Bulpett: Celtics' rebuilding plan gets high marks around NBA

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/05/bulpett_celtics_rebuilding_plan_gets_high_marks_around_nba



Bulpett: Celtics' rebuilding plan gets high marks around NBA






Photo by: Matt West


Sunday, May 17, 2015
By:  Steve Bulpett

CHICAGO — Larry Bird’s laugh was more than just a laugh. Within it may have been the highest praise he’s ever given former teammate Danny Ainge, whom he used to pick on like a little brother during their Celtics days.

Larry runs the Indiana Pacers basketball operation now, and at the NBA draft combine he was talking about Ainge’s rebuilding efforts with the Celtics.

“It’s hard to do what he’s done,” Bird said. “I think he’s done a good job. He even got a first-rounder for his coach, you know.”

And with that, Larry laughed. With the draft coming up in June, the league’s GMs have been reminded of the fact the Celts have an extra first-round pick, No. 28 overall, from the Clippers for releasing Doc Rivers from his Boston contract.

“That’s what you do in this league,” Bird said. “You try to get as many assets as you possibly can, and at the right time maybe bunch them together and get a hell of a player. This league is All-Star driven, talent-driven, and that’s one way you can get a lot of talent.”

The Celtics also have two first-round picks next year (their own and the Nets’) and could have a third if Dallas’ choice is eighth or worse. And they could have another if Minnesota doesn’t land one of the top 12 selections. And there are possibilities for multiple firsts the next four years, as well.

Said one general manager, “I voted for Danny for Executive of the Year last year, and, really, you could do it every year for the way he’s set them up.”

“They’ve done a good job,” said Flip Saunders, Minnesota’s coach and president of basketball operations. “Danny’s always been very proactive in what he’s trying to do, so they’ve been able to improve and maintain. That’s very difficult to do in the ever-changing way our league is.

“They had a good base, and they brought in competitive guys. The trades they made got them guys that fit into what Brad (Stevens) wanted to do, so they were able to play at a pretty high level.”

Oklahoma City executive vice president and GM Sam Presti stressed how difficult it is to pull off what the Celtics have done.

“I think in today’s day and age where the NBA finds itself, with as much cap space that’s available, with how coveted young players are in the new system, to be able to operate and accumulate that many draft choices and put that on top of a lot flexibility is not easy,” said the Concord native. “That’s because it’s not an exclusive marketplace they’re operating in. They have to do it in ways that are being mirrored by their competitors.

“I think they’ve looked at it really surgically and really been very calculated in how they went about it. But it’s not easy, and I think they’ve done it as well as anybody.”

Another local guy now running an NBA team, Hingham’s Ryan McDonough, GM of the Suns, mentioned the Celts’ ability to avoid going deep into the tank while rebuilding.

“I think they’ve done a terrific job of not only gathering assets but also remaining competitive while they do it,” said McDonough, formerly the assistant GM under Ainge. “It’s not an easy thing to do. We’ve tried to do a similar thing in Phoenix.

“Usually teams do one or the other. You try to compete, and that involves getting rid of young players, maybe bringing in some more veteran players, trading draft picks for vets. Or you rebuild, and that means trading away veteran players, really only focusing on picks and young players. The challenge is to do both. I think the really good organizations can do it, but it’s tricky. I think when you’re with an organization like the Celtics or the Suns that have great history and tradition, it’s not really acceptable or certainly not desirable to bottom out. You don’t want to bottom out and hope for luck in the lottery.

“I admire the way the Celtics have done it,” he said. “They’ve done a tremendous job. They’ve got all the future picks in the queue that are coming down the line. They have some good young players. Obviously they have excellent management and coaching. The fans will see over time how things will work out.”



bob



.

When one considers how cap-bound the Celtics were just a very few years ago, their inability to use exceptions other than the mid-level and veteran's minimum, and a bunch of difficult contracts, Danny's challenges bordered on the enormous.  Now, perhaps three years later, he's leading the league in tradeable assets (at least non-player assets).  I believe his performance over that period has been a world away from that of any other general manager.

Sam