2025 NBA Draft Thread, part 1 – Capture the Flagg

[Smart2Nesmith43]

I'm seeing a ton of nuclear bomb trades that would completely end any and all shots the Celtics would have at another title with Jayson Tatum. Guys, Tatum is coming back! He's 27 years old and his max contract has a long way to go. This isn't a Kobe situation where he was much older, and the team was rebuilding.
Jaylen Brown is an All-Star in his prime. DWhite is a stud in his prime. Jrue Holiday is still a really good player with good basketball left in the tank. KP is still a really good player, when healthy. Pritchard is fresh off 6th man of the year. Sam Hauser is a knockdown shooter. Al Horford is still a rock-solid player.
Now, with all that said, I understand how the 2nd apron works, how the cap works, and how the tax works. I understand that Boston needs to do something to get under the 2nd apron. And they most likely will get below the 2nd apron. But why are we giving up? It's so hard to win back-to-back titles. Last year was pretty easy, but let's not forget that outside of the KP playoff injury, the Celts were healthy. And even an injured KP had a historic 1st quarter in game 1 of the finals. This year, even before Tatum went down, the Celtics were simply too injured to win a title. It wasn't happening. JB, Jrue, Hauser, KP all hobbled.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here, is I cannot imagine Brad Stevens is looking at this roster and thinking, "it's over". Rather, I'd imagine he's thinking, "how can I get us under the 2nd apron, but also get creative and find a way to bring in a diamond in the rough guy that can help us win games in Tatum's absence and help get us over the top once Tatum returns." DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF BRAD STEVENS FINDS ANOTHER DWHITE TYPE via TRADE. Meaning, impact guy.
Everyone is throwing Jrue, KP and JB trades into the trade machine. I could see maybe 1 of Jrue or KP dealt if the return gets the team under the apron and gets the team younger/more athletic.

Good to see you posting again. Great post.

People want to blow up this team. No loyalty. That's why I said a few posts ago that I'm glad none of these posters are the GM of the Celtics. I say that with love and respect. Leave it to Brad. He will put this team in a position to get back to the top, not rebuild. It's not going to be easy, but it can be done.

It's easy to blow up a team, it's much harder to build it back up. People should look at the Pacers, back to back ECF and probably on their way to the finals and they haven't had a top 5 picks in decades. You don't need tank if your GM does their job properly. Call me crazy but I'd rather have a good team that's a move away from a championship than a bad one that's five moves away. Because in my opinion it's a lot easier to hit on one move than five.

[shi-woo]

I'm seeing a ton of nuclear bomb trades that would completely end any and all shots the Celtics would have at another title with Jayson Tatum. Guys, Tatum is coming back! He's 27 years old and his max contract has a long way to go. This isn't a Kobe situation where he was much older, and the team was rebuilding.
Jaylen Brown is an All-Star in his prime. DWhite is a stud in his prime. Jrue Holiday is still a really good player with good basketball left in the tank. KP is still a really good player, when healthy. Pritchard is fresh off 6th man of the year. Sam Hauser is a knockdown shooter. Al Horford is still a rock-solid player.
Now, with all that said, I understand how the 2nd apron works, how the cap works, and how the tax works. I understand that Boston needs to do something to get under the 2nd apron. And they most likely will get below the 2nd apron. But why are we giving up? It's so hard to win back-to-back titles. Last year was pretty easy, but let's not forget that outside of the KP playoff injury, the Celts were healthy. And even an injured KP had a historic 1st quarter in game 1 of the finals. This year, even before Tatum went down, the Celtics were simply too injured to win a title. It wasn't happening. JB, Jrue, Hauser, KP all hobbled.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here, is I cannot imagine Brad Stevens is looking at this roster and thinking, "it's over". Rather, I'd imagine he's thinking, "how can I get us under the 2nd apron, but also get creative and find a way to bring in a diamond in the rough guy that can help us win games in Tatum's absence and help get us over the top once Tatum returns." DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF BRAD STEVENS FINDS ANOTHER DWHITE TYPE via TRADE. Meaning, impact guy.
Everyone is throwing Jrue, KP and JB trades into the trade machine. I could see maybe 1 of Jrue or KP dealt if the return gets the team under the apron and gets the team younger/more athletic.

Good to see you posting again. Great post.

People want to blow up this team. No loyalty. That's why I said a few posts ago that I'm glad none of these posters are the GM of the Celtics. I say that with love and respect. Leave it to Brad. He will put this team in a position to get back to the top, not rebuild. It's not going to be easy, but it can be done.

It's easy to blow up a team, it's much harder to build it back up. People should look at the Pacers, back to back ECF and probably on their way to the finals and they haven't had a top 5 picks in decades. You don't need tank if your GM does their job properly. Call me crazy but I'd rather have a good team that's a move away from a championship than a bad one that's five moves away. Because in my opinion it's a lot easier to hit on one move than five.

I respect the optimism of all 3 of these posts, but I also think there is a lack of accepting the major flaws this team has, and the recurring heartbreak because of them. Yes we won last year, but we also caught a lot of luck which no one will deny. We have had some horrific playoff loses, and embarrassing playoff series.

We aren't Bucks level, but we have been upset in 3 of the last 4 playoffs, and in the most heartbreaking way, by teams we should have beat. All the series have looked the same with horrible iso ball, mediocre coaching schemes, lack of rebounding, and playing with no heart. We are a team that is known more for its choke jobs than it's actual finals appearances. We are a team that on one hand will be talked about our success, but on the other how we always play down to our competition. Simmons was talking about it the other day, we have some of the worst playoff games in the modern era since we started forming this group in 2017. Since getting upset by a team that started Dragic, Robinson, and Crowder in 2020 we really haven't had a solid year outside of last year...

We have blamed Kyrie, Morris, Hayward, Brad losing the team, and Marcus Smart for all these problems over this run, and yet here we are in 2025, still complaining about the same things over and over. I'm not saying blow it up, but i'm also not going to act like every guy on this team should be a Celtic lifer, and at some point the fundamental issues of this team HAVE to get addressed.

This team needs rebounding and shot blocking
This team needs playmaking from the guard position
This team needs a 3/4 wing off the bench
This team needs more ball movement
This team needs to play inside the 3pnt line
This team needs to stop settling at the end of quarters.
This team needs some guys with toughness and no quit in them

(I'm starting to understand the moves Danny made like Morris, Thompson and Kemba way more now.)

We aren't getting any of that from this group, so with Tatum hurt and the tax implications, its time to take the green glasses off for a lot of people and I pray to god Brad isn't looking at our horrific loses at home in the ECF in 2020, .500 year in 21, the horrific finals in 22, historic upset in 23, and complete smackdown in 2025 and thinking "wow this team is one piece away." I get it will never be smooth with this group or team as long as we run everything through 2 wings with limited ball skills, but the Jays arent 20 anymore, they are closer to 30 now. The future idealism that still permeates through this team needs to die, and present realism needs to take over. Before we know it these guys window will be closed, and we'll still have posters making excuses and blaming people like Brad and Marcus for the shortcomings of the Jays when we really just need the front office to make the necessary moves, what ever those might be.

I like the optimism, but also think we need to be objective with how mediocre this team has been outside of last year, and that realistic and appropriate changes need to be made

[165bows]

Good to see you posting again. Great post.

People want to blow up this team. No loyalty. That's why I said a few posts ago that I'm glad none of these posters are the GM of the Celtics. I say that with love and respect. Leave it to Brad. He will put this team in a position to get back to the top, not rebuild. It's not going to be easy, but it can be done.

It's easy to blow up a team, it's much harder to build it back up. People should look at the Pacers, back to back ECF and probably on their way to the finals and they haven't had a top 5 picks in decades. You don't need tank if your GM does their job properly. Call me crazy but I'd rather have a good team that's a move away from a championship than a bad one that's five moves away. Because in my opinion it's a lot easier to hit on one move than five.

I respect the optimism of all 3 of these posts, but I also think there is a lack of accepting the major flaws this team has, and the recurring heartbreak because of them. Yes we won last year, but we also caught a lot of luck which no one will deny. We have had some horrific playoff loses, and embarrassing playoff series.

We aren't Bucks level, but we have been upset in 3 of the last 4 playoffs, and in the most heartbreaking way, by teams we should have beat. All the series have looked the same with horrible iso ball, mediocre coaching schemes, lack of rebounding, and playing with no heart. We are a team that is known more for its choke jobs than it's actual finals appearances. We are a team that on one hand will be talked about our success, but on the other how we always play down to our competition. Simmons was talking about it the other day, we have some of the worst playoff games in the modern era since we started forming this group in 2017. Since getting upset by a team that started Dragic, Robinson, and Crowder in 2020 we really haven't had a solid year outside of last year...

We have blamed Kyrie, Morris, Hayward, Brad losing the team, and Marcus Smart for all these problems over this run, and yet here we are in 2025, still complaining about the same things over and over. I'm not saying blow it up, but i'm also not going to act like every guy on this team should be a Celtic lifer, and at some point the fundamental issues of this team HAVE to get addressed.

This team needs rebounding and shot blocking
This team needs playmaking from the guard position
This team needs a 3/4 wing off the bench
This team needs more ball movement
This team needs to play inside the 3pnt line
This team needs to stop settling at the end of quarters.
This team needs some guys with toughness and no quit in them

(I'm starting to understand the moves Danny made like Morris, Thompson and Kemba way more now.)

We aren't getting any of that from this group, so with Tatum hurt and the tax implications, its time to take the green glasses off for a lot of people and I pray to god Brad isn't looking at our horrific loses at home in the ECF in 2020, .500 year in 21, the horrific finals in 22, historic upset in 23, and complete smackdown in 2025 and thinking "wow this team is one piece away." I get it will never be smooth with this group or team as long as we run everything through 2 wings with limited ball skills, but the Jays arent 20 anymore, they are closer to 30 now. The future idealism that still permeates through this team needs to die, and present realism needs to take over. Before we know it these guys window will be closed, and we'll still have posters making excuses and blaming people like Brad and Marcus for the shortcomings of the Jays when we really just need the front office to make the necessary moves, what ever those might be.

I like the optimism, but also think we need to be objective with how mediocre this team has been outside of last year, and that realistic and appropriate changes need to be made

Says be objective. Also ignores the fact the Celtics have objectively been the best team the past five years.

[winsomme2]

My current draft binkies are Walter Clayton Jr and Tahaad Pettiford, and I would trade up to get one of them if needed.

Clayton is so clutch and has no limit on his range. And the more I watch Pettiford the more his elite skill shows through. He really is a lottery talent that continues to be ranked end of first/early second round in mocks. Just too much talent to let slide, plus his ball handling is game changing.

[Larry_Russell]

Good to see you posting again. Great post.

People want to blow up this team. No loyalty. That's why I said a few posts ago that I'm glad none of these posters are the GM of the Celtics. I say that with love and respect. Leave it to Brad. He will put this team in a position to get back to the top, not rebuild. It's not going to be easy, but it can be done.

It's easy to blow up a team, it's much harder to build it back up. People should look at the Pacers, back to back ECF and probably on their way to the finals and they haven't had a top 5 picks in decades. You don't need tank if your GM does their job properly. Call me crazy but I'd rather have a good team that's a move away from a championship than a bad one that's five moves away. Because in my opinion it's a lot easier to hit on one move than five.

I respect the optimism of all 3 of these posts, but I also think there is a lack of accepting the major flaws this team has, and the recurring heartbreak because of them. Yes we won last year, but we also caught a lot of luck which no one will deny. We have had some horrific playoff loses, and embarrassing playoff series.

We aren't Bucks level, but we have been upset in 3 of the last 4 playoffs, and in the most heartbreaking way, by teams we should have beat. All the series have looked the same with horrible iso ball, mediocre coaching schemes, lack of rebounding, and playing with no heart. We are a team that is known more for its choke jobs than it's actual finals appearances. We are a team that on one hand will be talked about our success, but on the other how we always play down to our competition. Simmons was talking about it the other day, we have some of the worst playoff games in the modern era since we started forming this group in 2017. Since getting upset by a team that started Dragic, Robinson, and Crowder in 2020 we really haven't had a solid year outside of last year...

We have blamed Kyrie, Morris, Hayward, Brad losing the team, and Marcus Smart for all these problems over this run, and yet here we are in 2025, still complaining about the same things over and over. I'm not saying blow it up, but i'm also not going to act like every guy on this team should be a Celtic lifer, and at some point the fundamental issues of this team HAVE to get addressed.

This team needs rebounding and shot blocking
This team needs playmaking from the guard position
This team needs a 3/4 wing off the bench
This team needs more ball movement
This team needs to play inside the 3pnt line
This team needs to stop settling at the end of quarters.
This team needs some guys with toughness and no quit in them

(I'm starting to understand the moves Danny made like Morris, Thompson and Kemba way more now.)

We aren't getting any of that from this group, so with Tatum hurt and the tax implications, its time to take the green glasses off for a lot of people and I pray to god Brad isn't looking at our horrific loses at home in the ECF in 2020, .500 year in 21, the horrific finals in 22, historic upset in 23, and complete smackdown in 2025 and thinking "wow this team is one piece away." I get it will never be smooth with this group or team as long as we run everything through 2 wings with limited ball skills, but the Jays arent 20 anymore, they are closer to 30 now. The future idealism that still permeates through this team needs to die, and present realism needs to take over. Before we know it these guys window will be closed, and we'll still have posters making excuses and blaming people like Brad and Marcus for the shortcomings of the Jays when we really just need the front office to make the necessary moves, what ever those might be.

I like the optimism, but also think we need to be objective with how mediocre this team has been outside of last year, and that realistic and appropriate changes need to be made

That bolded part is the reason why the team has to tear pieces down to build back up.

DDB earlier stated all truths, but the reality is 2nd apron makes fixing any of the glaring issues impossible.

The last 4 points come from having a new coach, IMO.
A new player certainly helps with the last point.

We need a playmaker, yup, But I think that a combination of White and Pritchard handle that well enough for now.

But we really need:

We NEED size in the middle. We need someone who can give the team 15 rebounds who IS NOT TATUM
We NEED someone in the middle who can be dumped the ball from time to time and who is a lob threat.
We NEED a BIG 3D forward who can take defensive pressure off JT. We need JT to be our offensive hub who can take over when needed and not be gassed from being the number 1 rebounder, the number 1 big forward defender, the number 1 help defender.

Ideally a wing who can create for themselves or others (Brown is capable of 1 sometimes 2 of those things) A very good defender (brown is at times) a ball handler (brown isnt) and a major threat from the 3pt line for kick outs (no to brown here too)

Honestly, this team would be superior with Harper and someone like a healthy Mark Williams or Jalen Duren type of Center.

[Larry_Russell]

Says be objective. Also ignores the fact the Celtics have objectively been the best team the past five years.

They have, but they are not anymore, and with Tatums injury they need to protect him more. Hence needing a big forward, and a playmaking guard---they take some pressure off JT

Kristaps and Horford cannot be relied upon anymore to man the middle position on a championship caliber team, hence the need for a bigman in the middle

And the team cannot continue to stick with the current gameplan of just keep shooting nor continue chocking away leads over and over and over again
Hence needing a new coach.

[165bows]

Says be objective. Also ignores the fact the Celtics have objectively been the best team the past five years.

They have, but they are not anymore, and with Tatums injury they need to protect him more. Hence needing a big forward, and a playmaking guard---they take some pressure off JT

Kristaps and Horford cannot be relied upon anymore to man the middle position on a championship caliber team, hence the need for a bigman in the middle

And the team cannot continue to stick with the current gameplan of just keep shooting nor continue chocking away leads over and over and over again
Hence needing a new coach.

Not trying to backseat mod but maybe everyone can take their milquetoast team build threads out of the draft thread and back to all of the other threads with the rest of our bad takes

[djFan71]

Cedric Cowaard rising is good for the Cs if he stays in. I like him as a prospect so if we got him, great. If he goes earlier, that’s just one more person that lasts to 28 that wasn’t expected a few weeks ago.

[Hal14]

I'm seeing a ton of nuclear bomb trades that would completely end any and all shots the Celtics would have at another title with Jayson Tatum. Guys, Tatum is coming back! He's 27 years old and his max contract has a long way to go. This isn't a Kobe situation where he was much older, and the team was rebuilding.
Jaylen Brown is an All-Star in his prime. DWhite is a stud in his prime. Jrue Holiday is still a really good player with good basketball left in the tank. KP is still a really good player, when healthy. Pritchard is fresh off 6th man of the year. Sam Hauser is a knockdown shooter. Al Horford is still a rock-solid player.
Now, with all that said, I understand how the 2nd apron works, how the cap works, and how the tax works. I understand that Boston needs to do something to get under the 2nd apron. And they most likely will get below the 2nd apron. But why are we giving up? It's so hard to win back-to-back titles. Last year was pretty easy, but let's not forget that outside of the KP playoff injury, the Celts were healthy. And even an injured KP had a historic 1st quarter in game 1 of the finals. This year, even before Tatum went down, the Celtics were simply too injured to win a title. It wasn't happening. JB, Jrue, Hauser, KP all hobbled.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here, is I cannot imagine Brad Stevens is looking at this roster and thinking, "it's over". Rather, I'd imagine he's thinking, "how can I get us under the 2nd apron, but also get creative and find a way to bring in a diamond in the rough guy that can help us win games in Tatum's absence and help get us over the top once Tatum returns." DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF BRAD STEVENS FINDS ANOTHER DWHITE TYPE via TRADE. Meaning, impact guy.
Everyone is throwing Jrue, KP and JB trades into the trade machine. I could see maybe 1 of Jrue or KP dealt if the return gets the team under the apron and gets the team younger/more athletic.

Good to see you posting again. Great post.

People want to blow up this team. No loyalty. That's why I said a few posts ago that I'm glad none of these posters are the GM of the Celtics. I say that with love and respect. Leave it to Brad. He will put this team in a position to get back to the top, not rebuild. It's not going to be easy, but it can be done.

It's easy to blow up a team, it's much harder to build it back up. People should look at the Pacers, back to back ECF and probably on their way to the finals and they haven't had a top 5 picks in decades. You don't need tank if your GM does their job properly. Call me crazy but I'd rather have a good team that's a move away from a championship than a bad one that's five moves away. Because in my opinion it's a lot easier to hit on one move than five.

I agree to some extent. But I also feel like the Pacers are a bit of an outlier. If we look at teams in recent years who went from the lottery to turn their franchise around for the better, pretty much all of them had top 5 picks in multiple drafts - Orlando, OKC, Houston, Detroit, Cleveland, etc. Kings made the playoffs for the 1st time in like 25 years after drafting Keegan Murray with the 4th pick. Celtics turned their franchise around with 2 top 5 picks (Tatum, Brown) and Smart who was the 6th pick.

Grizzlies turned their franchise around by drafting JJJ 4th pick and then Ja 2nd pick the next year.

So that's 7 teams who turned their franchise around w/ top 5 picks. Pacers are 1 team that did it without a top 5 pick. And they drafted mathurin (6th pick), Jarace Walker (8th pick) so that's 2 picks in the 6-8 range. And it's not like they just turned their franchise around with just 1 move, like you're saying. It was a collection of moves:

-Trading Brogdon for Nesmith
-Trading Sabonis for Haliburton
-Sign Bruce Brown
-Trade Brown for Siakam
-Draft Nembhard
-Sign Toppin
-Draft Mathurin and Walker and Sheppard
-Extend McConnell and keep Turner around, even when there was tons of trade rumors around him
-Extend Nesmith

That's a lot of moves and they still haven't gotten past the conference finals. To win a title, it takes *a lot* of moves, a bit of luck and you typically need a top 5 player in the league to do it.

[phincsfan]

Stevens mentioned the C’s held two workouts yesterday before the press conference. Anybody know who the players were?

Haven't heard anything yet

[shi-woo]

It's easy to blow up a team, it's much harder to build it back up. People should look at the Pacers, back to back ECF and probably on their way to the finals and they haven't had a top 5 picks in decades. You don't need tank if your GM does their job properly. Call me crazy but I'd rather have a good team that's a move away from a championship than a bad one that's five moves away. Because in my opinion it's a lot easier to hit on one move than five.

I respect the optimism of all 3 of these posts, but I also think there is a lack of accepting the major flaws this team has, and the recurring heartbreak because of them. Yes we won last year, but we also caught a lot of luck which no one will deny. We have had some horrific playoff loses, and embarrassing playoff series.

We aren't Bucks level, but we have been upset in 3 of the last 4 playoffs, and in the most heartbreaking way, by teams we should have beat. All the series have looked the same with horrible iso ball, mediocre coaching schemes, lack of rebounding, and playing with no heart. We are a team that is known more for its choke jobs than it's actual finals appearances. We are a team that on one hand will be talked about our success, but on the other how we always play down to our competition. Simmons was talking about it the other day, we have some of the worst playoff games in the modern era since we started forming this group in 2017. Since getting upset by a team that started Dragic, Robinson, and Crowder in 2020 we really haven't had a solid year outside of last year...

We have blamed Kyrie, Morris, Hayward, Brad losing the team, and Marcus Smart for all these problems over this run, and yet here we are in 2025, still complaining about the same things over and over. I'm not saying blow it up, but i'm also not going to act like every guy on this team should be a Celtic lifer, and at some point the fundamental issues of this team HAVE to get addressed.

This team needs rebounding and shot blocking
This team needs playmaking from the guard position
This team needs a 3/4 wing off the bench
This team needs more ball movement
This team needs to play inside the 3pnt line
This team needs to stop settling at the end of quarters.
This team needs some guys with toughness and no quit in them

(I'm starting to understand the moves Danny made like Morris, Thompson and Kemba way more now.)

We aren't getting any of that from this group, so with Tatum hurt and the tax implications, its time to take the green glasses off for a lot of people and I pray to god Brad isn't looking at our horrific loses at home in the ECF in 2020, .500 year in 21, the horrific finals in 22, historic upset in 23, and complete smackdown in 2025 and thinking "wow this team is one piece away." I get it will never be smooth with this group or team as long as we run everything through 2 wings with limited ball skills, but the Jays arent 20 anymore, they are closer to 30 now. The future idealism that still permeates through this team needs to die, and present realism needs to take over. Before we know it these guys window will be closed, and we'll still have posters making excuses and blaming people like Brad and Marcus for the shortcomings of the Jays when we really just need the front office to make the necessary moves, what ever those might be.

I like the optimism, but also think we need to be objective with how mediocre this team has been outside of last year, and that realistic and appropriate changes need to be made

Says be objective. Also ignores the fact the Celtics have objectively been the best team the past five years.

Best team?

I'm curious to what you think of the part about "our horrific loses at home in the ECF in 2020, .500 year in 21, the horrific finals in 22, historic upset in 23, and complete smackdown in 2025"

We were an embarrassment in 2019 getting backdoor swept in round 2, needed a 50 pointer from Tatum to not get swept in the 1st in 2020, Needed the famous Tatum game 6 and Grants gm 7 against MIL WITHOUT Middleton or we would have been out in rnd 2 that year too, and Historic game 7 from Tatum in 23 to get past the sixers the next year. We easily could have been a 2nd round out every year...I get that we didn't, but the smackdown still came later on.

This team only gets a pass because we all grew up with the Jays, and have had the lens of optimism because when we made the trade in 13 everything broke right. We didn't suck, we had the IT years. Those picks really did get at the top of the draft. The dudes taken really did turn into allnba guys. They really did win a title. So we are just continuing on with the Manifest Destiny we all seem to believe in on this board.

I simply don't believe it any more, and after this last horrible upset, the injury and realization that these dudes will be in their 30s next time the team is ready to compete, i'm starting to loose the green tint of every playoff lose making the Jays better, and seeing it for what it really is, which is a roster and personnel problem, and constant let down year after year to teams that are worse than us.

Getting the smack down on our home floor and going down 0-2 in 2020, 23, and 25 is not the best team in the league. Seriously, this is the attitude that needs to change that surrounds this team. We have been a let down every year of the Jay's run with the exception of 18, the first year only because Kyrie sat out, and last year. Every other year was a massive disappointment and had us scratching our heads on why we are down 3-2 to a worse team.

No way in hell has this team been the best one over the past 5 years. And if they have, it's because of Jamal Murray and Kris Middleton getting hurt, and not because of anything we've done.

EDIT: My bad, just saw mods post about getting off topic

[165bows]

Total trash post. Guy says objectively and wants to get all in his feelings. Objectively who has won the most combined regular season in playoff games over the past five years? I’m not taking the time to find out but I know who’s in the top without even looking

[165bows]

Anyways, finally got to watch the Stevens press conference. There was a bit when they talked about the draft, and who they look for, in relation to the physicality of playoff games. Brad laughed and said linebackers.

[Hal14]

Says be objective. Also ignores the fact the Celtics have objectively been the best team the past five years.

Best team?

I'm curious to what you think of the part about "our horrific loses at home in the ECF in 2020, .500 year in 21, the horrific finals in 22, historic upset in 23, and complete smackdown in 2025"

We were an embarrassment in 2019 getting backdoor swept in round 2, needed a 50 pointer from Tatum to not get swept in the 1st in 2020, Needed the famous Tatum game 6 and Grants gm 7 against MIL WITHOUT Middleton or we would have been out in rnd 2 that year too, and Historic game 7 from Tatum in 23 to get past the sixers the next year. We easily could have been a 2nd round out every year...I get that we didn't, but the smackdown still came later on.

This team only gets a pass because we all grew up with the Jays, and have had the lens of optimism because when we made the trade in 13 everything broke right. We didn't suck, we had the IT years. Those picks really did get at the top of the draft. The dudes taken really did turn into allnba guys. They really did win a title. So we are just continuing on with the Manifest Destiny we all seem to believe in on this board.

I simply don't believe it any more, and after this last horrible upset, the injury and realization that these dudes will be in their 30s next time the team is ready to compete, i'm starting to loose the green tint of every playoff lose making the Jays better, and seeing it for what it really is, which is a roster and personnel problem, and constant let down year after year to teams that are worse than us.

Getting the smack down on our home floor and going down 0-2 in 2020, 23, and 25 is not the best team in the league. Seriously, this is the attitude that needs to change that surrounds this team. We have been a let down every year of the Jay's run with the exception of 18, the first year only because Kyrie sat out, and last year. Every other year was a massive disappointment and had us scratching our heads on why we are down 3-2 to a worse team.

No way in hell has this team been the best one over the past 5 years. And if they have, it's because of Jamal Murray and Kris Middleton getting hurt, and not because of anything we've done.

EDIT: My bad, just saw mods post about getting off topic

Last 5 years is 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. So not sure why you are mentioning 2019 or 2020.

These are the teams with the most playoff wins during that time:


And no team has won more than 1 title during that time. Boston is the only team to make more than 1 trip to NBA finals during that time so yes, we are objectively the best team in the league over the past 5 yrs.

[playa-hater]

Cedric Cowaard rising is good for the Cs if he stays in. I like him as a prospect so if we got him, great. If he goes earlier, that’s just one more person that lasts to 28 that wasn’t expected a few weeks ago.

Thought he was returning to college because of a 3 million NIL deal or something like that.

[djFan71]

Cedric Cowaard rising is good for the Cs if he stays in. I like him as a prospect so if we got him, great. If he goes earlier, that’s just one more person that lasts to 28 that wasn’t expected a few weeks ago.

Thought he was returning to college because of a 3 million NIL deal or something like that.

I think he’s playing the “gimme a guarantee game.”

[playa-hater]

My biggest concern in this draft is Giving up a draft asset in a trade just to get under the 2nd Apron etc.. It is my belief that this draft has potential "gems" all over the place. And Stevens really needs to hit a Home run with one of those 2 picks. Or maybe 2 doubles, or one triple.. Ok you get it

[playa-hater]

Cedric Cowaard rising is good for the Cs if he stays in. I like him as a prospect so if we got him, great. If he goes earlier, that’s just one more person that lasts to 28 that wasn’t expected a few weeks ago.

Thought he was returning to college because of a 3 million NIL deal or something like that.

I think he’s playing the “gimme a guarantee game.”

Seems like he could surprise and Go as high as the late teens. But no guarantee he goes 1st Rd.

[redslastlaugh]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vRrcBaHf7q8

KOC said on NBC SPORTS BOSTON that the teams rank the players they want to talk to, and that based on those teams rankings the NBA then assigns interviews. It's not random at all, if thats what Clutchpoints Brett Siegel was implying

KOC also specifically says Celtics ranked 3 lottery prospects highly in their rankings
1. Cooper Flagg
2. Tre Johnson
3. Asa Newell

...and C's talked to all 3 during the combine.

Hal, who is Brett Seigel whose tweet you've quoted. Is Brett Seigel saying there are 70 players who go through combine testing and each team is randomly assigned 13 prospects to interview?

If that's what he's saying ... I doubt that's correct

Read on Twitter

Yes, that's correct.

They probably do that so it's fair for all of the prospects and all of the teams.

NBA teams can control which prospects they bring into their own building for private pre-draft workouts (where they also interview the prospects when they bring them in). But the combine is an NBA event, put on by the NBA at a facility that is not owned by any NBA team. So the 30 NBA teams show up and get to talk to only the prospects who the NBA assigns them.

Brett is an NBA reporter/inside for Clutchpoints with a blue check mark and over 20K twitter followers. He's not Shams but he's in the know, has contacts/sources within the league and for various teams..

[Smart2Nesmith43]

Total trash post. Guy says objectively and wants to get all in his feelings. Objectively who has won the most combined regular season in playoff games over the past five years? I’m not taking the time to find out but I know who’s in the top without even looking

"Objectivity" according to shi-woo:
- when the Celtics lose badly they suck.
- when they lose a close game/series they choked.
- when they win a close game/series it's proof they aren't that good.
-when they win big, let's just gloss over that.