100% buyer of this comment
This is the crux of the roster rotation this year. Stevens took this group of veterans: IT, Crowder, Jerebko, Olynek, Zeller, Green, Bradley to the #1 seed in the East in three seasons. They bought low, squeezed every ounce of their talent on the cheap and are selling/moving/letting other teams pay high now. They have imported huge pedigreed talent in 12 months: Brown #3 pick, Tatum #3 pick, Irving #1 pick 4X All Star, Hayward All-Star, Al Horford All-Star, and a couple of solid role players: Morris and Baynes. They kept solid/improving role players like Smart and Rozier. This team is built for the next 5 years.
Danny was clearly concerned that IT wanted that Brinks truck regardless of hip issues/age/defensive shortcomings. Letting him walk for nothing and not being able to use that slot would have been an inefficient use of roster management/salary cap space. IT had to be moved, absolutely loved the guy and will cheer hard for that Brinks truck to show up next year.
Stevens is hands down the best coach, under 60, in the NBA/NCAA today (that should satisfy Pop and Coach K fans). Brad now has the talent on the roster to be playing for the Championship in years 2-5. The East is theirs for the taking for many years. Add in Lakers/Sac pick, Clips pick, Memphis pick and some of the current youngsters and we are on a decade long ride.
Please extend Brad Stevens to a 10yr deal.
Love this post.
Here was the C's roster in Stevens' first year as HC:
Jeff Green
Rajon Rondo (4x all star)
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jared Sullinger
Brandon Bass
Gerald Wallace
Kelly Olynyk
Kris Humphries
Courtney Lee
Jerryd Bayless
Keith Bogans
Not surprisingly, that team won 25 games.
They vaulted to the best record in the Eastern Conference, and from that craptastic roster, Ainge/Stevens have turned the roster into:
Kyrie Irving (4x all star)
Al Horford (4x all star)
Gordon Hayward (all star)
Jayson Tatum (#3 pick)
Jaylen Brown (#3 pick)
Marcus Morris
Aron Baynes
Marcus Smart
Terry Rozier
Etc.
This roster is absolutely freaking LOADED compared to that first roster. And they still have the following draft picks:
2018
- Their own 1st rounder
- LA Lakers' 1st rounder, if it falls between 2-5
2019
- Memphis' 1st rounder, if it falls outside top 8
- Clippers 1st rounder, if it falls outside top 14
- Their own 1st rounder
2020
- Memphis' 1st rounder, if they didn't use it in 2019, and it falls outside top 6
- Clippers 1st rounder, if they didn't use it in 2019, and it falls outside top 14
- Their own 1st rounder
2021
- Memphis' 1st rounder, if they didn't use it in 2019 or 2020
- Their own 1st rounder
(Note: No clue what happens to the Clippers' pick if they don't use it in 2020...)
Long story short, they still have TONS of ammo to continue to improve the team with really good players.
That said, I think it's possible to absolutely be in awe of how they've upgraded and transformed the team over a four year period, and yet still feel like they gave up too much for Kyrie in this one particular deal.