Ange WEEI Comments Today

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Danny Ainge was on WEEI's Big Show with Glenn Manboobs Ordway,
Steve Longsnapper DeOssie and Mike Where Are The Drugs Adams
Here's a summary:


BS: Danny How are you?
A: Enjoying the gig, so far.
A: I Enjoy the challenge.
BS: Expect some of the negativity
A: Yes ~ Not take too much of a step back ~ Talked to Agents and Players
past summer, no one wanted to play for the Celtics because: 1)Climate;
2)Selfish Style, 3) Lottey Team, etc.
BS: Biggest Barrier you face is to get a legitimate big time player
A: Players don't even know who Havilicek is (past Celtics greatness)
Getting that star player is obviously the key to being great.
A: Time Frame: None of us know ~ Old Celtics got lucky ~ A lot
of misfortune in recent times: Lottery, Lewis, Bias ~ Bad tough luck 
We're trying to change things, Glen, need to have some fortune to get that
star player in here
BS DeOssie: Why not blow team up?
A: Cites Chicago
A; I don't think you have to blow it up - no guarantee.
A: If you become really bad, you may be really bad for 4 or 5 years.
BS: Understand why you had to trade Walker, but why not wait until a more attractive
package ~ Why deal at that time?
A: Two reasons: Luxury tax/Cap: Impossible to take on multiple contracts,
I felt Walker's value wouldn't change  Two teams interested in Walker
BS: Why not let Walker's salary run out?
A: Only can replace Walker's salary with mid level, got better than that in Walker trade
cites 2 firsts, Jiri, LaFrentz, Atkins.
A: Walker not the kind of leader I wanted on the team
Paul is not that type of leader either; Chucky Atkins better leader than anyone
on our team.
BS: Banks should play more.
 A: Banks should play more
BS: Atkins buries Banks. 
BS: Conflict going on over winning games and developing players
BS: Almost better if you lose. 
A: Good in both situations, playoff experience and playing Banks,
other young players; Morale needs win, fruit of hard work and energy
BS: You won by 21 points; Banks played 11 minutes.
A; I think that that is not good
A: We want to be a good team next year; I don't think a champoin team, but good
as team as last two years - a 6th seed next year
BS: Fans won't be patient enough to hang around untill Celtics better
~ Going to have trouble finding a good mid-level guy either,
they'll opt for Lakers and better clubs.
How can you get Celtics competetive in  a short period of team
A: I don't think we're that far away.
A; We can't recruit a player if in the lottery ever year
A: We've got to do a real good job in the draft
BS: Jiri a nice find, but problem,  easy to get complimentary players
find star players hard part.
BS: How do you get them?
A: Songaila: I've never saw him play before getting to Boston; 
his numbers embelleshed there in Sacramento.
BS: Songaila playing well
A: Told by Celtics coaches that he couldn't play in the NBA;
told by coaches that Walter McCarty was a better player;
 Coach and GM need to be on the same page. 
BS: You had an opportunity to bring in your own coach, why re-sign
O'Brien, why not bring in your own guy?
A; Two reasons: Who is my guy and O'Brien and I agreed with each other then
on running, execution of offense, being more attractive to players,
but season started, and when it came down to
it, OBie felt comfortable in the defense and didn't want to take a step back.
O'Brien didn't want to create a running game or develop young players.
BS: Paul Pierce sticking around for retooling?
 A: Paul Pierce has a challenge ahead of him, play hard every night, teach other players
how to win, very difficult; players live in the moment.
A; New Coach huge asset to recruit player.
BS: How do you without having a top 1, 2, 3 players turn things around
A; Have to get lucky; cites other factors.
A; I believe our owners, when time is right, will pay to get us over the top
Cap Wise, we have restraints
BS: You need to go out in the draft this year, and have to find the next great 
guy, top  5 or 10 player down the line.
A; No other way than the draft
A; No way to put a time frame on becoming an elite team in the NBA
A; You have to get lucky
A; Competetive and entertaining
A; Some difference between 8 and 15
A: By next year, a 40 - 45 win team and a more entertaining
team
BS: This year's draft, is there a player out there who is LeBron James?
A; No, not in the next three drafts
BS: So not a great player, no James, and you're telling me the only
way is too build in the draft, how in the hell do you get this guy?
A: Maybe James top player in the league in 4 years, but
occasionally you get players in the draft; bloomers like Jordan who
players develop into great players. 
A: Sacramento most entertaining team in the league and philosophy
of having guys who can shoot - ballhandling
A:  I believe you need guys who can score.
A; Carroll has the most dificult job in the league, not enough practice or
playing time to teach fundamentals, talk to McHale about this

A; Talked to Bird, Auerbach, Mchale about most important quality in a coach.
Need to have coach on same page as GM, be able to disagree, but then go 
out and play golf  or have dinner.