Could Ainge go against conventional wisdom

[PhoSita]

The team mentioned in the original post would be a mid-to-low playoff seed even in the East.  40-45 wins.  Maybe high 40s at best.


This is a star league.  You don't win many games or really any playoff series if you don't have star players.

[clover]

There's a lot of room between the Durant/James-level superstar and sub-All-Star-level just kind of good players.

Danny knows he needs multiple star-level players.

[CFAN38]

I think you guys misunderstood Ainge here. He never said you don't need all-stars, he said you don't need superstars like lebron , Kobe. Duncan, etc. I'm sure he doesn't mean let's build a contender with Jeff Green, Asik, and Bradley, I think he means more like let's get Aldridge to pair with Rondo and some good players. Aldridge is not Durant, Lebron, or even Anthony Davis level, but with a great supporting cast he could be your Webber or Sheed for example

Exactly.

When you can't get a Lebron/Durant you get the next best thing (Melo/George) and do what you can. I think the Pacers are a very similar type of team to the 04 Pistons. The biggest difference with the 04 Pistons though was their lack of ego and strong sense of identity. They played amazing team defense and offensively it was never about one guy. The Pacers need that same mindset. They are fooling themselves if they think George is going to keep pace with Lebron in a 7 game series and win.

Yup, ainge has said in the past that you need star talent. Joe Dumars was lucky / shrewd in that he found borderline stars on non max contracts for that pistons title in 2004.

What he was saying is that, although ideally you want a superstar on your team, there just aren't enough of them to go around. Kevin durant and Lebron James are it this year.

We got lucky in that Garnett had one elite superstar season left in him in 2007-08. Then injury struck, followed  by age.

Luck plays a ton in this too. What if KG doesnt get injured in 2009? What if Karl Malone doesn't get injured just before the NBA finals in 2004. How would the Wallace's have fared against shaq and Malone.

The biggest key in the non superstar approach, i think, is that you need great defense. And that defense needs to be anchored by a big man.

That last point is spot on elite team D and efficient offense is key to this plan. Its basically what the Spurs have developed into as Duncan ages and what the Bulls become ever time Rose gets hurt.

[GreenFaith1819]

I don't doubt that Ainge will keep all options on the table as far as the next yr or two.

I still vividly remember the shock I had when my shipmate came to me on deployment and told me that we got KG and Ray Ray back in summer of 2007.

I just couldn't believe that he pulled that off.

Fast-forward to now? I trust that he will be savvy, just like before.

My thoughts are that we somehow keep Rondo, Green, and Sully...maybe even AB.

But the key acquisition, for ME, is THIS guy:



I can't think of any other player out there that would bleed Green, bring defensive intensity and emotion, great passing, leadership and teamwork than Joakim Noah.

He reminds me of KG.

I don't know how/if we can get him, but he'd by MY choice to build around as a centerpiece for a 2007-08 like run.

[LooseCannon]

I don't know how/if we can get him, but he'd by MY choice to build around as a centerpiece for a 2007-08 like run.

You need Derrick Rose to turn into Brandon Roy and give the Bulls no choice but to blow it up and sell off their roster for future assets that will come to fruition after Rose's contract is off the books.

[ManUp]

Anyone else think the 2011 Mav's fit the bill as well? First off, Dirk is definitely an MVP type who could be the best player on most contenders. However, if you look at the lack of elite talent around him I think that Mavs team could be consider another Detroit type winner. Chandler fits the bill for elite defensive big to anchor the defense.

[moiso]

I don't doubt that Ainge will keep all options on the table as far as the next yr or two.

I still vividly remember the shock I had when my shipmate came to me on deployment and told me that we got KG and Ray Ray back in summer of 2007.

I just couldn't believe that he pulled that off.

Fast-forward to now? I trust that he will be savvy, just like before.

My thoughts are that we somehow keep Rondo, Green, and Sully...maybe even AB.

But the key acquisition, for ME, is THIS guy:



I can't think of any other player out there that would bleed Green, bring defensive intensity and emotion, great passing, leadership and teamwork than Joakim Noah.

He reminds me of KG.

I don't know how/if we can get him, but he'd by MY choice to build around as a centerpiece for a 2007-08 like run.

I love him too.  I don't think he is going to age well though.  He is all motor and hustle and has an injury history.

[chambers]

I think he's full of it here as he is a lot of the time.
Only before last season he stated that you need multiple franchise level players to win a championship.
He's also said there are no Durants or Lebrons in this draft and no one that he's overly miffed with in this draft. Now if you've seen him following Jabari Parker around the country since he was 15 then you may disagree with that statement too.

[Celtics4ever]

You have to have guys who can go one on one.  Ainge will take whatever method gets him back fastest and that includes tanking.   He won't admit it but he put together a hodge podge roster this year that was not built to contend.

[More Banners]

I think you guys misunderstood Ainge here. He never said you don't need all-stars, he said you don't need superstars like lebron , Kobe. Duncan, etc. I'm sure he doesn't mean let's build a contender with Jeff Green, Asik, and Bradley, I think he means more like let's get Aldridge to pair with Rondo and some good players. Aldridge is not Durant, Lebron, or even Anthony Davis level, but with a great supporting cast he could be your Webber or Sheed for example

Exactly.

When you can't get a Lebron/Durant you get the next best thing (Melo/George) and do what you can. I think the Pacers are a very similar type of team to the 04 Pistons. The biggest difference with the 04 Pistons though was their lack of ego and strong sense of identity. They played amazing team defense and offensively it was never about one guy. The Pacers need that same mindset. They are fooling themselves if they think George is going to keep pace with Lebron in a 7 game series and win.

Yup, ainge has said in the past that you need star talent. Joe Dumars was lucky / shrewd in that he found borderline stars on non max contracts for that pistons title in 2004.

What he was saying is that, although ideally you want a superstar on your team, there just aren't enough of them to go around. Kevin durant and Lebron James are it this year.

We got lucky in that Garnett had one elite superstar season left in him in 2007-08. Then injury struck, followed  by age.

Luck plays a ton in this too. What if KG doesnt get injured in 2009? What if Karl Malone doesn't get injured just before the NBA finals in 2004. How would the Wallace's have fared against shaq and Malone.

The biggest key in the non superstar approach, i think, is that you need great defense. And that defense needs to be anchored by a big man.

exactly, as you said, a big man, aka...not Avery Bradley. Nothing wrong with AB, but you don't pay your defensive backup guard 8-9 million a year, you spend that on getting a defensive big man to complement your stars

Agree 100%.

I mean, it's amazing how solid defense can keep a lousy team with a puncher's chance.  Even our ECF 2002 Pierce/Walker/Who? team had 7' shot-blocking help defenders protecting the rim in, cough-cough, Battie and Blount.  That's why Blount got the full MLE: guys that can do that are valuable.  The alternative FA center that year who got a similar contract was Sam Dalembert, another defensive shot-blocker.

The defensive big seems to be key to the Larry Brown-type teams as well.  Pretty textbook, in other words.

And it's why I was pro-Asik trade.  We could quite suddenly become a very good defensive team with one move, especially if we kept Bradley.

And then we have the TE to sign a scorer (Stephenson?) this summer, use the MLE, and PRESTO! back in the hunt.