Poll: How many lottery picks will we have in 2016?

[celticsclay]

Just one.  Boston's own pick. 

Dallas and Brooklyn make the playoffs as the 8th seed (both may be under .500, as I think this is the year the west normalizes a bit).  Minnesota is too bad and the pick doesn't convey.

Dallas loses Chandler and Ellis and has Parsons coming off injury. They add Williams and Matthews who will miss time to start the season but still make the playoffs?

Brooklyn loses 4 rotation players and adds barg but does the same as last year?

[colincb]

Two - DAL and BKN. Both got worse.

West: DAL and POR out, OKC and UTA in. Minnesota will be very raw even if better.

East: MIA replaces BKN who is an injury away from a top 5 pick.  BOS does better than the Liberty Bawler fanboys predict if that surprises anyone.

You forgot about Phoenix

Intentionally. You want to throw them into the playoffs in front of UTA, go ahead. I'm running with what UTA did in the 2nd half in a tougher conference with Gobert. Exum's likely to be better than his first year too.

[MJohnnyboy]

Two. Brooklyn and Dallas.

Dallas will be in the 8-12 range. They'll try to make the playoffs but there's a problem: They aren't very good. Their starting 5 consists two guys who are past their prime (Williams and Dirk), two guys who are coming off of serious injuries (Parsons and Matthews), and a mediocre center (Zaza). Not to mention they have serious depth issues. Who on their roster would you want in your rotation outside of Harris and Barea, who play the same position? If you say Richard Jefferson or Charlie Villanueva then you're really grasping. That teams isn't going to beat out New Orleans or Utah, two teams that are definitvely on the rise. I'd argue Phoenix and Sacramento could be better than the Mavericks next year. It's possible that even Minnesota could be better than Dallas if everything goes right for them. They have exciting young talent and good veterans to surround them.

Brooklyn could be anywhere from 4-10 (and possibly lower if Lopez gets hurt). I seriously don't understand how Celtics fans can be so pessimistic about that pick. I know it's the east, but statistically speaking, the Nets got worse by getting rid of Deron Williams, no matter how overrated he is. Their starting five is the injury-prone Lopez, a deteriorating Joe Johnson, Thad Young, RHJ (he could be good but not right away), and an aging Jarrett Jack, and if you thought Dallas had depth issues, wait until you see Brooklyn's bench! They just got rid of Teletovic and Blake, two productive bench players, to save cap room, so who do they have?
-Andrea Bargnani can score, but he can't rebound or play defense, which is sad for a seven footer. It's Brook Lopez' faults except much worse. Not to mention Bargs hasn't played more than 42 games since 2011. That's a legit red flag.
-Thomas Robinson and Shane Larkin are failed 1st-rounders. Robinson has shown flashes but has not done anything to establish any consistency. Larkin failed to play well even when he hardly had competition in New York. Robinson was a throw-in in the Afflalo deal. That is pretty telling.
-The only two guys who I think could give them good production off the bench is Bogdanovic and Ellington, and they play the same position.

Need I mention that if Lopez gets hurt, their season goes down the drain. Even if he stays healthy, its a top 10 pick. if Lopez is out for an extended period of time, it's a top 5 pick.

[MJohnnyboy]

Just one.  Boston's own pick. 

Dallas and Brooklyn make the playoffs as the 8th seed (both may be under .500, as I think this is the year the west normalizes a bit).  Minnesota is too bad and the pick doesn't convey.

Dallas loses Chandler and Ellis and has Parsons coming off injury. They add Williams and Matthews who will miss time to start the season but still make the playoffs?

Brooklyn loses 4 rotation players and adds barg but does the same as last year?

Yeah if the Celtics aren't going to make the playoffs, then, neither are the Nets.

There's pessimism, and then there's ridiculous.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

What does Minny need to do in the West to get us 13?

Win at least 40 games.  Don't see that happening, unfortunately.

So what you're telling me is we are getting a 2nd? 25 wins in the West may be harder to get than 40 in the East.

[Forza Juventus]

I'm guessing Boston, Brooklyn and Dallas will be lottery picks. I think Minnesota will be two second round picks. I will guess that Boston and Brooklyn will be 10 and 11 in the east and Dallas will be 9 in the west. So Dallas will be #14 in the lottery and Boston and Brooklyn will be #8 and #9 in the lottery. That would be awesome 

[celticsclay]

I'm guessing Boston, Brooklyn and Dallas will be lottery picks. I think Minnesota will be two second round picks. I will guess that Boston and Brooklyn will be 10 and 11 in the east and Dallas will be 9 in the west. So Dallas will be #14 in the lottery and Boston and Brooklyn will be #8 and #9 in the lottery. That would be awesome 

I have higher hopes for the Brooklyn slot. I am more nervous about Dallas. Deron Williams is not incredibly old and Carlisle is a good coach. If they don't clash heads, and williams has a lot of motivation not to, to land an additional contract, he could be a difference maker for them. Cuban is also p---ed and will probably do anything and everything to be as good as possible this year. Maybe he goes after smith or lawson at this point.

[BornReady]

My guess is nets and mavs don't make it and we get there lotto picks

I'm kind of 50-50 on the celtics right now
As we have improved depth and more exp playing with each other
While teams that didn't make the playoffs last season clearly improved e.g. Heat, Pacers
So they may eclipse us

[hwangjini_1]

Two. Brooklyn and Dallas.

Dallas will be in the 8-12 range. They'll try to make the playoffs but there's a problem: They aren't very good. Their starting 5 consists two guys who are past their prime (Williams and Dirk), two guys who are coming off of serious injuries (Parsons and Matthews), and a mediocre center (Zaza). Not to mention they have serious depth issues. Who on their roster would you want in your rotation outside of Harris and Barea, who play the same position? If you say Richard Jefferson or Charlie Villanueva then you're really grasping. That teams isn't going to beat out New Orleans or Utah, two teams that are definitvely on the rise. I'd argue Phoenix and Sacramento could be better than the Mavericks next year. It's possible that even Minnesota could be better than Dallas if everything goes right for them. They have exciting young talent and good veterans to surround them.

Brooklyn could be anywhere from 4-10 (and possibly lower if Lopez gets hurt). I seriously don't understand how Celtics fans can be so pessimistic about that pick. I know it's the east, but statistically speaking, the Nets got worse by getting rid of Deron Williams, no matter how overrated he is. Their starting five is the injury-prone Lopez, a deteriorating Joe Johnson, Thad Young, RHJ (he could be good but not right away), and an aging Jarrett Jack, and if you thought Dallas had depth issues, wait until you see Brooklyn's bench! They just got rid of Teletovic and Blake, two productive bench players, to save cap room, so who do they have?
-Andrea Bargnani can score, but he can't rebound or play defense, which is sad for a seven footer. It's Brook Lopez' faults except much worse. Not to mention Bargs hasn't played more than 42 games since 2011. That's a legit red flag.
-Thomas Robinson and Shane Larkin are failed 1st-rounders. Robinson has shown flashes but has not done anything to establish any consistency. Larkin failed to play well even when he hardly had competition in New York. Robinson was a throw-in in the Afflalo deal. That is pretty telling.
-The only two guys who I think could give them good production off the bench is Bogdanovic and Ellington, and they play the same position.

Need I mention that if Lopez gets hurt, their season goes down the drain. Even if he stays healthy, its a top 10 pick. if Lopez is out for an extended period of time, it's a top 5 pick.

nice analysis, so a tp.

just to shed a tad more light on the nets' situation, steve blake was traded to get the team under the luxury tax, which has been their primary goal this off season. and, thomas robinson is getting surgery to repair a small meniscus tear. i wish him lots of luck and a long, long recovery period.
 
so, right now my non-expert eyes tell me that the nets' depth chart looks a bit like this:

jack/larkin/boatright
bogdonovich/ellington
johnson/RHJ/karasev
young/t-rob
lopez/bargnani
 
boy, boy, oh boy. that is one Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.ty team, even if it stays healthy.  second best of all, NO draft picks to bail them out in the immediate future.

first best of all, this will be a sucky team that MUST improve via free agents, and for the immediate future every [dang] team in the nba will have cap space. 

honestly, i dont see how this version of the nets can NOT suck out loud.

mr ainge seems to have been both good and lucky here. me? i book them for the low lottery.

[colincb]

Thomas Robinson just tore his meniscus. Not that he's very good, but the Nets rotation just got a little weaker.

[max215]

Thomas Robinson just tore his meniscus. Not that he's very good, but the Nets rotation just got a little weaker.

It was a minor tear, I think he's expected back in time for the start of the season.

[mef730]

Brooklyn could be anywhere from 4-10 (and possibly lower if Lopez gets hurt). I seriously don't understand how Celtics fans can be so pessimistic about that pick.

Because the lottery usually screws us. It's better to start with low expectations.

I'm guessing Boston, Brooklyn and Dallas will be lottery picks. I think Minnesota will be two second round picks. I will guess that Boston and Brooklyn will be 10 and 11 in the east and Dallas will be 9 in the west. So Dallas will be #14 in the lottery and Boston and Brooklyn will be #8 and #9 in the lottery. That would be awesome 

I have higher hopes for the Brooklyn slot. I am more nervous about Dallas. Deron Williams is not incredibly old and Carlisle is a good coach. If they don't clash heads, and williams has a lot of motivation not to, to land an additional contract, he could be a difference maker for them. Cuban is also p---ed and will probably do anything and everything to be as good as possible this year. Maybe he goes after smith or lawson at this point.

What's funny is that so many of us are worried not that they'll be good, but that Dallas will be so bad that their lottery pick won't convey.

I just don't see how Dallas makes the playoffs this year. An adequate starting rotation, at best, and no bench.

Mike

[colincb]

And I don't see how BKN makes the playoffs.

They have a huge hole at PG and the falloff in team performance between when DWill was on the court vs Jack was significant last season. Throw in an injury to Lopez or JJ and it's a out-of-control death spiral to the bottom.

[Donoghus]

1  (Brooklyn's)

[colincb]

Bulpett had this today. This signing stuck out to me as the single worst signing and if he hasn't recovered from the worst injury in BB, then we're in good shape with this pick too. Signing only makes sense if LMA is coming too and I wouldn't have done it then either.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/07/bulpett_in_nba_theres_more_money_available_than_good

While agents smile and look into oceanfront getaway homes, coaches are preparing to deal with rosters containing higher-priced (and potentially higher-maintenance) players but not the corresponding increase in overall talent. General managers will tell you, off the record, that they think some of their colleagues have lost their minds, and they will hold firm in those positions, at least until they are the one paying a mid-level player star-level money.

The easiest conversation starter is any combination of the names “Wesley” and “Matthews.”

The 6-foot-5 shooter has fashioned a very nice six-year start to his career after beginning as an undrafted free agent. He averaged 15.9 points for Portland last season, and was compensated quite fairly at $7.25 million. He was on the way to a good free agent payout when he ruptured his left Achilles’ tendon on March 5.

Still Matthews was among the prizes on the free agent market, and he agreed to a four-year, $57 million deal with Dallas on the assumption that DeAndre Jordan was spurning the Clippers to come aboard, as well. But before people around the league could fully process that number, Jordan went back on his commitment to the Mavericks, and Matthews, who had agreed to a flexible deal, got a $13 million raise to $70 million.

Is this a great country or what?

“A healthy Wesley Matthews at $70 million is insane,” one GM said. “But Wesley Matthews coming off Achilles’ surgery at $70 million? What’s a stronger way to say insane?”