neuroticsmurf | Crypto P 💰

253 | 3 days ago

because the first year Tatum comes back, he will mostly likely not be at full power.

This is the part that always gets forgotten.

Fans want to rush JT back, but not only is that medically foolish, but even after he’s cleared to play again, history has shown us that he’ll likely need another year before he really feels like himself again.

This is a really serious injury. Just a few decades ago, it was career ending.

Abstract__Nonsense

32 | 3 days ago

Is this what history has shown? Definitively? Dominique Wilkins said “at least a year to be feeling 100%”. KD did say 700 days to be totally feeling back to his old self again, but that’s a mark Tatum would hit after the first round of the 26-27 playoffs.

I get people want to temper expectations, and of course Tatum should by no means be rushed back. I think people are sometimes almost forgetting how long the regular season is, and how much time Tatum will have to ramp up in 26-27. I don’t think there’s any real reason to assume he won’t be back to as much of his full powers as we can expect post injury by the 26-27 playoffs, even by conservative estimates.

BleedGreen4Boston

11 | 3 days ago

Nique is one of the biggest athletic freaks the NBA has ever seen.

And at his size, KD is to an extent.

Tatum is not that. He’s a good NBA athlete with an elite frame that he has sculpted over the past 8 years. He’s more work ethic than he is freak.

You can’t point out the one edge case and use that as evidence that he will be back sooner.

I will say the surgery he got should in theory help him more than most.

ef029

1 | 3 days ago

I fully believe Tatum will return to near 100%. He’s younger than most who’ve gotten the injury (KD 30, Nique 32) and strong work ethic, already working hard in the gym with a boot on. He’ll do everything in his power to return to full form.

Educational_Bee_4683

1 | 2 days ago

And yet both these guys averaged almost the same numbers upon return, hell Nique did it in 10 months. KD was shooting absolute flames during the playoffs his first year back. Tatum would be looking at 16 months off the court at the start of 26-27.

Bacca18121

12 | 3 days ago

I think this is the case for giving him some run at the end of next season if he is able. Not to try and make a competitive push, but really try and get him some full speed reps heading into that offseason.

Beantown_Kid

13 | 3 days ago

Feels like the key phrase here is “if he is able”. Giving him run at the end of the season could be like skipping to the last day of physical therapy but broadcast for the entire world to see. I’m sure the staff will do what’s right but I feel like there is no upside to setting up a hope he will play. KD tore his Achilles in June 2019 and came back December 2020, 18 months later. Part of the delayed decision for KD could be Covid driven but for JT to be back by March/April, nearly 10 months after the injury and close to half of KD’s timeframe just feels like we’re setting ourselves up to be disappointed.

GonzoTheGreat22 | larry bird isn't walking through that door

6 | 3 days ago

This is the most accurate answer. Any minutes you get from Tatum next season should be considered “extended rehab”.

GenoThyme | is not walking through that door

2 | 3 days ago

I feel like I remember Paul George saying how helpful those 6 games he played after his Team USA injury were for his mental state. Just trusting your body again after an injury like this is difficult, and even a handful of games at the end of the season can be helpful in making that less difficult. There’s a big mental difference between missing 100% of a season instead of missing 95% of it

saulgoodman445

2 | 3 days ago

There is no case . The 26-27 season is where he gets run the 82 game preseason is plenty of time to ramp him up for the playoffs

BallinLikeimKD

9 | 3 days ago

Agreed, not only that but even when he does return, if he gets back to 90% of what he was we should consider ourselves lucky. Fans are just assuming he will come back and be the same Tatum even a year removed from his injury. Odds are he will never be 100% of what he was so having a good lottery pick is not a bad thing. I honestly hope they tank hard this season.

raycyca82

6 | 3 days ago

Couple of points I’d argue:

what fans want is irrelevant. JT likely wants to be back as soon as possible, and without setbacks I’m ceetain he knows he could return prior to the end of the season. He’ll be a far bigger enemy to himself than anyone else.
“Feels like himself again”- this is the key statement. More of this is mental than physical. Trusting his body.
“really serious injury”- it is a serious injury, bur we are a couple of decades past it being career ending for most players. His access to one of the most experienced surgeons in the world for the type of procedure, access to expensive options, a time frame unheard of (less than 24 hours), and a younger age than most gives him an excellent prognosis.
One of the largest issues is scar tissue developing as the body heals, which often feels uncomfortable and potentially limits movement. This exacerbates the mental side, and may in fact cause issues. Quick surgery limits growth.

Dame? I would be worried he could recover to 75%. But for him and Tatum, they relied on a quick first step far more than speed, and are higher skill players than raw athleticism. It’s very likely it takes Tatum a bit to regain that push off step, but he’s not JB. He has a myriad of crossovers, hesi’s, footwork etc that he can go to to create space.
We’ll see how he progresses, but as it goes for the type of injury he has a lot of positive pieces. It’s quite possible he doesn’t have to rush anything to be back a little later next season. And if he’s cleared, he’s playing. Better to start next season before the expectations build back up for another championship run.

albatross351767 | Pritchard at the buzzer... HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!

2 | 3 days ago

Definitely I dont want to rush him back. He should take his time and reach his prime again.

RadicalCashew

2 | 3 days ago

Yeah dude I was talking to my friends and some of them genuinely expected us to be in contention and Tatum to be back by march and I had to be like guys. We are gonna be shit for possibly 2 seasons

jason_smart

2 | 3 days ago

For some reason I think Tatum will be back sooner than people expect. Modern medicine working with AI and a player with his work ethic…

SerfTint

1 | 3 days ago

There’s no way to know. But history may be wrong here. We’ve rarely seen this happen to a player this young who is also this much of a freak in terms of conditioning. As far as I’m aware, we’ve never seen an athlete with a ruptured Achilles get into surgery within 11 or so hours of the injury. And sports medicine has come a long way since “a few decades ago” in nearly all ways. And I’m not even bringing up the Speedbridge thing, which also has a chance to be a game changer. Tatum MAY be a permanently diminished version of himself, but you’re talking about 2 full years if he isn’t going to be himself in 2027 either. That’s a really long time to be able to predict outward.

HustlinInTheHall

1 | a day ago

At the same time he should be back to normal 2 years post surgery. Even if he is still not there at the beginning of ²⁶⁄₂₇ by the playoffs when it matters, he is probably as back as he is going to be.

bryscoon

65 | 3 days ago

East so bad that we might make the play-in by default

Drummallumin |

34 | 3 days ago

Not if Luka Garza has anything to say about it

JediSabine

17 | 3 days ago

Your damn right. He’s taking us top a top 3 seed minimum

Bacca18121

39 | 3 days ago

Certainly won’t be a contender but I think it’s fair to wonder if the Celtics brass are physically capable of losing games on purpose. Here are a few thoughts for ya:

We know for a fact that Brad was vehemently anti tank when he first got to Boston, but maybe he feels differently as a GM.

I don’t think Joe would ever in a million years be able to sleep if he knew that they were taking games off; the man is a true psycho.

Lastly it’s human nature but i’m sure new ownership wants to play with its new toy. They might be on board with playing some up and coming guys but I don’t think they would be much interested in watch the process sixers.

I’m not saying the celtics will win out, or even make the playoffs, I am just thinking they will likely still try and win games despite their limited roster. I think the thing i am most curious about is how are injuries handled — I’d have to think if White, Pritchard, or Brown even so much as jam a finger they will be riding pine for a month at least.

Confident-Unit-9516

20 | 3 days ago

Agreed, I also think people are overestimating how bad we will be. This isn’t a bottom 10 roster. I’d much rather get eliminated in the first round and get playoff experience for guys like Bo, Hugo, and Queta than just completely bottom out.

During our rebuild staying competitive is what built our championship DNA. Letting JT and JB get meaningful playoff minutes early paid dividends. I think tanking builds a losing culture which just leads to more losing.

nepatriots32

1 | 2 days ago

Yup. Everybody is all about tanking for some reason, but a lot of the success we’ve had as the Celtics, or even the Patriots, hasn’t come from us tanking. It’s come from making good draft picks, trades, signings, etc. and building a winning culture, like you said.

And look at the Sixers. How we’ll did tanking work out for them? Or take the Colts in the NFL. They tanked one season and got Andrew Luck. Everyone thought they hit the lottery, but they never got any more Super Bowls to show for it. The Lions tanked their entire franchise’s history and it never brought them squat. They’re only good now because they have a good management and a good coach who built a winning culture.

And tanking in the NBA is even dumber because it’s a bit of a crapshoot with what pick you’ll be because of the lottery and then another crapshoot on whether that player even works out.

Not to mention that some of the most fun I’ve had as a New England sports fan that’s seen plenty of championship wins was those early Brad Stevens teams constantly overachieve, even though they never even made it to the finals. I’d rather not go through a Celtics season like the past couple Pats seasons.

B_Sox | Len Bias

20 | 3 days ago

They are definitely still going to try. And they still have enough shooters on the roster (as it currently stands) to keep things interesting. Might even bomb away on some nights and beat some teams we probably shouldn’t.

ZizzyBeluga

7 | 3 days ago

They took half the playoff games off and it didn’t seem to bother Joe

International-Chef33 | RONDOOOOOO

1 | 3 days ago

gif

You right unfortunately

HeroOfSevenEleven

4 | 3 days ago

I don’t think it’s necessarily that he feels different as a GM vs coach but those early to mid 2010s teams had no direction. Those were culture building years, say what you want about the little guy but a team with him as the best player has nowhere near the ceiling of a team w Tatum as its best player. There was no need to tank back then they were still figuring out what the team was going to be, now we know and to waste this season going for a 7 seed would be malpractice imo but end of the day Brad is Brad faith in he.

Decent_Pack_3064

1 | 3 days ago

i don’t see celtics tanking….they will be competing, and they won’t intentionally sit out guys, but they will prioritize players health

jebediah_forsworn

3 | 3 days ago

Tanking doesn’t mean losing on purpose. It means fielding a bad team that loses regardless of how hard they try to

King_Of_Pants | Sam Howitzer!

2 | 3 days ago

it’s fair to wonder if the Celtics brass are physically capable of losing games on purpose.

Yeah we’ve been in this situation multiple times and each time we’ve made moves to compete.

Boston is like Miami in the sense that we never really try to lose games.

We were supposed to be tanking when the Big 3 left. While we did have a down year, we were only able to sign Brad Stevens as a coach because Ainge promised we wouldn’t tank and then we undertook one of the fastest rebuilds in the NBA around guys like Isaiah.
We were supposed to be tanking the year Hayward got injured. Initial projections had us winning ~37 games. Instead, we got within 1 win of the finals.
We were supposed to tank after that disastrous 2018-19 season where half the team left in the offseason. Instead, we pivoted towards Kemba and made the ECF.

We’ve been in this exact situation before where we’ve had multiple cornerstone players leave in one offseason and the team is left without any ‘chance of remaining competitive’… and then we still ended up competing.

There’s still a lot of offseason left.

We’ve seen the players leave, what we haven’t seen is Brad’s efforts to restructure, which will come largely through trades.

Not to mention… 7-8 days ago Brad Stevens was talking about wanting to keep both Horford and Kornet, which would have given us a competitive ~9 man rotation.

If the plan was to tank and punt the season, we wouldn’t be trying to build a playoff rotation by bringing back two +30-year-old players.

G	G	F	F	C
White	Simons	Brown	Horford	Kornet
Pritchard	Scheierman	Hauser	-	Queta

Kornet attracting a big payday obviously throws a spanner in the works, same with Horford eyeing up Golden State…

But there is still a chance we’ll make a couple trades to rebuild the front court and start the season with a relatively competitive roster.

Championship roster? - Probably not.

Playoff roster? - Probably.

Quiet_Albatross9889

1 | 3 days ago

I think you’re on the money. I don’t think this org is capable of shamelessly tanking. They will try to win games, but I think the front office is simply fine with a lesser season here if that’s how it goes. It’s sort of a win win situation. If they succeed with this lineup, great. If they don’t succeed with this lineup, they weren’t expecting much anyway and get a lottery pick. I guess the worst case scenario is splitting the difference with a first round exit. Irony I think that’s the most likely outcome.

Ndlburner

1 | 3 days ago

Oh we’re capable of losing games alright. All we gotta do is tell Joe that it’s the playoffs and we’ve got a 20 point lead.

Efficient_Ad_8367 | Luke "Ice in the Veins" Kornet

32 | 3 days ago

I understand this is not a popular take, but we should stop talking about tanking. Just go out and try our best and play the game!

Marcel69

6 | 3 days ago

Bedroom GMs gotta chill. I want to see good basketball from my city

ZizzyBeluga

5 | 3 days ago

The 1997 tank accomplished nothing. Play hard.

Confident-Unit-9516

2 | 3 days ago

100%. I don’t want to hear anybody in the pro-tanking crowd ever mention “Celtic’s Pride” again. It’s clear they have none.

Sn00py4 | Banner Day Al Horford

1 | 3 days ago

Right! I feel like im crazy that everyone is either contend for a title or tank to the bottom. We can exist in the middle for a bit, we’ll win plenty of games with our existing roster. We just won’t be a top 3 seed, hell we may even be a a play in team. Give Buffalo and JB a supporting cast and we’ll be above .500 imo. Let it ride

AdMajor660

4 | 3 days ago

The middle is literally the worst spot you can be.

Sn00py4 | Banner Day Al Horford

3 | 3 days ago

We are not the bulls or the Hawks. We will not be in mid purgatory. We just won’t be a force in the east. I think we finish top 6 in the east still

iBarber111

2 | 3 days ago

Sports fans’ brains are so remarkably broken when it comes to the aversion to being mid. How has being so bad that they’re constantly scoring high lottery picks worked out for the Hornets, Wizards, Jazz, etc? It’s much more common for teams to go from being mid to being contenders than it is for them to expeditiously go from the basement to contenders.

& seeing as the Celtics most likely won’t be bad enough to be top-5, is there really a hugely meaningful difference between picking 10-13 vs 15-20? Of course there’s a difference, but not so much so that I care more about that than JB recovering well from his knee issues, DWhite being DWhite, Shcierman taking a step, Queta becoming a rotation big, etc etc. All of those things are just as important to returning to contending as picking slightly higher in the draft.

AdMajor660

3 | 3 days ago

So your argument is the hornets, wizards and jazz would be in a better position now if their picks were actually higher in the draft? That’s an interesting take.

I agree I don’t think we’ll be in the bottom 5 of the league, but I certainly wouldn’t make any moves to win games this year and I wouldn’t make any moves to deliberately lose games this year. (And Brad hasn’t done either of those)

I think the goal is to put the team in the best position to make another run when Tatum comes back, and “getting the best draft pick possible” is one of the best things this team can do. Shedding salary, getting under the apron, reset the repeater tax, gaining assets, and prepare to deploy everything when it’s time to push.

It goes without saying too that no matter where you pick, you HAVE to pick well. James Wiseman and the Warriors for example.

iBarber111

3 | 3 days ago

It’s hard to be in a worse position. My argument is that teams are usually better off trying to win as many games as they can - because there are positive knock-on effects from that - than they are trying to actively tank. With the caveat that - of course I believe in the importance of maintaining short/medium term flexibility if you’re not a true contender.

Kwan_18

1 | 3 days ago

Right plus I thought 2026 was supposed to be a deep class too. They don’t have to tank for a top 2 pick but I’d prefer they stay a lottery team

rgamesburner

1 | 3 days ago

We have an injured superstar. It’s not like we’re the Bulls.

cre8tor936 | Derrick White

1 | 3 days ago

Especially for a team that needs to rebuild its supporting cast

Popular-Shower9900

18 | 3 days ago

This tanking argument is inane. Good teams with quality players don’t tank because tanking is a bullshit, multi-year process for bottom feeders.

The Celtics are smartly pulling back from the tax thresholds by necessity, but will also continue to focus on roster value, performance, player development and winning. Like they always do under Brad.

Stop this “soft tank” garbage and pretend you actually have some understanding of how the Celtics and other good teams operate during periods of inflection.

Orikshekor

4 | 3 days ago

We have our pick let’s say we tank and get a good pick THAT could potentially draft talent or be traded for solid a solid starter or fill out our depleted bench how is that inane?

King_Of_Pants | Sam Howitzer!

1 | 3 days ago

And do what with the pick?

It’s crazy the Hinkie fantasy still holds so much weight. The Process^TM didn’t work. The teams that tried it have been getting beat senseless by the teams that rejected it. The idea that a multibillion dollar franchise can solve all their problems by relying on underdeveloped kids should have been disproven by now.

You have to keep trying to compete, because that’s the only way you can develop players and staff in order to build the competitive environment that teams need.

Orikshekor

3 | 3 days ago

Picks can be traded and talent can be cultivated or traded for with assets if you weren’t aware

King_Of_Pants | Sam Howitzer!

1 | 3 days ago

Yeah outside of OKC, the league has been dominated by teams that were either lead by a prime LeBron James or teams that refused to tank.

And OKC’s best asset is a guy they didn’t get from tanking, a guy who developed because they brought in experienced vets like Chris Paul and had a 44-win season when everyone expected them to bottom out.

Honestonus

1 | 3 days ago

Thank you

I don’t claim to understand much of this cba shit

But to have people like op sit on his high horse as if he’s some fucking genius, and then talking to everyone else like they’re fucking children, annoys me to no end. When clearly op only has half the picture, and this guy here had to clarify what is actually happening

Sure , it is possible brad wants to tank

But also the second apron restrictions are part of the consideration here. Impacts flexibility a ton

Actually afaik, flexibility might be more important than just relying on any one draft pick- to have maximum flexibility when Jayson returns

rveets1416 | DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

1 | 3 days ago

At this point, based on what Brad has done, it looks like he’s trying to maintain maximum flexibility for when Tatum returns WHILE keeping JB, PP, and White on the roster.

Ramblinwreck93

12 | 3 days ago

In the wake of the devastating Pierce + KG trade, one Brad Stevens was tasked with spearheading a team utterly devoid of talent. And what did he do? He perpetuated our franchise’s winning culture and overachieved year after year until we crescendoed to a perennial contender.

We might not have the talent to contend next season, but if you look at the makeup of Brad, Psycho Joe, and the entire organization, I don’t think we’re tanking either. I think we’ll give it everything we’ve got, every game, because that’s who the Celtics are.

Orikshekor

13 | 3 days ago

With PICKS he had great PICKS

Ramblinwreck93

9 | 3 days ago

Eventually, but let’s not forget, the 2015-16 squad was pre-Jay’s and had no business winning 48 games.

ZizzyBeluga

2 | 3 days ago

Loved that team

yeup15678

4 | 3 days ago

Seriously, if we didn’t tank and didn’t have the Brooklyn picks, this team would’ve gone no where and who the F knows what would’ve happened.

we have Danny Ainge to thank for being able to try our hearts out and still draft the Js.

Yeah winning culture is important, but all you have to do is look at the spurs drafting Tim Duncan to understand that missing the playoffs is so much more valuable to us than “winning culture”

We already have that culture. Just lay off the fucking gas next year, stay healthy, maintain good team chemistry and miss the goddamn play in.

We aren’t as privledged as we were from 2013-2018 anymore.

Cbarry8883

1 | 3 days ago

Is it? You’re using a guy from 30 years ago as an example. What about the Sixers when they tore down that culture and tore down the roster and they openly tanked for years. Yeah they got Embiid but also got Noel Okafor Simmons and other guys who either flamed out or just non factors.

Ask the Jazz Hornets and Wizards if tanking works. They missed out on Flagg. The top two teams in the draft competed but didn’t tank.

iBarber111

1 | 3 days ago

Sorry, but how exactly did tanking help the Celtics’ process? They had exactly one tank year & got Marcus Smart out of it. In fact, that should show you how tanking usually works out: you have an extremely narrow chance of landing franchise altering talent & are much more likely to get a guy who’s simply pretty decent.

juicejug

1 | a day ago

The real move is not to tank but to outsource tanking to other teams, which is how we got the Jays. Thunder are also taking this approach to an extreme degree

PenguinsAteMyToast | Cus Crise

1 | 3 days ago

we won a championship on the backs of our core being both top 3 picks. The nba is a talent driven league, you need real talent to win thats not optional. Brad dragging a bottom 5 roster to .500 is nice and all but that team gets you nowhere near a championship without the nets tank picks. The winning culture argument is so overrated, the current champs OKC literally tanked for years shamelessly. The winning culture wasnt there until it was.

Ndlburner

1 | 3 days ago

If Brad Stevens has no Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, Kelly Olynik, Jaylen Brown, and all the other draft picks Brad knocked out of the park then there ain’t no anything culture. You build culture with talent. There’s a reason that talentless rosters sink all time great head coaches.

bloom41

10 | 3 days ago

No, this is gonna be a year of pure turmoil and in-fighting between fans because a huge portion of us refuse to accept the fact that we are looking like a 35 win team next year. This team goes as Tatum goes, the sooner we understand that the sooner we can accept peace and anticipate his return properly.

B_Sox | Len Bias

5 | 3 days ago

Not sure why you got downvoted. You’re spot on.

Overall-Stress6918

7 | 3 days ago

We’re gonna have to shut down White and Brown to make it a successful tank job. If they both play 65 games we’re making playoffs.

LynnButlertr0n

6 | 3 days ago

I think it’s possible Brad takes a “wait and see” approach into 2026.

It’s entirely possible that by the end of January we are a few games above .500, Jaylen is having a career year, and Tatum is on track to come back in March. If that’s the case I think we hold onto everyone and try to make a run at a 5 or 6 seed.

However there’s an equal chance we’re 20-30 at that point, Tatum isn’t coming back this season at all, and it’s a sunk ship. If that’s the case I see us unloading Simons, Niang, and/or Hauser to teams trying to make a playoff run for a few assets and try to get into the top 10 in the lottery.

Either way, I don’t think we’re in a rush to tank or not right now.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ya valid points.

SteamingHotChocolate | Jaylen Brown

4 | 3 days ago

The Heat/Celtics 9th/10th seeds (don’t care which) playin game is what I’m waiting for personally

Plastic_Database_645 | Speedy Recovery for our King JT 💚

5 | 3 days ago

Not really concerned with next season. It is most probably a soft tank.

What I really like is a posssibility of having Dame for 2027 (provided he accepts a team friendly offer).

Drummallumin |

2 | 3 days ago

I can’t imagine Brad of all people is gonna wanna give more than the minimum to a small 36 y/o guard coming off an Achilles tear

GonzoTheGreat22 | larry bird isn't walking through that door

1 | 3 days ago

Zero interest in Dame post injury.

May Brad prove me wrong and not only make it work but make me eat my words.

Drummallumin |

1 | 3 days ago

I mean if he’s on the minimum it seems like a no brainer tbh

lyonhawk

1 | 3 days ago

He could sign a min deal and be fine with it because he still gets his full salary from the Bucks.

One-Suspect5105 | THE TRUTH

4 | 3 days ago

Tatum off Jaylen off numbers tell me that we’re probably a 10 seed (and this is before you account for starting center Queta).

This just isn’t a good team, and I can see the big man rotation dragging us to sub-playin level.

I have no clue why people think we’re going to be a “scrappy 6 seed”. That’s usually what happens with teams with a bunch of advanced stats darlings and no current t10 guy (think 2018 Celtics without Kyrie with smart/tatum/horford).

Rn we’re the lavine bulls with a significantly worse big rotation. Vuc looks like prime shaq with Dirk shooting compared to these guys.

TheJaylenBrownNote

4 | 3 days ago

EPM wise we’ve lost 27.5 wins this offseason, accounting for non rookie additions (who if anything will probably just help with losing, as rookies are rarely positive players). That’s a 33.5 win team not even taking into consideration that you’re now bumping up at minimum Jaylen and our center rotation, so their numbers will probably go down.

Inevitable-Law5954

4 | 3 days ago

I’ll never not believe we will make the playoffs. But it could be a rough season. Either way, I’ll be there, like always. Every season is a pleasure to watch the boys in Green.

kennyloftor

3 | 3 days ago

soft?

tbtc-7777

1 | 3 days ago

Like, they can play to their ceiling without expectations or having to lose on purpose. Wally Szczerbiak isn’t walking through that door.

kennyloftor

2 | 3 days ago

nothing soft about this tank

Rich-Ad-4314

5 | 3 days ago

Brother if you think Simons White Brown Niang Queta is as bad as it gets you don’t remember the post Rondo days lol

kennyloftor

1 | 3 days ago

or the walter mccarty and tony delk days

tbtc-7777

1 | 3 days ago

I get it but if Brown and White are around I don’t think they’re going full tank.

coffeespeaking

3 | 3 days ago

‘soft’ tank (air quotes added)

Anfernee Simons, SG
Georges Niang, PF/C
Luka Garza, C
Josh Minott, SF

That is closer to hard tank than soft. We have more bench than starters right now, but not the sort of bench we want. We lost our top three centers, four competent defenders, added little defense. Minott is a project whose game is mostly at the rim. (We are rumored to be considering Lillard, who doesn’t play this season or much defense.)

It could be entertaining, but in ways that aren’t competitive. I’m excited to watch the rookies. It’s what the NBA wants. Between Boston and Milwaukee, two playoff teams are dismantling. Other teams like the Lakers and Warriors are making desperate moves. No one building through free agency is likely to be legitimately competitive. High salary franchises will eat each other.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

I love this comment

BadNoodleEggDemon

3 | 3 days ago

It’s not a tank, it’s a pre-build

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ha ha I like that. Touché

TheJackalsDoom

2 | 3 days ago

Are people going to keep asking this question the whole offseason?

You’re gosh darn tootin’.

knewWorlds

2 | 3 days ago

Nothing is indicating to me that we’re trying to tank. Trying to lessen a huge tax bill, yes, but if we truly wanted to tank then you’d trade an aging Derrick White. The east is not that strong, and we still have a lot of guys that can play real minutes. This season is about seeing which ones of the other young guys can add to that.

The idea of tanking is poor in my opinion. The roster is way too good to bottom out, and if you’re goal is to be in the 10-14 pick range, what is even the point? How did that work out for the Warriors? You’re destroying the winning culture you’ve built, which is especially harmful for the young guys that you want to instill that in. Plus you destroy morale for the vets, fans, and lose revenue in the process. Why destroy your winning culture for a 2% lottery ball? You win championships with momentum.

chomerics

2 | 3 days ago

Anyone remember when the Spurs had Robinson out for a season and tanked? What was their reward? Tim Dunkan.

This season is fucked, to the caller

shane-from-5-to-7

2 | 3 days ago

Realistically I think it’s unlikely we finish below Brooklyn, Washington, Toronto, Miami, or Chicago. That puts us at least in the play-in, and who knows how bad Charlotte, Philly, Milwaukee, or Indiana will be next season.

Anything can happen with injuries or trades through the season, but the East is very weak and thankfully we still have a coach and players who want to win.

Ok_Rate5871

2 | 3 days ago

True true

A4FXN

2 | 3 days ago

Agreed. None of the signings are game-changers, just filler. We’ll probably hover around the play-in seeds, but I think we could even miss those if one of Brown or White get injured at a critical juncture of the season. With that being said, securing a top 10 pick will actually be a pretty good outcome. As you said, with Tatum coming back in 26-27, he will probably play cautiously for a few months, and we can see his averages go down across the board. What Brad has to do is to navigate the first season with Tatum back and see where all his pieces fit, and then we can maybe see a contender in 27-28.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Bravo well said.

MyDadIsTheMan

2 | 3 days ago

The window is closed. People clinging on to Tatum coming back and this team being as good are delusional.

lannoylannoy

2 | 3 days ago

You’re underestimating the Cs underdog spirit, this is where we thrive, I don’t think we have it in us to do a proper tank job

25donutz

2 | 3 days ago

The Celtics don’t tank. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

Ok_Rate5871

2 | 3 days ago

Haha this is fair

UpvoteIfYouAgreee | Jaythoven

2 | a day ago

I think too many people misunderstand what tanking is. Is Joe Mazzula going to tell Jaylen and Derrick to lose games? No. But can they win enough games with the roster Brad is putting around them?

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 15 hours ago

Thank you for making this point

Walnut_Uprising

1 | 3 days ago

6-8 seed is honestly not out of the question given how bad the East is, but I also don’t care about standings or playoffs. They’re not going to hard tank, so wherever they end up is just going to be what it is. They should be looking to get fringe guys minutes and figure out what they have, trade at the deadline (Simons and Niang are both on expiring contracts), and otherwise get ready for 2026-27.

Drummallumin |

1 | 3 days ago

This mindset needs to apply to trades too. I don’t care about getting a good player back for Simons and Niang, I want to get off money giving up as few assets as possible.

emceegabe

1 | 3 days ago

Yeah I hate to say it but they are a play in team. I would love for them to have a shot at the lottery but I think it’s unlikely.

kingcrimson6984 | Boston Celtics

1 | 3 days ago

They get into the play-in for sure unless Brown and White are injured. However, people need to be prepared for how bad they will be defensively. As a result, they are going to lose a lot of games.

ZizzyBeluga

1 | 3 days ago

Watching someone with Queta’s physical ability play out of position for 30 minutes a night might take years off my life

Hondo44

1 | 3 days ago

This is not our final roster. Simmons or Hauser will be trade for a big, IMO. Once teams settle in a few weeks. But with this KD trade adding stuff maybe Brad can get in that for a big. PP is good enough to start.

Drummallumin |

1 | 3 days ago

Are we allowed to admit that we want them to do bad and miss the playin?

Saaabstory

1 | 3 days ago

I wouldn’t even be upset if they went this route with how good the draft is supposed to be next year, but one problem: Joe Mazzula is a competitive maniac. He will get every ounce out of these guys & won’t rest them to lose games. That being said, we might still just be that bad.

Drummallumin |

1 | 3 days ago

Are we allowed to admit that we want them to do bad and miss the playin?

Ok_Rate5871

2 | 3 days ago

God I hope so. I hate the idea of “trying really hard” and ending up in the play in with a pick that’s not gonna get you anything good

Drummallumin |

1 | 3 days ago

Also Jaylen pushing himself through another nagging injury that ends up costing him his summer.

Responsible_Pen2404

1 | 3 days ago

I think people are underrating the value of culture. Firstly we still have a fairly good squad with jb and white as the 1 and 2. I also think we have built such a strong culture of winning and defense that I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a top 6 seed. I’m thinking about teams like golden state in 2016 when they won 2 playoff series convincingly without curry when he looked like their entire offense that season. We aren’t as good as them but having a strong culture can get wins and I wouldn’t sacrifice that culture to tank.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

What’s the point of shooting for middle of the road? Gets you nothing

Extension_Stay3059

1 | 3 days ago

Yep. This is a gap year.

I_Set_3_Alarms | KG

1 | 3 days ago

Do people not understand how competitive Joe and the top guys are? And how much Jayson Tatum hates NOT playing basketball?

I expect us to be a 5-10 seed, Tatum to come back between February and April, and for us to make the playoffs instead of getting a lottery pick.

The only way I can see that not happening is if Joe, Jaylen and Derrick get real weird with their roles during the regular season and we lose enough to drop to 11

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ya idk if Tatum comes back this year and it doesn’t seem to make sense to shoot for middle of the pack.

Wakandaforever456

1 | 3 days ago

Tatum, Brown, White and a top 5 pick is enough for the celtics to return to the top of the east.

Hurricanemasta | Boston Celtics

1 | 3 days ago

I get what you’re saying, but the East is going to be so bad this year that even if the Celtics were *okay* with not being so good, there’s probably nothing they can do about it because we have an All-NBA player and two All Star-caliber guys.

Wizards, Hornets, Nets, Raptors, Heat, Bulls, Pacers - that’s seven teams right there that the Celtics will be hard-pressed to be worse than simply by rostering Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard.

EDIT: And I’ve conspicuously left out the Bucks and Sixers. The East is really weak in ‘25-‘26.

BlueNets

1 | 3 days ago

This team will be at least a play in team. The east is so bad rn

East_Refuse | Derrick White

1 | 3 days ago

I just can’t imagine a world where Joe Mazzulla (or Brad Stevens) would willingly tank to any degree. Just doesn’t seem like that’s their style. I think they will be a lot more experimental and focused on development, but at no point will they be trying to lose. Just my view on it tho…

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ya idk if trying to loose is the right term. And I do agree with the experimenting point you made. I think with the way they are built seems a little directionless, so what makes sense to me is hoping that maybe they find themselves in the lottery somehow.

TheColonelRLD

1 | 3 days ago

Guys, why isn’t my opinion taken as gospel? Why do people keep thinking and postulating things I disagree with?

Come on guys, just agree with me and don’t post things I’d disagree with. For some reason, that’s frustrating to me

peterpann2021

1 | 3 days ago

Bro… it’s the Boston fucking Celtics, 2nd string would still make the playoffs

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

I’m not saying they won’t make the playoffs. I’m just saying it’s not their goal. It seems to me like they are shooting for draft lottery with the latest signings. Josh Minott and Luka Garza………. WHO?

peterpann2021

1 | 3 days ago

Apparently, there’s still moves to be made.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

To get better or worse?

mousegriff

1 | 3 days ago

We aren’t understanding it because it is not necessarily happening

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Can you expound on that? What do you think this year’s goal is?

mousegriff

1 | 3 days ago

Well to start, none of us except for the Celtics management know what the goal is including whether or not this season will be a “soft tank.”

I personally think the goal is to stay as competitive as possible while making financial decisions that maximize flexibility to pay to bring in players to support a (hopefully) healthy Tatum in a few years. I believe that the talent of our current core and the creativity of our coaching and management is enough to be competitive in the meantime. But I don’t really know! All I do know for sure is that everything we’ve ever seen from Brad and Joe suggests tanking is not in their vocabulary.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

I don’t get the signing of Josh Minott and Luka Garza then. I mean you could argue depth I suppose and it’s probably likely they won’t see along playing time. But why shoot to be middle of the pack?

klee64

1 | 3 days ago

Its stupid, lets waste a year of ²⁄₃ best players health because one is hurt. An injury could happen to JB or D White then where are we? I haven’t seen the Cs make a bad move in a while but they are blowing up are only championship team since 08 for no reason.

Cbarry8883

1 | 3 days ago

10 teams make the playoffs in the East. The Celtics have a better duo than most of those teams without Tatum. I’m not sure how it could even be a soft tank or hard tank or proper tank or tank city or whatever has been used lately to describe it. Like it’s a pretty good draft so there’s going to be quite a few teams that do the same approach that you want but can do it better than the Celtics. The Celtics would need to trade White or Brown to make it happen otherwise they’ll still probably pick in the late teens early 20s.

AddsJays |

1 | 3 days ago

They might want a soft tank but I do think just JB White and Prichard can probably propel this team to a playin spot. This team still has lots of talent and grit. It’s just without Tatum they no longer have the high ceiling and the floor is also lowered. Last season we coasted to a 2nd seed 60 win season. This upcoming season these 3 might hard carry this team to a play-in.

So overall I roughly agree with your evaluation.

AddsJays |

1 | 3 days ago

They might want a soft tank but I do think just JB White and Prichard can probably propel this team to a playin spot. This team still has lots of talent and grit. It’s just without Tatum they no longer have the high ceiling and the floor is also lowered. Last season we coasted to a 2nd seed 60 win season. This upcoming season these 3 might hard carry this team to a play-in.

So overall I roughly agree with your evaluation.

overtorqd

1 | 3 days ago

Everyone’s played out the whole 2025-26 season in their heads already and we’re not even close to training camp. Like people will fight over what our record will be and what seed were getting. We’re 0-0 and will be until November. The new season’s not over yet, guys.

AltoidsAreWeakSauce | Banner Day Al Horford

1 | 3 days ago

I think it’ll be a very soft tank. I seriously don’t think it’s possible for them to not try and win games. Are they gonna be in a position to contend, absolutely not. But the East may be so shoddy next year they could sneak in through the play-in. I also don’t think I could handle watching them not play hard given who’s still on the team.

_json_x

1 | 3 days ago

Unless Jaylen and Derrick White miss long stretches of games due to injury, I can’t see them and Joe Mazzulla finishing below .500.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Oh I agree. I don’t think they won’t try to have the best record possible. I guess I’m just frustrated with the concept of middle of the pack. No chance to contend but then also no chance to get a good draft pick.

_json_x

1 | 3 days ago

You never know. Dallas was a play in team then won the lottery. And maybe with more playing time, some of our depth players emerge and develop into better ones.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ya this is a great point. Anything is possible

_json_x

1 | 3 days ago

When Hayward and then Kyrie got hurt we obviously thought the season was over but then that led to Tatum and Brown, plus Rozier and Smart, being thrown into much bigger roles, and then they almost made the finals anyway. Have always thought that season accelerated their growth.

NotDukeOfDorchester

1 | 3 days ago

Apparently a bunch of people in here don’t

Ok_Rate5871

2 | 3 days ago

Hey no judgement. I juts don’t get the logic in the goal to be a play in team or maybe a little better. NBA purgatory is good enough to make the playoffs but bad enough to get eliminated quickly. Compete of get in the draft lottery would be my two goals.

NotDukeOfDorchester

1 | 3 days ago

Seriously, we have a chance to get into the lottery in a deep draft with a team that already has a strong core. If we start 2026 with JT, JB, White, PP and improved younger guys coming off the bench PLUS a high draft pick, we’re back in this thing immediately.

Tone_Deaf55

1 | 3 days ago

Some of the most fun teams to watch for me were bad years. The 07 team before they got Allen and Garnett and the first year under Steven’s. They key was in both situations we had young guys who played their asses off and showed flashes of potential. That’s all I’m asking for. Get Tommy points and get better

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

I’m totally in for that. Should make it easier to stay invested.

Competitive-Worry846

1 | 3 days ago

We’ll be competing for play-in games at best. Brad is not gonna allow the team to simply tank a season, I don’t see him doing that. This roster is still decent enough to compete for a playoff spot. When Brad first got here we didn’t have a legitimiate superstar, just a bunch of players who competed hard and gritted out games with each other aka the IT years. I believe we can do something similar for a year or two tilm Tatum is fully 100%.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

I don’t disagree. I’m struggling with the concept of being a middle of the pack teams that gets you an early exit from the playoffs and kills the chance of getting a good draft pick

NumbersAndPolls01

1 | 3 days ago

A team led by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will at least have a shot at a play-in spot

SRoku | President Brad babyyy

1 | 3 days ago

People are still in denial I feel, and part of it is I because of the misconception that tanking in this instance means telling Joe to lose games. It doesn’t. Tanking for us means playing Simons and Garza 36 minutes a game in March while JB sits out with “knee soreness.” This roster is a first round exit at best as it stands, and I personally would much rather get a lottery pick than get gentleman’s swept by the Cavs in the first round.

Salamander-Prince | Phil Pressey

1 | 3 days ago

This season is going to be the most electric 35 win season in a long time. JB and White doing whatever they want and having fun, cheap tickets, can’t wait!

DogsSaveTheWorld

1 | 3 days ago

lol…..another take on the stupid idea of tanking

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ok can you expound on that? What do you think their goal should be?

DogsSaveTheWorld

1 | 3 days ago

Nahhh….already have several times. All you need to know is that it doesn’t work.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Thanks for contributing absolutely nothing.

DogsSaveTheWorld

1 | 3 days ago

Nothing gets nothing

needles617

1 | 3 days ago

We have nothing but Luke Garza at the 5..

I think they’ll move simmons and get an even cheaper center not named Al

darkmarke82

1 | 3 days ago

If you think Jaylen Brown is going to finally get his chance to show he can lead a winning team…and is going to choose to soft tank, you’re crazy.

Also, I doubt DWhite is cool tanking his year 32 season, and i doubt he feels as though picking up some of the Jrue load will be too much for him. Same with Pritchard, you think he sees the chance to cement himself as a proper guard in the league w/Jrue gone and he’s going to just roll over? No way.

Losing Al, Kp, Luke, really sucks…will have to see how Queta does in a larger role and whether the already 23 year old dude we just drafted can add anything of value. Even with this, i think the C’s will be much better you’re giving credit for.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

I didn’t say the players were on board did I?

dubthreez1

1 | 3 days ago

I don’t believe they will shoot to miss the playoffs, but I don’t think they’ll be sad if they do. I fully expect the team to commit to developing players like Scheierman, Davis, Walsh and I think they’ll see heavy minutes. Simons will be almost certainly dealt in season for tax purposes to a team that feels like they are a 6th man scoring piece away from a title run. I don’t think the Celtics are top 5 pick bad, so any player they draft, while nice, probably won’t be a significant contributor by the time the Jays/Dwhite title window closes in the 2030-2031 season. This season is all about resetting the tax status of the team, and they are going to let those draft chips fall where they may.

Landlord-Allmighty

1 | 3 days ago

At the very least, I hope they don’t rush into so many shaky decisions to try and make moves. Think of the worst game of Jenga happening in Milwaukee for the past 3 years in an effort to get better, they’ve alienated their star.

IndependentHold3098

1 | 3 days ago

I think he can be at full power by the end of the 27 season and playoffs which is all that matters

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

That would be a miracle. A welcomed miracle

Minute-Branch2208

1 | 3 days ago

Derrick White and Jaylen Brown would be enough to make our team very competitive if we werent in the process of losing our entire frontline. With KP, Al and Luke gone it does look like a soft tank to me, as Tatum was our power forward and his backup, Hauser, is even more of a small forward than he is. So yeah, barring something unforeseen, next year is a good chance for White, Pritchard and Brown to step up their games for the future, but that’s about it.

the_spinetingler | Parish Punching Laimbeer

1 | 3 days ago

I’m calling it an “extended training camp” season

Get a long look at the young guys

The remaining big 3 get to jack up their career scoring averages

Just miss the playoffs and hope for a ping pong ball to bounce

Ok_Rate5871

2 | 3 days ago

I like this outlook very much

massdebator69

1 | 3 days ago

Brad is as logical and pragmatic as they come, as demonstrated through his trade (especially trading a fan favorite like Marcus). He is able to see one simple fact: No Tatum means no championship. So, why try to be semi competitive when you know for a fact you can’t win it all?

He’d rather optimize the roster by trying out how some new young players fit like Garza, Minnott, and Simons and maximize assets by trying to get a top pick. It’s pretty simple really. It’s gonna suck to watch for fans like us who watch 50+ Celtics games per year but that’s too bad.

AdmiralWackbar | Ricky Davis

1 | 3 days ago

We’re a playoff team, you can book it. Keep the receipts

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Oh, I don’t doubt that it’s possible. That wasn’t really my point. I think they could make the playoffs, but I don’t understand what the point of shooting for it is when you know that you don’t stand a chance to attend was more of my thinking.

AdmiralWackbar | Ricky Davis

1 | 3 days ago

Because we’re not the Sixers

EmployeeNumberMate

1 | 3 days ago

Assuming Brown and White are still on this team, expect them to miss a lot of games with “hamstring tightness”, “back spasms”, and of course “DNP - Rest”.

enutz777

1 | 3 days ago

Oh yeah, Brad Stevens is tossing two prime years of JB and DW and prime year of JT to go for it three years from now! GTFOH This better not become another Real Estate Development Sox situation, I’m not ready for every Boston franchise to be trash with rare playoff appearances again.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Whats the other option this year?

Mbanicek64

1 | 3 days ago

The majority of people here have not come to terms with the new cap.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Preach

EnlightenedNight

1 | 3 days ago

I don’t understand why you need to label a team as “soft tankers” in July. It’s a pretty battered East, just play the games and see how far the roster goes. You may find a winnable formula that carries you unexpectedly. Not a lot predicted Indiana would be NBA Finalists pre-season. So much of your record depends on what happens with other teams moves, injuries, etc.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ya I’m not arguing with what you’re saying but my point is if you do that, the odds put you in basketball purgatory, which is an early exit from the playoffs and a small chance of getting a good pick.

EnlightenedNight

1 | 3 days ago

The issue is that ‘soft tanking’ is a fan-made concept. It sounds great on paper but it’s entirely unrealistic. No players or coaches are going to accept a plan of “lose this season and win next season with better players that will replace some of you”. That’s a great way to alienate your locker room and become an undesirable free agent destination. Nobody is ‘shooting’ to miss the playoffs. Players only have so many years professionally.

The Celtics still have two all-star level players, the 6MOTY, and there’s likely to be some pieces who surprise and step up while Tatum is out. That’s probably good enough for at least a 5-8 seed expectation and of course maybe things go better. And maybe things click in the playoffs and you can win a series. I’d rather cheer for that than losing basketball.

NoveltyAccountHater

1 | 3 days ago

I really don’t like calling it a “tank”, because that implies we are deliberately underperforming or trying to lose games for better picks or what not. I really do not think that will be the case. I don’t think the front office has the mindset to keep this team worse. Yes, we decided to deal (or let walk) some talented players with salaries we couldn’t really afford under this CBA/apron system to avoid worse consequences down the line (no MLEs, draft picks locked at end of line down the line, $200+M tax payment). But that’s not tanking. Tanking would be trading Brown or White for value for a future season (e.g., 2026 draft picks or injured players).

I’m realistic in that I see this team is the least optimistic for the next season (without Jrue, KP, Kornet and likely no Horford). I don’t expect the team to make it to the ECF like they have 7 of the past 9 seasons and this is the first season in a long time I’ve felt like that. That said, I fully expect them to be in great shape for 2026 and beyond if they don’t totally blow up the rest of the team.

Players like Brown, White, Pritchard are too good and too proud to intentionally lose games. I don’t think Joe has it in him to hold back either and I can’t see the front office getting an opportunity to improve the team and choosing not to do so based on trying to get better picks.

The only “tank-like” decision I see possibly happening is holding Tatum back instead of rushing him out to get him in form for the playoffs, when ideally he’d still be recovering. But that’s just being smart and realistic about your franchise player and not risk re-injury for a long shot.

Professional-Okra-85

1 | 3 days ago

Soft tank…….find a way to sit white and brown all year….full fucking tank restock the coffers

_Gibby__ | The Celtics are the balls

1 | 3 days ago

I mean PP, DWhite, and JB can definitely take us to 40+ wins. But if we hold out JB and DWhite for long enough, we could have a shot at a top pick.

McLainx23 | Less Jae More Jaylen

1 | 3 days ago

Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White ALONE are more than enough not to tank. Y’all are fucking delusional

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

That’s not the point. I’m talking about goals of the front office.

jskillsvt

1 | 3 days ago

Ye of little faith

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ok what’s their ceiling in your mind?

xoBonesxo

1 | 3 days ago

Dumb take, no nba teams are ever shooting to miss the playoffs lol

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ugh……….. really? Ever heard of words like “tank” “the process” “ fire sale”. So many teams try to have the worst record they can get. Sorry friend but you have the stupid take.

xoBonesxo

1 | 3 days ago

Bro no nba team is doing that lol , when ppl mention tanking it’s so dumb, u think teams are gonna lose on purpose. Tell their players “try not to play ur best just lose”

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

No, you obviously don’t understand. It’s not about players not trying it’s about what the team you put on the court is. If you put a bad team on the court, you’re not gonna win games. Thats what tanking is.

SerfTint

1 | 3 days ago

A team that has been in the conference finals 6 times in 9 seasons, and was considered the second most likely title contender for most of 2025, finishing as an 8-seed IS a soft tank. It’s possible that the front office hopes they miss the playoffs entirely, and there are some valid reasons to have that hope. But they’re not going to tell the players on the roster to try to lose, and the team still has enough talent to beat up on the bottom third of the league for a lot of wins.

So you’re making a supposed big distinction between these aspirations, and there isn’t one. Suppose the Celtics are an 8-seed. They fulfill the above “I see so much on here about the Celtics being a 6, 7 or 8 seed.” They get up to two play-in games in order to win one (against the 7, or then if necessary against the 9-10 winner). If they win either of those games, they fulfill “surprise run to the playoffs,” because they’ll be in the playoffs. If they lose both, they fulfill “lottery team.” (Remember that the Mavs were in the playin tournament before landing the #1 pick). So the great difference between “man, people don’t understand” and “let me explain to you all what’s happening” is literally one win in a two-game stretch.

There’s no one saying the Celtics will be a serious contender, they’re saying “maybe a playoff team in a weak East.” More than half of the conference makes the playoffs. Seems like a pretty reasonable prediction.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 3 days ago

Ya no argument on the semantics. But it’s seems pretty pointless to aim for NBA purgatory.

fungbro2

1 | 3 days ago

You can write 25-26 season as a complete loss tbh. Just don’t be like the Patriots and go from 1st pick to 4th

celticspats12

1 | 3 days ago

KD could have come back for the playoffs but the nets sucked that year. They’re gonna see how the first couple months go before deciding if it’s a tank or a light push for the playoffs. Could def see us being a ⁵⁄₆ seed

RetroFrisbee | I like to defense

1 | 3 days ago

Just wait until Silver gives us Dybantsa

Slow-Page8056

1 | 2 days ago

Brown, White and Pitchard are all high level players that fit the system well. There are guys on the roster who should be improved players and may have breakout years. Queta, Schierman, Walsh and Davison could be much better next year than anyone is expecting with increased roles on the team. Simmons is a good scorer who plays decent defense when he wants to. If we keep him, he will be an important rotation piece. On top of that, the Celtics aren’t done rotooling for next year, though it seems like most people on here think they are. Also, the East is pretty weak, and other teams also have serious injury issues. This team will finish next year with a winning record and a playoff seed somewhere between 3-6, in my opinion. Soft tank is a Boston sports media invention and everyone is lapping it up.

Kliene53

1 | a day ago

It will not be a tank.

If it were…White would be gone.

We’re not tanking…Brad is playing chess.

ajones614

1 | 14 hours ago

I think you’re misunderstanding how bad the bottom of the league is. This current roster will absolutely be a playoff team in the east.

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 13 hours ago

Again if you read some of the other discussions, that’s not my point. The players we have may be good enough to make the playoffs. Thats not what I’m getting at. I’m getting at it seems like the Celtics will be bound to be a little better than middle of the pack, which is NBA Purgatory. So it looks like they are playing the treading water game for now. Which is frustrating because why not go full tank or even soft tank to try and secure a good draft pick instead of most likely getting an early playoff exit and a bad draft pick.

Iwobee

1 | 4 hours ago

I know the east is getting stronger but as a Knicks fan Boston could absolutely make the ecf without Tatum or Porzingus. You still got hella stars 🙄

Ok_Rate5871

1 | 4 hours ago

Oh for sure. My point has more been about what the front office is shooting for. Why shoot for middle of the pack?

Are people still not understanding this season will be a soft tank?