I feel like we're quickly headed to two years of mediocrity

[Fafnir]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

[bfrombleacher]

What's happened to the Pistons? Was their main problem that they did not get enough young blood?

[Fafnir]

What's happened to the Pistons? Was their main problem that they did not get enough young blood?

Locked up mediocre talent to long term deals and then hired a coach who couldn't put things together cohesively.

They did it with young players, if KG/PP both decline noticably we could have a similar thing with older vets though.

[Roy H.]

They did it with young players, if KG/PP both decline noticably we could have a similar thing with older vets though.

Yeah, there's a possibility that this could blow up in our faces.

The difference is that with the Pistons, there was no realistic chance of their plan working out.  Iverson, Gordon, and Charlie V?  Seriously?

[Fafnir]

They did it with young players, if KG/PP both decline noticably we could have a similar thing with older vets though.

Yeah, there's a possibility that this could blow up in our faces.

The difference is that with the Pistons, there was no realistic chance of their plan working out.  Iverson, Gordon, and Charlie V?  Seriously?

The big difference is that it looks like we'll have money tied up only 2 years right now. The Pistons tied up their cap for 5 years...

[Moranis]

They did it with young players, if KG/PP both decline noticably we could have a similar thing with older vets though.

Yeah, there's a possibility that this could blow up in our faces.

The difference is that with the Pistons, there was no realistic chance of their plan working out.  Iverson, Gordon, and Charlie V?  Seriously?

The big difference is that it looks like we'll have money tied up only 2 years right now. The Pistons tied up their cap for 5 years...

True, but 2013 looks like it is going to be a very strong free agent market and with the new sign and trade provisions going into effect that summer, the only real way for teams to sign top level free agents is to have cap space.  Boston has effectively removed itself from that free agent class, and that is what worries me.

[Moranis]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

I'd have let him walk.  If 1 year for big money wasn't enough for him, then so be it.  I just don't see why the team had to hamstring itself going forward to bring back a team, that has very little hope of beating Miami (as evidenced by the last two eliminations to Miami who is much younger). 

[Snakehead]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

I'd have let him walk.  If 1 year for big money wasn't enough for him, then so be it.  I just don't see why the team had to hamstring itself going forward to bring back a team, that has very little hope of beating Miami (as evidenced by the last two eliminations to Miami who is much younger). 

I'm so confused... you realize we lost only in the 4th quarter of game 7?

Miami is beatable, especially if we are healthy and add some quality players, like it appears like we may do.

[chambers]

If Ray resigns that means we'll have Pierce and Ray for two more years and KG for 2, possibly 3.  We can't expect any of them to do anything but get worse from here on out. 

This year we got by because of KG playing his best ball since 2007 and carrying this team with Rondo.  I really don't see KG being able to duplicate that next year, let alone 2 or 3 years down the road. 

What happened to keeping cap flexibility Ainge?  What happened to not hanging on too long?  Why he is giving Ray a two year deal and KG a 3 year deal (I thought 2 years was pushing it, let alone 3) is just mindboggling.  Pierce is overpaid and got too many years as well.  I'm not saying we need to blow it up, but we shouldn't be preparing ourselves to get stuck in no mans land as a stinker 8 seed.

This is the point I've been trying to make for the last few weeks, the OP hits the nail on the head. This team as constructed cannot beat the Heat, Pacers, maybe not even the Sixers. Another year older, this is rough right now, just either sign Mayo to get much needed youth or let the kids play. I would have rather renounced everyone to get at Hibbert and Mayo if they were going that route...would have been better than this outcome.

We can't beat the Pacers? You're kidding right?
We just beat Philly with Bradley down, Ray on one leg, Pierce one leg and Steimsma on one leg, with basically zero help off the bench offensively in the playoffs.

You're reasoning doesn't make sense. Sign Mayo and Hibbert to 4 year deals and achieve what? The only thing we will achieve is exactly what you are describing- getting beat by third tier NBA teams with no real superstars like the Pacers and 76ers yet a defensive system that isn't quite good enough to scare the Bulls or Heat or Thunder.

Now we have all these vets that can obviously still play, guiding, teaching, mentoring another young crop of talent in the best franchise and locker room in the NBA.
We won't be at the bottom, hoping to hit the jackpot like New Orleans on a once in 5 year player like Rose, Durant, or Anthony Davis.
A lottery rebuild could take 8 years or more in a reasonable turn around. A turn around with bad luck and poor picks could take much longer.

[Rondo2287]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

I'd have let him walk.  If 1 year for big money wasn't enough for him, then so be it.  I just don't see why the team had to hamstring itself going forward to bring back a team, that has very little hope of beating Miami (as evidenced by the last two eliminations to Miami who is much younger). 

I really don't think that we are hamstrung though.  10 million a year for KG isnt a bad deal even for 3 years.  Would you have rathered 10 mill a year for KG or 8.3 mill per year for Asik?

[Celtics18]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

I'd have let him walk.  If 1 year for big money wasn't enough for him, then so be it.  I just don't see why the team had to hamstring itself going forward to bring back a team, that has very little hope of beating Miami (as evidenced by the last two eliminations to Miami who is much younger). 

I guess if you were being a pessimist, you would say that nobody has much hope of beating Miami.  On the other hand, if you are looking for a team that has any shot at beating the Heat, ours would have to be at the very top of the list.  That's why Danny's bringing it back (hopefully with the right tweaks to make us a little stronger and a little deeper).

[Fafnir]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

I'd have let him walk.  If 1 year for big money wasn't enough for him, then so be it.  I just don't see why the team had to hamstring itself going forward to bring back a team, that has very little hope of beating Miami (as evidenced by the last two eliminations to Miami who is much younger). 

Here's the key, I don't think Ainger/Doc/etc think the team has very little hope.

If they did they'd probably start rebuilding.

[Fafnir]

They did it with young players, if KG/PP both decline noticably we could have a similar thing with older vets though.

Yeah, there's a possibility that this could blow up in our faces.

The difference is that with the Pistons, there was no realistic chance of their plan working out.  Iverson, Gordon, and Charlie V?  Seriously?

The big difference is that it looks like we'll have money tied up only 2 years right now. The Pistons tied up their cap for 5 years...

True, but 2013 looks like it is going to be a very strong free agent market and with the new sign and trade provisions going into effect that summer, the only real way for teams to sign top level free agents is to have cap space.  Boston has effectively removed itself from that free agent class, and that is what worries me.

2012 looked like a banner FA clas and that didn't pan out.

We set up our window of cap space and only one player worth it ended up being available, you can't keep rolling cap space forward when you're a playoff team.

[Moranis]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

I'd have let him walk.  If 1 year for big money wasn't enough for him, then so be it.  I just don't see why the team had to hamstring itself going forward to bring back a team, that has very little hope of beating Miami (as evidenced by the last two eliminations to Miami who is much younger). 

I really don't think that we are hamstrung though.  10 million a year for KG isnt a bad deal even for 3 years.  Would you have rathered 10 mill a year for KG or 8.3 mill per year for Asik?

I would have rather had neither on the books going into the 2013-14 season.  Sign KG to a 1 yr contract, I'd even give him more dollars for that one year to make him happy, and then let him retire after the season rather than significantly overpay in the future and have him eliminate Boston's shot at signing any significant free agents in the summer of 2013.  

Ainge has now done exactly what he said he wasn't going to do.  He has hung on to long to old veteran stars and is overpaying to do it.  

[Rondo2287]

I just don't get why Boston eliminated the future cap space.  Seems silly and unnecessary.  

If KG wasn't happy with a one year deal then what else was were the C's to do?

I'd have let him walk.  If 1 year for big money wasn't enough for him, then so be it.  I just don't see why the team had to hamstring itself going forward to bring back a team, that has very little hope of beating Miami (as evidenced by the last two eliminations to Miami who is much younger). 

Here's the key, I don't think Ainger/Doc/etc think the team has very little hope.

If they did they'd probably start rebuilding.

I agree.  Danny said many times on WEEI that this years team did overachieve.  But he also brings up Green and Wilcox as the key reasons why he calls it an overachievement.  With Green and Wilcox Danny would have expected this team to make the finals IMO