Ainge: "We'd like to be a relevant team next year, but can't force it"

In his weekly visit with 98.5's Toucher & Rich, Danny Ainge talked about how Avery Bradley fits into the Celtics' future and how that plays into his expectations of the team being relevant again in 2014-2015.


The tweeted transcription from WEEI's Ben Rohrbach:

Ainge: "We all want to do some things this summer & we have some objectives. We'd like to be a relevant team next year, but can't force it."

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Ainge: "We have every intention of having Avery Bradley with us in the future."

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Ainge: "I think that we have the ability to attract free agents. I think word has spread around the NBA that Boston is an attractive place."

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Ainge on tanking (1/2): "There's not much I can do about that right now. …

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Ainge on tanking (2/2): "We're evaluating our players every day, and that's more important right now than where the Ping Pong balls fall."

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Ainge believes ownership, Brad Stevens make Boston a free-agent destination, but admits winning is a bigger lure.

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Sounds like Ainge has every intention of keeping Bradley. Referenced his restricted status. In all likelihood, market sets value, C's match.

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Also sounds like Ainge is more concerned with determining value of his assets for potential trade than where he'll draft in June.

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014



bob



.

yep..can't "force" a quick rebuild.

we need a center and there are only a couple NBA starters that might be there next year. Ainge may not want (Gortat , Kaman) or be able to get (Asik, Embiid, Saunders) any of them.

we also need a go-to scorer. Randle from the draft may be one (but not likely his first year or so). Carmelo?..... can't see Ainge bringing him in next season, as the team won't be ready to compete for a title yet.

guess we all need to look forward to smaller improvements next season and then maybe some bigger deals in 2015.

Here are the top HIGH School recruits....... for next years draft and beyond, couple of interesting centers on the top of this list.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings


beat

It seems to be a no-brainer that the Celtics will let the market set the value for Bradley and match the offer.  Has there ever been another strategy in place since early in the season?

If Danny's thinking impact free agents, then he must also be thinking about how to relieve himself a LOT of salary.  I hope management don't feel free agents are doing us a favor to come to Boston.  They (management) should be more concerned with making sure any free agents the Celts take aboard won't become MarkBlounters (aka zeros once they get the big payday).

I'm just much more in favor of trades rather than free agents.  As I must have said a thousand times, you shed salary equal to salary you gain and don't incur more cap problems.  And, aside from this year's picks, I'd rather use draft picks to sweeten deals in the eyes of prospective trade partners.

Sam

Very interesting, coming from Danny...

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Ainge on tanking (1/2): "There's not much I can do about that right now. …

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Ainge on tanking (2/2): "We're evaluating our players every day, and that's more important right now than where the Ping Pong balls fall."

I'm sure this can be interpreted in any number of ways. I can't say it "sounds" good, if that makes any sense.



KJ

beat wrote:Here are the top HIGH School recruits....... for next years draft and beyond, couple of interesting centers on the top of this list.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings


beat

beat,

Although it's in another topic, this is Okafor(#1 nationally) with my son, below.  The #1 and #2 guys were among the players we met in the bookstore at Duke.  Okafor is signed and ready to step in at center for Duke next year.  Already being talked about as one-and-done, heading for the 2015 NBA draft, and hasn't graduated from high school yet.  For reference he's standing next to a kid who goes about 4'8."  With that in mind check out the wingspan and hands. If I'm Jabari Parker, I'm having a tough time commiting to the NBA draft, as is being reported.  The other kid, Turner, was taller but seemed slender in comparison.  I think there were about six kids there that weekend that were locked up or visiting, I'm fairly sure about four were already signed.  Needless to say I felt even shorter (and older) than I usually do!

NYCelt

Marcus has it from highly reliable sources, (seems the SU women's team follow the men quite a bit) and they all told him that BOTH Ennis and Grant are gone. Marcus says that Ennis hasn't seen the inside of a classroom in months (can you say Fab Melo) and that Grant thinks he's first round material, and he to has missed a lot of classes but not as bad as Ennis so he says.

Syracuse will thus loose 4 of their top 6 players and with little help on the bench and only 2 of those top 100 listed as heading to SU, they will be in dire straights to even come close to winning as well as they did this year. I saw some mock drafts having us taking Ennis with our second pick.....I hope not. Shades of Gerry McNamara. OVERRATED IMHO. Grant needs another year to get stronger and develop some offense.

SU Women play this eve on ESPN 6:30 I believe. Marcus has to sit in the row behind the bench as they only allow 20 seats on the bench and they have 15 players and 5 coaches. They will have a tough time against Kentucky, and they will be without their all around best player, Brittany Sykes, who blew out her knee last game.

beat

beat,

I'll set the DVR to see if I can catch the game and Marcus.

Ennis and Grant seem to be stepping into that Syracuse/Boeheim tradition of players leaving for the NBA before they're ready and because they have to.  I wish he would at least consider recruiting someone who can last long enough academically that they can also develop their game fully.

If we were to take a guard first I would agree that it shouldn't be Ennis.  Smart would be my choice if we go with someone who is currently playing point.  To me, Smart or Harris look like they could be the scorer we would like at 2-guard.

Regards

And I should add on a side note. Marcus is doing quite well on his NCAA picks. I the county pool where I work there are close to 300 entries. He is alone in 6th place right now and to win it all he needs Florida to go all the way. Also needs Baylor to beat Wisconsin as there is one guy in front of him that has Florida also. Also needs Iowa state to loose. If he finishes first he collect a tidy sum.

My picks went out with the trash Saturday. And no it was not because of Syracuse. It was a lot of everything else. I actually picked SU to win only 1 game and to loose against Ohio State.

oh well,

I do still have my final 4 alive; Florida, Arizona, Michigan State and Louisville.  Did so poorly in the first two rounds that I probably need my pick to win it all, Louisville, to come through in order to have any shot.  Michael played two brackets and is ahead of me in both. I also had SYC bowing to Ohio State.  Lots of Cinderella candidates this year; the games I've been able to catch have been fun to watch.

And this:

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 20, 2014
Also sounds like Ainge is more concerned with determining value of his assets for potential trade than where he'll draft in June.

Isn't Ainge's process of "evaluating assets" having an effect on where he drafts in June? Obviously, one helps the other.

If Ainge was more concerned with pulling trades now, then the argument could be made that he doesn't care where the team drafts.



KJ

Danny's smart enough to realize that he has some control over his existing assets, whereas the draft is a crap shoot.

Sam