[thehef]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

I think the issue is that they have too many good to very good players. That seems like a good thing but in the NBA you need a set rotation where everyone more or less knows what to expect on a given night.

I would amend this to "... the issue is that they have too many good to very good players who are also young." When you have 8 or 10 year veterans off the bench who are of the ability of, say, Rozier or Brown, they are - generally - accustomed to their role and are just trying to maintain the level they're at. But guys like Rozier and Brown (and Smart, and Tatum) are in the early stages of their careers and all - understandably - see big things in their futures, and want the requisite minutes and touches that they feel should come with that.

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

They probably should have dealt either Rozier or Smart.

Perhaps, depending upon what they received in return. I wouldn't have dealt Smart, though. It's always good to have a real standout defender.

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

And the big money for Heyward is not looking like it will pan out and he does not seem like he will ever be the same player he was.

I really think it's too soon to tell. Some guys take longer to recover from major injuries. Bernard King took three years to return to form. Tommy John missed a year and then had a so-so comeback year before several dominant seasons... Just a couple of examples... Time will tell. But when you see the flashes that Gordon showed later in the season, plus consider his age, I'd bet on a return to form before I'd bet that he'll remain a shell of his former all-star self...

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

And Tatum went from best player in that draft to okay starter in his second year and Jaylen Brown was wildly inconsistent.

I think both of these guys would mature and benefit from a) the departure of Kyrie, b) the experience of this past season, and c) some real veteran leadership.

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

Only Irving and Horford were good from start to finish and Irving as stated is an odd duck at best.

Morris & Smart were pretty reliable but, yeah, I get what you're saying... Ainge certainly has his work cut out for him as far as this offseason goes...