Danny Ainge Plays Off Team

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Danny Ainge plays off team
Focus on individuals develops





Photo by: Stuart Cahill
COMING TOGETHER: The Celtics have been playing much better as a team of late, but whether that will translate into a playoff berth remains to be seen.


Tuesday, March 3, 2015 PrintEmail0 Comments
By:  Steve Bulpett




The Celtics were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings — but just one game out of the eighth and final playoff seed — when they boarded the plane yesterday for Cleveland and tonight’s duel with the Cavaliers.

The players were undoubtedly aware of that, and if Danny Ainge was, too, well, he wasn’t paying it much mind.

The Celts president of basketball operations is on record as questioning how much value there is in sneaking into the postseason for a quick one-round-and-done visit. He does, however, appreciate the fact his young players are working now in a competitive environment with a chance to win every night.

So while it may be better for the Celtics’ future if they were to finish out of the playoffs and get lucky with the ping-pong balls in the NBA draft lottery, those on coach Brad Stevens’ staff and in uniform are just trying to win games.

Ainge has become reticent to discuss the issue, lest any further comments be construed as the team doing less than its best to win.

(Though you are free to speculate should the Celts reward Isaiah Thomas with a six-week paid vacation to Aruba for winning Eastern Conference Player of the Week.)

Seriously, Ainge is focused less on the wins and losses and more on the individuals as he reconstructs this roster.

“I’m just watching their development in practice and games and seeing how they fit in, how they play, how quickly they pick up the schemes, how they fit into Brad’s system, how much they value every offensive and defensive possession,” Ainge said. “I’m just watching their individual progress.

“I just want them to keep getting better. I don’t think any of them have reached their peak yet as players. I think they all have a long way to go to reach their peak, actually.”

The Celts seemed to get closer as a group when Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green, higher-end players who had been part of trade speculation, were dealt. Things got even better on the court when Thomas arrived from Phoenix at the trade deadline.

That togetherness will be tested this evening against LeBron James and friends, but Ainge does not believe what’s happened of late around the Celts has anything to do with the departures, per se.

“I think it’s a matter of guys getting opportunities to play,” Ainge said. “Kelly (Olynyk) and Jared (Sullinger) before he got hurt and Avery (Bradley) and Marcus (Smart) and Jae Crowder and James Young and Evan (Turner), you know, (Jonas) Jerebko — there’s a lot of guys that are just getting more opportunities.

“And it’s not just about minutes, it’s getting more responsibility and opportunity to try to establish themselves in the league.”

While Thomas has made the splashier impact, the 6-foot-10 Jerebko has been more than impressive off the bench stretching the floor. He has made 14-of-20 shots in the last three games, with eight makes in 11 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc in that span.

Jerebko will be a free agent after the season. It’s clear the Celtics have interest in keeping him around.

“Jerebko’s somebody that we’ve tried to get before,” Ainge said. “We like shooting bigs. I love guys that know how to play and can shoot 3’s and have length.

“As a spacer at the 4 position, I’ve always liked him. And that’s what he does well is spread the floor. He can shoot the 3 and he can attack close-outs. He just knows how to play.”

There is more question with the other player acquired from Detroit with Jerebko for Tayshaun Prince. Gigi Datome, a 6-8 shooter, has appeared in just one game for the C’s thus far, a 3:46 stint in the 21-point win over New York last week.

There was talk after the trade that Datome could be waived or bought out.

“I don’t know what his role’s going to be, but I don’t think there was ever any decision made on that,” Ainge said. “I don’t know how Gigi fits into the whole scheme of things, but I like him. He’s a great shooter. We’re not looking to get rid of him or buy him out. I just don’t know how he fits in. We have a lot of guys, with Crowder and James Young and Evan Turner, that can play small forward. But we’ll see.”




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