Danny Ainge: “I don’t see major changes coming.”
We mentioned yesterday that it would be difficult to make a trade with the Celtics’ roster as currently constructed, and Danny Ainge confirmed those sentiments somewhat indirectly today with comments about Doc’s post-game outburst in Detroit.
From MassLive:
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge indicated that a big trade is easier threatened than done.
“Realistically, I don’t see major changes coming,” he told the Boston Herald on Monday.
“Of course we’re trying to get better,” he added, “and any deal that was available that could help us, you obviously do that. But we’re not just trying to make any deal. We’re not selling the team off or anything like that. We’re trying to win with what we have right now. That’s got to be our first objective.”
This essentially confirms what we already suspected: The Celtics will attempt to ride out the season, at least at present, with the current roster and figure out whatever problems they can in-house, as opposed to trying to make a big trade in the middle of the season.
One of the assets in which Boston may have had interest was Memphis small forward Rudy Gay, but he probably came off the trading block for the year with yesterday’s deal that sent several minor pieces to Cleveland and got the Grizzlies under the luxury tax. It’s unlikely that a player like Gay would have solved Boston’s problems, but his name was being bandied around the internet, so we can put that rumor to rest for now.
There is still the possibility that the Celtics will blow up their roster if they continue to flounder, but if they want to contend this season, it appears that they are going to have to do so with the pieces that are already in place. For better or worse.
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Celtics Blog | Tom Westerholm | January 22, 2013
Yeah right and you believe Ainge?
Remember in 2011 when he said he liked the roster as it was and Boom! bye bye Nate and Perkins? lets hope he make the right decision this time because I’m still waiting for Green to make a significant impact in the team. Right now I still think that Nate was a better player for us than JG
Hot debate. What do you think?
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The Nate and Ked trade was probably one of the worst in Celtic History. The Celtics were on the way to getting another title and they up and decided to give up their most reliable big man for what? A guy who would later leave for the Euroleague in Nenad Krstic and a Jeff Green that has yet to show as advertised.
Ainge certainly made Doc look like an idiot. if anything, Doc will be the first to go because it’s always the coach that gets the blame.
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What a airhead, changes need to be made just ask anyone connected to the team.
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I agree: changes need to be made; however the question is not whether change is needed, but whether or not can they actually do it. The Celtics do not really have that many enticing pieces to use. They have three overpaid, untradeable and over the hill players in the Jet, Truth and KG. Otherwise there is nothing much else to speak of.
I doubt that the Cs will trade Green considering the 36$ million invested in him and Rondo is certainly off the table. Their rookies have not been that spectacular, and Courtney Lee has been pretty much a bust. And that’s Ainge’s dilemma–he would like to make a move, but his hands are tied.
And ironically, it was Ainge that created this whole mess to begin with trying to drag out the big three by extending Garnett to a ridiculous 36$ million deal w/ a no trade clause handicapping the Celtics for another three years. he could have let Garnett go and use that money for next season free agent market that features younger and more talented big men.
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