Mavs getting to the finals was not a surprise given that Dirk was as unstoppable as Hakeem in 95. Mavs beating the Heat was surprising at least to me and it was one of the most enjoyable non-Pistons finals I have ever watched, but as far as "unexpected", the 99 Knicks and the 18 Celtics run crush that competition.

I thought the Nuggets run to the final four that year was pretty predictable but then again I had watched Billups closely for years.

Another team worth mentioning: Houston's run in 95 was pretty remarkable. In fact it's probably the best story in NBA history. They were the 6th seed. They only won 47 games. They had no home court advantage and twice they put themselves in spots where they had to win 3 in a row vs very good teams (60-22 Utah in the first round and a 59-23 Phoenix team [I picked them to win it all that year] in the 2nd rd). Then they had to play the Spurs with peak David Robinson who won 62 games that year. They managed to win the first 2 games at San Antonio and then they lost home court advantage by dropping both their home games, but it didn't matter as they won the next two.

Meh, we're still talking about being an 8th seed in the NBA. I mean for an 8th seed to make it that far there's gonna be some circumstances but there's just no way to really downplay how amazing that is. Again we're talking 8th seed in the NBA. Not hockey.

Never underestimate the heart ❤️ of a champion .

The second round matchups were relatively short series, so the NBA would like to see longer series so that the league gets more revenue. If they think that one team in Cavs/Celtics is significantly more likely to push the Finals to 6+ games, they might prefer that team.

I think hating Boston is doing it right if you a fan of a traditional rival like the Lakers or 76ers. Maybe a Wizards fan who needs to distract himself from the state of his team.

The Celtics aren't drawing dead to win a title and they are challenging the narrative about needing a multi-superstar core to be a legitimate contender. I'd like to think the Celtics are giving fans a path to roster construction that is an alternative to extended tanking. Sure, Ainge made a great trade with the Nets, but he traded for Thomas when other people would have tanked and he didn't try to completely bottom out. The Celtics can make the NBA Finals without a clear MVP candidate. Does it change what teams can aspire towards if it is shown that you don't need a transcendent talent to win a title?

One thing I wonder is if Stevens and Ainge (and I don't think Ainge gets enough credit for acquiring the pieces that Stevens wants for his system) will end up being able to take credit for cratering the free agent value of non-switchy wings.

Warriors ML +110 is a True Facebook Lock of the Century.

I'm McLovin' it!

The Celtics are built around ainge robbing other teams especially the nets of their assets. They also found a way to finally get second tier top FAs to come like Horford and Heyward. I’m not sure anyone can really follow a similar path without finding someone dumb enough to take over the hill assets for long term unprotected draft picks. The second one is also tough for a lot of teams that are non traditional powers to pull. All the top fas for the most part either stay with their team or end up with LAL, Houston, Boston, NYK and maybe philly in the future which are all top ten nba markets.

It’s neat how Boston has done it but the only other times in history has a team fleeced others so badly for future picks are when the lakers dynasty formed in the eighties.

So if Houston gets swept or loses in convincing fashion, does that make them the favorite to land Lebron? I would guess that you have to think Morey is willing to offer up some unprotecteds deep into the 2020's just to get LBJ on the squad with how much their roster is skewed towards winning now.

The Celtics rebuild led to them making the playoffs before they drafted Brown or Tatum. They had a solid foundation of value contracts and cap space. The Celtics were built around avoiding cap hell, trying to draft wisely, and remaining flexible rather than committing to a single path like a Hinkie tank job. I would say that Morey followed a similar blueprint in Houston. Getting a lot of top picks in consecutive years can be great, but the Thunder don't have a title and, also, the entire franchise history of the Clippers.

Before Horford signed with Boston, Celtics fans were pessimistic that any major free agent would ever sign there, citing cold weather and a reputation for racism.

Why would they trade for lebron or just to clear cap?

The whole thing also revolves around getting a great coach as well which don’t grow on trees. Like, the Celtics current path is also impossible to replicate. Brad literally turns trash into gold and it magically turns back into trash when other teams gain their assets like crowder and Avery.

I agree that their path is definitely more palatable but it’s also likely more improbable then a full tank. When you start tanking you better understand the potential draft landscape 3-6 years in advance and likely and unlikely results. You also better get a great scouting department, a long term plan and an owner who is willing to deal with the long term losing.

The point is to remain flexible and not get locked into a core with a limited ceiling. It's stupid to try to copy another team's path, move for move because the environment is fluid and things change. The Celtics had multiple ways to win. If they don't hire Brad and fleece the Nets, they had other opportunities.

How can you be so confident in that they had multiple ways? I do agree you shouldn’t get locked into a core that maxes out as an semi finals team which is basically what you have with the raptors.

Basically the way you win most titles is 3 to 4 hofers all at once in their prime. The easiest way to get to that result that we have seen is through the draft first but that requires multiple high picks in most cases.

Teams that have had this are the Spurs who binked two hofers in the late first and early second as well as having two first overall picks on team. They also some how for kawhi. Obviously the spurs also have a goat coach which helps.

Warriors have a good coach and some how binked three hof talents with two high picks and one second round pick and then got a hof talent to join up.

Lakers binked big with Kobe, got shaq to come for the first run as well as Phil and for the second title got Pau to come over as well as having Bynum/Odom who are all star level talents.

Chicago built through the draft with mj, pippen and grant and then added Rodman when grant left in fa. They also had Phil.

Heat built almost solely through fas other than wade. They have a good coach.

Seems like all good teams over the last 25 years have had top 5ish coaches and won through getting lucky with the draft or through fa stacking. Boston has a chance for both if Tatum and JB keep playing as well as they have. They also have two top fas and kyrie who they got on the cheap.

It’s hard to bink hofers, and yes there are probably other teams with better picks, numbers wise, than what Boston or philly selected that have ended up with less. So the real path is get a great coach and get lucky in the draft no matter where you pick.

Why shouldn't I be? Stars get traded. Stars get drafted outside of the top five.

They've quickly exceeded expectations even with all those injuries. If they got a crappier coach, I doubt their in this position. With fleecing the nets they don't have Jaylon or Tatum.

Without the Jays, maybe Ainge pulls the trigger on a trade for Demarcus Cousins or Jimmy Butler or Paul George. Without the Nets trade, he probably still acquires the assets to put up a competitive offer because he doesn't have those top assets that other teams want and think he is overvaluing by refusing to throw into a trade.

You make it sound like it was an easy decision. There were a LOT of people who believed the Nets had won the trade at the time:

http://thecomeback.com/freezingcoldt...a-history.html

It's easy to sit and say "over the hill assets". It's another to trade away the two guys who brought your franchise back to the peak of the league and who were widely loved by the fans. It was a ballsy trade by Ainge.

And I think there's always a team who is willing to sacrifice some future if they think they can win now.

Pretty much the only way they can get Lebron and not have to dump Capela/Harden/Paul is to convince Cleveland to take back 26M in salary and have LBJ opt in (ala CP3 last year). That salary is probably going to suck (Rando+whatever), which wouldn't hurt Cleveland unless they are over the tax, but it's still something where they'd need to take back some assets.

I don't think too many people thought the Nets won big or anything, just that Prokorhov would keep spending tons of $ to win 40+ games and the picks would be in the 16-22 range. Then the cap went up so teams weren't dumping good but overpaid players like Joe Johnson anymore and also Prokorhov just got sick of paying the luxury tax.

Anyone know who that aidsey poster Shuffle is on tonight? I’m killing it fading him.

The Celtics also don't have their title yet, and in fact the team in the West that is down 0-1 has better championship odds than the Celtics.

The Celtics team has been really impressive, but if they get swept in the finals or even lose in 5, I'm not sure exactly they've shown themselves to be true championship contenders. Next year they'll probably be behind at least 3 teams at the beginning of the season in championship odds: GS, HOU, Lebron's Team.

It is clearly an incredible rebuild, and they are clearly not in the worthless middle class, but still have a long way to prove they are in the top top tier that has realistic championship potential. You can assume they'll be better when Kyrie and Hayward are back, but you really have no idea how much better they'll be and if that will be enough.

The NBA surely wants th ends guard instead of watching LeBron get swept and lose every game by DDs. Why do you try so hard to be wrong all the time ?

Its the nba . There is always s a desperate gm wanting to make a trade that will set his team back a decade .

Wtf is "th ends guard"???

Get a brain moran