell you with all legitimacy that they’re playing for the 2016 title, the Celtics are dribbling on more nebulous grounds.

Some, like Avery Bradley, are bold.

“To get back to the playoffs and hopefully use all that experience we gained from last year and get further — you know, have a chance to play in the championship,” he said when asked his hope for the year. “Obviously that’s our ultimate goal, and we’re going to try to prepare so we can get to that level.”

Playing for the championship? Dude …

“I feel like it’s definitely realistic,” he said. “I mean, a lot of people laughed at me when I said we were going to make the playoffs last year.”
Point, Bradley.

“Anything’s possible if you buy in to what the coach is trying to do and to the Celtic culture,” he went on. “I feel like anything is possible, and we can definitely have a chance to make it to the championship if we do those things.”

Jae Crowder, on the other hand, is more about putting one foot in front of the other and seeing where that takes him and his club.

“Get out of the first round, and then build each year,” he said. “I’m being real with you. Build each year. That’s what it’s all about to get to where we want to be, and that’s banner 18.

“I don’t know what we will do, but I know we should be able to build on what we did last year.”

Brad Stevens was talking to friends last week when the topic turned to the Celtics’ place on the NBA’s food chain.

“I don’t know,” he repeated yesterday. “Somewhere in the top 30?

“Who knows? We’ve got to play well. I quoted Micah’s (assistant coach Shrewsberry) old coach in college last year. ‘You’re good if you play good.’ So where we are on the food chain is yet to be determined. Nobody’s started practice yet. Knock on wood, we haven’t gone through any injury or anything like that, and nobody else has. We’ll see how it all separates itself when it’s all said and done.

“We’ve got a good, committed group of people, and they all like being in Boston. They’re excited about playing with each other, and I thought that showed itself toward the end of last year. And I think the guys we added kind of add to that mentality.”

But surely the coach has altered expectations from his previous place of employment, when at the very least Butler could feel the conference championship within its grasp. Even then, however, Stevens had a bigger picture in mind.

“I had one goal at the last job, and that was to win the national championship,” he said. “I have one goal at this job; that’s to win an NBA championship.”

Ainge may be heartened by what he sees in terms of additions to the roster and improvement by the holdovers. But he knows there is still much work to do.

“What we’re doing right here is what I like to refer to as building a championship,” Ainge said yesterday after dealing with the media en masse. “So where we are on that ladder — what rung we’re on — I’m anxious to see. I don’t know how else to describe it.

“So people can say whatever they want, and I can say we’re going to do this or we’re going to do that, but I’m just telling you the truth. I don’t know where we are. I’m anxious to see.”

But season ticket-holders should be all right making other plans for June, right?

“I haven’t made any yet,” said Ainge through a smile.

Here on Sept. 26, the Celtics are undefeated. But while it will be interesting to see how things shake out with people like Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, James Young and other more experienced mates, it’s fair to say this team is still well behind Chicago and Cleveland in the standings. And that’s just the Eastern Conference.

That may sound unnecessarily harsh at this point in the year, but maintaining perspective may be more important than the remote control when it comes to enjoying the Celtics season.



bob
MY NOTE: One good point here is that all the players who are here this year want to be here. If you look at our start last year we had Rondo, who was looking forward to being "courted" in free agency and Jeff Green who was unsure of his future here also. We also had a horrible start, admittedly with a November schedule from Hell. Everybody on the team, this year so far, have bought in from the beginning. That might be worth a win or two.


.

Every year someone is playing for a new contract.

More stability this year unless Danny goes on another early season shopping spree.

I hope to see a more efficient offense (.443% and .327% last year)

A few more rebounds

Better defense.

Even if those things happen Boston may not improve relative to the competition. It is not like everyone is standing still waiting for Boston to catch up.

dboss

I think that I see this team winning 50 games.

Lots and lots of positives. Many core members returning, returning players will be improved, some very nice additions, even better coaching likely from Stevens and his staff, last year's great run at the end of the year, etc, etc, etc

50 WINS in 2016, mid level playoff seeding, and 2 playoff series wins.