Re: Ange WEEI Comments Today

["Art Silva" <vzd1s1hb@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <celtics@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 12:37 PM
Subject: Ange WEEI Comments Today


> 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.
I understand climate and maybe not wanting to play 3rd fiddle but can you
really say free agents considered the Celts a lottery team this past summer?
It still concerns me that Danny's big free agent target was Karl Malone.

> 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.

Teams been blow up already. How can you say this team hasn't been blown up?

> 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.

I find this troubling as well. Hasn't he always claimed to be a very hands on
guy. Now he distances himself from one of his first deals. Blaming it on the
coaching staff. Using the same I had nothing to do with it that he did with
the vaker situation after the suspension hit the 10 game mark. Are we really
expected to believe that as a gm you haven't taken the time to be fully
briefed as to what is going on with a player you owe 35 million dollars to?

> 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.

Good question who is Danny's guy. Shouldn't he know by know. Of course he does
he's just not telling. But why wait 'til next year and not at the beginning of
last season. It was obvious that the Harter defense and a running game are
like oil and water. You can't run when you can't rebound. By trading away
defensive players for offensive players the situation was not going to resolve
itself but rather bring the conflict to a head. Which is what happened with
O'Brien leaving. I've said it before. "after and exhaustive search I've found
there is only on suitable coach for this team and that is me Danny Ainge"


> 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

Now we see what Danny's big plan is. It's to get lucky.

> 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.

This philosophy has brough how many titles to Sacaramento? None? But at least
they've made the finals right?


> 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.