Author Topic: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?  (Read 63081 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« on: February 16, 2009, 03:59:19 PM »

Offline gustusias

  • Brad Stevens
  • Posts: 239
  • Tommy Points: 41
This has been a long time on my mind. All of us have credited Ainge as being a superb GM when it comes to drafting. Free agents have been different though. Scalabrini has been a long time coming to prove his signing, PJ was great as well as Eddie House. However, I never cared for Cassell last year and Scott Pollard was a wreck.

What about this past summer? O'Bryant was a terrible signing. Giddens was not a good pick at all either. Walker could still pan out though. Why was Cassels signed? If Ainge had signed someone else instead of O'Bryant we would not be in this same big man pickle right now. It is his fault. I think there were other players better than Giddens still on the board as well. 
« Last Edit: February 16, 2009, 04:26:40 PM by Redz »

Re: .When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2009, 04:04:51 PM »

Offline KCattheStripe

  • Danny Ainge
  • **********
  • Posts: 10726
  • Tommy Points: 830
This has been a long time on my mind. All of us have credited Ainge as being a superb GM when it comes to drafting. Free agents have been different though. Scalabrini has been a long time coming to prove his signing, PJ was great as well as Eddie House. However, I never cared for Cassell last year and Scott Pollard was a wreck.

What about this past summer? O'Bryant was a terrible signing. Giddens was not a good pick at all either. Walker could still pan out though. Why was Cassels signed? If Ainge had signed someone else instead of O'Bryant we would not be in this same big man pickle right now. It is his fault. I think there were other players better than Giddens still on the board as well. 

When the team stops having a better record than it did the year before.

Re: .When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2009, 04:15:37 PM »

Offline Chris

  • Global Moderator
  • Dennis Johnson
  • ******************
  • Posts: 18008
  • Tommy Points: 642
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.

Of course, this is all with the caveat that anyone can say that Ainge had a terrible offseason at any point they want...I just think they are jumping the gun.

Re: .When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2009, 04:22:39 PM »

Offline RAcker

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3892
  • Tommy Points: 69
  • Law mercy!
If we don't repeat, the critics will come out like cockroaches in the dark.  It will be because of the loss of Posey, no big to come off the bench, etc., and these will be legit points.  However, it IS interesting that our record is keeping pace with last year's regular season thus far despite taking everyone's best shot. 

I agree with the previous posters in saying that there will be no fair way of judging until the playoffs start to unfold.

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2009, 04:29:25 PM »

Offline Andy Jick

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3795
  • Tommy Points: 89
  • You know my methods, Watson.
if we don't make it to the nba finals...

i think we all can agree that losing posey was big, but at what cost should he have been brought back?  who knows...it's easy to spend someone else's money.

it will also be left to see exactly HOW this team plays...do we need another big?  another scorer?  a backup pg?  and the HOW will determine whether ainge failed by doing nothing, or whether he succeeded by letting posey walk and saving money.

"It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it."

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2009, 04:30:27 PM »

Offline Redz

  • Punner
  • Global Moderator
  • Bill Russell
  • ******************************
  • Posts: 30897
  • Tommy Points: 3765
  • Yup
When they've been eliminated from the playoffs

There was a whole lot of criticism about this team failing to win a road game through two rounds of the playoffs last year...The end result is all that matters.  You can argue about whether this team would be better off right now with different moves in the offseason, but until one team beats the C's 4 times in the playoffs there's no true measuring stick.

And we don't even know what the team will be entering the playoffs. 

The bar has been set as high as it goes.
Yup

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2009, 04:36:05 PM »

Offline xmuscularghandix

  • Tiny Archibald
  • *******
  • Posts: 7620
  • Tommy Points: 280
Never. cause we didn't, sorry we didnt sign a bunch of proven veterans, or trade for "length" in the fashion of centers that were decent 6 years ago, but i'm glad that we have a young team that can grow together and be here for a while.

WE HAVE THE BEST RECORD IN THE NBA.

go trade Scal, TA, BBD, and Pruitt for some crappy old players on your PS3.

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2009, 04:37:07 PM »

Offline Brendan

  • Jim Loscutoff
  • **
  • Posts: 2990
  • Tommy Points: 72
So if they get swept by CLE he failed? James Posey and Deke would have prevented it? We can say they had a bad off season, at the start of the season (since we know who was and was not acquired) at the end of the season (since we know the results) or 5 years from now, when we know what the long term impact was.

If they win the finals, we can 100% say his offseason was fine.

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2009, 04:41:01 PM »

Offline shiggins

  • Al Horford
  • Posts: 463
  • Tommy Points: 147
if we don't make it to the nba finals...

i think we all can agree that losing posey was big, but at what cost should he have been brought back?  who knows...it's easy to spend someone else's money.

it will also be left to see exactly HOW this team plays...do we need another big?  another scorer?  a backup pg?  and the HOW will determine whether ainge failed by doing nothing, or whether he succeeded by letting posey walk and saving money.




Everyone keeps bringing up the point that letting Posey go was a bad move...

If anyone is watching, Posey is playing atrociously for NO and will continue to for the next few years.  Posey would have also come at the expense of Tony and Eddie.  Say what you want about Tony, I'm a fan unlike many others, but besides that...Eddie has been invaluable so far.  

As of right now, Tony + Eddie for half the years instead of Posey is definitely looking like the right move.

People talk about the loss of Posey as compared to last year, but look at what the real-life Posey this year is doing.  You cant just expect him to have been the mythical figure from last year everyone is expecting him to be.  As of right now, I'm positive Posey is being looked on as a mistake in NO.  Then think about the fact he would be here for 4 years..

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2009, 04:55:25 PM »

Offline wdleehi

  • In The Rafters
  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 34023
  • Tommy Points: 1607
  • Basketball is Newtonian Physics
It was a weak offseason. 


Terrible or not will be decided by what he does from this point till the playoffs ends.



But as of right now, he has put together a bench with large holes and very little trade value.

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2009, 05:04:31 PM »

Offline BrickJames

  • Bill Walton
  • *
  • Posts: 1406
  • Tommy Points: 185
  • Master Mason
Again, being a GM is about more than maximizing talent on the team.  It's about maximizing money relative to the environment.

We are only at the beginning of a recession.  Danny is being prudent with Wyc + crew's money, for good reason: it's his job.
God bless and good night!


Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2009, 05:23:33 PM »

Offline wil

  • Brad Stevens
  • Posts: 203
  • Tommy Points: 88
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. 

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2009, 05:24:51 PM »

Offline wdleehi

  • In The Rafters
  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 34023
  • Tommy Points: 1607
  • Basketball is Newtonian Physics
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. 

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2009, 05:31:25 PM »

Offline wil

  • Brad Stevens
  • Posts: 203
  • Tommy Points: 88
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. 

Re: When can we say that Ainge had a terrible offseason?
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2009, 05:35:57 PM »

Offline wdleehi

  • In The Rafters
  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 34023
  • Tommy Points: 1607
  • Basketball is Newtonian Physics
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)