Celtics Rumors: Did Danny Ainge Help Prevent Brad Stevens’ Firing?

Celtics Rumors: Did Danny Ainge Help Prevent Brad Stevens’ Firing?

Stevens has pivoted from running the team to calling the shots


NESN by Adam London

Brad Stevens now boasts a higher title within the Celtics organization than he did a few days ago.

Ironically enough, one important member of Boston’s franchise not terribly long ago apparently wanted Stevens to pack his bags.

Stevens on Wednesday shifted from Celtics head coach to the team’s president of basketball operations. He replaces longtime C’s executive Danny Ainge, who, according to SNY’s Ian Begley, went to bat for Stevens when Boston was going through one of its several rough patches during the regular season.

“At one point in the regular season as the Celtics were struggling, a prominent member of the Celtics organization wanted to fire Stevens immediately, per SNY sources familiar with the matter,” Begley wrote in a column published Wednesday.

“Ainge was among those in the organization who were against the decision, sources say. Clearly, the organization ultimately sided with Ainge at the time and kept Stevens.”

It remains to be seen how long of a leash Stevens will have in his new role with the Celtics. Plenty of work needs to be done in Boston — including finding a new head coach — and most of those important decisions will fall squarely on Stevens’s shoulders.

Should the C’s continue to trend downward in the 2021-22 season, one has to imagine that “prominent” member of the organization will pipe up again.

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So, New England Sports Net (NESN) is picking up a story from Sportsnet New York (SNY) about a New England team.  An anonymously-sourced report, no less.  As if some "prominent member of the Celtics organization" would give the time of day to a NY reporter, much less before giving it to a hometown NESN reporter.  Maybe it was the friend of a sister of an employee who heard someone higher than them in the organization venting one day after a losing streak.

"Ainge was among those in the organization who were against the decision".  "among those".  Plural.  Ainge and others.  They disagreed with an individual who was frustrated.  Whole lotta nothing here, in my opinion.  Trying to make lack of unanimity of thought look like a bubbling cauldron of intrigue.


Bob


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bobheckler wrote:So, New England Sports Net (NESN) is picking up a story from Sportsnet New York (SNY) about a New England team.  An anonymously-sourced report, no less.  As if some "prominent member of the Celtics organization" would give the time of day to a NY reporter, much less before giving it to a hometown NESN reporter.  Maybe it was the friend of a sister of an employee who heard someone higher than them in the organization venting one day after a losing streak.

"Ainge was among those in the organization who were against the decision".  "among those".  Plural.  Ainge and others.  They disagreed with an individual who was frustrated.  Whole lotta nothing here, in my opinion.  Trying to make lack of unanimity of thought look like a bubbling cauldron of intrigue.


Bob


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. Bob, Source and/or media outlet notwithstanding, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that maybe someone of prominence within the Celtics organization was unhappy with the job that Brad was doing and may have wanted to make a change.

Location means very little in a digital media environment.

Aside from that, I do not give a flying f about who wanted what.

The only relevant task at hand for the Celtics is to:

Secure a quality coach and improve the team through FA, trades and the draft.

Reports like this should be treated as nothing. If the person does not want a name put out there, then in my opinion it is bs. Tired of silly talk, It is over, Brad is President of
Basketball operations, let's move on and see what the coming couple of weeks bring. First on the agenda is a new coach. Let's focus on what is, not what some idiot thinks what isn't

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Reports like this should be treated as nothing.  If the person does not want a name put out there, then in my opinion it is bs.  Tired of silly talk, It is over, Brad is President of
Basketball operations, let's move on and see what the coming couple of weeks bring.  First on the agenda is a new coach. Let's focus on what is, not what some idiot thinks what isn't

+1

The idea that ownership would consider firing Stevens but decided to promote him instead, and to the position that would select his replacement no less, seems highly improbable.

Collectively the organization made the decision to move BS up.  That however does not mean that someone in the organization was not on the other side.  That does seem plausible because most organizations have varying points of view about a lot of things.

But as I said, it is irrelevant in terms of what needs to happen moving forward to improve this team.

I expect to see fan comments that will scrutinize what decisions Stevens makes especially his decision on a head coach, our free agents, the draft and other roster building decisions.

My favorite line is “At one point in the regular season as the Celtics were struggling"...Uh, yeah, that was the WHOLE SEASON there, nitz!!

db