If This Team Doesn't Make It Past The First Round, What Should Ainge Do?

[The One]

Ainge should try to do exactly what he's planning on trying to do anyway -- draft a potential superstar and sign or trade for a current star.  That's the goal, and whether we get swept in round 1 or win the title, the goal will be the same.

Yes...I approve this message.

[Monkhouse]

Ainge should try to do exactly what he's planning on trying to do anyway -- draft a potential superstar and sign or trade for a current star.  That's the goal, and whether we get swept in round 1 or win the title, the goal will be the same.

To take over the world?

[Darío SpanishFan]

Triple teaming someone implies 2 players wide open, right?

That's happening the last two weeks and we are watching the result of this.

IT4 might be too selfish with the ball. Gotta learn to distribute it especially in those circumstances!

Right, but what happens when no one else can make a shot despite that "great distribution". Then what?

That's what pretty much happens.

I want to believe that recovered Avery Bradley and Gerald Green can give us enough outside shooting and Isaiah stops playing hero ball now his streak has ended.

[saltlover]

Ainge should try to do exactly what he's planning on trying to do anyway -- draft a potential superstar and sign or trade for a current star.  That's the goal, and whether we get swept in round 1 or win the title, the goal will be the same.

To take over the world?

I'm glad you're pondering what I'm pondering.

[Ilikesports17]

Triple teaming someone implies 2 players wide open, right?

That's happening the last two weeks and we are watching the result of this.

IT4 might be too selfish with the ball. Gotta learn to distribute it especially in those circumstances!

Right, but what happens when no one else can make a shot despite that "great distribution". Then what?

That's what pretty much happens.

I want to believe that recovered Avery Bradley and Gerald Green can give us enough outside shooting and Isaiah stops playing hero ball now his streak has ended.

if Gerald Green is in the game in a playoff game I will be very very very concerned.

[OldSchoolDude]

Triple teaming someone implies 2 players wide open, right?

That's happening the last two weeks and we are watching the result of this.

IT4 might be too selfish with the ball. Gotta learn to distribute it especially in those circumstances!

Right, but what happens when no one else can make a shot despite that "great distribution". Then what?

That's what pretty much happens.

I disagree.   There isn't great distribution.  IT jacks up hero ball 3s with no one in position to rebound or drives into the lane and throws up junk hoping for a foul.  His problem is with big mobile players.  He blows by slower less mobile players but when he plays against size that can stay with him he literally hits a wall.  When he drives everyone stands still so he can remember where they were in case he decides to pass because IT is too short to see over the defenders, so if anybody cuts to the basket or moves to an open spot for a mid range or a 3 IT wont know where they are. IT has been so fixated on being the hero lately that he rarely passes when he drives, so when he does the players are taken by surprise and react slowly giving the defense time to recover.  Maybe now that his scoring streak is over he'll pass more but I doubt it. 

There are a lot of people that have gotten flamed for criticizing IT all year but really games like last night show why people are critical.   I would gladly have IT hogging the ball off the bench to the tune of 20+ a game but not on the court during crunch time.  I concede that at this time we really only have IT as a viable closing option, but JB is starting to figure things out and will be a force at the end of games by this time next year, if not sooner.  Also, Smart is starting to get his offensive game on par with his defensive game.  Really over the last 12 or so games he has been our best player.  Come this time next year I bet most people on this blog would prefer to have 6'6 Ball or 6'5 Fultz closing out the game instead of IT. 

[wdleehi]

Sacrifice 19 shamrock shakes and kiss the blarney stone 19 times. 

[CoachBo]

Triple teaming someone implies 2 players wide open, right?

That's happening the last two weeks and we are watching the result of this.

IT4 might be too selfish with the ball. Gotta learn to distribute it especially in those circumstances!

Right, but what happens when no one else can make a shot despite that "great distribution". Then what?

That's what pretty much happens.

I disagree.   There isn't great distribution.  IT jacks up hero ball 3s with no one in position to rebound or drives into the lane and throws up junk hoping for a foul.  His problem is with big mobile players.  He blows by slower less mobile players but when he plays against size that can stay with him he literally hits a wall.  When he drives everyone stands still so he can remember where they were in case he decides to pass because IT is too short to see over the defenders, so if anybody cuts to the basket or moves to an open spot for a mid range or a 3 IT wont know where they are. IT has been so fixated on being the hero lately that he rarely passes when he drives, so when he does the players are taken by surprise and react slowly giving the defense time to recover.  Maybe now that his scoring streak is over he'll pass more but I doubt it. 

There are a lot of people that have gotten flamed for criticizing IT all year but really games like last night show why people are critical.   I would gladly have IT hogging the ball off the bench to the tune of 20+ a game but not on the court during crunch time.  I concede that at this time we really only have IT as a viable closing option, but JB is starting to figure things out and will be a force at the end of games by this time next year, if not sooner.  Also, Smart is starting to get his offensive game on par with his defensive game.  Really over the last 12 or so games he has been our best player.  Come this time next year I bet most people on this blog would prefer to have 6'6 Ball or 6'5 Fultz closing out the game instead of IT.

There is literally nothing in this post I agree with.

The fact that there are no other reliable crunch-time scorers on this team - Brown? WHAHAHA - is hardly Thomas' fault.

You think Ainge pursues Butler and George in a vacuum?

Good grief. The Thomas hate on this board just hit a new low.

[Tr1boy]

Triple teaming someone implies 2 players wide open, right?

That's happening the last two weeks and we are watching the result of this.

IT4 might be too selfish with the ball. Gotta learn to distribute it especially in those circumstances!

Right, but what happens when no one else can make a shot despite that "great distribution". Then what?

That's what pretty much happens.

I disagree.   There isn't great distribution.  IT jacks up hero ball 3s with no one in position to rebound or drives into the lane and throws up junk hoping for a foul.  His problem is with big mobile players.  He blows by slower less mobile players but when he plays against size that can stay with him he literally hits a wall.  When he drives everyone stands still so he can remember where they were in case he decides to pass because IT is too short to see over the defenders, so if anybody cuts to the basket or moves to an open spot for a mid range or a 3 IT wont know where they are. IT has been so fixated on being the hero lately that he rarely passes when he drives, so when he does the players are taken by surprise and react slowly giving the defense time to recover.  Maybe now that his scoring streak is over he'll pass more but I doubt it. 

There are a lot of people that have gotten flamed for criticizing IT all year but really games like last night show why people are critical.   I would gladly have IT hogging the ball off the bench to the tune of 20+ a game but not on the court during crunch time.  I concede that at this time we really only have IT as a viable closing option, but JB is starting to figure things out and will be a force at the end of games by this time next year, if not sooner.  Also, Smart is starting to get his offensive game on par with his defensive game.  Really over the last 12 or so games he has been our best player.  Come this time next year I bet most people on this blog would prefer to have 6'6 Ball or 6'5 Fultz closing out the game instead of IT.

There is literally nothing in this post I agree with.

The fact that there are no other reliable crunch-time scorers on this team - Brown? WHAHAHA - is hardly Thomas' fault.

You think Ainge pursues Butler and George in a vacuum?

Good grief. The Thomas hate on this board just hit a new low.

He did nail a clutch 3 the other night

[apc]

Triple teaming someone implies 2 players wide open, right?

That's happening the last two weeks and we are watching the result of this.

IT4 might be too selfish with the ball. Gotta learn to distribute it especially in those circumstances!

Right, but what happens when no one else can make a shot despite that "great distribution". Then what?

That's what pretty much happens.

I want to believe that recovered Avery Bradley and Gerald Green can give us enough outside shooting and Isaiah stops playing hero ball now his streak has ended.

if Gerald Green is in the game in a playoff game I will be very very very concerned.

Green would have been very useful last night when no-one could score. If we are in a similar situation in a playoff game I would expect Green to play.
It is BS job to recognize quickly if Green is "on" or "off"

[Evantime34]

Triple teaming someone implies 2 players wide open, right?

That's happening the last two weeks and we are watching the result of this.

IT4 might be too selfish with the ball. Gotta learn to distribute it especially in those circumstances!

Right, but what happens when no one else can make a shot despite that "great distribution". Then what?

That's what pretty much happens.

I disagree.   There isn't great distribution.  IT jacks up hero ball 3s with no one in position to rebound or drives into the lane and throws up junk hoping for a foul.  His problem is with big mobile players.  He blows by slower less mobile players but when he plays against size that can stay with him he literally hits a wall.  When he drives everyone stands still so he can remember where they were in case he decides to pass because IT is too short to see over the defenders, so if anybody cuts to the basket or moves to an open spot for a mid range or a 3 IT wont know where they are. IT has been so fixated on being the hero lately that he rarely passes when he drives, so when he does the players are taken by surprise and react slowly giving the defense time to recover.  Maybe now that his scoring streak is over he'll pass more but I doubt it. 

There are a lot of people that have gotten flamed for criticizing IT all year but really games like last night show why people are critical.   I would gladly have IT hogging the ball off the bench to the tune of 20+ a game but not on the court during crunch time.  I concede that at this time we really only have IT as a viable closing option, but JB is starting to figure things out and will be a force at the end of games by this time next year, if not sooner.  Also, Smart is starting to get his offensive game on par with his defensive game.  Really over the last 12 or so games he has been our best player.  Come this time next year I bet most people on this blog would prefer to have 6'6 Ball or 6'5 Fultz closing out the game instead of IT.

There is literally nothing in this post I agree with.

The fact that there are no other reliable crunch-time scorers on this team - Brown? WHAHAHA - is hardly Thomas' fault.

You think Ainge pursues Butler and George in a vacuum?

Good grief. The Thomas hate on this board just hit a new low.

Good post. TP

One thing to add to your disagreements
 
IT isn't ball hogging simply because he takes a lot of shots. Layups in the paint are good shots, pull up 3's when a defender goes under a screen is a good shot. Don't confuse hogging the ball with taking a lot of good shots.

[tarheelsxxiii]

CoachBo can't help himself from winning post-deadline threads.

[jpotter33]

go back in time and make some moves rather than sitting on future assets that may not develop into anything anyway.

In all seriousness, I've been saying for awhile that this summer is the tipping point when Ainge and the Celtics either need to go all in or they need go full on rebuilding.  You can't try to do both effectively for a long period of time.  I don't really care which way the team goes, as long it picks a direction and sticks with it.

TP. I don't think people really realize this. It's a major strain on both the players and the coaching to expect them to win now with a flawed roster that you won't spend assets on to improve, while still expecting some sort of development of the young guys and building toward the future. Brad is really put in the hardest spot here, because he's being pulled both ways at the moment without having the proper tools and/or situation to effectively go either route.

[jpotter33]

Let's take it a step further. Let's say that we make it to the second round, but we ultimately lose in 6 to Toronto, who ultimately looks a step above us.

Let's also assume that we don't get any significant free agents ( no Griffin, Hayward, Milsap, Ibaka, Noel, etc.) and neither Chicago nor Indiana will trade us Butler or George for a fair price.

What do we do then? Do we really run it back with this same basic team and extend IT long term with this flawed roster that has no chance of truly being anything more than second round fodder?

What if Bird came to you and said, "We're going to do everything in our power to keep George long-term, as he's been the best player in Pacers history. But we're willing to give up Turner to improve the roster, so Turner, Jefferson, and two first round picks for IT and Horford?"

At that point, you have to at least shop IT and Horford right? I just see no real point in running this same basic team out the next several years with extra rookies if we're not going to get an upgrade somewhere.

[Ilikesports17]

go back in time and make some moves rather than sitting on future assets that may not develop into anything anyway.

In all seriousness, I've been saying for awhile that this summer is the tipping point when Ainge and the Celtics either need to go all in or they need go full on rebuilding.  You can't try to do both effectively for a long period of time.  I don't really care which way the team goes, as long it picks a direction and sticks with it.

TP. I don't think people really realize this. It's a major strain on both the players and the coaching to expect them to win now with a flawed roster that you won't spend assets on to improve, while still expecting some sort of development of the young guys and building toward the future. Brad is really put in the hardest spot here, because he's being pulled both ways at the moment without having the proper tools and/or situation to effectively go either route.

We cannot trade Isaiah or Horford.

Both would more or less guarantee a superstar would never again sign a contract with Danny Ainge.

We are locked in. We either cash in to win now, or we try to be good now and be better later.

I just dont think its feasible to move Thomas or Horford.

Unless, that is, we get handly beaten in the first round while completely healthy, which just seems completely unrealistic to me.