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Re: Ainge On WEEI
At 09:20 AM 5/22/2003 -0400, Shawn Niles wrote:
Here's what I think:
Danny probably realizes, as most of us should, that this team, is still
2-3 years away at the earliest from competing for a championship. Even
spending the mid-level right now does not change that. Signing someone
there might win us a few more games, maybe even an extra playoff round,
but I think Danny realizes that is not the ultimate goal. Why spend an
exrta 13 million this year if it will not get you a championship? I think
Danny figures don't spend it now, take the lesser record, and better draft
pick. Then in a year or 2 when the salary cap situation isn't as bleak,
and you have better talent and a better team, then that is when the
mid-level gets you that last piece of the puzzle where you can really
compete for a title.
If you were in Vegas and you were making a bet, but somehow you knew
beforehand that you were definately going to LOSE the bet, would you bet
$10 or $1000?
It's a good theory, and to some degree I agree and buy into it as part of
his thinking. The problem is that the underlying processes behind a bet and
building a team aren't the same. One is a growth process, the other occurs
in a vacuum. Using money to increase the quality of talent vs shopping in
the dollar store for league minimum players is part of how you take the
steps to get to championship level. It's a process, as you point out, but
you've got to feed it to get there, or you stall out. You're right that
using the mid-level exemption is not going to convert us to immediate
contenders. The problem is that not using it might prevent that 2-3 year
away goal from ever happening, through arrested development.
Given that concern, apply your thinking to Danny's original comment from
when he was hired (I didn't hear what he actually said yesterday) - which
wasn't that he wouldn't use the mid-level at all, but that he'd only use it
on someone he perceived as being worth a lot more than that, and it looks
like better sense. There's no sense paying luxury tax for little to no
effective improvement, but it's equally stupid to not be willing to use it
on someone who can really boost your progress.
Kim