Fire Ainge: Thanks Danny, but it's time to go

[Ernest]

Mike's 75 and a lot has changed with the broadcast in the last few years, I don't want him to ever retire either as I think he's the absolute best in the business but I'm pretty sure it's coming. This is really the first year you can hear the age in his voice, the enthusiasm he had broadcasting with Tommy all those years just isn't the same. He just doesn't have the same chemistry with Scal and who can blame him after decades of being part of an iconic broadcasting pair? Give the man as many rest days as he needs, at least we won't get the Spurs treatment from the league for that.

After Tommy died I had an errie feeling Mike would die a day or two later. Like those stories you hear about couples who have been married for 100 years a die a day apart in Ben Folds songs.

I did like the Ainge and Scal broadcast but it would have been so much better if it was Ainge with Mike. Scal was 10 years old when Danny last played for Boston. Mike started calling the games Ainge's rookie year I think.

Scal can't help himself. He's just obnoxious. Always has to try to show his knowledge in an unappealing way with the studio team, but it is cringeworthy when he gets his elementary lecture tone going when "explaining" things to Mike. Mike's got a life outside of basketball and it wouldn't surprise me either if he bailed from his half of the new team.

Scal kind of walks a fine line. He must know the ironic fame he got. Like the funny MVP chants. Remember when he spray painted himself orange for a week or so? Or when he challanged and beat a bunch of fans in one on one games? He's got a dorky persona that I think is intentional. I like him a lot calling the games but I can see why he would annoy other people. But then again I could say the same for Tommy. (Though Scal annoys our fans too not just every other teams fan who has to listen to a boston broadcast.)

I loved when Theis missed a 3 and Scal says-to Danny- "And thats why danny traded him..." but cuts it a bit short and says just kidding. You could tell Danny def didn't want his being on air to cause any problems or get him any fines. Scal was having fun trying to bait him into saying something bad about the refs. He's likeable and funny and thats what I want in a color commentator much the same as being hot is what I want in whatever the title of the job Abby Chin has.

[Bleeding Green]

He can't do anything right in some people's minds. Yikes.

Thought it was cool to have the GM doing commentary. I get he is probably really going to watch what he says, but it was still cool. I'm trying to remember if this has happened before. For our team or other teams. Have any other GMs done commentary for their team for a game?

lmao it's a joke bro

oh lol oops. It's hard to tell these days. Are a lot of your posts jokes? I thought you were just angry all the time.

All of them except the ones about Semi Ojeleye usually.

[Bad-Thoma]

Mike's 75 and a lot has changed with the broadcast in the last few years, I don't want him to ever retire either as I think he's the absolute best in the business but I'm pretty sure it's coming. This is really the first year you can hear the age in his voice, the enthusiasm he had broadcasting with Tommy all those years just isn't the same. He just doesn't have the same chemistry with Scal and who can blame him after decades of being part of an iconic broadcasting pair? Give the man as many rest days as he needs, at least we won't get the Spurs treatment from the league for that.

After Tommy died I had an errie feeling Mike would die a day or two later. Like those stories you hear about couples who have been married for 100 years a die a day apart in Ben Folds songs.

I did like the Ainge and Scal broadcast but it would have been so much better if it was Ainge with Mike. Scal was 10 years old when Danny last played for Boston. Mike started calling the games Ainge's rookie year I think.

Scal can't help himself. He's just obnoxious. Always has to try to show his knowledge in an unappealing way with the studio team, but it is cringeworthy when he gets his elementary lecture tone going when "explaining" things to Mike. Mike's got a life outside of basketball and it wouldn't surprise me either if he bailed from his half of the new team.

A little harsher than I'd put it but I agree with Scal being cringeworthy when he explains things to Mike. It's a testament to how professional Mike is that if you hadn't been listening to him for years you wouldn't realize it, he just rolls along and keeps things moving and even encourages Scal to a degree. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike moves on either, not because Scal is terrible IMO but because he's 75 and having to learn a whole new partner and that partner really isn't a shadow of Tommy Heinshon. Who would be though?

[djFan71]

After Tommy died I had an errie feeling Mike would die a day or two later. Like those stories you hear about couples who have been married for 100 years a die a day apart in Ben Folds songs.

I did like the Ainge and Scal broadcast but it would have been so much better if it was Ainge with Mike. Scal was 10 years old when Danny last played for Boston. Mike started calling the games Ainge's rookie year I think.

Scal can't help himself. He's just obnoxious. Always has to try to show his knowledge in an unappealing way with the studio team, but it is cringeworthy when he gets his elementary lecture tone going when "explaining" things to Mike. Mike's got a life outside of basketball and it wouldn't surprise me either if he bailed from his half of the new team.

A little harsher than I'd put it but I agree with Scal being cringeworthy when he explains things to Mike. It's a testament to how professional Mike is that if you hadn't been listening to him for years you wouldn't realize it, he just rolls along and keeps things moving and even encourages Scal to a degree. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike moves on either, not because Scal is terrible IMO but because he's 75 and having to learn a whole new partner and that partner really isn't a shadow of Tommy Heinshon. Who would be though?

I always think of it as Mike prompting Scal to explain things to the viewer, not that Scal is mansplaining to Mike.

[Bad-Thoma]

Scal can't help himself. He's just obnoxious. Always has to try to show his knowledge in an unappealing way with the studio team, but it is cringeworthy when he gets his elementary lecture tone going when "explaining" things to Mike. Mike's got a life outside of basketball and it wouldn't surprise me either if he bailed from his half of the new team.

A little harsher than I'd put it but I agree with Scal being cringeworthy when he explains things to Mike. It's a testament to how professional Mike is that if you hadn't been listening to him for years you wouldn't realize it, he just rolls along and keeps things moving and even encourages Scal to a degree. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike moves on either, not because Scal is terrible IMO but because he's 75 and having to learn a whole new partner and that partner really isn't a shadow of Tommy Heinshon. Who would be though?

I always think of it as Mike prompting Scal to explain things to the viewer, not that Scal is mansplaining to Mike.

I like that, it's nicer and it also makes perfect sense.

[djFan71]

After Tommy died I had an errie feeling Mike would die a day or two later. Like those stories you hear about couples who have been married for 100 years a die a day apart in Ben Folds songs.

I did like the Ainge and Scal broadcast but it would have been so much better if it was Ainge with Mike. Scal was 10 years old when Danny last played for Boston. Mike started calling the games Ainge's rookie year I think.

Scal can't help himself. He's just obnoxious. Always has to try to show his knowledge in an unappealing way with the studio team, but it is cringeworthy when he gets his elementary lecture tone going when "explaining" things to Mike. Mike's got a life outside of basketball and it wouldn't surprise me either if he bailed from his half of the new team.

Scal kind of walks a fine line. He must know the ironic fame he got. Like the funny MVP chants. Remember when he spray painted himself orange for a week or so? Or when he challanged and beat a bunch of fans in one on one games? He's got a dorky persona that I think is intentional. I like him a lot calling the games but I can see why he would annoy other people. But then again I could say the same for Tommy. (Though Scal annoys our fans too not just every other teams fan who has to listen to a boston broadcast.)

I loved when Theis missed a 3 and Scal says-to Danny- "And thats why danny traded him..." but cuts it a bit short and says just kidding. You could tell Danny def didn't want his being on air to cause any problems or get him any fines. Scal was having fun trying to bait him into saying something bad about the refs. He's likeable and funny and thats what I want in a color commentator much the same as being hot is what I want in whatever the title of the job Abby Chin has.

Dude, c'mon. We were just playing around in the other thread with goading business, and that's all fun. I was with you on this post til the last line. But jokes like that aren't funny, they're demeaning & reductive.

[Ernest]

Scal can't help himself. He's just obnoxious. Always has to try to show his knowledge in an unappealing way with the studio team, but it is cringeworthy when he gets his elementary lecture tone going when "explaining" things to Mike. Mike's got a life outside of basketball and it wouldn't surprise me either if he bailed from his half of the new team.

Scal kind of walks a fine line. He must know the ironic fame he got. Like the funny MVP chants. Remember when he spray painted himself orange for a week or so? Or when he challanged and beat a bunch of fans in one on one games? He's got a dorky persona that I think is intentional. I like him a lot calling the games but I can see why he would annoy other people. But then again I could say the same for Tommy. (Though Scal annoys our fans too not just every other teams fan who has to listen to a boston broadcast.)

I loved when Theis missed a 3 and Scal says-to Danny- "And thats why danny traded him..." but cuts it a bit short and says just kidding. You could tell Danny def didn't want his being on air to cause any problems or get him any fines. Scal was having fun trying to bait him into saying something bad about the refs. He's likeable and funny and thats what I want in a color commentator much the same as being hot is what I want in whatever the title of the job Abby Chin has.

Dude, c'mon. We were just playing around in the other thread with goading business, and that's all fun. I was with you on this post til the last line. But jokes like that aren't funny, they're demeaning & reductive.

What? I wasn't joking. The broadcast combo is 1 knowledgable play by play guy, one hopefully funny color guy and one hot girl to be the sideline announcer or whatever that job is called. Watch an teams local broadcast they all have the same set up.

I think ya might be getting triggered to easily.

[djFan71]

Scal kind of walks a fine line. He must know the ironic fame he got. Like the funny MVP chants. Remember when he spray painted himself orange for a week or so? Or when he challanged and beat a bunch of fans in one on one games? He's got a dorky persona that I think is intentional. I like him a lot calling the games but I can see why he would annoy other people. But then again I could say the same for Tommy. (Though Scal annoys our fans too not just every other teams fan who has to listen to a boston broadcast.)

I loved when Theis missed a 3 and Scal says-to Danny- "And thats why danny traded him..." but cuts it a bit short and says just kidding. You could tell Danny def didn't want his being on air to cause any problems or get him any fines. Scal was having fun trying to bait him into saying something bad about the refs. He's likeable and funny and thats what I want in a color commentator much the same as being hot is what I want in whatever the title of the job Abby Chin has.

Dude, c'mon. We were just playing around in the other thread with goading business, and that's all fun. I was with you on this post til the last line. But jokes like that aren't funny, they're demeaning & reductive.

What? I wasn't joking. The broadcast combo is 1 knowledgable play by play guy, one hopefully funny color guy and one hot girl to be the sideline announcer or whatever that job is called. Watch an teams local broadcast they all have the same set up.

I think ya might be getting triggered to easily.

Just trying to keep this place respectful to all of our posters without warning you and sending you down the path to being banned again. Drop it here and we can still do that. If you really feel the need, PM me.

[Fencer reregistered]

Did Red Auerbach draft anybody significantly useful in the five year period 1982-6?

I picked those years because they are after he drafted Danny Ainge and before he drafted Reggie Lewis.

And to be clear, I mean "useful as a player". Rick Carlisle's impressive coaching career doesn't count.

[JediMasterRevan]

Ainge needs to go.

2 years ago this team had (even assuming Kyrie still walks)
Tatum
Brown
Hayward
Horford
Morris
Rozier
Smart
Timelord
Theis
2019 draft - pick 14, 22 and 33
2020 draft - unknown at time but turned into picks 14,26,30 and 47

And where are we now?
Tatum
Brown
Smart
Broken when he signed Kemba
Thompson
Timelord

Fournier (May not be back)

Grant Williams (Undersized, Unathletic 5-8 min at best player)
Romeo Langford (Niche player, always hurt, zero offense at all 10-12 min player)
Aaron Nesmith (looks like utter garbage)

Pritchard - Nice



So just to rehash that for everyone:
OUT:
Kyrie Irving
Al Horford
Gordon Hayward
Terry Rozier
Marcus Morris
Daniel Theis
A Lotto pick in 2019
A mid late first 2019
an unkown but valuable lotto pick in 2020 (memphis)
Own 2020 pick
Bucks 2020 pick

and for all of that we have:
Pritchard
Broken when we signed him Kemba
Fournier (who can very easily be gone at end of season)
Half of the TPE left (not enough to sign anyone better than MLE)
Grant Williams
Romeo Langford
Aaron NEsmith
Luke Kornet
Carsen Edwards


Kyrie
Rozier
Hayward
Morris
Horford


Kemba
Pritchard
Nesmith
Romeo
Grant

What team is better?????????????

[cloverleaf]

Did Red Auerbach draft anybody significantly useful in the five year period 1982-6?

I picked those years because they are after he drafted Danny Ainge and before he drafted Reggie Lewis.

And to be clear, I mean "useful as a player". Rick Carlisle's impressive coaching career doesn't count.

C'mon. Carlisle was picked 70th--wouldn't even have been drafted today.

In those years Red didn't have anything higher than a late 1st round pick, but still bagged Sam Vincent. They both played in a majority of regular season games and at least half the postseason games for their '86 chip and '87 finals run. Vincent was quite useful for them and Kite played 11 years in the league.

You could say Michael Young was a miss, but Red didn't mind cutting him before he played a game (Young ended up playing professionally for 15 years, had been Mr. Basketball in MI, and was a late slide in the draft) and nobody of note went after him.

Doc Rivers went after Kite, but not until the 31st pick of the 2nd round that year. AC Green went after Vincent, so you could question that.

[BK_2020]

1982: Missed on Mark Eaton and Craig Hodges
1983: Missed on Doc, Mark West, and Craig Ehlol
1984: Missed on Kersey
1985: Missed on A.C. Green, Porter, Corbin, Hot Rod, Gerald Wilkins
1986: Len Bias, if he lived, would have been a bust (6'8 PF who put up inefficient numbers in college).
You can blame Red Auerbach's crap drafting for the Celtics wasting the Larry Bird-window.

[Fencer reregistered]

Did Red Auerbach draft anybody significantly useful in the five year period 1982-6?

I picked those years because they are after he drafted Danny Ainge and before he drafted Reggie Lewis.

And to be clear, I mean "useful as a player". Rick Carlisle's impressive coaching career doesn't count.

C'mon. Carlisle was picked 70th--wouldn't even have been drafted today.

In those years Red didn't have anything higher than a late 1st round pick, but still bagged Sam Vincent. They both played in a majority of regular season games and at least half the postseason games for their '86 chip and '87 finals run. Vincent was quite useful for them and Kite played 11 years in the league.

You could say Michael Young was a miss, but Red didn't mind cutting him before he played a game (Young ended up playing professionally for 15 years, had been Mr. Basketball in MI, and was a late slide in the draft) and nobody of note went after him.

Doc Rivers went after Kite, but not until the 31st pick of the 2nd round that year. AC Green went after Vincent, so you could question that.

I forgot about the immortal Greg Kite, whose career highlight was a 9-rebound or so game after which he marveled that a hobbled Bill Walton had been brought in briefly to protect him against foul trouble.

[soxfan2003]

1982: Missed on Mark Eaton and Craig Hodges
1983: Missed on Doc, Mark West, and Craig Ehlol
1984: Missed on Kersey
1985: Missed on A.C. Green, Porter, Corbin, Hot Rod, Gerald Wilkins
1986: Len Bias, if he lived, would have been a bust (6'8 PF who put up inefficient numbers in college).
You can blame Red Auerbach's crap drafting for the Celtics wasting the Larry Bird-window.

Except he drafted Bird.... then drafted McHale in a trade down that also brought in Parish. And drafted Ainge.

Could he have drafted better those 4 years after the Ainge pick in the 2nd round even though he was picking late? Yes but he drafted great in 87(Reggie Lewis) and okay in 88(Shaw). Really Michael Smith was the first relatively high pick that he missed in a long time and that I believe came in 89.

As for Len Bias, case can be made that he may not have developed into a good passer at the NBA level but with Bird/DJ/Ainge not really needed.

But he sure wasn't inefficient when it came to scoring especially his senior year. As a senior, shot over 86% from the free throw line and got to the line a ton as a percentage of his shots. Very tough for anyone to guard. Shot 54% from the field against a lot of double teams.

Heck as measured by TS% he was more efficient as a senior as a scorer than Michael Jordan was as a junior. If Bias had lived, Celtics probably win 1-2 more championships.

He was actually pretty much consensus top player in that draft. Only reason he didn't go first was since teams put a premium on bigs just like NFL teams put a premium on QB. But the consensus back then was Bias was a better forward than Brad Daugherty
was a center. Daughterty was considered very good and he made 5 all-star teams before I believe injuries did him in.

Bias would not have been another Jordan but he would have been a great NBA player if he lived and drugs didn't ruin his career.

[Bleeding Green]

I feel like there is a high chance that Bias could have just turned out like Jabari Parker. Wasn't he regarded as a poor defender with zero playmaking skills? The first Obi Toppin.

[playa-hater]

Some of the takes in this thread are the worst I have ever seen.

[LoquaciousLarry]

I feel like there is a high chance that Bias could have just turned out like Jabari Parker. Wasn't he regarded as a poor defender with zero playmaking skills? The first Obi Toppin.

Highly unlikely chance. Bias played four years in college compared to Parkers one and done. One of Lens best attributes as told by former teammates and coaches was his work ethic. He was built like a House and improved his shooting tremendously in his four years going from a poor free throw shooter to an outstanding one.

Len would have been amazing in the Celtics system with the quality of team and teammates that he would have been with. It's a shame that we didn't get to see him as a pro. Jabari never had Lens work ethic or athleticism.

[GoGreen]

Ainge needs to go.

2 years ago this team had (even assuming Kyrie still walks)
Tatum
Brown
Hayward
Horford
Morris
Rozier
Smart
Timelord
Theis
2019 draft - pick 14, 22 and 33
2020 draft - unknown at time but turned into picks 14,26,30 and 47

And where are we now?
Tatum
Brown
Smart
Broken when he signed Kemba
Thompson
Timelord

Fournier (May not be back)

Grant Williams (Undersized, Unathletic 5-8 min at best player)
Romeo Langford (Niche player, always hurt, zero offense at all 10-12 min player)
Aaron Nesmith (looks like utter garbage)

Pritchard - Nice



So just to rehash that for everyone:
OUT:
Kyrie Irving
Al Horford
Gordon Hayward
Terry Rozier
Marcus Morris
Daniel Theis
A Lotto pick in 2019
A mid late first 2019
an unkown but valuable lotto pick in 2020 (memphis)
Own 2020 pick
Bucks 2020 pick

and for all of that we have:
Pritchard
Broken when we signed him Kemba
Fournier (who can very easily be gone at end of season)
Half of the TPE left (not enough to sign anyone better than MLE)
Grant Williams
Romeo Langford
Aaron NEsmith
Luke Kornet
Carsen Edwards


Kyrie
Rozier
Hayward
Morris
Horford


Kemba
Pritchard
Nesmith
Romeo
Grant

What team is better?????????????

Brutal. Danny has done such a poor job managing these assets. Ugh. Now this team has next to nothing. And if someone tells me about how valuable Smart or Romeo or Rob are, just stop. They're not. Rob is the only one that could gain some value over time... but that is peanuts compared to what we had a few years ago.

[soxfan2003]

I feel like there is a high chance that Bias could have just turned out like Jabari Parker. Wasn't he regarded as a poor defender with zero playmaking skills? The first Obi Toppin.

Watch on YouTube

Bias if he stayed healthy had a much better chance of deserving to be top 5 in NBA MVP than ending up like Jabari Parker. Much more explosive athlete than Parker and much better shooter. And he wasn't going to be a defensive liability.

Other than obviously what turned out to be drug issue, he was an extremely safe pick in the pre 3 ball era -- teams didn't shoot many 3's back then. When the Celtics picked Tatum I went on record as stating pretty much at worst eventual fringe all-star and at best eventual top 10ish NBA player. As much as I liked Tatum that year and I liked him and I did not like Fultz at all, Len Bias was the better NBA prospect than Tatum. Bias in college wasn't already far off from playing at a top 10 NBA level his last year of college ball so his floor if healthy may have been top 15ish NBA player. He was the much better athlete and he was really a Tatum level shooter -- not from 3 obviously -- when he left Maryland.

More of a chance Len Bias if he stayed healthy and worked on his game of being a very efficient 25-30+ ppg scorer than massively regressing and turning into Parker from even his Buck's days. Like Jordan, Bias had ridiculous explosiveness for his position and he could slither around the basket remarkably well for a player wiry strong. Bias could really shoot the ball by the time he left college.

Jordan walked into the NBA as a top 5ish player. This was not a surprise to me since the competition in the ACC back then was so much stronger than today it isn't funny.... And Bias was the ACC player of the year two years in a row right after Michael Jordan won the award.

While Wilbon probably overrates Bias at least a little by stating he could have had a rivalry with Jordan like Bird had with Magic, I may have underrated Bias with my previous comments since when evaluating him, I was kind of making the assumption his game wouldn't improve that much after he came to the NBA. It just didn't have to for him to be an NBA all-star. He was plug in play and huge immediate help for the Celtics if he hadn't passed away.

[spanish-celtic]

So the guy who shut David Robinson down on his own, without zone, without help, was regarded as poor defender? Nice, that's almost as wrong as worrying about a SF/PF's playmaking skills in the 80's.