I think the point here most are missing, is the Celtics have failed to meet expectations .... again.
The Celtics have been promising "Fireworks" for years now and have not delivered.
Heyward is a nice player, but realistically is the 2nd (or even 3rd) best player on a true championship team.
I was ok with the trade down from #1, but I think it foolish that so many here are annointing Tatum the next PP after watching a few college videos and some summer league highlights.
Baynes is a nice enough lower/middle roster addition. I STILL don't see the marcus morris fit on our team (unless Crowder finally gets moved). He is NOT a big. It made sense to move AB, but this is a disappointing return (even with his expiring deal).
Some are counting Zizic and Yabusele to justify the off season but they were drafed LAST year, not this year, and neither has proved they belong in the league yet.
The Celtics have had an incrementally positive season. They added an upper tier player at franchise player $$$ (using up cap space). They improved offensively, but regressed defensivly. They hedged their bets on the draft and kicked the can down the road on IT. Their roster remains imbalanced unless you believe that JB is going to take over and own the "2" and that Baynes is going to play 35 minutes per game. I don't see either happening.
They are slightly better than last year, but IMHO, not ready to beat a healthy Cleveland team. They are very far from beating GSW. They are most certainly not a super team despite creating the expectation (fireworks) of building one.
They have had for the most part a prudent off season, but nothing so special as to suggest "fireworks" or even an exceptionally good one.
Nothing wrong with being prudent, but when you set the expectations so much higher, you are going to disappoint people.
It is possible to be both good and disappointing.
We've signed 2 All-Stars, one late in his prime and one early, in 2 offseasons. In that time we've gone from swept in a 1st round and lucky to be there to a conference finals. It doesn't have to be the summer of 07 to be a major step forward.
The topic is about "This offseason" not last. Horford was signed last year. I don't think anyone is arguing that we have not had a decent rebuild -- due to the ridiculously profitable Brooklyn trade. Even with Horford (and as much as I think he is under-appreciated by Celtics fans), I am wondering if Ainge would rather have taken a mulligan for that signing. Part of the reason he was signed was to entice Durant to sign here. As much as I like AH, he is a not a max player and did not play to all star standards last year.
We finished last year as the 2nd best team in the east and possibly the the 5th or 6th best team in the league. That said the gap between us and DC and TOR was neglible ar best, so maybe we are a top 8 team. We will most likely be the same status this year. That cannot considered a "big step forward".
We have incrementally improved this year, but expectations were much higher. Many of these expectations have been fueled by the front office and cultivation of the "Trader Danny" persona.
This year feels like another transition year to me. The real test will come next hear when we decide how IT is handled. I really hope we move on, because a big 3 of IT/GH/AH is not a championship team, much less a super team. Defense and rebounding still matter.
I just honestly think adding a young All-Star and a #3 pick to a conference finalist is never an incremental step. My hopes were higher than that but this is pretty in line with my optimistic expectations.
Losing Bradley will hurt, though. But maybe part of the problem is the bar Golden State's set for star talent.
The thing about expectations is context. For me (and I think most fans) expectations have been about consolidating assets into a team that is legitimately ready to contend for a championship. This is the "fireworks" aspect so much marketed to us over the past few years.
Instead, Ainge added more asstes in trading down with Philly. I personally like the trade, but it was hardly fireworks. If anything it was more of the same "kick the can down the road"
I tend to measure an offseason by what we get out of it compared to what we might reasonably expect coming into it. Sure we added Tatum, but the asset we used to pick him was acquired in the PP/KG trade so in a sense the "value" was already on our books. The asset we acquired was the LA/SAC pick, and I think this was Ainge's shrewdest move this year.
I like Hayward enough but, but I just don't seem him as the franchise savior, so many here seem to think he is. He ranked as the 19th best player last year (tied with Ty Lawson and just behind Rudy Gay -- just ahead of Kevin Love and Paul Milsap). This was in an offense tailored around him. I am ok with the signing, but I do think a reality check is needed for some posters here. He does not put us over the top.
So if we view the draft picks as simply assinging names to existing assets, we get an offseason summary
Added the LAL/SAC pick (Best move)
Upgrading from Bradly and Olynyk for Hayward and Morris (ok but people here really underappreciate AB)
Amir to Baynes
Zeller to Theis
Jerebko to ?
It is not a bad offseason; but, hardly fireworks nor such a huge increase in overall talent that will put us over the top.
Next year should be more telling.