When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?

[Roy Hobbs]

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.

Since most of the options people were calling for were minimum salary deals, I don't think we'd have any *less* flexibility now.  The moves Danny will make now -- whatever they are -- likely would have still been there had Danny gone in a more effective (read: non-project) direction in the off-season.

[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.

Since most of the options people were calling for were minimum salary deals.

That's not true at all.

[housecall]

I feel DA could have done better from the stand point of better backups(role players)brings less minutes for the starters during the regular season...if Perk,KG and Pierce had decent backups during the regular season they would be fresher at playoff time.  

[Roy Hobbs]

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.

Since most of the options people were calling for were minimum salary deals.

That's not true at all.

Other than the Posey option, people were suggesting names like Chris Andersen, Matt Barnes, etc., i.e., players who signed for the minimum.

[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.

Since most of the options people were calling for were minimum salary deals.

That's not true at all.

Other than the Posey option, people were suggesting names like Chris Andersen, Matt Barnes, etc., i.e., players who signed for the minimum.

I wanted both of them, but that doesn't mean that they would've accepted minimum deals to come here just because they accepted those elsewhere. Just because people throw names around that they would've liked to sign for the minimum, it doesn't mean that Ainge could've had them for that ammount.

Also, just as there were some that liked Andersen, I remember the a good portion, or the majority around here as being opposed to bringing him here. Matt Barnes was criticized here quite a bit because of his defense. Even so, Andersen is one I believe we could've had for a minium deal, but using that as an example doesn't sit well with me because people around here weren't enamored with the idea of him here.

[ScoobyDoo]

Yes, that was my frustration with the off season. I understood why we didn't sign Posey though I was in the camp to throw in and let the big three and Posey play out the string, let them run. You could always trade Posey in his last year...

But once Posey was off the table...I just felt that with the improvement the starting five would make that we just needed some decent role guys, energy guys.

Barnes: A cheap replacement for Posey and I thought that Birdman would have been a great chemistry match with both Garnett and Perk. Actually I think KG and Birdman would have been off the hook energy wise when on the floor together.

I also think that most players who accepted Min deals elsewhere would have most likely accepted that same deal to play with three hall of famers coming off a championship. That is a great career move, look what it did for Posey.

These guys aren't studs but we don't need studs, just energy guys.

But it didn't happen and Ainge still has two weeks.

I'm encouraged greatly by the Cassell trade...that Ainge might yet salvage an otherwise uninspiring off season.
 

[crownsy]

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.

Since most of the options people were calling for were minimum salary deals.

That's not true at all.

Other than the Posey option, people were suggesting names like Chris Andersen, Matt Barnes, etc., i.e., players who signed for the minimum.

matt barnes clearly said once he signed in PHx that a western team was going to be his choice, and it would have taken qoute, "alot" to have him go east coast.

[ScoobyDoo]

Oh. Well. perhpas there were other players who might have "filled out the roster holes so to speak, that we could have gotten cheap as well.

Who knows, maybe Danny's plan all along was:

A) Sign a bunch of projects with developement goals targeted for 2-3 years down the road ( Read, POB, Giddens, Walker and throw Pruitt in there)

B) Get through the all star break with the core of ( starting five + Scal, TA, Eddie, Powe and Baby)

C) Right when everyone is about to put the noose around there neck with the pressure of the stretch run bearing down on us.

D) pull a rabbit out of his blank and sign PJ & Marbury or the equivalents.

F) Win banner #18 and look stronger for the '09 season as Pruitt, Walker and perhpas Giddens and POB start contributing...

I don't care anymore...

I just want to see destruction come the playoffs and banner #18 go up.

[zerophase]

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

What has he done for us lately?

[wdleehi]

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

What has he done for us lately?

Can we wait a couple of days before we answer this?

[CoachBo]

There's some truth to that, actually.

If we end up with no help after March 1, or end up in the D-league dumpster diving for a replacement for O'Blount, then Danny will richly deserve another round of criticism for his horrific summer.

[Scribbles]

I think its safe to say it now after Doc's comments about "looking in the D-league."  Now I'm beginning to see it...Danny wasn't really GM of the year, Kevin McHale and whoever the Sonics GM at the time was.   

[BballTim]

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.

Since most of the options people were calling for were minimum salary deals.

That's not true at all.

Other than the Posey option, people were suggesting names like Chris Andersen, Matt Barnes, etc., i.e., players who signed for the minimum.

  They were also asking for players like Pietrus.

[BballTim]

I don't think we can make that decision even after the playoffs.  Obviously if we win #18 it wouldn't have been a terrible offseason.  But even if we get bounced from the playoffs, I don't think we can call this past offseason a bust until we find out what we do in this years off season. 

Danny didn't want to overpay for players this season to keep some cap flexibilty.  If he ends up using that cap flexibility in the upcoming offseason to bring in a legit good player, then even if we lose in this year's playoffs, this past offseason will NOT have been a disaster. 

This team is built to win now.  The goal is to win a title this season.  Not next season. 

The team is built with a 3 year window to win it all, the length we'll have Ray Allen.  If we lose this years playoffs (which still is up in the air), and then bring in a legit player to make a run next year....in the words of the great Mr. Meat, two out of three ain't bad. 

But why would they bring in a legit player next year and not this year?

It is not like someone's contract is ending that makes big money. 


More to the point, there is no way the Celtics could go into this season thinking "it's OK if we don't go for the title this season, we will go for it next season."



No, more likely what happened is Ainge figured no one would offer more years to Posey.  (he was wrong)

Ainge also likely figured PJ would come back during the season (he would be wrong again)


The weakness off this offseason is that there seemed to be no real backup plan in place.  (or that all the good backup options had already signed with other teams)

I love how we always know what Ainge is "likely" thinking. Why even have a GM?

That makes no sense what so ever. 


As for the Ainge was "likely thinking", I am just looking at what he tried to do.  He tried to resign Posey for a limited amount of years (which I agree with)  He never looked to do a plan B if Posey got extra years. 
 

  He looked at Maggette and he signed Tony Allen. Just because people might not like his plan doesn't mean that he didn't have one.

[Roy Hobbs]

I don't think we can make that decision even after the playoffs.  Obviously if we win #18 it wouldn't have been a terrible offseason.  But even if we get bounced from the playoffs, I don't think we can call this past offseason a bust until we find out what we do in this years off season. 

Danny didn't want to overpay for players this season to keep some cap flexibilty.  If he ends up using that cap flexibility in the upcoming offseason to bring in a legit good player, then even if we lose in this year's playoffs, this past offseason will NOT have been a disaster. 

This team is built to win now.  The goal is to win a title this season.  Not next season. 

The team is built with a 3 year window to win it all, the length we'll have Ray Allen.  If we lose this years playoffs (which still is up in the air), and then bring in a legit player to make a run next year....in the words of the great Mr. Meat, two out of three ain't bad. 

But why would they bring in a legit player next year and not this year?

It is not like someone's contract is ending that makes big money. 


More to the point, there is no way the Celtics could go into this season thinking "it's OK if we don't go for the title this season, we will go for it next season."



No, more likely what happened is Ainge figured no one would offer more years to Posey.  (he was wrong)

Ainge also likely figured PJ would come back during the season (he would be wrong again)


The weakness off this offseason is that there seemed to be no real backup plan in place.  (or that all the good backup options had already signed with other teams)

I love how we always know what Ainge is "likely" thinking. Why even have a GM?

That makes no sense what so ever. 


As for the Ainge was "likely thinking", I am just looking at what he tried to do.  He tried to resign Posey for a limited amount of years (which I agree with)  He never looked to do a plan B if Posey got extra years. 
 

  He looked at Maggette and he signed Tony Allen. Just because people might not like his plan doesn't mean that he didn't have one.

True.  The backup plan was Tony Allen.  That was a bad plan.