Planning Early For A Post KG Future

by Jeff Clark on Feb 2, 2008 3:20 PM EST in Boston Celtics News & Links

The Celtics and their fans have little reason to worry about the future when the present is exactly the future that we've been waiting for. If you need to read that again, feel free, I understand.

Our friend Elrod Enchilada takes a detailed look past the KG era because, well... because there are teams like the Heat that teach us that winning now at all costs might just hurt you a lot in the long run. Here's a snippet:

Technically, the Celtics might be able to get under the salary cap in 2011, when Paul Pierce comes off the books, but I suspect doing so might interfere with keeping the team contender during the Garnett era. Plus I think Paul might stick around for another year. I think it is wiser to plan for being significantly under the cap in 2012, and play to win all the marbles every year before then.

But there are steps Danny Ainge and the Celtics can take right now that will leave the team in a much better position to field a contender in the years following 2012, steps that will not undermine the competitive position of the team this year or for the four subsequent seasons. That is what I want to discuss and demonstrate in this article.

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I generally avoid Elrod because of his fixation with the youth movement.

Is this worth reading?

by CoachBo on Feb 2, 2008 4:48 PM EST reply actions

An extremely well-thought out piece, though impossible to predict, but Elrod… I’ll be damned if Perk ever makes $10 million in one year.

by CelticBalla32 on Feb 2, 2008 5:07 PM EST reply actions

Interesting, but Elrod, you need to chill a bit and start to enjoy the present. The Cs will obviously be contenders for the rest of this decade, and if they mine the lower depths of the first round of the draft properly, they should be able to reload for when the new Big Three are being given their Harleys and rocking chairs.

by TripleOT on Feb 2, 2008 8:26 PM EST reply actions

Interesting piece. One of the benefits of contending now with vets should be a regained winning perception for the franchise that may help recruit higher caliber players down the road. Either via free agency or in trades. As with the Gasol trade, though Memphis may create a lot of cap space this summer, will top echelon players want to play for that franchise? If it’s the only location where they can receive their payday maybe they will but the losing has to make them think long and hard.

by celty86 on Feb 3, 2008 10:09 AM EST reply actions