Something or Nothing: The Number 1 Seed

Well?

  • Something

    Votes: 41 77.4%
  • Nothing

    Votes: 12 22.6%

  • Total voters
    53
  • Poll closed .

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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Dec 16, 2010
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I mean, even if it's miniscule, the chances have to be slightly better with the chance of more home games right?
 

Light-Tower-Power

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Jun 14, 2013
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It's an impressive accomplishment but I don't think all the home games in the world are going to get any team past Cleveland for the forseeable future barring major trades which this seed shouldn't have any effect on. Hopefully I'm proven wrong.
 

CantKeepmedown

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Jul 15, 2005
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I'm not sure that it does. I guess if they are to make it to the ECF (vs Cleveland), it will be nice to start at home and have one extra game. But in the long run, I don't think Cleveland really cared about being a 1 seed. They were obviously looking to be rested.

Getting to the ECF would be a huge success for this team, considering they haven't won a playoff series under Stevens. Add in the potential for a high draft pick (or a trade) and Wyc saying yesterday that it would be possible for them to sign a max player this off-season, and the future looks real bright.
 

Koufax

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I means that they might conceivably stretch Cleveland to six games. Which would be something if it happened.
 

Drocca

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Jul 21, 2005
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The "something" is that they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference for the season which is a tremendous accomplishment and something that is unexpected for many.

I don't think it does anything to get them any further in the playoffs this year but that shouldn't obscure what really was an awesome season.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Jan 15, 2004
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The "something" is that they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference for the season which is a tremendous accomplishment and something that is unexpected for many.

I don't think it does anything to get them any further in the playoffs this year but that shouldn't obscure what really was an awesome season.
Spot on right here. The fact that Cleveland gifted the 1-seed to us shouldn't deter the accomplishment of our regular season.
 

cardiacs

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Jul 15, 2005
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It definitely matters, but not to the point that would tip the scales against CLE. It would need to be a part of some cumulative effect of the playoffs between now and then, for example CLE (LeBron) seems gassed and the Celtics have home court.
 

smastroyin

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It means a lot. But maybe not in the way most people are answering. By having a first round home playoff series against a marginal team, one of two things will happen. If they lose, I don't think Ainge and Stevens can continue on the path. There's just too much evidence the small lineups they are running and IT4 as the only useful offense has no future. So, it will accelerate the roster reshaping, I think, if they lose, and also shut down most talk of trading a bunch of the future assets for a player like Butler.

The one seed also guarantees them a home series against the Wizards or Hawks. If they can't be competitive in that series, then, again, I think Ainge and Stevens need to get together and really figure out what the plan is.

On the other hand, if they make the ECF and take Cleveland to the limit, it might increase the willingness to deal assets for a player that could potentially take them over the top.

In and of itself, it probably doesn't mean anything, but it does, I think, adjust the playoff expectation a bit. If they'd been the 4 seed and lost in seven against to Atlanta I could easily see a lot of reason to just stay the path, extend KO, etc.
 

phenweigh

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538 has the Celtics title probability at 5%. When it looked like they would be the 2 seed it was 4%. That's something, but given the uncertainty, probably rounds to nothing.
 

sezwho

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Jul 20, 2005
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The "something" is that they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference for the season which is a tremendous accomplishment and something that is unexpected for many.

I don't think it does anything to get them any further in the playoffs this year but that shouldn't obscure what really was an awesome season.
I agree with the first point as its a pretty amazing achievement especially given where they were even a couple years ago.

That said, it absolutely gives them a better chance of going further into the playoffs. This team is one dimensional (live/die by the three) and gets exposed by both athletic front courts AND back courts. Having Toronto, the Bucks and the Cavs in the other side of the draw definitely delays a potential Waterloo. I'm not saying they can't get to the finals, but the Bulls are the only team I expect them to beat and whoever gets out of the Wiz/Hawks should be a pick-em.

Yes, 100% something.
 

Jungleland

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Aug 2, 2009
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538 has the Celtics title probability at 5%. When it looked like they would be the 2 seed it was 4%. That's something, but given the uncertainty, probably rounds to nothing.
5% title odds for a 1 seed - is that historically low?
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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Dec 16, 2010
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5% title odds for a 1 seed - is that historically low?
Well, looking further is has 3 teams in East more likely to go to finals than the Cavs--Toronto at 25%, Boston at 24%, and Washington at 22%. Cavs are at 11%.

The top 4 seeds in the East TOTAL 16% to win the title.
 

sezwho

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538 has the Celtics title probability at 5%. When it looked like they would be the 2 seed it was 4%. That's something, but given the uncertainty, probably rounds to nothing.
Not to be pedantic, but its also not exactly the question. I'll bet if that same model were asked to determine the likelihood of the Cs just getting to the finals, not winning it, there would potentially be a larger difference. Also, these models typically regress on plus/minus etc and aren't granular enough to look at individual match ups which I believe swing the odds further towards the Celtics.
 

HomeRunBaker

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It means a lot. But maybe not in the way most people are answering. By having a first round home playoff series against a marginal team, one of two things will happen. If they lose, I don't think Ainge and Stevens can continue on the path. There's just too much evidence the small lineups they are running and IT4 as the only useful offense has no future. So, it will accelerate the roster reshaping, I think, if they lose, and also shut down most talk of trading a bunch of the future assets for a player like Butler.

The one seed also guarantees them a home series against the Wizards or Hawks. If they can't be competitive in that series, then, again, I think Ainge and Stevens need to get together and really figure out what the plan is.

On the other hand, if they make the ECF and take Cleveland to the limit, it might increase the willingness to deal assets for a player that could potentially take them over the top.

In and of itself, it probably doesn't mean anything, but it does, I think, adjust the playoff expectation a bit. If they'd been the 4 seed and lost in seven against to Atlanta I could easily see a lot of reason to just stay the path, extend KO, etc.
The Celtics would still have home court in every EC playoff series (aside from Cleveland naturally) with the 2-seed. The only series that would be affected by us being a 1 or a 2-seed would be if we have a Cleveland-Boston EC Finals.
 

smastroyin

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Yeah, 1 or 2 seed is not a huge difference to me since the Pacers and Bulls are teams the Celtics should beat with home court in the playoffs. But, I do also think they have a much better chance against the Wizards than the Raptors, so it matters for the second round.

My point is that I think getting the 1 (or 2) means a difference to the next championship because if you believe that championship is going to have IT4, Crowder, et al, on it, then they need to win in the playoffs this year to show they are just a piece or two away. But if you think the next championship team is going to have a completely different core, then getting the one seed and flopping out against a weak 8 seed like the Bulls is, I think, going to get Danny to be a little more willing to rebuild the roster sooner, and therefore, accelerate the process of putting together the next Finals team.

I don't think earning the 1 seed makes them all that more able to get to or win the Finals this year (particularly compared to the 2 seed), but I read Lose's question to not exclusively be about whether they make the Finals in 2017.
 

NoXInNixon

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Avoiding Toronto in the second round is huge. They're a terrible matchup. That gives them a much better chance at advancing to the ECF, which will provide valuable playoff experience.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Yeah, 1 or 2 seed is not a huge difference to me since the Pacers and Bulls are teams the Celtics should beat with home court in the playoffs. But, I do also think they have a much better chance against the Wizards than the Raptors, so it matters for the second round.
Yes now I understand what you are saying. Avoiding the Raptors is critical to increasing our chances to advance even if the Wizards are certainly not a pushover. Toronto has owned us ever since DeRozan and Lowry blended together. If I had to see DeRozan utilize his savvy to force matchups with Isaiah defending him in iso for an entire week my head may explode.
 

MillarTime

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Oct 31, 2013
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Avoiding Toronto in the second round is huge. They're a terrible matchup. That gives them a much better chance at advancing to the ECF, which will provide valuable playoff experience.
This. Plus, I love the juxtaposition of finishing with the best record in the East AND having the most ping pong balls in the lottery.
 

pjheff

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Jan 4, 2003
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Wyc saying yesterday that it would be possible for them to sign a max player this off-season
The #1 seed might add legitimacy to the Ainge / Stevens rebuild and entice such a max player to join the cause this offseason. Horford spoke recently about how he impressed he was with the progress he saw from the C's during last year's playoffs and how that progress informed his decision in free agency. Perhaps this subsequent step will persuade a likeminded player to follow his lead.
 

JakeRae

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Jul 21, 2005
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If this team had finished with a 1 seed a year ago and taken a game or two from the Cavs, it is much more likely Durant would be wearing green today. The one seed, by itself, isn't enough, but if they back it up with a solid playoff performance, that will make a difference in free agency and in the odds a star tries to force their way to Boston. It may not make any of those things happen, but it certainly helps make them more likely.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Dec 22, 2002
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Yeah, 1 or 2 seed is not a huge difference to me since the Pacers and Bulls are teams the Celtics should beat with home court in the playoffs. But, I do also think they have a much better chance against the Wizards than the Raptors, so it matters for the second round.
.
We have a much better chance against the Wizard than we do Toronto or the Bucks, maybe even Atlanta. I really want to see the Bucks vs Cavs and see if Middleton can shut down LeBron. Over the Bucks last 22 games with Khris Middleton, they are giving up 99.4 points. Granted they are only scoring 100.1 in that time. They outscored the other team by a total of 18 points in that span and somehow finished 16-6.

I'm guessing we are rooting for the Wiz to beat the Hawks? Would anyone rather face a healthy Atlanta?