How long should it take to get from a certain defined starting point to the NBA Finals? Since we like to use the 2008 championship blueprint for just about everything, let’s apply it to the current Celtics.
The logical starting point for Banner 17 is when Ainge was first brought on in 2003. Here’s the roster from that year:
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That’s four years until the explosive trades that took place in 2007, but it’s not like there was a “timeline” or “window” back then. Pierce threatened to demand a trade if the team didn’t get its act together, so Ainge pulled the trigger.