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Gresh & Zo: Are The Celtics Heading Towards NBA Purgatory?

BOSTON (CBS) - Andy Gresh and Scott Zolak opened up Tuesday's show talking Celtics. After getting their fourth straight win last night against the Orlando Magic, the team moved into a tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-4 record.

There's a lot of talk in Boston these days about "tanking the season" and positioning yourself in the NBA lottery to get the most ping pong balls - but Gresh & Zo wonder: Do you have to tank to turn things around?

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For Gresh, "tanking" to him has a different meaning than it does to most fans.

"I want as many ping pong balls as possible. I want them to play a good style of basketball. I want to learn this year if Brad Stevens can coach in the NBA and affect players, and I want to watch the young guys improve," said Gresh."

"If individual players improve, the coach grows and improves, and this team is moving forward - but they still get the most amount of ping pong balls to get someone good who can impact the franchise - to me that's tanking it."

"But I think for some, you think 'tanking it' is putting five rookies out there, letting them suck and lose by 30 every night. There's got to be a happy medium," said Gresh.

Scott Zolak doesn't understand how people can be fans of a team but want them to lose a lot of games. He also talks about the job Brad Stevens has done given the low expectations of the fanbase.

This led into a bigger discussion about being in the middle of the pack in the NBA, and if this team is destined for basketball purgatory.

If you're not good enough to compete for a championship, but not bad enough to get in the NBA Lottery...then what?

Gresh doesn't think it's so black and white.

"Regardless of how well they play, this is not a team that will compete for the top spots in the Eastern Conference. But let's say you're the number 7 seed, and you get an okay player, but not a great player in the draft - are Brad Stevens and Rajon Rondo good enough to elevate everyone around them to become a final four team in the east while you wait for the right free agent?"

Listen to the full discussion below:

Are The Celtics Heading Towards NBA Purgatory?

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