What about Brad?

[Goldstar88]

Yes, Brad, not Bob. Feel like he’s not getting any love for this C’s team which he put together and the success that they’re having.

Bringing In Horford and moving on from Kemba. Al has been a really solid contributor all year on both ends and Kemba isn’t really doing much of anything for NY.

Hiring a defensive minded coach and creating a roster that is switchable on D, that can’t be bullied due to lack of size.

Trading for Richardson and signing Schroder in the off-season. No one thought Boston would be an option for Dennis, but Brad was able to sign him. Extending Richardson who was the most consistent bench player for the C’s was solid move as well.

Getting rid of the mini guards: Kemba, Edwards, Waters.

Using the pieces acquired in the off-season with other assets to trade for White and Theis at the deadline.

I know some are critical of Brad for perhaps overpaying to bring in pieces that he thinks will fit, but at the end of the day, this shows that Stevens is trying to win now. I think he’s done an incredible job as GM so far.

[Ogaju]

If you put it that way he deserves a lot of credit. It also goes to show he must have hated the team Ainge gave him.

[Celtics2021]

If you put it that way he deserves a lot of credit. It also goes to show he must have hated the team Ainge gave him.

He’s been steadily unwinding the last 2-3 years of Ainge’s moves.  If Terry Rozier didn’t make $700k too much to fit into the Fournier exception, I’d expect him to be acquired on draft night.

[Vermont Green]

If you put it that way he deserves a lot of credit. It also goes to show he must have hated the team Ainge gave him.

He’s been steadily unwinding the last 2-3 years of Ainge’s moves.  If Terry Rozier didn’t make $700k too much to fit into the Fournier exception, I’d expect him to be acquired on draft night.

Derrick White is the new and improved Terry Rozier.

I am good with pretty much all the deals Brad Stevens has done.  You can nit pick that maybe he overpaid for White but I am not sure in the long run, it will make any difference.  We are positioned with a competitive team, generally on good contracts, and with a fair amount of flexibility with TPEs and tradeable assets.

He has not been able to pull of that one big deal that puts us over the top but sometimes you have to kind of let that come to you.  Wait for the right opportunity, you can't force it.  I think there will be more interesting moves in the off season.

[Celtics2021]

If you put it that way he deserves a lot of credit. It also goes to show he must have hated the team Ainge gave him.

He’s been steadily unwinding the last 2-3 years of Ainge’s moves.  If Terry Rozier didn’t make $700k too much to fit into the Fournier exception, I’d expect him to be acquired on draft night.

Derrick White is the new and improved Terry Rozier.

I am good with pretty much all the deals Brad Stevens has done.  You can nit pick that maybe he overpaid for White but I am not sure in the long run, it will make any difference.  We are positioned with a competitive team, generally on good contracts, and with a fair amount of flexibility with TPEs and tradeable assets.

He has not been able to pull of that one big deal that puts us over the top but sometimes you have to kind of let that come to you.  Wait for the right opportunity, you can't force it.  I think there will be more interesting moves in the off season.

The way things are going, it’s not clear to me that White isn’t that deal.

[keevsnick]

I like Brad's moves, but they've come at a price.

Horford for Kemba is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Richardson for White is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Schroder was fine, but honestly flipping him for an overpaid but fine player in Theis isn't some amazing move to me. Brining in kanter at all was questionable.

So his moves have been good, but they've bene more like singles or doubles so far

[Celtics4ever]

I think his moves have fixed a lot of the damage that Ainge left.

1) Guys who like the draft probably are not happy - But our scouting and player development has been dog do do.
2)   I feel he is building a team built for team basketball.

[BruceBanner18]

If you put it that way he deserves a lot of credit. It also goes to show he must have hated the team Ainge gave him.

He’s been steadily unwinding the last 2-3 years of Ainge’s moves.  If Terry Rozier didn’t make $700k too much to fit into the Fournier exception, I’d expect him to be acquired on draft night.

Derrick White is the new and improved Terry Rozier.

I am good with pretty much all the deals Brad Stevens has done.  You can nit pick that maybe he overpaid for White but I am not sure in the long run, it will make any difference.  We are positioned with a competitive team, generally on good contracts, and with a fair amount of flexibility with TPEs and tradeable assets.

He has not been able to pull of that one big deal that puts us over the top but sometimes you have to kind of let that come to you.  Wait for the right opportunity, you can't force it.  I think there will be more interesting moves in the off season.

The way things are going, it’s not clear to me that White isn’t that deal.

Or that Rob Williams developing a mid range jumper this summer turns him into our third star

[slamtheking]

Yes, Brad, not Bob. Feel like he’s not getting any love for the team that he has put together and the success they’re having.

Bringing In Horford and moving on from Kemba. Al has been a really solid contributor all year on both ends and Kemba isn’t really doing much of anything for NY.

Hiring a defensive minded coach and creating a roster that is switchable on D, that can’t be bullied due to lack of size.

Trading for Richardson and signing Schroder in the off-season. No one thought Boston would be an option for Dennis, but Brad was able to sign him. Extending Richardson who was the most consistent bench player for the C’s was solid move as well.

Getting rid of the mini guards: Kemba, Edwards, Waters.

Using the pieces acquired in the off-season with other assets to trade for White and Theis at the deadline.

I know some are critical of Brad for perhaps overpaying to bring in pieces that he thinks will fit, but at the end of the day, this shows that Stevens is trying to win now. I think he’s done an incredible job as GM so far.

the critiquing of overpayments is valid though.  if you keep overpaying, the assets you may need to make the deal to put the team in clear contention may no longer be at your disposal.  White's been a fine addition but to be clear on him:
- we were already on a solid winning streak before he got here
- he's not producing at a level that equates to Richardson + Romeo + a first rounder + a possible 1st round swap.  he's just not.  most recent to oldest game logs
--> against Philly, 11 pts, 4-9 shooting, 0-3 from 3, 1 rb, 2 asst, 1 block, 1 steal, 1 TO, 4 fouls.
--> against Hawks, 14 pts, 4-14 shooting, 2-10 from 3, 3 rbs, 5 asst, 1 block, 2 steal, 1 TO, 2 fouls
--> against Denver, 15 pts, 6-12 shooting, 3-7 from 3, 6 rbs, 2 asst, 0 block, 1 steal, 2 TO, 4 fouls.

he started off with a good game and has been diminished returns.  the +/- isn't something I put a lot of stock in but I look at what's being produced and I'm not seeing a player that should have cost what Brad paid.  Maybe he can dial it up a notch if Smart misses time but that remains to be seen.  He looks like a good player to have but that was more than I would have paid. 

same can be said of the Schroder, Freedom deal.  seems like more could have been had in terms of another second rounder.  if schroder's getting waived to join another team, makes me wonder why we didn't deal directly with the team he ends up with.

[Vermont Green]

I think his moves have fixed a lot of the damage that Ainge left.

1) Guys who like the draft probably are not happy - But our scouting and player development has been dog do do.
2)   I feel he is building a team built for team basketball.

I am guessing that you feel this applied to Langford and Nesmith?

But how bad was the scouting and player development for Tatum, Brown, Smart, RWill, GWill, Pritchard?  And throw in Madar and Begarin, at least the scouting part.

[Celtics2021]

Yes, Brad, not Bob. Feel like he’s not getting any love for the team that he has put together and the success they’re having.

Bringing In Horford and moving on from Kemba. Al has been a really solid contributor all year on both ends and Kemba isn’t really doing much of anything for NY.

Hiring a defensive minded coach and creating a roster that is switchable on D, that can’t be bullied due to lack of size.

Trading for Richardson and signing Schroder in the off-season. No one thought Boston would be an option for Dennis, but Brad was able to sign him. Extending Richardson who was the most consistent bench player for the C’s was solid move as well.

Getting rid of the mini guards: Kemba, Edwards, Waters.

Using the pieces acquired in the off-season with other assets to trade for White and Theis at the deadline.

I know some are critical of Brad for perhaps overpaying to bring in pieces that he thinks will fit, but at the end of the day, this shows that Stevens is trying to win now. I think he’s done an incredible job as GM so far.

the critiquing of overpayments is valid though.  if you keep overpaying, the assets you may need to make the deal to put the team in clear contention may no longer be at your disposal.  White's been a fine addition but to be clear on him:
- we were already on a solid winning streak before he got here
- he's not producing at a level that equates to Richardson + Romeo + a first rounder + a possible 1st round swap.  he's just not.  most recent to oldest game logs
--> against Philly, 11 pts, 4-9 shooting, 0-3 from 3, 1 rb, 2 asst, 1 block, 1 steal, 1 TO, 4 fouls.
--> against Hawks, 14 pts, 4-14 shooting, 2-10 from 3, 3 rbs, 5 asst, 1 block, 2 steal, 1 TO, 2 fouls
--> against Denver, 15 pts, 6-12 shooting, 3-7 from 3, 6 rbs, 2 asst, 0 block, 1 steal, 2 TO, 4 fouls.

he started off with a good game and has been diminished returns.  the +/- isn't something I put a lot of stock in but I look at what's being produced and I'm not seeing a player that should have cost what Brad paid.  Maybe he can dial it up a notch if Smart misses time but that remains to be seen.  He looks like a good player to have but that was more than I would have paid. 

same can be said of the Schroder, Freedom deal.  seems like more could have been had in terms of another second rounder.  if schroder's getting waived to join another team, makes me wonder why we didn't deal directly with the team he ends up with.

Sure, questioning overpayments is valid, but there is zero evidence that Stevens overpaid for White.  Former front-office types like Bobby Marks and John Hollinger came out with trade grades that showed the Celtics doing better than the Spurs.  While noting the risk of the pick swap, they didn’t say the price was wrong.

Further, there are a bunch of analytics out there that have White as a Top 25-50 player, about on par with McCollum in terms of in-court value.  McCollum was traded for a first that is likely to be better than what the Celtics sent out, a prospect of similar quality to Romeo, a rotational player of similar quality to Richardson, and a lot of dead salary.  McCollum has a distinctly worse contract, making over $30 million a year the next few seasons.  White makes far less, is younger, and has an extra year remaining.  In that market, the Celtics did fine.  The price wasn’t cheap, but perhaps it shouldn’t have been.

If all that matters to you in evaluating a player is traditional box score stats, then yeah, you aren’t likely to appreciate White.  I hope you move beyond that, because you’re missing someone worth watching.

[Sophomore]

I think his moves have fixed a lot of the damage that Ainge left.

1) Guys who like the draft probably are not happy - But our scouting and player development has been dog do do.
2)   I feel he is building a team built for team basketball.

I am guessing that you feel this applied to Langford and Nesmith?

But how bad was the scouting and player development for Tatum, Brown, Smart, RWill, GWill, Pritchard?  And throw in Madar and Begarin, at least the scouting part.

Romeo and Nesmith have been disappointing for sure. Also in the mix are:

Payton Pritchard, pick 26: decent backup, if limited by size and strength. A single.
Grant Williams, pick 22: solid role player. Stout defense, very good three-point shooting. A double.
Rob Williams, pick 27: all-NBA defense contender, elite offensive rebounder with all-star potential. Home run.

And Nesmith might still come around into at least a single, maybe more. I’m waiting another year.

[gift]

I like Brad's moves, but they've come at a price.

Horford for Kemba is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Richardson for White is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Schroder was fine, but honestly flipping him for an overpaid but fine player in Theis isn't some amazing move to me. Brining in kanter at all was questionable.

So his moves have been good, but they've bene more like singles or doubles so far

Yeah, I was just thinking Ainge got to the point where he was sitting on pitches waiting for a home run. Stevens is hitting singles and taking walks. That's fine if you believe we have the talent to knock in those runs. Ainge didn't. He wanted another big bat in the lineup. /analogy

[keevsnick]

I like Brad's moves, but they've come at a price.

Horford for Kemba is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Richardson for White is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Schroder was fine, but honestly flipping him for an overpaid but fine player in Theis isn't some amazing move to me. Brining in kanter at all was questionable.

So his moves have been good, but they've bene more like singles or doubles so far

Yeah, I was just thinking Ainge got to the point where he was sitting on pitches waiting for a home run. Stevens is hitting singles and taking walks. That's fine if you believe we have the talent to knock in those runs. Ainge didn't. He wanted another big bat in the lineup. /analogy

I think that's a pretty good way of putting it. These are fine moves if you believe in a Tatum/Brown core as being enough and just need the right guys around it. But nothing he's done so far gets you much closer to a third star, at least not directly.

Now you can argue maybe that these moves give you more contract flexibility to pursue a third star. Having Theis as your backup C maybe makes Horford more expendable as salary matching. Having both White and Smart makes one or the other more expendable in a star trade. And maybe being below the tax this year makes ownership more likely to spend in future years.

Anyway the moves have been fine, but there's been no Ainge level homerun and quite frankly continually moving first round picks could come back and bite you.

[gift]

I like Brad's moves, but they've come at a price.

Horford for Kemba is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Richardson for White is an upgrade, but it cost you a first.

Schroder was fine, but honestly flipping him for an overpaid but fine player in Theis isn't some amazing move to me. Brining in kanter at all was questionable.

So his moves have been good, but they've bene more like singles or doubles so far

Yeah, I was just thinking Ainge got to the point where he was sitting on pitches waiting for a home run. Stevens is hitting singles and taking walks. That's fine if you believe we have the talent to knock in those runs. Ainge didn't. He wanted another big bat in the lineup. /analogy

I think that's a pretty good way of putting it. These are fine moves if you believe in a Tatum/Brown core as being enough and just need the right guys around it. But nothing he's done so far gets you much closer to a third star, at least not directly.

Now you can argue maybe that these moves give you more contract flexibility to pursue a third star. Having Theis as your backup C maybe makes Horford more expendable as salary matching. Having both White and Smart makes one or the other more expendable in a star trade. And maybe being below the tax this year makes ownership more likely to spend in future years.

Anyway the moves have been fine, but there's been no Ainge level homerun and quite frankly continually moving first round picks could come back and bite you.

I do wonder if Stevens is looking at non-lottery first round picks with the eyes of a coach, who rarely saw value come from so many of the team's picks during his tenure. A typical GM might value those assets more highly than a coach who only sees the immediate improvements that are available. Like benching your rookie and putting in a vet is easy. But is it a better long term move to play the rookie? I don't know if that's in play in Stevens' decisions thus far, but I find it interesting.