My grade for this game. As always, our three objectives are #1 - hard-fought losses. #2 - Develop the youngs. #3 - Showcase the overpaid vets.
#1 - We almost pulled off the tank late, but ultimately let this one get away from us. Our first win of the season. Fail.
#2 - Great games out of Sully and Oly. Bradley was his typical "meh" self. Vitor's worse game. Overall this was a good one. CHECK.
#3 - Bass 20 points. Wallace 9 and 9. Lee had an effective 5 minutes. I'll give this a CHECK.
Overall score: C- Our worst outing this year. I understand it was vs the worst team in the league, but we can't make a habit out of winning. Hopefully the Celtics right the ship next outing vs Orlando. We just need to get through this stretch... softest opening schedule in the league. It's been difficult to tank under these optimal conditions. Luckily we have some quality teams on the horizon.
This is what is striking me...
So we're supposed to not have a winning habit. Okay, so if this "we should go for losses" plan works and we get the number 1 pick, guess what, that supposed superstar comes to a team who doesn't know how to win, if he even turns into a superstar. And that's another thing.
And then we are just going to waste his talents and will rebuild again in the next 8 years because his supporting cast are perennial losers who never learned how win, because this crazy tank job prevented them to.
Sorry, I'd rather have a team who's hungry for wins. I'd rather have a team that will not accept losing and will battle it out every night for the W, in turn giving them valuable experience and development and also builds character. Give me that and the mid round pick that comes with it instead of that precious #1 overall pick and the repercussion of not having a habit of winning.
Complete nonsense. Cavs had a horrible losing culture when LeBron arrived and he eventually took them to the Finals. Sonics were activately trying to lose games during Durant's rookie year and they eventually made the Finals. Celtics tanked it up Rondo's rookie season and yet Rondo/Perk had no issue contributing to a champion the following year.
Losing this year is A-Ok and I'm actively in support of tanking. Additionally... Maybe 2 or 3 players on this squad will still be Celtics the next time they make the playoffs. It literally doesn't matter. We don't have much to gain from winning right now. The moderately talented youngs will get their reps in regardless. Our foundation will be built on guys who haven't been drafted yet.
This is a one year thing. I have no doubt Ainge will start to make moves to make us competitive next year. In the short term, our only goals are to #1 - Lose Close Games. #2 - Develop the youngs. #3 - Showcase the overpaid vets
We'll take a couple wins every once in a while, but we're best off losing as much as possible this season.
LeBron wasted 3 or 4 years IIRC of his career by being surrounded by talented players who has no winning mentality to the point that his Cleveland team had to overpay for just solid and washed up players just to contend. And he eventually left. Dwight did the same, technically. Youre probably going to see the same with John Wall. Cane in with immense talent but in a losing culture and look.
You underestimate the value of winning culture. Even if its just one season of losing, it still losing. Its not being competitive enough and accepting mediocity instead of beings p---ed and working hard the next game to get a win. That sets a bad example for this superstat you want picked. If he's surrounded by teammates who dont care about winning, he'll either not care about it as well or will have to mature faster and in turn will have a ton of pressure to succeed.
Look at Duncan when he landed with the Spurs. They were winning until the year when Robinson got injured and they landed him. He came in to a team whos expectations ar nothing but winning, and he was taught early in his career that theres no other way. Same qith Derrick Rose. Now both of them are obsessed with winning.
Then loom at Blake Griffin and imagine what his career with be without Chris Paul.
I get it, we will have a very good shot of being good next year with a top pick. But we can also rebuild by having a team who's hungry for wins. In turn the new players coming in will be expected to give notjing by great effort and not accept losing as an option.
You can have all the talent in the world, but without a womning mentality, your team will end up like Sacramento. I would rather be Indiana. A team that was built without a top 5 pick butws run by a winner and demands nothing but. Missed the playoffs but tried the hardest until eventually got really good because the guys coming In sees the value of winning.
I get the point. Were not good enough to win anything right now, so for now losing can be a bitter pill to swallow. But you dont encourage it, you try to win asuch as you can and build a habit of it despite the lack of talent. It builds character and a competitive mentality. Your notio. Is for our players to accept losing and be okay with it, well, yoyre superstar that you want to draft next year wi be the same or worse, will leave because he's surrounded by losers and are fine with it.