Danny Ainge's job performance since the 2007 off season

[KungPoweChicken]

I'd give him a C. He has repeatedly failed to supply the big three with adequate bench support. I hated the Sheed signing before it was cool to hate on Sheed. I was skeptical with Daniels (always thought he was a lousy player). I was furious when he didn't re-sign Powe, a player who could definitely be helping us right now. The House for Robinson trade was a wash at best. Furthermore, we just paid Robinson a 1 million dollar playoff bonus, and he sits on the bench. Yet it was too much to give Powe, a player who plays with heart and would contribute in the playoffs, the veteran minimum? It doesn't make sense.


Look at last season: O'Bryant? Marbury? Moore? None of those guys are even in the league right now. That's pathetic. If KG never went down, I don't know if we had the guns and the depth to win it all.

Giddens was a bust of a pick (yes, even for pick 30).


I've never liked the way Ainge has used his MLE (when he does use it). In the past he has used portions of it only to sign scrubs. And when he did decide to use it, we got Sheed, which was probably the worst MLE signing of the year.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Although I've always been in the minority, I felt that not bringing Ryan Gomes back to Boston as our character guy, big 3/small 4, James Posey replacement was Ainge's most serious misstep in the summer of 2008.

He went on to resign with Minnesota for a very modest $22 million over five seasons, of which only $7 million in salary was guaranteed.

As for Chris Andersen, I can't knock Ainge for passing him over, by Chris's own admission he came into his Boston workout out of shape, and could hardly hang his hat on the 71 minutes he'd played in the previous two seasons. (Which isn't to say signing Patrick O'Bryant instead wasn't a waste of a roster spot and a minimum salary.)

[hpantazo]

I'd give him a C. He has repeatedly failed to supply the big three with adequate bench support. I hated the Sheed signing before it was cool to hate on Sheed. I was skeptical with Daniels (always thought he was a lousy player). I was furious when he didn't re-sign Powe, a player who could definitely be helping us right now. The House for Robinson trade was a wash at best. Furthermore, we just paid Robinson a 1 million dollar playoff bonus, and he sits on the bench. Yet it was too much to give Powe, a player who plays with heart and would contribute in the playoffs, the veteran minimum? It doesn't make sense.


Look at last season: O'Bryant? Marbury? Moore? None of those guys are even in the league right now. That's pathetic. If KG never went down, I don't know if we had the guns and the depth to win it all.

Giddens was a bust of a pick (yes, even for pick 30).


I've never liked the way Ainge has used his MLE (when he does use it). In the past he has used portions of it only to sign scrubs. And when he did decide to use it, we got Sheed, which was probably the worst MLE signing of the year.

I'm so sick and tired of the Powe complaints. How much has he helped the cavs in the playoffs so far? None, zip, he hasn't even played. The guy has 2 bad legs, he's done, get over it. It was a great move for Danny to show him the door.

[The Walker Wiggle]

The guy has 2 bad legs, he's done, get over it. It was a great move for Danny to show him the door.

Although it's not my first complaint, how does allowing our chief Eastern conference rival to sign Leon Powe to a minimum salary two year contract (ie Scott Pollard money) qualify as "a great deal?"

We can assume Coach Rivers would disagree with you, since he lobbied for Leon's return.

We can even assume Ainge has some regrets, since the Celtics did make Powe a belated offer once Cleveland's intent became clear.

The issue of loyalty aside, I still believe it would've been a zero-risk, high-reward use of the 15th roster spot; even if Powe only ever contributed again in the locker room.

[jdpapa3]

The guy has 2 bad legs, he's done, get over it. It was a great move for Danny to show him the door.

Although it's not my first complaint, how does allowing our chief Eastern conference rival to sign Leon Powe to a minimum salary two year contract (ie Scott Pollard money) qualify as "a great deal?"

Yea, Leon's really tearing it up on the inactive roster for them.

[liam]

The guy has 2 bad legs, he's done, get over it. It was a great move for Danny to show him the door.

Although it's not my first complaint, how does allowing our chief Eastern conference rival to sign Leon Powe to a minimum salary two year contract (ie Scott Pollard money) qualify as "a great deal?"

Yea, Leon's really tearing it up on the inactive roster for them.

He might be the inactive MVP at this point!

[hpantazo]

The guy has 2 bad legs, he's done, get over it. It was a great move for Danny to show him the door.

Although it's not my first complaint, how does allowing our chief Eastern conference rival to sign Leon Powe to a minimum salary two year contract (ie Scott Pollard money) qualify as "a great deal?"

We can assume Coach Rivers would disagree with you, since he lobbied for Leon's return.

We can even assume Ainge has some regrets, since the Celtics did make Powe a belated offer once Cleveland's intent became clear.

The issue of loyalty aside, I still believe it would've been a zero-risk, high-reward use of the 15th roster spot; even if Powe only ever contributed again in the locker room.

IMO, if one of our big men go down in the playoffs, we have a healthy Shelden Williams to take the spot. Shelden has his flaws, but he is mobile, healthy, and strong. Leon can't guard a chair nowadays and would be worse than Mikki Moore. If the cavs want to spend money and a roster spot on him, good for them. Great move for Ainge imo.

[jdpapa3]

Look at last season: O'Bryant? Marbury? Moore? None of those guys are even in the league right now. That's pathetic. If KG never went down, I don't know if we had the guns and the depth to win it all.

Giddens was a bust of a pick (yes, even for pick 30).


I've never liked the way Ainge has used his MLE (when he does use it). In the past he has used portions of it only to sign scrubs. And when he did decide to use it, we got Sheed, which was probably the worst MLE signing of the year.

How can you criticize vet minimum signings? Should we criticize the Magic for signing Adonal Foyle, too?

Giddens was a bust, but that area of the draft has a high probability of failing out of the league.

I'd say splitting the MLE between House and Posey two years ago was a pretty great way to use the MLE. Wouldn't exactly say they were scrubs.

[Spilling Green Dye]

Nick, I used to agree with you a lot before, but lately I find it harder and harder to.  Before the playoffs began you started a large number of threads with the underlying "doom and gloom" feel to them about how this team is done and won't do anything in the playoffs.  In fact, I can't recall the last thread you started that had a feeling of (good) excitement in it.

I mean really, except for the first three game of this series, has there been a whole heck of a lot to feel great about regarding what this team has done since Christmas?

And yet this post comes on the heels of those great 3 or 4 games.  I just figured with your ability to provide quality research and analysis, it would have been better served occasionally focusing on some of the great things going on with the team.  I think we all know the team won't always be this good, so time is fleeting in that regard.  Also, in what way does this thread benefit from by being considered now as opposed to right after the playoffs when we have a million hours to reflect and prognosticate (and more accurately)?  The quantity of "armchair quarterbacking" going on in this thread is amazing too considering we can't be certain of many of the presumptions made here.  I'm not mad, I just find myself preferring to watch and celebrate the great things I see on TV vs read a thread that is well thought out in the wrong direction.  Again, you're very smart and I like a lot of the ideas you have, etc.. it just seems that all of the threads started the past few months have been doom and gloom.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Yea, Leon's really tearing it up on the inactive roster for them.

I guess. But I didn't expect Powe to be a difference maker this season, Ferry's shrewdness lies in getting a minimum salary team option on a second year.

Shaun Livingston is slowly working his way back.

I'm just surprised so many here want to bet against Leon, especially given how little salary was involved.

IMO, if one of our big men go down in the playoffs, we have a healthy Shelden Williams to take the spot. Shelden has his flaws, but he is mobile, healthy, and strong.

Absolutely, but what if we gave Leon either Tony Gaffney's spot or Oliver Lafayette's?

[Who]

I thought Danny has done a solid job considering the circumstances. Not exceptional, not bad, solid. A C+.

I pretty much agree with this. You skipped buying Bill Walker which was a good move in and of itself, but you have to wonder if having JR, Walker, and Tony Allen (and Daniels this year) was too much of not enough good thing. I can't remember were you against Sheed at the time? I remember you raising serious concerns about his declining athleticism.

I think "uncertainty" would be the best description of my feelings toward Rasheed at the time (wasn't convinced he was an upgrade over 2008/09 Powe defensively or offensively) + disliked offering anything beyond one season and was firmly against a three year contract.

My criticism of the Rasheed signing isn't really about this season ... it's more about the next two years ... I would have expected Rasheed to be more productive this season. To do a better job boxing out and with his three point shot. I don't think Danny deserves any blame for Rasheed's decline in those areas.

-------------------------------------------------

On a Rasheed tangent ... his season in general and not the signing

Two months into the season, I was actually very happy with Rasheed's play. I thought my concerns were wrong ... that I gave too much weight to the things he couldn't do and not enough weight to how well Boston could integrate him defensively.

I was very concerned about his athleticism and lack of mobility during the summer but those issues were kept to a minimum near the start of the year. The team was hiding him effectively defensively with strong team D. Allowing Rasheed to concentrate on areas where he could help (interior D) and limiting the areas where he was a liability (pick and roll D, defending away from the rim).

Also, Sheed was a very valuable matchup problem for both Orlando and Cleveland which gave him good value against teams Boston would have to beat in the playoffs and made up for a lot of his less useful play against other sides.

Unfortunately, that hasn't continued. His defensive weaknesses have become more and more of a problem as the season continued and his overall performance (outside of boxing out + three point shot) have been close to my summer expectations.

To make matters worse, the Celtics team rebounding declined (perimeter rebounding + KG) and Rasheed's own lack of board work became a much larger issue.

So his negative contributions (defensive weaknesses + rebounding) became far more important than I had expected. Add in the disappointing jump shot and things get even worse.

Rasheed Wallace absolutely has to be removed from the Celtics rotation next year. Either in a trade or a buyout ... because I'm not trusting Doc or whoever is coaching to sit him for 82 games.

[nickagneta]

Nick, I used to agree with you a lot before, but lately I find it harder and harder to.  Before the playoffs began you started a large number of threads with the underlying "doom and gloom" feel to them about how this team is done and won't do anything in the playoffs.  In fact, I can't recall the last thread you started that had a feeling of (good) excitement in it.

I mean really, except for the first three game of this series, has there been a whole heck of a lot to feel great about regarding what this team has done since Christmas?

And yet this post comes on the heels of those great 3 or 4 games.  I just figured with your ability to provide quality research and analysis, it would have been better served occasionally focusing on some of the great things going on with the team.  I think we all know the team won't always be this good, so time is fleeting in that regard.  Also, in what way does this thread benefit from by being considered now as opposed to right after the playoffs when we have a million hours to reflect and prognosticate (and more accurately)?  The quantity of "armchair quarterbacking" going on in this thread is amazing too considering we can't be certain of many of the presumptions made here.  I'm not mad, I just find myself preferring to watch and celebrate the great things I see on TV vs read a thread that is well thought out in the wrong direction.  Again, you're very smart and I like a lot of the ideas you have, etc.. it just seems that all of the threads started the past few months have been doom and gloom.

Oh well. I'm not going to be Mr Positive all the time and I'm not going to be Mr Negative all the time.

Besides, just because it's in YOUR wrong direction doesn't mean it's in everyone's wrong direction. Perhaps you just need to not read any more of my threads for a while until I start writing stuff that's more in your right direction.

[hpantazo]

IMO, if one of our big men go down in the playoffs, we have a healthy Shelden Williams to take the spot. Shelden has his flaws, but he is mobile, healthy, and strong.

Absolutely, but what if we gave Leon either Tony Gaffney's spot or Oliver Lafayette's?

I hear what your saying, but what good does it do to the team to give the 13-15th roster spot (inactive list) to a guy who has no future in the NBA? At least Gaffney and Lafayette may have potential to contribute, and giving them the spots lets us look at them this summer to see if they really have anything to offer. We know what Leon has and doesn't have, unless you somehow think he can get back to the Leon Powe of the 2008 playoffs, which imo is not possible, he has used up all of his comebacks already, the body can only take so much. It's too bad, he's a good guy, and was a solid player, but I can't see him ever being close to that level again.  

[KungPoweChicken]

Look at last season: O'Bryant? Marbury? Moore? None of those guys are even in the league right now. That's pathetic. If KG never went down, I don't know if we had the guns and the depth to win it all.

Giddens was a bust of a pick (yes, even for pick 30).


I've never liked the way Ainge has used his MLE (when he does use it). In the past he has used portions of it only to sign scrubs. And when he did decide to use it, we got Sheed, which was probably the worst MLE signing of the year.

How can you criticize vet minimum signings? Should we criticize the Magic for signing Adonal Foyle, too?

Giddens was a bust, but that area of the draft has a high probability of failing out of the league.

I'd say splitting the MLE between House and Posey two years ago was a pretty great way to use the MLE. Wouldn't exactly say they were scrubs.

Yeah, I understand. Usually vet minimum players suck. But that's not my point. My point is that when you add up the dollars of O'Bryant, Giddens (could have sold the pick), Moore, and Marbury, you might as well have added one solid guy who could have contributed, which Ainge and the organization have shown reluctance to do. Yet they have no problem spending small amounts of money on guys who don't belong in the league.

[xmuscularghandix]

  The moves he made in that off season handcuffed him for the next couple years. You can't give a guy crap for not picking the right players when he's either picking at the end of the first or without a first rounder at all.

  Hindsight is 20/20... "why didn't they get chalmers!?!?" all that stuff is ridiculous.