The Danny Ainge GM Soup Kitchen

I don't believe it is objective to praise one for their accomplishments and also not criticize them for their failings.

It took Ainge 4 years to find a decent option at center (Zeller) since trading Perkins. He could have drafted a center last year in Dieng, but instead took a PF with weak interior defense (Olynyk). I am a firm believer that having a proper center that can operate effectively on defense and contribute on offense to an extent is a necessity. Unless you are built like the former Heat were, you need a balanced roster.

A GM's job is to identify and address a team's weaknesses. The sooner that is done, the sooner players can return to playing their natural positions. This team, unfortunately, has had far too much time to play out of position. If a GM is not addressing a team's weaknesses, then what the hell are they doing?

I would also have to agree with DBoss that too much roster turnover is damaging to cultivating extended team chemistry. If you are always playing with half a new team every year, how can you develop more intuitive chemistry to where players can operate instinctively instead of having to guess how to react? Look at the Spurs. They add in new players here and there, but they maintain a core of players that play well together.

The clock is ticking for Ainge.



KJ

I am usually the one jumping on Danny's moves, so hearing others sounding the flogging call for Danny in the Boston Commons is very unusual.

I think it was short sighted to hire Stevens ..........it looked good in conversation at the faculty lounge at Harvard.....but in reality it did not promote veterans to want to play for the Celtics. I know Danny had to sell Wyc on this one and I am still not sure if everyone in management are happy on the good ship Celtics.

Look at it this way..............yes they wanted to tear the team apart and at the same time build it up quickly ( remember summer fire works claim by Wyc) using the pieces they had in place (Rondo) and through free agents..........ok............so why are you hiring a rookie head coach with no NBA experience..........sought of half xss would you not say?

Because of that, you force Rondo into saying....ya I'll stay for the long rebuild at MAX MONEY.........if not I'm gone to free agency.......of course the Celtics were not going to pay him max money, and they could have talked him into taking less IF they had signed some top free agents during the summer and had a respectable team.

Ok, water under the bridge at this point because it does no good talking about something that is already done.......you gotta play the hand dealt you.

Danny has to create an inside straight by landing a great talent with this $12.9M exemption. Otherwise we got nothing out of the Rondo trade....nothing of great value at all.  

Crowder seems full of energy and he is said to be good defensively........he maybe the only keeper. He seems to be athletic with good size....perhaps a younger Wallace......at least with the hair..........love how they do that ....very stylish.

Nelson, Wright and Bass should be packaged to fill out other positions of necessity including SF and another sniper at shooting guard.

If we can get Green traded for a more sold player at one position......instead of these stretch this and stretch that type of player, we will be better off in the long run.

I agree....too much turnover.....let us get the trades out of the way by mid January and let the team play out the season so we can create some unity.

112288

112288,

Hiring Stevens was the first sign that the Celtics were going to pursue a long-term rebuild. Danny's massive accumulation of draft picks also supports this.

The overall plan appears to be remaining a bottom-feeder for a while until either a phenom is drafted or a contender decides to trade away their star for some assets. Marcus Smart looks like a keeper, and James Young has a bright future ahead. Honestly, I wouldn't even play Jameer. Just give Pressey and Smart those reps.



KJ

Even if you don't like Ainge and his approach, the Celtics are on full rebuild at this point. There can be no bringing back Garnett, Pierce or even Rondo.

I really like Stevens so far and he will get better and better as he learns more about the NBA. Ainge is on the hot seat with whatever he does, but I believe in him as well. He still deserves my patience after finding a way to put the last championship team together.

KJ

Then Danny & Wic,  don't sell us a bunch of crap about fireworks when NO MAJOR TALENT IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD AND WILL PLAY FOR STEVENS  at this point in Stevens career! He is too inexperienced! His basketball theory has not been proven on the court on a pro level!

112288

Ah, yes Busty Heart, the stripper who was Long Tall Salley's companion for several playoff games.

Proof that Andy Warhol was right about everyone being famous for 15 minutes.  Thanks Bob for that Youtube clip including  Ms Heart shaking her money makers at the cameras.

Danny Ainge was probably the most despised player in the NBA before Bill Laimbeer came to prominence.  To this day I bet there are still people who believe that it was Ainge who bit Tree


Another interesting footnote from that clip was Brent Musberger talking about how Auerbach told him the Celtics would take Brad Dauherty if they got the number one pick (which originally belonged to Seattle and came to Boston for Gerald Henderson the year before) when he actually intended to take Len Bias all along. After Boston got the #2 pick Auerbach said to Philly's GM, who got the no.1 pick, that if he didn't take Daugherty Auerbach would.

Old Red was just jerking everyone around. Of course subequent events showed that it would have been better if Boston had actually set their sights on Dauherty.