Playoffs or Bust

It is hard not to be sarcastic at this point. Trying to be as optimistic as possible, the talent on this team will be of playoff caliber and with the competition in the east, even some missed opportunities should not derail the team. Next year playoffs will be nice, but the plan must circle around a top 2 pick and an eventual contender in 2-3 years, perhaps under a different coach.

Nothing new. If Doc wants to impress me, he better get us to the ECF

They said the same thing last fall about not using the youth excuse anymore…

“a salesman is an it that sinks excuse” —ee cummings

If it isn’t one excuse with Rivers it will be another.

“it takes a genius to whine appealingly” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

I feel like some of us posters are going a bit overboard on the negativity lately. What’s going to happen if the C’s win the lottery? “Oh, Trader Danny got lucky and backed into it.” What’s going to happen if they make the playoffs? “Just imagine the seed we would have gotten if Doc wasn’t the coach!” I know this is Boston and that the only two truths are that the ticket prices are high and the fans are negative, but things are getting crazy around here. I guess I’m just going to wait and see what happens during the summer. If training camp opens and there is no Oden, Durant, or All-Star added to this roster… that’s when I’ll jump on the good ship to negative town.

I’ll stop whining when they start winning. It’s simple, really.

I’ll stop whining when they start trying to win.

No, there’s no such thing as going a bit overboard on the negativity lately.
This just sucks. Period.
At some point, as in another situation I know, you have to declare an effort a failure.
I like how May shifts the responsibility more toward Ainge and ownership.
I sat in church this morning ready to punch the lights out of this brat who was talking over everything. Then I realized it was his father who was the one just sitting there, letting it all happen, evening heaping him on his lap.
Fire Doc. Fire Danny.

"The bottom line is that now itâ€â"¢s my job to improve this team.”

omgrotfllolzbrb

Then if we draft Oden or Durant, is it fair to say that every is going to say that it doesn’t change a thing? To be honest, I have much more of a problem with Wyc appearing to be pretty gutless trough this whole thing – unless it comes to publicly ripping a players nameplate off their locker. >:(

Great. Now that Doc has his extension, he says he is going to start coaching! Need a poll question – Who is the biggest Moran? Doc, Danny or Wyc? Looks like a toss up to me.

I am so sick of Doc’s BS…..All I’ve got to say is , " PUT UP OR SHUT UP ". Nothing more needs to be said .

I have to say that Wyc is clearly becoming Public Enemy Number 1 as far as I’m concerned.

He talks a good game about listening to the fans and bringing Celtic pride back. Yeah right, he has clearly ignored the wishes of fans ( look at the polls on this blog and the Globe ).

He has gotten tremendous fan support ( attendance ) far more than he deserves . Yet, he continue to shove garbage down the throats of Celtic fans. As far as I’m concerned he has skated with regard to accountability, it’s time he be held accountable ! I’ve had enough of his rhetoric , just like Doc…." PUT UP OR SHUT UP "

Furthermore Wyc……Bring back the black basketball shoes at home…..so much for tradition !

They need to hit the lottery. That has been the business plan since Dec. If Doc had won 32 games, he would never had been extended. The relationship between Wyc and Doc will probably be over in the next two years (three years to late). I would say Doc needs to win 42-46 games to keep his job and 50 plus the year after.

So Doc is having some kind of brain transplant?? What on God’s Green Earth is going to change?? Is he suddenly going to install an NBA defense?? Is he suddenly going to have coherent rotations?? Is he suddenly going to set meaningful crunch-time plays?? Is he going to shorten his lap around half the court and his converstaions with assistants when he calls time outs so he has more than 5 seconds with his players??

Two more years of this??

Orlando is a playoff team with a 40-42 record this year. This team should be able to win 40 despite Doc, despite a non- top 2 draft pick. Being an 8th seed in the weak East and competing for an NBA championship is a difference between night and day. I won’t be satisfied with a 500 record.

I want this team to be NBA championshop caliber and we won’t get there with Danny and Doc at the helm. Go ahead Doc, set the bar low!

The thing is, this team starting tanking before we all ever realized it. Go back to the days when many where on Big Al’s case. Doc and Danny knew we didn’t have the “goods”, and what many said about the Telfair/#7 was true before the season ever started. By the time Danny figured out what we all knew, he was a step or two ahead of all of us with the “tanking”. No Danny, don’t deny the tanking, admit that it went on earlier than we had expected.

Look at the results, Big Al turned into a legitimate big man and we still get buried with 24 wins, injuriers or no injuries. Look back early on in the season when we were all scratching our heads saying what the hell was Doc thinking, and Danny in 100% support mode.

This was a tank season from early on and it just took us longer than it should have to figure it out. Now it is time to go balls to walls and get the #8 seed in the weak east next year. Whoopdee-doo!

I hope Wyc is reading this board because right now the sentiment among Celtics fans is one of either being extremely angry and frustrated or one of apathy. Choose your poison, Wyc.

By the way Wyc, nice job of botching the Telfair situation , your ill advised comments have made him literally impossible to trade . Granted , he didn’t much trade value to begin with , but by opening your big mouth you made his value zero. I guess you couldn’t stay out of it and just quietly let Danny trade him in the off season .

Wyc, you know just enough to be DANGEROUS !

Sup, Master Po. Getting thrown overboard might be just what I need following this ridiculous organization. I tired of Doc’s B.S. long ago — and that’s whether he’s had the talent or not. But frankly, Peter May, despite (or because of?) all his cynicism, has been right all along: This is Danny’s mess, not Doc’s. Doc’s inadequacies as a coach only explain about a third of the Celtics’ woes (no reason to extend his contract, though). May less than a year ago astutely said that if Danny fires Doc he essentially has to go with him because this is Danny’s show. And Danny’s team cuz he so manically constructed this team with his countless moves. Doc’s just being Doc: a mediocre coach. A mediocre coach could probably do better with a better-constructed team. Danny failed on that note particularly last summer with his bizarre draft night and then ZERO afterward because he overvalued (as we have been doing) his young talent.
So now, even with Oden/Durant, it’s going to take swallowing some bitter medicine to right this ship. (Sorry for the mixed metaphor.) We still have a hobbled and overpaid Wally Z (do not underestimate how much his health and contract can/will hold us back). We still have Theo’s health/contract issues. That’s huge. Perk’s foot is a concern, West’s injury tendencies are still there. Allen’s knee is a huge question mark. My point the playoffs remind us once again that, despite all the moves and all the draft picks and all the B.S. from Danny and Doc, we are what we are.
Chatter about making the playoffs is such a low bar at this point because you could do that with a 41-41 record, but you’d still be a looooong way from championship consideration. As it stands, we’re still another three years away and that’s being kind.
Yes, please, throw me overboard, cuz it’ll get it over with faster than having to stay on this sinking ship of a franchise.

Doc = Carl Pavano

when I got involved I thought this blog could be fun, tossing trade talk and Celtic banter around; but the culture of this blog is just too negative, too draining, most of you are crazy you know.

You think you know what you’re talking about but you really don’t; I come to the realization that you need the negativism in your lives. I don’t, I like optomism. I will find something else to do.

One last input, the Celts will draft a big man, trade for an experiienced ball handler, they will make the playoffs next year but unfortunately will get bumped in the first round; doc will get a another extention and they will be contenders of the Eastern chmapionship the next and the NBA championship years later.

Be cool.

I remember at the beginning of this year, Doc said “we aren’t going to use youth as an excuse”, and S. Telfair saying “We are going to make the playoffs, mark my words”, i hear Danny just defending himself and admitting mistakes while saying what “he thinks” like how x’s and o’s are overrated….As for Wyc, he is just doing what any smart business man would do. If it’s not broken don’t fix it. By “it” i mean 1000’s of celtics fans giving him great attendance ratings and buying into their youth dream with a GM that’s a rookie himself at managing a team, because we have no choice. I mean why fix your under .400 team when everyones showing up to see them?? Boston is known as one of the most knowledgable basketball cities in the country, yet the people who run our franchise appear the opposite. Sadly, The only real losers are us. Please Red work your magic on lottery night.

DAS said:
  I hope Wyc is reading this board because right now the sentiment among Celtics fans is one of either being extremely angry and frustrated or one of apathy. Choose your poison, Wyc.

Wyc, if you are reading this board not everyone agrees with the sentiment expressed in the above statement. Count me as one who is with you, Danny, Doc and the Celtics. I realize this is a process and a difficult one and I’m on your side regardless of what happens in the draft. I do know we are better off now than we were when Danny and Doc were hired.

How many of the NEGATIVE fans will admit that they were wrong when the ship rights itself? Will they give as much INK to applauding as they’ve given to condemning management? It will be interesting to see, especially if those of us maintaining a positive attitude are justified in withholding PREMATURE judgement.

Any of you negative fans care to admit that you will support this team in a positive way if everything turns out well?

From Peter May, Globe, 5-13-07

“I think we’ll be a much stronger team,” Colangelo said. “Last year, we were young. We were inexperienced at the point guard position. This team will have a lot more toughness and experience.”

It’s about the USA Basketball Team coached by a great x-o coach, Coach K, who had a team stocked with some of the best NBA players.

Link to Peter May article:
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2007/05/13/in_the_bonus_situation/?page=2

I could not agree more with 4thgenfan and also True Green. Really, this board is getting to be one big bore. Some of you guys, from my point of view and I am trying to be nice here,really are a bit off-the-rocker.I am not sure how much more I care to visit this asylum. Maybe the coach,er excuse me, the moderator is to blame. Let’s get rid of Jeff for perpetuating this nut house.For example, he chooses to post Murphy’s column and not Souza’s.

I also read Peter May today. He blames Wyc and Ainge for hiring Doc, not Doc. He also seems to read celtics blogs. Why not? Mr. Negativity himself must be salivating at this point. He’s right at home. On one hand he says that the Harlem Globe Trotters could not have won this year with what happened to Doc’s team. Then on the other hans he writes, in typical May fashion, that Doc has gone downhill the last two years after his team imploded in the playoffs against the Pacers. In other words that Doc is not a good coach.

Yet, if you want another viewpoint, try reading Scott Souza in today’s Metropolitan West. That is essentially my viewpoint. Read the part about McGrady and Billups especially. Just because we all want it to happen so badly, doesn’t mean it’s that easy.What I got out of this article is the word ‘patience.’Ainge mentions the difficulty of putting time frames on the club.I respect him for that. I respect Wyc also for realizing that this group of players play hard for Doc. They like to play for him and have been together with him now a few years. Continuity and faith are extremely important at this point. The team would be dealt a huge blow emotionally with a coaching change.

I know very well that someone out there will refute almost anthing written here with another monologue about Doc’s inconsistent rotations, his inability to play the young guys before someone was injured, or his late game decisions, or heavy dependence on Pierce, or inability to teach good defense, or whatever. Then tell me. What were Perkins and Al J doing by the end of last year? Not defending well? How was the rebounding? Allen did not defend? West? Scalabrini? What you clowns all do is like to hear yourselves squawk. Squawk, squawk, squawk! The pain of losing is very, very hurtful. Yet, all Wyc and Danny did was to relaize the difficulties of Doc’s position;to win under the curse of inexperienced and error prone players with major injuries to key and experienced players, a rookie point guard, a hurting flat footed center, etc.., etc..They said (a) you deserve another opprtunity and (b) but we feel that with this year’s added experience and a healthier team the time has come. Rivers can be let go if he fails. What do I or you care about the aditional 5 million? I am cool with this decsion. I also feel that Rivers has brought along these players nicely and knows a hell of a lot more about NBA bball than Peter May, anyone here, or myself. I couldn’t design a defense for my life, pick and rolls, any of that stuff. I only know to watch the sport. They are doing OK. Let’s just sit back now and watch the summer go by and listen for what happens.

As an addendum let me say that the bitching about River’s coaching quite perplexes me. If anyone cares to realize this, the team rebounded very well last year, and there was significant improvement defensively on the perimeter and in team defenseby several players. If his staff is not teaching these things, then why are our coaches so highly regarded by other teams. Clifford Ray, Tony Brown, and Kevin Eastman come into mind. Geez, even Chris Wallace is getting recognition; last year in Portland and now in Memphis.

gustusias, Rivers had another opportunity. He was signed through next year. The extension gets him through 08/09. Why give him the exension now? How about some benchmarks for Doc and the team next year? I’m tired of seeing teams like the Nets and Cavs in the second round of the playoffs. Look what Nelson has done with Golden State, they may be the most entertaining team in the league right now. Why reward a 24 win season with an extension for 08/09?

Gustusias – Dead on the money man. This is the first blog I have ever participated in and it was also done in the hopes of having some fun. Instead it is just a big whine session by a bunch of people who know very little about basketball. There has been a marked improvement in these guys. No one remembers that during that 18 game losing streak we were rarely getting blown out. We were playing essentially our 2nd and third squad against other teams starters and 2nd teamers. We hung tough, competed, and usually lost towards the end of the game when their starters tightened up the D and played good ball to close out the game. Nothing could be done to prevent that. No matter what we think a coach can do, he can’t overcome less talent on the floor. Some people out there refuse to acknowledge the 227 games missed by our starters this year as being a legitimate issue. We only had 1 legitimate star out there most of the year. It wasn’t until the end of the season that Big Al became a likely second. With Wally coming back and the improvement of the young guys we should be able to make some noise this next year.

Halfman/halfoyster – Golden State is a bad example because other than Davis missing 13 games, their starters missed only 4-7 games this last year. If they had missed the 227 we had, they wouldn’t have made it either. If we had stayed healthy we would have been a better team than they are. At least just as good.

I think you do a great job trying to come up with interesting topics and write well thought out articles Jeff, but there is a definite bias towards allowing extremely negative individuals to dominate the board and make it uninteresting and not fun for the rest of them. Master Po has criticized the coaching, management, and team, but done it in a way that doesn’t make people want to leave! It CAN be done guys. A good posting will provoke thought and discussion, not anger or disdain to the poster…I understand the warnings against those being exteremely rude towards other posters, but shouldn’t there be warnings for posts like connerhenry43’s at the first of this thread that just ruin the product you have worked so hard to develop? If this keeps up I am sure that 4thgenfan, gustius, Pillsbury, and others like myself who will just find a better place to spend their time.

moskqq,
If you consider me a negative fan, I will.
When they turn it around, I’ll be there, just like I’ve been supporting the team since the early 60’s. I don’t feel we can’t critique the current management. I just need something to be positive about. The lottery will do that and then the draft. I’m pumped. I’m just frustrated! I’m aware of how Wyc, Danny and Doc do not communicate the true game plan (as it changes) to the fans or media (I believe tanking was in the best long term interest of the team).

 I’m a true Celtic fan, I want them to succeed. I wanted John Y Brown to succeed! A lot of Celtic fans have been supporting this organization long before Danny and Doc came along.

I drank kool-aid all last summer. I’m sure I will again. Just remember, the season has been over since december.

I’m sick of all the negaivity directed towards the negative people. What do you expect when the team goes 24-58? Where did the Celtics PR department dig you guys up?

The problem the Celtics will face next year won’t be the negativity. It will be the silence.

There won’t be silence, they’ll pack it in, they’ll have a new commodity to market and people will come.

Even if they pick #5, I’ll be there every inch of the way, because I’m a celtic fan.

Or a sap. However you want to look at it. Half full/ Half empty.

I think Doc has done a great job of introducing so many young teenager to the nba. they are now up on the “basics” of playing basket ball and will be able to play without thinking so much about what to do. the experience they all gained put doc and the team in a good position to make the playoffs and to be competative in the first and second round. I am pulling for Doc and the team. to both do well.

I used to love this web-site. However lately I just can’t stand reading most of the things people say here. I really can’t believe how short sighted, narrow minded, and inpatient most people are here. Am I the only one who sees the big picture of what Danny is doing? Sure it is taking longer than planed. However we are moving in the right dirrection. As for Doc I do think he has done a decent job. Now I’m not saying that Doc is a great coach. I have questioned some of his line-ups many times over the years. However this team has been a mixed and matched unorganized group of mostly kids. Sure thatâ€â"¢s Danny’s fault but it was the short term pain needed in order to get to the long term pleasure. Everyone keeps saying how we are the laughing stock of the league because we haven’t won a title in over 20 years. I hope you all do realize that only 6 teams have won the championship over the last 20 years (Bulls 6, Lakers 5, Pistons 3, Spurs 3, Rockets 2, and Heat 1) that means that 24 teams have not won the whole thing in the last 20 years or 80% of the league. Thatâ€â"¢s why I don’t get it when people say if Danny doesn’t get a championship then he is a failure. Do you people have any idea how hard it is to win the whole thing? We have become spoiled by our past. If he doesnâ€â"¢t make us contenders then he is a failure. I truly believe he is moving us in that direction. In fact I predict it will be 2 years from now that we will be in that category. I also feel most of you will be eating your words in 2 years about the things you have said about doc. And yes you can quote me on both of them points…

Last year roughly at this time we were told no more youth excuse. Danny even made some stupid comment that Telfair would have been a top 7 pick if he was in last year’s draft. False hope was given and realistically if all had been healthy we still would probably have been shy of 40 wins and not have made the playoffs.

If I were a Spur fan, I probably would be the happiest NBA fan in the U.S. But I am what I am. When you see assinine decisions made time and time again, followed up by comments to the press and fans that border on shear stupidity, you as a fan have a right to get as negative as you want.

I am not a season ticket holder and financially I have no vested interest in the C organization. This was once the franchise that all pro sports looked up to.

So the challenge is wait until next year and see that we make the playoffs. Very conceivable that this could happen. But what has happened at this point is similiar to the CEO that goes into a company, runs it and the stock price in the ground and walks away with the golden parachute.

If we make the playoffs, it will be despite Danny and Doc. The Celtics 2006-07 season was the Enron season; so forgive me for not being all positive about the upcoming season as of yet.

Hell in a hand basket!

Here’s the deal, I said this last year, we wouldn’t win more than maybe 37 games, we wouldn’t make the playoffs, Knicks would be better, Raptors would too, Nets would still be the Nets. I said this though, if Philly doesn’t get off to a quick start, expect their season to go to hell in a hand basket with Iverson, and that did happen until the 76ers finally unloaded him.

Well, if Perk’s foot acts up, Wally continues injuries, Ratliff is already toast, Allen’s knee doesn’t come around, West gets fragile, even Pierce starts getting nicked up; expect the Celtics organization to go to hell in a hand basket for 2007-08.

This will be the year attendance goes down, more players than just Gomes this year will comment negatively on Doc’s coaching decisions, Pierce will demand his trade, etc. Even some of the postive fans to this point will finally throw in the towel.

C organization, for your own benefit, you better come out of the box playing 500 ball or else!

Hell in a Hanbasket, if you had predicted 320 or fewer wins before the beginning of last season, you would have been bashed unmercifully by the kool aid drinkers— for days and days. Their enjoyment of this blog would have been completely shattered, and they would run away go post on that mythical Celtics website in the sky where everyone loves their 24-win team.

As Bill Simmons said, you can only sell out your fan base once. The Celtics have no more chits to cash in.

Quote of the year – Brick – “I’m sick of all the negativity directed towards the negative people.”

Master Po – I’m not sure if you hadn’t read my whole comment before post #2, but for clarification: I am not asking for people to be 100% positive. I only would like to see something other than pure venom and hatred spit out of people on this site by some of the posters. Your comments prove that you can provide constructive criticism towards the state of the Celtics and not just beat a dead horse. Every comment by many people on this board regardless of the topic of the article or thread appears to be “Fire Doc”. When people have nothing more to say than how much they hate Doc and give absolutely no credit whatsoever for any part of the things that Wyc, Danny, and Doc have done right… When they refuse to believe that our starters missing half the season could have something to do with our W-L record… If they truly believe there have no improvements at all in the players on this team, then calling them out as having no basketball IQ is right on the money. I don’t know you from Adam, but I did acknowledge that you were one of the posters that was upset with the direction of the team but at least made comments that showed you knew the game and were offering suggestions that were worthy of discussion and often made sense. Some of the posters here couldn’t have an insightful thought if it hit them in the mouth…

Let me make my position clear. I love Rondo, West, Allen and Jefferson. I love Pierce, even though I think he should be traded. (That has everything to do with his age, and nothing to do with his talent.) I love Perkins’ defense and Gerald Green’s offense. I love Leon Powe’s hustle and desire on the glass.

What a shame to take all of those good players, all of that promise, and hand it over to a clown like Rivers.

If this franchise doesn’t win this year, it won’t have any fans left. Unlike some of you, I spend thousands of dollars every year on Celtics tickets. But not any more. I’ve had it with this coach.

Pierce has played his best basketball under Rivers. The other guys have improved playing under Rivers. Most have never known another coach. Big Al, GG, and Perkins came right out of high school and Doc has helped turn them into legitimate NBA players. I don’t agree with everything he has done. I am not a fan of his substitutions at times. I don’t think he uses timeouts well. I don’t know that we run a very advanced offense, although with the older guys missing so much time and being forced to play musical chairs with your line-up I don’t know how much of an advanced offense they could actually play. The defense is improving, but a long way from where it needs to be. One thing is certain though. His players support him and management feels he does enough things well to give him a shot at a healthy team. I don’t see how that isn’t at least an understandable position for a reasonable person to accept. If he has a healthy team this next year and we don’t show marked improvement then he won’t be here the following year.

If the C’s don’t win this year then I can guarantee that they will have at least one fan left. I would suspect that you’ll be there as well Brick. You don’t spend 18 hours on a blog if you aren’t a lifer…

EJPLAYA , I suggest you look at the poll results both on this blog and the Boston Globe. Sentiment is running nearly 2-1 against the extending of Doc’s contract……it is YOUR position that is in the minority , not that of the so called "negative " fans as we are being referred to .

I realize polls can at times be misleading , but when the margins are 2-1 , one has to take note .

DAS – IF you will look at other posts I was also against extending his contract. I would vote on that same side. I am not a huge Doc fan. I only ask that we don’t sit there and make this a board that is miserable to be on. He has done some things well. He has done some things poorly. There has to be more inside C’s fans minds that we can discuss instead of every post being about how much certain people hate Doc and want to run him out on a rail! Why can’t we discuss potential trades for veterans that could help the team? Why can’t we discuss what the lineup might look like if we get Durant, or Oden? What if we don’t get a top two spot? No matter the thread topic certain posters refuse to make any comment other than “Fire Doc”. How hard is it to understand that we get it already?! Move on to another thought so this is a site worthy of visiting!!

As for what the polls show with regard to Doc, Danny and Wyc, the “masses” have been know to be dead wrong. Let’s hope they are wrong once again! We just went through a very tough year, one which none of wishes to see repeated.

I agree polls can be wrong. But I also say this about the Cs. They allowed some of the “picks” to come to camp overweight and out of shape- no excuse. They played players who were hurt (Perk, for ex). Doc said he would play Theo until his tongue hung out, given no consideration to allowing him to work his way slowly back into shape and getting limited but valuable minutes. No Doc played him something like 20 minutes and he was lost after just 2 games played. They were told at times to hold back the minutes on some playing time (Wally) and Doc ignored that causing further injury. They told a player (West) don’t suit up and wait unitl after the road trip to get medical evaluation on his back injury, West ignored this command and Doc played him anyway- a player who frequently is on and off again with injuries. We traded for hurt players: Raef, Wally, Theo.

Many of the injuries of this past season were preventive or could have at least been kept to a minimum. Commons sense is not used with this organization. We deserved everyone of our 58 loses this year.

EJPLAYA, give it 9 days. If we get lucky on the 22nd then most will be talking about something else and with a more positive note. Of course, if we are not lucky……

with the rehiring of doc, it all rests on danny’s shoulders right now.his fate rests on whether doc is going to get results with this team. may danny and we get some luck with the ping pong balls and a lack of injuries.

With the "hush " money given Doc, I truly believe he will have an extremely short leash…….now that is GOOD news !

EJPLAYA said:
  Pierce has played his best basketball under Rivers. The other guys have improved playing under Rivers. Most have never known another coach. Big Al, GG, and Perkins came right out of high school and Doc has helped turn them into legitimate NBA players.

The defense is improving, but a long way from where it needs to be. One thing is certain though. His players support him
—————————————————————————————

WOW!! Wow!! Doc has turned who into a legitimate NBA player? AL, Gerald, and Perk are showing a natural progression based on their talent and basketball IQs. During that period the team has lost 30% more games per season. Who cares if this is the only coach they’ve ever known? Doc can’t coach, period. Pierce has had his best stats, but his defense has become pedestrian at best. He’s hardly played his best basketball under Rivers.

The defense is improving?? ;D ;D Wow. From the worst blitzing-only defense to the worst blitzing-only defense?? Why does it matter if his players support this mediocrity?

The disgraceful tanking will ensure, EPLAYA, that we won’t get Oden or Durant….so I don’t understand the fantasy of discussing it.

plowboy – How is it that players just “naturally” progress and become better players?! What happened to Kedrick Brown?! What happened to the other straight out of HS, or a small Comm Coll in his case, that never did squat and quickly went out of the league?! A player doesn’t just have a natural progression in most cases. They are developed both in practise and in games by the coaching staff. They received their basketball IQ’s from this coaching staff, not their HS coaches.

Also, saying Pierce hasn’t had is best years under Doc is completely rediculous and you know it. He never really was that good of a defensive player in the first place, and with the injuries in recent years he has slowed a step. He also has been so heavily relied upon in recent years for offense that it hurts his defense. Many basketball experts smarter than either of us have stated this same thing in regards to his best years being recent ones.

Ah the old blitzing-only defense… Where did you pull that term from? The patriots? Please. That in my opinion is the worst part of the current coaching staff. They are getting better. The last three seasons the opponents pts per game has gone down, opponents rebounds per game has gone down, and opponents fg% has gone down. How is that not an improvement in defense?!

Once again another post of generalities other than we have lost more games… We blew up the squad, so of course we lost more games 2 years ago. We lost Walker and Payton who made a big difference… We had huge injury issues this last year which also makes sense that we lost even more games.

One comment to give some thought to: The Jazz only won 26 games two years ago and look where they are at! A couple free agent additions and a high draft pick and they are a markedly better team. Of course you conspiracy theorists believe that Stern has fixed the draft lottery, so maybe you’re right… it doesn’t matter. What a depressing way to live your lives. I’ll choose to be an optimist instead of a whining pessimist.

I totally cop to contributing to the negativity in here, and feel a little bad that it’s gotten so depressing for some who may either be new or are tired of the criticism of Doc/Danny/Wyc or whatever. Really, I am.
But you have to admit, the negativity isn’t totally happening in a vacuum. It’s not like there isn’t a lot to get negative about. To say that the team will get better in two years isn’t exactly a major prediction, cuz we don’t have anywhere to go but up.
I can predict the playoffs next season, maybe get past round one the year after. Then? No clue. But after all this waiting, that’s not exactly a major leap. Would love to eat my words if we do better.
That said, I hope to tone it down a little on the carping. It is getting not so fun.