Quotes from Ainge Boston Herald

[KG Living Legend]

Sure, it’d be great to add a knock-down shooter, but you don’t want to change the identity of your team by sticking someone out there that doesn’t have that same defensive intensity and toughness that is the foundation of us being a good team,” he said. “It’s just not as simple as finding a second baseman and putting him in there. In basketball, you have to do a lot of things -- pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, defend. That’s why we like Jaylen (Brown, the team’s first-round draft pick), as an example. He does a lot of things. It’s like Marcus isn’t your prototypical NBA point guard, but he can play (the) 1-4. He’s in there playing a power forward in a playoff game and doing well. He’s a basketball player, and you can play him with a lot of different combinations of people. That’s what I like about our team.

“But, yeah, it would be nice to add a rim protector that didn’t hurt our offense. It would be nice to have a shooter that didn’t hurt our defense. But I feel like we have a lot of guys that are good shooters. But the kind of guys you’re talking about, those guys are hard to find.”



 The rim protector that doesn't hurt the offense sounds like he's referencing Nerlens Noel.

 And he's saying Smart can play 1 through four, is that pushing it?

 Maybe it's a weakness oh his that he doesn't two pick up specialist and wants guys that can do it all, then again maybe it's a strength.

[TheSundanceKid]

He doesn't pick specialists with the high picks, I think he's tried it with the lower picks it just hasn't gone that well.

I agree with what he's saying though, we have an identity let's not compromise it for for something that is a need. Let our guys develop first

[Csfan1984]

Sounds like DA is in the Smart>Noel camp.

[KG Living Legend]

Sounds like DA is in the Smart>Noel camp.

 Or it's just leverage  or Gm talk, a fabrication.

[dannyboy35]

Sure, it’d be great to add a knock-down shooter, but you don’t want to change the identity of your team by sticking someone out there that doesn’t have that same defensive intensity and toughness that is the foundation of us being a good team,” he said. “It’s just not as simple as finding a second baseman and putting him in there. In basketball, you have to do a lot of things -- pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, defend. That’s why we like Jaylen (Brown, the team’s first-round draft pick), as an example. He does a lot of things. It’s like Marcus isn’t your prototypical NBA point guard, but he can play (the) 1-4. He’s in there playing a power forward in a playoff game and doing well. He’s a basketball player, and you can play him with a lot of different combinations of people. That’s what I like about our team.

“But, yeah, it would be nice to add a rim protector that didn’t hurt our offense. It would be nice to have a shooter that didn’t hurt our defense. But I feel like we have a lot of guys that are good shooters. But the kind of guys you’re talking about, those guys are hard to find.”



 The rim protector that doesn't hurt the offense sounds like he's referencing Nerlens Noel.

 And he's saying Smart can play 1 through four, is that pushing it?

 Maybe it's a weakness oh his that he doesn't two pick up specialist and wants guys that can do it all, then again maybe it's a strength.

I love Danny and I'd love to coach a guy like smart but I don't think he's proven he can play 1 ( hasn't had many reps though to be fair, struggles guarding 1's and I think Milsap the next time around would dominate him.

[Irish Stew]

Marcus Smart's outside shot is similar to a number of 4s except they don't actually take those shots during a game.

[TheSundanceKid]

Sure, it’d be great to add a knock-down shooter, but you don’t want to change the identity of your team by sticking someone out there that doesn’t have that same defensive intensity and toughness that is the foundation of us being a good team,” he said. “It’s just not as simple as finding a second baseman and putting him in there. In basketball, you have to do a lot of things -- pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, defend. That’s why we like Jaylen (Brown, the team’s first-round draft pick), as an example. He does a lot of things. It’s like Marcus isn’t your prototypical NBA point guard, but he can play (the) 1-4. He’s in there playing a power forward in a playoff game and doing well. He’s a basketball player, and you can play him with a lot of different combinations of people. That’s what I like about our team.

“But, yeah, it would be nice to add a rim protector that didn’t hurt our offense. It would be nice to have a shooter that didn’t hurt our defense. But I feel like we have a lot of guys that are good shooters. But the kind of guys you’re talking about, those guys are hard to find.”



 The rim protector that doesn't hurt the offense sounds like he's referencing Nerlens Noel.

 And he's saying Smart can play 1 through four, is that pushing it?

 Maybe it's a weakness oh his that he doesn't two pick up specialist and wants guys that can do it all, then again maybe it's a strength.

I love Danny and I'd love to coach a guy like smart but I don't think he's proven he can play 1 ( hasn't had many reps though to be fair, struggles guarding 1's and I think Milsap the next time around would dominate him.

I think he can play the point. He did it in college very effectively and the times he has been allowed to do it for Boston have been successful, albeit in things like summer league. Before he dislocated his fingers in SL 2015 there was growing hype about his leadership of that group and his assertiveness on the ball, not unlike Rozier this summer. He just hasn't had the opportunites in game to show us properly

[dreamgreen]

I agree with what he's saying, basically the team has talent and has a bunch of scrappy guys. Smart playing the 4 is ridicules, getting away with it against an undersized 4 for a while doesn't mean he can play it at all. I do see a lot of small ball coming our way with no Turner and Rozier getting more minutes.

As for the Noel part you guys have pulled out of that somehow I don't agree with your read into it sorry.

[Csfan1984]

Sounds like DA is in the Smart>Noel camp.

 Or it's just leverage  or Gm talk, a fabrication.

Nah DA is usually closing the book on a trade when he drops stuff like this. See the last trade rumors for other players. Once he drops clues it's over.

[KG Living Legend]

I agree with what he's saying, basically the team has talent and has a bunch of scrappy guys. Smart playing the 4 is ridicules, getting away with it against an undersized 4 for a while doesn't mean he can play it at all. I do see a lot of small ball coming our way with no Turner and Rozier getting more minutes.

As for the Noel part you guys have pulled out of that somehow I don't agree with your read into it sorry.

 Well Noel is an awesome Defensive center that would hurt the offense, and kill the spacing so there is that

[dreamgreen]

I agree with what he's saying, basically the team has talent and has a bunch of scrappy guys. Smart playing the 4 is ridicules, getting away with it against an undersized 4 for a while doesn't mean he can play it at all. I do see a lot of small ball coming our way with no Turner and Rozier getting more minutes.

As for the Noel part you guys have pulled out of that somehow I don't agree with your read into it sorry.

 Well Noel is an awesome Defensive center that would hurt the offense, and kill the spacing so there is that

One could argue good defense leads to offense. 

[KG Living Legend]

I agree with what he's saying, basically the team has talent and has a bunch of scrappy guys. Smart playing the 4 is ridicules, getting away with it against an undersized 4 for a while doesn't mean he can play it at all. I do see a lot of small ball coming our way with no Turner and Rozier getting more minutes.

As for the Noel part you guys have pulled out of that somehow I don't agree with your read into it sorry.

 Well Noel is an awesome Defensive center that would hurt the offense, and kill the spacing so there is that

One could argue good defense leads to offense. 

 Yes, but we are talking more about the half court offense which is what happens come playoff time.

[vgulab]

I agree with what he's saying, basically the team has talent and has a bunch of scrappy guys. Smart playing the 4 is ridicules, getting away with it against an undersized 4 for a while doesn't mean he can play it at all. I do see a lot of small ball coming our way with no Turner and Rozier getting more minutes.

As for the Noel part you guys have pulled out of that somehow I don't agree with your read into it sorry.

 Well Noel is an awesome Defensive center that would hurt the offense, and kill the spacing so there is that

One could argue good defense leads to offense. 

 Yes, but we are talking more about the half court offense which is what happens come playoff time.

Well i see Noel as a 5. He will do what Amir did last year and woudn't hurt our offense. Noel is not a 4 and it is a mistake to use it as a 4. But as a 5 who takes only inside shots with his great defense i would say that properly used he won't hurt the offense

[KG Living Legend]

I agree with what he's saying, basically the team has talent and has a bunch of scrappy guys. Smart playing the 4 is ridicules, getting away with it against an undersized 4 for a while doesn't mean he can play it at all. I do see a lot of small ball coming our way with no Turner and Rozier getting more minutes.

As for the Noel part you guys have pulled out of that somehow I don't agree with your read into it sorry.

 Well Noel is an awesome Defensive center that would hurt the offense, and kill the spacing so there is that

One could argue good defense leads to offense. 

 Yes, but we are talking more about the half court offense which is what happens come playoff time.

Well i see Noel as a 5. He will do what Amir did last year and woudn't hurt our offense. Noel is not a 4 and it is a mistake to use it as a 4. But as a 5 who takes only inside shots with his great defense i would say that properly used he won't hurt the offense

 But he doesn't have a jumpshot or any normal offensive game. Amir can score and us very effective. Noel needs to Dunk or lay it in.

[droopdog7]

I don't think he's necessarily talking about Noel.  I just think if you're a big, and a rim protector, and a good offensive player, then you're a bonafide star.  He know's that's a different discussion altogether.  So I think he was just making an analogy about the kinds of rim protectors that might be available.

Besides. what does DA think about having a guard that hurts your offense?   So he's not being entirely consistent anyway, else smart would not be on this team (regardless of all the things he can supposedly do).