This team has had the same glaying holes and deficiencies for 2 years none of which were even attempted to be solved except a push for a guy who was unlikely to sign in Boston. Ainge wouldn't give up a worthless pick and a guy that is barely going to play this postseason for a rental even a rental that could have solved many of the issues on the team. The team has no one that plays inside on either end of the court well. Has 25 guards and 0 centers (yes that is sarcasm). The team only has 1 above scorer who is the smallest player in the NBA and who has consistently shown he isn't very effective in the post season. This is a 40 win team by talent that Stevens just coaches up in the regular season to overachieving levels and then it invariably flames out in the post season. Ainge needs to stop getting a pass for things he did years ago. We are now starting to see the effect of having your cake and trying to eat it too. You just can't do that. A direction needs to be taken. This is the summer.
This is all pretty much nonsense that the amateur GMs are seizing on after looking foolish with how this team turned out better than they expected. It's just like how everyone was going nuts over Portis after Game 1. In Game 2, Portis played 9 minutes, scored 3 points and had a -11 point differential.
If anything, Ainge is largely validated by the last two games because adding anyone like Ibaka wouldn't make a bit of difference to this squad. And adding Butler or George surely wouldn't fix the problems either. Cousins is another thing but let's remember that one of the main reasons we reportedly didn't get him is because STEVENS didn't want him.
I'm not saying Ainge doesn't deserve criticism and the players obviously do, but so does the coach. The first and biggest problem with this team is the defense and when five of your top eight players are all average to outstanding individual defenders and your defense is as awful as it has been this year for Boston...whose fault is that?
Mike