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Your Morning Dump… Did the Celtics have the worst off-season in the East?

Chuck - Red's Army July 18, 2015 Celtics News, Marcus Smart, The Morning Dump 39 Comments

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

2. Which Eastern Conference team has had the worst off-season thus far?

BERNUCCA: Boston. I know Chicago didn’t do much, but there wasn’t much the Bulls could do beyond retaining Jimmy Butler. The Celtics have spent two years turning over their roster and acquiring assets. This was supposed to be the summer that GM Danny Ainge packaged a bunch of those for a transformational player. He even had a playoff appearance as a selling point. And he adds Amir Johnson, David Lee and two rookie guards to a crowded backcourt? The Celtics still don’t have a player who commands a double-team and may get squeezed out of the postseason by improved Indiana, Charlotte and Miami. Better luck next summer.

SCOTTO: The Celtics had a puzzling offseason. They overpaid for Johnson (two years, $24 million) and traded for Lee and Perry Jones. All are solid players, but that’s three forwards along with Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko already on the roster. Heck, they even drafted another forward in LSU’s Jordan Mickey. That’s nine forwards on a 15-man roster. Meanwhile, they tried to move up in the draft but couldn’t. Taking Terry Rozier 16th overall raised some eyebrows. Boston was blown away by his workout and thinks he can play alongside Marcus Smart. The Celtics better be right or they will have to trade one of them. The team remains in a transition period with many more draft picks coming. Expect trades down the road.

Sheridan Hoops

Not a lot of love for the Celtics and Danny Ainge on Sheridan Hoops. Yes, we all had grandiose hopes for this summer. But exactly who did the Celtics miss out on?

LaMarcus Aldridge was the only transformational free agent to change teams. There wasn’t a disgruntled transformational player available on the trade market.

Sure, the Celtics could have made a push for Tobias Harris or DeMarre Carroll, but it’s possible Danny Ainge didn’t view either as a significant upgrade over Jae Crowder and others.

Michael Scotto might be the only NBA writer who thinks Amir Johnson’s 1 year, $12 million deal is an overpay. Chris Bernucca references David Lee, yet fails to mention Ainge exhumed Gerald Wallace’s corpse from the roster.

It’s funny how Burnucca cites the Celtics crowded back court and Scott cites the crowded front court. Developing teams are supposed to be loaded with prospects. Forty win teams shouldn’t have a definitive rotation.

Look, I expected more this off-season. I was frustrated the Celtics couldn’t land meetings with Kevin Love and Greg Monroe. I was furious that the 16th pick was used on another guard. But now that the dust has settled and I’ve stopped my tantrum, I honestly feel as though the Celtics didn’t miss out on anyone. You can’t rush a rebuild. GMs who rush, or make signings for the splash, rarely succeed.

If an irrational green-teamer like myself can come to this realization, why can’t two journalists do the same?

As for other teams in the East… Did the Knicks, Pistons, Wizards and Pacers really have better off-seasons than Boston?

On Page 2, Marcus Smart and his mangled hand will hang out in Vegas.

For all of the initial pain from jamming and dislocating two fingers on his left hand Thursday night, Marcus Smart was relieved yesterday.

Tests reaffirmed the Celtics point guard, who also took five stitches in the hand, is suffering from dislocations and nothing more.

Though he did not accompany the team for yesterday’s practices, Smart will remain here for as long as the team continues playing in the Las Vegas summer league. The Celtics, who have won all four of their games, play San Antonio today in the quarterfinals.

“Once he gets back next week they’ll have a chance to evaluate him,” said Celtics assistant Micah Shrewsberry, who is coaching the Las Vegas summer league team. “We have (the training staff) who can work with him. Marcus wants to be with us, also. He wants to see it through. He’s been with us since early July, and he’s as big a cheerleader as there is.”

Smart’s influence on his rookie and free agent teammates has had a tangible result on the floor.

“Just him talking and being on their side,” Shrewsberry said. “He knows what’s coming, what’s going on, and he really communicates with them. During the game and in timeouts. He’s like a blanket for a little kid. He gives you comfort at night when you’re scared. He’s a good guy to have around.”

Herald

The Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach says Smart will miss the team’s Aug. 1 exhibition in Africa. Let’s put Marcus in a bubble until training camp.

The rest of the links

Herald – Schooling the Stevens way | Mass Live – Turner says Celtics will make noise

art

Here’s what I would like to know: some are calling Chicago’s #22 pick in the draft of Bobby Portis as one of the top steals in the draft. Could anybody say why Danny and Brad Stevens passed on him? If Bobby turns out to be the real deal, it’s going to put a gigantic black mark on the Celtics front office. And if so, I say heads should roll.
- stevemb34
  
  Well I’d guess they passed on him because they thought Rozier is better.
- Mike C
  
  Totally right, the Celtics passing on Bobby Portis to draft another guard was definitely the low point of this off season. I dont agree that we made the worst moves in the east, but the analysis from the two writers isnt too far off base. “Fireworks”,…what year?
- MJ
  
  Simple they liked Rozier more. Whether or not they were correct remains to be seen. That’s why we shouldn’t invest much in what others say or what happens in the summer league, because the real challenge starts when the season begins.
  
  Let me revise your statement: If Bobby turns out to be the real deal AND Rozier turns out to be a dud, then perhaps heads should roll. Remember, its the draft, and teams miss out on guys all the time. It’s the luck of the draw in the draft.
  
  We thought Gerald Green was the steal of the 2005 draft. How did he turn out in Boston?
  - art
    
    Except that talented size was infinitely more of a need than another 6 foot 2 inch guard who was projected as a late first rounder. So Rozier being a dud is not a requirement for heads rolling. With that being said, the Hunter and Mickey picks may have saved the day for the C’s. But…..maybe not.
    - MJ
      
      Well maybe Danny thinks it’s not about need as much as it is about talent in general. Perhaps Danny thinks Rozier has star potential and Portis might just be a role player. But again, we don’t know whether or not he’s going to be right or wrong on that one until those two play against legit competition. Summer league means nothing. Just because guys are “projected” at a certain spot does not mean they will pan out. Darko was “projected” to be in the same league as Melo and Lebron in the 2003 draft. How did he do? Not to mention “experts” thought Miami was INSANE to take D-Wade at #5, and Wade has turned out to be one of the best players in his generation. Also, didn’t the last few times Danny drafted a big in the draft out of need not work out too well (Fab Melo, Jajuan Johnson)?
      
      I was just as surprised as you were to see the Celtics take Rozier over guys who I thought they needed more like Portis and Sam Dekker, but I’m gonna hold my tongue on whether or not they made the right move until we see what Rozier and the others are made of. We will not know for sure what to make of the draft until the season commences.
      - art
        
        Agreed. It’s definitely a wait and see. I just hope they got it right with Portis. Danny has shown himself to be a fairly good judge, but It will be quite upsetting if he got it wrong; I’m still haunted by the pass on Tony Parker a few years back when the pick was Joe Forte instead (before Danny’s time)..
      - MJ
        
        Scary part of the Forte drafting: It was Reds idea if I remember correctly.
stevemb34

The Knicks absolutely had a better offseason. If you wouldn’t rather have Porzingas, Afflalo, RoLo, and Kyle O’Quinn than Amir, Lee, Rozier, Hunter, and Mickey then you’re lying to yourself.
- Rod Shaftwell
  
  They signed a lot of players because they had to, their team was a blank slate.
  
  But, do you honestly think they will be a better team than the Celtics?
  - eddysamson
    
    All depends on Melo, I could see it going either way.
  - stevemb34
    
    Yes. All of their new vets – Afflalo and Lopez – are really solid and filled GLARING needs and, assuming health, they will 100% make the playoffs.
    
    In terms of the younger guys, Porzingas has a franchise player ceiling. It’s gonna take everything developing for him and bla bla bla but he went top 4 for a reason. The ceiling for him is really high and I think Kyle O’Quinn is going to be one of those bargain deals that we look at wondering how, in this summer of guys getting paid, that a young big with size was had to cheap. He’s a really solid rotational big who’s still young and isn’t undersized at all. That one just feels like a steal to me. And grant just is. I bet he’ll play 10 years in the league and be completely fine but forgettable like Chris Duhon or Darren Collison.
    - Rod Shaftwell
      
      I think you’ll be surprised at how easily the Knicks will f*ck this up.
      
      But eddysamson is right it could go either way.
    - Nick
      
      Not sure about Afflalo. Advanced stats say he was a negative when he was on the court.
- Peter Lemaire
  
  Don’t sleep on the fact that David Lee could still be near All-Star caliber if he gets start time and health. Amir… Meh. We’ll see in a couple years with the draft picks! RJ Hunter is a great shooter and is ridiculously basketball smart. Terry Rozier has a star’s attitude: comes to work every day and is never afriad of the big moment. He can get good if he works more on his shot. Jordan Mickey is a block machine and can really clean up the boards. We will have to wait and see on this one!
  - stevemb34
    
    I like our draft a lot and think Rozier looks the part but there’s a reason Porzingas went top 4. He’s the best chance at a franchise player on either team (besides Melo obviously.) That’s the only thing that wins in this league and they have a potential one in a few years. Smart is sick and I love him but he’s a solid 2nd/3rd guy on a real contender. Porzingas could be that guy or an elite #2 if he can really score and the solid rim protection we saw in summer league continues to develop (huge emphasis on “could” and “in time” and all that stuff).
    
    I love our draft and offseason but none of our new additions have a ceiling that high.
  - Nick
    
    I have high hopes for D Lee on the offensive end. He will fit into Stevens offense seamlessly. My only worry is that he is a sieve on defense and the celtics don’t have someone to cover for his mistakes. Smart or Isiaih/Bradley/Crowder/Lee/Amir will be tough to handle offensively….defensively may be another story.
Adam Stark

I’d say Atlanta, Toronto and Washington had worse offseasons. Atlanta just changed Carrol for Splitter and Washington lost PP. Toronto got Carrol but lost Williams and Johnson. I still think the celtics are still better than the Pacers,Charlotte and Pistons. Think they’ll make 7th seed.
RedsLoveChild

The Celtics, like 70% of NBA teams, are treading water while praying for a miracle.

The Brooklyn picks will decide everything…either the Celts turn them into gold or Brad Stevens will look elsewhere for work.
- Fitzy
  
  I disagree, Brad’s in for the long haul.
  - RedsLoveChild
    
    Not a chance…they`ve got to cash in those picks big-time!
    
    Brad has no interest sticking around to have an NBA career coaching record of 393-621. As a coach, he`s obviously ultra-competitive. BS has pride, a healthy ego, and is driven by accomplishments.
    
    Brad will get out of here long before he ceases to be “hot commodity”!
    - Fitzy
      
      He’s still a hot commodity irregardless of his record. He’s 38. He has a long career of coaching in front of him. Gets rave reviews from all players he’s coached. He understands the process or he wouldn’t have come here in the first place.
      - RedsLoveChild
        
        Today he`s still a hot commodity, due to his success at Butler…but, he won`t be after perhaps 8 straight non-competitive seasons in the NBA. Then he becomes Mike D`antoni.
        
        Brad is not going to put the Celts over his own legacy, especially when better teams can offer him coaching success.
        
        That`s why Ainge has to get him some top talent quite soon.
        The Brooklyn picks are all Boston has, there are no other desirable assets they own.
      - Peter Lemaire
        
        1. Brad has a few years left on his contract
        2. He was second in COY voting on a 40-42 team and is just a superior coach.
        His value is going nowhere, regardless of record
      - Fitzy
        
        Except for the fact, you know, he took a team that most ESPN analysts said wouldn’t win 30 games and got them to within two games of .500. He’s respected by almost all players. Mike D’antoni? D’antoni was never a wonderboy, he just had a top 5 point guard of all time, an elite (at the time) power forward. a knockdown shooter. Brad is clearly more gifted than Mike D’antoni, Brad can coach anyway he pleases, Mike D’antoni only knows how to run & gun. Once again, Brad is going nowhere. He didn’t have top talent at butler and he was locked in long-term until the most prestigious franchise in basketball came knocking. He knows we’re rebuilding and understands there’s a process to it. He’s in it for the long haul. He’s turned down Indiana (whom many say is his dream job). I don’t see him leaving for a long time. He’s a Red.
      - stevemb34
        
        Top 5 PG of all time?!?!? He’s probably bottom of the top 10 but top 5 is batshit. Just off the top of my head Zeke, Stockton, Magic, Oscar, and Cousey are CLEARLY ahead of him and you’re crazy if you’re not putting Kidd, Payton, and CP3 ahead of him too. He was an absolute turnstyle on D and his teams never won anything. He was awesome but top 5 is nutty.
      - Fitzy
        
        definitely right, I was trying to say more top 5 generational in my mind and i was in a rush out the door, in saying that your winning argument also applies to CP3. Who could actually probably go down a similar career timeline in the sense that he could potentially win an MVP and never beat the spurs.
      - stevemb34
        
        CP3 literally just beat the Spurs and that shot will be shown within the first ten seconds in his HOF highlight package. He also never had the talent around his Nash did those years (although next year’s Clips team looks right up there) and, while Nash couldn’t guard Stephen Hawking, CP3 is an elite defender who routinely takes on the other team’s best guard. Nash was supremely entertaining and those Suns teams were awesome but I’m taking CP3 over him gun to my head.
      - Fitzy
        
        Never had the talent? His coach is considered to be one of the best in basketball, has a premier power forward and also a top tier centre. Has an elite shooter on the team. Yeah you got the clips taking it to the spurs again next year after they just landed the big fish? It’d be close, but calmer heads typically prevail, and calmer heads are the spurs. Steve Nash and CP3 are debatable for their place in history at the moment. CP3 has time on his side in saying that.
      - stevemb34
        
        Context is everything. I never said he didn’t have talent but not at that level. Mike D was considered a great coach then, Amare in phoenix is what Blake should hope he can one day become, Matrix was an elite defender much like deandre only somewhat capable on O, Joe Johnson was there too as was a great bench (Boris Diaw, Barbosa, young Dragic) among others. That is better than anything CP3 has ever played with at least through this year.
        
        And your words were “never beat the Spurs” which is demonstrably wrong so don’t get your back up cuz you said something wrong.
      - RedsLoveChild
        
        Who think anyone took that Celtic team this year seriously?? They sucked…40-42 in the weak East.
        Cleveland lost games at the end of the year just to make sure they got to play them in the first round, where they swept them.
        
        Brad wants to WIN, and that requires top talent. Yes, he`s being patient now, but that won`t last forever.
        
        If Ainge can`t get him real good talent with those BRKLN picks, all hope is lost for several more years. After 5 or 6 shitty seasons, and no more top picks coming, he`ll be out of here.
        
        By then, the Lakers will be serious title contenders. They`ll offer BS the job, a ton of money, and an excellent chance at a title.
        You think he`ll turn that down, so he can continue to lose more in Boston???
      - Fitzy
        
        LOL, it’s just the snowball effect with you isn’t it. Year 3 of a rebuild coming up, I doubt he was expecting to make the playoffs going into this season, so why don’t you chill out and enjoy the ride. He’s here for the show. Brad Stevens could have his pick of any college job, I doubt he goes to coach an impatient LAL team.
      - RedsLoveChild
        
        I`m talking apples…and you`re talking oranges. I`m not talking about 2015 or 2016 or 2017.
        
        I`m talking about what will happen IF Ainge “swings & misses” on those Net`s picks.
        That would cause BS to formulate a personal “exit plan”.
Fitzy

I think Sheridan Hoops has confused our timeline. We don’t need a superstar right now, now is the time to be patient.
harrydunn

Difference between disappointing than being worst. Disappointed for not getting worth from draft picks is surely disappointing Not drafting for dire need was also a disappointment. The C’s surely didn’t need a so-so PG at #16 when they could have had a better need-player in Portis, Lyles to increase offensive skill and front court presence. Pluses they got Amir Johnson and David Lee that will at least allow the team to be presentalbe this season. Mickey was a super pick. They should have drafted for a Big at #45, and if they needed a PG, they could have waited at #45 for a Rozier or Joe Young. I think the Knicks did some fancy-footwork to improve a tad, but still are way out on the talent level like the Nets are. Orlando and Miami got luck and should be better. Teams like Toronto did ok, but didn’t need to go crazy as their veteran team is still good to contend. Your bound to improve with 4 draft picks, just not enough IMO to go much further in the standings, if at all.
stephen

why havnt you guys posted anyhing else for the c’s…you could have at least posted something about young going to work out with durant…GIVE ME SOMETHING TO READ GUYS:)
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On Page 2, Marcus Smart and his mangled hand will hang out in Vegas.

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