Should we just (subtly) tank next season whilst Tatum is out ?

[Bad-Thoma]

Not the do all end all, but compare potential starting 5

Celtics - Pritchard, White, Brown, Niang, Queta
Heat - Mitchell, Herro, Wiggins, Ware, Adebayo
Raptors - Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, Poeltl
Pacers - Nembhard, Nesmith, Mathurin, Siakim, Bradley
Bulls - White, Okoro, P. Williams, Essengue, Vucevic

I think you could make a case for Miami and Toronto (except it's the Raptors) finishing ahead of the Celtics. Everyone else will probably depend on injuries.

Celtics will probably be ahead of Charlotte, Brooklyn, Chicago and Washington.

Miami, Indy, and Toronto. who knows? Celtics probably in front of Indy and Toronto. That would put the Celtics as the 9th seed. Games are not won on paper so who knows?

I'd take Indy over Boston. Carlisle is a killer and Boston is going to load manage its best players. Unless they do something stupid.

Jaylen Brown has made noise for the last 5 or so years that he wants the chance to be the guy. Why would he go for load management when he now has the opportunity to show that he can be “the guy”.

When has Jaylen made noise that he wants to be the guy? Did I miss something? I've heard people on the board suggest he wants to be the guy but I don't remember him ever saying it. I definitely don't read all the threads though, or follow all the sports media.

[Hal14]

I'd take Indy over Boston. Carlisle is a killer and Boston is going to load manage its best players. Unless they do something stupid.

Jaylen Brown has made noise for the last 5 or so years that he wants the chance to be the guy. Why would he go for load management when he now has the opportunity to show that he can be “the guy”.

When has Jaylen made noise that he wants to be the guy? Did I miss something? I've heard people on the board suggest he wants to be the guy but I don't remember him ever saying it. I definitely don't read all the threads though, or follow all the sports media.

I think he subtlety hinted at it like once or twice but chrisab is exaggerating.

[2Mas]

Niang and Queta is the worst starting 4-5 maybe in the history of the sport. They wont tank, they will just flat out suck.

aka stealth tank.

Right. This is what baffles me.

We clearly are not focusing on winning this yr. Otherwise our frontcourt wouldn't be what it is. Which is fine.

I would 100% rather take chances on Garza & Minott, develop them & hope they can contribute for real in 26/27. Then sign a Brook Lopez at 37 yrs old.

We don't have a high enough ceiling this yr. Might as well focus on 2026+

[2Mas]

First to the Floor Pod did a good episode on ranking the east.

It’s pretty freaking brutal trying to rank the middle of the pack with Celtics compared to a slew of really mediocre teams like the Heat, Pacers, Bulls, Toronto and Philly.

Not the do all end all, but compare potential starting 5

Celtics - Pritchard, White, Brown, Niang, Queta
Heat - Mitchell, Herro, Wiggins, Ware, Adebayo
Raptors - Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, Poeltl
Pacers - Nembhard, Nesmith, Mathurin, Siakim, Bradley
Bulls - White, Okoro, P. Williams, Essengue, Vucevic

I think you could make a case for Miami and Toronto (except it's the Raptors) finishing ahead of the Celtics. Everyone else will probably depend on injuries.

Celtics will probably be ahead of Charlotte, Brooklyn, Chicago and Washington.

Miami, Indy, and Toronto. who knows? Celtics probably in front of Indy and Toronto. That would put the Celtics as the 9th seed. Games are not won on paper so who knows?

I have no doubts Miami & Indiana will finish above us this year. & I feel strongly that Toronto will too.

Wash Bkn Cha def worse than us. Chicago idk lol. I hope, but i kinda doubt it.

I think we end up 11th. Hoping for 12th though!

[Hal14]

Niang and Queta is the worst starting 4-5 maybe in the history of the sport. They wont tank, they will just flat out suck.

aka stealth tank.

Right. This is what baffles me.

We clearly are not focusing on winning this yr. Otherwise our frontcourt wouldn't be what it is. Which is fine.

I would 100% rather take chances on Garza & Minott, develop them & hope they can contribute for real in 26/27. Then sign a Brook Lopez at 37 yrs old.

We don't have a high enough ceiling this yr. Might as well focus on 2026+

Agreed, but Brook Lopez is on the clippers..not sure where the Lopez talk is coming from..

[2Mas]

aka stealth tank.

Right. This is what baffles me.

We clearly are not focusing on winning this yr. Otherwise our frontcourt wouldn't be what it is. Which is fine.

I would 100% rather take chances on Garza & Minott, develop them & hope they can contribute for real in 26/27. Then sign a Brook Lopez at 37 yrs old.

We don't have a high enough ceiling this yr. Might as well focus on 2026+

Agreed, but Brook Lopez is on the clippers..not sure where the Lopez talk is coming from..

He was a FA we could've went after if we cared to win this season. Instead we took fliers. Which shows that we are not focused on winning in 25/26. It's a developmental yr.

[165bows]

First to the Floor Pod did a good episode on ranking the east.

It’s pretty freaking brutal trying to rank the middle of the pack with Celtics compared to a slew of really mediocre teams like the Heat, Pacers, Bulls, Toronto and Philly.

Not the do all end all, but compare potential starting 5

Celtics - Pritchard, White, Brown, Niang, Queta
Heat - Mitchell, Herro, Wiggins, Ware, Adebayo
Raptors - Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, Poeltl
Pacers - Nembhard, Nesmith, Mathurin, Siakim, Bradley
Bulls - White, Okoro, P. Williams, Essengue, Vucevic

I think you could make a case for Miami and Toronto (except it's the Raptors) finishing ahead of the Celtics. Everyone else will probably depend on injuries.

Celtics will probably be ahead of Charlotte, Brooklyn, Chicago and Washington.

Miami, Indy, and Toronto. who knows? Celtics probably in front of Indy and Toronto. That would put the Celtics as the 9th seed. Games are not won on paper so who knows?

I have no doubts Miami & Indiana will finish above us this year. & I feel strongly that Toronto will too.

Wash Bkn Cha def worse than us. Chicago idk lol. I hope, but i kinda doubt it.

I think we end up 11th. Hoping for 12th though!

So many of these teams are really bad. Bulls can add back in Giddy but still front court is hardly better than in Boston which is saying a lot. Apparently Pacers are good with the "superstar injured for the year and no credible center" move also. Raptors have the worst team money can buy and the Heat might be the best but they might also really fight to get to .500 also like they always do at this point.

And those rosters aren't even close to the worst! Man this year is the year for the bad conference talk.