Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge Not Buying the Hype
Danny Ainge is not convinced by all the hype surrounding the Boston Celtics this offseason
The Boston Celtics had their best offseason in the Brad Stevens era and should be one of the most improved teams in the league. The Celtics have not only propelled themselves to contenders for the two seed in the East, but they are considered the favourites by many. The Celtics have set a new standard for what they need to accomplish based on their talent level, but Danny Ainge may not share as much optimism.
This is what Ainge had to say when discussing expectations for the Celtics this coming season (Via Mass Live): “I don’t just automatically think we’re the second best team in the East just because some people think we are. We’ve got to earn that, and that’s not going to be easy. So we have a lot of work to do, and we have to overcome a lot of things and play our best to get to that point”.
Ainge is in no way saying the Celtics cannot be the second best team in the East, he is simply being more cautious with one of the most inexperienced teams in the league. The Celtics added an established veteran in Al Horford, but the rest of the roster is filled with players that have never known the kind of success that is expected this season.
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As a player and as a GM, Ainge has seen what it takes to be a contending team. He realizes that the Celtics still have not proven that they are the second best team in the East on the court. Ainge knows that the Celtics have the potential to be a top contending team in the East, but he also realizes that too many things can go wrong.
The Celtics have a lot of youth that needs to pan out for them to be at their best and they need to recapture the great chemistry they have a season ago, despite changes to both units. Horford certainly makes the Celtics a significantly better team, but an adjustment period cannot be ruled out. Horford may need time before he is able to function at his best with the Celtics, and getting the two seed will require consistent play all season long.
The Celtics also have a completely new look to their second unit. The Celtics had one of the strongest and most important second units in the league last year, and the majority of of it was run with Evan Turner. The Celtics have two suspect offensive players in Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier who are taking on those duties, and there is cause for concern there.
The Celtica are entering unchartered territories in terms of expectations with this core, and Ainge is going to continue to be patient. Ainge’s standard for the Celtics is clearly not two seed or bust. In fact, Ainge is suggesting he really does not have an established standard for this team. Ainge needs to see what the Celtics look like on the court and how they overcome the adversity that will inevitably come.
Ainge realizes that the Celtics are still in the process of rebuilding. They have grown faster than anyone could have expected, but they are far from a finished product. The Celtics still remain largely undefined in terms of how prominent they will be in the Eastern Conference.
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The good news is that the Celtics certainly have the most talent in the Brad Stevens era. Their biggest obstacle in getting the two seed could be consistency. Even if the Celtics have that potential when they are at their best, it is impossible to trust that they can be that consistent after the issues they had in that area last year.