Agree with all of this and would only add that I really like this for Ainge given his heart troubles and his looking pretty rundown the last few years. He has earned retirement and it makes me happy when people say "enough" to the grind of full-time work and take a few years off to enjoy the fruits of their careers. I am assuming that he decides to actually retire/takes a lower stress "advisory" position somewhere in the league.I voted 'Like it' because this team needed a change. I would assign myself to the group that believes that sending away bright basketball minds with his upside, and who would promptly find gainful employment with another contender, is generally a bad thing for a franchise that wants to be world-class, so keeping Stevens in the fold pushes me above neutral. I am not so familiar with the responsibilities associated with being the President of Basketball Operations, but if it closely approximates Chaim's responsibilities with the Sox then I have to think this is the best possible fit as an Ainge replacement. Continuity is important, and so is implementing a vision and culture that will be supported throughout the organization and for both of these points I think this is where Brad has a chance to really shine. Finding a coach that aligns with his general philosophies of lineup construction, player rotations, and the skillsets that lead to success will be the single most important factor when evaluating what the next year+ of what Brad the Exec might look like.
Not that Ainge and Danny didn't work well together - their partnership was a resounding success - but for a coach who has preached positionless basketball, Danny could have done better in aligning with that MO from a talent acquisition perspective (even simply substituting Brogdon for Kemba). If this move nets more organizational synergy in Brad's core beliefs then I am comfortable with the direction of the franchise moving forward.
Edit: I should also add re: the coaching search that it is incredibly important to mesh the aforementioned requirements with their ability to resonate the organizational messages to the players in general, and with JT and JB specifically. That's a really tight needle to thread, but I'm excited to see what the search yields.
I trust ownership more than Ainge at this point, to put it frankly.I'm neutral but I wanted Danny Ainge to go so I'm happy with almost any change.
Seems after the initial "wtf"," the vast majority of people have settled down and are willing to give Stevens a chance.
I'm down with this.I think this development never even remotely crossed my mind. Brad and Danny being gone all in the same off-season was a more likely development imo.
I'm intrigued, especially if Brad is committed to making changes and not running it back as is. Fascinating development.
Yeah, I voted neutral for mostly this reason. There has been some vague reporting that Stevens has had previous input into front-office matters already, which is good, but it's just too hard to know to what degree, what exactly made ownership in favor of this move, who will be around Brad supporting him, etc. I'm optimistic, but there is a non-zero chance it ends up being a total tire fire.Just don't know enough about the circumstances to have a strong opinion.
This sums up my feelings pretty well.I voted they should've kept him as head coach.
I know he's very good at that job. Have no clue if he'll be good at his new one, or if the new coach will be good.
If I had to guess, they've downgraded at both GM and head coach, at least for the coming season.
That may be part of the. . . . process.This sums up my feelings pretty well.
There are obviously plenty of examples where coaches have transitioned to front offices roles and found success — look no further than Ainge. But Stevens has been in coaching his entire adult life. While he may enjoy something new, coaching has gotta be in his blood by now. I can’t help but think this move substantially increases the odds that he’s a college head coach in two years, whether by his own volition or not.
A team that risks the loss of both Ainge and Stevens is likely poorer for it.
That's an excellent read. Thanks for posting.@Chad Finn with a very thoughtful piece on this: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/03/sports/many-celtics-fans-wanted-drastic-changes-now-well-see-how-that-works-out/