Author Topic: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info  (Read 1538 times)

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Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« on: July 06, 2015, 04:24:30 PM »

Offline quidinqui33

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Let me start this by saying I am a fan of Ainge as a GM and do see the method to his madness, which in this case is being patient.  The last thing I want Danny to do is go all Joe Dumars, and sign this year's equivalent of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordan, which Monroe and Harris would have likely been a slightly better version of, but by no means game changers.

However, the one thing I have never been able to pin point with Danny is why and when he/organization decides to release information, and it almost always seems like when he does release information, it typically backfires on him. 

The best examples I have are:
David West - He was all but signed, Doc was even talking about it at a practice, and then it fell through.

JaVale McGee - Ainge went on radio and essentially declared it a done deal.  It fell through.

2015 Draft - Ainge and the Celtics not only stated in interviews but tweeted out that they were trying to move up (now I get this from the stand point of letting people know you are ready to tango, but doesn't that totally blow your leverage as well?)

2015 Free Agency - Both Ainge and Celtics talked like we were going to make some serious moves but in reality the only two players of any real consequence that were going to make moves were Aldridge and Jordan (and Jordan is a question mark in my books).  Love was a long shot at best.  Everybody else falls into the aforementioned Villanueva/Gordan category.   In the end, we didn't even make a play for any of those fringe guys anyway.  Were they that convinced that Love would come to Boston?

I don't count the Wyc "fireworks" comment as anything because that has been blown (pun intended) way out of proportion.

Clearly Ainge/Celtics can keep things under wraps (see Perkins trade, Stevens signing, etc.) so I can't figure out why they keep putting things out there that end up not going as planned or completely dis-enchant the fanbase.  Any ideas?

Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2015, 04:31:11 PM »

Offline Greenbean

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Hes either trying to be transparent to let the fans know "Hey Im trying to get you guys some better talent here", or he's being incredibly deceitful and throwing smokescreens when he knows he has no shot to get deals done that will make the team better in the short term.

The West and McGee things may have been tactics to put pressure on the guys to agree to the deal. Its tough to say.

Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2015, 04:41:04 PM »

Offline TheFlex

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I think the David West and McGee examples are poor ones to choose because those were probably about an honest,  genuine belief that they had a player in the bag and, as has happened before, an intervention of some kind killed the deal.

Much of your other examples are probably fan appeasement. Fans aren't nearly as patient as GMs who can distract/entertain themselves with the process (being able to see Smart grow in practice, hearing execs increasingly praise Stevens, knowing what the value of the Cs' assets are vs. having to guess). Danny has to keep us motivated to stay the course by reminding us about our potential to vault into contending status at any moment... it's only if you read the fine print of his comments that you realize that there's an equally significant possibility that such an evolution could take 5, 6, 7, etc. more years.

For example: "we're going to trade up" "we're trying our hardest to trade up... but we're prepared to select prospects we like at our current drafting postions if we don't get lucky"

"We will get [a player obtainable via trade or free agency]" vs. "We have mutual interest in [a player obtainable via trade or free agency]... but we're prepared to improve the team without compromising future flexibility if we don't get lucky"

As fans, we like to isolate the first part of the respective latter sentences and go even further to replace uncertainty with absolutivity. We should know better than to tease ourselves like that.


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Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2015, 05:33:24 PM »

Offline TheFlex

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Bump because it's refreshing to see a new topic.


Draft: 8 first rounders in next 5 years.

Cap space: $24 mil.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dkcleague/

Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2015, 11:13:40 AM »

Offline kheldar52077

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I am gonna poop.... Yeah, its coming....but you don't need to know that until well i did poop sort of thing Danny is doing.  ;D

Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2015, 11:18:01 AM »

Offline LilRip

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for the record, I don't think signing Monroe would've been the equivalent of signing Villanueva/Gordon. I think Monroe would've fit well on this team. i don't think people are bashing the Bucks for signing him.

Meanwhile, Charlie and Ben were already deemed bad signings the moment that news broke.

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Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2015, 11:48:35 AM »

Offline celts55

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Off topic, but did McGee ever sign with anyone? Still any interest?

Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2015, 11:57:38 AM »

Offline footey

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someone said Clippers signed McGee, but I just see reports of their interest in signing him.  Anyone know something more than that ??

Re: Can't quite figure why and when Ainge/Celtics reveal info
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2015, 11:57:56 AM »

Offline PhoSita

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The Celtics seem to have an awareness that they are just one of a handful of franchises in a town where sports are huge and winning is the only thing that holds most people's attention.

I wish they would adopt more of an attitude of "Under promise and over deliver," but I understand that they have to play some games to drum up attention in a franchise that is still muddling its way through a murky and largely unsatisfying rebuilding process that may very well take another 5-10 years.

The Patriots and Spurs can afford to be tight-lipped, surly, and business-like in everything because they win a ton of games year after year.  The Celts don't have that luxury.
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