Ainge hopes to ''blow off some fireworks'' this off-season

[rondohondo]

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge reaffirmed a desire to "blow off some fireworks" this offseason, but stressed that the team must remain patient and diligent while navigating this transition process.

Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck suggested last month that the Celtics had potential for fireworks this offseason given Boston's pile of assets (draft picks, tradable contracts, trade exceptions) and Ainge has said he hopes the team can light up the summer sky with moves to restore Boston to contender status.

"I’m going to try to blow off some fireworks, but I have to be patient as well and we have to make sure that we don’t do deals just to do deals," Ainge said Thursday during his weekly call to Boston sports radio 98.5 the Sports Hub. "We have to do the right deals. Those are a lot harder than most people think or believe or understand. I’m not making any promises, we have a busy summer ahead of us, and there's a lot of different directions we could go."

"I think that the the groundwork has been laid, potentially for some deals this summer. But no guarantees," said Ainge. Asked what the areas of need were for his team, Ainge added: "We need quality players. I would just say, one of our weaknesses has been a closer and rim protection -- those have been two of our weaker spots in the course of this year. But, listen, I’ve seen a lot of teams react and fill those needs at the expense of something else. It’s just not that easy that you can go find those weaknesses, or we’d obviously have them. A closer is obviously a really really hard to find."

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4712285/ainge-hopes-to-blow-off-some-fireworks

fireworks to me sounds like a Kevin Love or Melo type talent

He mentions a rim protector= Asik, Gortat, Sanders, Robin Lopez?

[celticdog]

I'm looking forward to it.  Dont want Melo, but Love and Asik would be exciting.

Maybe he could trade Stevens for Scal?   

[ScottHow]

Has there ever been a gm/owner that has talked so much about potential moves? This seems really strange to me. Why say this about an upcoming offseason?

[crimson_stallion]

I'm looking forward to it.  Dont want Melo, but Love and Asik would be exciting.

Maybe he could trade Stevens for Scal?   

Don't want the guy averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists per game on a $20M contract...but happy to take the center who's averaging 9 points, 13 rebounds and 1 assist per 36 minutes for $15M.

Call me crazy, but this labs me a little...bewildered.

Carmello is the closest you're going to get to a Pierce replacement.  Very similar type of player to what Pierce was before Ray and KG cane over in 08.  Similar offensive game, similar attitude, similar defensive issues, both good parts and rebounders, both incredible clutch scorers.  When Piece got veteran help his scoring went down, his assists went up, his offensive efficiency went up, his defense improved and suddenly all the people who previously considered him a pure chucker got a ton of respect for him.  Same would likely happen with Melo on the right roster.

[cb8883]

They need to fire Ainge before he does something stupid. Most overrated GM in sports. He's gutless and didn't have the balls to gut the team and do the right thing because Wyc didn't want ticket sales to suffer even more. Rondo should have been moved at the deadline for whatever they could get.

[JBcat]

I'm looking forward to it.  Dont want Melo, but Love and Asik would be exciting.

Maybe he could trade Stevens for Scal?   

Don't want the guy averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists per game on a $20M contract...but happy to take the center who's averaging 9 points, 13 rebounds and 1 assist per 36 minutes for $15M.

Call me crazy, but this labs me a little...bewildered.

Carmello is the closest you're going to get to a Pierce replacement.  Very similar type of player to what Pierce was before Ray and KG cane over in 08.  Similar offensive game, similar attitude, similar defensive issues, both good parts and rebounders, both incredible clutch scorers.  When Piece got veteran help his scoring went down, his assists went up, his offensive efficiency went up, his defense improved and suddenly all the people who previously considered him a pure chucker got a ton of respect for him.  Same would likely happen with Melo on the right roster.

I'm sticking up for Pierce here.  If you look at his per 36 stats the previous 5 years or so before the big 3 era his assists numbers are roughly the same, and if anything a tad higher.  With Rondo at the helm he didn't have to initiate the offense as much.  Also I always thought Paul was an underrated defender even prior to the big 3 era.

On a lighter note I had a dream Jeff Green and Avery Bradley were involved with some sort of deal with JJ Reddick and other pieces coming here.  Lol

[PhoSita]

I don't think there's a Kevin Garnett deal out there for this summer. 

That said, if somehow Ainge can acquire Love or Melo without giving up our top 10 pick in this draft, that would be a coup of epic proportions.  Might rival the KG deal.

[BleedGreen1989]

Rim protector-Omer Asik

Closer-Jabari Parker

Boom. All done.


In all seriousness, I expect moves this summer but am curbing my expectations.

[Kane3387]

I'd say all this to if I was trying to sell season tickets after this season.

[Tr1boy]

Fireworks 1) Trade the picks for vets like Love, Asik, Melo. Attract good FA role players
Fireworks 2) Unable to execute Fireworks 1). Trade Rondo to Sac/Det. With our picks, draft one pg (Exum, Smart, Ennis) , one BPA and one high upside project (Capela, Nurkic, Young).  Resign Bradley to a 5 year deal

No fireworks 1 or fireworks 2 = offesason failure. It has to be one or the other imo to set the this on the right track. You have a team like this (rondo  + most of the current lineup), we can expect another tank season.  I mean Danny is willin got be patient, so i can see him just sign a few FA's , keep the picks and see where things go from there (at least projected to win 10 more games). Then by the trade deadline, depending who is threatning to be traded, try to grab them. Maybe Rondo is the one that will be gone so that a proper rebuild can take off.

Failure for the next several years = no fireworks 1) or 2), no big moves by the 2015 trade deadline, no playoffs and signing Rajon hot dog Rondo to a max deal.   I will be depressed

[Donoghus]

Sure...the "potential" for fireworks is there but I'm not so confident that it's likely to happen. 

Maybe if worst case scenario happens with the lottery. 

I just think this is a multi-year rebuild and this season being the rock bottom. 

[rondohondo]

If we miss out on a top 4 pick

trade 1 =
Bos sends: pick #5-8 Sully, Bogans (non-guaranteed), Anthony(expiring)
Minny sends: Love

trade # 2
Bos sends: TPE and Brooklyn pick(#18) this year
Hou sends: Asik

resign Bradley for 3yrs/5 mil per

PG: Rondo     / Pressy ?
SG: Bradley   / Johnson ?
SF: Green     / Wallace?
PF: Love      / KO
 C: Asik         / Fav

not a contender , but could see that team win 50+ games in the East. Still have all our draft picks through 2019 . Still would need to upgrade at SF eventually IMO, need a knock down shooter at either SG or SF.

[Tr1boy]

Sure...the "potential" for fireworks is there but I'm not so confident that it's likely to happen. 

Maybe if worst case scenario happens with the lottery. 

I just think this is a multi-year rebuild and this season being the rock bottom.

Ainge is going to initiate/attempt to make some deals unlike this past trade deadline where he did didly.

But i can understand also why he didn't do anything. If we traded Rondo to Sac, and they won alot more games, the worth of the 2014 pick drops down significantly. By keeping Rondo , Sac still stinking and now really needing a pg for next season, you could try to pry off more from them or at least get yourself a top 10 pick. Though the way Rondo has finished off, i don't think no team is going to give up a top 10 pick for him.  I rather take my chances with Smart, Exum or even Ennis, then trade them for Rondo.

On the flipside, we are going to have a top 5 or 6 pick. Danny might of known a guy like Love can't be had , unless the pick is guaranteed to be in this range. Now that it is, he can put together a package including the pick and Sully for Love.

So the effort will be there this time but as for the end result  there is a decent chance nothing happens. Nobody is willing to overpay for Rondo and teams like the Wolves rather keep Love

[PhoSita]

Rim protector-Omer Asik

Closer-Jabari Parker

Boom. All done.

In all seriousness about Asik, adding him to this team would be a major improvement.

He's a legit DPOY candidate if he gets a full-time starting job on the right team.

[BballTim]

They need to fire Ainge before he does something stupid. Most overrated GM in sports. He's gutless and didn't have the balls to gut the team and do the right thing because Wyc didn't want ticket sales to suffer even more. Rondo should have been moved at the deadline for whatever they could get.

   Yes, that's a brilliant plan. Except for the 90% or so chance it won't work.