Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t think head coach Brad Stevens is to blame for the team’s underwhelming play so far this season, telling Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe that he’d assign more responsibility to Boston’s players and to himself.
“We’re not playing with the passion that we need,” Ainge said. “I think that’s on the players. And the players on the team are on me.
“… This is a team that was put together by me,” he continued. “And we’re not playing with enough consistency and urgency, and it’s my job to look to see what we can do to improve the team, but that’s always much harder than improving from within.”
While Ainge stressed that “just changing faces” isn’t necessarily a way to upgrade a roster and improve a team’s outlook, he acknowledged that some roster changes may be necessary. The Celtics will look to avoid falling below .500 when they take a 13-13 record into a home game vs. Denver on Tuesday.
Here’s more out of Boston:
- More than a month after he first tested positive for COVID-19, Jayson Tatum is still feeling the aftereffects of the virus, telling reporters on Tuesday that it “messes with your breathing a little bit,” according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “Just running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster,” Tatum said. “I’ve noticed that since I’ve had COVID. It’s just something I’m working on. It’s gotten better since the first game I played, but I still deal with it from time to time.”
- When Marcus Smart was diagnosed with a calf strain at the end of January, the Celtics announced a projected two- or three-week recovery timeline. However, as Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes, it seems likely that Smart, who said on Friday that he’s still walking with a slight limp, will miss more time than that.
- Having lost 10 of their last 15 games, the Celtics appear to be missing Gordon Hayward and could really use someone to fill the role he played last season, says Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
If this is the trade idea
Hawks get Smart and Celtics 2 future Firsts
Celtics get Collins and Snell
IMO
Hawks would say No
1. Hawks won’t make playoffs this season
Smart missed average 14 games per season
Collins and Snell combined are better than Smart
Smart stats is 13, 6
2. Smart may not be Hawks future plan
Hawks could miss the playoffs again next year
One of Bottom 8 teams or Warriors needs to help Celtics
Third team trade
Danny Ainge sucks at drafting unless its in the top 5 but he also refuses to trade first round picks to get better players. He’ll probably do nothing and sign Trevor Ariza once he gets bought out and think he did something.
Wait..Smart and two firsts for Collins and Snell? and you think the HAWKS would say no?
You’re insane. It’s cool though, some of my best friends are crazy.
Hawks do not need to be trading away Collins. Dump Gallinari and resign Collins.
The Hawks don’t want to trade Collins he wants out and already refused to sign a extension
He’s restricted. They can match any offer.
He threw out a trade and then commented on his own trade proposal/comment before anyone could comment. Bizarro world.
I go back and forth, but I think Celtics better off getting a consistent scorer over a rim protector. Feels like they run the same play every time in the halfcourt, and it’s going to Brown or Tatum or its going to be a total crapshoot as to whether that role player is having a good night. Get a scorer and let the defense come naturally.
Doug McDermott and Myles Turner would have been nice. lol
Yeah, depending on what they would have had to give up. Easy to evaluate moves 3 months later…
Reported in several places that Pacers offered Turner, McD and a 1st for Hayward in a S&T. A lot of people were surprised at the time that Ainge rejected it. I was one of them. Could have been misreported, but he didn’t pull those two names out of a hat.
Hayward signed with the Hornets…who offered way more than the Pacers. Ainge can’t trade someone in a sign and trade who isn’t signing. With that said, Ainge has def not done a good job with this years roster. Thompson and Teague have done nothing and none of the young guys move the needle.
@curtis exactly. And even if the deal was there and Ainge effed it up, there’s no real way to know, so to blame him for it is pointless (and changes nothing…). Blame him if you want, but don’t use circumstantial evidence to make your case.
Ainge missed chances to add some depth and energy to the team both in the draft (with 3 firsts), and then (more so) with Haywood’s S&T targets. The picks were fine, as are Teague and TT, but there were enough resources in play to get someone who might move the needle. He’s got the TPE, so still time before Tatum’s extension kicks in next year.
Teague and Thompson have been busts and other than Pritch all their younger dudes (Romeo, both Williams, Neismith) have been injured or spotty
To some extent that’s just bad luck. If say Robert Williams is a starter level guy maybe it’s a different story
The bigger issue is they maxed out a 5’10” PG when he was 29. Wasn’t that the whole reason they moved Isaiah in the first place?
Once any 6′ and under guy hits 30 it’s Russian Roulette with their careers. Really only CP3 has avoided that fate but he’s a legitimate basketball genius.
It’s funny bc they just got off the Hayward albatross contract (yet funny enough he’s playing like an AS in CHA) and now it looks like Kemba will be the new albatross. Something in the water in Boston
I actually never understood why they signed kemba or how Hayward was considered an issue while he was healthy
Smart may be the most valuable Celtic. There is no doubt they miss his toughness and attitude. Look at their record since he got injured. Brown and Tatum are great players, but that alone doesn’t get the team wins.
I could see Boston trading for PJ Tucker. They need he passion, toughness, and defense. Plus, he wouldn’t cost much.
Yeah they desperately need someone at the 4/5 spot who can be reliable. Tucker would prob help Boston as much as anyone
What about KAT?
How ironic would it be if after the 2013 one-sided Celtics and Nets trade that the Nets were the first one to make the finals or win the title?
It would be like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife.
Health has been an issue, as well as the rotations Stevens has used at times. Want to see what happens once they’re healthy, and if they can figure out how to use their young guys properly, as they have at times. He keeps changing their rotation when things are working…
Also, Tatum having issues with his lung capacity should be worrisome, and further illustrates, as it does with all the other young athletes we’ve seen it cause problems for, that mortality rate isnt the only issue with this pandemic, as has been glossed over countless times since this started
TT, Kemba, Teague have underwhelmed significantly & it doesn’t help with Tatum & Smart sitting for long stretches. There is still some potency in the starting unit when healthy.
Stevens must have the easiest & greatest job in pro sports, basically what Ainge is sayin’ is when the team wins Brad is great, when it isn’t is on the players & FO… well talk about a job without accountability, right?
Stevens hasn’t shown nothin’ at all as a HC, but boy does he get praised for nothin’, now he doesn’t get stick for doin’ bad, boy oh boy!
They handled the Nuggets last night. Denver needs a big shakeup. I’d be trying to trade everyone not named Jokic or Murray for some help.
Porter Jr is trash – endless terrible defensive lapses, demonstrably blaming others on the court when he totally loses his man, doesn’t play well in the system, seems to hunt his shots, constantly out-rebounded.
All of this would be ok if he had a measure of humility but all of his recent interviews are about how Denver need to give him more responsibility, if he was in college he’d have averaged 35 and 10.
Sell high while bubble memories are still fresh.
Unfortunately it seems most of Denver’s attractive trade stock are rookies, so salary matching will be a headache.
Tatum,brown,smart were jealous of Hayward and froze him out. He wanted out. That is first hand info from brownsburg Indiana…his hometown. Celtics miss him terribly…smart player…team player…shares the ball…
Rozier was in the clique…ainge tried to fix by moving him….wasn’t enuff. Screw the three punks…let them wallow in their.500 puke.
I was pretty critical of Hayward’s play the past few years, but his performance this year (and the Celtics continuing meh chemistry) gives credence to what you’re saying
Maybe Tatum and Brown learned a little too much during Kyrie’s tenure