Haberstroh says Boston was a deadline loser

[ctrey]

His take which does have some merit:

Losers


Boston Celtics
Talking around the league, the biggest question mark from trade deadline day belongs to the C's. It seemed as though Marcus Smart was destined to be the point guard of the future for the Celtics, but now they've muddled that with Isaiah Thomas, who doesn't seem to have gotten along with anybody in his short time in the league. And now you put him with Smart?

On the surface, Thomas looks like a solid player, but he doesn't fit with Boston's plans right now. By adding Thomas for a likely late first-round pick in 2016, it looks as though they're trying to get stuck in the wheel of mediocrity when they should be trying to accumulate more long-term assets.

What do all you think of this? I think he raises some worthwhile questions.

[Roy H.]

I think that when you have the chance to land a young, good player on a cheap contract for a late first rounder, you do it.

[kozlodoev]

Haber...who?

[greg683x]

what long term assets were available at the deadline that we passed up??  You can only accumulate so many first round picks.  Thomas' contract is very cap friendly and he isnt gonna be paid like some franchise cornerstone player.  If he becomes a problem its still a very moveable contract.

It's also not set in stone that Marcus Smart is a PG. 

[KeepRondo]

I think Marcus Smart can't finish at the rim yet. Maybe he figures that part of his game out. But til then, the team badly needs another ball handler that can get into the lane and score.

I think adding Thomas was more about a team need then a career changer for Smart. I'm pretty sure the Celts will still try to develop Smart.

[apc]

Haber...who?

Sounds more like a Hater.

[fairweatherfan]

In my eyes a 26 year old productive PG who's signed at a very reasonable price for 3 more years when the cap's about to skyrocket IS a long-term asset. 

But what do I know, I guess it's just all about accumulating $Texas draft picks.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I saw this, too, and was mystified.

I like Smart, and it's clear that he's a good player, but I don't know why so many people insisted on pegging him as "Boston's point guard of the future." Can he play some point? Sure. But he's by no means what I would call a "natural" point guard. He's not elite at ball-handling or getting to the rim, and he doesn't have what I would call "Rondo-like" court vision and passing ability. He could, and hopefully will, improve in all those areas, but you can't be a "point guard of the future" when you're not elite at typical point guard skills.

[TwinTower14]

I think Marcus Smart can't finish at the rim yet. Maybe he figures that part of his game out. But til then, the team badly needs another ball handler that can get into the lane and score.

I think adding Thomas was more about a team need then a career changer for Smart. I'm pretty sure the Celts will still try to develop Smart.

I am hopeful that the 10 days off have really cleared up Marcus's lingering ankle issue.  We have been seeing more and more flashes of him hitting the rim, I expect to see more as we go....

[PickNRoll]

Clearly we should just draft 10 guys in the next 2 years.   

[Lucky17]

Haberstroh probably believes Smart is the PG of the future because Ainge traded Rondo.

If you accept the fact that most backcourt rotations require three guards, there's little reason to think that Thomas doesn't fit the Celtics' "plans right now."

[KeepRondo]

I think Marcus Smart can't finish at the rim yet. Maybe he figures that part of his game out. But til then, the team badly needs another ball handler that can get into the lane and score.

I think adding Thomas was more about a team need then a career changer for Smart. I'm pretty sure the Celts will still try to develop Smart.

I am hopeful that the 10 days off have really cleared up Marcus's lingering ankle issue.  We have been seeing more and more flashes of him hitting the rim, I expect to see more as we go....

Good point. Will be interesting to see if he has an extra bounce to his step tonight.

[MJohnnyboy]

People who think Boston was a loser yesterday are people who think the Celtics should be tanking. Anyone who doesn't think this was a great deal.

I for one think that it was a great deal. I think this is the first domino. The Celtics gave up an expiring who wasn't coming back after this season and a probable late 1st round pick in a not so great draft for someone who can get 20-25 points a night. Thomas is young, a bargain, and now he's a on team that will rely on him to be the primary scorer. Ainge loves the guys game and I trust Danny's judgement with talent (with the exception of Robert Swift).

Sure he's got flaws, but IT's game I think will mesh well with the team. Not just because I think his defensive inadequacies will be masked well by Bradley and Smart but also how he'll mesh with Turner and having bigs who can stretch the floor.

Anyone else think the Celtics's future at guard is basically set? Smart-Young-Thomas-Bradley is a great 4 guard rotation, and the C's have them for the next 3.5 years on cheap contracts. Ainge is a genius.

[saltlover]

I don't think he does at all.  Teams need three quality rotation guards.  Smart didn't start playing point until college, and he still has a lot of development left in that part of his game.  I saw some pundits calling Smart undersized at the 2, but he's capably guarded small forwards this year, so I don't give that much stock.

The analyses done by Celticsblog and others leading into the trade deadline indicated how some of the Celtics biggest weaknesses are Thomas' strengths.  Smart ahousk still get his 30 minutes per game most nights -- no development will be stunted.

From a medium-term point-of-view, winning this year is okay.  The Celtics are clearly too good to finish in the bottom 5 barring trades that ripped apart the team, and there was little point in that.  If they win a few more games, so what? And if they make the playoffs because they've continued to play better, fine.  The goal is to win eventually.  What's wrong with now?

From a longer-term perspective, the Celtics now have their main backcourt rotstion locked up through June of 2018 for between $18-$19 million per season.  That means they can spend other resources (draft picks and cap space) improving their frontcourt, unless and until an even better backcourt upgrade comes along.  It takes up a little more than 1/4 of this year's cap, and close to 1/5 of the following year's cap, to cover 3 of their top 9 rotation pieces.  From a team-building perspective, this is very good.

I frnakly think this writer was being contrarian for the sake of clicks.  The Thomas move made between a good deal of sense and a huge amount of sense.  The only thing I'll concede is that his reputation in the locker room isn't perfect.  That is a definite risk.  Still, Bradley played with him on the same youth team, so hopefully that decade-long relationship makes IT feel more at ease.

[footey]

the criticism raises legitimate concerns, I just don't agree with them.

Danny got a good player on a great contract.  I have no problems with the deal.

I think the one thing it does show is that Bradley was paid too much, if it turns out he comes off the bench.  Maybe he still starts, with Thomas off the bench. Wait and see.