Ray Allen for Jeff Green reminds me of Larry Andersen for Jeff Bagwell. The Celtics will regret it for a long time. Ray Allen is an overrated player. Nice guy, but overrated.
Ray Allen is one of the worst defensive players in the league. They have no point guard. They have no depth. They are built for a two year run and they still might not have enough depth to last a long playoff run. Also, screw the Celtics.
I think you still have to look at a GM's prior body of work to get votes. Ainge's body of work prior to this offseason is horrible. He should be barred for life from winning the GM award after the Telfair trade. If the Knicks somehow win 60 games this year, do you consider Isiah for GM of the year? No - he's also barred for life from winning the award.
If the NBA had to pick right now, Ainge would probably win. In one summer he's gone from an awful, barely better than Isaiah Thomas, partially responsible for keeping the Celtics in the pits of the hell for years category...to possible GM of the year contender. Fans are very much 'what have you done for me lately,' and I think he's redeemed himself for the time being. I don't really chalk this up to a great Ainge move, rather dire cirumstances and dealing w/ another horrible GM, McHale. Overall most of these former stars have failed miserably, including the Great One, MJ. Only Mullin has looked good recently.
denniscd, Any chance Thibodeau heads to Boston? They have an assistant opening and his name came up a few times there. If they get him, watch out, because they're loaded offensively, and their defense is sure to be great under Thibs and Doc.
I dont care what he pulls it out of just GIT-R-DONE! Wow that was so January 2007. Thank god thats over. Listening to people say that was more annoying than listening to Achey Breakey Hart or the Macarana on the radio 15 times a day at work. Wheres the little pukie face when you need one.
I think Danny Ainge has a edge because Boston only won 24 games last season, so that is going to increase by probably 30 more wins. The Rockets will probably only improve 5-10 games.
Ok, Let's assume this deal goes down as ESPN is describing: Multiple sources said the team includes two assets Timberwolves general manager Kevin McHale has coveted: Al Jefferson and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract It's believed that the tentative agreement calls for the Celtics to also ship youngsters Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and Ryan Gomes to Minnesota, along with a future first-round draft pick and the return of a first-rounder that the Wolves surrendered in the Wally Szczerbiak-Ricky Davis trade in January 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2954127 That would mean that the net of Ainge's two big offseason moves would be as follows: Traded: Jeff Green, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak,Sebastian Telfair, Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, future first rounder, return 1st round pick that the wolves owed the Celtics (likely lottery pick). Received: KG, Ray Allen, Glen Davis Last season Allen ($14.6M), Pierce ($15M) and KG ($21M) made a combined $50.6M. Assuming that all three of their contract get the standard 10.5% annual raise, then this coming season that trio will make a combined $55,913,000. That means the salary for those three guys alone will exceed the '07-'08 salary cap of $55,630,000. Those numbers are staggering. Now factor in that at the start of next season Allen will be 32 yrs old and his contract runs until 2010, Pierce will be 30 and his deal runs to 2011 and Garnett will be 30 and he is suppose to sign an extension as part of the trade. That's a huge amount of money to commit to just three 30 something players. Looking at it from that point of view, were Ainge's deals really that good? I don't think those deals give him enough to win a title. He's capped out, pretty much assured of paying luxury tax and his window of opportunity is very small. In 2 years, he'll be paying dearly for those contracts. If he wins a title in the next year or two, then it was a good move, but if not, he's set the Celtics rebuilding back 3 or 4 years.
That '97 Rockets team with Barkley didn't have much of anything after the Big Three and they rolled to the conference finals in a much tougher West.
Still, I'll take my chances with 3 franchise players in their prime. People have to wait and see because Boston still has a 5 million dollar MLE, a decent sized TE and the veteran minimum. Hudson is rumored to be on the verge of having his contract bought out so that's a guy that Boston could go after. PJ Brown is also out there. They also still have some decent young role players on that team. And if things don't work out in 2 years Allen, Pierce and Garnett will still be tradeable.
1) Neither Ray Allen or KG are in their prime any longer. 2) Many people don't consider signing Troy Hudson to be a positive for any team. 3)You're assuming that Boston is willing to take on additional salary and pay all of the resulting Luxury Tax. 4) How do you know that those guys will be tradeable in two years? It was pretty hard for Minnesota to trade KG now. If his game slips more and his salary gets higher, why do you think he'll be easy to move?
Add in Gerald Green + 2 1st round picks in your equation. Oh and Boston's going to have to extend KG, something like 4 yrs 100 mil, yuck.
I considered Ainge to be one of the worst 5 GMs before this move....that's what I was a little surprised he could pull it off. It's funny that the 4 worst GMs were at one time dealing with each other for KG (McChale, Kupchak, Michael Jordan, and Ainge) Come on. It's a great move. If it was Collangelo, West, or Morey, we would be calling them geniuses. Boston was facing another decade of losing....might as well bring in the big guns and see what happens. The Celtics are relevant again. I know I'll be watching them this season. KG and Pierce are still in their prime and Allen is still an all-star player. They could still go after guys like Barnes, Pietrus (assuming he hasn't signed with the Warriors yet), Brevin Knight, Blatche. From a basketball fan's perspective and viewing pleasure point of view, I like it....just do not like that the East suddenly has this contender that's a legitimate threat. I still think that the Rockets can overcome them by keeping our great team defense with a souped up aggressive attack offense.
No executive will be voting Ainge for Executive of Any Year unless it's to butter him up into giving away his first round picks through 2039. This trade basically makes them the Nets--they'll look great on paper and underachieve slightly due to lack of chemistry, then get one round further in the playoffs than they're supposed to. None of this changes the fact that the East will continue get swept by the West in the playoffs. On the bright side, Morey might have just found a taker for Rafer. Ask for the moon Morey! Start with two first-rounders plus a sign-and-trade to even out the salaries. And if that fails, wait a couple months and Ainge will call you back and sweeten up the deal all by himself, the way he did with Minny.
