Brad Stevens: President of Basketball Ops
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
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Keep your eyes on Bucks assistant Charles Lee. Seems like he's continually brought up as a rising star. Young guy praised for his communications skills, coming from a system that I can see Brad really admiring.
Ime Udoka, Pat Delany, Jahmal Mosley, and Will Hardy are some other interesting names from the assistant ranks, though Hardy looks primed to succeed Pop in San Antonio.
Ime Udoka, Pat Delany, Jahmal Mosley, and Will Hardy are some other interesting names from the assistant ranks, though Hardy looks primed to succeed Pop in San Antonio.
I'm guessing after. All of us are shocked by this so I'm guessing Danny kept it under wraps until season end. That or he was fired after the season ended.
The Celtics are calling it a retirement for Ainge, with him working with the team on transition plans through the offseason. Doesn't sound like there's any immediate plans for him to go elsewhere. I could see him taking on a Jerry West-style advisory role somewhere, but I wonder whether he's up for a full time GM gig.
I'm going to keep ringing the Wes Unseld Jr. bell.
- Long history coaching/scouting in the league with multiple teams
- Reputation for connecting with young players and developing their talent (Jokic and Murray RAVE about him)
- Black coach who has been in the running for several lead jobs in the past few years and is due for a shot according to everyone with the Nuggets. Tim Connolly said that Unseld will be "a rockstar head coach."
- Defensive coaching specialist who has drastically improved the Nuggets on that side of the ball
Kinda. There are NBA orgs that are Kentucky-like, as long as they can work the cap. The Lakers being the most notable. But I agree that my comparison is far from perfect.
I'm glad Brad is gone as the HC.
This squad was beset with injuries all season but it also clearly underachieved. The talent may not be all it's cracked up to be, but it still should have resulted in better performance. My sense, and it's worth very little, is that the players had tuned Brad out.
Regardless of whether any of that is true, I think the Stevens as HC experience had run its course and that trying something new was wise.
Whether Brad will be a good GM is anyone's guess but he seems bright and knowledgeable, and Danny's reign needed to end, too.
But again, my predominant reaction is that I'm glad the Celtics will have a new man on the sidelines.
My preference would be a former player who is currently outside the organization. A fresh voice. And one who will have the instant respect of Tatum and Brown.
This squad was beset with injuries all season but it also clearly underachieved. The talent may not be all it's cracked up to be, but it still should have resulted in better performance. My sense, and it's worth very little, is that the players had tuned Brad out.
Regardless of whether any of that is true, I think the Stevens as HC experience had run its course and that trying something new was wise.
Whether Brad will be a good GM is anyone's guess but he seems bright and knowledgeable, and Danny's reign needed to end, too.
But again, my predominant reaction is that I'm glad the Celtics will have a new man on the sidelines.
My preference would be a former player who is currently outside the organization. A fresh voice. And one who will have the instant respect of Tatum and Brown.
Ainge has had a wonderful NBA career. 15 seasons as a player, went to 5 NBA finals, winning 2 of them. Averaged 11.5 points and 4.0 assists over his career. Not bad. As an exec, has taken Boston to 7 division titles, 2 NBA finals, 6 Eastern finals, and won one NBA title.
Pretty solid work on the whole.
Pretty solid work on the whole.
Perk on ESPN
edit - didn't say much, just that it was more about Ainge's personal situation than what happened with the Celtics this year
edit - didn't say much, just that it was more about Ainge's personal situation than what happened with the Celtics this year
Scal just suggested that this has been in the works for a while.
I would be really surprised if Wyc suddenly decided to push him out.
Seems to be a common theory. FWIW from Mazz:
"From what I hear ... Ainge approached the team within the last few months about getting out. They wanted him to remain in some sort of advisory role and he declined because he didn't want to hover over the next decision-makers."
I cannot imagine Brad being DoBO makes it more likely Brown gets traded. I think if anything it makes it less likely we see a big trade.
Some people went back and noted that Brad's extension announcement talked about "keeping him in the organization for years to come" which is actually a weird way to phrase keeping a coach, but makes a lot of sense if it's with the understanding that at some point (now maybe it moved up a year or two after this year's struggles) you plan to shift him to DoBO
Fair enough about him probably not being fired but I also doubt they told the players before the game they are moving on from Danny Ainge. That would seem like a huge distraction.
Oh agreed, that was definitely something you give guys a heads up about after the game, no reason to do otherwise.
Not worth much, but Danny seemed really frustrated the game he was broadcasting. At the time I thought it meant Grant et al were on the way out, but in retrospect maybe he had enough.
I think the team is going to rearrange the chairs but Tatum and Brown aren't going anywhere.
If it is Ainge's decision, then it shouldn't come as a shock. If I were 62, had lived through 2 heart attacks and had 8 figures in the bank, I'd stick the 2008 trophy in my golf cart and get out.
He probably knew he was on his way out at that point. Has to be frustrating... he did all the things that he could and had terrible luck in getting over that hump. He gets Brown and Tatum, he gets Hayward... horrific injury, gets Irving cheap... quits on the team a bounces leaving you with nothing. Replaces Kyrie with Kemba... looks like a hit...injured never the same.
He came really close a bunch of times and it never quite happened.
Chris Haynes is a reporter for Yahoo (I believe). He gets a lot of scoops but he’s basically a water carrier for agents and players (and it’s incredibly obvious that’s what he is).
This “scoop” may as well have been typed out by Kidd’s agent and forwarded
Sounds like Brad realizes they just can't run it back with the same group and there needs to be changes.
I was going to post similar and we discussed this at the time but it appeared Ainge was feeling a ton of pressure during and following that game.
Yeah. I said upthread (or the other thread) that he has aged in dog years. He looks like the after picture of a two term president.
After two cardiac events and plenty of money, catching a few fucking sunsets would be in the cards for me too.
Kind of, not really. Los Angeles, 9am, self employed, work from home.
Anyways, this move proves once again that we know nothing.
Great post. Billups is it for me. He inspires instant respect as a person who also had a great basketball career, from flop to star to champion.
I have just about completed my collection of Danny Ainge baseball cards. I do not intend to let this news deter me from getting the last remaining missing piece: a 1981 Topes Traded. Maybe the price slipped a little.
Yeah, me too. I think you have 3 things there: Injuries, bad personnel moves and the team not listening to him. As long as Stevens wasn't making those moves behind the scenes, then 2 of the 3 issues are perhaps solved.
Wyc and Pags went out of their way to explain that Danny came to them with a desire to step away, not pushed by management to do so, and emphasized that only after that did they bring up promoting Brad. On its face, that seems totally reasonable. Still..
Likely caused from the pressure of his job but it’s likely a smokescreen. He’s 62 with a history of heart problems anyway.
Danny just sounds like he was burned out, especially with all the extra stuff COVID brought into his job.
18 years is a LONG time for an NBA GM. Danny leaving makes it only 4 guys in the league with even 10 years as the top guy
18 years is a LONG time for an NBA GM. Danny leaving makes it only 4 guys in the league with even 10 years as the top guy
