Captain_Caveman wrote:CelticsLV wrote:Captain_Caveman wrote:
The taxes doesn't really work like that. They pay state taxes depending on where the games are played, for starters. So it is much less of an advantage than people have claimed. Been several illuminating articles about this from tax lawyers who work with pro athletes.
No doubt that they are an attractive FA destination, but easy to get carried away with that first point. Also really to overstate the value of the end of season record. Heat were a .500 team that didn't even make the playoffs last year, and would be no better than the Jazz team that he'd be leaving.
A Dragic/Hayward/Whiteside/Winslow/Tyler Johnson core is not going to get it done.
IT/Fultz/Hayward/Crowder/Horford will not either. Heat match up better against Cavs than we. They actually have a legit body to put against LeBron - James Johnson who was playing really well for them. Crowder + Horford vs Love + Thompson is a joke. Our only hope against Thompson would be rookie Zizič? We're still filled with pussies in the frontcourt and undersized in general. If Ainge doesn't give Hayward a win now plan then i see no advantage for us. It's a toss up to be fair.
It's not at all a tossup. We are not a finished product and are far better situated to make improvements. Considering that Jaylen wasn't even a factor last year, we essentially have like three top 5 picks coming to a team that was already better than the Heat were last year. With a better coach. And multiple other good picks on the way. Plus two 1st round Eurostashes. And all of these assets can be used in major trades.
Us being better than Heat is seriously arguable. I don't know why you are so sure about it? We beat them, that's why? Our record was better? Our record was better at the end of the season but when Heat health issues sorted out they were better than us. 60 win pace in the 2nd half of the season is nothing to take lightly. We were hopeless against Cavs while they beat them 3 times, also beat Warriors full squad. Winslow was injured for the most of the season and didn't even contribute yet just like Brown for us.
If you want to tell me Celtics have a better chance against Cavs with Hayward than Heat with Hayward then we're in a major disagreement here. Heat match up better against Cavs, period, especially with Hayward. Us, not so much. If anything, our frontcourt gets much weaker. Playing undersized and relying on rookies isn't really a sales pitch. If we have a guranteed trade for another all-star lined up to present to Hayward then we have a better shot.
If you think Horford came here because of all the assets then you're fooling yourself. We were legit in play for Durant. Horford even said that he liked Wizards talent more than ours. Shot at Durant was the major selling point.