This is what I would do if I was Danny Ainge.

Kyrie Irving isn't garbage like Avery Bradley was for point guard, but he is only the next level or two above him. Shane Larkin and even Phil Pressey have better skills than Kyrie at keeping their teammates awake. I simply believe that Kyrie is a shooting guard in the wrong body. He's worse than I.T. was for pg skills. Kyrie as potentially overrated is an actual debate topic and not something grabbed out of thin air.

I've wondered about it. I noticed people "smearing" his game. I liked him last year. It looked like he was hustling on defense, one of the bigger concerns with his skill set to go with durability and facilitating on offense.

Now I see him every game. I see how he can do what nearly no one else can but that there's a lot he can't do. The latter stuff makes me worried he could be fool's gold (a form of Carmelo Anthony and potential treadmill trap). Meanwhile, Rozier might only end up costing Smart money or close to that. And maybe Morris and others are better to keep than doubling down on Irving.

Danny probably will make trades. He doesn't usually settle for bridge years. It's still early in the season and the C's probably start piling up wins with an easier schedule on the horizon. He traded 9 out of 13 guys one year. We all saw that. He doesn't always stay pat despite that seeming to be the move.

I look at it as Texas Hold 'Em. Due to both luck and shrewdness, I think Danny Ainge has broken basketball. It's a matter of when not if the Celtics overtake Golden State and create the next dynasty.

I don't mind if the Celtics continue to lose or this early part turns out to be an anomaly. It will unfold no matter what is written by anyone. You can't win them all. Titles can be stolen. I never give up but I no longer cry if the s.h.t.f..

[content deleted by gyso, flagged as social commentary]

That's that for that. I just felt like getting the weird stuff off my chest first before moving into more basketball analysis proper.

Tiny Archibald was who I built my game on. I was a little guy guard who could shoot, like a short Bradley. I know how difficult the game is. If everyone was a non-player into a pickup game, just regular people, I could hold my own. I know basketball. Basketball becomes impossible at a certain point based on body size and height. It is not Kyrie's fault he is not elite at everything. Few players are that all-around. Those are the players Danny needs to find, imho. I don't think Kyrie will ever be that good at pg skills. I see Smart starting to put that craft onto his resume. Rozier is fantastic at limiting turnovers. If Brown could get his third year act together, they with Tatum should be the long-term core. Paying off Kyrie seems to ruin the chances for that type of scenario.

The team is in extreme limbo lately because Hayward is not the same guy and no one knows when or if he might regain his skills. Can he do it in time for the playoffs? Why start him so much now? I doubt Danny can trade him until he proves he is worth the big money. Haywood (sp?) is clearly a negative asset. If he makes it back, you might not want to trade him. He needs to get better and does deserve lots of time. I'm not saying otherwise. That's a huge bad break cutting into Danny's super sized chip pile.

I certainly do look at it as a long-form game. This is pure physics. As GM, Danny's main concern should be to try to retain as much asset power as possible. You can't let people walk for free. This can't become Moses parting the water for Evan Turner overpays elsewhere and we're left with overpaid damaged and dinosaur goods.

I understand why Fierce has been getting a bit rattled lately. The Celtics are just about arriving to the point where there is finally a sufficient sample size. The Celtics basically have a lot of must wins coming up. Silly season will approach. It's already here. Philly blinked first. It's the everyone on pins and needles show.

I am hedging either way. I admit it. I can't figure this team out so far. They could snap out of it or force Danny's trading hand. I feel incapable of predicting this outcome. There is room for hope because Brad's teams always improve.

I am a close viewer with opinions. I would not want to pay Kyrie the super duper money at this juncture. It seems too risky especially with Hayward up in the air and Tatum/Brown still attempting baby steps. I'd just let Stevens try to keep doing what he does best, working with young players and older ones who aren't divas. Kyrie said he wants to stay. That's no guarantee he does.

Just pass the ball, Kyrie, and keep at it on defense. Stop hot-dogging it.

He seems to go for style points on his passes. It's how I see it. I want more than five assists and less than three turnovers from any supermax point guard. I want a two-way player who makes his teammates better. Horford and Hayward are not flashy, but they are for team first. Irving is also team-first, but he might be the old dog who can't learn a new trick. Rondo had trouble learning the Stevens' model.

Kyrie might be a form of psychological damaged goods after his years training under the LeBron system. He has often gotten injured. Resigning him for magebucks will be extremely risky if that's the big decision. We are already in a deep hole waiting for a Hayward comeback. The heart says resign Kyrie, but the brain seems to say trade his butt to the Knicks or Nets. Someone get on the phone to Fierce and see what he can come up with.

Or one is forced to resign Kyrie and possibly let Morris and Rozier walk? It doesn't seem cut and dried who stays versus who goes. It feels like anything could still happen. Maybe Wyc loves Kyrie and is able to force Danny's hands or vice versa Wyc and owners must accept Danny's rule or fire him. It's interesting and admittedly all speculation.

I've thought of myself as a writer since aged five. I was a New England kid. Most of my life was spent in Boston, Massachusetts just South a bit. I've been following the Celtics since age 11- my first Celtics team was during the Rowe and Wicks era. That created a pure fan. I am a pure recovering Boston sports fan. The Red Sox did quite a number on me!    I must have been about 13 and forming when the Bird era got going. I loved Cornbread Maxwell and saw a bit of the real Cowens. Fierce seems a bit younger than me.

Kyrie is great but we all hate certain players. I am not a huge fan of Kyrie as a person. That should be my right. I loved Rondo. Many hated him. I don't like arguing with people. They have the right to hate Rondo.

They should hate Chris Paul a lot more, imho, but so be it.

Phil,

Love the post, not so much the social commentary and the images you chose.

It would be great if you could replace the images or delete them entirely. Also, delete or revise the social content portion out (the part with the "Illuminati" and religion). We have made it plain that that is not acceptable on this board. Otherwise we will have to modify it on our own and leaving us with that choice is not ever our preference.

Thanks in advance,

gyso

Hi,
Sorry but I don't understand the point of the post. Or did I miss it?
So, what would you do if you were Danny Ainge?
Thanks.

AK

Phil

The title of your thread does not seem to reflect the content.

The only thing I was able to extract was that Danny needs to find players that are elite (all around good at everything) And at the same time you state that there are few players that meet those standards.

Here is your quote

"It is not Kyrie's fault he is not elite at everything. Few players are that all-around. Those are the players Danny needs to find, imho."

Where do you actually tell us what you would do if you were Danny Ainge.

Am I missing some thing here.

Most of what I see is just another Kyrie Irving thread that restates the same things you have said over and over again. The same things you state in our game on threads over and over again.

sinus007 wrote:Hi,
Sorry but I don't understand the point of the post. Or did I miss it?
So, what would you do if you were Danny Ainge?
Thanks.

AK

So it wasn't just me. Phew....

Phil, Loved the post and the insights. I think you described Danny's likely position: undecided but open to offers. IMHO, he has assembled some very good players, but are they a team? I wasn't a fan of Hayward's game before the injury; now I dream of seeing it again. Horford's pacing himself (as he should). I'd trade Kyrie, keep Terry, start Baynes, Smart, Irving, Tatum, Brown for now. Give Williams minutes even though the vets are wincing. My two cents. I agree, the future is bright despite the bumps. Hawk

Phil,

Please check your private messages.

Thanks

Phil Pressey wrote:  comment deleted  

You spent most of the post on Kyrie.

I was waiting for you to put on your GM hat and tell us what you would do.

We try hard.  Very hard to keep social, political and religion out of the conversations.  Sometimes it is relevant within the context of the Celtics and basketball but we have more than enough to debate about without bringing [ deleted social commentary ]  into the conversation.

It is not necessary.  Last night you are talking about Kobe and how some think he messed up Tatum and how Tatum should not be around him.  And that Kobe is a bad person, [etc.]  Why talk about this stuff during a game on.  It is a turn off.  

It has nothing to do with trust and it has nothing to do with censorship.

Now you post stuff about Kyrie's affiliations.  etc, etc but what you are really doing is finding another way to criticize Kyrie.

I get it.  You do not think he is an elite PG.  Your real motive is unmasked.

hawksnestbeach wrote:Phil, Loved the post and the insights. I think you described Danny's likely position: undecided but open to offers. IMHO, he has assembled some very good players, but are they a team? I wasn't a fan of Hayward's game before the injury; now I dream of seeing it again. Horford's pacing himself (as he should). I'd trade Kyrie, keep Terry, start Baynes, Smart, Irving, Tatum, Brown for now. Give Williams minutes even though the vets are wincing.  My two cents. I agree, the future is bright despite the bumps. Hawk

Thanks. I have been noticing this aspect more and more each year since the Brooklyn trade. Now it is Kyrie, Rozier and Morris apparently on the hot seat.

The key is these guys are not having fun. They have stopped running.

I agree Horford is pacing himself to give the team what's left of his prime for when it counts.
Hayward is decent and simply can't be moved.

I like rolling dice on guys like Ojeleye. Danny needs to figure out how to stash value. They were helped in getting Irving with Jae Crowder's economy contract. Semi could become a crucial dynasty role player. He looks extremely durable and the real deal. Phew, he has had some good games, even in playoffs he got it done. Now he rarely plays.

I guess I am drifting into if I was Brad this is what would happen.

Williams looks as good as Ojeleye was. Fab Melo had major trouble with deer eyes in head lights, but most players won't hurt you when given only some baby minutes. He has looked pretty good. Enough people seem to think Robert Williams is ready for some NBA. Keep Al Horford fresh.

Danny and Doc were mostly a bad influence on each other for figuring out bigs. Brad did seem stubborn last year not playing Baynes enough, but maybe Baynsies has had to work on building condition and stamina.

It is tricky for Danny, no doubt. It is the real game going on considering how easy it is to make the playoffs in hockey and basketball. That's always been an obvious bad look for the NBA, imho. 16 out of 30 teams making the playoffs is a silly joke.

Yeah, if great minds are thinking alike, Danny needs to roll over his assets and kick the chip pile can up the road with good, stable interest. This is pure economics. Kyrie can't walk for nothing. If he resigns, Danny imho needs to go deep into luxury tax and work out the money part later. Blake Griffin looked done but he recently still provided some trade power. Rozier might be Andrew Toney 2.0. He seems very close to greatness. Smart is extremely impressive to me how he is finally forcing himself not to shoot if it feels off. He has been thinking about it. Kyrie is thinking also. Danny needs more numbers to crunch.

I agree. He is not yet desperate and accepting offers.