Bottom line is we won tonight. That's all i'm happy about
Yep, we won some games after Larry, McHale and Chief's era too, huh?
Because that era is where I fear we're headed.
I'm guessing you are too young to remember the Lean Years? (See early 90's - early 2000's).
Strap yourselves in, boys and girls.
I didn't start watching the Cs until the early 2000s, but I think it's quite clear that a lot of bad luck went into that. Obviously the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis come to mind. The rapid deterioration of Larry Bird also cannot be ignored. Then ultimately the Cs suffered from bad management. Say what you want about Ainge and Stevens, but the former has proven himself as a championship-caliber GM while the latter has demonstrated an ability to develop assets and act in accordance with our well-respected front office.
I don't see the Celtics' current state of affairs as being comparable to the '90s Celtics. If anything I see it as being comparable to post-Antoine Boston. While we don't have a Paul Pierce yet, we have the ability to make a KG-like acquisition now in just year 2 of Ainge's second rebuild. If Ainge hits on merely one of his six first rounders and 10 total picks over the next two years, our future is looking really good.
But, here's my rub:
Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge get a paid a LOT of money....one of them coaches, the other manages the team...gets us players...evaluates talent.
Why couldn't they make Rondo fit..work...with this team?
Why - despite the gloss campaign from ESPN - did we have to trade Rondo for seemingly so little?
It just doesn't make sense, no matter how much spin we put on it.
1) Rondo's overall play has deteriorated for years.
2) Rondo's self-admittedly one of the most stubborn players in the game.
3) Rondo wanted to go to an immediate contender through FA, so it made sense that the C's would trade him.
4) As an expiring contract with some growing warts to his game, only a few teams had the need and ability to interest him in an extension and acquire him mid-season, and they weren't going to give away the store for him.
It makes all kinds of sense and outside of the C's fan bubble, most observers around the league saw it coming all along.
No. 1 - Rajon Rondo has been INJURED for the last couple of years, so this statement is unfair and a bit of a falsehood.
No. 2 - Stubborn? So is CP3, Westbrook, Kobe, so...........
No. 3 - Rondo "wanted"? This sounds SO PAUL PIERCE Circa 06-07...PP34 back then stated that he either "wanted" to be traded or have Danny bring in the talent to help him win. Danny did it, and was PATIENT - something that was seemingly missing this time around.
And the KLove Sweepstakes? Sure, we missed that bus, but that is a sorry excuse to trade Rondo for pennies. We could've waited until Summer 2015 and hoped/expected that we could either sign someone or makes some mid-level trades to make us better.
No. 4 - TBH, I get so tired of hearing about "Rondo's warts".
CP3 is perhaps the most talented PG of our time, and even HE is getting questioned by none other than Isiah Thomas AND Shaq on NBA TV - they are saying that the excuses for him are wearing thin.
Finally, I don't give too much credence to those outside the C's fan bubble. This same group didn't say a word when BOS was languishing in the early 90's, 2000's....there also wasn't much sympathy "Outside The C's Fan Bubble" when we lost Bias and Lewis to those tragedies.
Those "Outside The C's Fan bubble" made NO mention of KG's hobbling in Game 7 of the 2009-10 finals VS The Lakers...still trying to get over his injury from 08-09.....instead? Kobe Bryant is a HERO for shooting like 30% in "helping to close out the Celtics."
LOL.
Since I've been a C's fan, all I know is that there are not too many "Outside The C's Fanbubble" that care about BOS and WANT to see us win any more Banners.
"They've won too many".