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[Rondo2287]

and a boatload of cap space that will be almost useless in place that has NEVER attracted top FA's

Cap space can be useful in other ways, such as accepting toxic contracts in trades for the price of a likely lottery pick.  You're more likely to get a good draft pick with a chance to get a star that way than by trading Pierce and Garnett.

Very good point

Yeah, that's how Cleveland landed Kyrie Irving.  (How monumentally stupid of the Clippers not to insist on #1 protection on that pick.)  OKC also obtained the draft pick they used on Serge Ibaka by taking on excess salary.

True to say, but why would you wait to get picks, and take on bad contracts, when apparently we're already being offered players like Bledsoe,DJordan,Barnes,Ezelie,KLeonard,TSplitter(though none of these absolutely confirmed), and or picks, with expiring contracts RIGHT NOW, when you have a team that most would concede has virtually no chance at winning a title---just so you can see KG and PP retire in green??
We could start rebuilding NOW, with young players with execellent potential to ADD to RR,AB,Sully, and maybe Melo and be off to a good start TODAY, not two or three years from now!

Because all those players you mentioned are good players but not difference makers

[libermaniac]

Yeah, that's how Cleveland landed Kyrie Irving.  (How monumentally stupid of the Clippers not to insist on #1 protection on that pick.)  OKC also obtained the draft pick they used on Serge Ibaka by taking on excess salary.

Looked at singularly, not attaching protection to that pick was a mistake.  Looking at the whole picture, things worked out very well for the Clippers.  Jettisoning BD helped them re-structure their roster and be in a position to acquire the best PG in the game.

Maybe the Cavs don't do that deal if the pick had top 3 protection on it.   

Ironically, however, the Clips could've amnestied Baron at the start of the following season if they'd not done the deal. (Obviously, they didn't know this at the time). Then, they could've traded the #1 pick for other serious assets to pair with CP3 and Griffin.  Or, you might argue that NO would've demanded that pick for CP3, but then they would've retained Eric Gordon and could've traded him.  Point is, it didn't work out quite as well for the Clips as they'd like to insist.  Stupid trade.

[LB3533]

Not buying what Tony said about Ray not having a connection those 2 did...I find that actually absurd...revisionist history is cool though...best friends some times go their separate ways and in this case Ray was every bit the friend in the group as the rest, and at first was even closer to rondo then the rest....he wasn't loyal to a fault because neither were the Celtics with him..kg and pierce aren't in love here on another plateau and need to be together.

As far as felger....mmmmmeh his Celtics opinions still stuck....solid in the other major sports though

Agree 100%.

The NBA is also a business!!!

[KCattheStripe]

I don't think Wyc is dumb enough to not realize that once KG and Pierce retire they have a lottery team anyway.

[OhioGreen]

and a boatload of cap space that will be almost useless in place that has NEVER attracted top FA's

Cap space can be useful in other ways, such as accepting toxic contracts in trades for the price of a likely lottery pick.  You're more likely to get a good draft pick with a chance to get a star that way than by trading Pierce and Garnett.

Very good point

Yeah, that's how Cleveland landed Kyrie Irving.  (How monumentally stupid of the Clippers not to insist on #1 protection on that pick.)  OKC also obtained the draft pick they used on Serge Ibaka by taking on excess salary.

True to say, but why would you wait to get picks, and take on bad contracts, when apparently we're already being offered players like Bledsoe,DJordan,Barnes,Ezelie,KLeonard,TSplitter(though none of these absolutely confirmed), and or picks, with expiring contracts RIGHT NOW, when you have a team that most would concede has virtually no chance at winning a title---just so you can see KG and PP retire in green??
We could start rebuilding NOW, with young players with execellent potential to ADD to RR,AB,Sully, and maybe Melo and be off to a good start TODAY, not two or three years from now!

Because all those players you mentioned are good players but not difference makers

If we could be guaranteed players like those with mid to midlate first round picks, you'd pass???

[action781]

"The Owners hate the look of that building when the team is headed for the lottery and nobody cares"

I can't agree with that assessment. Casueway street fans are pretty consistent in their passion.  The Celts and Bruins have experienced very recent years of turmoil and a strong fan base has always been there. 

I think that's one of the reassuring points for management regarding the Celtics' current situation.  Wyc knows that, if he chooses to, he can ride out the Peirce/KG years & fall back into rebuild mode while still maintaining a high level of support from the fans.

But as Jeff said, i think that taste of success is going to make swallowing that pill pretty difficult.

2000-02 I only attended a few games and they were playoff games and the garden was hopping.  I was also like 18 years old so maybe I was just that amped up.

2005-07 the Garden was very weak.  I attended a couple games a year and there were always empty seats.  It was one of those places where you went to the game to see the opponent's star players [Lebron] almost as much as you went to see the celtics.  I would sit in complete frustration as CP3 completely locked down whoever we threw in there at pg and it seemed that nobody around me cared at all.

2008+ the Garden has been hopping again to unbelievable levels.

[StartOrien]

"The Owners hate the look of that building when the team is headed for the lottery and nobody cares"

I can't agree with that assessment. Casueway street fans are pretty consistent in their passion.  The Celts and Bruins have experienced very recent years of turmoil and a strong fan base has always been there. 

I think that's one of the reassuring points for management regarding the Celtics' current situation.  Wyc knows that, if he chooses to, he can ride out the Peirce/KG years & fall back into rebuild mode while still maintaining a high level of support from the fans.

But as Jeff said, i think that taste of success is going to make swallowing that pill pretty difficult.

2000-02 I only attended a few games and they were playoff games and the garden was hopping.  I was also like 18 years old so maybe I was just that amped up.

2005-07 the Garden was very weak.  I attended a couple games a year and there were always empty seats.  It was one of those places where you went to the game to see the opponent's star players [Lebron] almost as much as you went to see the celtics.  I would sit in complete frustration as CP3 completely locked down whoever we threw in there at pg and it seemed that nobody around me cared at all.

2008+ the Garden has been hopping again to unbelievable levels.

I disagree here. Of course there were empty seats, but I think people 'brought it' about as much as they could. You'll get people rooting for stars, but I thought people rooted about as hard as they could for a truly bad team.

A game against the Nets when Perkins and Jefferson really rebounded well stands out as a great night at the Garden for me.

[Roy H.]

"The Owners hate the look of that building when the team is headed for the lottery and nobody cares"

I can't agree with that assessment. Casueway street fans are pretty consistent in their passion.  The Celts and Bruins have experienced very recent years of turmoil and a strong fan base has always been there. 

I think that's one of the reassuring points for management regarding the Celtics' current situation.  Wyc knows that, if he chooses to, he can ride out the Peirce/KG years & fall back into rebuild mode while still maintaining a high level of support from the fans.

But as Jeff said, i think that taste of success is going to make swallowing that pill pretty difficult.

2000-02 I only attended a few games and they were playoff games and the garden was hopping.  I was also like 18 years old so maybe I was just that amped up.

2005-07 the Garden was very weak.  I attended a couple games a year and there were always empty seats.  It was one of those places where you went to the game to see the opponent's star players [Lebron] almost as much as you went to see the celtics.  I would sit in complete frustration as CP3 completely locked down whoever we threw in there at pg and it seemed that nobody around me cared at all.

2008+ the Garden has been hopping again to unbelievable levels.

In terms of attendance:

2003:  17,293 per game
2004:  16,201 per game
2005:  16,001 per game
2006:  16,899 per game
2007:  16,843 per game
2008:  18,624 per game 

The Celtics have been at full capacity every year since except for 2010, when they still averaged over 18,000 fans per game.

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance

[Eddie20]

I also liked what Maz said yesterday. He said that he first noticed Rondo "stealing" rebounds away from the bigs in order to jack up his numbers during the 2009 playoffs. I actually have noticed him taking a bunch of them away Bass this season. He went on to add that the importance of that is it slows down your potential fastbreak as instead of running out to receive the outlet pass, he's instead down low padding his numbers.

[StartOrien]

I love Tony Maz about as much as any other radio personality, but I wish he'd shut the heck up when it came to the Celtics.

[Fafnir]

I also liked what Maz said yesterday. He said that he first noticed Rondo "stealing" rebounds away from the bigs in order to jack up his numbers during the 2009 playoffs. I actually have noticed him taking a bunch of them away Bass this season. He went on to add that the importance of that is it slows down your potential fastbreak as instead of running out to receive the outlet pass, he's instead down low padding his numbers.

1. We're an okay defensive rebounding team, but we absolutely need Rondo to crash the glass. We need his rebounding. So if he's going to be crashing instead of outletting then its absolutely better for him to get the ball instead of a big. You can think we should have him release more, but overall I prefer him utilizing his nose for the ball with this team's personale.

2. It can slow down the fast break, or it can speed it up. Many times the bigs man will successfully prevent an quick outlet pass and this eliminates the break. With Rondo getting the ball he can just dribble down the court, if someone tries to pick him up before halfcourt it usually results in Rondo going by him.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I also liked what Maz said yesterday. He said that he first noticed Rondo "stealing" rebounds away from the bigs in order to jack up his numbers during the 2009 playoffs. I actually have noticed him taking a bunch of them away Bass this season. He went on to add that the importance of that is it slows down your potential fastbreak as instead of running out to receive the outlet pass, he's instead down low padding his numbers.

1. We're an okay defensive rebounding team, but we absolutely need Rondo to crash the glass. We need his rebounding. If he's going to be crashing instead of outletting then its absolutely better for him to get the ball instead of a big.

2. It can slow down the fast break, or it can speed it up. Many times the bigs man will successfully prevent an quick outlet pass and this eliminates the break. With Rondo getting the ball he can just dribble down the court, if someone tries to pick him up before halfcourt it usually results in Rondo going by him.

That's how I see it.

[Fafnir]

I also liked what Maz said yesterday. He said that he first noticed Rondo "stealing" rebounds away from the bigs in order to jack up his numbers during the 2009 playoffs. I actually have noticed him taking a bunch of them away Bass this season. He went on to add that the importance of that is it slows down your potential fastbreak as instead of running out to receive the outlet pass, he's instead down low padding his numbers.

I will say that during several of Rondo's triple double games where he needs just a rebound or two more late in the game, I've seen him zone up and stay near the paint hunting for a rebound if he thinks a shot is going up instead of staying with his man.

This can result in wide open jumpers for his man, poor rotations, or his man sneaking in for a put back.

[kozlodoev]

I will say that during several of Rondo's triple double games where he needs just a rebound or two more late in the game, I've seen him zone up and stay near the paint hunting for a rebound if he thinks a shot is going up instead of staying with his man.

Oh yeah, most of the time when he's a rebound or so short it's quite clear that he's going out of his way to get it.

[CelticG1]

"The Owners hate the look of that building when the team is headed for the lottery and nobody cares"

I can't agree with that assessment. Casueway street fans are pretty consistent in their passion.  The Celts and Bruins have experienced very recent years of turmoil and a strong fan base has always been there. 

I think that's one of the reassuring points for management regarding the Celtics' current situation.  Wyc knows that, if he chooses to, he can ride out the Peirce/KG years & fall back into rebuild mode while still maintaining a high level of support from the fans.

But as Jeff said, i think that taste of success is going to make swallowing that pill pretty difficult.

2000-02 I only attended a few games and they were playoff games and the garden was hopping.  I was also like 18 years old so maybe I was just that amped up.

2005-07 the Garden was very weak.  I attended a couple games a year and there were always empty seats.  It was one of those places where you went to the game to see the opponent's star players [Lebron] almost as much as you went to see the celtics.  I would sit in complete frustration as CP3 completely locked down whoever we threw in there at pg and it seemed that nobody around me cared at all.

2008+ the Garden has been hopping again to unbelievable levels.

In terms of attendance:

2003:  17,293 per game
2004:  16,201 per game
2005:  16,001 per game
2006:  16,899 per game
2007:  16,843 per game
2008:  18,624 per game 

The Celtics have been at full capacity every year since except for 2010, when they still averaged over 18,000 fans per game.

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance

Is that kind of like the red sox sell out streak?

I remember getting those $10 tix on game nights and then having my pick of where to sit when I got in.