Re: [Celtics' Stuff excerpts from Danny Ainge press conference

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 04:18 PM 5/9/2003 -0400, Snoopy the Celtics Beagle wrote:
> They cut off the feed then, but basically, it sounded like Danny has no 
> plans to pull and quick changes--or at least, he knows not to mouth off 
> about it.
Which leads into a few other points he made (I had live radio). He has no 
intentions of interfering in any way with the team now in the playoff run, 
including commenting publicly about players. His primary concentration is 
the draft and he will be strictly on the sidelines for the playoff run. 
However, as to the draft, he'll be in the office starting on Monday.

He actively praised Obie for doing an excellent job and getting the team to 
overachieve while merely saying he looked forward to working with Papile 
and Wallace. (Kim comment: Mind you, that getting the team to overachieve 
comment still doesn't mean you think he can take it to the next step. I 
happen to largely like Obie and value the fact that the players will play 
for him, but that offense has to change one way or another and it's as much 
to do with how you use what you have as the talent per se and I disagree 
with Obie on the idea that this is the best use of his personnel).

Also warned reporters in advance that he may not return calls, appear on 
talk shows, etc over the next couple of months to the draft because he has 
too much to do with team, moving, etc and too little time. Also he will 
never tell them the names of players he is interested in. Minor points in 
one sense, OTOH IMO they show foresight about likely shoals ahead and I 
like what addressing them head on in advance says vs just being reactive.

The Zone had him on after and asked him about a solution to Vin and the 
exemption. Re: Vin - he said that there IS a solution, getting him back 
able to contribute. More realistically added that he may not earn every 
dollar of the 16MM he makes, but he (Danny) cannot look at it strictly that 
way. OTOH Butch Stearns said after Danny was on that his sources say Danny 
has already contacted the league to discuss ways to get out from under the 
contract. Re: exemption - he said he does not have an open checkbook and 
would consider it irresponsible to spend $4MM that would really cost you 
$12MM, even if it was his own money, however he did say that spending $4MM 
to get a player worth $10MM is a different thing.

BTW, anecdote later on the broadcast, per Danny the *first* time he met 
Red, Red met him with a 12 person limo and still managed to fill the back 
with smoke so badly Danny couldn't see him at the other end, then finally 
said - so you're a Mormon, eh? how many wives can you guys have anyway?

Kim