The good news

[Celtics18]

So far we've had the fourth toughest schedule in the league, but it does get easier.  Nine of our fifteen games in December are against teams that currently have losing records.

Hopefully, we can start seeing some wins before too long. 

[LarBrd33]

I think we have overachieved so far.  This team is as terrible as everyone said they'd be.  They should have even more losses with this mismatched mediocre bunch.

[Beat LA]

I think we have overachieved so far.  This team is as terrible as everyone said they'd be.  They should have even more losses with this mismatched mediocre bunch.

Ditto.  Obviously, moral victories don't count towards your record, but I'd have to say that the epic comeback against the Mavs in Dallas counts for something, as does our ability to even hang with or be ahead of some of the best teams in the league this year, or, in Cleveland's case, one of the teams that will likely be near or at the top of the eastern conference by the end of the season.  At least we've had nice leads against the Cavs, Blazers, Bulls, and Raptors (right?  I can't remember all of the games we've blown so far lol ).  I guess what I'm saying is that I'll take what I can get right now.  The only thing I'd like to see would be more playing time for Smart (when he comes back) and Young, but this isn't going to happen overnight, guys, and anyone who thought we'd be even a somewhat-decent team this year, well, sorry lol.  You can blame whoever you want (it's Ainge, for me), but that doesn't solve anything, and at the end of the day, we are where we are, and there's nothing any of us can do about it.  Oh well, maybe we'll get a nice draft pick this year ahaha not .

[Jiri Welsch]

I'm not sure it's a negative to look optimistically or hopefully at the future schedule.

I also don't agree that the team has overachieved thus far. I don't anticipate much improvement this season when it comes to winning percentage (I believe we will hover around .333 the whole season) mainly because other teams will improve as the year progresses as well. The team is horrible at closing out games, and I don't see their play thus far as overachieving.

It's pretty much what was expected, not better or worse.

[greece66]

I think we have overachieved so far.  This team is as terrible as everyone said they'd be.  They should have even more losses with this mismatched mediocre bunch.

Ditto.  Obviously, moral victories don't count towards your record, but I'd have to say that the epic comeback against the Mavs in Dallas counts for something, as does our ability to even hang with or be ahead of some of the best teams in the league this year, or, in Cleveland's case, one of the teams that will likely be near or at the top of the eastern conference by the end of the season.  At least we've had nice leads against the Cavs, Blazers, Bulls, and Raptors (right?  I can't remember all of the games we've blown so far lol ).  I guess what I'm saying is that I'll take what I can get right now.  The only thing I'd like to see would be more playing time for Smart (when he comes back) and Young, but this isn't going to happen overnight, guys, and anyone who thought we'd be even a somewhat-decent team this year, well, sorry lol.  You can blame whoever you want (it's Ainge, for me), but that doesn't solve anything, and at the end of the day, we are where we are, and there's nothing any of us can do about it.  Oh well, maybe we'll get a nice draft pick this year ahaha not .

That's the spirit! TP to both contributors.

[Fred Roberts]

This team has hung with top quality teams but they're still an unfinished product. Good signs abound. We still need a closer or a better approach to closing games. We clearly have ability across the roster.

[greece66]

Our problem so far is not that we lost games. It is how we lost them.

[Celtics18]

Our problem so far is not that we lost games. It is how we lost them.

Would you had more confidence in the team if they had been getting blown out rather than losing close games down the stretch?

How we have lost the games is part of my reason for being hopeful.

[Shamrocker]

I see no significant grounds for optimism. The Celtics, to channel Denis Green, are who we thought they were... A well coached cast of spare parts that will soon be disassembled for actual NBA players.  Happy days.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I think we have overachieved so far.  This team is as terrible as everyone said they'd be.  They should have even more losses with this mismatched mediocre bunch.

Ditto.  Obviously, moral victories don't count towards your record, but I'd have to say that the epic comeback against the Mavs in Dallas counts for something, as does our ability to even hang with or be ahead of some of the best teams in the league this year, or, in Cleveland's case, one of the teams that will likely be near or at the top of the eastern conference by the end of the season.  At least we've had nice leads against the Cavs, Blazers, Bulls, and Raptors (right?  I can't remember all of the games we've blown so far lol ).  I guess what I'm saying is that I'll take what I can get right now.  The only thing I'd like to see would be more playing time for Smart (when he comes back) and Young, but this isn't going to happen overnight, guys, and anyone who thought we'd be even a somewhat-decent team this year, well, sorry lol.  You can blame whoever you want (it's Ainge, for me), but that doesn't solve anything, and at the end of the day, we are where we are, and there's nothing any of us can do about it.  Oh well, maybe we'll get a nice draft pick this year ahaha not .

I agree. I figure we'll win just enough games so that our odds at a top-3 pick aren't that great, and we'll end up with, like, the 8th pick and get another decent-but-not-game-changing player.

[Celtics4ever]

Tanking via roster, we play hard but we will lose.

[Celtics18]

Bump.  Someone stole my thread title. 

And, for the record, I still think the news I posted is the actual good news. 

[pokeKingCurtis]

I see no significant grounds for optimism. The Celtics, to channel Denis Green, are who we thought they were... A well coached cast of spare parts that will soon be disassembled for actual NBA players.  Happy days.

That is bleak

[Future Celtics Owner]

I want to see Karl Towns in a cells uni.  So I'm liking this.