Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
But as endearing as the Celtics were, there was always the question of just how far away they remained from true title contention. There was an obvious gap between the Celtics and Cavaliers after the East finals, then the Golden State Warriors throttled Cleveland in the title fight.
Ainge did what many others would struggle to do: He divorced the emotional attachment to his players, ignored their recent successes and determined that there simply wasn’t enough pure talent to take this team where it desired to go.
ESPN Boston – With blockbuster deal, Danny Ainge takes shot at greatness
And then you pay appropriate and deserved homage to Isaiah Thomas. That simply must be done before we get to the nitty-gritty of the deal and what it does for the Celtics. He was only a Celtic for 2½ seasons and 179 regular-season games. But what he did here during that time made him a Celtic for life.
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To see him go hurts a lot of Celtics fans this morning. But that’s because they’re dealing with that variable that Ainge ignores: sentiment. If you can somehow take that out of the equation, at the very least the deal should leave you eagerly anticipating the new season.
Boston.com – Three cheers for Danny Ainge, who turned assets into star power
Now if that comes across as cold and impersonal, given Thomas’ enormous popularity among Celtics fans, that’s only because Danny Ainge made a cold and impersonal decision. Which is what Danny is paid to do. If he based all his deals on popularity and good nature, Brian Scalabrini would still be on the roster.
But let’s put down the depth chart for a moment. Let’s toss out the playbook and the short- and long-range projections. Let’s do what Ainge cannot and should not do. And let’s pose a question:
Though Kyrie Irving has replaced the player that is Isaiah Thomas, can he replace the man that is Isaiah Thomas?
Maybe Jerry Seinfeld was right: when you boil down sports fan loyalty, we’re rooting for clothes.
At least that’s what it feels like right now regarding the Boston Celtics. Forget for a moment any analysis of the new Celtics roster. There are other writers who know far more about that than I do. Today, let’s focus on the personal side of the big trade, and of all the other moves that have left us with just four players from last season.
Since Isaiah’s arrival, we’ve been gradually building a connection with our flawed but scrappy roster. When you watch 100 games over the course of eight or nine months, you want to be able to root for players who battle and who are good people. If you have that, you can’t help but become emotionally invested in the individuals, and the team as a whole. And that bond becomes stronger when the team also wins.
That’s what we’ve enjoyed with the Celtics of the past couple of seasons. Think about how you reacted when Jonas Jerebko scolded Kevin Love to stop flopping. Or when Jae Crowder booped John Wall’s nose. Or when Kelly Olynyk tangled with Kelly Oubre. You got fired up, right? You yelled at the TV or you tweeted out something because you had your guys’ backs.
How about when you saw the photo of Avery Bradley consoling IT because his friend had tragically lost his sister? You probably were hurting, and perhaps even shed some tears.
That is what fans do. We care. We’re committed. We wear green. We go to the Garden and cheer so loudly that free agents want to sign here. We can’t ignore sentiment.
Danny Ainge isn’t like that. As you may have noticed from the Pierce, Garnett and Bradley trades, he’s cold-blooded about personnel decisions. And that’s fine, because he needs to be. But in the past couple of months, Ainge’s bottom-line style and near-complete squad makeover have suddenly left fans wondering: Who are these Boston Celtics now, and how are we supposed to root for them when we don’t even know them?
Another factor: almost every important trade in Celtics history has been with teams we would not consider rivals. In that light, this Cavs deal is especially tough to grasp. We hate the LeBrons, but come opening night we’re going to have to watch IT and Jae, in Cleveland uniforms, play against the Celtics. I, for one, will be an emotional wreck.
It’s possible to be both happy to have Kyrie and unhappy with this deal. Maybe you think Boston gave up too much. Maybe you believe the Celts shouldn’t have provided the Cavs a method to solve their Kyrie problem and re-stock their roster.
Or maybe you’re just stunned that the super-relatable IT – the face of the franchise, The Little Guy, the 60th draft pick who became All-NBA, the man who persevered through tragedy and injury – was suddenly sent packing. To play with the hated LeBron. For the team the Cs haven’t been able to beat.
Basketball-wise, perhaps this trade gets the Celtics closer to Banner 18. But fan-wise, this one will sting for a long, long time.
Trade news and analysis links:
ESPN Boston – Are the Celtics a better team after Irving trade?
Sports Illustrated – The Kyrie Blockbuster: Five Burning Questions | The Long-Term Benefits of Boston’s Kyrie Irving Gamble
Herald – Bulpett: Now Kyrie Irving must show he can be ‘the man’ for Celtics
CBS Sports – Three major questions in wake of Kyrie Irving trade to Celtics
Globe – After massive makeover, Celtics now have to make it all mesh | Celtics should be in a two-team race to NBA Finals | Isaiah Thomas’s father grasps that trades are part of the job
Herald – Murphy: Time to examine how Celtics will shape up next season
Providence Journal – Isaiah’s departure a heartbreaker for young fan
MassLive – Kevin Durant thinks Kyrie Irving will thrive with Boston Celtics: ‘He’s a 6-foot-3 Isaiah Thomas’
On Page 2: With that said, Danny does get it
The above thoughts aren’t meant to say Ainge is heartless. Last night, CSNNE sent this tweet:
VIDEO – @SteveBHoop: #Celtics owe 'huge debt of gratitude to Isaiah Thomas'
https://t.co/yYY8HwtGg8— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) August 25, 2017
Danny retweeted it, adding his comment.
Amen🙏🏼 https://t.co/K2H9lbYI3f
— Danny Ainge (@danielrainge) August 25, 2017
And, finally: Ray Allen is bitter, again
Former NBA veteran Caron Butler took to his Instagram on Thursday to comment on the trade, and Allen just so happened to chime in via a comment himself.
Butler posted a screenshot of a viral tweet that has gone around about Thomas playing shortly after his sister’s death.
Allen’s comment pointed out the difference in opinion when it comes to loyalty when a player makes a decision to move versus when a team makes that decision.
Yahoo – Ray Allen chimes in on Celtics, fans after Isaiah Thomas trade to Cavs
Ray is 100 percent wrong to say there’s no outrage among Celtics fans over the Cleveland trade, but he’s still fighting the battle about him bolting for Miami. Maybe one day he’ll realize that’s a fight he can’t win.
The Rest of the Links:
MassLive – Boston Celtics rookie Semi Ojeleye: The Celtics’ organization is sad to see Isaiah Thomas go
ESPN – LeBron James rants about fans burning Isaiah Thomas, Gordon Hayward jerseys
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