Hayward to Boston...Really, We Mean It

BigSoxFan

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I am pretty dismayed by the lack of "suck it, Pat Riley" posts we have in this thread. Getting Hayward is great on its own but getting him after Riley put on the full court press just makes me happy.
 

DJnVa

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Miami Heat forum consoling themselves by saying Hayward is barely a top 25 NBA player and Dion Waiters could conceivably be better than him next season.
 

moly99

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So keep Crowder as a stretch 4 or move him and a pick for a big?
Apart from the cap issues, I think Crowder would be pissed having to be a backup to Hayward after what happened last year.

I am a bit less ecstatic about this than everyone else (because of the cap issues rather than any deficiencies in Hayward as a player) but it is still a good signing. Hopefully our young guys develop enough that we can realistically challenge for a title in 2-3 years.
 

Sprowl

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BigSoxFan

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Apart from the cap issues, I think Crowder would be pissed having to be a backup to Hayward after what happened last year.

I am a bit less ecstatic about this than everyone else (because of the cap issues rather than any deficiencies in Hayward as a player) but it is still a good signing. Hopefully our young guys develop enough that we can realistically challenge for a title in 2-3 years.
I don't get your concern about the cap issues. We just got a 27 year-old all-star just about to enter his prime years. Our top 2 young players are wings who will greatly benefit from having to go against him in practice every day. The Isaiah decision looms but that was going to be an issue with or without Hayward.

It is very rare to add a player of this caliber for free. This was a huge coup for the franchise. The 2016 Celtics won 53 games and went to the ECF. In the 6 weeks that have followed, they have added an all-star SF and arguably the top offensive rookie in the draft. And they added to the pick arsenal. This offseason has been awesome so far.
 

bankshot1

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I am pretty dismayed by the lack of "suck it, Pat Riley" posts we have in this thread. Getting Hayward is great on its own but getting him after Riley put on the full court press just makes me happy.
from the P&G thread
What sports figure would you throw a drink at if you happened upon them in a bar?

I always thought Pat Riley was an arrogant asshole
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Remember when some in this thread were arguing Stevens wasn't a factor in Hayward's decision because Spoelstra was also a good coach? LOL
Literally nobody in this thread argued that. Please reread those posts - some were debating whether Spoelstra was a draw or not. Every post acknowledged that Stevens would be a factor in Hayward's decision.
 

BigSoxFan

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This is so awesome. Still Can't believe it.
Over the last 12 months, Ainge just absolutely shot an arrow through the heart of the whole "quality FAs won't sign in Boston" argument. I can't thank Doc enough for leaving when he did. Stevens is absolutely killing it.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I don't get your concern about the cap issues. We just got a 27 year-old all-star just about to enter his prime years. Our top 2 young players are wings who will greatly benefit from having to go against him in practice every day. The Isaiah decision looms but that was going to be an issue with or without Hayward.

It is very rare to add a player of this caliber for free. This was a huge coup for the franchise. The 2016 Celtics won 53 games and went to the ECF. In the 6 weeks that have followed, they have added an all-star SF and arguably the top offensive rookie in the draft. And they added to the pick arsenal. This offseason has been awesome so far.
And it was either sign Hayward now or extend the current team next summer. Improving the team is unequivocally better.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Literally nobody in this thread argued that. Please reread those posts - some were debating whether Spoelstra was a draw or not. Every post acknowledged that Stevens would be a factor in Hayward's decision.
Fair enough - I did re-read the posts and you're right my statement was attacking a straw man.

That said, the KOC Tweet that started that discussion - the one that suggested Miami was the favorite because of "lifestyle, featured scoring role, and Spoelstra" - is even more ridiculous in retrospect than it was at the time.
 

DJnVa

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KOC: https://theringer.com/2017-nba-free-agency-gordon-hayward-boston-celtics-6d2572bdad4d

With Hayward, the Celtics could possibly push themselves ahead of Cleveland this year, though the Cavs should still be favorites. If LeBron leaves Cleveland next summer, which league sources increasingly expect him to, then the Celtics would be positioned to dominate the East for years to come. They could conceivably get multiple title chances before Milwaukee and Philadelphia are ready for that stage, and even then Boston could be a favorite due to its young-talent pipeline.
Hayward is one of the NBA’s most well-rounded scorers. Per Synergy, he ranked in at least the 80th percentile in the following play types: pick-and-roll, spot up, off-screen, transition, and cuts.
And this:



Last season Hayward scored a near-league-best 1.4 points per possession on the break, per Synergy, but logged only 150 possessions. With Boston, you can expect his transition frequency to skyrocket.
 

RoDaddy

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Good move by the C's. He's not a great player, and certainly overpaid now, but it's the market, and he does make us a better team. At this stage, I think we really need a quality big, especially with Johnson and Olynyk leaving. So whatever pending trade takes place, I hope it's for that
 

ishmael

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And it was either sign Hayward now or extend the current team next summer. Improving the team is unequivocally better.
Yep, if there is one thing Danny and Heinke have in common it is that they both understand the nature of the cap. With this move, Boston commits to 3 seasons of Hayward's peak, while maintaining flexibility to develop or trade any of Smart/Jaylen/Tatum/Zizic and at least one other top 5 pick next year. By 2020, Al Horford is rolling off the cap and the team will likely have a better sense of who has panned out (or managed to pull the trigger on a KG/Anthony Davis-type trade).
 

InstaFace

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Not reading it like that.

Just that it's hard to leave.
That's my take. He woke up today, made the call that it was Boston, to play in the NBA for the coach who was the first to see him as an NBA player--even before he saw it in himself--but before he informed the teams somehow it got out. And now he wasn't able to say goodbye to Utah in the way he wanted. And now he's not backtracking, but simply regrouping.

Late tonight or tomorrow we get the official word.
You have been on fire in this thread the last few days - the last few hours in particular have proven you right - and deserve some kudos.



If it's the market rate, then he's not overpaid. And it is.
Moreover, his salary is capped. If a team is willing to pay the max they can offer a player, then whatever his market value would have been in a true-and-free auction situation, the team he signs with captures the difference as positive value.
 

mikeot

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Off the grid for the evening, just got the joyous news about Justin Hayward ... wait, what?
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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BigSoxFan

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I love this article.

The author points out how absolutely shitty his teammates, organization, and fans were...and then when people realized he blossomed into a top notch player, they cheered him, so...why hasn't he forgotten all of that!?
There was only room for 1 "Gordon" in Salt Lake City.