Despite angst in Boston, Celtics are combining The Process and the playoffs

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-danny-ainge-paul-george-boston-celtics-draft-picks-brooklyn-lakers/1pq0h84tb6d4216ay5wjlqfmro



NBA free agency: Despite angst in Boston, Celtics are combining The Process and the playoffs



July 1, 2017 2:38pm EDTJuly 1, 2017 2:38pm EDTThe Celtics have gotten criticism for their inability to trade assets for a star. But in the big picture, all is well in Boston.
Danny Ainge FTR .jpg
Danny Ainge(Getty Images)



Sean Deveney  @seandeveney



Updated at 2:38 p.m. ET




The best outcome for the Celtics in the Paul George rent-a-thon would have been for him to land in Boston and eventually sign a new contract to stay put. That’s obvious. But the second-best outcome was the one that just transpired: George is out of the Eastern Conference, and playing for the Thunder, not the Lakers.

The fact the Celtics didn't come away with either Jimmy Butler or George in the last four months is a source of great frustration for folks in New England, and team president Danny Ainge has been lampooned locally and nationally for it. The Celtics’ stockpile of assets was supposed to lead to the acquisition of a star player, but those pursuits have continually come up empty. Resulting anger has mounted.

That’s all misplaced, though. There is a worst-case scenario that is unfolding with the Celtics that is not, really, bad at all. This is a team that has been to the playoffs three-straight years, that won 53 games and reached the conference finals last year. They will be a solid playoff team again next year, no matter how their current pursuit of Utah free agent Gordon Hayward goes.

But the Celtics are also a Process team, to borrow the rallying cry of Sixers fans. By next summer, they will be every bit as neck-deep in top-of-the-draft players as Philadelphia. While many hail the way former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie collected draft picks over the years, the Celtics are held to a different standard, expected to toss around assets for veterans at every turn.

Since 2014, the Celtics have collected three lottery players, none picked lower than sixth (Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum). In that same span, the Sixers have amassed five lottery picks, the lowest being Dario Saric at No. 12 in 2014. They have two No. 3 picks (Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor) and two No. 1s (Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz).

In next year’s draft, the Celtics again figure to have at least one top 5 pick, because they own the rights to the rebuilding Nets’ first-rounder. They also own the Lakers’ pick if it falls between No. 2 and 5, and there is a pretty good chance that happens as the young Lakers continue to rebuild, too. Had George landed in L.A., the Lakers would not have been an immediate playoff team, but they probably would have won enough to be bumped out of the top 5.

So the George scenario was not all bad. By next year, the Celtics could have five players chosen in the top 5 of the draft on their roster. Like the Sixers, they have a couple intriguing prospects taken later in those drafts, too—where Philadelphia has Timothe Luwawu and Furkan Korkmaz, the Celtics have Ante Zizic and Guerschon Yabusele.

The Celtics, however, did not have to endure The Process to get the results of The Process. They did not have to hollow out the roster, create a league-wide crisis with blatant tanking and go 75-253 in that span to collect those young players. They simply had to fleece the Nets back in 2013.

Now, with (perhaps) a total of six first-round picks in the next two drafts, there is still a chance that Boston will make a trade for a major player. But there is no need to panic if they don’t. The team has been aggressive in its trade offers for the likes of George and Butler, and for players like Blake Griffin and Justise Winslow.

But as with the George deal—the Pacers were not willing to be patient with the Celtics, and wanted George out of the East—having assets is not the only key to getting a deal done. The Clippers ultimately pulled back on dealing Griffin, and Charlotte owner Michael Jordan liked Frank Kaminsky too much to deal his pick to Boston two years ago. The Ainge complaints will continue, but you can’t force the other side to say yes.

Similarly, you can’t force a free agent to say yes. The Celtics put together a good pitch to Kevin Durant last summer, and Durant conceded that he was nearly swayed to go to Boston. But he wound up with the Warriors. Boston could do much the same thing with Gordon Hayward this weekend—get him close to signing, but ultimately lose out to Miami or Utah.

That’s not some sign of organizational failure. That’s just the reality of free agency, as it is with trade talks. You can do everything right but still get turned down.

Draft picks, though, are one of the few things you can control somewhat, and patiently using them is still the best way to rebuild. That’s The Process example. You’re not going to get it right all the time (Okafor, Nerlens Noel), but consistently reaping and developing top-level players gives teams the best chance at the elite players you need to contend in the NBA.

That is what the Celtics can do by simply doing nothing—they can come out of next June with seven or eight promising players who are 23 or younger, as many as four of which could be Top 3 picks in their drafts. They could do so while keeping their veteran core (Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley) and still being competitive in the East, with an outside shot at winning the conference if Hayward comes on board.    

It’s not a bad deal for the Celtics, even with all the pressure to do something immediately. At worst, you’re getting The Process. But you’re also getting the playoffs.


bob
MY NOTE:  It's soothing to remember that, not only have we not had to suffer through emotionally debilitating seasons like Sixer fans have had to do with their Process, our players (Smart and Brown) have all been healthy and able to play and learn.  Ben Simmons has yet to lace up an NBA sneaker.  Embiid has, but has only played a total of 31 games in 2 seasons, a total of only 786 minutes for his entire two-year career.  By comparison, Jaylen Brown played 1341 minutes in his only NBA year.  It's all very fine and good to be able to tout how high your draft picks are and what their amazing potential is, you have to be on the court to develop and display that potential and the Sixers haven't been able to do that yet.  Simmons has 3 years left before he is an RFA.  Embiid is an RFA next year (there is talk about giving him a MASSIVE contract extension).  The Sixers are about to spend BIG to retain a player that has played less than 60% of the minutes our rookie played off the bench with no evidence he will ever play a complete NBA season.  

Philadelphia hasn't made the playoffs, in a league where >50% of the league make the playoffs, in 5 years. In fact, they have only been in the playoffs 5x in the last 14 years and have made it out of the first round once in those 5x. So, their problems began before Sam Hinkie and "The Process" and there is a good chance they won't make the playoffs this year neither.

Danny has done a great, great job; PG, Butler, Hayward or not.  We're winning.  We were in the EC Finals.  We have the top free agents wanting to talk to us and we will have at least one draft pick next year, if not two, that should even make Sixer Process fans envious without having to suck to get it. High draft picks are great, but nothing succeeds like success.


.

While not in Boston proper, I've yet to feel the leas bit of angst. 

 While Haywood would a swell addition to the ranks,  my primary  hope has been since the addition of horford is to pick up for ourselves a top of the line, high quality  5.

 All these other fellers are second, third or fourth  or 5th options in my opinion.

 I will probably get a touch of angstyness if that 5 spot isn't filled. Till then it's wait and see.

bobheckler wrote:http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-danny-ainge-paul-george-boston-celtics-draft-picks-brooklyn-lakers/1pq0h84tb6d4216ay5wjlqfmro



NBA free agency: Despite angst in Boston, Celtics are combining The Process and the playoffs



July 1, 2017 2:38pm EDTJuly 1, 2017 2:38pm EDTThe Celtics have gotten criticism for their inability to trade assets for a star. But in the big picture, all is well in Boston.
Danny Ainge FTR .jpg
Danny Ainge(Getty Images)



Sean Deveney  @seandeveney



Updated at 2:38 p.m. ET




The best outcome for the Celtics in the Paul George rent-a-thon would have been for him to land in Boston and eventually sign a new contract to stay put. That’s obvious. But the second-best outcome was the one that just transpired: George is out of the Eastern Conference, and playing for the Thunder, not the Lakers.

The fact the Celtics didn't come away with either Jimmy Butler or George in the last four months is a source of great frustration for folks in New England, and team president Danny Ainge has been lampooned locally and nationally for it. The Celtics’ stockpile of assets was supposed to lead to the acquisition of a star player, but those pursuits have continually come up empty. Resulting anger has mounted.

That’s all misplaced, though. There is a worst-case scenario that is unfolding with the Celtics that is not, really, bad at all. This is a team that has been to the playoffs three-straight years, that won 53 games and reached the conference finals last year. They will be a solid playoff team again next year, no matter how their current pursuit of Utah free agent Gordon Hayward goes.

But the Celtics are also a Process team, to borrow the rallying cry of Sixers fans. By next summer, they will be every bit as neck-deep in top-of-the-draft players as Philadelphia. While many hail the way former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie collected draft picks over the years, the Celtics are held to a different standard, expected to toss around assets for veterans at every turn.

Since 2014, the Celtics have collected three lottery players, none picked lower than sixth (Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum). In that same span, the Sixers have amassed five lottery picks, the lowest being Dario Saric at No. 12 in 2014. They have two No. 3 picks (Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor) and two No. 1s (Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz).

In next year’s draft, the Celtics again figure to have at least one top 5 pick, because they own the rights to the rebuilding Nets’ first-rounder. They also own the Lakers’ pick if it falls between No. 2 and 5, and there is a pretty good chance that happens as the young Lakers continue to rebuild, too. Had George landed in L.A., the Lakers would not have been an immediate playoff team, but they probably would have won enough to be bumped out of the top 5.

So the George scenario was not all bad. By next year, the Celtics could have five players chosen in the top 5 of the draft on their roster. Like the Sixers, they have a couple intriguing prospects taken later in those drafts, too—where Philadelphia has Timothe Luwawu and Furkan Korkmaz, the Celtics have Ante Zizic and Guerschon Yabusele.

The Celtics, however, did not have to endure The Process to get the results of The Process. They did not have to hollow out the roster, create a league-wide crisis with blatant tanking and go 75-253 in that span to collect those young players. They simply had to fleece the Nets back in 2013.

Now, with (perhaps) a total of six first-round picks in the next two drafts, there is still a chance that Boston will make a trade for a major player. But there is no need to panic if they don’t. The team has been aggressive in its trade offers for the likes of George and Butler, and for players like Blake Griffin and Justise Winslow.

But as with the George deal—the Pacers were not willing to be patient with the Celtics, and wanted George out of the East—having assets is not the only key to getting a deal done. The Clippers ultimately pulled back on dealing Griffin, and Charlotte owner Michael Jordan liked Frank Kaminsky too much to deal his pick to Boston two years ago. The Ainge complaints will continue, but you can’t force the other side to say yes.

Similarly, you can’t force a free agent to say yes. The Celtics put together a good pitch to Kevin Durant last summer, and Durant conceded that he was nearly swayed to go to Boston. But he wound up with the Warriors. Boston could do much the same thing with Gordon Hayward this weekend—get him close to signing, but ultimately lose out to Miami or Utah.

That’s not some sign of organizational failure. That’s just the reality of free agency, as it is with trade talks. You can do everything right but still get turned down.

Draft picks, though, are one of the few things you can control somewhat, and patiently using them is still the best way to rebuild. That’s The Process example. You’re not going to get it right all the time (Okafor, Nerlens Noel), but consistently reaping and developing top-level players gives teams the best chance at the elite players you need to contend in the NBA.

That is what the Celtics can do by simply doing nothing—they can come out of next June with seven or eight promising players who are 23 or younger, as many as four of which could be Top 3 picks in their drafts. They could do so while keeping their veteran core (Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley) and still being competitive in the East, with an outside shot at winning the conference if Hayward comes on board.    

It’s not a bad deal for the Celtics, even with all the pressure to do something immediately. At worst, you’re getting The Process. But you’re also getting the playoffs.


bob
MY NOTE:  It's soothing to remember that, not only have we not had to suffer through emotionally debilitating seasons like Sixer fans have had to do with their Process, our players (Smart and Brown) have all been healthy and able to play and learn.  Ben Simmons has yet to lace up an NBA sneaker.  Embiid has, but has only played a total of 31 games in 2 seasons, a total of only 786 minutes for his entire two-year career.  By comparison, Jaylen Brown played 1341 minutes in his only NBA year.  It's all very fine and good to be able to tout how high your draft picks are and what their amazing potential is, you have to be on the court to develop and display that potential and the Sixers haven't been able to do that yet.  Simmons has 3 years left before he is an RFA.  Embiid is an RFA next year (there is talk about giving him a MASSIVE contract extension).  The Sixers are about to spend BIG to retain a player that has played less than 60% of the minutes our rookie played off the bench with no evidence he will ever play a complete NBA season.  

Philadelphia hasn't made the playoffs, in a league where >50% of the league make the playoffs, in 5 years.  In fact, they have only been in the playoffs 5x in the last 14 years and have made it out of the first round once in those 5x.  So, their problems began before Sam Hinkie and "The Process" and there is a good chance they won't make the playoffs this year neither.  

Danny has done a great, great job; PG, Butler, Hayward or not.  We're winning.  We were in the EC Finals.  We have the top free agents wanting to talk to us and we will have at least one draft pick next year, if not two, that should even make Sixer Process fans envious without having to suck to get it.  High draft picks are great, but nothing succeeds like success.


.

Has anyone seen any Angst running around Boston?

dboss

and now something form the other side of the fence (for balance).

https://theringer.com/danny-ainge-boston-celtics-perfect-trade-may-never-come-5251428d091a

Danny Ainge’s Perfect Trade May Never Come

Celtics fans have every reason to be anxious after their GM’s latest whiff. Missing out on Paul George could lead to a nightmarish offseason for a team that should be sitting pretty.


(AP Images)

Why can’t Danny Ainge get a deal done? In just over a week, the Celtics watched Jimmy Butler go to the Wolves and Paul George go to the Thunder, even though they could have put together much better offers, and had every reason to pull the trigger.

This is what Minnesota gave up for Butler:
Kris Dunn, a 23-year-old rookie coming off of a terrible season
Zach LaVine, coming off of a torn ACL
The no. 7 pick in the 2017 draft

This is what Oklahoma City gave up for George:
Victor Oladipo, a solid young player about to begin a four-year, $84 million contract
Domantas Sabonis, a 21-year-old rookie who was one of the worst starters in the NBA
This is a partial list of the potential trade pieces the Celtics have, which doesn’t even count any of their top seven players in terms of minutes played this season:

Jaylen Brown, the no. 3 pick in the 2016 draft
Jayson Tatum, the no. 3 pick in the 2017 draft
Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic, first-round picks in the 2016 draft who had solid seasons overseas
The unprotected Nets pick in 2018, which will likely be in the top five
Either the Lakers pick in 2018, protected at no. 1 or outside of the top five, or the better of either the Kings or 76ers pick in 2019
The Celtics’ first-round picks in 2018 and 2019
The Clippers and Grizzlies first-round picks in 2019 (with high lottery protections on both)

Pick almost any three assets from the list above and you’ll have a package more appealing than what the Wolves or Thunder actually traded. Even if Chicago was higher on LaVine and Dunn than anyone else, or Indiana felt the same way about Oladipo and Sabonis, it’s almost impossible to believe they would have valued those guys higher than a package based around a potential top-five lottery pick.
The Celtics could end up with a top-five pick in every draft for four straight years, plus a bunch of other interesting young players. Their refusal (or inability) to give up any of those players or picks doesn’t make much sense when you consider their situation.

The Celtics have a meeting with Gordon Hayward on Monday, and they can no longer sell him on potentially pairing him with either Butler or George. Boston would have needed to sign Hayward before making a trade for either star, but the Pacers could have waited a week before they dealt their franchise player if they thought they had a better offer from Boston in their back pocket.
Instead, the Celtics will have to woo Hayward even though he’s not nearly enough to close the gap between them and the Cavs by himself. While the road to the NBA Finals is easier in the East than trying to get through all the superteams being built out West, the Heat can make the same pitch.
Ainge better hope Hayward falls in love with his collection of young players and future draft picks in the same way he did, or his team will strike out in a crucial summer.

This is Boston’s last chance to make a big splash in free agency with this core. Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart will be free agents next season, and they are all going to want big contracts. Thomas ($6 million) and Bradley ($8 million) are on two of the most team-friendly deals in the entire league, while Smart is still on his rookie contract. Add all three of their salaries up together and they still make less than Chandler Parsons.
Pay them anywhere close to their market value and the Celtics will be over the cap with a group that lacks the pieces necessary to compete with the Cavs.

Let those guys walk for nothing and Boston is no longer nearly as appealing a destination for potential free agents. The window for the Celtics to contend for a championship in the near future may have already closed.

The strangest part about Ainge’s reluctance to trade for either Butler or George is how willing he was to gamble in the draft, when he stunned the rest of the league by trading down from no. 1 to no. 3. That’s not a deal most teams would ever make, much less in a year when the consensus top player available (Markelle Fultz) was widely seen as being much better than anyone else on the board.
The predraft consensus is wrong all the time, so there’s a chance that Tatum becomes a better player than Fultz, but it was a very risky trade, even with the extra lottery pick the Celtics acquired from the 76ers.

It’s not like Ainge should have that much confidence in his ability to find young talent in the draft, either. His past nine first-round picks before this year’s draft are Brown, Yabusele, Zizic, Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter, Marcus Smart, James Young, Jared Sullinger, and Fab Melo.
While it’s still too early to evaluate the three players taken in 2016, there aren’t a lot of terribly inspiring choices among the rest of his selections in recent years.

Plan A for the Celtics is still signing Hayward, but if that doesn’t happen, Plan B is building around Brown and Tatum, two guys who won’t be in their prime until the early part of the next decade. They have plenty of potential, but both guys have holes in their game and there’s no guarantee that either becomes a star.
The hard part for Boston fans is what could have been. The Celtics could have drafted Fultz, signed Hayward, and traded the rest of their assets for George.
Instead, there’s a chance they come out of this summer without any of the three.
While things could still work out for Boston, the pressure on Ainge is intensifying. Ainge’s mountain of assets is still a mountain of assets. For whatever reason, there is still no trade. He may still be waiting on the perfect one, but the perfect one might never come.

This writer is an idiot, out of all those picks, how many were lottery?

Hello there's a reason teams all want lottery picks.

ying and yang

way too much homer ism , "Danny can do no wrong" around here right now. need some other side of the story for balance and realism.

truth is somewhere in between those two stories.

The last time we had the no 1 pick and traded down for the 3rd pick and another asset, how did that work out? and if PG was traded and on Lakers right now, these pundits could question everything even more, but he wasn't and right now that deal looks pretty solid to me.

kdp59 wrote:
ying and yang

way too much homer ism , "Danny can do no wrong" around here right now. need some other side of the story for balance and realism.

truth is somewhere in between those two stories.

I've ripped Danny before, it's legendary how much I ripped him for the Perk-Green trade....but to have a boatload of lottery picks and have the best record in the EC is unprecedented, not just one high lottery, but we've had/have numerous. If we don't make a trade we still have great potential access to the best young players.

cowens/oldschool wrote:

kdp59 wrote:
ying and yang

way too much homer ism , "Danny can do no wrong" around here right now. need some other side of the story for balance and realism.

truth is somewhere in between those two stories.

I've ripped Danny before, it's legendary how much I ripped him for the Perk-Green trade....but to have a boatload of lottery picks and have the best record in the EC is unprecedented, not just one high lottery, but we've had/have numerous. If we don't make a trade we still have great potential access to the best young players.

for sure and the picks could all work out and we become the Warriors of 2020.....or.......maybe they don't.

always two sides to look at.

one thing for sure, we will all hope for the best.

don't panic

kdp59 wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:

kdp59 wrote:
ying and yang

way too much homer ism , "Danny can do no wrong" around here right now. need some other side of the story for balance and realism.

truth is somewhere in between those two stories.

I've ripped Danny before, it's legendary how much I ripped him for the Perk-Green trade....but to have a boatload of lottery picks and have the best record in the EC is unprecedented, not just one high lottery, but we've had/have numerous. If we don't make a trade we still have great potential access to the best young players.

for sure and the picks could all work out and we become the Warriors of 2020.....or.......maybe they don't.

always two sides to look at.

one thing for sure, we will all  hope for the best.

I think your going to enjoy seeing Zizic Horford Tatum Jaylen IT Smart AB on the floor this year....and we ain't done yet.

panic?

panic!

who's in panic stage!!!!!!

Well, for one, I think that the no trade for Paul George may be the best move so far this summer by the Cs.

Shoring up our issues with rebounding still needs to be accomplished.

Meh.

bobheckler wrote:http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-danny-ainge-paul-george-boston-celtics-draft-picks-brooklyn-lakers/1pq0h84tb6d4216ay5wjlqfmro



NBA free agency: Despite angst in Boston, Celtics are combining The Process and the playoffs



July 1, 2017 2:38pm EDTJuly 1, 2017 2:38pm EDTThe Celtics have gotten criticism for their inability to trade assets for a star. But in the big picture, all is well in Boston.
Danny Ainge FTR .jpg
Danny Ainge(Getty Images)



Sean Deveney  @seandeveney



Updated at 2:38 p.m. ET




The best outcome for the Celtics in the Paul George rent-a-thon would have been for him to land in Boston and eventually sign a new contract to stay put. That’s obvious. But the second-best outcome was the one that just transpired: George is out of the Eastern Conference, and playing for the Thunder, not the Lakers.

The fact the Celtics didn't come away with either Jimmy Butler or George in the last four months is a source of great frustration for folks in New England, and team president Danny Ainge has been lampooned locally and nationally for it. The Celtics’ stockpile of assets was supposed to lead to the acquisition of a star player, but those pursuits have continually come up empty. Resulting anger has mounted.

That’s all misplaced, though. There is a worst-case scenario that is unfolding with the Celtics that is not, really, bad at all. This is a team that has been to the playoffs three-straight years, that won 53 games and reached the conference finals last year. They will be a solid playoff team again next year, no matter how their current pursuit of Utah free agent Gordon Hayward goes.

But the Celtics are also a Process team, to borrow the rallying cry of Sixers fans. By next summer, they will be every bit as neck-deep in top-of-the-draft players as Philadelphia. While many hail the way former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie collected draft picks over the years, the Celtics are held to a different standard, expected to toss around assets for veterans at every turn.

Since 2014, the Celtics have collected three lottery players, none picked lower than sixth (Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum). In that same span, the Sixers have amassed five lottery picks, the lowest being Dario Saric at No. 12 in 2014. They have two No. 3 picks (Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor) and two No. 1s (Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz).

In next year’s draft, the Celtics again figure to have at least one top 5 pick, because they own the rights to the rebuilding Nets’ first-rounder. They also own the Lakers’ pick if it falls between No. 2 and 5, and there is a pretty good chance that happens as the young Lakers continue to rebuild, too. Had George landed in L.A., the Lakers would not have been an immediate playoff team, but they probably would have won enough to be bumped out of the top 5.

So the George scenario was not all bad. By next year, the Celtics could have five players chosen in the top 5 of the draft on their roster. Like the Sixers, they have a couple intriguing prospects taken later in those drafts, too—where Philadelphia has Timothe Luwawu and Furkan Korkmaz, the Celtics have Ante Zizic and Guerschon Yabusele.

The Celtics, however, did not have to endure The Process to get the results of The Process. They did not have to hollow out the roster, create a league-wide crisis with blatant tanking and go 75-253 in that span to collect those young players. They simply had to fleece the Nets back in 2013.

Now, with (perhaps) a total of six first-round picks in the next two drafts, there is still a chance that Boston will make a trade for a major player. But there is no need to panic if they don’t. The team has been aggressive in its trade offers for the likes of George and Butler, and for players like Blake Griffin and Justise Winslow.

But as with the George deal—the Pacers were not willing to be patient with the Celtics, and wanted George out of the East—having assets is not the only key to getting a deal done. The Clippers ultimately pulled back on dealing Griffin, and Charlotte owner Michael Jordan liked Frank Kaminsky too much to deal his pick to Boston two years ago. The Ainge complaints will continue, but you can’t force the other side to say yes.

Similarly, you can’t force a free agent to say yes. The Celtics put together a good pitch to Kevin Durant last summer, and Durant conceded that he was nearly swayed to go to Boston. But he wound up with the Warriors. Boston could do much the same thing with Gordon Hayward this weekend—get him close to signing, but ultimately lose out to Miami or Utah.

That’s not some sign of organizational failure. That’s just the reality of free agency, as it is with trade talks. You can do everything right but still get turned down.

Draft picks, though, are one of the few things you can control somewhat, and patiently using them is still the best way to rebuild. That’s The Process example. You’re not going to get it right all the time (Okafor, Nerlens Noel), but consistently reaping and developing top-level players gives teams the best chance at the elite players you need to contend in the NBA.

That is what the Celtics can do by simply doing nothing—they can come out of next June with seven or eight promising players who are 23 or younger, as many as four of which could be Top 3 picks in their drafts. They could do so while keeping their veteran core (Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley) and still being competitive in the East, with an outside shot at winning the conference if Hayward comes on board.    

It’s not a bad deal for the Celtics, even with all the pressure to do something immediately. At worst, you’re getting The Process. But you’re also getting the playoffs.


bob
MY NOTE:  It's soothing to remember that, not only have we not had to suffer through emotionally debilitating seasons like Sixer fans have had to do with their Process, our players (Smart and Brown) have all been healthy and able to play and learn.  Ben Simmons has yet to lace up an NBA sneaker.  Embiid has, but has only played a total of 31 games in 2 seasons, a total of only 786 minutes for his entire two-year career.  By comparison, Jaylen Brown played 1341 minutes in his only NBA year.  It's all very fine and good to be able to tout how high your draft picks are and what their amazing potential is, you have to be on the court to develop and display that potential and the Sixers haven't been able to do that yet.  Simmons has 3 years left before he is an RFA.  Embiid is an RFA next year (there is talk about giving him a MASSIVE contract extension).  The Sixers are about to spend BIG to retain a player that has played less than 60% of the minutes our rookie played off the bench with no evidence he will ever play a complete NBA season.  

Philadelphia hasn't made the playoffs, in a league where >50% of the league make the playoffs, in 5 years.  In fact, they have only been in the playoffs 5x in the last 14 years and have made it out of the first round once in those 5x.  So, their problems began before Sam Hinkie and "The Process" and there is a good chance they won't make the playoffs this year neither.  

Danny has done a great, great job; PG, Butler, Hayward or not.  We're winning.  We were in the EC Finals.  We have the top free agents wanting to talk to us and we will have at least one draft pick next year, if not two, that should even make Sixer Process fans envious without having to suck to get it.  High draft picks are great, but nothing succeeds like success.


.

Spin. I somewhat agree. Danny has done a very good (not 1 great though) assembling some of these pieces and of course still being able to win and improve every year (I think Brad has a lot to do with it too)
However, a great deal of Danny's job would be considered "Sales" and this is where Danny has failed on numerous occasions. One of the purposes of gaining all of these picks is to be able to acquire a super star. (Danny's words not mine) Again, this is where Danny has failed on numerous occasions. No need to mention the players. We all know by now who he whiffed on. What we dont know is who may have been attainable where Danny did not or could not make it to the table.
Im not in Sales but I work in an industry where total revenue is based solely on sales. What you bring in. I have witnessed several super star sales people who will go out and achieve almost the damn impossible as in "How the hell did you pull that off"? I have also been witness to others coming back in armed with a number of reasons why they couldn't make the sale. Couldn't bring it home. They never lasted very long.
This is that part of Danny that has failed!
The company doesnt give a damn why. They only give a damn about results and in this aspect, This part of Danny's job, He has failed and failed miserably. Rationalize as we may. Theres the good part and theres the bad part. I for one am thankful that we didnt tank and have improved every year since Brad came aboard.
I am also pissed and not happy about continually missing out on Super stars that are available. Its become perpetual. No matter what the reason may be. There aint a whole lot of them out there and one only gets so many chances. Im hoping that this whiffing on Stars comes to a screeching halt! Immediately!

KyleCleric wrote:don't panic

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