There's a new stat-based article on the Celtics

Swish might like this article from The Ringer. What the Celtics are doing this year is basically unprecedented for such a young team.

"The Boston Celtics Might Be Unprecedented
Given how rarely in NBA history a team this young has been this competitive, it’s not a stretch to argue that these Celtics could finish as the best young team in league history
By Zach Kram  Jan 11, 2018, 12:11pm EST"

(excerpt)The Celtics aren’t just an anomaly this season, though; as a team this young and competitive, they’re a historical aberration as well. Before this season, 142 teams since the advent of the shot clock played with a weighted average age younger than 25, and they were generally awful, finishing with an average .365 winning percentage, which translates to a 30–52 record.

Few were anywhere near as good as these Celtics, with only 21 of those 142 teams finishing with a winning record, and only four winning at least 50 games: Milwaukee with 56 in 1969–70, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s rookie season; Portland with 54 in 2008–09, Brandon Roy’s peak; and Oklahoma City with 50 in 2009–10 and 55 in 2010–11, pre–James Harden trade. For comparison, as many teams in the sample earned 50-plus wins as 70-plus losses (or its winning-percentage equivalent, in the case of 7–59 Charlotte from the recent lockout year).

More than halfway through this season, the Celtics are on pace for 63 wins...

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/11/16878632/boston-celtics-could-be-best-young-team-in-nba-history-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown

Phil Pressey wrote:Swish might like this article from The Ringer. What the Celtics are doing this year is basically unprecedented for such a young team.

"The Boston Celtics Might Be Unprecedented
Given how rarely in NBA history a team this young has been this competitive, it’s not a stretch to argue that these Celtics could finish as the best young team in league history
By Zach Kram  Jan 11, 2018, 12:11pm EST"

(excerpt)The Celtics aren’t just an anomaly this season, though; as a team this young and competitive, they’re a historical aberration as well. Before this season, 142 teams since the advent of the shot clock played with a weighted average age younger than 25, and they were generally awful, finishing with an average .365 winning percentage, which translates to a 30–52 record.

Few were anywhere near as good as these Celtics, with only 21 of those 142 teams finishing with a winning record, and only four winning at least 50 games: Milwaukee with 56 in 1969–70, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s rookie season; Portland with 54 in 2008–09, Brandon Roy’s peak; and Oklahoma City with 50 in 2009–10 and 55 in 2010–11, pre–James Harden trade. For comparison, as many teams in the sample earned 50-plus wins as 70-plus losses (or its winning-percentage equivalent, in the case of 7–59 Charlotte from the recent lockout year).



More than halfway through this season, the Celtics are on pace for 63 wins...

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/11/16878632/boston-celtics-could-be-best-young-team-in-nba-history-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown

Thanks for the link Phil.

Youth sure does have its drawbacks - a fact that the current Celtic roster has thus far negated - but the season is less than half completed - great so far but final judgement is still a long ways off. Now its time to sit back and see what the future has in store for the Celtics. See me in June in regards to how this all plays out.

swish

I think the Celts will be in the Finals this June.

swish wrote:Thanks for the link Phil.

Youth sure does have its drawbacks - a fact that the current Celtic roster has thus far negated - but the season is less than half completed - great so far but final judgement is still a long ways off. Now its time to sit back and see what the future has in store for the Celtics. See me in June in regards to how this all plays out.

swish

Tatum and Brown look ready as abnormalities for raw players. They have already leaped over Rozier and Smart. Those are historic top picks which Danny nailed. This could be the best Auerbachian styled stretch of GM'ing of all time. The article backs up the optimistic fan's view. Tatum could be a once every ten years kind of player delivering the goods in his rookie year. He is getting compared to Durant. He might grow to six eleven. The future could be now.

Danny should definitely prune off the raw talent near the end of the rotation. Another veteran or two would be a nice gift from Danny to Horford. The C's probably need a bit more because of the excessive reliance on youth.

fierce wrote:I think the Celts will be in the Finals this June.

It's looking that way. Toronto is piling up wins, but 34-10 is the truth. It is a significant sample pool.

They get knocked around by Philly, simply regroup and then double back the pounding.

Isaiah could put it together, but those guys still need to blend as a group. Hero ball almost lost today's game and the turnovers were out of control. There are still months for the Celtics to grow. They got Ubuntu and now they will get complete free days to refresh.