Also, even if the Nets did get noticeably worse with Kyrie, it wouldn't "vindicate" Ainge. If anything, it would make Ainge look far worse, because it would suggest that Ainge was incapable of recognizing that Kyrie was the problem, made a massive mistake by hanging onto him instead of cutting his losses mid season and getting some small value in return for him, and made a terrible mistake counting on Kyrie returning when all signs pointed to him leaving us high and dry.