Danny Ainge Still Not Satisfied With the Roster

Danny Ainge has never avoided block buster trade possibilities and he has made it abundantly clear that he is interested in acquiring a franchise changing super star player for the Boston Celtics. Ainge was not entirely critical but he did mention in an interview “I think you need transcendent players in the NBA and you don’t always get what you want”.

Clearly Ainge is dissatisfied with what the Celtics did in free agency and he does not believe that the team has the kind of players that are needed to win a championship. One problem for the Celtics is they are simply too young for players to be developed enough to reach the heights that Ainge is discussing. The Celtics have 11 players under 25 years old and it is a possibility that none of these players have reached their full potential.

The problem is that until these players reach their potential, the Celtics will struggle to contend and Ainge is interested in propelling his team to the summit immediately.

The good news is that while Ainge is still on the search for a super star, Brad Stevens is doing his best job to mould that super star from one of the many prospects currently on the team. Marcus Smart is the most promising player but the Celtics have a unique opportunity to build almost entirely from the draft. In addition to those 11 players under the age of 25, the Celtics still have multiple draft picks coming their way, including a potential lottery pick from the Brooklyn Nets.

Apr 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) dribbles against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) in the first quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics may not currently have a transcendent player but they may have the best youth and depth in the NBA. Smart is at the head if the pack but he has Isaiah Thomas, R.J Hunter, Terry Rozier and James Young behind him. Throw in one of the best rookies in the summer league in Jordan Mickey and a potential break out year coming from Jared Sullinger and it may only be a matter of time before one of those players becomes into the transcendent player that Ainge is looking for.

For every position on the team, the Celtics have promising youth. Tyler Zeller is already a great offensive option and Jae Crowder may be on his way to being the best player on the team. The Celtics certainly have playoff aspirations in mind but they are still in the process of rebuilding and they are in an ideal position to figure out which of the young prospects are the best fit for the team.

Guard is certainly the strongest position and they have potential defensive super stars in Smart and Rozier and they have potentially elite scorers in R.J Hunter and James Young.

Of course, the downside is that the Celtics have no guarantees on their team. Isaiah Thomas is currently the player closest to reaching those heights as he is the most polished scorer on the team. Unfortunately, he continues to be a weakness on the defensive end.

If Ainge gets an opportunity then he will certainly jump on a trade that will bring in a franchise changing player. The best news is that even if Ainge does not speed up the process by brining in someone new, they are in a position to find their super star through the draft. A super star that will know nothing but Stevens’ system and who will be an ideal fit in an already phenomenal offensive system.

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