44 likely going to rafters

[lon3lytoaster]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/52991/20080615/ainge_to_have_his_number_retired/

I guess Wyc wants to have Danny's number retired. I don't really see too big an issues with it, but man we're really going to be running out of numbers in a few years.

[Roy Hobbs]

Danny deserves it.  He was a key component on the Celtics championship teams, and if he brings yet another title here, this is an honor he readily deserves.  People forget just how good Danny was; on any team where he wasn't the fifth option, he would have been averaging 18 - 20 points per night, as he did after his trade to the Kings.

If Scal has to give up his number, so be it.  Let's do this, Wyc.

[celticmaestro]

well, we can add #34 to that. depending on various different things #5 and maybe even #20 can hang up there too.

doesn't leave us with much to choose from

i agree though, danny deserves it up there.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Danny deserves it.  He was a key component on the Celtics championship teams, and if he brings yet another title here, this is an honor he readily deserves.

If Scal has to give up his number, so be it.

Well, Scal should be honored to be the last one to ever wear it. So, in a way, he can make it as if they were honoring him.

[lon3lytoaster]

Actually my first thought was to just kinda chuckle because Scal is wearing that number right now. Do they wait for him to retire? or do they just trade and waive him off to free up the number? Or just make him change it in general?

Oh well, so how does everyone feel about putting a "Doc" or something similar in the rafters, too? He is the one coaching the team, afterall.

[guava_wrench]

Actually my first thought was to just kinda chuckle because Scal is wearing that number right now. Do they wait for him to retire? or do they just trade and waive him off to free up the number? Or just make him change it in general?

Oh well, so how does everyone feel about putting a "Doc" or something similar in the rafters, too? He is the one coaching the team, afterall.

Too early for Doc. Danny already has a legacy from the 80s.

A few more championships with Doc, and then we can talk about it.

[cdif911]

they're retiring Eric Riley's number?


or is it Jiri Welsch?  Scal? Rick Fox?  Adrian Griffin?  Did anyone else wear it since DA?

I was at the night they retired Max's, and they totally pretended no one else wore the number since him (though Derek Strong, X, among others wore it) - I think they should take a page out of Loscutoff's book and just retire the name...no one else can be named Danny Ainge who plays for the c's

[Yakmanev]

I'm ok with it. Other players in the league that were much worse than Ainge have had their number retired.

Like for instance... Avery Johnson! I mean come on what a joke?!

[cdif911]

on second thought they should just retire every name and number of every guy who had anything to do with a celtics title - guys could just start wearing letters instead of numbers, or we could go into triple didgets (is there anything in the rule book against that, that'd be sweet, #109 Mario Chalmers)

[lon3lytoaster]

they're retiring Eric Riley's number?


or is it Jiri Welsch?  Scal? Rick Fox?  Adrian Griffin?  Did anyone else wear it since DA?

I was at the night they retired Max's, and they totally pretended no one else wore the number since him (though Derek Strong, X, among others wore it) - I think they should take a page out of Loscutoff's book and just retire the name...no one else can be named Danny Ainge who plays for the c's

Oh, hey. I don't know if you looked up who wore the number after DA, but you got them all right. TP for that one. I had to put some thought into it and never would have got Eric Riley

[Roy Hobbs]

Oh well, so how does everyone feel about putting a "Doc" or something similar in the rafters, too? He is the one coaching the team, afterall.

No to Doc at present.  His record with the Celts right now is 168-160 (.512), and he's got some pretty poor seasons on his resume'.  Doc needs to really improve that won-loss record to get exalted as a Celtics great.  I mean, if a player here had two terrible seasons, one mediocre one, one good one, and a very good performance in the NBA Finals, would we be talking about retiring his number?

[cdif911]

they're retiring Eric Riley's number?


or is it Jiri Welsch?  Scal? Rick Fox?  Adrian Griffin?  Did anyone else wear it since DA?

I was at the night they retired Max's, and they totally pretended no one else wore the number since him (though Derek Strong, X, among others wore it) - I think they should take a page out of Loscutoff's book and just retire the name...no one else can be named Danny Ainge who plays for the c's

Oh, hey. I don't know if you looked up who wore the number after DA, but you got them all right. TP for that one. I had to put some thought into it and never would have got Eric Riley

I was thinking that Massenburg may have worn it, but I think he was a different 40 something...

[Roy Hobbs]

they're retiring Eric Riley's number?


or is it Jiri Welsch?  Scal? Rick Fox?  Adrian Griffin?  Did anyone else wear it since DA?

I was at the night they retired Max's, and they totally pretended no one else wore the number since him (though Derek Strong, X, among others wore it) - I think they should take a page out of Loscutoff's book and just retire the name...no one else can be named Danny Ainge who plays for the c's

Oh, hey. I don't know if you looked up who wore the number after DA, but you got them all right. TP for that one. I had to put some thought into it and never would have got Eric Riley

Some pretty good players have worn 44 for the green, although for a short period of time: Dave Bing, Pete Maravich, Paul Westphal.  It's only post-Danny that the number has been reserved for mediocrity (although Rick Fox wasn't terrible).

[Donoghus]

Read the article.  Pretty interesting.  I wasn't aware that Wyc had said that to Danny back in the day.  Danny definitely holds a special place in my heart going back to his playing days.  I remember being pretty bummed out when I found out he got traded to Sacramento.  I think I was 8 or 9 at the time.  I was pumped when he finally came back to Boston and he's definitely put this franchise back on the right course.  It'd be pretty cool to see #44 up there with all those other '80s heroes.   

[lon3lytoaster]

they're retiring Eric Riley's number?


or is it Jiri Welsch?  Scal? Rick Fox?  Adrian Griffin?  Did anyone else wear it since DA?

I was at the night they retired Max's, and they totally pretended no one else wore the number since him (though Derek Strong, X, among others wore it) - I think they should take a page out of Loscutoff's book and just retire the name...no one else can be named Danny Ainge who plays for the c's

Oh, hey. I don't know if you looked up who wore the number after DA, but you got them all right. TP for that one. I had to put some thought into it and never would have got Eric Riley

Some pretty good players have worn 44 for the green, although for a short period of time: Dave Bing, Pete Maravich, Paul Westphal.  It's only post-Danny that the number has been reserved for mediocrity (although Rick Fox wasn't terrible).

Oh, Paul Westphal... I wasn't around for when the C's had him, but what did we get from Phoenix? Was it Paul Silas?

Now, I've only seen a handful of games from the 70's but I don't know how I feel about trading Westphal for Silas. It did make the front court better, and at the time we still had Hondo but I think having Westphal could have been a lot better for the future of that team.