Celtics focused on being patiently aggressive

Our friends at CLNS Radio interviewed many folks surrounding the Celtics and published a well done, well rounded article on the state of the team from various perspectives.  Worth the click and read.

Fan Morale for the Boston Celtics Is High ...And It Should Be

Some big highlights were the quotes from team president Rich Gotham and Co-Owner Wyc Grousbeck.

Gotham made the obvious parallels to the last rebuilding process.

"We're in a much cleaner place right now than we were [in 2003-2007] with regards to the assets we have under our control," Gotham acknowledged. "We don't have bad contracts so we don't have to take back players that we don't want unless it is advantageous for us to do it. We've got more draft picks than we've ever had at one point of time and we've got more cap space than we've ever had. So we're in a good position to make moves."

While he stopped short of promising "fireworks" this summer, you can tell that Wyc is itching to get better soon ...while forcing himself to stay patient with the process.

"We have up to as much as 23 draft selections in the coming years," said co-owner, Wyc Grousbeck.  "We have a good group of young players and people.  And we may have enough cap space for two max free agents this summer…We just need to identify the key guys and be patient through it all."

There's no clear path forward because there are just too many variables outside the team's control.  Where will we pick? Which free agents will be available?  What impact players will be put on the trade block (now or in the summer)?

Still, the team has the flexibility to read and react to whatever comes up, regardless of the timeframe.  For example, everyone assumes that the Celtics will be sellers in the next week.  That's probably true, but if they see value in a player or two that are available for the right price, I wouldn't rule out them making a "buy" decision either.

"We know we need more talent on the roster, there’s no question about that or denial. We are going to be aggressive in pursuing that this summer. We’ll be getting after that – if not sooner," Gotham concluded.

Fundamentally there's nothing new or Earth shattering here, but it is encouraging to hear that the team (from the owners on down) has the right attitude and commitment to the process.  It doesn't guarantee success, but they seem to be on the right track.