Good article about where we're at right now

[jpotter33]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2014/12/with_rondo_gone_celtics_must_decide_whats_next.html?camp=twit:celtics&SREF=Optin&dlvrit=834396

This seems to be the opinion of most on here. Whatever happens, it must happen fast; otherwise, we're only hurting ourselves.

[Celtics18]

Terrible article, parroting the completely baseless nonsense that being mediocre is the worst place to be in the NBA. 

This made up theory doesn't become true just because it gets repeated over and over again. 

[GzUP617]

Terrible article, parroting the completely baseless nonsense that being mediocre is the worst place to be in the NBA. 

This made up theory doesn't become true just because it gets repeated over and over again.

  You're right,  I mean it's worked so well for the Atlanta Hawks, because mediocre teams tend to win championchips if they really really want it.

[Lucky17]

Meh. Nothing terribly insightful here.

Frankly, considering all those 1st rounders owned, I think it's less necessary to tank, and more important to develop players, including trying to compete. Losers have little trade value.

[slamtheking]

Terrible article, parroting the completely baseless nonsense that being mediocre is the worst place to be in the NBA. 

This made up theory doesn't become true just because it gets repeated over and over again.

  You're right,  I mean it's worked so well for the Atlanta Hawks, because mediocre teams tend to win championchips if they really really want it.

Hawks seem to be doing pretty well this year.  people falling back on the mediocrity argument are going to need to come up with a differen example soon

[pokeKingCurtis]

Thought this would link to the "Kentucky would beat the Celtics right now" thread. Haha.

[Celtics18]

Terrible article, parroting the completely baseless nonsense that being mediocre is the worst place to be in the NBA. 

This made up theory doesn't become true just because it gets repeated over and over again.

  You're right,  I mean it's worked so well for the Atlanta Hawks, because mediocre teams tend to win championchips if they really really want it.

Between 1999 and 2007, Hawks picks:

'99:  10
'00:  6
'01:  3
'02:  No lottery picks
'03:  No lottery picks
'04:  6
'05:  2
'06:  5
'07:  3

Over a nine year span, the Hawks had a total of seven lottery picks, four of them in the top five, six of them in the top six. 

The Hawks basically spent a decade "rebuilding through the draft."  They finally got tired of it and decided to put as competitive a team as they could on the floor.

I would argue that the Hawks represent more of an argument against "tanking" than they do against mediocrity.

Shifting gears to the myth of mediocrity being perpetual:

From 2003 through 2006, our Boston Celtics won 44, 36, 45, and 33 games respectively.  They were solidly mediocre.  Of course, they managed to turn it around and win a title in 2008 and build a team that was competing for that goal up through 2012.

The Miami Heat amassed a mediocre 36 wins in '02, in '04, they netted a slightly better, but still mediocre 42 wins.  By 2006, they were NBA champions.

The next incarnation of champions in Miami had won a mediocre 43 games in 2009 before re-establishing their championship run three seasons later in 2012. 

The LA Lakers were mediocre from '05 to '07, winning 34, 45, and 42 games, respectively in those seasons, before winning championships in '09 and '10. 

The Detroit Pistons won a title in '04, and followed that up with one more trip to the NBA finals and three more trips to the conference finals.  From '98 to '01, they were however mired in mediocrity, winning 37, 29 (in a 50 game season), 42 and 32 games, respectively.

I think these should be enough examples to lay some serious doubt to the myth that mediocrity for an NBA franchise necessarily means that somehow mediocrity is destined to last for perpetuity.

It's simply not true, although, it sure is repeated a lot.  Maybe that's what the writer of that article meant by "it's been well documented that the worst place to be in the NBA is the middle" (I paraphrase). 

There's nothing wrong with being mediocre if the team is showing improvement and has avenues to continue to improve for the future.  The Boston Celtics have some talented young players who are still improving, tons of draft picks coming up in the near future, some impending cap space, and an established culture of being one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.

Bring on mediocrity, baby!!!

It's the fastest path back to contention.