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Danny's dilemma Celtics too good to break up, but still aren't good enough
Danny Ainge, the Celtics new president of basketball operations, could not have liked the result of Monday night’s Game 4 against the Nets. After all, New Jersey won in double overtime to complete a series sweep. It was the first time a Celtics team had been on the losing end of a four-game sweep since Larry Bird’s 1983 squad got broomed by Don Nelson’s Bucks. But at least Ainge knows this team has some pride. The Celtics battled until the end Monday night before running out of energy. The Nets were simply a better team. Before he took the job as Celtics boss, Ainge worked Game 1 of the Boston-New Jersey series as a TNT analyst. During the telecast, he was asked on air what he would do to improve the Celtics. Ainge was oddly silent for several seconds -- an eternity in TV. He then mumbled something about what a great job Jim O’Brien had done and that the Celtics probably needed a true point guard.
If Ainge thought his TV gig was difficult at times, wait until he starts his new job. In many ways, the Celtics are facing a delicate crossroads. They do need a penetrating point guard. They’re also too good to blow up, but not quite good enough to contend for an NBA title. To help Ainge get started, we thought we’d give him a little help on some of the major issues he’ll confront as new Celtics boss: • Give O’Brien a contract extension: O’Brien, who has done a good job cleaning up the mess left by Rick Pitino, has one more year on his contract. The Celtics aren’t the most fun team to watch, but they have made it to the second round of the playoffs two years in a row. Ainge himself has called them overachievers. Isn’t that what a coach is supposed to do? Given how much the Celtics players seem to like O’Brien, Ainge should lock him up now and avoid a lame-duck situation next year. • Find a suitable role for GM Chris Wallace: OK, so the Kenny Anderson-for-Vin Baker trade was a disaster and some of his draft picks haven’t worked out as well as hoped. But Wallace was hamstrung by the previous Boston owner’s unwillingness to pay the luxury tax. Though a vestige of the Pitino Era, he is a respected basketball man whose name has been linked to current openings with the Blazers and Wizards. With three years left on his deal, Wallace is worth keeping around. • Get Vin Baker straightened out: Ideally, the Celtics would trade the underachieving Baker -- even if all they get back is a jug of Gatorade and a bag of balls. Unfortunately the 6-foot-11 power forward still has three years and $44 million left on his contract, making him virtually untradeable. Ainge needs to meet with Baker immediately and convince him to get in shape. Maybe he can tell him about how Bill Walton came back from injury to reinvent himself as a key reserve for Boston’s 1986 title team. • Consider trading Antoine Walker: As hard as it might be to give up a big-time scorer like Walker, the Celtics need to do something. They are already over the salary cap and the new owners don’t want to pay the luxury tax. They can’t trade Paul Pierce. That leaves Walker as the team’s only attractive bait. At 26, with three All-Star selections, his trade value never has been higher. Plus, he’s looking for a huge contract extension. If Ainge could deal him for a decent big man or point guard, he should seriously consider it.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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"I was a little tired, delirious. The shot clock was running down... It wasn't anything to rub in Boston's face."
