Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 10, 2006 20:01:28 GMT -5
I got this from Kim Malo on a list that I am on. She wrote down as he was talking. Thought it was interesting. It was a conference call with Danny Ainge and the season ticket holders.
Q- name a few of the Cs strengths and weaknesses.
A - Danny just tackled a couple of weaknesses. Defensively need to develop a defensive identity (BTW, defensive issues appeared in a number of questions). Doc's been experimenting with lineups and styles. Also need to improve in transition. The issue is not just the lack of a true PG as some have indicated. Need to improve spacing and decision making, especially when we have the numbers.
Q- Address the inconsistency and do you have any plans to look to bring in a defensive specialist in the offseason
A – The inconsistency is rooted in personnel and changes in the teams and the coaching, to try to find what works. For example, Doc might try a plan in one game that works well but then we play a different team who focuses on what we did before so it doesn’t work so well the next game. As to the defense, Doc has a **really good mind** (emphasis Danny’s) and keeps trying things, leading to changes each night vs Jim O’Brien who played the same way every night. What we need is a happy medium. As to the defensive specialist, Orien and Tony are already very good defensive players, our two best, and have a chance to become very special ones.
Q – Most successful teams have a dominant defensive presence in the middle. Can Kendrick become that player and can he develop an offense.
A – Danny disagreed about the most teams, citing a number of examples such as Phoenix, the old Bulls who were successful without the defensive stopper/dominating force in the middle. Of course having such a player to block shots, etc does make things easier. Kendrick can be good – already you can see the blocks and rebounding. He’s still very young and can get better. Is already above average defensively.
Q – How big a surprise was the level of development and especially maturity of Gomes.
A – Danny began with a caveat about fans getting too excited about players. Ryan certainly knows how to play – shows the difference being a 4 year player in college makes. However, he’s had ups and downs and been inconsistent, and is still too short – cited last night as an example when a few inches made a difference on some of the late rebounds. That being said, he likes his offensive rebounding ability and his shot and especially his feel for where to go on the floor. He feeds particularly well off of Paul. Likely will be a fixture here for a long while.
Q – Would you rather Ryan bulked up more to battle the big guys or worked more on his outside game to play more of a small forward.
A – Danny – Especially in today’s game and even at the 4, speed is more important than bulk and power and he’d rather Ryan concentrated on that and being quicker and more agile than the guys he’s playing against.
Q – What must Al Jefferson do over the next 6 months to make a real contribution next season.
A – Two big things – improve conditioning and strength. He’s made real strides in his work ethic, gone from a 1 when he arrived on a scale of 1-10 to a 5- 6, including moving up a couple of notches just since this last injury, which may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. He does all he’s asked to do, what he doesn’t do is enough on his own or go as hard as he can. Which in fact he’s never had to do, always having been able to dominate physically and with his talent before. On the court, he needs to improve his lateral movement on both ends of the court – in the post and in responding on switches.
Q – Going into last year it was said that the only untouchable was Al. How has that changed and who would you say that’s true of today? Delonte and Paul too?
A – Danny said there’s really no such thing as untouchable. Paul was the most untouchable simply because he was the best player, but Danny’s job is to find the best players, period (implied the period). No interest in trading any of the three players named, but if someone came with the right deal…
Q – How happy have you been to see Tony’s play over the past few weeks and as a PG
A – Coming out of the past summer, Danny was the most excited about Tony and Delonte, both of whom had great summers. He was devastated by the injury. Among other things, Tony is the one who lets us play small ball because of the range of things he does (didn’t write them all down, but basically almost any skill you can name), including some things that are usually done by the bigs. As to the PG, his ball handling has improved. Danny also said that Tony would be having a small procedure after the season is over to clean some things out, but that he should be completely back and ready to go by October.
Q – How would the 1986 team fare in today’s NBA
A – They’d be favorites to be champions. Expansion has watered things down, and that and the salaries have really weakened the benches, Doesn’t see anyone today who could beat them.
Q – Why have we had so many turnovers and what is there you can do about them
A – Doc’s system involves a lot of ball movement and letting a lot of people touch the ball, including people like Kendrick and Blount who are not used to it up high and that has hurt us. We tried to commit to the break but our finish rate has been very bad. As mentioned under transition, we need to get better at that, which will happen with experience but also getting the ball more into the hands of people who handle it better and make better decisions.
Q – What about this year’s NCAA; did you see anyone who could help us (sorry, I didn’t write exact question down, just the word NCAA, but that was the idea)
A – Lots of guys could fit here. We’re not so solid anywhere that there isn’t someone who could help and there’s lots of talent among the seniors and underclassmen, including a few (unnamed of course – Kim note ) guys at each position who could help us. What you need to do is avoid the trap of drafting for need vs best player available – cited the example of Portland drafting for need with Telfair then not feeling they should take Chris Paul the next year because of that.
Q –What about overseas? Anyone there who can help (this question came from moderator Mike Gorman)
A- Yes, there are a few interesting players. (Kim Note - I’m probably going to misspell these, since I really don’t know the international scene well) Bargnani from Italy at the 4. There’s a guy out of Senegal (Danny didn’t name him) at the 5 who is very raw, a project but very long and athletic. Also mentioned Belinelli, Rudy Fernandes, and Sergio Rodriguez. [[Note from another onthe list: The Senegalese guy is Saer Sene. He played in the
Nike Hoop Summit this weekend, and he is unbelievably long and
athletic. He's shaped sort of like Luol Deng in that he has
incredible length, but he's much taller than Deng with even longer
arms, and can jump out of the gym. He is quite raw, but will be a
fantastic shot blocker from day one (I mean fantastic!). If he
enters this draft the Celtics should consider his potential to be as
high as anyone. This guy is exciting, a true seven foot jumping
jack, and a physical marvel. Here's draftexpress on him:
www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1260 ]]
Q – What particular areas are you looking to improve the team through FA/draft/trade over the summer.
A. On top of what he’d already discussed, Danny noted that shooting ability makes up for a lot, saying it’s like putting in golf in that. So he’s always attracted to shooters, and of course we need to improve defensively.
Q – How could you assess Gerald Green, now that he’s getting more minutes
A – Well, he’s showed that he belongs in this league, now it’s a matter of developing consistency. He has exciting potential, but it’s tough to ask Doc to rely on someone so young for next year. We want to make the playoffs and have a bit of a run next year. His work ethic is fabulous and he has a great character on top of the talent. Everyone likes having him around – Danny thinks it’s Wyc who referred to the energy he brings as being like a puppy with a stick
Q – What will your life be like from now until the draft? Are you pretty well set on things or do you still have a lot of evaluation to do.
A – Danny said he has a really good feel for who will be there where we will likely draft, 7th-12th. We probably won’t have a second round pick (Kim Note – NO he didn’t explain this) so he’ll also be looking at the guys who likely won’t get drafted. And it’s not that bad a thing that we probably won’t have the pick as we really don’t need to get any younger. So basically he just has to fine tune his evaluations and rank players. There is no clear cut winner player in this draft. Still open to a lot of evaluation.
Q – Who are the most likely FA this summer
A - Refused to answer while the season was still going on and for risk of tampering accusation
Q – What one piece of the puzzle remains to make us real contenders, in the division and for a championship
A – We need our young players to become great. To step up and move from being just potential. Continued development of young guys and vets and maybe add a player. For example, Delonte isn’t really a true PG so even though they’re happy with him, since he can still play the 2 they might look to add an true PG. The development is happening – he cited Delonte and Tony as specific examples where you can see visible improvement over last season and said that he thought that Perk, Al and Gerald will do the same next season.
Q- name a few of the Cs strengths and weaknesses.
A - Danny just tackled a couple of weaknesses. Defensively need to develop a defensive identity (BTW, defensive issues appeared in a number of questions). Doc's been experimenting with lineups and styles. Also need to improve in transition. The issue is not just the lack of a true PG as some have indicated. Need to improve spacing and decision making, especially when we have the numbers.
Q- Address the inconsistency and do you have any plans to look to bring in a defensive specialist in the offseason
A – The inconsistency is rooted in personnel and changes in the teams and the coaching, to try to find what works. For example, Doc might try a plan in one game that works well but then we play a different team who focuses on what we did before so it doesn’t work so well the next game. As to the defense, Doc has a **really good mind** (emphasis Danny’s) and keeps trying things, leading to changes each night vs Jim O’Brien who played the same way every night. What we need is a happy medium. As to the defensive specialist, Orien and Tony are already very good defensive players, our two best, and have a chance to become very special ones.
Q – Most successful teams have a dominant defensive presence in the middle. Can Kendrick become that player and can he develop an offense.
A – Danny disagreed about the most teams, citing a number of examples such as Phoenix, the old Bulls who were successful without the defensive stopper/dominating force in the middle. Of course having such a player to block shots, etc does make things easier. Kendrick can be good – already you can see the blocks and rebounding. He’s still very young and can get better. Is already above average defensively.
Q – How big a surprise was the level of development and especially maturity of Gomes.
A – Danny began with a caveat about fans getting too excited about players. Ryan certainly knows how to play – shows the difference being a 4 year player in college makes. However, he’s had ups and downs and been inconsistent, and is still too short – cited last night as an example when a few inches made a difference on some of the late rebounds. That being said, he likes his offensive rebounding ability and his shot and especially his feel for where to go on the floor. He feeds particularly well off of Paul. Likely will be a fixture here for a long while.
Q – Would you rather Ryan bulked up more to battle the big guys or worked more on his outside game to play more of a small forward.
A – Danny – Especially in today’s game and even at the 4, speed is more important than bulk and power and he’d rather Ryan concentrated on that and being quicker and more agile than the guys he’s playing against.
Q – What must Al Jefferson do over the next 6 months to make a real contribution next season.
A – Two big things – improve conditioning and strength. He’s made real strides in his work ethic, gone from a 1 when he arrived on a scale of 1-10 to a 5- 6, including moving up a couple of notches just since this last injury, which may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. He does all he’s asked to do, what he doesn’t do is enough on his own or go as hard as he can. Which in fact he’s never had to do, always having been able to dominate physically and with his talent before. On the court, he needs to improve his lateral movement on both ends of the court – in the post and in responding on switches.
Q – Going into last year it was said that the only untouchable was Al. How has that changed and who would you say that’s true of today? Delonte and Paul too?
A – Danny said there’s really no such thing as untouchable. Paul was the most untouchable simply because he was the best player, but Danny’s job is to find the best players, period (implied the period). No interest in trading any of the three players named, but if someone came with the right deal…
Q – How happy have you been to see Tony’s play over the past few weeks and as a PG
A – Coming out of the past summer, Danny was the most excited about Tony and Delonte, both of whom had great summers. He was devastated by the injury. Among other things, Tony is the one who lets us play small ball because of the range of things he does (didn’t write them all down, but basically almost any skill you can name), including some things that are usually done by the bigs. As to the PG, his ball handling has improved. Danny also said that Tony would be having a small procedure after the season is over to clean some things out, but that he should be completely back and ready to go by October.
Q – How would the 1986 team fare in today’s NBA
A – They’d be favorites to be champions. Expansion has watered things down, and that and the salaries have really weakened the benches, Doesn’t see anyone today who could beat them.
Q – Why have we had so many turnovers and what is there you can do about them
A – Doc’s system involves a lot of ball movement and letting a lot of people touch the ball, including people like Kendrick and Blount who are not used to it up high and that has hurt us. We tried to commit to the break but our finish rate has been very bad. As mentioned under transition, we need to get better at that, which will happen with experience but also getting the ball more into the hands of people who handle it better and make better decisions.
Q – What about this year’s NCAA; did you see anyone who could help us (sorry, I didn’t write exact question down, just the word NCAA, but that was the idea)
A – Lots of guys could fit here. We’re not so solid anywhere that there isn’t someone who could help and there’s lots of talent among the seniors and underclassmen, including a few (unnamed of course – Kim note ) guys at each position who could help us. What you need to do is avoid the trap of drafting for need vs best player available – cited the example of Portland drafting for need with Telfair then not feeling they should take Chris Paul the next year because of that.
Q –What about overseas? Anyone there who can help (this question came from moderator Mike Gorman)
A- Yes, there are a few interesting players. (Kim Note - I’m probably going to misspell these, since I really don’t know the international scene well) Bargnani from Italy at the 4. There’s a guy out of Senegal (Danny didn’t name him) at the 5 who is very raw, a project but very long and athletic. Also mentioned Belinelli, Rudy Fernandes, and Sergio Rodriguez. [[Note from another onthe list: The Senegalese guy is Saer Sene. He played in the
Nike Hoop Summit this weekend, and he is unbelievably long and
athletic. He's shaped sort of like Luol Deng in that he has
incredible length, but he's much taller than Deng with even longer
arms, and can jump out of the gym. He is quite raw, but will be a
fantastic shot blocker from day one (I mean fantastic!). If he
enters this draft the Celtics should consider his potential to be as
high as anyone. This guy is exciting, a true seven foot jumping
jack, and a physical marvel. Here's draftexpress on him:
www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1260 ]]
Q – What particular areas are you looking to improve the team through FA/draft/trade over the summer.
A. On top of what he’d already discussed, Danny noted that shooting ability makes up for a lot, saying it’s like putting in golf in that. So he’s always attracted to shooters, and of course we need to improve defensively.
Q – How could you assess Gerald Green, now that he’s getting more minutes
A – Well, he’s showed that he belongs in this league, now it’s a matter of developing consistency. He has exciting potential, but it’s tough to ask Doc to rely on someone so young for next year. We want to make the playoffs and have a bit of a run next year. His work ethic is fabulous and he has a great character on top of the talent. Everyone likes having him around – Danny thinks it’s Wyc who referred to the energy he brings as being like a puppy with a stick
Q – What will your life be like from now until the draft? Are you pretty well set on things or do you still have a lot of evaluation to do.
A – Danny said he has a really good feel for who will be there where we will likely draft, 7th-12th. We probably won’t have a second round pick (Kim Note – NO he didn’t explain this) so he’ll also be looking at the guys who likely won’t get drafted. And it’s not that bad a thing that we probably won’t have the pick as we really don’t need to get any younger. So basically he just has to fine tune his evaluations and rank players. There is no clear cut winner player in this draft. Still open to a lot of evaluation.
Q – Who are the most likely FA this summer
A - Refused to answer while the season was still going on and for risk of tampering accusation
Q – What one piece of the puzzle remains to make us real contenders, in the division and for a championship
A – We need our young players to become great. To step up and move from being just potential. Continued development of young guys and vets and maybe add a player. For example, Delonte isn’t really a true PG so even though they’re happy with him, since he can still play the 2 they might look to add an true PG. The development is happening – he cited Delonte and Tony as specific examples where you can see visible improvement over last season and said that he thought that Perk, Al and Gerald will do the same next season.