Maine Red Claws head coach Austin Ainge is coaching the Celtics summer league team.

According to the Boston Herald, it’s not just because he’s Danny’s son, either:

“He’s the coach because Doc (Rivers) chose him to be the coach,” Danny Ainge said last night after the first of the group’s three practices. “Not me.”

He added with a smile, “I don’t know if it was in the whole transition when Doc didn’t know if he was going to be back here and didn’t know if he’d have any staff. And he knew Austin would be around for sure.

“It’ll be a good experience for Austin. I think he told Austin maybe 10 days or two weeks ago that he’d like him to coach in the summer league.”

I like this move a lot. It’s not uncommon for D-League coaches to work in the summer league, but in this case it works especially well and we’re lucky to have Austin working with the youngsters this summer.

Over the winter Austin led the ever-changing Maine Red Claws to a 27-23 record. While they fell just short of the playoffs, they tied the record for wins by an expansion team in the D-League. This on-the-court success led to off-the-court success as well, with the Claws selling out every home game and President/GM Jon Jennings being named D-League Executive of the Year. In fact, Jennings said, “We are exceedingly proud of Austin. He has worked very hard for us and we are very happy he will be returning to coach the Red Claws.” The Celtics should be happy to have him coaching for them in Orlando as well.

This fits on a number of levels. Obviously a number of the Celtics’ summer league players are likely to see D-League time next year.  Draft picks Luke Harangody and Semih Erden (2008) will almost certainly be spending some time in Portland one way or another. If Boston’s unable to land a big man free agent with their mid-level exception, it may not be a lot of time, but we’ll see. Oliver Lafayette and Tony Gaffney, the end-of-the-season signings, are also probably headed to Maine. Note that first-round pick Avery Bradley is not on the summer league roster due to his injury, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Maine as well.

So this gives Austin some familiarity with players he may be seeing a lot of this winter. It also gives him even more familiarity with Doc Rivers’ system and the Celtics coaching staff. In short, this move further demonstrates that the close relationship between Maine and Boston is working out well for the Celtics, and should be a good thing for the Red Claws, Austin, and the players.

The Maine Red Claws fell to the Erie BayHawks, ending their playoff hopes and season.

Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn addresses the Expo Crowd

After going 0-4 on the recent road trip, then losing to a team they’ve struggled against all year on Friday, the Claws must have had high hopes for their Saturday matchup. After all, they’d been 7-0 against the BayHawks so far this season, and all they needed was a win and a loss from either of two teams to sneak into the playoffs. Of course, they shouldn’t have had to sneak in – they had plenty of opportunities to decisively grab a playoff spot for themselves.

This season it was not to be. The evening started with a moving pregame ceremony, where the Red Claws retired the number “1″ in honor of their fans, showing appreciation for the best fans in the D-League. Tommy Heinsohn addressed the crowd, thanking us for our dedication all season.

Unfortunately, all of that was not enough to motivate the players. The Red Claws started slowly, and ended up trailing for most of the first half. The Claws struggled to a four-point deficit at the half, with Blake Ahearn of the BayHawks and Maine’s Morris Almond leading their teams in the close game. The Claws were again missing Paul Davis and T.J. Cummings, both of whom had been major contributors.

Wearing Celtics green on Friday may have gotten in the players’ heads, because Maine fell apart in the third quarter. A nearly-even halftime game turned into a double-digit deficit for the home team. Maine mounted a comeback in the fourth – helped along by Almond’s 33 points, Mo Ager‘s 22 points, and Russell Robinson‘s 23 – but it wasn’t enough. As have the Celtics so often this season, they had dug themselves in far too deep a hole by the time they mounted their furious rally, and they could not overcome it in the fourth quarter.

Just when things started to again get close, and it looked like Maine might pull out a somewhat-miraculous comeback, they reverted to the poor decision-making that had got them behind in the first place. This included what was, at times, remarkably bad shot selection. The Red Claws were 28% from downtown all night, and they shot just 24-38 from the foul line.

Kurt Looby, starting in place of Paul Davis, put in an impressive effort on Saturday. Although he only had 6 points, he had a double-double with 10 blocked shots and 11 rebounds on his way to breaking the D-League record for blocked shots in a season. This kind of defensive effort is always impressive, but doubly so in the offensive-minded D-League.

All in all, the Red Claws had a remarkable season, especially for an expansion franchise. They firmly planted themselves in the hearts and minds of Mainers on the way to becoming the first D-League team to sell out every home game. Bill Ryan, Jon Jennings, and Austin Ainge deserve praise for their efforts in their inaugural campaign. Ryan and Jennings did very well with the business side of things, from ticket sales to customer service to marketing, and Ainge acquitted himself well in his first season as coach.

Despite the disappointing finish, all three of them – and everyone else on the staff – should be proud of an enormously successful first season. To paraphrase Hoosiers, regardless of the standings at the end of the season, in my book the Red Claws are winners.

Maine Red Claws (27-21) vs. Fort Wayne Mad Ants (21-28) 7:30 PM Friday, April 2, at the Portland Expo
Maine Red Claws (27-21) vs. Erie BayHawks (19-29) 7:30 PM Saturday, April 3, at the Portland Expo

By dropping four straight on a road trip, the Maine Red Claws have backed themselves into a corner.

After being one of the top teams in the league for most of the season, they’ve struggled of late, and their “magic number” has been stuck at two. Any combination of Red Claws wins and losses from the Reno BigHorns equaling that number will clinch a playoff spot for the Red Claws. They’re bringing in a bit of Team Green magic this weekend to help – tonight is Celtics Affiliate Night, so they’ll be wearing Celts uniforms, and Saturday is Fan Appreciation Day, with Tommy Heinsohn making the trek to Maine for the game.

Although the Red Claws are somewhat fortunate in that they are playing two mediocre teams with losing records this weekend, they have struggled against the Mad Ants this year, going 2-4 against the Pacers affiliate.  The last loss was 94-108 in Indiana just two weeks ago, but Maine has also destroyed the Mad Ants in both the Expo and Indiana. Morris Almond had 25 points in that loss while Paul Davis added 20, but the real problems were in the defense. Maine was unable to contain Oliver Lafayette, who went on a tear with 34 points. Moreover, the Claws bench had an off night, providing little assistance to the starters. Fortunately, while Maine hasn’t played since Saturday, the Mad Ants just played in Springfield last night, destroying the Armor.

The results have been better against the BayHawks. Maine is 7-0 against the BayHawks this season, though two of those games – one at the Expo and one in the Keystone State – were close games. The big threat from Erie is guard Mike Gansey, who’s knocked in 20 against the Claws before. Cedric Jackson, who’s been averaging 16 points per game and has stepped it up this month, would be a concern, but he just earned a ten-day contract with the Washington Wizards. Apparently they needed another shooter (sorry, couldn’t resist).

The Red Claws, of course, can’t count on what anyone else does, so they need to win both of these games. Hopefully the superb home atmosphere of the Expo will help them in the playoff push. Regardless, Bill Ryan, Jon Jennings, and Austin Ainge should be proud of their accomplishments this season, as they’ve set a new standard for the D-League with their efforts in their inaugural season.

The Maine Red Claws held off the Erie BayHawks 82-78 in a hard-fought game in the Portland Expo last night.

The Claws started the game extremely strong, jumping out to an early lead. The Claws were playing without Alexis Ajinca, who was injured in the last game, or J.R. Giddens – their two NBA assignees. However, the team recently added Russell Robinson and Dominique Coleman. Robinson was acquired from the Reno Bighorns in exchange for Will Blalock, while Coleman – whose rights Maine acquired in the expansion draft – was signed from a European league. College basketball fans will remember Robinson from the University of Kansas’ 2008 championship run. According to GM Jon Jennings, both acquisitions were made with an eye towards improving the Red Claws’ defense.

The Claws started the game strong, jumping out to an early lead over the visiting BayHawks. They were able to effectively contain Mike Gansey in the first quarter, holding him to a meager 2 points. While he led his team to a resurgence in the second, finishing the first half with 13, it wasn’t enough for the BayHawks. The first half ended with a narrow 42-38 Maine lead, thanks in large part to the strong play of Darnell Lazare and Trey Gilder. Together Gilder and Lazare accounted for almost two-thirds of the team’s first-half points.

The third quarter started close as well, until an Ivan Harris three-pointer gave the BayHawks the lead. That was the start of a 14-2 run by the BayHawks, which gave them an eleven-point lead. Finally Dominque Coleman ended it with a layup, starting the Claws off on a run of their own that put them back within three points, which was where the third ended, with the Claws down 58-61.

The game stayed close throughout much of the fourth quarter as both teams stepped it up offensively. Neither was able to gain the upper hand for quite a while, and at the game’s three-minute mark it was 74-73 Erie. Then everything began to break the Red Claws’ way. Over the next three minutes, the BayHawks would miss shots and turn the ball over. In the final three minutes, the BayHawks would make one of five shots (including a free throw) while the Red Claws made five of seven shots (including a free throw). This, needless to say, resulted in a nice little run for the Red Claws, giving them some breathing room at the end of what could have been another overtime nailbiter.

The improvement in Maine’s defense was immediately apparent in this unusually low-scoring game. It was the first time in over a month that Maine held an opponent under 80 points. In January over 14 games opponents averaged 102.2 points a game against the Red Claws; in December over 10 games they’d been averaging 89 points a game. The team’s defensive upgrades will hopefully continue to prove effective as they move forward, allowing them to maintain their strong position in the Eastern Conference.

NOTES: There will be no previews or recap for Sunday’s game against the Springfield Armor, as I am going to the Celtics-Lakers game…Captain Billy Thomas is day-to-day with his injury…Alexis Ajinca and J.R. Giddens are in the process of being evaluated by their parent club, and it is unclear when they will return.

RED CLAWS NEXT THREE: Sunday, January 31 vs. Springfield Armor, 5:00PM…Friday, February 5 at Dakota Wizards, 8:00PM…Saturday, February 6 at Sioux Falls SkyForce 8:00PM.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Trey Gilder (22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists)

Last night the Portland Expo crowd watched as their new team notched a gutsy win over the Tulsa 66ers. It was the sort of performance that Celtics fans will recognize, as it featured an anemic first half followed by an impressive second half. It was, by far, the most exciting game of the season, at home or on the road. With the way the Maine Red Claws played in the first half other fans might have fled. Instead, the dedicated Maine basketball fans stuck it out, and saw the Claws come back from a 17-point halftime deficit to win the game.

The Red Claws were barely present in the early going – it was the worst half of basketball in team history. The 4-4 Tulsa 66ers (wholly-owned affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder) were running all over the home team, sinking almost every three-pointer and driving with ease as well. The Claws, meanwhile, were missing not only from downtown, but easy layups and rebounds eluded them. This game was a good test of the team, as they defeated Erie Saturday and arrived home to Portland early Sunday morning.

In the first half, the Claws were flunking that test.

Then the boys in white roared back in the third quarter. They didn’t really go on any impressive runs, but by the five-minute mark they’d whittled the deficit down to just eight points, and by the start of the fourth it was a three-point game. The third-quarter team was the virtual opposite of the first-half team, and that continued in the fourth. Finally, near the end of the fourth Maine took the lead on an Anthony Terrell tip shot and never looked back, thrilling Mainers with an impressive finish.

Frankly, it would have been satisfying to see the team lose only by eight points or so instead of twenty or thirty. Instead, the sold-out Expo saw a remarkable turnaround. The truly interesting thing about this game, though, was that no one player led the team in the comeback. As usual, the Claws had balanced scoring with different players contributing. This time it was Will Blalock and Darnell Lazare leading the way. Lazare, in fact, was 2 rebounds away from a double-double.

Bill Walker was largely absent from this game at the offensive end. He scored only 6 points in 28 minutes and was the only starter not to reach double digits. In fact, this was the fourth game in a row in which Walker did not lead the Red Claws in scoring. One more of these games and he won’t be leading the team in scoring either, though he is by far the leader in rebounds, reflecting his skillset as a defensive (rather than offensive) juggernaut.

This sort of hard-fought victory usually is a sign of a good coaching too, and this game was no exception. Indeed, with such balanced scoring, it reflects very well on Austin Ainge’s coaching ability – in case the 5-1 start hadn’t convinced you yet. Ainge is acquitting himself well so far as Head Coach, proving that Jon Jennings made an astute hire. Far from the usual expansion experience, the Maine Red Claws are a top-notch team.

The Red Claws’ success will also create a better experience for the NBA assignees. Instead of carrying the team on their back, they can focus on improving their skills. Just as in the NBA, having a balanced team that’s really a team – not a collection of players – makes life easier for everyone. Celtics and Bobcats fans should join Mainers in being pleased with the new team’s success.

NOTES: G Mario West was out with an anterior ligament strain and is day-to-day….this was the Claws’ fifth straight win and the second straight home sellout…the next home game is Sat., Dec. 19, vs. Fort Wayne Mad Ants at 7:30PM.

The Maine Red Claws played their first game tonight, a preseason game against the Springfield Armor in the Augusta Civic Center. For those From Away, Augusta is the state capital, about an hour north of Portland (the normal home of the Red Claws) up I-95. In front of a large, boisterous crowd that included Maine Governor John Baldacci and Celtics GM Danny Ainge, NBDL basketball was played in New England for the first time. Although the Red Claws fell to the Springfield Armor, it was an excellent chance for the state to begin to fall in love with the team. Maine’s basketball fanaticism was very much on display.

The Red Claws looked rough, as is to be expected of any newly-established team. It’s important to note that while the Springfield Armor are new to the region, they are a relocated team, unlike the expansion Red Claws. So the Armor have played together, whereas the Red Claws are a recently thrown-together group. Still, they played well, and Austin Ainge acquitted himself in his first performance as Head Coach.

The Claws were behind at halftime and looked lackluster for much of the first half, but whatever Austin said to them at halftime worked. They came out in the third looking strong, and it was an exciting, back-and-forth game for most of the second half. Unfortunately a few key missed shots for the Claws knocked them out with about a minute left, and they lost by eight points.

This team played unevenly, but with a lot of energy, including from recently-assigned Celtic Bill Walker. Walker looked good; in 25 minutes he scored 13 points, had 3 boards and no assists, tying with Tony Bobbit in both categories. Bobbit did better with 5 boards and an assist, though. The Claws’ statistical leader was Darnell Lazare, with 19 points, 8 boards, and no assists in about 34 minutes. FULL BOX.

I’ve no doubt that with Austin at the helm they will improve tremendously over the course of the season. It was a great idea to do a preseason elsewhere in the state and build up excitement for the team outside their home base of Portland. Principle owner Bill Ryan, Jr., President Jon Jennings, and the entire Red Claws ownership group and staff have run an impressive, professional organization from the get-go. They’ve clearly learned from other teams how to do things right. Long before the home opener at the Portland Expo next Friday vs. Springfield (again) they’ve fully embedded themselves into the community.

They’ve sponsored a number of charity events, and the team’s dancers have shown up at various events. They’ve held very effective open houses, letting folks visit the revamped Portland Expo facility, seeing how it will look on gameday. Their staff is friendly, helpful, and accessible – something I especially appreciate as a season-ticket holder. It’s good to know, as a customer, that I’ll be dealing with true professionals.

I recently received my season-ticket holder packet, and realized that I don’t get a bundle of tickets – I get a card as a pass instead that functions as a ticket for every game. I don’t know if every NBDL team does this or not, but I have not seen it done before, and I’m already thrilled by it. It makes my life immensely easier. I really hope that if it works, the Celtics consider doing the same for their season ticket holders in the future. This is one area where the Celtics could learn from the Red Claws.

All this explains why, in the middle of a recession, the Red Claws managed to sell a huge number of season tickets. Regardless of their record this year (and I think they will be competitive), they are a welcome addition to Maine. Indeed, not only Mainers but all Celtics fans should be thrilled with this new arrangement, as in the long term, it will work out very well for all involved.