I came to the Garden with the best of intentions.
Not that bad, I reasoned. The Celtics had lost seven of nine and were abysmal on a recent western road trip. They were two games under .500, not even playoff-worthy if the postseason had started New Year’s Day.
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KP for Jeff Green. Danny also traded away Banner 18 and possibly even 19 in the process. The unfortunate part is that we all knew it was obviously a bad trade from the moment we learned of it. How Ainge did not is a mystery.
If you really think Perk is the missing ingredient you haven't been paying attention. I hardly think his 5 points and 6 rebounds a game would make a bit of difference. I always liked Perk. I'm as disappointed as anyone with Green. But come on. Get a clue brother.
dano50, I agree with BarnesAve when it comes to Banner 18. Perk's no great player but he had his role and he did it well. Taking him out of the mix took the toughness out of that team and cost them the championship that year. Ainge gambled on the short term gain (keeping Perk, having a better shot at winning the championship that year) versus the longterm (Perk walking at the end of his contract and getting nothing in return).
Considering how difficult it's been to get the toughness back to this team, and how little toughness Green brings, I'd say Ainge made a bad move. Perk was more to this team than 5 points and 6 rebounds a game and deserved a contract that would have kept him here. It would have been a lot less than what they gave Green. It's like the Sox getting rid of players who can play here. Sometimes you have to pay for intangibles. Ainge wouldn't and we're seeing the result.
Well, Danny Ainge has to be a beiliever still. After all, this is his team. But, I don't see much fight in the new guys at all. They look like they are taking the paycheck and mailing it in. Its been said: lackluster defense (at best), bad decision making as well as bad offense. I don't know why Ainge expects things to improve in the next 6 weeks as there is no shred of evidence to suggest things will improve. I had hoped Bradley's return would give a bit of a spark to the team. But, obviously that didn't happen last night. The team needs to be re-built. It is that simple. Pierce and KG are OLD. They cannot do it by themselves. But, the young guys seem to be in that mode: Letting KG and Pierce do the heavy lifting when they are playing...not a formula for success. I wouldn't be looking for this team to make the playoffs this year as currently constituted.
As much as I enjoy watching Rondo when he's at his best, this is the type of team you're going to get if he's the focal point. Look at championship teams and they're led by intense players who bring it on a regular basis: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, etc. Ainge is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole by annointing Rondo the leader of this team. Adding Cousins would be a disaster as you'd be adding another player with questionable character and intensity.
The Celtics are what they are. Bradley, in time, will make them better but with two older leaders in Pierce and Garnett, coupled with the mercurial Rondo, you don't have a championship caliber team. They've had a great run with the Big Three but they're on the back nine and Danny will have to find a way to reinvent this team. Given how the NBA is structured that will be no easy task.
By the way, love the "Ghandi" nickname for Green. He's to the Celtics what Tony Eason was to the Patriots back in the day.