NBA exec believes Warriors should use Celtics' 'Big Three' as cautionary tale

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-exec-believes-warriors-celtics-180848469.html

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

And at least one NBA executive believes the Golden State Warriors should remember the Boston Celtics' past.

After winning three NBA titles in five years, the Warriors are at a crossroads: Should they make one more championship run next season if Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are healthy or opt for a full rebuild with Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green all north of 30 on a team with the NBA's worst record?

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If Golden State chooses the "title run" route, there's speculation it could package Andrew Wiggins and its 2020 first-round pick (potentially No. 1 overall) for another veteran star.

But that's where the Celtics' past comes in. Here's what a Western Conference executive told Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher about that potential Wiggins trade:

There is no guy you'd give up the No. 1 pick and Andrew Wiggins for ... Besides, if you do go all in and trade Wiggins and the pick for some 30-year-old star, now you're looking at your core all aging out at the same time. You don't want to wake up and find yourself like the Celtics.

The exec is referring to Boston's "Big Three" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who led the C's to an NBA title in 2008 and another NBA Finals appearance in 2010.

The Celtics slowly declined as the Big Three got older, though, going 39-27 during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign and plummeting to 41-40 in 2012-13 after Allen left.

Boston finally traded Pierce and Allen [My comment: Garnett, not Allen.] in the summer of 2013 but didn't win another playoff series until 2017.

The Celtics actually had a very successful rebuild (thanks to Danny Ainge's fleecing of the Brooklyn Nets in the Pierce/Garnett trade) and are back among the NBA's elite.

Still, they probably could have accelerated that rebuild by cutting ties with Pierce and Garnett earlier, and this executive believes the Warriors should use Boston's situation as evidence against swapping young talent for established veterans.

It's unlikely Golden State will trade two franchise icons in Curry and Thompson. But if they resist temptation to add another aging star, they may have the original "Big Three" to thank.

This article makes an excellent point in my opinion.

Golden State should use the Celtics Big 3 era as an example of how not to do it.

Danny Ainge is a super GM, no debate here. However, after saying he wouldn't fall into the same trap as Red had, and wait too long to make changes, he did exactly that. Danny did get incredible value when he finally dealt Pierce and KG. But I think he should have acted sooner. It was apparent to what seemed like the majority of observers that several on the Celtics roster were well into a state of decline during the '09 - '10 season. There had been league-wide talk and Celtic front office acknowledgement that the window of opportunity was only going to be open a short time after they acquired KG, Allen and others. Pierce, KG and Allen threw down their last and finest gasp in '07 -'08. The next two seasons may have been similar if not for injuries and another strong LA team. The decay was showing regardless.

Golden State has been on a run like few NBA teams ever. Clearly in a greatest dynasty debate with only Boston, LA, Chicago and perhaps San Antonio. They're no longer there, but have several players with very high value in a trade. High enough to bring back other established players and favorable draft picks. Enough to return to competitive stature in a very short space, perhaps two or three seasons. The Celtics, if you discount two seasons ago as a surprise, and count this abbreviated season as the real deal, have taken 12 years since hoisting the trophy in '08.

Not that I want them to, but Golden State can and should learn form what might have been a faster turn-around in Boston.

I think Danny did everything right, who was available in 11 or 12, what young stud player or picks? Danny exceeded expectations with what he got from the Nets, so it worked out fine and then some. I don’t see any deal out there before 13 that could have put us in better position now with Brown and Tatum and Romeo could be a much better version of AB or Tony Allen too. In a league where wings seem to be the key piece/cornerstone in winning every year, how much better could we have done?

Cow -

I think you pose a question that can't be answered. No one can say who might have been available. My thinking is Danny should have broken things up and found out sooner. Players were aging and losing their value, and all Boston did was add more golden oldies. It may not have had to take 12 years to be competitive again. I think Golden State should use what happened in Boston as a road map to lead them in a different direction toward what they should do now.

Regards

Many wanted to trade away the draft picks acquired in the Nets trade for established "stars", but Danny held his ground and used the picks instead. I don't think he wanted to repeat the same process that brought Allen and Garnett. The window was too short and the injury to KG proved too much to overcome.

I'm happy with how how the current team evolved. It sucks that we cannot see how far the current team would go in the playoffs.

NYCelt wrote:Cow -

I think you pose a question that can't be answered. No one can say who might have been available. My thinking is Danny should have broken things up and found out sooner. Players were aging and losing their value, and all Boston did was add more golden oldies. It may not have had to take 12 years to be competitive again. I think Golden State should use what happened in Boston as a road map to lead them in a different direction toward what they should do now.

Regards

I’m just glad we have the roster we have right now with the nucleus ofcourse being the 2 J’s, agreed since we don’t know and will never know what was out there, Danny getting us to where we are now may have took a little longer, but making a trade for a Jimmy Butler or a top pick that could have been whoever. I’ll gladly take where we are right now. Look how many teams missed on picks and players that were supposed to be great and are....