Danny Ainge just on Big Show

[PLamb]

Some snippets:

- Paul Pierce is the player not playing well that most needs to get back to playing the way he did earlier this season for the team to start playing better

- This was in response to a question questioning whether KG had to play better for the team to succeed

- Team has not tuned out Doc Rivers as the team responds well until up double digits. If the team wasn't responding to Doc those leads would not happen. They can't be responding to Doc until up double digits in the fourth quarter and then just stop listening to him

- Didn't out right say it but put much responsibility on poor play on the Big Three not playing like they should be

- Sheldon Williams is simply fifth on the big man depth chart and will see time when one of the other four go down or has their game slip but the other guys are better and ahead of him. Doc has confidence in Sheldon but there's only so many minutes and Sheldon is number 5

- Team really wanted that Cleveland game and it bothered Danny to see the result after getting up by double digits

- Danny has seen teams be bored in the regular season and turn it on in the playoffs and dominate and be successful but it's very rare for a team to be able to do it and very dangerous thinking if indeed that is what his team is thinking

- Michael Finley would be the best addition of the free agents for what the Celtics need but he will not be a difference maker in getting the team to win a championship just a guy to help where they need help right now

- People talk about how James Posey and PJ Brown made a difference in the championship season but they were bit players and played small roles. That year they don't win game 7 if Pierce doesn't score 45 or if Pierce doesn't outplay Kobe and win Finals MVP. The players that play the big minutes are the players that have to lead this team to winning another championship. Read into that what you want

I am sure it will be up on archived audio on weei.com soon enough

It was an interesting interview

[Redz]

thanks for the rundown

more questions than answers for this team right now

[vinnie]

Glad to see Danny's somewhat veiled criticism of the "bored" story. Even he knows that coasting through the regular season and then hoping to turn it on in the playoffs is a very dangerous scenario.

[clover]

Some snippets:

- Paul Pierce is the player not playing well that most needs to get back to playing the way he did earlier this season for the team to start playing better

- This was in response to a question questioning whether KG had to play better for the team to succeed

- Team has not tuned out Doc Rivers as the team responds well until up double digits. If the team wasn't responding to Doc those leads would not happen. They can't be responding to Doc until up double digits in the fourth quarter and then just stop listening to him

- Didn't out right say it but put much responsibility on poor play on the Big Three not playing like they should be

- Sheldon Williams is simply fifth on the big man depth chart and will see time when one of the other four go down or has their game slip but the other guys are better and ahead of him. Doc has confidence in Sheldon but there's only so many minutes and Sheldon is number 5

- Team really wanted that Cleveland game and it bothered Danny to see the result after getting up by double digits

- Danny has seen teams be bored in the regular season and turn it on in the playoffs and dominate and be successful but it's very rare for a team to be able to do it and very dangerous thinking if indeed that is what his team is thinking

- Michael Finley would be the best addition of the free agents for what the Celtics need but he will not be a difference maker in getting the team to win a championship just a guy to help where they need help right now

- People talk about how James Posey and PJ Brown made a difference in the championship season but they were bit players and played small roles. That year they don't win game 7 if Pierce doesn't score 45 or if Pierce doesn't outplay Kobe and win Finals MVP. The players that play the big minutes are the players that have to lead this team to winning another championship. Read into that what you want

I am sure it will be up on archived audio on weei.com soon enough

It was an interesting interview

TP for the public service of a good interview summary!

[CELTICSNUM1]

TP for you PLamb. Thanks for the summary. 

[clover]

Glad to see Danny's somewhat veiled criticism of the "bored" story. Even he knows that coasting through the regular season and then hoping to turn it on in the playoffs is a very dangerous scenario.

Seems like Danny was being pretty candid all around.

[More Banners]

- People talk about how James Posey and PJ Brown made a difference in the championship season but they were bit players and played small roles. That year they don't win game 7 if Pierce doesn't score 45 or if Pierce doesn't outplay Kobe and win Finals MVP. The players that play the big minutes are the players that have to lead this team to winning another championship. Read into that what you want

It's up online now.

Re: Posey:  I think Danny was covering his rear here, or, on the other hand, trying to take away a possible excuse.  There is no question that Posey AVERAGING 24 minutes, backing up 3 positions, and guarding the best opposing wing was a critical piece of the title.  True, we don't win w/o PP, and we need PP to play better now, but we don't win in 08 w/o Pose, either; Posey did more than make a play "here and there".

[Mr October]

- People talk about how James Posey and PJ Brown made a difference in the championship season but they were bit players and played small roles. That year they don't win game 7 if Pierce doesn't score 45 or if Pierce doesn't outplay Kobe and win Finals MVP. The players that play the big minutes are the players that have to lead this team to winning another championship. Read into that what you want

It's up online now.

Re: Posey:  I think Danny was covering his rear here, or, on the other hand, trying to take away a possible excuse.  There is no question that Posey AVERAGING 24 minutes, backing up 3 positions, and guarding the best opposing wing was a critical piece of the title.  True, we don't win w/o PP, and we need PP to play better now, but we don't win in 08 w/o Pose, either; Posey did more than make a play "here and there".

I don't think he was down playing Posey at all. The point is that this team will only go as far as Pierce and KG can take them. Pierce is the most dangerous player on offense, and same is true of KG on defense.

[PLamb]

- People talk about how James Posey and PJ Brown made a difference in the championship season but they were bit players and played small roles. That year they don't win game 7 if Pierce doesn't score 45 or if Pierce doesn't outplay Kobe and win Finals MVP. The players that play the big minutes are the players that have to lead this team to winning another championship. Read into that what you want

It's up online now.

Re: Posey:  I think Danny was covering his rear here, or, on the other hand, trying to take away a possible excuse.  There is no question that Posey AVERAGING 24 minutes, backing up 3 positions, and guarding the best opposing wing was a critical piece of the title.  True, we don't win w/o PP, and we need PP to play better now, but we don't win in 08 w/o Pose, either; Posey did more than make a play "here and there".

I don't think he was down playing Posey at all. The point is that this team will only go as far as Pierce and KG can take them. Pierce is the most dangerous player on offense, and same is true of KG on defense.

When listening to the audio, that's what I got

[More Banners]

I get what DA was trying to do-put the onus for winning now on the "star" players, but to do that, he has to make them the ones that were mainly responsible.  In truth, 08 was a team effort, but that wouldn't help place responsibility anywhere but "the team", rather than specific guys needing to step up.

His purpose certainly wasn't to dis Pose, but he sure did (falsely) minimize his contribution for the purpose of building up the current "stars" on this team.

I definitely like how he's being specific about what the expectations are for the max-players on the team now.  Stars need to play like stars on the court, and ours have been shaky.  He's right on.  I'm glad someone has the nuts to say it out loud.

[JHTruth]

Well of course the team needs the stars to step up. Role players are role players and the right ones can definately make a contribution, however any team only goes as far as it's best players play. Focusing on the lack of Posey or Brown misses the point..

[PLamb]

Here's the link to the audio

http://audio.weei.com/m/29333516/danny-ainge.htm

[buellj814]

good summary.. celtics dont get out of the clev. series without p.j. though