[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: THE BIG PICTURE

I agree that this is not the finished product and Ainge deserves the benefit of us waiting to see how it turns out. However, from what he has done this year, it appears that this isnt going to be a one step back to take two steps forward next year. If anything, this is beginning to look like a long multiyear rebuilding process. Further, there are some worrisome signs that Ainge might not be the savior we expected. Thats why I have said in a few places that Ainge deserves more rope even if he just ends up hanging himself with it.

Ricky is a reasonable contract and a player with the potential to be a star. He should be easy to trade if need be and we should get some value in return. However, not all of Danny's trades reflect this. Raef LaFrentz is certainly not overly athletic, appealing to other teams by way of talent, or appealing to other teams by way of cap space.

We do have a number of draft picks coming up this year. However, that means kids if we keep them and an even longer developmental process assuming we get kids who can play. Further, there is real question of the value of the Dallas pick. Certainly, we might get someone who can help or include it in a deal for a decent player (not Jon Barry please). However, many teams would rather have a top 5 pick in the second round than a last five pick in the first due to the guaranteed money aspect.

We have also traded one of our expiring contracts in Williams and we have another in Mills. Hopefully, we use Mills for someone good or just let him walk at the end of the year. To take on someone with 4 years left making 6 mill per season would not make much sense to me as this team is still evolving.

The Vin deal is the one potential get out of jail free card for Ainge. It will afford us enormous flexibility if he is cut.

I think its a stretch to say Danny is patient. He hasnt been here even a year and we have only 3 guys left from the prior regime? Pierce Walter and Blount. Thats a lot of turnover DURING a season to absorb.

As for thick skinned, if he is really calling up Barkley asking him to go easy on him that doesnt show he is thick skinned. Firing back at a player's comments in the media does not show he is thick skinned. Going on the radio to defend a trade and saying that he understands basketball better than everyone else and that the fans dont have a clue is maybe a sign of being thick skinned, but the wise man would say it more diplomatically and the even wiser man would say nothing at all.

For me, the jury is out on Danny Ainge. I wont call him savior or bum at this point. However, the Ainge era is certainly not proceeding the way I hoped it it. Possible lottery team this year. Barring a major shakeup in the offseason where we get a tremendous inflow of talent (and veteran talent) its not looking good for next year. What year of the Ainge era are we supposed to be one of the top 3 teams in the East?

Shawn Niles wrote:

Everyone seems to be looking at the team on the floor right now as Danny's final product. If that were the case, then he would deserve all the critisism. But this is not the final product. It takes time and usually a long series of moves before you become a title contender. I would argue that at least half the guys on the team right now will not be on the team by the end of next year.

What Danny is doing is aquiring guys who are athletic and have appeal to other teams either by way of talent or cap space. People complain about Ricky but with his reasonable contract and talent, he could be traded in a second if Danny wanted to do it. We have a good amount of draft picks coming up, which could be used as trade bait. Teams love draft picks. We have a number of expiring contracts which are also valuable as trade bait or to let them run out and use the space yourself.

As an added bonus, we probably will get some sort of relief from Vins contract. I think tomorrow is the 10th game and we'll probably hear something shortly after that. Some have said they should let Vin play again. Why? Even if he could give you a little bit of production, getting out from under his contract would be much more valuable at this point than anything he would give you on the court. Some have said keep him and put him in the expansion draft. Sure, Charlotte is looking for a guy with a huge contract who has diminished skills and a drinking problem.

It makes me laugh how hypocritical people are, especially in Boston. Pitino got ripped to shreds because he did everything possible to win immediately. Trades, siging guys to big contracts..... and what did he get? Ripped for not being patient.

So Danny takes the opposite approach and is being patient. He is not taking on bad contracts. He is not going to trade all his young guys because they are not superstars after 40 games in the league. And for that he is getting ripped because he is not trying to win now. I guess you can't win around here.

I'm just glad Danny is in charge and that he is thick-skinned. Because he WILL stick to the plan, he WILL turn things around here, and he WILL bring a title to Boston again.


From: lapdoggy <lapdoggy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: THE BIG PICTURE
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 22:00:02 -0800

Danny had some dark sunken eyes last night. His job is not an easy one by any means. It's one thing to to take over the Memphis Grizzlies but the Celtics are another can of beans. I don't envy him. He could have stood pat on the "Wallace Faced" team but who really would have been happy then? Last night's loss, more than anything, showed the lack of "team". The guys couldn't put a bucket together early on (0-15 at one point) and obviously at the end of the game. Good team's run plays in the final stages of close games. Last night there was none of that. Erratic, best describes the last 8 minutes. Danny needs to acquire disciplined soldiers or this schitzo ball will be a nightly occurrence.
With Battie sidelined and Brown getting 2 minutes, yes, that was a terrible loss.
Think about this. Without another trade, this team will have two first round picks next draft. That will be a lot of guys with little or no playing experience wearing Celtic green. Is there someone coming out in '05 that I don't know about, b/c we could be headed to superlotto 2005 style?




On Tuesday, February 10, 2004, at 10:34 AM, Eggcentric@xxxxxxx wrote:

Due to all the subplots mentioned by Lapdoggy, last night's loss to
Cleveland was particularly painful... even embarrassing.  Did our
young guys learn anything from it... I doubt it.

John Thompson said something last night like "The Celts are attempting
to play a style (up-tempo) they don't have the right personnel for."
Wonder if Obie knew all along what Ainge has yet to figure out.

Like it or not, arguably our three most consistent contributors have been
Pierce, Blount, and good old Waltah ... the only three holdovers (along with
Baker) from the previous regime. Think the only reason that Blount and
McCarty are still even with us is that they were re-signed by Danny thus
sharing the dubious distinction of being 50% his guys? Meanwhile the new
guys, the very players responsible for catapulting the mediocre Blount and
Waltah into starring roles, have taken from 29 to 53 games to put it
together and except for Welsch who recently has hit the funny wall,
they still haven't. Is it the players or the coaches?

After Ainge completes his cleansing and trades away the last of his
unwanted stepchildren - Pierce, the 50% Blount, and the 50% McCarty -
he is going to be forced to start dealing his own beloved children (a/k/a
overrated athletes).

I can hardly wait to see who Danny brings in next to audition for
THE BIG PICTURE.

Egg


_________________________________________________________________
Find great local high-speed Internet access value at the MSN High-Speed Marketplace. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200360ave/direct/01/