What Has Danny Done?

[BASS_THUMPER]

lol

we win a couple games in very cool ways
and realize tank theory ran out of gas
the team is starting to gel
and Danny did something wrong

wiggy is not and never was are plan
and now that we see this team is serious
lets cheer em on

[RAcker]

I am laughing because I knew this type of thread was coming, I just did not know when. 

With the team we have constructed, we all know that there will be ups and downs...sometimes in the extreme.  We should enjoy the development of the young guys and root on the vets so that Danny can get the most out of what we all knew was a re-building season.

Enjoy all!

[billysan]

I am laughing because I knew this type of thread was coming, I just did not know when. 

With the team we have constructed, we all know that there will be ups and downs...sometimes in the extreme.  We should enjoy the development of the young guys and root on the vets so that Danny can get the most out of what we all knew was a re-building season.
Enjoy all!

TP    This was one of the points of the thread.

I wanted to reflect on the type of players Danny has assembled on the roster and the new coach he selected. I also wanted to comment on the enthusiasm that the young players are displaying and how well Brad Stevens has motivated them.

This rebuilding is a big challenge for a new coach as we know and the fact that he has zero NBA experience is also significant. The players, including veterans are buying in so far and there is a positive culture developing.

Regardless of wins and losses at the end of this season, I am cheering for the coach and the youg core of this team. If they can keep up the good attitude and teamwork then we all have something to be excited about going forward.

[More Banners]

I am laughing because I knew this type of thread was coming, I just did not know when. 

With the team we have constructed, we all know that there will be ups and downs...sometimes in the extreme.  We should enjoy the development of the young guys and root on the vets so that Danny can get the most out of what we all knew was a re-building season.
Enjoy all!

TP    This was one of the points of the thread.

I wanted to reflect on the type of players Danny has assembled on the roster and the new coach he selected. I also wanted to comment on the enthusiasm that the young players are displaying and how well Brad Stevens has motivated them.

This rebuilding is a big challenge for a new coach as we know and the fact that he has zero NBA experience is also significant. The players, including veterans are buying in so far and there is a positive culture developing.

Regardless of wins and losses at the end of this season, I am cheering for the coach and the youg core of this team. If they can keep up the good attitude and teamwork then we all have something to be excited about going forward.

I'm pretty excited about the team as well.  KO and Sully - I've been impressed with their passing (and willingness to pass) so much.  Neither is exactly an athletic specimen, nor is either particularly quick, but they both have good court smarts and can move and pass.

Bird/McHale light!

[aingeforthree]

I know we are only 8 games into the new season. I know we have a 4-4 record and havent really played against a tough schedule on paper other than the Heat. I know we have a roster full of rookies, role players and unproven young players with potential.

The fact is, these guys seem to be having fun. The fact is, they seem to believe in themselves and more importantly in each other. Even a curmudgeonly display or two by some older veterans hasnt dampened the spirit of this team.

I enjoy watching as much as the next guy, but I guardedly wait for this ship to crash on the rocks. How long will the team go out on the floor with a chip and play hard? Especially when the losses and blowouts come?

I think we have built a nice positive culture here. Danny has found a coach and players that are providing a nice foundation to build with. I dont know if Rajon Rondo has bought in or not, but he seems engaged on the sideline. How long can Brad Stevens keep these guys focused and playing hard?

How long before Danny starts tinkering and blows this thing up?

What if we keep slogging along at or near a .500 record?

Will that influence Danny not to trade some of these youngsters?

Is this thing coming together faster than he calculated?

I kinda just forget the record for a moment and realize, the C's have been in every single game they've played.

They share the ball, are willing to make the extra pass, and will put in effort on the defensive end.  That's all we can ask, no matter what 'us' talent evaluators think.

Face it, players like Crawford and Bass are making some of us look downright silly on here for packaging them for peanuts in the offseason.  That's why Ainge is in charge and we're just fans who like to think we can evaluate talent.

Ainge hired the obvious right coach for the situation.  Has Rondo bought in ?  I think he's all in and then some, and you can see it glowing from the bench.

[kozlodoev]

I kinda just forget the record for a moment and realize, the C's have been in every single game they've played.

This is true. It is also what I find most impressive about the team.

We've had the lead in the 4th in every single game so far. Every one. How about that.

[Boris Badenov]

I am laughing because I knew this type of thread was coming, I just did not know when. 

With the team we have constructed, we all know that there will be ups and downs...sometimes in the extreme.  We should enjoy the development of the young guys and root on the vets so that Danny can get the most out of what we all knew was a re-building season.
Enjoy all!

TP    This was one of the points of the thread.

I wanted to reflect on the type of players Danny has assembled on the roster and the new coach he selected. I also wanted to comment on the enthusiasm that the young players are displaying and how well Brad Stevens has motivated them.

This rebuilding is a big challenge for a new coach as we know and the fact that he has zero NBA experience is also significant. The players, including veterans are buying in so far and there is a positive culture developing.

Regardless of wins and losses at the end of this season, I am cheering for the coach and the youg core of this team. If they can keep up the good attitude and teamwork then we all have something to be excited about going forward.

Yeah, I think a lot of us - well, me anyway - assumed that this year's team would be painful to watch. Too many new pieces, no real identity, rookie coach, etc.

In fact, mostly because of those low expectations, I'm enjoying this year more than last year, so far.

I'd rather watch a team of youthful overachievers play .500 ball than watch a team with deep playoff hopes play .500 ball, like we did last year.

[aingeforthree]

I kinda just forget the record for a moment and realize, the C's have been in every single game they've played.

This is true. It is also what I find most impressive about the team.

We've had the lead in the 4th in every single game so far. Every one. How about that.

Now that's a stat I didn't know.  Even better than I thought.  Surprises me.

I thought I'd never get over the Milwaukee loss where we were up big, but that stat & this 4 game streak is helping me cope.

[ScoobyDoo]

Some pundits consider Stevens a young "genius" basketball mind.


I think what we are seeing is a coach who really understands how to maximize the talent he has. He also seems to allow players to play to their strengths.

As we accumulate more talent, we are going to be looking at championships - perhaps many of them.

Olynyk, Vitor, Sully, Green, Bradley, Rondo, Craqwford, Pressey, Brooks (not giving up yet until Stevens does..)

To the above -

Add one max free agent $30 million or so of cap space in 2015 off season - 20 months from now...

Add possibly one lottery pick this year and another mid first round pick

This team is in very good shape moving forward.

[aingeforthree]

Some pundits consider Stevens a young "genius" basketball mind.


I think what we are seeing is a coach who really understands how to maximize the talent he has. He also seems to allow players to play to their strengths.

As we accumulate more talent, we are going to be looking at championships - perhaps many of them.

Olynyk, Vitor, Sully, Green, Bradley, Rondo, Craqwford, Pressey, Brooks (not giving up yet until Stevens does..)

To the above -

Add one max free agent $30 million or so of cap space in 2015 off season - 20 months from now...

Add possibly one lottery pick this year and another mid first round pick

This team is in very good shape moving forward.

Extremely good shape.

Setup to do big time damage moving forward.

[yoursweatersux]

I think we're in a win-win scenario right now.

1) Our rookies will get a lot of playing time no matter what, and that's going to give them experience (if we plan on keeping them) or build up their trade value massively.

2) If the team overperforms, that makes out players look even better and turns them into even more valuable trade assets.

3) If the team does horribly, we're going to get some excellent draft picks.

Personally, I hope this team outperforms everybody's expectations and that lets us snag a decent free agent for next season, and maybe convert one or two of our tradeable players into somebody legit. With Rondo coming back and a couple of key pieces added, we could turn this back into a playoff team nearly immediately and get to work on polishing ourselves into a contender kind of like how Indiana and Memphis slowly worked themselves into their current positions.

[aingeforthree]

I think we're in a win-win scenario right now.

1) Our rookies will get a lot of playing time no matter what, and that's going to give them experience (if we plan on keeping them) or build up their trade value massively.

2) If the team overperforms, that makes out players look even better and turns them into even more valuable trade assets.

3) If the team does horribly, we're going to get some excellent draft picks.

Personally, I hope this team outperforms everybody's expectations and that lets us snag a decent free agent for next season, and maybe convert one or two of our tradeable players into somebody legit. With Rondo coming back and a couple of key pieces added, we could turn this back into a playoff team nearly immediately and get to work on polishing ourselves into a contender kind of like how Indiana and Memphis slowly worked themselves into their current positions.

It's like a triple win.  Because if they do what you hope they do, instead of snagging that decent free agent you speak of you can work the magic yourself with all of the assets Ainge has accumulated.

So even if a free agent didn't want to come here, you could trade for that so called free agent using expiring contracts (Hump), trade exceptions (Brooklyn trade), players, & picks/future picks. 

You have a lot of bullets to trade out regardless of what the outcome is after the final whistle.

Extremely good shape if you're running this franchise going forward.

[Celtics18]

A lot of back tracking going on around here.  All of a sudden, there seem to be a lot of folks who are just now realizing that having this team stay competitive this season is good not just for this season, but for the future as well.

Some of us have been singing this tune for a while. 

Welcome aboard, folks!

[yoursweatersux]

A lot of back tracking going on around here.  All of a sudden, there seem to be a lot of folks who are just now realizing that having this team stay competitive this season is good not just for this season, but for the future as well.

Some of us have been singing this tune for a while. 

Welcome aboard, folks!

Well, the only reasons why I was upset with Ainge were:

1) I wanted Paul Pierce to retire here. I admit that was purely for loyalty/emotional reasons.

2) I thought Ainge had set us up (intentionally) to tank.

I mean why else would you take on guys like Jordan Crawford? Now, amazingly, whether through Brad Stevens throwing a wrench in the works of Ainge's tanking plans or through players like Crawford simply stepping their games up, we no longer seem to be going down the tanking path. I think this is fantastic, because a lot of people have begun to realize lately that tanking doesn't really work.

People seem to think that you need to hit some sort of home run in the draft in order to win big. The reality is that all you need is a bunch of base hits and a little bit of luck if your GM makes smart moves on a consistent basis. You can tank all you want but if your GM sucks you're just going to end up like the Thunder or the Lebron James Cavs. The Thunder blew a potential dynasty by failing to amnesty Perkins and letting Harden walk. The Cavs threw multiple championships in the toilet by being CONSISTENTLY unable to surround Lebron James with better talent than Anderson freaking Varejao.

edit: actually, the list goes on and on. How about the Magic and Dwight Howard? They paid Rashard Lewis HOW MUCH??? If they had gotten Dwight some legit help they would still have Howard and probably a championship or two.

As much as I hate the Lakers, I at least admire the fact that tanking is never an option for them. I know people will say "well that's because free agents all want to go there" but the reality is that causation and correlation are getting mixed up - free agents want to go where they can win. Also, if just being an awesome location for free agency was so important then I'm pretty sure the Knicks would have won a championships within, oh, the last several decades.

[D.o.s.]

is it too soon to bring up the Bobcats' 7-5 start last year?