The NBA is not about growth...

[AussiePacer]

...and your team moving forward.

Watching the game tonight between the Celtics and Bucks, and the commentators mentioned both teams would be happy with game 7 because it's good for the growth of their sides and moving forward.

Does this hold true in the NBA?

Rosters change so dramatically year to year, I never think of a team as building. Sure, one or two players may build and be there for a few more years, but the roster itself is likely to change significantly over the next 12-24 months, so any experience gained this year is likely to be totally irrelevant for a number of players involved in the next push.

As an exampLe, the pacers have a very different roster to last year. We also have a chance to push and surprise another team or 2.

My hypothesis:-

The NBA is a year by year competition, and what's gone before is largely irrelevant because anything can happen. The next super power can find it and lose it in the blink of a championship and on it goes.

Players want to win, yes, but they want financial security and opportunities outside of playing. Winning a ring isn't everything to everyone, and this makes the game so much more unpredictable and actually fuels the scenario where a star can leave and find a ring in what was considered a lesser team, or a star can be born, and push a collective group to heights above their individual components.

Thoughts?

[clyde21]

I mean, I disagree. Brown, Tatum and Rozier are going to be that much better next year because of the series they're playing this year. That experience is invaluable to your growth and culture as a whole.

This is going to make the Celtics even more dangerous down the road because they know they can rely on their younger pieces to compliment their stars (Irving/Hayward) when they come back.

[XxIronChainzxX]

Tatum has IMO grown tremendously as a player in this post-season. Win or lose game 7 this will make a major difference for the Celtics as they try and contend next year. If they win the experience against Philly will also help them.

[AussiePacer]

I mean, I disagree. Brown, Tatum and Rozier are going to be that much better next year because of the series they're playing this year. That experience is invaluable to your growth and culture as a whole.

This is going to make the Celtics even more dangerous down the road because they know they can rely on their younger pieces to compliment their stars (Irving/Hayward) when they come back.

It's a good point, but how long can they keep this core?

Is it 12 more months, or will they get another 3 years to make their run? How many of this years contributors will be there next time, or 3 years down the track?

If it's about keeping 3-4 guys together, yeah, makes sense, but it's unlikely 50% of the guys playing tonight are there 25 months down the track IMO.

[XxIronChainzxX]

I mean, I disagree. Brown, Tatum and Rozier are going to be that much better next year because of the series they're playing this year. That experience is invaluable to your growth and culture as a whole.

This is going to make the Celtics even more dangerous down the road because they know they can rely on their younger pieces to compliment their stars (Irving/Hayward) when they come back.

It's a good point, but how long can they keep this core?

Is it 12 more months, or will they get another 3 years to make their run? How many of this years contributors will be there next time, or 3 years down the track?

If it's about keeping 3-4 guys together, yeah, makes sense, but it's unlikely 50% of the guys playing tonight are there 25 months down the track IMO.

Brown and Tatum are on the rookie scale. Hayward is locked up. Irving is up for the max but they have room. They'll run into issues with Brown and Tatum but if they both pan out one or both of Irving and Hayward will more or less have their deals expire.

Their real issue is in the frontcourt but that;'s neither here nor there. No one is developing their bench scrubs.

[Dominator83]

Its growth for your core young guys. Like back in 2009, I thought just getting to the playoffs and having that great series was great for Rose/Noahs development

[Raptor_Guy]

I get what you're saying for the most part. In terms of the "growth" I feel like that's more something you pitch to your fans and not necessarily real in terms of future results. Obviously it depends on the team though.

For example, for Boston this is great experience for their young players and will serve them well next year when they can actually be a championship contender. However, for a team like Milwaukee, in my opinion it doesn't change much in terms of their place in the league. If they were to win game 7 and lose to Philly in the next round I don't think that puts them any closer to winning a championship next season in, but they would pitch to their fans that they grew and are that much closer.

I think the assumption that growth will make your team better next year is overrated and gets GMs into trouble. We see teams that make the playoffs and assume they'll get better through internal growth and experience just to get lose in the first round the next year or sometimes miss the playoffs all together.

[RaptorsLife]

Celtics I think it's growth

Bucks I think they aren't learning a damn thing losing in first round again