BGleas

A good read @KoB2011. Though it would provide some insight after our conversations following the Hayward trade fallout. It's a Boston blog but these are direct quotes from GM's and assistant GM's about working with Boston/Ainge. They're about 85% positive. https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/1/19/22237956/what-is-it-really-like-to-talk-trades-with-danny-ainge-boston-celtics A couple positive ones I pulled. Do you enjoy talking trades with Boston? · An Eastern Conference GM: “Yes. They are easy to deal with. Danny tells you when he’s not interested, switches to something he is interested in right away or walks away. My team loves Mike Zarren because he’s not arrogant. He might tell them something doesn’t work cap-wise or something, but he’s not a dick about it. And Boston is great about finding a third team for deals if you need one. Oh, and they are up front if they plan on flipping the guy you trade them. I personally don’t care what you do after our deal. He’s not my player anymore. But some of my peers hate it. I think they worry about ‘Could I have gotten that deal?’. It’s not something I worry about, but Boston does tell you if that is their plan.” · An Eastern Conference GM: “I do. There’s no (expletive) with Boston. Get in, get out. It might take a bunch of conversations, but they aren’t wasting your time. And you get brutal honesty. Once we asked them what they thought of one of our players and the response was ‘You’re asking because he can’t play. Why would we want him if you don’t?’. And they were right. He couldn’t play. Mostly, I appreciate guys who want to work with you. Need something they don’t have? They’ll get a third team. Want in as a third team? They’re happy to listen. When they call you, they get to what they want right away. If you tell them a guy is off limits, they might push a bit, but not too much. They’ll circle back to see if anything has changed, but not every couple of days like some others do. They respect you when you tell them no, because that’s what they expect in return. Look at this year. Charlotte didn’t have to do Gordon Hayward as a sign and trade. They weren’t dumping salary and still had to eat (Nicolas) Batum’s salary. But they did it because the year before, Boston helped them get Terry Rozier in the double sign and trade with Kemba Walker. That’s how you build equity and good relationships. I think Danny has made so many deals with everyone because there’s no (expletive). No one feels like information is being withheld or that they are being lied to. That’s important in our business. You have to have trust and I trust Boston when making a trade.”

Yeah, clearly a moving screen.

And the CP3 thing didn't exactly end well.

You don't think they'd be just as happy with the Rodgers and Green Bay vs. Mahomes and Kansas City? The two best QB's currently and a rematch of the 1st Super Bowl? I doubt Brady will be getting calls because the league wants him there.

Curious, would you say the 3's they're taking vs. PSU are any more or less contested than the ones they attempted against IU?

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I'm talking about the play on the court. The actual game is much, much better at the NBA level. I don't like what Harden, Kyrie and Oladipo are doing either and I think the commissioner is going to have to address this. But these are off the court things. In college I don't like how the top programs cheat their faces off and there are no repercussions for essentially buying players in plain sight and the NCAA does nothing. There are issues surrounding both sports. But as far as the play on the court, I'd rather watch highly skilled players making plays and shots, as opposed to guys bricking wide open shots, shooting 2-for-20 as a team and struggling to score 65 points.

This is why I'm frustrated. It seems over the last four years when IU has had these "seperator" games where a win puts you into 4th place and a loss puts you into 8th-10th place (Purdue game) we always lose the game. When we're 7-8 and playing a .500 conference team and the win gives us a tie for 5th place and a loss puts us in 9th, we always lose and look listless while doing it.

I think its all of the above. Its the salaries causing so much pressure. Its having to rely on freshmen and sophomores, and the seniors you do rely on were bench players 30 years ago and in today's game their starters. Its the general move away from motion offense at all levels, everyone trying to play dribble-drive and ball screen, etc., etc.

I think its largely because of the salaries. These guys make so much money and have so much scrutiny on them that I think they feel they have to micro-manage every aspect of the game. It's caused everything to be so robotic, and the coaches to over-coach every aspect of the game.

Yup, its not just IU. Doesn't mean I like it, but for some reason college basketball has a shooting problem. This is why I dont get the people that say college basketball is better than the NBA. I understand enjoying the pomp and circumstance of college basketball, but how do people enjoy watching guys brick wide open shots and struggle to score 65 points for 40 minutes?

Its really a problem across almost all of college basketball. It's not just an IU thing. My big thing is why these guys can't shoot? Not just IU, across college basketball. Maybe the 3pt line moving back a couple years ago? But its bad.

Haha, yeah. I think the plan was to always give him one more year, but then Pederson and Jeffrey Laurie (the owner) met on the plan for replacing the D-coordinator and hiring on O-coordinator and all Pederson wanted to do was elevate from within. Typically elevating from within is ok, but not when you just went 4-11 and the QB coach you want to elevate to O-Coordinator just presided over one of the worst QB implosions in history. Those meetings about the plans for next season changed everything for Pederson.

I know its the NBA thread, not NFL, but the Watson thing is puzzling to me because most commentators seem to back Watson. The Packers didn't consult Rodgers before hiring LaFleur. You think Belichick ever ran GM hires or any other moves by Brady?

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They could win a title or it could be a complete disaster, but as a Celtics fan I'm pretty confident it will be the latter. They'll go on a run early because its new, but come playoff time I can't see this working.

Kyrie is an interesting cat. Doesn't seem to into playing basketball.

I think you're right, was just hedging my bets for the Oladipo crowd.

I don't think the Pacers got any picks, maybe a 2nd rounder.

He's got all-star potential, but I wouldn't call him that yet until he does it. But yes, a younger version of Oladipo on a much better deal, and probably someone that will be excited about the opportunity with the Pacers.

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At worst this is a lateral move for Indy, at best I think they just got better. Don't get me wrong, I love Oladipo, but Lavert is a really, really good player who just keeps getting better.

Its part of the Harden deal. Harden is going to Brooklyn for Oladipo (via Lavert) and 1,234,567 Nets first round picks.

Makes that Wisconsin hosejob even more frustrating. These next two are huge for jockeying for position.

I just looked up 4 mock drafts, and of course a lot can change, but TJD was only on two of them and not remotely close to a first rounder. In one of those two he was the last pick of the draft and the other he was 47.