Re: Danny Ainge interview

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

     For those of you who missed it I'll try to sum up what was said.

    He had to be talked into the job.  It was offered during the regular 
season at a dinner Ainge had with one of the owners and he turned it down at the 
time.
The ownership group kept at it.  He talked it over with his wife and kids, 
who were all excited about the opportunity.
  His wife liked Boston when they lived there before.
  He likes the fact that he can make his own hours and can be more a part of 
his kids life than when he was a coach.

  He talked about what a challenge it will be to get the team where they need 
to be.
  He said that was part of the reason he turned the job down at first.
  It will be a long process unless they get real lucky with the draft.
  Trading the picks to either move up or for an established player is an 
option they are exploring.
  There is an opportunity to get at least one good player in this years 
draft.
  If they get two, it will be a home run.
  Said a good bet for #16 will be either a guard or a small forward from 
Europe (seems to narrow that one down to one player if I'm not mistaken).
  Talked down last years draft. Too much parity. Said that even the foriegn 
players are coming into the league too young now.
  His number one change for the team would be to bring in guards who can 
create tempo and create offense from good defense.
  His number two change would be conditioning.
  He said this was not a well conditioned team.
  Walker and Pierce are asked to do so much and play so  many minutes, they 
will either have to get in better condition or get more depth.  Very little 
hope for more depth.
  He's very happy with O'Brien and is glad he signed him when he did before 
all the coaching changes.  
 He thinks O'Brien would have been fought after and says that he is the third 
best coach after Brown and Van Gundy, of the coaches who are out of work.  
(Okkkaayyyyy).

  Talked about Larry Bird.  Said that Bird was very disappointed about not 
getting the Charlotte franchise.  
  Bird had problems with the old Celtics management but the new ownership and 
management would love to have Larry Bird involved in some way.  Larry isn't 
interested.  He wants his own team where he can have all the say in what goes 
on.

  Talked about the finals.  Thinks the Spurs are the better team.  Says they 
can play full court with New Jersey and they are the better half court team, 
which should be the difference.
  However, he would never bet against Jason Kidd.

  Plans to be in Boston for good as a full time resident by the time school 
starts in the fall.