Celtics Off-Season Possibilities

[DropKickFlutie]

Nevermind, looks like Sully will be back in the fall:
Sullinger on his back: "it's completely fixed" - CelticsBlog


Like the new hire. Don't know a ton about Butler, but I know it was a small school, a mid-major. To go to the NCAA championships twice, through the March Madness gauntlet, with different rosters of non-highly-recruited players, speaks to his ability to not only coach up and improve his talent, but also good game recognition and strategy.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I don't think that there's any way that the Celtics are going to be worse than the likes of the Magic or the Bobcats, for example. Even if they tank the season. If you want to have a real shot at the lottery, you would have to dump Rondo as well.

As for the trade, it works out well for both sides. Celtics robbed the Nets for the first rounders for a couple of guys that have a year or two at most of competitive play left. Very good for the rebuilding process that Ainge will oversee. For the Nets, KG and Pierce coupled with Williams should make an interesting combination offensively and improve the Nets defensively. They'll also ensure that Nets/Knicks games are must see TV.

With 9 first round draft choices over the next several years (including those of the soon to be rebuilding Nets) Ainge has the ammunition to move up and grab just about any player he wants

You can be sure that some of those draft picks will also be for proven players too

The draft and free agency are an imperfect science as we know, but give Ainge credit for gracefully ending a great era while also giving himself the ammunition to build a new one

 

[JoeSixPat]

As far as trading Rondo, there's a few factors to consider.

His health and continued ability is key - and if someone made the right offer now, Ainge might pull the trigger since the other team would assume the risk of Rondo getting back to form.

But I think Ainge intends to let things play out with Rondo - see how he heals, and plays (but not so much he helps them win too much) - continue to listen to offers, but I think more likely he holds onto Rondo until he sees who he can get in the draft.

If Ainge thinks he can rebuild this team in the next 3 years then keeping an all-star point guard makes a lot of sense.

The additional wild card is whether Rondo will tolerate a rebuilding process, even if it is as short as 3 years.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Rondo is a potential hall of famer. There are very few players who have put up the crazy good games he has had in the playoffs like Rondo has. He does seem to take games off if it's not nationally televised. I'm hoping his reputation of being hard to work with was more a function of him not respecting Doc's strategic/tactical decision making (which I would agree was never Doc's strength)