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.
Ainge insists he is not fatigued by the process, nor is he looking to get this rebuilding completed to make his exit and leave the franchise on solid footing.
“I’m having too much fun,” he said. “I like working with the guys. I feel like right now, after 12 years, I think what we’ve sort of built with our data people, our sports science people, our training staff, our medical staff and our coaching staff, it’s come a long way. I love working with the guys I work with. I still like the players of today. I’m not one of those people that think, ‘Oh, the players of today aren’t what they used to be.’ I don’t see that at all. I love the young kids. I love how hard they work. They work harder than we ever worked. They energize me. I love being around this group of guys.
“And it’s great working with (owners) Steve (Pagliuca) and Wyc (Grousbeck). They’re passionate and successful guys that have high expectations, and they’re really into it. But they let (coach) Brad (Stevens) and I do our jobs. We know that they’re there, and they have high expectations. I enjoy that. I enjoy the atmosphere that we have from the top down.”
I know a few (impatient) people around these parts who aren’t exactly thrilled with the progress of Danny Ainge’s rebuild. But I think that has more to do with unrealistic expectations than front office failures.
We’ll learn a lot about this team in 10-12 months. The development of key players (Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk) will come into focus. We’ll know if top tier free agents have any interest playing here. And we might finally score a franchise cornerstone in the draft lottery (thank you, Billy King).
Ainge deserves tremendous credit for hiring Brad Stevens. In just a few seasons he’s skyrocketed to the top of the NBA coaching ranks. Imagine life if Derek Fisher or Bryon Scott were the coach of this team. This hiring alone buys him a few more years.
My point is… Ainge is still the right man for this job. If the team struggles to win 40 games this year, whiffs in free agency and the lottery, I might have a different opinion.
On Page 2, Mickey and Young are the odd men out (for now).
Joining the 6-foot-6 Young on the inactive list for Boston will be rookie big man Jordan Mickey who has been impressive in limited minutes during the preseason.
While Young made noticeable progress as training camp went along, he didn’t do enough to close the gap that exists between him and the team’s rotation players.
And his efforts weren’t aided by rookie guard R.J. Hunter who parlayed a strong finish in summer league into a solid performance in training camp to edge out Young for an active roster spot.
No surprises here. RJ Hunter earned a spot at the back of the rotation. If he disappoints, James Young will get his shot.
The Celtics only have to name 2 inactive players because Kelly Olynyk is suspended for the season opener. I forgot about the league’s preposterous decision to suspend KO for a play that happens at least 5 times in every NBA game.
The rest of the links:
Herald – Celtics guard smartening up | Globe – Bradley’s long range plan | Mass Live – Celtics will consider resting players during season | ESPN – Celtics 13th in power rankings
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