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

[PhoSita]

I doubt it will make sense to pay to keep both Bradley and Isaiah, especially if the team also holds onto Smart and drafts Ball or Fultz.

That said, I think it will probably make sense to re-sign Isaiah, because as Boris said, culture and identity matters, and it will be very, very difficult to replace him.  I think it'll also kind of damage the good vibes around the team if they let Isaiah walk after he turned into a superstar and the heart and soul of the team within a year after they traded for him.

maybe, but how good will the good vibes be if Boston flames out in the 1st round again (and presumably Thomas has a bad series in the process). 

Boston is nearing that cross roads where it has to decide what it wants to be.  You can only have and eat your cake for so long before you run out of cake.  I believe this summer is that point.

Why?

I've posed this question before, but imagine that three years from now, the team has the following:


Isaiah, on a max deal.

Horford, on a max deal.

Crowder, still making peanuts relative to his value.

Smart, making 15 million a year.

Brown, on a rookie deal.

Fultz/Ball/Jackson/Monk/Tatum, on a rookie deal.

2018 Nets pick, on a rookie deal

Zizic, on a rookie deal

Yabu, on a rookie deal


What's so terrible about that?  Imagine as well what Ainge might be able to get at the trade deadline a year from now by packaging Avery Bradley (expiring), Kelly Olynyk (making ~$12 million / year) and non-BRK 1st rounder or two.


I really don't see the problem with ending up with the team described above.  Would they be a bit of a mish-mash of declining vets (IT, Crowder, Horford) and not-there-yet young guys?  Yes.  Would the team be locked into long-term mediocrity or stuck at the bottom of the league with no way out?  Heck no!


Even if Isaiah is in rapid decline and Horford is in full-on role player status, you'd still have Smart, Brown, 2017 Nets, 2018 Nets, Zizic, Yabu, and perhaps Rozier or one or two other rookie contract guys as your young / developing core.  I am pretty sure that will be a better group than most of the "rebuilding" teams in the league at that point.

I really don't see the urgency you see.


You know what would be terrible?

If Ainge were to go all-in on a guy like George or Boogie, only to have that guy depart for glitzier pastures in free agency after a year or two, and then let Isaiah go along with them because "He's not good enough to carry the team to a championship," or whatever.

[nickagneta]

Hopefully we land a top 2 pick, and then trade IT for the #3 pick so we can draft Josh Jackson. Ideal scenario Lakers gives us the pick for IT, and then they sign George.

Please people. Stop with the "Let's trade away our stars and draft teenagers because maybe, just maybe they will develop into stars and in 2025 we can be contenders." Please. Just. Stop.

[mgent]

Same thing he's been doing.

Running a basketball team.

[PhoSita]

Hopefully we land a top 2 pick, and then trade IT for the #3 pick so we can draft Josh Jackson. Ideal scenario Lakers gives us the pick for IT, and then they sign George.

Please people. Stop with the "Let's trade away our stars and draft teenagers because maybe, just maybe they will develop into stars and in 2025 we can be contenders." Please. Just. Stop.

Yeah, why do that when we can do both?

[Rosco917]

Watch the film and evaluate, and make your decisions according to what you see. You can't make adjustments or level blame on a series that has yet to take place.

[nickagneta]

Hopefully we land a top 2 pick, and then trade IT for the #3 pick so we can draft Josh Jackson. Ideal scenario Lakers gives us the pick for IT, and then they sign George.

Please people. Stop with the "Let's trade away our stars and draft teenagers because maybe, just maybe they will develop into stars and in 2025 we can be contenders." Please. Just. Stop.

Yeah, why do that when we can do both?

TP Pho.

[Monkhouse]

Literally, nothing changed for us.

Except our fortunes.

Who would've predicted the downfall of the Nets to be this badly? I mean, sure there were concerns, but the Nets are historically one of the worst teams ever.

Knock on wood. 

That's why I don't get the fire Ainge threads.

The thing about Ainge being patient, is it allows him to play the waiting game. He has the assets. He has the chips. The longer Ainge waits, the more players trade value will depreciate like Paul George. Butler may force a trade. We may actually trade for Cousins, LOL!

There are just so many options available, that its in best interests for Ainge to find the best deal without forcing too much.

[Csfan1984]

I don't think a 1st round loss does anything except lower the value of the players. The plan should remain the same.

[greece66]

I don't think a 1st round loss does anything except lower the value of the players. The plan should remain the same.

^  pretty much this.

it might have a negative effect on our chances in the FA market, but I doubt it affects our long term plans.

[KGs Knee]

Hopefully we land a top 2 pick, and then trade IT for the #3 pick so we can draft Josh Jackson. Ideal scenario Lakers gives us the pick for IT, and then they sign George.

Please people. Stop with the "Let's trade away our stars and draft teenagers because maybe, just maybe they will develop into stars and in 2025 we can be contenders." Please. Just. Stop.

I'm not saying we should trade away anyone right now, but what do you do if we lose in the 1st or 2nd round this year, fail to add any impact players this summer, and then lose again in the 1st or 2nd round again next year too?

At that point both Thomas and Bradley will be free agents and probably both demanding a lot of money. I'm not interested in re-signing them just to continue to be a 1st round out every year.

So, while Ainge should certainly still be patient and not over play his hand, he absolutely is running out of time. Honestly, if this team doesn't significantly improve by next year's trading deadline, I absolutely would consider trading both Thomas and Bradley for prospects/picks. And then, of course, trade Horford too.

[Donoghus]

Hopefully we land a top 2 pick, and then trade IT for the #3 pick so we can draft Josh Jackson. Ideal scenario Lakers gives us the pick for IT, and then they sign George.

Please people. Stop with the "Let's trade away our stars and draft teenagers because maybe, just maybe they will develop into stars and in 2025 we can be contenders." Please. Just. Stop.

I'm not saying we should trade away anyone right now, but what do you do if we lose in the 1st or 2nd round this year, fail to add any impact players this summer, and then lose again in the 1st or 2nd round again next year too?

At that point both Thomas and Bradley will be free agents and probably both demanding a lot of money. I'm not interested in re-signing them just to continue to be a 1st round out every year.

So, while Ainge should certainly still be patient and not over play his hand, he absolutely is running out of time. Honestly, if this team doesn't significantly improve by next year's trading deadline, I absolutely would consider trading both Thomas and Bradley for prospects/picks. And then, of course, trade Horford too.

Depending on what comes out of the draft (or maybe not even that), I think this team is moving of the guards by next year's deadline.  I lean towards AB at the moment but who knows.

[nickagneta]

Hopefully we land a top 2 pick, and then trade IT for the #3 pick so we can draft Josh Jackson. Ideal scenario Lakers gives us the pick for IT, and then they sign George.

Please people. Stop with the "Let's trade away our stars and draft teenagers because maybe, just maybe they will develop into stars and in 2025 we can be contenders." Please. Just. Stop.

I'm not saying we should trade away anyone right now, but what do you do if we lose in the 1st or 2nd round this year, fail to add any impact players this summer, and then lose again in the 1st or 2nd round again next year too?

At that point both Thomas and Bradley will be free agents and probably both demanding a lot of money. I'm not interested in re-signing them just to continue to be a 1st round out every year.

So, while Ainge should certainly still be patient and not over play his hand, he absolutely is running out of time. Honestly, if this team doesn't significantly improve by next year's trading deadline, I absolutely would consider trading both Thomas and Bradley for prospects/picks. And then, of course, trade Horford too.

Depending on what comes out of the draft (or maybe not even that), I think this team is moving of the guards by next year's deadline.  I lean towards AB at the moment but who knows.

Yeah, I think Bradley is gone...maybe as soon as this offseason. I just see no reason to dump IT and Horford while waiting for the kiddie korps to grow up. If we stagnate a bit, well, continue to develop the youth and allow them to grow in a winning culture surrounded by vet leaders like IT and Horford. I see no reason to go full out youth movement if we don't become top contenders in a year. But then again, I am not one that was into tanking for a rebuild or one of thise that feel the only way to win is by having an entire roster filled with players younger than 24 years old. And I will never understand those that do feel that way.

[MikeJelly]

Wow how far we have fallen

[flybono]

Quit

[mr. dee]

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.

true, but let's not pretend IT is the best passer, and that his height isn't a detriment when it comes to passing out of these triple teams.

That's where Smart's ball handling comes in handy. IT won't be double/triple teamed when he doesn't have the ball. And as far as IT is playing 2 is concerned, he's pretty effective with it.