Anyone Else Kind Of Worried That Ainge..

[Phantom255x]

...Won't "stay the course" and instead will try to make a blockbuster move in a bit of a haste (maybe even this deadline) AFTER seeing the Patriots win their 5th Super Bowl since 2001 (2nd in the last 3 years). I mean, Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and all the Celtics respect and admire/gush about the greatness of TB12, Coach BB and the Patriots organization, and I'm sure they want to try to win soon (they are a rebounding BIG and #2 scorer away from legit contention IMO).

To clarify: By "staying the course", I mean signing a FA in the summer (Ibaka, Noel or Millsap), drafting with Brooklyn Picks, and developing Smart/Brown, and hopefully extending IT after 2018. Then hoping Golden State and Cleveland cool off in 2 years while BOS leaps into contender status.

Now I know, Ainge was 2008 Executive of the Year, and is clearly one of the best Execs in the league for a reason, but while he must have thought during the big Nets Trade that the C's would be going into a long-term rebuild.. adding Smart/IT/Crowder/Horford has done wonders and has actually sped up the rebuild drastically.

With the Patriots win and a desire to bring Banner #18 to Boston sometime real soon (1-2 years), it makes me think if Ainge *might* bite on a deal for someone like, say Cousins or Butler (even if it's a slight overpay, like giving up 2017 BKN Pick AND Brown/2018NetsPick for Butler). Of course, we all want the C's to win a championship soon, but staying the patient route might be the best option long term than trying to form a team now to beat Golden State and Cleveland (with a prime Lebron still).

So am I being paranoid thinking this or am I on to something here?

[Ogaju]

Ainge is a shrewd GM so shrewd that other GMs fret at dealing with him. Ainge is not going to waste the tremendous opportunity given to him by the KG/PP deal to build for the future.

I believe that Ainge has tasted what it is to win quickly and then have to rebuild after a couple of years of excellence. This time he is going the long and steady route. The assets will be well spent, no doubt in my mind.

[Phantom255x]

Ainge is a shrewd GM so shrewd that other GMs fret at dealing with him. Ainge is not going to waste the tremendous opportunity given to him by the KG/PP deal to build for the future.

I believe that Ainge has tasted what it is to win quickly and then have to rebuild after a couple of years of excellence. This time he is going the long and steady route. The assets will be well spent, no doubt in my mind.

TP. That's a great way to look at it.

I do think ultimately Ainge will have to make a big trade within the next 1-2 years, and I hope some team is willing to bite on a reasonable deal (since as you said, other GMs may not be willing to deal with Ainge as much anymore).

[td450]

If you were a GM and you had:

the best young coach in the league, locked up for as far as the eye can see
a team on a rapid upward trajectory, likely to win 55 or so games this year
only one player of significance over 30, and just barely
a 27 year old point guard who averages 30 ppg
all other core players at 26 or younger
the 1st round draft choice of the worst team in the league, by far, for the next two years
two talented young big men stashed overseas, and available next year
the cap space to sign a top level free agent in the offseason

Would you take a big chance and rip up your core to get a superstar, or just play out your hand?

[Clench123]

For Cousins, pull that plunge hard and fast. 

[Ogaju]

If you were a GM and you had:

the best young coach in the league, locked up for as far as the eye can see
a team on a rapid upward trajectory, likely to win 55 or so games this year
only one player of significance over 30, and just barely
a 27 year old point guard who averages 30 ppg
all other core players at 26 or younger
the 1st round draft choice of the worst team in the league, by far, for the next two years
two talented young big men stashed overseas, and available next year
the cap space to sign a top level free agent in the offseason

Would you take a big chance and rip up your core to get a superstar, or just play out your hand?

Play out your hand... that is the best long term objective. Ainge has a potential to put together a super team. Not a superstar team, but a super team where they are stacked from 1 through 12

[Diggles]

...Won't "stay the course" and instead will try to make a blockbuster move in a bit of a haste (maybe even this deadline) AFTER seeing the Patriots win their 5th Super Bowl since 2001 (2nd in the last 3 years). I mean, Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and all the Celtics respect and admire/gush about the greatness of TB12, Coach BB and the Patriots organization, and I'm sure they want to try to win soon (they are a rebounding BIG and #2 scorer away from legit contention IMO).

To clarify: By "staying the course", I mean signing a FA in the summer (Ibaka, Noel or Millsap), drafting with Brooklyn Picks, and developing Smart/Brown, and hopefully extending IT after 2018. Then hoping Golden State and Cleveland cool off in 2 years while BOS leaps into contender status.

Now I know, Ainge was 2008 Executive of the Year, and is clearly one of the best Execs in the league for a reason, but while he must have thought during the big Nets Trade that the C's would be going into a long-term rebuild.. adding Smart/IT/Crowder/Horford has done wonders and has actually sped up the rebuild drastically.

With the Patriots win and a desire to bring Banner #18 to Boston sometime real soon (1-2 years), it makes me think if Ainge *might* bite on a deal for someone like, say Cousins or Butler (even if it's a slight overpay, like giving up 2017 BKN Pick AND Brown/2018NetsPick for Butler). Of course, we all want the C's to win a championship soon, but staying the patient route might be the best option long term than trying to form a team now to beat Golden State and Cleveland (with a prime Lebron still).

So am I being paranoid thinking this or am I on to something here?

Well I'm glad he did last year.   I'm glad he didn't in 2007....   I'm just glad he is our GM.   What ever "chance" he takes I think him, coach BS, the brain trust and owners will all be on the same page.   Celtics Blog will have to trust as well.   

[bdm860]

To clarify: By "staying the course", I mean signing a FA in the summer (Ibaka, Noel or Millsap), drafting with Brooklyn Picks, and developing Smart/Brown

I know we have a lot of threads on this (keeping/trading Brown, the picks, etc.), but the draft and developing young players is such a crap shoot.  Today the 2nd pick in the 2011 draft just got released so his team could sign a D-Leaguer.  Now I know all drafts aren't created equal, but even in the best drafts of all time ('84, '96, '03), you have multiple players in the Top 4 who just didn't pan out (Darko, Bowie), were just role players (Camby, Sam Perkins), or were low level All-Stars who were not All-NBA caliber players and not capable of carrying a team (Abdur-Rahim, Bosh).

I'm all for trading the C's assets for the right moves.  Definitely hope they're not traded for the wrong moves.  Just got to sit back and trust management that whatever move they make (or don't make) is the best move for the franchise.

[Darío SpanishFan]

If you were a GM and you had:

the best young coach in the league, locked up for as far as the eye can see
a team on a rapid upward trajectory, likely to win 55 or so games this year
only one player of significance over 30, and just barely
a 27 year old point guard who averages 30 ppg
all other core players at 26 or younger
the 1st round draft choice of the worst team in the league, by far, for the next two years
two talented young big men stashed overseas, and available next year
the cap space to sign a top level free agent in the offseason

Would you take a big chance and rip up your core to get a superstar, or just play out your hand?

Superbly said, as well as the OP. We are in a very good position entering this summer, on the court and regarding our short-term options to improve the roster. Tommy Points.

I also understand that if the opportunity of getting a big like Cousins arise, we must be in the mix depending on the price. I'm not saying mortgaging all our short-term future (Cleveland and GSW make it very difficult), but playing a wise role.

[OldSchoolDude]

If he was going to do that he would have made a trade at the draft.  People didn’t think he could make all his picks so they thought they could get him to make a bad deal.  We’ll he traded two for one and stashed three picks, so he showed them. 
I really think he is ion it for the big picture.  As great as the Ray Allan and KG deals were it only gave us a short window to compete. We were a real contender for 3 years and over achieved the 4th year.   IF KG doesn’t go down in year 2 we can win the championship and likewise if Perkins doesn’t go down in the finals we could have won that one too.   By year 4 the lack of depth and age of our players caught up to us. 
I think Danny wants to build something lasting like San Antonio has and they have done it through the draft.   Sure getting Duncan was key but we have two more shots at that great transitional player.   I think both Ball and Fultz can be that type of player.  Heck brown could develop into a Kawhi Leonard or James Worthy type of player.    At the very least Brown and our Brooklyn pick should be very good staring level players.  Add the 2018 Brooklyn pick and the possibility of sinning a young free agent and we are looking good for a long time.
We are contenders now in the second that were are ranked 2nd and fighting for a chance at the eastern conference finals to lose to King James.  With Golden state in the west and Cleveland in the east there really is no quick fix trade that beats either team, and I think Danny knows this.   
If you take away smart and Crowder and both Brooklyn picks to add Cousins, is the team really any better?  Cousins is going on 6 straight years of not being able to get his team to the 8th spot in the playoffs.  There is and has been talent on that Kings roster. 
I would prefer, and I think Danny would too, to build with both Brooklyn picks and be a long term force in the NBA.   There are up and coming teams like Minnesota, Milwaukee, and dear I say Philadelphia that look to have great futures. If we go all in for a 3 year window we’ll burn out just when LeBron starts to decline, and those young teams will be ready to dominate the league. 
I think we’ll try and trade if we can but I don’t see us trading either Brooklyn pick.   The return just won’t be enough now to offset what we give up latter.

[CelticGuardian]

To clarify: By "staying the course", I mean signing a FA in the summer (Ibaka, Noel or Millsap), drafting with Brooklyn Picks, and developing Smart/Brown

I know we have a lot of threads on this (keeping/trading Brown, the picks, etc.), but the draft and developing young players is such a crap shoot.  Today the 2nd pick in the 2011 draft just got released so his team could sign a D-Leaguer.  Now I know all drafts aren't created equal, but even in the best drafts of all time ('84, '96, '03), you have multiple players in the Top 4 who just didn't pan out (Darko, Bowie), were just role players (Camby, Sam Perkins), or were low level All-Stars who were not All-NBA caliber players and not capable of carrying a team (Abdur-Rahim, Bosh).

I'm all for trading the C's assets for the right moves.  Definitely hope they're not traded for the wrong moves.  Just got to sit back and trust management that whatever move they make (or don't make) is the best move for the franchise.

hey... this guy here doesn't have faith in Danny's drafting. How dare you, Heathen!

[Chief]

I care nothing about non lottery picks.  Trade them and trade filler all day long.

[CoachBo]

To clarify: By "staying the course", I mean signing a FA in the summer (Ibaka, Noel or Millsap), drafting with Brooklyn Picks, and developing Smart/Brown

I know we have a lot of threads on this (keeping/trading Brown, the picks, etc.), but the draft and developing young players is such a crap shoot.  Today the 2nd pick in the 2011 draft just got released so his team could sign a D-Leaguer.  Now I know all drafts aren't created equal, but even in the best drafts of all time ('84, '96, '03), you have multiple players in the Top 4 who just didn't pan out (Darko, Bowie), were just role players (Camby, Sam Perkins), or were low level All-Stars who were not All-NBA caliber players and not capable of carrying a team (Abdur-Rahim, Bosh).

I'm all for trading the C's assets for the right moves.  Definitely hope they're not traded for the wrong moves.  Just got to sit back and trust management that whatever move they make (or don't make) is the best move for the franchise.

hey... this guy here doesn't have faith in Danny's drafting. How dare you, Heathen!

He isn't the only one. One of the Brooklyn picks has already been wasted - Young - and the other is highly developmental at this point - Brown.

I'm more worried Ainge will continue his efforts to corner the market on project 2s and 3s.

[bopna]

For Cousins, pull that plunge hard and fast.

Cousins just mangled the Warriors by himself
These assets might not even be enough for the Kings to say yes...but Im on the ALL IN for Cousins move anyways...for others well it would have to depend on whats on the table.

[BitterJim]

To clarify: By "staying the course", I mean signing a FA in the summer (Ibaka, Noel or Millsap), drafting with Brooklyn Picks, and developing Smart/Brown

I know we have a lot of threads on this (keeping/trading Brown, the picks, etc.), but the draft and developing young players is such a crap shoot.  Today the 2nd pick in the 2011 draft just got released so his team could sign a D-Leaguer.  Now I know all drafts aren't created equal, but even in the best drafts of all time ('84, '96, '03), you have multiple players in the Top 4 who just didn't pan out (Darko, Bowie), were just role players (Camby, Sam Perkins), or were low level All-Stars who were not All-NBA caliber players and not capable of carrying a team (Abdur-Rahim, Bosh).

I'm all for trading the C's assets for the right moves.  Definitely hope they're not traded for the wrong moves.  Just got to sit back and trust management that whatever move they make (or don't make) is the best move for the franchise.

hey... this guy here doesn't have faith in Danny's drafting. How dare you, Heathen!

He isn't the only one. One of the Brooklyn picks has already been wasted - Young - and the other is highly developmental at this point - Brown.

I'm more worried Ainge will continue his efforts to corner the market on project 2s and 3s.

Well, you used to be concerned about Ainge only drafting 1s that couldn't shoot, maybe by this time next year you'll be worried about him cornering the market on big men instead