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Are Boston Celtics Fans Being Set Up for Disappointment.

By Joshua Bateman

WALTHAM, MA - JULY 5: New Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens (R) is introduced to the media by President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge July 5, 2013 in Waltham, Massachusetts. Stevens was hired away from Butler University where he led the Bulldogs to two back to back national championship game appearances in 2010, and 2011. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
WALTHAM, MA - JULY 5: New Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens (R) is introduced to the media by President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge July 5, 2013 in Waltham, Massachusetts. Stevens was hired away from Butler University where he led the Bulldogs to two back to back national championship game appearances in 2010, and 2011. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics fan are setting themselves up for disappointment with all the trade and free agency rumors

Going all the way back to last offseason, when the Boston Celtics signed Al Horford, this summer was being praised as the most important in this rebuild. The young players are growing up, the Nets picks are being selected, and the the cap space is there to get the free agents.

In what has been one of the most eventful and crazy summer’s in years, the Celtics have fallen back into that same shell of being tied to every single rumor in the world, without pulling the trigger.

The fans already dealt with the disappointment of missing out on Markelle Fultz, and it is starting to feel like people are getting far too optimistic that Ainge will be able to pull off the all time move of signing Gordon Hayward and trading for Paul George on a bargain.

The tension grows considering how these moves are being tied together. A lot has been said about the two of them wanting to play together. The good news is that the connection means signing one helps signing the other, but that also means missing on one could turn this offseason into a bitter disappointment for many fans.

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Everyone can see that Ainge has the ammunition to make this happen, and yet the track history will suggest that the Pacers price will be too high, Ainge will not cave and give up his collection of top three draft talent, and the Celtics will have to settle with an improved top seeded Eastern Conference core. Oh the horror.

The real anxiety comes from the idea that the Warriors are way too far ahead of this Celtics team, but bringing in two superstars is the kind of talent shift that could give the Celtics a chance. The Warriors are supposed to be unbeatable, and fans cannot stand the idea of Ainge missing out on an opportunity to get the talent to approach that level.

All the hype and rumors surrounding Ainge has made him a disappointment in the minds of many fans and pundits, event though he has orchestrated one of the most well functioning and fastest rebuilds maybe ever.

A big reason for the success of this rebuild has been patience and a refusal to sacrifice value in a trade. Fans that are expecting Ainge to do the opposite of both those things, in order to assemble his next super team, is the quickest way to be disappointed with a team that has done everything better than anyone could have imagined.

You cannot deny the frustration of seeing so many opportunities to get transcendent talent fall right through Ainge’s hands, but that is a very different thing than calling this rebuild a disappointment.

To be disappointed in this core, even if no more moves are made this offseason, would be ludicrous. And yet, it feels as though the majority of the fans are ready to jump ship if Ainge continues to hang onto the assets that have made him so successful.

Ainge has proven that he will do what he believes is best no matter what any amount of fans say, and that will continue to be true this offseason. Ainge clearly has interest in making a deal happen, but he is not going to force things so he can appease the fans that only think about winning right here and now, rather than making sure he uses his assets to assemble the best possible core right now and in the future.

Next: Ainge's Patience has driven George's Price Down

Ainge has always looked for the bigger picture, and as that picture continues to materialize, fans get more and more frustrated and disappointing that Ainge has not sent his already incredibly fast rebuild to light speed. It would be unfair to criticize the disappointment over not getting two superstars, but the slightest amount of perspective shows you how the Celtics cannot lose this offseason, even if that means remaining behind the true powerhouses of the league.

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