Can someone please explain why they think we should “fire Brad”
Marcus Smart is one of the worst shooters at the guard spot I've ever seen. He ranks 4th on the team in 3PA rate. Tonight he took 10 threes. Any coach with the slightest semblance of a pair of balls would have sent him to the bench half way through the game.
This is not a one off situation. Smart has been playing like this for years. He did it in the playoffs too, numerous times. Tatum and Brown have also had a number of games this year where they just went downright wild chucking horrible threes.
They keep doing it because Brad has ZERO control over the team. Guys just do whatever the hell they want whenever the hell they want and there's no discipline or punishment for it. The team plays garbage and loses by 15 points to a lottery team and all Brad can say is things like "I give that team credit, they played hard".
I get it, hes a nice guy and he's patient - which are great characteristic to have with young, inexperienced prospects because it helps to build their confidence. But you can't be the nice, patient guy all the time. This league is full of elevated egos, and you need to have a bit of that junk yard dog on you to be able to keep those egos in check, and it really seems Brad just doesn't have that. Now that Tatum and Brown are transitioning into stars their egos are growing, and it seems Brad just gives in and lets them do whatever they want (that includes Smart).
They need a coach who is willing to bring out the wooden spoon and discipline guys when they act up. Someone with the balls to bench key players if they go rogue and don't do what they're supposed to. I just don't think Brad has that in him.
Also lets be fair to Danny - the Big 3 era could just as easily brought three titles if the Celtics didn't get it with unfortunate injuries at critical times. Celtics had the edge of LA before Perk went down for the series, and they would have likely made it to the Finals a third time if KG didn't get hurt. He built those teams well, but bad luck happens.
How many GM's in this league over the past 18 seasons have one more than 1 title? I suspect that the list would be pretty small.
Danny Ainge:
- Had only two picks in the top three and picked Tatum and Brown - picks that a lot of people were critical of. Now both guys are averaging 25 PPG and looking like future superstars.
- Had only one other pick in the top 10 (Marcus Smart at #6) and he's made multiple All-Defensive teams.
- He drafted Terry Rozier at #16, and he looks like a borderline All-Star putting up 20/4/3 on 47% / 42% / 85% shooting in Charlotee
- He drafted Robert Williams and Payton Pritchard at #27/#26 and both are looking like they will be become quality rotation players (maybe even starters) in this league
- He brought Theis in out of nowhere from Germany, and he was the starting center on an ECF team last year.
- He also took a huge gamble on Isaiah Thomas who was viewed as a nobody / gimmick by most people, but went on to make two All-Star games and almost led the league in scoring as a Celtic.
- He took a similar gamble on Jae Crowder who was an absolute nobody until he came to Boston and established himself as a quality starter.
Philly intentionally tanked for several years and I'd argue they still weren't much (if any) more successful. it's clear Ainge has an eye for talent.
In addition to that, he also turned the Celtics from a Playoff team, to a complete rebuild, to a playoff team again all in the space of about 3 seasons. That's almost unheard of.
He managed to move a 5'7" injured PG for a borderline superstar in Kyrie Irving - sure it didn't work out because Kyrie was a head case, but still a hell of a ballsy move.
He also managed to sign
three All-Stars (Al Horford, Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker) in the space of about 4 years to a Boston team that people insisted was incapable of attracting quality free agents.
Hayward unfortunately suffered a grusome injury in
the first game of the season that wrote him off for like 2 or his 4 years - unfathomable bad luck that no GM could have predicted. Had Hayward been healthy, who knows how far the Celtics cold have gone. Then Kemba suffered injuries of his own which significantly impacted his performance last season a season where the Celtics made the ECF. Again, not Danny's fault.
Sure he has made some mistakes. Passed on some deals that in hindsight he probably should have made. But no GM is perfect. Looking at everything I just described, I think that's a hell of an impressive 4 or 5 year record for an NBA General Manager, and I find it pretty difficult to be critical of him all things considered.
Topic: One Title in 18 Years and You Think Stevens is The One Who Should Go? (Read 6401 times)