RealGM

What do ya think?

Why would we be worse?

Injuries -- could happen
Less enthusiasm from the players -- unlikely
The league thinking hard about how to stop the Cs, and partially succeeding -- unlikely
Actual lesser talent, due to age or departures -- unlikely

I think that all depends on how we do this year ...

It depends on so many things that you can't predict. Is Posey back? Tony Allen? Eddie House?

I'm going to predict a better season next year, anyway. One more year of experience and seasoning from Rondo (OMG, third season for a point guard?!), Perkins, Powe, Davis, and Pruitt more than cancels out whatever potential marginal athletic decline you might see from Pierce, Garnett, and Allen. Add in an offseason for them to work together and just wow. They're going to win 66 games this year without being totally comfortable on offense. I imagine the turnovers will be way down next year, the question will be if they can keep up the all-time great defense and I don't see why not. The safe bet is probably for fewer wins, but I thought the safe bet going into this season was 52-55-ish wins.

Plus if they win the championship I could see some free agents wanting to come here for less than you'd expect on one-year deals. Kurt Thomas maybe?

And if they don't win the championship this year it will be even easier to have a better year next year just because of that.

Why wouldnt Posey be back? I thought he had a two or three year deal.

Record wise I dont think were gonna match this seasons number, but Im sure the team will be deeper and better with the extra year of experiance and more chemistry.

The Corey's wrote:Why wouldnt Posey be back? I thought he had a two or three year deal.

Record wise I dont think were gonna match this seasons number, but Im sure the team will be deeper and better with the extra year of experiance and more chemistry.

Pos can opt out.

Where + means Improving, = means Same, - means worse

Players Under Contract

+ Rajon Rondo

+ Gabe Pruitt

+ Kendrick Perkins

= Kevin Garnett

= Paul Pierce

= Ray Allen

= Leon Powe

= Glen Davis

= Brian Scalabrine

Players with Options

= James Posey

Restricted Free Agents

+ Tony Allen

Unrestricted Free Agents

+ Scot Pollard

= Eddie House

- PJ Brown

Semi-Retired Coach who can Suit Up if Necessary

- Sam Cassell

Summary: Since Rondo, Pruitt, Perk, Tony Allen and Pollard should all be better next season, and the only appreciable decline will probably be PJ Brown (assuming Sam Cassell retires), then things should go pretty smoothly next season.

Ok then, well the Celts better do what they have to, to retain him. I think outside the big 3, he adds as much value as anyone else.

Id say he and Rondo are the most important of the roster who aren't Paul, Garnett or Allen.

I'll say, it could depend on who are the subtractions during the off season versus the additions via draft and/or free agency.

Potential losses include assistant coach Tom Thibodeau and players Tony Allen, James Posey (player option), Scot Pollard, Eddie House, PJ Brown, and Sam Cassell. While players that could be trade bait include Leon Powe, Brian Scalabrine, Glen Davis and/or Gabe Pruitt. There's always a possibly that Kendrick Perkins could be traded as well. It's all about what's out there in opportunities for Ainge that could decide the makeup of the roster for next season.

Before the season, my feeling was that the Celtics would be better next season with a better bench not knowing whether or not this season's bench could be good. However, with the potential losses to the team from the staff to the players. I feel as if they've to win a championship this season. Still, Houston remains a top tier defensive team when Thibodeau departed from Houston to Washington then to Boston. So, perhaps, Boston will remain a top tier defensive team if he decides to pursue a head coaching opportunity for another team. Personally, I'd hoped that he could emerge as a Bill Belichick for the Celtics. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like he'll get a chance to supplant Rivers as head coach next season.

our regular season won't be as passionate, we'll probably win something like 56-58 games. however, in the playoffs, i think we'll be as good, if not better, because of the "we've already been here" factor.

dwestside wrote:I think that all depends on how we do this year ...

^^^^
What He said

Worse record wise but better overall, does that even make sense?

Tricky Ricky wrote:Worse record wise but better overall, does that even make sense?

^^Complete sense.

Complete sense to me also.

The Celtics will be better, especially if they win it all. There will be no shortage of free agents wanting to play for the Celtics.

I think we will be about the same.

We won't lose a game. If Rondo, Tony, Glen, and Powe continue to get better the rest of the league will all have to go into the tank for the next 3 years. The only team that worries me next year as a finals competitor will be LA. This year, i'm not so sure about.

I dunno. I hope we win it all this year and are just as good next year. I think the "we will be better next year" line smacks a bit of a kind of reassurance that we won't lose this year.

LA is the team that really scares me - like I said in another thread - the West really isn't all that tight. It's LA - then everyone else. The record is only tight cause they didn't get Gasol to mid year and Bynum got hurt. But fully healthy - yikes.

Pete

Better next year but neccesarily a better record. The Lakers and Hornets should still be improving as we are.

We definitely will be better with a bunch of free agents lilning up for Boston.