What was the point of signing Horford and not trading Thomas and Crowder if you weren't going to try and win now?
Define win. A win against the 76ers? Check. Playoff wins against the Cavs/Warriors? No check.
I think Danny is doing a masterful job of maneuvering around the common strategies of stinking for talent and going all in for a championship today. This while having multiple opportunities of acquiring the best 19 year olds, as well as putting his team in a position to win a playoff series or two.
I really like IT, but I think he's a place-holder until we get the next PG that will take us to the Finals. Crowder is a role player on a championship team, and Horford could be the 3rd/4th option.
I agree DA has placed this team in a position to not only compete in the playoffs but also be in position to draft elite talent. If DA takes the stance that the Cs are "all in to win now" he might as well follow in the foot steps of the Nets who so graciously mortgaged their future in the hopes of a few seasons of relevance in the NY market.
The Cs are in the business of winning championships Boston is not a market that wants to just see its teams compete. The Cs have the picks to amass an elite young talent pool and a current roster that can compete in the top of the east and continue the winning culture. It is currently a very advantages position to be and the point of my original post is that I would hate to see DA squander that for the right to get crushed the next few years by the Cavs and Warriors.
Building a "winning" culture now will have no bearing on what Brown, BKN 17, and BKN 18 become. If the purpose is to create a championship level team based around the BKN picks, then making the playoffs now does nothing towards that goal and in fact might hurt that goal as it diminishes playing time for young players and affects Boston's own 18 and 19 draft position.
Too many on this board want to have their cake and eat it to, and that almost always backfires. Boston needs to pick a direction i.e. go all in now and try and win around the current group or build towards the future. This middling stuff just isn't conducive to winning championships, which should be the ultimate goal. Ainge's moves over the last year or so all indicate that Boston is going to try and win now, which means assets will be traded.