Brad Stevens today - “There were a lot of teams, in the NBA, playing for draft positioning this year. And that won’t be the case next year. The league is gonna be a lot better, the regular season’s gonna be a lot harder.”
I think its so funny that Jaylen has been repeatedly harping on how well the Celtics did this year emphasizing the number of wins comparing it to past years
And Brad’s just like yeah a lot of teams were tanking our win total this year was kind of BS lmao
Don’t want to sound like a hater, but I think hard working physical teams like Detroit and Phoenix got 2-3 additional wins based on this fact. Tanking causes win inflation on both ends.
Was hard not to feel this in regards to us too.
We won a ton of games on the back end, but it felt like we were playing our best ball in January when it was actually harder. Gotta wonder if teams like my own end up in the playoffs next year when presumably the Utah’s and Dallas’s of the world are actually trying.
Both not having their pick will surely shake things up.
My “before the draft lottery is even determined” hot take is Utah finishing top 7 next season for instance.
Is that a hot take?
Markannen, Jaren Jackson Jr, Walker Kessler, Keyonte George are all good players.
They will also be adding a lottery pick in a stacked draft.
This is a good team that was egregiously tanking by not playing their top guys.
I mean, I think it is? Unless there’s a Rocket implosion(which I doubt), the top 6 will remain strong next season, it won’t be an easy jump.
Blazers, Suns, and if they are healthy, Warriors, etc. Dallas not having their pick as well.
It’s a stacked conference we’re looking at for next season.
Kessler Markennen and George did not play many games together this season (it was 5)
They had a +13 net rating in those 5 games
They played the clippers, kings, suns x2 and blazers. They went 2-3 in that time but were pretty bad when all 3 weren’t on the court (which was about half the time)
Adding a lottery pick, JJJ and the will to win
Bench being Bailey, Collier, Filip and whoever else the Jazz still believe in honestly not bad
That being said is it good enough to break into the upper echelon I think the top 6 seeds are pretty safely back next year. Blazers should be better, warriors shouldn’t be worse, suns can compete with the Jazz, clippers depends on Kawhi so it’s possible they make the playoffs but I see a blazers season at best
Will be interesting to see how Dallas starts the season. They have a lot of vets that could be interesting trade targets at the deadline if the season isn’t going to plan.
I think it’s interesting to look at the pre and post January records
Obviously the top 20 teams never tanked
So let’s look at the standings, I think the best way to do this is to look at the records against the top 20 teams
Not including the pelicans (who have a 0% chance at getting their own pick)
Pre February teams were winning 26.5% of their games against top 20 teams
Post February it plummeted to 11.1%
If we assume that bad teams would win 26.5% year round against good teams
This impacted 207 February games which means that really only like 30 more games would have had different winners so only like 1.5 per team (obviously play in teams are closer to 2-3 and playoff teams are closer to 0-1)
I will say, having watched basically all 82 Pistons games this year, I was simply astounded at the number of times the top 1-3 players on the opposing team were out when playing the Pistons. It almost felt like a game of duck duck goose but the goose was the winner of the game.
Definitely. Look at the win totals for the play-in teams this season compared to last: everyone’s wins have been inflated a bit.
It’s awful. Every team was winning more games than they should. There was a 9 and 11 game gap between the 10 and 11 seeds in each conference. Teams were clearly self-determing whether they were lottery or playoff bound.
What does this even mean? If some good teams are benefitting from tanking then all of them are.
The Knicks played the same teams in the East as the Pistons did.
The Thunder played the same teams as the Suns.
I think they’re saying some of the play-in level teams could’ve dropped a few to worse teams if the worse teams weren’t actively trying to lose. While the Thunder and Pistons would likely thump the bottom teams no matter who’s on the floor.
Hard working physical teams overperform in the regular season compared to their postseason level no matter how much tanking is going on
Not hating at all, I watched every game and thought the same thing. I mean heck Detroit played that November game against Washington like it was a finals game.
on the flip side you have the wolves giving free wins to lottery teams to even it out.
Eh, it’s easy to think that in a vacuum but Suns were missing Jalen Green for more than half the season. I’m not sure if tanking teams really make much of a difference when everyone is hurt lol.
Were the Pistons’ three wins over the Knicks by a combined 80+ points part of this calculation?
Brad seemed pretty irritated the entire press conference lol
Brad seems like the exec thats never satisfied and always looking to improve
I truly think he will pull a Patt Riley and be coaching this team in the not too distant future.
The rest of the Jays dynasty will just be Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla trading jobs back and forth.
I don’t even want to know what kind of freaks Mazzulla would scout and acquire
You sure you know what dynasty means?
I do. Jayson Tatum is only 28 and these are the Stevens-run, Mazzulla-coached Boston Celtics. I’ve got faith. 😋
for you, it means making the finals twice, right?
They know it better than we do man
Well we may have traded them a ball of fame championship core but at least they weren’t a dynasty
I mean, two things can be true. We had the 4th best regular season record with our best player out for most of that. If I was the guy who stepped into that role I’d hype myself up too.
I mean its more the fact that Brad is directly contradicting things Jaylen is saying. Maybe its nothing but also maybe its something
When Brad says it everyone praises him.
When I say it I get downvoted to hell for being a hater and everyone is like “Why are you using slurs?”
Curious.
Yup can’t wait for Silver to talk about how his new tanking rules improved the league when in reality this draft class is elite and next draft class is terrible
Facts
They need to keep the rules in place for the next loaded draft to see how the teams behave in those circumstances
Unfortunately that might be 2+ years out. 2028 doesn’t look too great yet either
For non-Cs fans here - this was a PISSED OFF Brad today
Why was he pissed ?
I think he’s pointing out that the Celtics were not as great as the record showed. Indicating that because so many teams half way through decide to tank for better draft position you kinda inflate top table sides and that can skew the seeding and better teams in playoff seeding. So tanking makes the league less competitive on all faucets and it’s getting very out of hand. As a 76ers fan I agree with this ideology if it’s what was annoying him or referring to.
I just realized the pelicans didn’t even have their pick, which means they weren’t tanking. They were just that bad, yikes.
At the same time, they clawed their way from worst record in the league to #7. That’s what the league hopes every team is doing next year.
Yep, 9-32 the first 41 games, 17-24 the second. They deserve some credit for competing even if there was literally no reason for them not to without their pick
10 of those 17 wins were against tanking teams
The pelicans did not finish #7
This is exactly why everyone clowned them for their draft day trade with Atlanta.
Yeah isnt it great
Now let’s get the team out there and chuck some threes
he actually talked about how we need to get better at attacking the rim. so hopefully we see some changes
Let’s hope. I can’t keep watching a team this one dimensional I’ve honestly never seen anything like it
Never gonna happen with Mazzulla as coach
Everyone says this as if the Celtics didn’t utilize the post a ton with Porzingis. Of course you’re going to shoot 3s and not attack the rim as much when your big men are Queta and Garza. It’s a roster construction thing as much as it is a coaching thing.
What a joke. You can just telll u didn’t see the 24 Celtics team. They were utilizing porzingis really good.
They led the league in 3PA/game in 2024 though?
They led the league in 3PA and were last in 2PA that year. Weird!
Funny seeing people just now saying this after the Game 7 loss. The Celtics have been like this since 2022 or 2023. I have hated watching them play for years now.
People would tell me I was hating because of my flair, but you can recognize they’re good while not liking their playing style. Even when they won it all, they we’re chucking up 3s. It’s saying something in 2026 when teams put up 30 attempts a game, that I hate watching them.
Edit:
Just pulled up the stats. They lead the league in 3PA/game in 23, 24, AND 25. They were fourth last year. In the season prior, they led by nearly 6 attempts, putting up 50 a game. That is insane!
100 percent I agree
One of the few things our flairs can see eye to eye on 🤝
Peep my idiot too. I just pulled up the stats and it’s insane how much they we’re shooting last few years lol. I knew it passed the eye test
Mazulla nods in approval
For the last time! The Kings were just bad! But then the Jazz and the Pacers had to go and draw too much attention to tanking and screw it all up
Thank you I’m tired of being lumped in with those unethical losers.
We are just that stupid give us the number 1 pick and sit back and enjoy how we inevitably fumble it like we always do!
Have the kings ever had a #1 draft option? I know we’ve had 2 with ant and kat. Wiggins was traded as apart of the klove package so I don’t really count that.
Before my time but we had it once in 1989 and selected Pervis Ellison
But obviously we had the gift of number 2 to get Luka and pissed it away
Not sure you can put the team that had the most injuries and were missing their best player the whole season in the same sentence as the Jazz, brother.
Pels were also just that bad since they didn’t own their own pick
We sat at least 80% of our salary cap.
Dallas & Memphis, Washington were also not trying
Memphis has no players left.
Like who should we have been playing?
You are telling me
WCJ
javon small
Aldama
KCP
Clarke
Coward
Edey
Hendricks
GG
Jerome
Ja
Pippen Jr
Spencer
Wells
Were all legitimately injured? My team tanked. So did yours. It’s ok.
I mean. Two years ago we were fighting with the playoffs with even more injuries than that
Most of who you named were injured right from the start of the year.
Now if all those guys played would you guys already not have one of the worst rosters in the league? What would have changed? 5 more wins?
The pacers and jazz were probably gonna be bad anyways too the pacers don’t even have their best player
We were goign to be bad.
Then we jsut turned it into horrific.
Yes sure but my point is at the end of the day who really cares? What does a few extra wins do for y’all in the grand scheme of things
Pacers also had a ton of injuries at the start of the year. Nesmith, Nembhard, and Toppin were all out for long periods.
Once everyone was back, we looked a lot better, but now were also at a point it was clear playoffs weren’t happening, and started more tanking traditionally.
Which is dumb because Pacers have never truly tanked before this year and only happened because Hali and others were so hurt, but we got out in the sniper fire by the league for no reason.
Hell, Silver wanted us to shoot up Nesmith with pain meds against doctor’s order so we could trot him out there while being 30 games down in the East.
This is exactly my issues teams ARE gonna be bad no matter what so why are we vilifying losing like it’s not a symptom of competition.
Tanking traditionally would be signing bad players. Yall weren’t playing siakim after all stars cause “injuries” even though he played in the all star game. Just as unethical as us lol
I know this is tongue in cheek but I have to mention it’s a little crazy that the Pacers tanked for the first time in the 50+ year history of the franchise and the league was so scandalized they immediately changed the rules.
Punishing tanking takes the fun out of watching bad teams. I used to see who the Jazz and Nets could trot out in an epic tank battle, now I just have to watch ass teams be ass.
Just called the next draft class ass
They are likely changing the draft odds so the bottom 3 team have worse odds at #1 than the 4-10 teams that would all have an 8.1% chance at getting number one.
Umm, no.
Win totals were definitely inflated this year throughout the year. Was a great opportunity for a lot of teams this year. Both east and west will be a lot stronger next year.
I think another advantage of these new tanking rules would be hopefully stopping tanking teams trading their good role players to top contenders so they can keep losing. No more farm teams that’s sole purpose is to groom players so they can ship them off to contenders to keep the tank going.
Good, not great teams trying to be bad will trap actual bad teams into being bad
I think about this constantly when I think about how Morey made no moves to make the Sixers better for the second half of the season.
My Hawks won 46 games and went on a long winning streak against dogshit teams, I’m already knowing
Even more teams will be playing for draft positioning. The only difference is they will be better teams trying to get to the 4-10 bottom slots.
I’m legitimately concerned we won’t make the playoffs next year
It wouldn’t have been the case next year even if he didn’t change the rules. Next year’s draft class isn’t being rated highly at all.
This fucking guy doesn’t age
He looks the exact same he did when Hayward banked out that game winner 15+ years ago
I don’t get the whole tanking debate. There are like four tanking teams, maybe 4.5 if you count the second half of the season grizzles. The kings, pelicans, bulls and mavericks were just organically bad teams.
4 teams is bad. the right number is 0
People didn’t play for draft positioning outside the bottom 2-3 if not for Adam silvers shitty ass lottery changes!
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Nobody gonna tank or something next year?
There’s no point really with the new draft rules
Next years draft looks kinda ass. Shades of 2024.
Also anti tanking rules.
There’s still the Wizards, Nets, Jazz, Pelicans, Kings, Grizzlies, Bulls and Bucks, that’s still over 25% of the league that will either be tanking or just ass next year
You think the Jazz won’t be good next year? I’d say most people expect them to be play-in+ level next year
I see the jazz getting top 8. Id take them over the suns and blazers fully healthy
I don’t think it’s a crazy opinion to think the Jazz will be 7-10 next year.
No one cares about extended pre season. The playoffs is the real season.
60 games max regular season. 82 is far too many.
You’re probably right. Play every team home and away. bobs your uncle. (58)
If you really have to, add on an extra 8 games to play division teams home and away again, so 66 games.
That just disadvantages teams in strong divisions. Rn its not a big deal cause 82 games is enough to even it
So what you’re telling us is you screwed up, didn’t you Brad?
You had one opportunity to nab another pick.
tanking will still be a problem, it just shifts the tanking more around the play-in teams than the bottom of the league teams
Making the play in is extra detrimental to draft odds considering just below the play in is all equal odds with the worst teams
But absolutely nobody is going to want to be bottom 3 so the floor will raise.
We’ll see. There’s a lot of money to be made by going to the playoffs. Philly was a play in team and are in the second round. Or just get rid of the play in. I hope teams would wanna make playoffs more than hoping for a high pick in the draft.
Fundamentally, teams want to win and make the postseason. I struggle to believe that teams are going to try to tank to the 11th seed. Teams are still going to try for the play-in.
Especially online, fans are a lot more defeatist than teams. They’ll have a solid chance of making the playoffs and getting a good pick.
It really sucks that jaylen brown’s time as a celtic is coming to an end. There’s just no way you can bring him back next season. The fans would boo him and he himself would reciprocate the hate back. The relationship has soured beyond all repair
The celtics sub is actually embarrassing how fast they turned on jaylen brown and are salivating over giannis after years of hate and vitriol towards him. If you asked them 2 weeks ago about a trade swap you would’ve been banned from that sub. Now you get downvoted for suggesting keeping brown and tatum but getting a better team around the edges of the roster.
A first round exit and all of a sudden jaylen brown was never shit, will never be shit, and needs to get the fuck off the roster? Just pathetic. Have some loyalty or at the very least show some appreciation for a guy who helped break a 16 year title drought (which in celtics years is like 50 years to some of these ungrateful people) and won finals mvp.
helped break a 16 year title drought (which in celtics years is like 50 years
Let’s not get crazy here, Cs have won 2 titles in the last 40 years.
MJaylen is awesome and deserves his place among Celtics greats, but Giannis instead of Brown, makes the Celtics a lot more dangerous.
For a lot of sports fan, it’s just a hobby, an outlet to vent and channel all of their daily frustrations into… anything that gives them an excuse to.
We live in a society that forces us to ignore all of our impulses, if you can’t give poor john an outlet to act entitled and shit on multimillion dollars players, we might’ve already had a revolution by now