We've been off track since the August 22, 2017

[Moranis]

July 18, 2018

[pearljammer10]

I never liked the Kyrie trade, but Danny’s dream was clearly a Kyrie / Brown / Hayward / Davis / Horford team.  I think that Wyc alluded to that a bit in passing today.  It’s hard to blame Danny for trying.

Roy, where exactly did Tatum fit into Danny's long-term plan, especially prior to Hayward's injury?

I’m guessing that in Roy’s scenario, the long term plan for Tatum from Danny was sending him to NOP in return for Davis (along with our other future firsts).

[SparzWizard]

The date you're looking for is October 17, 2017. That's when Gordon Hayward went up for an alley-oop and landed wrong. That single injury pretty much ended the Kyrie/Hayward/Horford big 3 before it ever had a chance to get off the ground.

Yeah, that's the date I'm thinking also.  Totally changed the dynamic of the team.  Totally changed the trajectory of team chemistry.  Lots of what ifs arise from that very moment.

We were actually on a roll during that time, like on a 16-game winning streak after Hayward went down.

What a crazy time.

[knuckleballer]

Things haven't gone to plan and it's frustrating that we haven't reached the point of being real contenders for a championship.  That said, the team has given me a lot of enjoyment while reaching the semifinals in three of the last four years.  And still our two best players are just 22 and 24 years old.  There is still a lot to look forward too.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I never liked the Kyrie trade, but Danny’s dream was clearly a Kyrie / Brown / Hayward / Davis / Horford team.  I think that Wyc alluded to that a bit in passing today.  It’s hard to blame Danny for trying.

I still wonder if Danny could've found out, at that point, whether Davis was already dead-set on going to the Lakers. If he was, and if Danny knew it but simply refused to give up his dream acquisition, then I lay a lot of blame at Danny's feet.

[RJ87]

I never liked the Kyrie trade, but Danny’s dream was clearly a Kyrie / Brown / Hayward / Davis / Horford team.  I think that Wyc alluded to that a bit in passing today.  It’s hard to blame Danny for trying.

I still wonder if Danny could've found at, at that point, whether Davis was already dead-set on going to the Lakers. If he was, and if Danny knew it but simply refused to give up his dream acquisition, then I lay a lot of blame at Danny's feet.

Danny was restricted by the Rose Rule so he couldn't trade for AD until Kyrie signed a new contract. At the time of the Kyrie trade, Davis was still talking up staying with the Pelicans so Danny made a deal that, in an alternate universe, would've perfectly set him up to acquire AD. Convincing AD to agree to a trade to Boston should've been easy because we would've had a young, All-Star guard in Irving and an All-Star wing in his prime (a healthy Hayward) as his running mates.

The dream was there for Danny. But it went the way of Hayward's ankle.

[GreenlyGreeny]

My guess is Danny tried to get Kyrie to play injured, and Kyrie decided to teach Danny the lesson that the NBA is now a players’ league with the strongest sports union in the history of the world. Danny is so full of himself he didn’t even understand what was happening until Kyrie told him in the Bucks’ series that he’s gone (generally speaking, heart attacks are associated with surprises for a reason). Horford opts out and leaves. Hayward opts out and leaves. That’s the guy that Brad recruited to Butler for those two dances to the Final Four, easily his best player when he was a college coach. It’s not rocket science to figure out what’s really happening, folks, and why we’re not even in the top 8 in the East after 30 games.   

Danny is a dinosaur and Rondo has twice as many titles in the 21st century. Why do people still worship this guy? Danny tried to get Red to trade Larry Legend. He has no real respect for any player, dating back to his own days as a player, and every player knows it. Look at IT. It cannot be forgotten. That’s why the date in this subject line is so powerful: it’s the date Danny went too far and there is no coming back from it. It cannot be whitewashed. Let’s just move on. Zarren is probably a significant improvement, even if only to drop the Danny baggage.

With Danny out of the way and Brad in the driver’s seat with Zarren playing behind the scenes, we can create a new Popovich/Buford combo of the 2020s. Let’s do it before Danny brings Brad down with him and we’re left with nothing but Brown and Tatum waiting to countdown their contract and leave in free agency...

[Ilikesports17]

The date you're looking for is October 17, 2017. That's when Gordon Hayward went up for an alley-oop and landed wrong. That single injury pretty much ended the Kyrie/Hayward/Horford big 3 before it ever had a chance to get off the ground.

It’s why I give Danny a pass for this sorta falling apart. That and the fact that despite everything falling apart we are left with two young all star two-way wings. Which isn’t a bad space.

No GM looks good when their max contract FA snaps his ankle in half and becomes useless for two years.

Are we singing masais praises if Kawhi or Lowry got Haywarded and Kawhi walked after a year with no championship or even ECF appearance? Is Pat Reiley still a genius if Jimmy Butler missed all of last year and still sucked right now? Brooklyn looks great right now, but what if harden snaps his ankle tomorrow and isn’t good again until 2023?

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

The date you're looking for is October 17, 2017. That's when Gordon Hayward went up for an alley-oop and landed wrong. That single injury pretty much ended the Kyrie/Hayward/Horford big 3 before it ever had a chance to get off the ground.

It’s why I give Danny a pass for this sorta falling apart. That and the fact that despite everything falling apart we are left with two young all star two-way wings. Which isn’t a bad space.

No GM looks good when their max contract FA snaps his ankle in half and becomes useless for two years.

Are we singing masais praises if Kawhi or Lowry got Haywarded and Kawhi walked after a year with no championship or even ECF appearance? Is Pat Reiley still a genius if Jimmy Butler missed all of last year and still sucked right now? Brooklyn looks great right now, but what if harden snaps his ankle tomorrow and isn’t good again until 2023?

You make a good point, but I'll throw this out there:

Danny put most of his eggs into three major baskets—Kyrie, Hayward, and AD—and all three moves failed. Hayward wasn't his fault—that was a freak injury—but he gambled on a known headcase in Kyrie, so no surprise that that move backfired, and unless AD's insistence on going to the Lakers was a late development, Danny should've known about that and moved on from his AD dream sooner.

[PhoSita]

July 18, 2018

?

I'm trying to remember the significance of this date.  Best I can tell from google it's when the Celtics engaged with Marcus Smart in contract talks.

[NKY fan]

The date you're looking for is October 17, 2017. That's when Gordon Hayward went up for an alley-oop and landed wrong. That single injury pretty much ended the Kyrie/Hayward/Horford big 3 before it ever had a chance to get off the ground.

It’s why I give Danny a pass for this sorta falling apart. That and the fact that despite everything falling apart we are left with two young all star two-way wings. Which isn’t a bad space.

No GM looks good when their max contract FA snaps his ankle in half and becomes useless for two years.

Are we singing masais praises if Kawhi or Lowry got Haywarded and Kawhi walked after a year with no championship or even ECF appearance? Is Pat Reiley still a genius if Jimmy Butler missed all of last year and still sucked right now? Brooklyn looks great right now, but what if harden snaps his ankle tomorrow and isn’t good again until 2023?

You make a good point, but I'll throw this out there:

Danny put most of his eggs into three major baskets—Kyrie, Hayward, and AD—and all three moves failed. Hayward wasn't his fault—that was a freak injury—but he gambled on a known headcase in Kyrie, so no surprise that that move backfired, and unless AD's insistence on going to the Lakers was a late development, Danny should've known about that and moved on from his AD dream sooner.

I just want to point out that if we are looking for excuses for Danny's subpar performance last 3 seasons - there will always be some. He will not Billy King us or B. Colangelo us ..( he is close to BC this offseason though.) when its obviously bad dealing and wheeling.
So yea we either demand excellence from the Front office or not demand anything more than not Billy King us.

[RJ87]

The date you're looking for is October 17, 2017. That's when Gordon Hayward went up for an alley-oop and landed wrong. That single injury pretty much ended the Kyrie/Hayward/Horford big 3 before it ever had a chance to get off the ground.

It’s why I give Danny a pass for this sorta falling apart. That and the fact that despite everything falling apart we are left with two young all star two-way wings. Which isn’t a bad space.

No GM looks good when their max contract FA snaps his ankle in half and becomes useless for two years.

Are we singing masais praises if Kawhi or Lowry got Haywarded and Kawhi walked after a year with no championship or even ECF appearance? Is Pat Reiley still a genius if Jimmy Butler missed all of last year and still sucked right now? Brooklyn looks great right now, but what if harden snaps his ankle tomorrow and isn’t good again until 2023?

You make a good point, but I'll throw this out there:

Danny put most of his eggs into three major baskets—Kyrie, Hayward, and AD—and all three moves failed. Hayward wasn't his fault—that was a freak injury—but he gambled on a known headcase in Kyrie, so no surprise that that move backfired, and unless AD's insistence on going to the Lakers was a late development, Danny should've known about that and moved on from his AD dream sooner.

Again, it comes back to Hayward breaking his ankle. In theory, he stays healthy and the team makes a run, the young guys don't have breakouts and the locker room drama that followed the next season doesn't happen because the hierarchy is clear and established. In that scenario, Kyrie from his 1st season in Boston carries over and he follows through on his promise to commit. I think if he stuck around and Hayward was healthy, AD has Boston on his list.

Just so many what if's tied to Gordon's injury.

[NKY fan]

July 18, 2018

?

I'm trying to remember the significance of this date.  Best I can tell from google it's when the Celtics engaged with Marcus Smart in contract talks.

wasn't it when Kyrie pledged his allegiance to Celtics fans?

[Moranis]

July 18, 2018

?

I'm trying to remember the significance of this date.  Best I can tell from google it's when the Celtics engaged with Marcus Smart in contract talks.

That is the day that Toronto Raptors landed Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs.  That is the day Boston's hope of a title any time in the next 5 years went away.  The day it became apparent that Ainge couldn't commit to a winning path. 

[PhoSita]

July 18, 2018

?

I'm trying to remember the significance of this date.  Best I can tell from google it's when the Celtics engaged with Marcus Smart in contract talks.

That is the day that Toronto Raptors landed Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs.  That is the day Boston's hope of a title any time in the next 5 years went away.  The day it became apparent that Ainge couldn't commit to a winning path.

Ah ok.

Sure.

I mean, if by "winning path" you mean trading Jaylen Brown for a year of Kawhi Leonard and *maybe* winning a title, then being in an even tougher spot than the team is now, sure.