It's not picking players Ainge has to worry about.

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Despite the ongoing commentaries about the C's three 1st round draft picks, 
that isn't Danny Ainge's biggest choice this summer.

It's who he picks to coach the team.

The funny thing is that John Carroll picked the worst time to do well.  In 
any other season,coming into a head coaching job in the midst of a losing 
streak and getting the team into the playoffs after everyone had written 
them off and the general manager is making noises about wanting a higher 
lottery pick would be a near-lock to be invited back next season without 
the "interim" title.  After all, that's basically what Jim O'Brien did--and 
his first season's effort didn't even get the C's into the playoffs.

But there's a major difference between then and now.  Back then, every 
other decent coach that would A) work with Danny, and B) Danny would work 
with in turn, was already employed elsewhere.

Today, there's an unprecedented number of quality NBA coaches 
available.  Name your playing style or coaching style, and there's someone 
out there to fit the description.  Harsh as it sounds, unless this team 
makes the EC Finals at minimum, John Carroll is toast.  Despite Danny 
gamely hedging about discussions with Carroll, let's face it--if Ainge can 
find a replacement, he will.  When asked what he wanted a new coach to do, 
Danny mentioned working together, the running game, developing young 
players--and never once added the phrase, "Like John Carroll does".

Carroll is a classy guy--he knows his head coaching days at Boston are 
numbered, and has never said anything negative, concentrating on the 
immediate problem of getting the C's as far into the playoffs as 
possible.  But when the interim job ends, he's out of work, unless Jim 
O'Brien picks him up as an assistant where ever he ends up next season.  I 
hope that at least in private, Ainge has made his decision clear and 
allowed Carroll to formally update his resume, and allow other teams to 
have a chat with him ASAP.

But that leaves Danny with a quandary.  He's gone through two coaches in 
less than a season.  He's got to pick one for the long haul, which means no 
more of the placebo of "we're on the same page", when Obie's book was 
defense and everyone knew it.  I'm guessing Ainge will go with someone with 
a rep for a running game, but I do hope he pays a little more attention to 
defense.  I'm not asking for the near-obsession of Obie, but the C's have 
to have SOME idea how to keep teams from scoring 60% from the three point line.

Were he 25-30 years younger, the comments about Tom Heinsohn as a candidate 
would be at least worth a look.  But I think he'd probably keel over with a 
stroke before the end of preseason having to deal with refs like Violet 
Palmer--assuming they didn't eject him first for all his comments on FSNE. :>)

I also don't think Danny himself will be a candidate.  If nothing else, he 
saw what happened with ML Carr, and I'm betting he's smarter than that.  In 
any case, I think he's already got a lot on his hands with his current job.

I have NO idea who he likes for the job,but he's got a boatload of choices 
to work with.  His choice of coach may well be of far greater importance 
than who he picks in the draft.  Though I'm with Tommy in that we don't 
want any more players with diapers.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website