Stevens is Already better than Ainge

[Surferdad]

I'm convinced the OKC trade for Horford was in the works since before the end of the season.  Holding Horford out of games during the season is highly suspicious, and the move came too quickly after Brad took over.  These things take time to develop.

[KG Living Legend]

Please. Since heart attack:

- Nets Trade
- Horford Signing
- Hayward Signing
- Kyrie Trade
- Trading Down to get the best player in the draft (Tatum)

Ainge was a fantastic GM for his entire tenure with the Celtics, he was derailed by bad injury luck.

 Please Grant Williams? ROMEO Langford,  Carsen Edward's  and Tremont Waters lol

 PATHETIC

[mqtcelticsfan]

Please. Since heart attack:

- Nets Trade
- Horford Signing
- Hayward Signing
- Kyrie Trade
- Trading Down to get the best player in the draft (Tatum)

Ainge was a fantastic GM for his entire tenure with the Celtics, he was derailed by bad injury luck.

 Please Grant Williams? ROMEO Langford,  Carsen Edward's  and Tremont Waters lol

 PATHETIC

One late lottery guy, a late first rounder and two second round picks didn’t become immediate impact NBA players? A truly shocking turn of events.

[GreenlyGreeny]

I'm convinced the OKC trade for Horford was in the works since before the end of the season.  Holding Horford out of games during the season is highly suspicious, and the move came too quickly after Brad took over.  These things take time to develop.

That trade was really Stevens’ way of saying to Tatum and Brown, “I’d have re-signed Horford rather than giving a max to Kemba.” Guarantee that trade NEVER happens with Ainge as GM. Danny is too prideful to admit mistakes.

These new trades are Stevens’ way of saying, “Actually, the regular season does matter. Goodbye, Tristan.”

[gouki88]

Please. Since heart attack:

- Nets Trade
- Horford Signing
- Hayward Signing
- Kyrie Trade
- Trading Down to get the best player in the draft (Tatum)

Ainge was a fantastic GM for his entire tenure with the Celtics, he was derailed by bad injury luck.

 Please Grant Williams? ROMEO Langford,  Carsen Edward's  and Tremont Waters lol

 PATHETIC

Absolutely massively outweighed by the Jays & signing marquee FAs

[Moranis]

Eh.  Brad has changed the roster.  There’s no guarantee that he’s improved it.  We have to see how the pieces fit.

It seems pretty hard to see how the current team isn't better than last year's team. 

[SHAQATTACK]

Ainge had become a rather sad character IMO ,  the ship was taking on water .

[SHAQATTACK]

Hopefully he can land Boston a high quality point guard ,  someone worthy of play making for Brown and Tatum and their talents.

[Roy H.]

Eh.  Brad has changed the roster.  There’s no guarantee that he’s improved it.  We have to see how the pieces fit.

It seems pretty hard to see how the current team isn't better than last year's team.

We’re comparing “on paper” versus last year’s actual results, though.  Last year was uniquely bad due to Covid and lack of any time to practice.

Right now, we’ve essentially traded Kemba and Fournier for Richardson and Horford.  There’s no doubt that’s good for our future flexibility, but is the team itself better?

Just one alternative:

Danny waits on the Horford trade.

He takes Plumlee into our trade exception, gaining a #1.

He does the same trade of #16 that OKC, gaining two #1s.

He does the Kemba / Horford trade, giving OKC one of our future #1s.

We resign Fournier.

He makes the Thompson trade.

Horford / Plumlee / Timelord
Tatum / Parker / Williams
Brown / Nesmith
Fournier / Langford / Edwards
Smart / Pritchard / Dunn

Fournier + Plumlee + two #1s is better than Brown+ Richardson

That’s looking at things in hindsight, but that’s what we do with Danny, too.  Before giving Brad a ton of credit and declaring him better than the guy who delivered us KG, Ray, Brown and Tatum (plus the bad luck addition of Kyrie and Hayward), let’s see how it works out.

[GreenlyGreeny]

Eh.  Brad has changed the roster.  There’s no guarantee that he’s improved it.  We have to see how the pieces fit.

It seems pretty hard to see how the current team isn't better than last year's team.

We’re comparing “on paper” versus last year’s actual results, though.  Last year was uniquely bad due to Covid and lack of any time to practice.

Right now, we’ve essentially traded Kemba and Fournier for Richardson and Horford.  There’s no doubt that’s good for our future flexibility, but is the team itself better?

Just one alternative:

Danny waits on the Horford trade.

He takes Plumlee into our trade exception, gaining a #1.

He does the same trade of #16 that OKC, gaining two #1s.

He does the Kemba / Horford trade, giving OKC one of our future #1s.

Except that nobody wanted to trade with Danny anymore, especially the idea of splitting #16 into two first-rounders. No way that move happens after seeing how many picks he was unable to move the last three years.

The reason why we’re making trades again is because we’re able to make trades again…

[JSD]

Please. Since heart attack:

- Nets Trade
- Horford Signing
- Hayward Signing
- Kyrie Trade
- Trading Down to get the best player in the draft (Tatum)

Ainge was a fantastic GM for his entire tenure with the Celtics, he was derailed by bad injury luck.

 Please Grant Williams? ROMEO Langford,  Carsen Edward's  and Tremont Waters lol

 PATHETIC

Ainge did a far better job drafting outside of the lottery the first half of his tenure, I’ll agree with you there. TA, Big Al, Rondo, Delonte, Big Baby, Avery,  etc.

But they haven’t been all duds: Prichard, TL, Rozier, Semi


It’s largely a crapshoot outside of the lottery, and for him to get a multi-time all star, an all nba player and an all defensive player early had a pretty high element of luck in my opinion

[W8ting2McHale]

Eh.  Brad has changed the roster.  There’s no guarantee that he’s improved it.  We have to see how the pieces fit.

It seems pretty hard to see how the current team isn't better than last year's team.

Yeah, but when do the F I R E W O R K S start?

Just kidding. I like what Brad’s done so far. He said he wanted to add some edge to this team (and some height) and he has.

[Jiri Welsch]

Let's get a 3rd scorer next to Jaylen and Jayson before we anoint Brad.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Please. Since heart attack:

- Nets Trade
- Horford Signing
- Hayward Signing
- Kyrie Trade
- Trading Down to get the best player in the draft (Tatum)

Ainge was a fantastic GM for his entire tenure with the Celtics, he was derailed by bad injury luck.

Yeah, TP.

Danny's two best decisions (Nets trade and Tatum pick) were met with a fair amount of local criticism. How many wanted Markelle Fultz?

Danny did a great job by bringing KG and Ray to BOS, and he did a great job by drafting Smart/Brown/Tatum. He could have easily drafted the wrong guys.

The Celtics still have a bright future and are one big move away from being a contender. Thank you Danny Ainge.

[nickagneta]

Gotta wonder how much of these moves were initiated and had the groundwork laid by Ainge. Sure some trades are announced at the draft when everyone's season is over because teams try not to take the attention away from the Finals, but those trades could have been worked on and negotiated for months, meaning Ainge could have had a lot to do with them, especially the Kemba-Horford trade. That had Ainge's fingers all over it.

So before raising Brad to the rafters as a GM, let's first understand these early moves could we'll have been Ainge's deals Brad just closed and that if they weren't, let's see the results on the court before judging these moves as a success. Remember, Ainge's moves in 2007 where panned by a lot of the fanbase and local media. Bob Ryan famously called out the construction of the team and what he thought was a horrendous bench. Then the Celtics won the title. Ainge's Brooklyn trade was also harshly criticized by some but landed them Brown, Tatum and Langford, as well as some busts, but overall, it was a magnificent coup.

So patience is needed before lauding Stevens. Let's see what all his moves(some of which he probably had a lot of help from Ainge with) before deciding how great these moves really are.