SI.com: Danny's summer was a flop, second worst among "notable" teams

[Roy H.]

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are sort of the inverse of the Thunder story, and not just because they were the biggest name that missed out on Paul George. Like OKC, processing the Summer of Ainge means considering not just what happened, but what was possible.

What actually happened: Boston's starting nucleus is better than it was last year, and they still have more assets than any team in the league. They added Gordon Hayward, they drafted Jayson Tatum and grabbed a lottery pick from the Sixers, and they forfeited very little. Losing Avery Bradley will hurt, but they flipped him for Marcus Morris on an affordable deal, and that's better than losing Bradley for nothing next summer. After this summer, the Celtics believe they're positioned to continue winning now, with young players who will be around to keep it going well into the next decade.

What was possible: The Celtics could have come away from this summer with a potential cornerstone for the post-Warriors, post-Isaiah era, but they traded Markelle Fultz to Philly. They could've put together a title nucleus for this season, but they refused to include any of their most valuable assets in Paul George talks with the Pacers—a factor that may have annoyed Indiana into taking the OKC offer. Instead they are betting big on a poor man's version of Paul George (Hayward), a lottery pick with a lower ceiling than Markelle Fultz (Tatum), and they just traded a shooting guard who's perimeter defense helps hide Isaiah Thomas's biggest weakness. (Also, now that Fultz is in Philly and Bradley is in Detroit, Boston is likely boxed into paying huge amounts of money to Thomas next summer. How much are you winning if Hayward, Isaiah, and Horford are your Big Three?)

Without Paul George they're not all that well positioned to contend next year, and without Fultz, the young core still doesn't have any player who looks like a future superstar. Maybe that will come via next year's Nets pick? Or the Lakers/Kings pick? Or another trade? Or maybe it'll change with a promising rookie season from Tatum. The only guarantee is that arguments about the Celtics will continue for at least another few years. This is our new version of the Sixers. Everyone in basketball has an opinion on what the Celtics are doing with their assets, why they're doing it, and whether it's stupid or brilliant. I'm just not sure it needed to be this complicated. Grade: C

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/07/10/nba-offseason-grades-free-agency-draft-trades-rumors-summer-league

Only the Cavs were rated worse.

[Th3M2n]

Haaahahhhaaaaahhhaaa

What hack wrote THAT trash...

[kozlodoev]

This is pretty much spot on, including this part:

Everyone in basketball has an opinion on what the Celtics are doing with their assets, why they're doing it, and whether it's stupid or brilliant. I'm just not sure it needed to be this complicated

[Phantom255x]

This article is a flop.

Came away with Hayward, Tatum, Morris and Baynes, and Zizic too.

And EVEN if they drafted Fultz, they'd lose Bradley and KO anyways, and in fact may have ALSO lost Rozier since the cap hold for a #1 pick is higher than #3 too.

Frankly, the others they lost were pretty much dead weight (Amir, Zeller, Jerebko, Green). I'll miss them and for Amir+Zeller, their veteran presence, but they only had a few good match ups and in other games barely played, so... not huge losses.

Also is it really Ainge's fault if IND just prematurely accepted OKC's offer? Were people here REALLY willing to give up a Brooklyn/LAL pick + 2-3 players for a RENTAL??

OKC is probably celebrating that they got rid of Oladipo and got George in return lol. IND seemed hell bent to trade him West, not East, and not to the Lakers either.

[BitterJim]

"Yeah, they have a better team than last year, and have even more future assets than before, but I'll rate them as a C because they didn't do what I would have done/I don't understand what they're doing"

[celticsclay]

This is bizarre that could call it a bad offseason when they got Hayward. He was the best free agent to switch teams.

[moiso]

The only part of the offseason that is hard to judge right now is trading the #1 pick for Tatum.  I didn't initially like it but Tatum has looked excellent.  They should definitely have a higher rating.  Some people are so short sighted.  We don't have to win a title this year to have a successful season.  Ainge has the Celtics in this position by thinking long term.

[Roy H.]

This is spot on:

What actually happened: Boston's starting nucleus is better than it was last year, and they still have more assets than any team in the league. They added Gordon Hayward, they drafted Jayson Tatum and grabbed a lottery pick from the Sixers, and they forfeited very little. Losing Avery Bradley will hurt, but they flipped him for Marcus Morris on an affordable deal, and that's better than losing Bradley for nothing next summer. After this summer, the Celtics believe they're positioned to continue winning now, with young players who will be around to keep it going well into the next decade.

That's at least a stand up double, right? Maybe even a triple.

Danny had a couple of shots at HRs, but I don't think anybody can call a summer where we landed Hayward, Tatum and a likely lottery pick a "C", behind loser franchises like the Hawks.

[bdm860]

The Bulls got an A while the Timberwolves got a B+.  Does anybody think the Bulls won the Jimmy Butler deal? (Edit, actually I guess I misread that, the Bulls get an F for the last 36 months, apparently it was Wade who got the A).

OKC adding Paul George gets an A, but Houston adding Chris Paul gets a B+?

The Mavericks have made no trades or free agent signings, and get a B+.

Andrew Sharp, I'll have to remember that name so I know to ignore it in the future.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Andrew Sharp is actually my uncle.  So this is awkward.

[Phantom255x]

The Bulls got an A while the Timberwolves got a B+.  Does anybody think the Bulls won the Jimmy Butler deal?

OKC adding Paul George gets an A, but Houston adding Chris Paul gets a B+?

The Mavericks have made no trades or free agent signings, and get a B+.

Andrew Sharp, I'll have to remember that name so I know to ignore it in the future.

HAHAHAHA THE BULLS GOT AN A???!!

Gave up Butler, kept old Wade at 25M/Year, drafted at #7 but also gave up #16 in the process, and no significant FA signings.

[Phantom255x]

Andrew Sharp is actually my uncle.

Well I'll remember that the next time you post any trade ideas or insight to anything 

[Big333223]

"Yeah, they have a better team than last year, and have even more future assets than before, but I'll rate them as a C because they didn't do what I would have done/I don't understand what they're doing"

This. The article makes no sense. By all accounts, a good team got better while also maintaining a bright/flexible future. And that's bad.

[bdm860]

The Bulls got an A while the Timberwolves got a B+.  Does anybody think the Bulls won the Jimmy Butler deal?

OKC adding Paul George gets an A, but Houston adding Chris Paul gets a B+?

The Mavericks have made no trades or free agent signings, and get a B+.

Andrew Sharp, I'll have to remember that name so I know to ignore it in the future.

HAHAHAHA THE BULLS GOT AN A???!!

Gave up Butler, kept old Wade at 25M/Year, drafted at #7 but also gave up #16 in the process, and no significant FA signings.

Actually, I misinterpreted it.  It looks like he gave the Bulls an F but was giving Wade the A.

[kozlodoev]

"Yeah, they have a better team than last year, and have even more future assets than before, but I'll rate them as a C because they didn't do what I would have done/I don't understand what they're doing"

This. The article makes no sense. By all accounts, a good team got better while also maintaining a bright/flexible future. And that's bad.

We would have also gotten better by retaining everyone and drafting Fultz, so...