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Callahan: Losing Is Winning

In his article today in the Herald , Gerry Callahan basically sounds like most of us.  He's come to the same conclusions we have.  The only real difference is that he writes for a living and can sometimes string a group of words together more eloquently than most.  Here are some examples:

We all know this season is a lost cause, and that is the best break this franchise has gotten since Rick Pitino skipped out in the middle of his contract. Some fans want to downplay the Celts’ chances of getting their hands on Oden or Durant, but here’s the bottom line: Wins hurt. Losses help. So losses are OK. And those gallant, gutsy losses in which the young guys play hard and hit the boards and beat the spread, those are the best kind. And in their quiet moments, you can be sure that Wyc Grousbeck, Danny Ainge and Rivers do not disagree for an instant.

For those looking for an "official" word on the percentages, here is some data:

The fewest wins gets you the most Ping-Pong balls on lottery day and guarantees you a top-four pick, but you still only have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick. For the No. 2 choice, it’s only a 21.5 percent chance. So if your heart is set on Oden or Durant, the worst team in the league - your Celts, the good Lord willing - has a 46.5 percent chance of success. On the other hand, it has a 35.8 percent chance of settling for the fourth choice. Say hello to Hansbrough. 
As for the second-worst team, it has a 19.9 percent chance of landing the top pick, and an 18.8 percent shot at No. 2. It can do no worse than No. 5.
I know, this isn't anything new, but until something else presents itself, we are stuck talking about the same 4 or 5 subjects.  Perhaps there will be some fun rumors to track in the next few weeks leading up to the trade deadline (but I still think we'll do nothing).

 

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