Can Danny?

The old adage "No news is good news" was never more spot on than this offseason for the Celtics. While most everyone in Celtic Nation eagerly/anxiously awaited Danny Ainge's next move, something else happened. Our owners decided to actually try to wait.

Asked about the biggest challenge of owning the Celtics, Grousbeck said, ``The patience to go `young and athletic,' which is a multiyear process. But the roster we inherited did not have championship upside potential, so we had to go younger and invest long-term."

When I read that quote in the Boston Globe, I couldn't have been happier. Do I trust Danny? Hell no, but the fact remains that I'd rather have to deal with Danny building a team at his own pace instead of watching Danny try to cobble together a roster while keeping a couple of impatient venture capitalists happy. Owners always want the big name in spite of talent. Just look at the Red Sox. Theo didn't want Beckett but Larry Lucchino did. As usual, the GM was right while the owner was wrong. (And of course, the Atlanta Hawks prove to be the exception to this rule since ousted owner Steve Belkin knew they shouldn't have given up so much for Joe Johnson).

Waiting to make a deal doesn't just make sense, it's the ONLY thing that makes sense. While people can dream up trade scenarios for KG, Jermaine O'Neal, and others, the fact remains that the guys we were most likely getting were on the Kenyon Martin/Carlos Boozer/Zach Randolph echelon. In time, Wally should be healthier but even if he isn't, his contract still becomes more manageable. Not only is Theo Ratliff a great locker room guy but he's a must in the middle (where we really only have Perkins) and will be an expiring deal for the 2007 offseason. Boozer and Randolph are known commodities and would be Celtics for years to come. The problem is that nobody can be sure if the reason for their Celtic tenure woud be because they lived up to their potential and helped the Celtics win or because they struggled and became immovable contracts. Jefferson and Gomes might be bigger question marks in the short term but any failure on their part won't linger over the team for the long term. (Assuming Danny doesn't make a Mullin and sign his busted picks to big, long term deals).

This might sound odd but even though I don't think the Celtics will be very good this season; I haven't been this optimistic about our future in quite some time.