Ainge Quotes

by Jeff Clark on Jul 17, 2008 10:20 AM EDT in Boston Celtics News & Links

Ainge said Posey would be replaced by committee and there wasn't a free agent in mind.
"We go to the next options," said Ainge, who might consider adding another big man. "We're not going to sign one player that is going to replace James Posey. We're going to do it in a different way and different fashion. We are going to reallocate our dollars in different ways.
"We are not necessarily looking for a small forward. We're looking to become a better team. We're still talking with veteran point guards. We're still talking to veteran bigs. We are still looking at wing players. We are still looking at all the above. We still have J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker's situation."

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That’s the only philosophy that makes sense. Lose Posey, but upgrade in other areas. We’ll see if Danny can pull that off.

by Roy_Hobbs on Jul 17, 2008 10:22 AM EDT reply actions

anyone else think that the chances we see eddie and TA back in green just got alot better? could see danny splitting up a bit of the MLE to sign them both, mabey 1.5 or so for eddie and 2 for TA.

by crownsy on Jul 17, 2008 10:25 AM EDT reply actions

crownsy,

We don’t need to use the MLE to resign Tony; we have his Bird rights. If we give Eddie a contract in the $1.8 million range, we don’t need to use our MLE on him, either (non-Bird rights).

by Roy_Hobbs on Jul 17, 2008 10:27 AM EDT reply actions

Danny may also be planning to add whatever piece he can’t get this summer – at the trading deadline.

by FallGuy on Jul 17, 2008 10:30 AM EDT reply actions

Roy,

Do we have to use our MLE at all?

by EarthBall on Jul 17, 2008 10:30 AM EDT reply actions

We still have J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker’s situation.

This bothers me. What’s the situation? Just sign them and stop jerking them around.

by libermaniac on Jul 17, 2008 10:36 AM EDT reply actions

Roy, the C’s offered the qualifying offer to TA?

by soap07 on Jul 17, 2008 10:37 AM EDT reply actions

My favorite line: “We still have J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker’s situation.”

by The Walker Wiggle on Jul 17, 2008 10:38 AM EDT reply actions

we don’t have to use the MLE, we can save money by not using it

if you can sign all the guys you need with vet minimum contracts, great – but I don’t think they’ll be as good as what you can get by splitting up the MLE

by Jeff Clark on Jul 17, 2008 10:39 AM EDT reply actions

Ty Lue chooses the Bucks over the Cs. What happened to the Cs being the team everyone wanted to play for?

by The Real Large James on Jul 17, 2008 10:39 AM EDT reply actions

I wonder if the Celtics just showed interest in Lue to keep KG happy? It seems like if they really wanted him, he would have picked Boston. Or maybe they thought, if they got Posey, they would only have the min. to offer a PG like Lue. Now that they can split up the MLE, they can go after guys like Dooling.

by Jeff Clark on Jul 17, 2008 10:42 AM EDT reply actions

Re: We still have J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker’s situation.

libermaniac said:
This bothers me. What’s the situation? Just sign them and stop jerking them around.

How do you know who’s jerking around whom?

by The Village Idiot on Jul 17, 2008 10:44 AM EDT reply actions

Roy thanks for the info. Sorry to see Posey go. He is one the best all around bench players I have seen. The C’s have more options then I thought. I believe Danny will make the correct choices and bring in the right people and positions. If he repeats last year he will bring in people now and a month or more before the playoffs. We are in a different era so from year to year no one knows who will be retained. Still enjoying number 17 after watching and waiting for 22 years! New Orleans vs Celtics 2009 Finals?

by CelticsWin on Jul 17, 2008 10:46 AM EDT reply actions

Roy, the C’s offered the qualifying offer to TA? [/quote]

No, but the qualifying offer doesn’t have anything to do with Bird rights. Rather, by declining the qualifying offer, we made TA an unrestricted free agent, meaning we no longer have the right to match any offer sheet that he’s given.

[quote]Roy,

Do we have to use our MLE at all?

No. As Jeff said, we’re not compelled to use it if we don’t want to. It’s possible for us to resign our own free agents using Bird rights (Tony) and non-Bird rights (everyone else), and to sign outside free agents using the veteran minimum (ranging from just over $400k to $1.2m, depending upon service time.)

by Roy_Hobbs on Jul 17, 2008 10:47 AM EDT reply actions

Gosh, this piece doesn’t contain any information. It’s just GM talk. Of course we are looking for a Posey replacement.

by P_two on Jul 17, 2008 10:48 AM EDT reply actions

It’s the right sentiment. There’s no Posey replacement available so they’ll have to upgrade the other areas of the bench which looks quite difficult right now.

No Posey, No PJ, No House, No Tony … at the moment.

Lot of room to totally revamp the bench and give it a different look.

by Who on Jul 17, 2008 11:01 AM EDT reply actions

I have a feeling House will hold out for more cash.

Sign Walker and Giddens – stash Walker in Europe. I have a feeling Giddens can contribute right away.

Add Mourning with the vet min., wait for Starbury to be bought out and add him as well. Use MLE for Barnes.

Perkins / Mourning
Garnett / Powe
Pierce / Barnes
RAllen / Giddens
Rondo / Marbury

by bostonfan23 on Jul 17, 2008 11:07 AM EDT reply actions

It is great to have a GM smart enough to look both short term and long term, Most GMs would have taken the easy route and signed Posey for the 4 years.

by michael32951 on Jul 17, 2008 11:11 AM EDT reply actions

"We are not necessarily looking for a small forward.

Based on my previous experiences listening to Ainge, I’d bet that he’s looking at small forwards.

by blackbird on Jul 17, 2008 11:11 AM EDT reply actions

I’m also confused by the remark about Giddens and Walker. Maybe it’s out of context, but since when during these bargaining agreements with the union is signing rookies a ‘situation’?

Also Danny contradicted himself regarding the bigs comment. When he signed O’Bryant, he said that was it for bigs. Now he’s saying otherwise. I’m confused by it all, and maybe I should simply return to real life.

I’m not worried about the free agency thing at all. There are players to be had. But sign the rookies and move on.

by amenhotep04 on Jul 17, 2008 11:20 AM EDT reply actions

2 words KURT THOMAS!!!!!

give him the MLE for 2 or 3 years, he would be PJ Brown with a lot more left in the tank

by rondohondo on Jul 17, 2008 11:25 AM EDT reply actions

Add Mourning with the vet min.

Isn’t Zo done? Knee injury last season?

by BostonGoldenBear on Jul 17, 2008 11:28 AM EDT reply actions

Also Danny contradicted himself regarding the bigs comment. When he signed O’Bryant, he said that was it for bigs. Now he’s saying otherwise. [/quote]

[quote] "We are not necessarily looking for a small forward.
Based on my previous experiences listening to Ainge, I’d bet that he’s looking at small forwards.

You guys picked up on what I think were the two key comments. First, last week after the POB signing Ainge said he was done signing big men. Today he says otherwise. Today he also downplays small forwards…. something tells me that is number one on his list.

Oh, and anyone who still believes that Ainge really wanted Swift over Jefferson, please read the above.

by Cman on Jul 17, 2008 11:35 AM EDT reply actions

I hate this. It’s becoming more and more evident what a mistake it was to lose Posey.

by Celtic on Jul 17, 2008 11:46 AM EDT reply actions

Why does everyone think Ainge is a genius, especially when it comes to free agents. Scal, anybody?

Ainge is more lucky than brilliant. He was lucky that the Supersonics were selling the farm last summer. He was lucky that McHale happened to be GM of the Wolves and all other deals had fallen through.

Plus, w/o Pierce’s legendary game in Game 7 versus the Cavs, Danny Ainge doesnt look so good.

I really think Danny and ownership were penny wise and pound foolish by not signing Posey.

by murphman on Jul 17, 2008 12:20 PM EDT reply actions

murphman, you have to be kidding. I’m sick of hearing about people saying Ainge only did it because he was lucky and that no skill was involved in constructing the team as he did. Only one team won the championship and that was the team that Danny Ainge constructed. He put the celtics in position to make the moves that he did. If he didn’t have the chips in place, he couldn’t have made the moves that he did. He capitalized on what was available.

by KobraKaii on Jul 17, 2008 1:17 PM EDT reply actions

Furthermore, they were smart enough last year to sign posey and house to only one year contracts, so i’m sure they will be able to figure something out again this year.

Last year at this time everybody was complaining that the celtics had no bench and that they only had 3 good starters and look how that turned out. It’s only the middle of the summer!!! so relax and just let’s see what plays out. We all know that this team will be going to the playoffs barring any big injuries. Just like last year and every other year, there are going to be free agency pickups, mid-season trades and players being waived that become available.

by KobraKaii on Jul 17, 2008 1:21 PM EDT reply actions

We should pick up D. West ( Cavs just signed Boobie long term.) or Jannero Pargo as a combo guard.

by liam on Jul 17, 2008 1:31 PM EDT reply actions

I wasnt complaining when the Celtics signed Posey. Rather, I was elated. I remember that Bob Ryan article too. He thought Posey was the glue that made them solid, legitimate contenders.

Dan Dickau, anyone?

by murphman on Jul 17, 2008 1:40 PM EDT reply actions