Celtics' Current Position and Future
Plan A+ was ruined last night with impatience and idiocy by Mr. Kevin Pritchard. By plan A+, I am alluding to the Celtics' reported pursuit of signing Gordon Hayward in free agency, then followed by a trade for Paul George, which was confirmed by Woj on SportsCenter. Buuuuuttttttttt, the Pacers are dumb.
I don’t blame Danny Ainge for the trade last night which sent Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. He is being unfairly criticized because of another team’s stupidity. Ainge’s process was widely spoken about in terms of waiting for Hayward, then striking a deal for George. It would’ve been logical for the Pacers to wait for that to happen, then finalize the deal, because no team matches what the Celtics can offer in any deal.
Even if the Celtics didn’t get Hayward, Indiana would still have many suitors for George, and could’ve made something happen in just a couple weeks, but for some reason, Indiana HAD to get a deal done the night before free agency. NBA Twitter blew up when the deal went through, as NOBODY saw this coming. They got 1 starter and a role player for a top 15 player in the league?!?! WHAT ARE THE PACERS DOING? And for those Celtics fans that say Ainge should’ve just met Indiana’s reported asking price of the unprotected ‘18 BKN pick, the ‘18 LAL top-1 and outside of the top-5 protected pick/’19 top-1 protected pick, YOU ARE DELUSIONAL! That’s saying, “Hey, let’s give up two potential top-5 picks where we have the players protection for at least 8 years for a 1-year rental piece that will help us lose in 7 to Cleveland instead of 5!” Does that sound intelligent to you?
Ainge was wise to hold off on mortgaging more of the future for a rental. The trade he would consider would be if he sacrificed veterans and low draft picks in a package for PG. It was reported that on draft night he offered 3 first-round picks and 2 starters for Paul George. Realistically, that would probably be the Celtics own 2018 first-round pick, the Grizzlies 2019 protected pick, and the Clippers 2019 protected pick along with Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley. And as early as yesterday, those talks were still occurring with Marcus Smart now involved. THAT WOULD BE A LOT MORE THAN WHAT INDIANA TOOK! So for all those that said Ainge didn’t offer enough, there it is. He offered much more than what Indiana took, and he did what he could. If he went over that price, that would be a mistake.
This could be a case of Indiana wanting to ship George out of the Eastern Conference, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, or it could be a case of them being in love with Oladipo or Sabonis, similar to the Kings’ obsession with Buddy Hield, and they pulled the trigger with warped views of the return.
The next couple of weeks will be huge for the Celtics front office. How will they compensate for the lack of moves? This offseason was supposed to be filled with fireworks, now that Blake Griffin is also off the table, the only possible firework the Celtics can ignite is Gordon Hayward.
But, they will need a convincing case to pry him away from Quin Snyder, and the 5-year max in Utah. And they will need an even stronger play to make sure Ainge’s old foe, Pat Riley, doesn’t sell Hayward (and his wife) on Miami beaches and averaging 20+ shots a game. Brad Stevens may have to write a book about the meaning of basketball, or Ainge may have to give Hayward a copy of each banner in the rafters for Hayward to sign in Boston. And if Hayward does go to Miami or stays home in freezing Utah? THE WHOLE WORLD IS GOING INTO FLAMES. It's really not a huge deal, simply a disappointment. The only part of the Celtics that would really be hit hard is the Celtics front office. They will spend weeks explaining all the what-ifs, and all rumors. It would be a mess. In the basketball world, it’s perfectly ok.
This team isn't ready to battle with Golden State or Cleveland, and from there it will be about developing the next faces of the franchise. I'm talking 7/11. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Show the franchise that you are ready to lead the greatest franchise ever back to the glory days.
And if Hayward does come? Then it's time to go nuts. The offseason would be saved, and it is the absolute perfect scenario. While Hayward and the Celtics ball out and give Cleveland a run for their money, the young core will continue to develop in front of our eyes, absolute basketball beauty.
Some more fireworks could always come at next year’s trade deadline when the next set of rumors come along (hey there, Anthony Davis), and that can be the accelerated start to the next Celtics core. But this is the Celtics we are talking about, most likely at 4:01 P.M. next deadline, we will be frantically studying NBA 2018 mock drafts.
Danny Ainge simply has showed us that the Celtics aren't ready to be a championship team just yet. His plan is the more scenic path to a dynasty instead of the direct route that doesn’t last as long. But for now, don’t be upset over a lack of a move, be mad at the Pacers’ idiocy, be excited for some Tatum 3s and Brown slams, and most importantly, get ready for another crazy week in the world of basketball.
I don’t blame Danny Ainge for the trade last night which sent Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. He is being unfairly criticized because of another team’s stupidity. Ainge’s process was widely spoken about in terms of waiting for Hayward, then striking a deal for George. It would’ve been logical for the Pacers to wait for that to happen, then finalize the deal, because no team matches what the Celtics can offer in any deal.
Even if the Celtics didn’t get Hayward, Indiana would still have many suitors for George, and could’ve made something happen in just a couple weeks, but for some reason, Indiana HAD to get a deal done the night before free agency. NBA Twitter blew up when the deal went through, as NOBODY saw this coming. They got 1 starter and a role player for a top 15 player in the league?!?! WHAT ARE THE PACERS DOING? And for those Celtics fans that say Ainge should’ve just met Indiana’s reported asking price of the unprotected ‘18 BKN pick, the ‘18 LAL top-1 and outside of the top-5 protected pick/’19 top-1 protected pick, YOU ARE DELUSIONAL! That’s saying, “Hey, let’s give up two potential top-5 picks where we have the players protection for at least 8 years for a 1-year rental piece that will help us lose in 7 to Cleveland instead of 5!” Does that sound intelligent to you?
Ainge was wise to hold off on mortgaging more of the future for a rental. The trade he would consider would be if he sacrificed veterans and low draft picks in a package for PG. It was reported that on draft night he offered 3 first-round picks and 2 starters for Paul George. Realistically, that would probably be the Celtics own 2018 first-round pick, the Grizzlies 2019 protected pick, and the Clippers 2019 protected pick along with Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley. And as early as yesterday, those talks were still occurring with Marcus Smart now involved. THAT WOULD BE A LOT MORE THAN WHAT INDIANA TOOK! So for all those that said Ainge didn’t offer enough, there it is. He offered much more than what Indiana took, and he did what he could. If he went over that price, that would be a mistake.
This could be a case of Indiana wanting to ship George out of the Eastern Conference, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, or it could be a case of them being in love with Oladipo or Sabonis, similar to the Kings’ obsession with Buddy Hield, and they pulled the trigger with warped views of the return.
The next couple of weeks will be huge for the Celtics front office. How will they compensate for the lack of moves? This offseason was supposed to be filled with fireworks, now that Blake Griffin is also off the table, the only possible firework the Celtics can ignite is Gordon Hayward.
But, they will need a convincing case to pry him away from Quin Snyder, and the 5-year max in Utah. And they will need an even stronger play to make sure Ainge’s old foe, Pat Riley, doesn’t sell Hayward (and his wife) on Miami beaches and averaging 20+ shots a game. Brad Stevens may have to write a book about the meaning of basketball, or Ainge may have to give Hayward a copy of each banner in the rafters for Hayward to sign in Boston. And if Hayward does go to Miami or stays home in freezing Utah? THE WHOLE WORLD IS GOING INTO FLAMES. It's really not a huge deal, simply a disappointment. The only part of the Celtics that would really be hit hard is the Celtics front office. They will spend weeks explaining all the what-ifs, and all rumors. It would be a mess. In the basketball world, it’s perfectly ok.
This team isn't ready to battle with Golden State or Cleveland, and from there it will be about developing the next faces of the franchise. I'm talking 7/11. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Show the franchise that you are ready to lead the greatest franchise ever back to the glory days.
And if Hayward does come? Then it's time to go nuts. The offseason would be saved, and it is the absolute perfect scenario. While Hayward and the Celtics ball out and give Cleveland a run for their money, the young core will continue to develop in front of our eyes, absolute basketball beauty.
Some more fireworks could always come at next year’s trade deadline when the next set of rumors come along (hey there, Anthony Davis), and that can be the accelerated start to the next Celtics core. But this is the Celtics we are talking about, most likely at 4:01 P.M. next deadline, we will be frantically studying NBA 2018 mock drafts.
Danny Ainge simply has showed us that the Celtics aren't ready to be a championship team just yet. His plan is the more scenic path to a dynasty instead of the direct route that doesn’t last as long. But for now, don’t be upset over a lack of a move, be mad at the Pacers’ idiocy, be excited for some Tatum 3s and Brown slams, and most importantly, get ready for another crazy week in the world of basketball.
Twitter- @ckhater23
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