He speaks his mind, honest

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

He speaks his mind, honest


By Jackie MacMullan, Globe Columnist, 5/10/2003

e had been running the basketball team for all of 10 minutes, and already the
doubters were jamming the talk-radio airwaves with questions about how Danny
Ainge had come aboard as executive director of basketball operations for the
Celtics, and what he said once he did.



Why now? The timing was abominable, wasn't it? And why, in his inaugural press
conference, did he fail to pump up the fans with declarations that banner 17
was just around the corner? Why was Ainge talking about ''turning this thing
around'' just hours before his club was to take the floor in the Eastern
Conference semifinals? What about the reference to the ''tough road ahead''
and the fact this team that was battling for its postseason life was a group
of ''overachievers''? Apparently, those references were offensive to die-hard
fans who have been pining to return to the glory days that included No. 44 in
your program, Danny Ainge. They wanted peppy, positive, pompom rhetoric. They
wanted guarantees.

Here's my question: Are you people serious? If you want coronations, then
let's bring back Rick Pitino. You all remember how well that went, don't you?
Or perhaps you'd prefer M.L. Carr promising us the Celtics were ''championship
driven,'' even as his ownership was ordering him to lose games to get a better
shot at Tim Duncan. That worked out really well, too, right?

Sometimes the truth hurts. All Ainge did yesterday was say out loud what's
whispered in the halls of the FleetCenter every day. Telling it like it is
will be what Ainge will do best, consistently and unfailingly, so get used to
it. The bottom line is if the Celtics want to advance further than serving as
fodder for the Nets in the playoffs, they need to make some changes. Because
of their difficult salary cap situation, the number of maximum contracts they
carry, and the value (or lack thereof) of some of their personnel, it will be
a tough road ahead to alter this roster. And since when is the fact that
Boston is a bunch of overachievers a news flash? Do you think this will shock
Walter McCarty? Mark Blount? They make their living overachieving, and I bet
if you asked them, they're darn proud of it, too.

Ainge can be diplomatic, for sure, but he won't toss around hyperbole, and he
is going to say things the fans don't like, the coaches don't like, and the
players don't like.

Even so, he was mildly surprised to hear his press conference was not
unanimously endorsed. ''As I've been walking around the streets, people have
been really positive,'' Ainge said. ''They are all asking me, `Is this the
year?' I love how much they care.

''But it's not going to stop me from being honest. I can't sugarcoat what's
not there.''

It would have been a lot less complicated for Ainge if he had come out and
made all sorts of flowery statements about coach Jim O'Brien, whose contract
is up after next season and who hopes to enter negotiations with the Celtics
this summer to extend his deal. Instead, Ainge said he was pleased with the
job the coach has done, but wanted to evaluate him the way he'll evaluate
everyone.

''I like Jim O'Brien,'' Ainge said. ''I was impressed today. I walked into his
office, and I was expecting I don't know what. But there was Jim,
congratulating me, showing enthusiasm, showing interest.''

Ainge doesn't know O'Brien yet. He'll be surprised how much they have in
common. O'Brien has never been one to mince words, either, and both are true
students of the game who have a passion for fundamentals. They are both solid
family men who have their priorities in order.

One of the first major decisions Ainge should make is to lock up O'Brien for
the long haul. He has the trust of his players, has made the most of his
personnel (hence, the reference to overachieving), and knows the league. He is
also at the bottom of the barrel as far as salaries for head coaches go ($1.5
million), and won't be looking for George Karl money. Sure, O'Brien could use
some help, at times, in the department of communicating with others, but
that's where Ainge comes in. He could serve as the ideal buffer for O'Brien
with ownership, players, and maybe other staff members. O'Brien, meanwhile,
finally has someone who has the power and the basketball pedigree to serve as
an advocate for him and his team. General manager Chris Wallace simply never
had, by his own admission, the clout he needed to make courageous decisions,
and to stick by them.

Ainge will not even discuss O'Brien or the draft or anything like that until
this season is over. He admits the timing of his hiring ''was not ideal,'' but
then quickly added, ''I've been a player when things have happened during the
playoffs, and it means nothing. Players don't care in the least about this
stuff. They're getting ready. I think this has been a zero distraction.

''Still, I am sensitive to the fact it would have been better to wait. But,
the other thing is, I've got a lot to do in a short amount of time. We've got
two draft picks, and I've got to get out there and evaluate the high school
kids, the Europeans, the college players.''

He is aware he will not always be popular. He wasn't always that way as a
player, either. Be prepared. Ainge is not going to say what you want to hear,
only what he believes.

''Someone today asked me how I felt about Joumana and Jason Kidd,'' said
Ainge. ''I coached Kidd. I know Joumana, and I love them both. I know that
some people in Boston will be offended by that, but I have a relationship with
those two people.

''I believe the way you treat all players in this league gets around. The word
gets out through the media how we treat visiting players. When fans make
gestures at Joumana or Jason, or say derogatory things, that prevents that
person from ever considering Boston. Not only that, it prevents all the
friends of Jason Kidd from wanting to play here, too.

''That doesn't make sense. Why would we want to alienate someone who could
wear the Celtics uniform someday?''

News flash: Celtics basketball head Danny Ainge loves Mr. and Mrs. Kidd.

Hold onto your (green) hats. The new boss may turn out to be many things, but
dull or dishonest don't appear to be two of them.

Thanks,

Steve
sb@maine.rr.com

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