Celtics Still Get Respect

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/02/celts_still_get_respect



Celts still get respect
NBA consensus: Ainge plan smart



Photo by: Matt West
PRETTY ON HIS STOCKPILE: NBA rivals understand why Danny Ainge is smiling these days despite the Celtics’ losing record. They know the team’s director of basketball operations has a sound rebuilding plan.
Sunday, February 16, 2014 PrintEmail5 Comments
By:  Steve Bulpett



NEW ORLEANS — The Celtics aren’t sitting at the NBA title contender’s table these days. They backed out of the brunch just as their invitation was being rescinded, trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to jump-start a rebuilding process that could have turned unseemly had they let the stars remain.

But the overwhelming belief here at All-Star Weekend is that, while there are obviously no guarantees, the club has positioned itself remarkably well for a return to prominence. With 16 draft picks and the potential of three more over the next six years, the Celts have the currency to take and develop young players or deal the choices for more proven talent — or both.

“They’re in great position,” said Indiana coach Frank Vogel, the former Celtics video coordinator who will head the Eastern Conference tonight. “I think Danny (Ainge, the C’s president of basketball operations) has done a wonderful job putting them in position to have the flexibility to go out and do some things. You can rebuild your team slow, and you can rebuild it fast. It’s just a matter finding the right parts and having a blueprint and a plan. I’m sure he has that in place. I’m sure he has a strong idea of how he wants to build it, and he’s got the assets to do it — and the track record that he’s always done it.”

There is a similar sentiments about the Celtics in general.

“No matter what, Boston is always going to be Boston,” said Lakers star Kobe Bryant. “You don’t ever get the feeling they’re going to be bad for very long. They’re always going to find a way to get back into it. It’s the same with us. That’s what happens with the great organizations.

“The one thing I will say about (the Lakers) is that they’ve always remained calm. They’ve always remained poised in the middle of a storm. I think that’s really helped them make very, very smart decisions, where you don’t see us going into a tank for 10, 15, 17 years. You don’t see the Lakers organization doing that. I think they do a phenomenal job making the smart decisions and being patient. I know the Celtics have had some rough years, but they know what they’re doing. They always get through it.

Scary proposition

The fact the Celtics have given themselves so many options is a bit disconcerting to one ranking official from an opposing club who is used to seeing teams struggle for long periods of time hoping for a way out.

“Off the record?” he said. “They scare the (expletive) out of me. If things go right for them in the draft and they’re able to use some of those other picks to make a deal or two, they could be right back in this thing.

“And when you look at some of the teams in our league that have been stuck in the mud for years, it has to be hard for them to watch Boston set themselves up so fast.”

Houston All-Star center Dwight Howard never really gave the C’s a heavy look as a free agent last summer, but he has never hidden his respect for the franchise.

“Every team has an opportunity, especially a team like Boston who’s willing to do whatever it takes to win,” said Howard. “I think people will want to go play with the Celtics because of the history there. It’s going to take time, and, you know, a lot of people aren’t patient. They want things to happen right away. But you have to remember that everything takes time, It doesn’t happen overnight.

“I think Boston’s going to be right back. They had a couple of years before they got KG and Paul together where they were terrible and nobody wanted to be a Boston fan at that time. Then KG and Ray Allen come, and everything changes. They win and everybody’s happy. But it takes time.”

Avery Johnson, part of the host committee here after being fired by the Nets last season, has followed the Celts closely as both an opponent and as a friend of former coach Doc Rivers.

“I think they’re in great position,” he said. “For years, I’ve always liked the model of building through the draft, and they’ve put together a lot of picks in the coming years. Danny Ainge has done a great job of laying out the vision, where fans, management, coaches, everybody can understand where they are and what the game plan is.

“It’s hard to trade a Paul Pierce and a Kevin Garnett, but it was the right move for Boston. As difficult as that is to say, it was the right move. Danny gets it. Danny understands that if they’re ever going to be a championship team again, the team that they were going to put on the floor, which included Kevin Garnett and also Paul Pierce, wasn’t going to be good enough.

“Danny knows that with the rule still in place that guys can come out of college after one year, there’s some talent in the pipeline, and he’s put the Celtics in position to get to that talent.”

Stevens’ good start

Tonight’s coaches believe Ainge already made a major move by hiring Brad Stevens as coach.

“I think he’s done a good job of bringing in a staff that wants to develop players,” said Oklahoma City and Western Conference coach Scott Brooks. “You have to want to develop players every day, and I think coach Stevens understands that. He knows there are going to be some tough times during that process, but you have to be able to mentally handle it because there’s a lot of work to be done. I think Danny understands that process as well as anybody.”

Vogel, a friend of Stevens, concurred.

“It starts there,” he said. “Your culture is shaped by your coach, and I think they have one of the best in the game. He’s just getting his feet wet at this level, but he’s just a brilliant man and a great leader. They’re in great position.”



bob



.

All the draft picks are certainly key for the organization.  However, I believe their importance is only somewhat predicated on how high the picks turn out to be.  For one thing, the draft picks they've received from other teams to date don't currently appear to be lottery picks any time soon.  And the worst thing that the Celtics might encounter is a succession of middle-of-the-road finishes that will lower the value of their own picks.

Even if they were fortunate enough to have one or two of their picks be kids with a lot of upside, chances are it would take time for the kids to develop.  And the longer those kids take to come close to realizing their potential, the more mediocre the team will remain, the less attractive the team will be to free agents, and the more questionable will be the value of their trade chips.

That's why I'm in favor of moving swiftly rather than dragging out the process.  Too many land mines along the way.

Sam

Sam,

Very good point.

Hopefully the right ones are kept and the right ones are traded (if that makes any sense).



KJ

If you have a few legit pieces which we do and can get more legit pieces or pieces that can be good role players in the draft, then why wouldn't an established star want to come play with a team set to win? We don't need lottery picks to draft good players that can contribute, ofcourse all things being equal I would still like the best pick possible.

Speaking of respect, anyone hear what Mr Russell said to Lebron James at the all star game?

Let me guess because I wouldn't watch the All-Star Game if they paid me.

I believe Russ said, "I hear you like to climb mountains. I'm 80 years old; but the next time you climb a mountain, I'll be up top waiting to stuff your "I love me" flag down your throat or in any other convenient orifice."

Actually, having gotten that off my chest, I assume Russ was very diplomatic and was not reluctant to give Lebron plenty of props.

Sam

Sam

Your gonna like this story.

I was channel surfing as that game has become unwatchable, them I happen to click back, it was in the second quarter they were showing all the all stars paying tribute to Russell as the whole crowd sang Happy Birthday!! that was pretty cool as they all shook his hand and hovered around him.

Then one of the commentators said "did you hear what he said to Lebron James?" the commentator, can't recall his name? says "Russell thanked James for not including him on Rushmore, that as long as hes been involved in the game, its been a team game." He went on, Russell said "he/I won a title in high school, 2 college championships and won a title in his rookie and last year and its always been about the team and you can etch that in stone!!" TRUE STORY during all star game....anyone else see/hear this during game?

cow

sam wrote:Let me guess because I wouldn't watch the All-Star Game if they paid me.
Sam

You and I are on the same page here, Sam.

I mean, if I wanted to see trained animals perform tricks I'd go to a circus, which is what the All-Star Game has become.

Team basket ball is for me the A and O of greatness. That's why when I was a young man living in Ohio where there was no pro NBA team I rooted passionately for two teams; two teams who could not have had different philosophies on how one starts the process of putting the ball through the hoop:
1. The Boston Celtics under Red Auerbach and
2. John Wooden's UCLA Bruins.

cowens/oldschool wrote:Sam

Your gonna like this story.

I was channel surfing as that game has become unwatchable, them I happen to click back, it was in the second quarter they were showing all the all stars paying tribute to Russell as the whole crowd sang Happy Birthday!! that was pretty cool as they all shook his hand and hovered around him.

Then one of the commentators said "did you hear what he said to Lebron James?" the commentator, can't recall his name? says "Russell thanked James for not including him on Rushmore, that as long as hes been involved in the game, its been a team game." He went on, Russell said "he/I won a title in high school, 2 college championships and won a title in his rookie and last year and its always been about the team and you can etch that in stone!!" TRUE STORY during all star game....anyone else see/hear this during game?

cow

Didn't even mention the Olympic Gold playing with other "college" kids.

beat

Cow, good story. If Russ said something like that, good for him. Berlin, you couldn't have had a better pair of coaches to watch.

To those who get off on the all-star game, I hope they enjoyed it. (I assume it's over by now.)

Sam

Hi,
Re All-Star game: I think curling is much more real and exciting. And we can watch once in 4 years.

As for Russell and Lebron exchange, it's kind of was/is vs maybe/probably. Just ridiculous.

AK

I love how he ended that conversation with and you can etch that in stone!!

cowens/oldschool wrote:Sam

Your gonna like this story.

I was channel surfing as that game has become unwatchable, them I happen to click back, it was in the second quarter they were showing all the all stars paying tribute to Russell as the whole crowd sang Happy Birthday!! that was pretty cool as they all shook his hand and hovered around him.

Then one of the commentators said "did you hear what he said to Lebron James?" the commentator, can't recall his name? says "Russell thanked James for not including him on Rushmore, that as long as hes been involved in the game, its been a team game." He went on, Russell said "he/I won a title in high school, 2 college championships and won a title in his rookie and last year and its always been about the team and you can etch that in stone!!" TRUE STORY during all star game....anyone else see/hear this during game?

cow

cow,

I think this pretty much dropped the chances of LBJ coming to Boston as a free agent down to zero, huh?  LOL.

And now, for all you Kobe haters, there's this story:

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/kobe-offers-mount-rushmore-picks/story?id=22543927


Bryant's picks? Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Russell. LeBron also listed Jordan, Bird and Johnson, but ultimately settled on Oscar Robertson as his fourth choice.


Thanks, Kobe, for giving Russ his due (even if he doesn't want it).

And now, back to working on my teeth.

bob


.