Hi Rondo9 - yep, good point and agree. I acknowledge the wins attributable to the players you mention and I have zero issue with those wins.
My issue is with watching Thornton, Prince and Bass help us pull out a minimum of 5-10 wins this season - games where Thornton or Price come off the bench to make key plays or drop 15-20 on a team that changed the outcome. I'd much rather have played my young guys those minutes and let the chips fall where they may.
Regarding Thornton and Prince - there is now way they were going to be here next season, therefore I do not play them. I also am not a fan of "showcasing" vets who'
have been in the league for 6+ years to increase their trade value. I think any good GM league wide is probably pretty clear on what Thornton or Prince can bring to the table.
Bass is a tougher call because he deserves minutes and I would have serious considerations about bringing him back on another fairly long term contract as a vet presence in my PF rotation.
Two options with him:
Option A) I ultimately decide I'm not planning on bringing him back. If so, he is not getting minutes - I'm giving them minutes to guys "who will be here". If he doesn't like it he can go home. I pay him $6-7 million a year to be happy with whatever role I ask to perform.
Option B) I do plan on bringing him back. In this case I tell him I have every intention of bringing him back as a part of our long term plans and at a fair market value. That said, I need to take a long, hard look at my young guys and need him to play a bit more of a mentor role with reduced minutes for the last 20-30 games. Again, I pay him and that's the job I'm asking him to do. If he chafes under that job description, that would change my decision on making him a long term part of this team. I would not tell him I'm bringing him back unless I absolutely intended to.
I 100% agree with you that we have lots of cap, pick s and massive flexibility moving forward. I love that and very excited about it - I also want to add "one projected blue chip talent" to my war chest as well - I want it all.
Olynyk, Zeller, Sullinger (until injured), Crowder, Jerebko, Turner, Thomas, Smart, Bradley, Datome Young, Pressey - that's my key rotation. Bass gets minutes here and there where needed.
No one else sees the court. If players are p---ed because Prince, Thornton and/or Bass aren't being used, they can complain all day. They'll all be happy when Towns is running up and down the court with them.
LarBrd33 - your cut and pastes summarize it in a nutshell. I'm not saying we can't get lucky and make something happen in free agency or trade - but I'd like to add that blue chipper. In that case you'd also have to give up less assets having only to chase maybe one star instead of two in in trade scenarios and you might also be more attractive to big free agents having a real cornerstone piece, such as Towns, in house...
Hey Celtics4ever: Not a coach, but have held a lot of upper level management positions - there are a lot of similarities to that in coaching, management of talent, what's the right team, 10,000 strategies, day to day details to get "there"...
I also cannot help but root for the Celtics once the ball goes up.
I absolutely want us to win every game - just not with guys who are not part of the future. I'd rather take it on the chin with a few more losses and develop guys who will be here - than play them.
And in this case, the playing of those vets are likely to put us in a much worse draft position.