[Celtics] Danny Ainge resigns; Brad Stevens moves into Front Office

also run him to the gound

 

Despite the current disappointment, in the past 5 years its hard to find a team that has NOT won a title that has had more success than the Celtics. The trade down to draft Tatum was a genius move. Drafting (3rd) and developing Brown was an excellent decision. He's arguably the best player in that draft. The hayward signing was widely viewed as a major win at the time as was the Kyrie trade. But despite the freak injuries/issues with hayward/Irving the celtics were consistently winning every year.

Jaylen is 24, Tatum is 22. They have been to the conference finals 3 times! That's 3 in the last 5 years! For some perspective at age 23 one year OLDER than Tatum, Harden was in his first year as a Houston Rocket! Harden didn't even make it out of the first round with the Rockets till he was 25 and in his tenure with the Rockets only been to the conference finals twice. Given their success and youth, IMO patience after an injury riddle season would be a better solution in terms of trading either young player.

Perhaps the Celtics made a mistake not trading for Harden ( assuming the Rockets would've preferred Brown/Smart vs Nets ) but let's not act like it is anything close to a certainty. While Harden with KD, Irving, Harris and the rest of the Nets have performed amazingly in the first round of the playoffs. What happens if they lose to Bucks in the second round or the Sixers? Would it still have been a mistake? What if Harden on the Celtics resulted in a similar result? It's no guarantee Harden would've wanted to even stay in Boston/Celtics after his contract expired the following season.

If the reports of the players tuning out Stevens are true, then they were right to change coach, but in regards to hiring Morey over Ainge last season... that seems hard to justify. I'm a bigger fan of Morey than I'm of Ainge, but to replace a gm (ainge) who's team had just made the conference finals with Morey who's team lost in the semi AND who completed the disaster that was WB for CP3 trade... that seems like a hard move to justify in 2020.

Again IMO morey is at least = ainge, but their track record is very debatable in terms of who has had more success, accomplishments.

 

in the bubble stevens F'd up w/ a crucial & clueless rookie-type mistake of wasting a defender on the inbounds passer instead of crowding toronto players 5on4 when they had almost no time to get a shot up. i thought he should have been replaced after last season

 

It's a K-Pop band, I think

 

"Perhaps"....? Oh right, they had all of that high quality oppo research on Harden

 

Regardless of the "oppo" research and how much credence the celtics or anyone else gave it... a Harden trade is not a guaranteed proposition IMO.

Again, what happens if Ainge had traded for Harden and the Celtics and their injury ridden team lose in the 1st or 2nd round. There's no guarantee that team gets to the conference finals or that Harden even stays with the Celtics after the 2021 season.

The nets with KD, Harden, Irving and Harris are IMO the favorites to come out of the East, but its far from a certainty. Will you still say Ainge made a mistake not trading for Harden if that star laden NETS fail to beat the bucks or sixers?

 

it’s better to try and fail than to not even try at all...it’s why I laugh and smh when people try and call the CP3 trade a mistake because we didn’t win a title

Boston would at least have a chance to come out of the East with Harden

 

Yes. Adding the greatest offensive talent of his generation, possibly all time by some metrics- near the peak of his powers is a pretty defensible move, maybe even a no brainer which is why Ainge had to launder his failure to make it preemptively back in January.

This is is true regardless what happens

 

It very well could've resulted in a positive manner like the rockets trade for CP3 or it could've resulted in disaster like the Rockets trading away CP3. It is certainly a defensible move to make or not make IMO. I just don't think making one choice or the other is wrong in this situation.

 

I want to see JVG vs Thibs battles

 

Agreed. Trading for Harden would've been a defensible move by Ainge. No one is arguing that it wouldn't be. That however is a far cry from saying, not trading for Harden is a mistake or that it was an obvious or certain proposition.

There was/is a ton of risk trading for a 31 year old superstar who may or may not want to play for your team, who can leave in a year and who has already shown a willingness to make things uncomfortable and demand a trade. In addition, the on court result of a Harden trade isn't close to a certainty for the Celtics. Would they have made the finals? win the chip? They've been to the conference finals 3 out of the previous 4 season. Results is ultimately what matters.

If Harden/Nets flame out in the EAST playoffs, how can anyone think Boston made a huge mistake not trading for Harden? Seems odd to me. If Harden leads the Nets to the Chip on the other hand...

 

His skillset is probably going back to college and coaching there...

 

When a top 3 player is available and you can get him without giving up your best player you try your hardest to go all in on that. Harden doesn’t guarantee anything but he makes them better. The Celtics made a mistake by not pursuing it. It’s a blemish on an otherwise excellent tenure by Ainge. Nobody is perfect.

 

The people who may say it's a mistake for the Nets to trade for James Harden would also say it was a mistake for the Rockets to trade for Chris Paul since all they have to show is 2 more losses to the Warriors.

Obviously it was not.

 

Ainge is far from perfect. He was a really good GM, but he also made some big mistakes. He's very similar to Morey IMO. Some great moves, some lucky moves that they planned that didn't happened and positive or negative, had a reputation for "assets" management.

Ainge was lucky his propose draft trade of a million (6) first round picks for winslow didn't go through. Morey was lucky the paul gasol trade, the melo and bosh FA chase all didn't go through.

The Kemba walker signing by Ainge (lauded at the time) is looking terrible. Morey made the Lin and Anderson signing. Not sure the blame for the WB trade should fall on Morey.

Both had huge wins in trades. Ainge the Nets trade for old kg etc and the Tatum pick/trade. Morey the Harden and Cp3 trade.

 

Who says it was a mistake for the nets to trade for Harden? My argument was that Boston not trading for Harden shouldn't be viewed as a huge error by Ainge. The pros and con of it working out... The possibility that it ends it spectacular success or failure was and is very real. Even if the Nets fail to make the Finals, at least they KNEW Harden wouldn't be a problem. They knew he wanted to play there. And they knew KD, Irving, Harris will still be on the team going forward. Boston had significantly less certainty about not only roster but Harden's desire or willingness to play for them.

 

He can now do a TRUE POPAVICH!

He will build a Championship team . . .then fire the coach and win championships
LMAO

Rocket River

 

Making the Conference Finals in the East is like making the Semis in the West so while impressive..I can't give Ainge/Celtics too much credit there.

 

Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale should both go to Utah. It is a Perfect Place for their Personalities.