CelticFan, first of all - you are guaranteed a top FOUR pick if you have the worst record, not 3. But you don't understand my point. Even if we went 0-82 this season, we may not get a top 2 pick. It's happened PLENTY of times before (not going 0-82, but the worst team getting the #3 or 4 pick), especially the past few years. Again, even last year - Portland had the worst record, they slipped to the 4th spot on lottery day. So, my point is that even if we don't win a game for the rest of the year, and get the 2nd worst record, that solves nothing. The first or second worst record doesn't guarantee a top 2 pick at ALL. In fact, statistics show that the 3rd worst team gets the #1 pick more than the worst and 2nd worst.
I prefectly understand how the draft lottery works.my point is, you have the worst record, but say Seattle's ball comes up #1. If everyone else falls where they should the team with the worst record is bumped down to #2 and that's what happens most times. Portland's horrible luck last year was an anomally.This year, second place is not a bad place to be.now if you have the second worst record and someone with a better record has their lottery ball come up and everything else falls into place, well you're now #3 and you've missed out on the 2 franchise guys.sure the lottery is a gamble, but what else have the C's had to play for/look forward too since Paul went down and out for so long???a few wins here and there... big deal, it doesn't mean anything.except less and less of a chance at landing a franchise player without having to give anything up or pay a lot for it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticFan @ Mar 23 2007, 10:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Portland's horrible luck last year was an anomally. This year, second place is not a bad place to be.</div> How can you even say that? Do you have a crystal ball that tells you that we won't slip in the lottery? How about 1997 when we had the worst record and we ended up with the #3 pick? You NEVER know. There is NO WAY you can sit here and say "Portland didn't have good luck last year, but we will this year." That makes no sense. Obviously 2nd isn't a "bad" place to be, as far as the draft is concerned, but you can't sit here and try to play it like you know it's gonna be alright. We're gonna have to wait and see. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>a few wins here and there... big deal, it doesn't mean anything. except less and less of a chance at landing a franchise player without having to give anything up or pay a lot for it.</div> But look, this is my point. Realistically, we are NOT going to all of the sudden win more than half of our last 14 games. Even if we win 5 more games and Milwaukee only wins 1 (which won't happen), we will still be in the 2nd spot. You are acting like you want us to lose EVERY SINGLE game, when winning 5 more games or so will make NO DIFFERENCE on our 2nd spot status.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Mar 23 2007, 11:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'> How can you even say that? Do you have a crystal ball that tells you that we won't slip in the lottery? How about 1997 when we had the worst record and we ended up with the #3 pick? You NEVER know. There is NO WAY you can sit here and say "Portland didn't have good luck last year, but we will this year." That makes no sense.</div>Perhaps you misunderstand. I said having the 2nd pick is not bad this year because they are 2 franchise type players that will most likely be available. I didn't assume that the C's will have the 2nd pick overall. I just intended to convey that the 2nd pick overall is not a consolation prize like it is most times a surefire franchise player becomes available, like when AI, Duncan, Lebron, Yao came out<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Mar 23 2007, 11:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Obviously 2nd isn't a "bad" place to be, as far as the draft is concerned, but you can't sit here and try to play it like you know it's gonna be alright. We're gonna have to wait and see.But look, this is my point. Realistically, we are NOT going to all of the sudden win more than half of our last 14 games. Even if we win 5 more games and Milwaukee only wins 1 (which won't happen), we will still be in the 2nd spot.You are acting like you want us to lose EVERY SINGLE game, when winning 5 more games or so will make NO DIFFERENCE on our 2nd spot status.</div>Of course we are going to have to wait and see if we get one of the top two picks.as for winning a few games, what does it matter?you sound like one of those blind die hard fans that will not accept reality when you carry on about winning a few games at the end of the year.The Celtics 2006-2007 year has been over for 2 months.I've had the privledge to have been a Basketball fan long enough to have watched the Celtics win in 84 and 86 and have had to suffer through the miserable years that followed the decline of Larry, Kevin and Chief.I am being a realist. The team is loaded with potential and quite often in sports potential remains unrealised.Some players will realise their potential and be solid starters for the C's and some will be solid bench/sometime starters.But people have to take off the rose coloured glasses and realise that some won't ever improve much beyond what they have already shown and that this team currently stinks and is at best a low seed in next years playoffs read to be booted right back out.Being a middeling team is absolutely a waste of time.You should either be rebuilding (4 years is too much we can all agree), growing with noticeable improvement or going for a championship.The C's have been floundering and need new talent.I've already mentioned my thoughts on trading for Talent with Ainge as the GM.Why not root for a poor record at this time of year and hope to get one of the top 2 picks?cheering meaningless wins seems plain silly to me at this time of year..
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticFan @ Mar 23 2007, 03:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Perhaps you misunderstand. I said having the 2nd pick is not bad this year because they are 2 franchise type players that will most likely be available. I didn't assume that the C's will have the 2nd pick overall. I just intended to convey that the 2nd pick overall is not a consolation prize like it is most times a surefire franchise player becomes available, like when AI, Duncan, Lebron, Yao came out Of course we are going to have to wait and see if we get one of the top two picks. as for winning a few games, what does it matter? you sound like one of those blind die hard fans that will not accept reality when you carry on about winning a few games at the end of the year. The Celtics 2006-2007 year has been over for 2 months. I've had the privledge to have been a Basketball fan long enough to have watched the Celtics win in 84 and 86 and have had to suffer through the miserable years that followed the decline of Larry, Kevin and Chief. I am being a realist. The team is loaded with potential and quite often in sports potential remains unrealised. Some players will realise their potential and be solid starters for the C's and some will be solid bench/sometime starters. But people have to take off the rose coloured glasses and realise that some won't ever improve much beyond what they have already shown and that this team currently stinks and is at best a low seed in next years playoffs read to be booted right back out. Being a middeling team is absolutely a waste of time. You should either be rebuilding (4 years is too much we can all agree), growing with noticeable improvement or going for a championship. The C's have been floundering and need new talent. I've already mentioned my thoughts on trading for Talent with Ainge as the GM. Why not root for a poor record at this time of year and hope to get one of the top 2 picks? cheering meaningless wins seems plain silly to me at this time of year..</div> No, I'm not blind. I realize that the Celtics have a legit shot at a true franchise player in this draft. Do I want one of them? Hell motherfuckin yeah. But if we win a couple games, it won't EFFECT OUR POSITION. That's what I'm saying. If we win 3 more games, we're still in 2nd. If we win 4-5, probably the same thing. You are suggesting that we should lose ALL 14 of our remaining games, and I have been stating the entire time that we shouldn't at all. Do you want another 15 game losing streak? You want that team morale to go completely downhill for the rest of the year? End the season with everybody on a low note? I say hell no to that. Do I want Oden or Durant? Hell yes, but that doesn't mean we have to lose every single game for the rest of the season. We can't end the season with every young player with their confidence on an extremely low level. Winning 4-5 games, maybe even 6, won't effect our chances in the lottery.
I can't help but think the players know the team has now performed well this year. That the fans and management is hoping to get Oden or Durant and that the rest of the year is pretty much meaningless.winning several games will not change the outcome of this year for them.They'll have to be pros, forget about it, chalk it up to injuries and consider it a chance for the young players to get some burn and get better.If some of them go off and work on getting better for next year, this team could make the playoffs.I'd think that the outcome of the last 14 games on a 20 win team would not change their outlook either way.
