When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?

[twistedrico]

What do you say we leave Danny alone. He brought a championship didn't he?

[amenhotep04]

Terrible off-season? Bad picks? No bench? I'm sure there are more than a few teams that wish to be in this kind of shape.

Given the salary cap; the parameters set by ownership; the changing economy; balancing winning today while planning for the future; planning future salary budgets; and dealing with coaching preferences, I'd say he's done pretty good.  Then again, if he was responsible for killing Lucky, then I'm really upset. 

[jdpapa3]

"he fell short"
"he had a bad draft"
"he has no backup big"

Uh, we have to let this play out before you guys give these long-winded responses about how we should've gotten Matt Barnes or The Bird Man or signed Posey for 4 years and had no backup plan, even though we drafted 2 SF's!!! If drafting 2 SF's isnt a backup plan, then what is???

Barnes wasn't coming east, Birdman is a tool that wouldn't fit in (sad when he makes Pollard look normal), and New orleans already regrets signing posey!!!

[ACF]

The Celtics last year at this point:
43-12

The Celtics this year:
44-11

Yeah, I know we've lost to the really
good teams but we haven't really been
playing our best ball yet. Yet.

[gustusias]

I have been reading replies to my post for several minutes now. My obvious feeelings concur with Wide Load. Ainge's additions were weak. Hopefully he changes that by the end of the month, the extermination date to sign free agents.

Put under a microscope, I remember Glen Davis struggling to stop Paul Gasol and Tim Duncan. Patrick O'Bryant has been a terrible failure so far, and I just feel Ainge could have signed someone better. He just screwed up, that's all. We are really desparate for a tall big man to come playoff time.

Again inder the microscope here. Why in the world was Cassell signed? If he is being paid double whatever his salary is because of the salary cap, could not have that oney been better used. If we add in Giddens's salary, surely someone better than O'Bryant could have been signed. Still, the subject is Cassell. He hgas yet to play. Will he play? Is he here as an obligation from last year's signing? Is he that good a point guard that his lessons to Rondo are considered invaluable by the staff and Ainge? Again, I am dying to see how this plays out. Why is he here?

More scope. Giddens. Seems he has failed and other very good players were there to be picked. Von Wafer for Houston was where in the draft or Powell for the Lakers was where? There were players but I am not that knowledgeble to know their names.

Small forward. This is a position thgat is not talked about. Pierce is carrying a load this year. We have no tall, quick, defensively good small forward to back him up. Darius Miles was an attempt that almost made connections. I also feel this is a club's weakness that maybe could have been avoided at draft time.

[lon3lytoaster]

We have the same record as last year, actually a game better, I think BUT... We could be better, still if we added an actual useful piece in free agency like Matt Barnes, or anyone... I don't care. But O'Bryant and Giddens were probably mistakes.

[cordobes]

As far as I am concerned, there are two legitimate answers.  Either the first day of the playoffs, since we will know for sure at that point who is on this team for the playoffs...or after the C's playoff run is done.  I can see the argument for both of those.  Anything else is premature.

I don't entirely agree. Evaluating the decision-making with the benefit of hindsight is complicated.

[dark_lord]

i said it before the season started, but was blasted by people

[nickagneta]

i said it before the season started, but was blasted by people

Me too.

[moiso]

Yes, this offseason has been terrible.  We havn't added a single player who is contributing, and we lost two such players.  If Ainge did things a little differently we wouldn't be hoping for a last second move to cover up deficiencies that already could have been taken care of.  If we signed Birdman over POB, we would not need another big guy.  If Ainge drafted Chalmers instead of Giddens we wouldn't need a backup point.  If he signed Barnes/Posey, etc, we wouldn't need a Posey replacement and TA wouldn't be in the rotation.
Everything is clear in hindsight, but to me obviously we can Ainge had a terrible offseason by this point.  Unless you guys think Giddens and POB are going to be in the rotation down the stretch!

[TerryDuerod]

Gustus,

Josh Powell and Von Wafer are three year pro's. They were not in last year's draft

[Roy Hobbs]

I think the "off season" was terrible, or at least very poor.  I don't quite understand people saying "well, it's too early to judge".  The "off season" is over.  During that time, Ainge filled all 15 roster spots, many of them with players who aren't contributing.

Now, that doesn't mean Danny can't salvage the season by adding a vet or two for the stretch run.  However, that's not the "off season", that's the season.  Whatever move we end up making, it's entirely possible that it would have been available had Danny shored up the team a little better during the summer.  There were wings and veteran big men who could have helped this season more than, say, POB.

[ScoobyDoo]

I agree with Moiso and Hobbs and others with similar comments to theirs. The point isn't that our record is just as good as last year, the point is that we're not as good as we could be and probably not even as good as last year while other teams have gotten better.

It might have been a "good off season" for three years down the road ( Walker, Giddens and even POB may pan out to be an integral part of a solid team...in three years from now "if" they develope)

But as far as maximizing the contributing talent around the three hall of famers you brought in and who have a three year window to win rings, it wasn't a very good off season.

We have no legit back up center, Small forward or point...name three other NBA teams with those holes on their bench.

I think the reason people ( including me ) bring up Barnes at small, Birdman at center and Chalmers or someone else at point, is becasue with our starting five that's all you need. Good solid effort guys built for the position they're playing.

Instead, we have gaping holes at those positions with players "trying" to play them who are playing out of position and which hurts your team because of it.

For example, TA and Scal trying to play SF, or Baby and Powe undersized at center against Duncan and Gasol, or Eddie trying to run the point.

It may turn out that Ainge made a good play with his signings for three years down the road but unless he pulls a rabbit out of his hat between now and the end of the month, I think it's safe to say he had a bad off season in supporting these three hall of famers and their quest for a another championship.

On the other hand, if he has made good moves for the future and then can pull in Marbury and PJ Brown and we win another ring...he will have accomplished almost the impossible..building your team for the future while simultaneoously building a champion...

That would be nice.

I think Danny is a special GM, best we've had in many a year. I'm not going to pass judgement on it until I see what our "Playoff team" looks like by the deadline for having it set. 

 

[BudweiserCeltic]

I really don't see the fascination about labeling wether the offseason was a good one or not. What should matter is what the playoff elegible roster looks like. A "bad" offseason by the standards of many here could lead to good aditions during the season. A "good" offseason by the standards of many here could lead to an ineffective roster, with less flexibility and ability to add players during the season as needs become apparent.

So wether Ainge had a "bad" or "good" offseason should really be inconsequential as far as I'm concerned. What I do know is that Ainge has some financial flexibility at the moment to improve the team, something he might've not had at his disposal had him gone in another direction without guarantees that the team would've been better.

[wdleehi]

I really don't see the fascination about labeling wether the offseason was a good one or not. What should matter is what the playoff elegible roster looks like. A "bad" offseason by the standards of many here could lead to good aditions during the season. A "good" offseason by the standards of many here could lead to an ineffective roster, with less flexibility and ability to add players during the season as needs become apparent.

So wether Ainge had a "bad" or "good" offseason should really be inconsequential as far as I'm concerned. What I do know is that Ainge has some financial flexibility at the moment to improve the team, something he might've not had at his disposal had him gone in another direction without guarantees that the team would've been better.

But what flexibility did the offseason add?  No good contract to trade.  No desirable player to trade.  Over the cap.  Already used most of the MLE. 


I am looking for this flexibility.