50 Wins Next Season? Paint Me A Picture.

[PhoSita]

Our team really surprised a lot of us this year.  I'm one of those who expected this team to win significantly fewer games and miss the playoffs.  I was wrong.

I've seen the idea put out there in the wake of this playoff loss that with the right moves, the team could win as many as 50 games next season.  Even that it is now on Ainge to get the team to that level, because the team has now moved past being a lottery squad.

My question: How?  There may be any number of ways it could happen.  There are also any number of ways it could go in the other direction, but this thread is about the positive, best case scenario.


So, spin me a yarn.  Paint me a picture.  50 wins - probably enough to win the division - how does it happen?

[SparzWizard]

Depends on how the roster looks. It could downgrade, or it could upgrade.

I predict 45 wins at max. But on a minimum level, 38 wins would suffice.

[Who]

I am expecting a quiet summer and possibly (probably?) a step backwards next year unless some of the younger players make a big leap forward.

I don't think summer is setting up well for a big FA addition or a big trade. So I am not expecting any large upgrade in talent levels. The #16 pick is unlucky to net anyone who makes significant short term impact.

I thought overachieved this season and will be hard pressed to match it next season. I think doing so would require a big step forward from some of the young guys -- which hopefully will happen and has good odds of happening. Sully, Smart, Olynyk, maybe Crowder.

[PhoSita]

I am expecting a quiet summer and likely a step backwards next year unless some of the younger players make a big leap forward.

Thats my prediction, too, at this point.

But I'm not going to preclude the opposite scenario.  I'm just curious to see some creative scenarios for how it might happen.

[Endless Paradise]

I am expecting a quiet summer and likely a step backwards next year unless some of the younger players make a big leap forward.

Thats my prediction, too, at this point.

Yeah, I'm getting a real 2013-14 Phoenix Suns-kinda vibe from this Celtics team.

[Who]

I think to get to 50 wins, the Celtics will need to make two big time additions.

(1) A center -- either a defensive guy or Monroe. I am going to go with Monroe because I think he is the most gettable talented big man on the market right now.
(2) A creative offensive player on perimeter -- very few wings who fit that description so most likely a PG with Smart playing off guard. Ty Lawson is most available talented PG on the market.

PG: Ty Lawson, Isaiah Thomas
OG: Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder, (free agent)
PF: Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk
 C: Greg Monroe, Tyler Zeller

[Smokeeye123]

[PhoSita]

Lol

[Evantime34]

Some ideas
1. We cash in our chips to trade for DeMarcus Cousins (3 team trade, involving Denver), then Love decides to sign with Boston (KO is dealt in the DeMarcus deal.
Line up:
Boogie
Love
Crowder
Turner
Smart

2. We trade with Denver to get Lawson and Gallinari, push the tempo and hit a ton of 3's
Line Up:
Olynyk
Gallinari
Crowder
Smart
Lawson

3. The in house option. Sullinger comes into camp in the best shape of his life. Marcus Smart emerges as an offensive factor by drawing a ton of fouls and living at the line like he did in college. We move up in the draft using a Brooklyn pick draft WCS and become a top 5 defensive team.

I'm sad that we seem to be such a pessimistic fan base. The OP asked us to paint a scenario in which we win 50 games and most people are saying it won't happen. We can't even play along to make up a plausible scenario where we win 50 games, even if you don't think it will happen?

[LarBrd33]

Despite the late season surge, I don't see this as a 40 win team right now.  We snuck up on some teams who weren't familiar with our role players.  I think lotto is more likely than 50 wins.  Ainge might pull something off though.

[Ilikesports17]

I think the best course of action is probably to upgrade talent-wise by packaging our guys like AB, Zeller etc to either move up or get more talented players.

This consolidation of talent will weaken us either by leaving holes in our roster or trading defined talent for undefined talent.

I think if we want to continue a linear trajectory to 50 wins we could do something like this.

move 1: AB to Jazz for selection #12 (now 35 mil cap)
move 2: sign Khris Middleton to 15 million dollar deal (now 20 mil)
move 3: 12 + 16 + 2nds to get into top 10 --> draft 1 of WCS, Winslow, Stanley Johnson, Hezonja
move 4: Resign Jae Crowder to 7 mil a year
move 5: Robin Lopez or Tyson Chandler for 9-13 mil a year

Smart IT4
Turner Young
Middleton Crowder Johnson
Sully KO
Lopez Zeller

With improvements from Smart, Young, Sully, KO better luck with help a big upgrade in the starting lineup adding rim protection in Lopez and shooting with Middleton. I say we are close to 50 wins.

Bench stays really strong headed up by IT4 and Crowder. Ideally Lopez/Chandler is a short term fix at C and eventually Middleton moves to the 2 when Johnson becomes a starter.

Id like to move on from KO but cant think of a way to move him for any decent value.

I think you could get pick 20 from Tor for him then maybe flip 20 for Taj gibson but his salary doesnt fit.

[Lucky17]

Posted elsewhere:

Rondo TPE and picks for Ty Lawson (Nuggets rebuild)
Use Prince TPE to acquire Omer Asik in sign and trade
Gerald Wallace for David Lee (salary dump to retain D. Green)
retain Crowder

Lawson / IT
Smart / Bradley
Crowder / Turner
Lee / Sullinger
Asik / Zeller / KO

Still have MLE to acquire another vet player to round out rotation.

[LooseCannon]

Paul Millsap wants a max contract.  The Hawks balk at paying a 30-year-old player that much money and instead sign Greg Monroe (who they have long been interested in) to a (smaller) max deal.

Ainge is willing to pony up a big contract for Millsap and finds a way to also add a solid defensive center.

[libermaniac]

20-9 down the stretch this year.  Very simple picture:

(20/29) * 82 = 56.55.

 

[max215]

Despite the late season surge, I don't see this as a 40 win team right now.  We snuck up on some teams who weren't familiar with our role players.  I think lotto is more likely than 50 wins.  Ainge might pull something off though.

This thread too? C'mon man, the point of this thread is clearly defined: how can the Celtics become a 50 win team. Not what are we now and what catastrophe of a season could happen. This thread is about positivity, trying to figure out where we can go from here. Try thinking about the positives of the team, just on this thread at least.