|
������� �Luck is a wonderful thing.� Or is it destiny?�
������� That is an excellent question.�� It�s a question posed by RedsArmy.com reader TenaciousT.� And it�s right on the money, because those are the only two options to explain how the Celtics have gotten to this point.� It�s either luck, or destiny� because I�ll tell you this:� It�s certainly not by design.
������� Danny Ainge is stumbling through what might be an historic offseason for the Boston Celtics.� Every move he wanted to make this offseason has fallen through� leading him to look in another direction.� The funny thing is, that other direction, has built us a contender.
������� Let�s start by taking a look to what was actually the first move in Danny Ainge�s grand plan:� tanking.
������� We should not forget that Danny�s plan �A� was to tank the season and roll the dice on a #1 or #2 pick.� The Celtics ended up winning 24 games, and they were in a prime position to do just that.� But then we got the #5 pick.� It was the first in a series of Danny Ainge�s plans �A� that didn�t work out, but in actuality put us in a better position. ������� ������� Getting that draft pick would have kept us in a �rebuilding� mode.� We would have kept Al Jefferson and Danny would have drafted Kevin Durant (yes, he would have.� Trust me on this one) to go along with Pierce and build a team for the future.� But getting the 5th pick sent Danny into plan �B�� trade the pick for a proven veteran, perhaps a star.
������� So his first option with that pick was to use it in a trade for Kevin Garnett.� Rumors ran wild as we headed into the draft.� There were 3 team deals.� There were 4 team deals.� Nothing Danny tried could work out, mostly because Kevin Garnett saw a team that wasn�t ready to compete.� He didn�t want to leave Minnesota to go to a team that would only have been a little better.� So KG said he didn�t want to come to Boston� and there went plan �A� for the 5th pick.
������� Once again, the move Danny Ainge wanted to make was shot down, so he had to turn to plan �B�.� He swung the deal for Ray Allen and Glen Davis.� It was not a monumental deal at the time, but it would ultimately be huge in getting Garnett later on in the offseason.� KG saw that the C�s were suddenly making moves� regardless of whether they were the moves Danny initially wanted to make.� Only after Danny was forced to do something like make the Ray Allen deal, did he actually get KG.
������� After creating the new �Big 3,� it was time to fill out the roster.� After signing a couple of role player in Eddie House and Scot Pollard, Danny saw that he had a hole on the perimeter.� Plan �A�:� Get Reggie Miller.� And Danny almost did it too.� Reggie was ready to do it.� He was all set to come out of retirement and play for the Boston Celtics.� But then he thought better of it, and he said �Thanks, but no thanks.�� Out goes another plan �A� for Danny.
������� So plan �B� is now coming together in James Posey.� And once again, it�s better than the original plan.� Posey can hit the 3 when he�s open, but he�s primarily a defensive player.� Posey now fills more than one need on this team where Reggie would have simply been a sharpshooter.
������� Danny does deserve credit for not sulking when his best laid plans haven�t worked.� He kept trying to figure things out.� But I do find it a little disturbing that Danny�s initial instincts and efforts haven�t produced a single situation that we see on this team today.
������� The Boston Celtics are now considered by many to be a contender.� You can tell the players think so because they now want to come here.� The team�s jerseys are flying off store shelves and the games are already selling out.� But just keep in mind that what we�re seeing on the floor is the result of moves Danny Ainge was forced to make� not moves that he initially wanted to make.� Danny�s plans included Kevin Durant� and then they included KG without Ray Allen.� And then they included Reggie Miller coming off the bench.
������� As a Celtics fan, I�ll take what I can get.� But I know what I�m getting is not the result of Danny the Genius.� He�s not exactly Red Auerbach sending nobodies away for eventual Hall of Famers.� This team is the result of dumb luck.
������� Or is it destiny?
|
|
The Accidental Contender |
|
Plan A Didn�t Work For Danny But Plan B Has Turned Boston Into A Contender |