Danny Ainge Is Still Talking

by Jeff Clark on Jun 26, 2009 8:57 PM EDT in News/Links Comment 15 comments

More photos » by Eric J. Shelton - AP

Ainge is still talking.

Ainge was on WEEI again and this time he was doing his best to put people at ease about the comments he made just before the draft. Here are some highlights.

"I think we value Rondo more than anybody else in the league values him and we know everything about him — all the good and the bad that comes with a 23-year-old kid who’s been put in a pressure kicker," said Ainge. " I don’t know if we said he had a bad attitude. I think he needs to mature, like we talked about. But I like Rondo’s attitude. I like Rondo’s competitive spirit. I think the kid, he’s late for a playoff game — we’re not going to condemn him for the rest of his life. We took care of it and it’s over…I’m amazed at how people want to take the little things and blow them out of proportion."

Ainge also said once again that he does not plan — or want — to trade the 23-year-old.

"We never had any intention of trading Rondo — or Paul Pierce, or Kevin Garnett, or any of our core players, Ray Allen — unless something absolutely blows you away. It is my responsibility to listen and take calls and have discussions to see what those conversations may be," added Ainge. "He’s going to get better. He’s going to get older, and get more experience. And he’s going to be a terrific point guard for the Celtics in the NBA for a long time."

And some more good news...

ON KEVIN GARNETT

Kevin, it was amazing. His entire countenance over the last six weeks of the season, he was just kind of down and grumpy and uncomfortable. I think he felt pressure to try to come back and he had all this pain in his knee.

Right after the surgery – I mean three days after the surgery – a smile on his face, he can bend his knee all the way. He can straighten it out all the way. He just went back to the West Coast the other day. Before he left, I saw him doing full weight workouts. He was doing squats – one-legged squats, two-legged squats – he was doing most of his whole routine again. His spirit is returned: his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, his hope.

All of a sudden, he’s back to being the real Kevin Garnett. His personality has returned. You could just see that once he had that bone spur on the back of his knee, that that was really bothering him.

One more:

Washington is the team I think that’s probably improved themselves the most with Mike Miller, Randy Foye, and of course Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood coming back healthy. They’ll be a real force in the East as well.

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Disagree about Wizards

Obviously I think they will be better than last year but they are not contenders for even the eastern conference finals. 4 seed or 5 seed, tops. They are very thin upfront. Did have a chance to improve that but they decided to sell the chance to pick Blair. Oh well.

And in retrospect – probably would have been smarter to draft Rubio and then trade him to NYK – Lee & Chandler possibly or you get the idea. Miller and Foye are nice for a fantasy basketball team but not so much in real life. Hopefully, the Wiz do continue to terrorize Cleveland though.

Arenas/Miller/Jamison/Butler – who is going to play defense?

by njnick on Jun 26, 2009 9:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good knews about KG

Sound like the best starting 5 in the NBA is going to be whole again.

by Wide Load on Jun 26, 2009 10:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

DA............shhhhhh

Just get BBD signed and give PO(we) a deal (don’t leave him hanging. There is plenty to do before October – but IMO he should just shut up for now with the press – Thanks.

Is it Soup Yet?

by Master Po on Jun 26, 2009 10:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

well said Po

Danny should be talking to Free Agents not the press.

by mec1 on Jun 26, 2009 11:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He Can't

I believe he cannot talk to Free Agents until 7/1 or some certain date.

"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
"Criminally Negligent Officiating"--Tommy Heinsohn

by TrueGreen on Jun 27, 2009 4:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank You

I’m glad to hear Danny Ainge say that. Much has been going around about Rondo’s attitude and once again I say, “I just don’t see it!!” He’s young so he has a lot of room to grow. but attitude problem? That’s a drastic overstatement if you ask me. I am glad to hear Ainge stick up for his player and squash all of the bad talk.

by NAS702 on Jun 26, 2009 11:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Glad to hear KG is doing well

Any news on Powe?

by C's09Champs on Jun 26, 2009 11:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I love that DA refuses to take crap from any agents.

He refuses to back down when agents start threatening him to stop hurting their clients’ feelings. I’m not saying Rondo has a fragile ego, but his scumbag agent’s manufactured outrage and weak threats were such an obvious and obnoxious power play (again, I don’t believe this was Rondo’s fault in the least; his agent was trying to B-slap DA by acting indignant — it’s a common ploy of talent agents, sports agents and politicians).

But Danny shoved it right back at him. Think about his comment, “I think we value Rondo more than anybody else in the league values him.” That is so loaded with “up yours” to Rondo’s agent. It basically saying, “Rondo’s name was out there over the last few weeks, and nobody was that excited to offer us anything amazing for him.” It’s a reality check for the agent.

Then the rest of the statement: “… and we know everything about him — all the good and the bad that comes with a 23-year-old kid who’s been put in a pressure kicker.” (I believe this is a typo — the expression is “pressure cooker.”) Translation: I know things you might not want getting around the rest of the league, so stand down, son.

I absolutely love Rondo. He was my favorite player to watch this year, and I hope nothing jeopardizes him staying. BUT I admire DA for maintaining the position of power and authority. It’s a necessary quality in a negotiator.

RE: KG, if it was the bone spurs all along, WE DIDN’T HE GET THE OPERATION IMMEDIATELY? WHY WAIT??? He could have been rehabbed by now and fully conditioned by pre-season!

by Cousin It on Jun 27, 2009 1:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sounds to me

Danny sure sounds to be back tracking here, not shoving anything in anyone’s face. Danny seems to realize he was wrong to go to the media with this kind of stuff. Is it just me or does this almost feel like an apology of sorts? Rondo’s agent was absolutely right to call out Ainge, and its ironic that all of a sudden Ainge is quick to praise Rondo. Maybe realizing he could really lose Rondo scared Danny.

by 420celticsFAN on Jun 27, 2009 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you're wrong. read his words carefully. he said the rest of the league isn't as interested in Rondo

as the Celtics are and that the Celtics have seen the best of Rondo and the worst. no back tracking there at all. if he wanted to apologize, he would have made one simple, positive statement and then stopped there. instead, he basically rephrased and repeated his previous comments.

by Cousin It on Jun 27, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs