Andrew Sharp (Grantland) says C's deadline losers

[guava_wrench]

“Wait, W T F are they doing?”

Collecting assets.

I just can’t understand whether the Celtics are tanking or not.

We're collecting assets. Sometimes that leads to a better team today and sometimes it leads to a worse team today. 

If they are going for the eighth seed … why?

Sometimes making the playoffs will happen when you collect assets in a certain way.

If they are trying to land in the top five, why trade for Thomas?

Sometimes collecting assets means getting better in the present.

Giving up the Cavs pick is not as big of a deal as “first-round pick” sounds, but still.

It's not a big deal at all given that what we did was to trade a less-valuable asset for a more-valuable asset.

Adding a scoring combo guard to Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in any context...

It does if you're collecting assets.

...and especially not one in which the goal is to rebuild through the draft.

The draft is not the only way to collect assets.

This is what happens you plan to tank for a year or two and accidentally hire a great coach who gets the most out of everyone on the roster.

It also happens when you've spent two straight years collecting assets that will improve the team in both the future and the present.

If the Celtics had Byron Scott instead of Brad Stevens, their tanking intentions would be crystal clear right now.

Having Byron Scott instead of Brad Stevens would not represent asset collection.

TP

But what about something something tanking something ...

[Smartacus]

I'm a big fan of the heavy hitters on Grantlant- Simmons Lowe Goldsberry Jalen and Jacoby- but after them everyone else on the staff seems like overly dramatic, sassy twits. Chris Ryan in particular makes that NBA after dark show unlistenable.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I'm a big fan of the heavy hitters on Grantlant- Simmons Lowe Goldsberry Jalen and Jacoby- but after them everyone else on the staff seems like overly dramatic, sassy twits. Chris Ryan in particular makes that NBA after dark show unlistenable.

That show is great but yeah I'm not a big Chris Ryan fan

[ssspence]

“Wait, W T F are they doing?”

Collecting assets.

I just can’t understand whether the Celtics are tanking or not.

We're collecting assets. Sometimes that leads to a better team today and sometimes it leads to a worse team today. 

If they are going for the eighth seed … why?

Sometimes making the playoffs will happen when you collect assets in a certain way.

If they are trying to land in the top five, why trade for Thomas?

Sometimes collecting assets means getting better in the present.

Giving up the Cavs pick is not as big of a deal as “first-round pick” sounds, but still.

It's not a big deal at all given that what we did was to trade a less-valuable asset for a more-valuable asset.

Adding a scoring combo guard to Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in any context...

It does if you're collecting assets.

...and especially not one in which the goal is to rebuild through the draft.

The draft is not the only way to collect assets.

This is what happens you plan to tank for a year or two and accidentally hire a great coach who gets the most out of everyone on the roster.

It also happens when you've spent two straight years collecting assets that will improve the team in both the future and the present.

If the Celtics had Byron Scott instead of Brad Stevens, their tanking intentions would be crystal clear right now.

Having Byron Scott instead of Brad Stevens would not represent asset collection.

Nicely done.

I think Zach Lowe is excellent, and Simmons is Simmons. Then there's a steep-ol-cliff at Grantland

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Celtics

“Wait, W T F are they doing?”

I just can’t understand whether the Celtics are tanking or not. If they are going for the eighth seed … why? If they are trying to land in the top five, why trade for Thomas? Giving up the Cavs pick is not as big of a deal as “first-round pick” sounds, but still. Adding a scoring combo guard to Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in any context, and especially not one in which the goal is to rebuild through the draft.

This is what happens you plan to tank for a year or two and accidentally hire a great coach who gets the most out of everyone on the roster. If the Celtics had Byron Scott instead of Brad Stevens, their tanking intentions would be crystal clear right now.

I guess this guy thinks the way to build a champion (the ONLY way, apparently) is to be a bottom-three team every season for about five seasons, a method for which the fates will reward you with great team chemistry and near-instant success.

[Kuberski1]

I think it's not only collecting assets, but improving on the pile of assets when possible.  And I think our assets, current roster + picks, did indeed improve with the acquisition of IT, not to mention the guys from Det.

Thomas may or may not be part of the longer-term solution, which is hopefully to again become a contender.  But by improving the asset pile, so to speak, I believe Ainge and co maximize the chances that we can build a contender.  This is not too different the last time around; one example which comes to mind was turning Battie, EWill, and Kendrick Brown (remember him?), into Ricky Davis and spare parts.  Davis was then used to get Wally Z, who was then in turn one of the key pieces to get Ray Allen.  By improving the asset base, Danny was able to turn those original 3 guys, plus picks along the way, into one of the big 3.   

I like Grantland, but sometimes think they stretch things to make a point.  In part, this may be because they have to produce a certain amount of articles by various deadlines, and thus sometimes force things, which I think they have done here.

[crimson_stallion]

I don't disagree with him.  What is the point in the trade?  On its face it is a clear win, but it doesn't make Boston contenders and hurts Boston draft pick status this year.

1) Boston has been desperate for consistent 20 PPG+ scorer for about 5 years now.  IT is a legit outside threat and is also very good at getting to the paint and the foul line (where he also shoots at a high rate).  He fills a void we've desperately needed for a long time now.

2) Thomas is only 26 years old (so he has plenty of upside) and locked in for 4 years at only around $6.5M a year (so he doesn't hurt our cap flexibility).  Why sit around trying to decide between proven talent vs future potential...if you can have both?  Thomas not only makes us a better team now, and doesn't hinder the rebuilding plans.  Soon when the cap increases, this deal is going to be worth it's weight in gold.

3) Boston is going to have a nice amount of cap space to sign free agents, but up until now they looked like a team that wouldn't be winning anything soon - and hence would likely struggle to attract free agents.   The addition of a talent like Thomas undoubtedly increases the appeal for other free agents who may not have otherwise considered Boston.

Before I felt like getting a guy like Monroe or Hibbert in free agency was a long shot.  Now th

and we have him locked in to a 4 year contract at around $6.5M a year.  That's crazy good in an era where everybody overpays for talent!

[No Nickname]

3) Boston is going to have a nice amount of cap space to sign free agents, but up until now they looked like a team that wouldn't be winning anything soon - and hence would likely struggle to attract free agents.   The addition of a talent like Thomas undoubtedly increases the appeal for other free agents who may not have otherwise considered Boston.

This is the crux of the situation. Well said. At some point you have to look good or else you can't get the KG player that has a say in where he goes. Ray had no choice. KG did. And he wouldn't have agreed to the trade to Boston without Pierce and Ray.

[tenn_smoothie]

I don't like the trade for several reasons - a couple of which are mentioned in Sharp's comments, plus we added a head case to a group who seems to have good chemistry and who want to be part of the Celts return to an elite team. Also, didn't we already have our 3-guard rotation for the future set (Bradley, Smart, Young) ??

This also makes me nervous because it could indicate a return to Danny's very destructive habit of making compulsive trades and changing the overall rebuilding plan in mid-stream just because something strikes him as a good idea and because Danny has a need to prove how clever he is and because I firmly believe he gets nervous and jumpy if things are going well and there is too much peace and contentment around the organization. These tendencies have already cost us great opportunities at Banners 18 and maybe 19.

Treat our players like Celtic family, Danny, not Monopoly properties !!

[Tr1boy]

Looks like we are the winners

[Mr October]

Looks like we are the winners

I like Thomas. And I think I liked the trade.

But, the critics won't be wrong until Thomas proves he is more than a good stats bad team guy.

Giving the Hawks hell in round 1 would be a nice start!

[jpotter33]

Looks like we are the winners

I like Thomas. And I think I liked the trade.

But, the critics won't be wrong until Thomas proves he is more than a good stats bad team guy.

Giving the Hawks hell in round 1 would be a nice start!

I like the sound of that!

[LooseCannon]

Typical moron who wrongly thinks that tanking and getting a top draft pick is the only way to rebuild.

[RockinRyA]

I don't like the trade for several reasons - a couple of which are mentioned in Sharp's comments, plus we added a head case to a group who seems to have good chemistry and who want to be part of the Celts return to an elite team. Also, didn't we already have our 3-guard rotation for the future set (Bradley, Smart, Young) ??

This also makes me nervous because it could indicate a return to Danny's very destructive habit of making compulsive trades and changing the overall rebuilding plan in mid-stream just because something strikes him as a good idea and because Danny has a need to prove how clever he is and because I firmly believe he gets nervous and jumpy if things are going well and there is too much peace and contentment around the organization. These tendencies have already cost us great opportunities at Banners 18 and maybe 19.

Treat our players like Celtic family, Danny, not Monopoly properties !!

That's a bad GM. As a GM you are supposed to help yuo team improve, not keep the team mediocre just so you can please people such as yourself.

[BDeCosta26]

I don't like the trade for several reasons - a couple of which are mentioned in Sharp's comments, plus we added a head case to a group who seems to have good chemistry and who want to be part of the Celts return to an elite team. Also, didn't we already have our 3-guard rotation for the future set (Bradley, Smart, Young) ??

This also makes me nervous because it could indicate a return to Danny's very destructive habit of making compulsive trades and changing the overall rebuilding plan in mid-stream just because something strikes him as a good idea and because Danny has a need to prove how clever he is and because I firmly believe he gets nervous and jumpy if things are going well and there is too much peace and contentment around the organization. These tendencies have already cost us great opportunities at Banners 18 and maybe 19.

Treat our players like Celtic family, Danny, not Monopoly properties !!

Jesus, where do we start with that? Thomas is not a head case, he's a fierce competitor who lends no credence to his size. Some might poke fun at it and call it little man syndrome, but your gonna tell me you don't want someone that talented on your team with a giant chip on his shoulder? This kid is a really good player, probably the best player we have right now. He has a game that very much resembles Allen Iverson. Not quite as dominant, But he's just 26 and he's locked in for another 3 seasons at roughly 7 mil a year!!! Did you watch the last two games, or really more than one or two of his games the past two years? If that's the dude were getting, that's one hell of a steal.

Consider this, Ainge got IT for the two pieces he traded the Paul Pierce trade exception for. Probably the smallest benefit we got from the Nets deal DA managed to trade for Zeller, Thornton and a protected first round pick. He then traded Thornton and that same first round pick we got for taking his contract on into Isaiah Thomas, who is WAY better than either Thornton or whatever player the Cs could have drafted in the 25-30 slot with that pick. Assuming Smart, Young, Olynyk and AB can continue developing as they are, the Cs are a legit two players away from being a playoff threat. And they have two legit avenues to get there. Not only do we have a massive amount of draft picks, many of high value including our own and the unprotected(!!!) three BRK picks. We also have the cap flexibility and asset accumulation necessary to make a run at any high profile free agent in the next 4-5 years, or make a trade for any top 20 player that wants out of his current situation.

How anyone doesn't appreciate what Ainge has done here just amazes me.