Boston Celtics basketball operations president Danny Ainge said the thinking behind the moves the team made before Thursday’s NBA change deadline, and specifically the acquisition of Evan Fournier in a deal with the Orlando Magic, it was to give an untrustworthy team a reason to have some optimism.
“I speak with [el entrenador Brad Stevens] almost every day. I talk to the players. I’m on the team, in the locker rooms, and I can feel a sense of discouragement and frustration, as would any team that feels like it’s playing below what it can play, “Ainge said Friday morning.” So it’s not an incident or a personality, but there’s a difference when things go really well and when they don’t. “
“But when you’re not meeting your expectations, the opportunity arises for discouragement and frustration, and I think that happens to all the teams. It’s happened to all the teams I’ve been associated with. And then there’s optimism and we have team meetings and video sessions and we went out and got a little streak, but we’re not able to keep it up. ”
“I just hope that by adding another veteran player who is a versatile sized shooter, he gives us a shake.”
The Celtics, who are in Milwaukee to play the Bucks Friday night on ESPN, are certainly a team in need of a shake-up. Boston is only 21-23 in the season and is in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, well below the standard Boston has set in recent seasons, when it has been a consistent finalist among the 4 first and has reached the Eastern Conference finals in three of the last four years.
This year’s group, however, has never clicked the same way after losing to Gordon Hayward in free agency, a move that occurred immediately after Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Marcus Morris s’ they were for nothing the previous low season. However, Hayward’s departure left Boston with a $ 28 million exchange exception, which the Celtics used to get Fournier from the Magic by Jeff Teague and a couple of second-round picks.
Fournier, 28, is averaging a personal best of 19.7 points per game this season and will give the Celtics another long, versatile offensive player who should fit well into Stevens ’system. And although Fournier has an expiring contract, Ainge said he hopes the escort will be with the Celtics for a long time.
When Ainge was asked if the Celtics can now compete with teams at the top of the conference, such as the Milwaukee, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, he said he wasn’t sure. But he said that was not the only reason to make a move like this.
“I also feel obligated to do something more than [eso]”Ainge said.” We are dealing with people here. And I feel like we’re trying to improve all the time, every change deadline, every low season. And I felt there was an opportunity. And we feel like there was more than one opportunity, but some didn’t. “
“But with Evan in particular, I thought this opportunity was unique. And to add a player of his caliber, we’ve often talked about shooting with size, he’s a 6-7 player with a good shot, he can handle the ball. another creator for us.And a very consistent player.And we are excited to add.I think it is a good use of our [excepción comercial]”.
Boston, who was also saved from the luxury tax by sending center Daniel Theisto to the Chicago Bulls in a separate deal, has been disappointing on both ends this season, with Ainge highlighting the fall of the ‘fourth-place team on defense last season at 24 this season as a particular source of disappointment. And with the Celtics circling the margins of the Eastern playoff scene, Ainge decided it was time to change his roster, hoping Boston would return a little closer to the level it is used to. .
“This is a team I put together. I’m responsible for it. I think you talked about patience; I think I’m very, very patient. I’ve been on this for a long time. I think there’s a time to overreact, but no I felt the pressure to do any of these things.I feel like this is a deal I would have made at any time in the last few years, probably with this opportunity.But I guess the biggest pressure is just that I want our players to feel hope, and I want our coach to have hope, and I feel a little discouraged internally with our guys. So that was one of the reasons we did something now instead of waiting. “