Danny Ainge, president of Boston Celtics basketball operations, said the rationale behind the moves the team was taking ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, and most notably Evan Fournier’s acquisition in a deal with the Orlando Magic, was a reason to a team that has no confidence to give a reason. to be some optimism.
“Talked to [el entrenador Brad Stevens] almost every day. I talk to the players. I’m on the team, in the locker room, and I can feel a sense of discouragement and frustration, like any team that feels like it’s playing less than it can play, ” Ainge said Friday morning. is not an incident or a personality, but there is a difference when things really go well and when it doesn’t ”.
“But if you don’t live up to your expectations, there’s the potential for discouragement and frustration, and I think that’s what happens with all teams. It’s happened with all the teams I’m associated with. And then there’s optimism and we did.” team meetings and video sessions and we went out and hit a little bit, but we just can’t keep it up.
“I just hope adding another experienced player who is a versatile shooter with format will shock us.”
The Celtics, who are in Milwaukee to play against the Bucks on ESPN Friday night, are certainly a team in need of a shake-up. Boston is only 21-23 in the season and is eighth in the Eastern Conference standings, well below the standard that Boston has set in recent seasons, when it was a consistent top 4 finalist. And has reached the final of the Eastern Conference in three times. of the past four years.
However, this year’s group never clicked the same way after losing Gordon Hayward to free agency, a move that immediately followed after Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Marcus Morris left in exchange for nothing last off-season. Hayward’s departure, however, left Boston with a $ 28 million trade exception, which the Celtics used to get Fournier off the Magic for Jeff Teague, and a pair of second-round picks.
The 28-year-old Fournier has averaged 19.7 points per game in his career this season and will once again give the Celtics a tall and versatile attacking player who should fit into Stevens’ system. And while Fournier has an expiring contract, Ainge said he hopes the guard will be with the Celtics for a long time to come.
When asked if the Celtics can now compete with teams at the top of the conference, such as the Milwaukee, the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers, he said he wasn’t sure. But he said this was not the only reason for taking such a step.
“I also feel obligated to a little more than [eso]Ainge said. We are dealing with people here. And I feel like we’re always trying to get better, every trading deadline, every low season. And I felt there was an opportunity. And we felt there was more than one chance, but some didn’t happen ”.
“But with Evan in particular, I thought this opportunity was unique. And to add a player of his caliber, we’ve talked a lot about custom shooting, he’s a 6-7 player with a good shot, he can. the ball Another maker to us And a very consistent player And we’re excited to add him I think it’s a good use of our [excepción comercial]
Boston, which also escaped the luxury tax by sending center Daniel Theisto to the Chicago Bulls in a separate deal, has been disappointing on both sides this season, with Ainge dropping the team from fourth in defense last season to 24 this season as a emphasized. a special source of disappointment. And as the Celtics floated on the edge of the eastern playoff landscape, Ainge decided now was the time to change his roster, hoping Boston would return to something closer to the level he was used to.
“This is a team that I’ve 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 is a time. to overreact, but I didn’t feel the pressure not to do any of these things I feel like this is a deal I would have struck over the years probably with this opportunity But I think the biggest pressure just that I want our players to feel hope, and I want our coach to have hope, and I feel a little discouraged with our guys internally. So that was one of the reasons we were doing something instead of waiting. ”