Danny Ainge

Hi -- what we talked about Celtics basketball since I was there. Sixtieth game the slips into the opposite -- and talk to rip the ball saw talk with Danny eight hold on for a second as want to make sure we're okay. Age -- not going to hang on the idea at. I had a Little -- I might. I don't little rough session it would Jose Canseco real angry and hung up on AB any real quick one didn't get a better seat in the when you have. With all the -- went down and one of their behind everybody is. Which obviously they give a better Selig with a slight right courtside near like but yeah he's on the -- almost got me.

I had the transit system in the back of -- in the locker room of my video guys you know restroom with my other guys so yeah I'm not. I'm all over the place.

I don't know if you noticed I don't of the of those -- but working pretty hard he's got the biggest turnaround here in in -- let me ask you one of those did you think. When the season began did you ever think this team could win sixty games.

You know you hope but I was never expected it now. I wasn't that little that a lot of little bit on the --

And when you shut down an a and you talk at all Europe. -- basketball ops guys these units around sit there and say well what sixteen games I mean. A because using we sit down of those things is there's a sense of reality is they're not.

Yeah it you don't feel what you want to try to pick out real expectations but you know I did pick -- team would. Would get better as the season went along and be played championship contender we hope that all year so. The number wins side really isn't even that's significant to me.

We're talking about Rondo earlier and even in the last. Few weeks you've seen another jump -- whatever with maturity as a as a player. And last year he teased us he played a lot to the last couple months -- showed that he could do some stuff but it wasn't that great consistency do you believe he would have ever become a player that he's become here today. If he were not surrounded by a lot of experienced players such as Kevin Garnett but a lot of the other guys even the guys coming off the bench --

I didn't think that he would -- a good player -- circumstance given an opportunity to play I think there's -- on has played the way he's like that you've got that good shooters in the and that is a good fit for you know but I think -- Rashad as a good player in his own right he's proven that he's been on the court with both guys sitting on the bench this year. We -- have KG for that nine game stretch you know Rashad played as good as he's played all year. So I think that he would've been good player you know given an opportunity and I think the biggest challenge for him was getting on the court. Which is one reason why we didn't want to bring a veteran point guard training camp about that was somebody that we I was really. Get a ticket to the next level because we didn't we want -- get offered the opportunity to -- on that the coaches might not be tempted to play a veteran has.

I'd Danny dot sounds like he's hurting him playoff mode in the sense that when the game was over last night. He talked about the upcoming schedule two days -- Charlotte two days off. Sort of resting some of the big guys now and then sort of going up tempo in the last couple games so that there. They're playoff ready going into the plants is this have you guys been talking about recent weeks knowing what the schedule had in store.

You know popular at that talk is about the playoffs. -- training camp and we got we wanted to it was a very important we felt we get off to goods -- this year and but from about the six week Mark but the middle of December. I think -- is that a magnificent job of man -- admit that the players we've given all its -- probably one -- of the game on the average more basic work to just because you have to leaders of the bitch Tony Allen was playing quite as well but I think he's done a magnificent job so we we talk we talk constantly about the minutes and ended what we've been here for the playoffs since the middle of December.

Dedicated talk about your bench who impresses you most coming off the bench.

Well you know about this starts to change -- he had James Posey has been and he brings me an attitude to the team. You and they -- all that's really hard to measure even made a lot of big shots force this year but. You know it's -- it's the team -- it's the stuff with James really they began to glue team offensively but with just our bench. There's about any of the victory on the court we've had some bill we've had games where they. Been able that would of their -- they've had games where they've they've they've we have a very good very good offensively but overall the team that the bench has played very well this year. But via -- post -- another I've recently been big twelve games for the opposed been playing great -- Eddie House is one game force told Allen has won some games or so. I think evolving culture bisons and then Scalabrine Scalabrine is not a uniform right now in those nine games the KG was out. Scalabrine woods put into the starting lineup that averaged 21 benefiting that are decent actually improve those nine games and won seven of them so. We've got contributions got a lot of guys.

Should opposing in ousting did not surprise me because I thought based on there. History they were going to be very good especially in a mix -- you know all star type players who we don't pull one comes out of nowhere do any based on. What I saw last Q why is Leon hall. Then at times. A significant. Impact player in games I mean certain games on the -- a regular basis. But there are times we concede -- game kinda changing he steps up because of what he's doing 'cause that's how does it happen.

He's a good player you know Leon Poe what active player of the year. In the Apollo really was -- it will be drafted mostly because you look at who described how he had knee injuries in college. The defense that fantastic player coming out of high school and they had a great season and as university California. -- with a 30 guy so the other incident we call last year he worked hard played behind Jefferson got the opportunity plate he thought he played really well he played great this summer league this summer he had a fantastic training camp. He had. You know we had high hopes from beyond this year than. But with just all of the with all the bodies -- out there he wasn't finding a lot of minutes -- year because Glen Davis occurred minutes. And you know KG was playing a lot of minutes -- just more of a lot of minutes for that for that position and you know beyond we've always known to play in. And doc is always know the big place for those guys kind of had shared that back up. Responsibility this year and have both contributed a lot right now being on the plane as good about all anybody verbiage.

That is based on what you said about dockets right it's a fine line to try to be able play all of these different guys and it seems like it's easy but it is and yet you get different contributions from different guys in the minutes don't seem to affect anybody it. That part of that I I gotta admit has been. It's been pretty impressive.

I think that that's attributed to the character of the players but also to -- in opposite opening -- when you're when you're winning guys do. Are are much more willing to accept that role. Whatever it may be -- guys fighting for opportunities to play in game keeps some hungry. And I think that all of those are factors wise because guys just stay hungry he worked hard they've really want to be on the court helped contribute in. And Glenn Davis. And right -- saint how Glenn Davis told you Allen and those guys are really -- great attitudes -- you know they were all like contribute a little bit more.

I like that Glen Davis Erica you one of those and I went like -- I continue to be impressed Damon and there are about how what. About how well defensively this team plays and going back to some good hustle on both piston teams the late eighties early nineties and some of that you can brown coached -- teams. Is it fair to say that this team plays defense as well better than those and I don't start to prepare errors but. How you stack up the way this team please deepest it's most of those great defensive teams that you -- up against.

I think there's that this is the best team that are here now it's it is hard to compare eras of mature. Right now with the number one because -- team nobody could happen most of the year it started you know what the beginning of the season in the consistency has been there are so. That's really all that matters we're overplaying because we we accomplished that goal that we -- to sit out training camp. With this team could become I mean he he could compete. And it's scary carried on through our coaches stepped up -- job preparing our guys are guys that are great troubled by unit and believe he -- and he even guys like Leo Paul Pierce I'd really stepped up it and become much better in person had been throughout their careers.

out of the Big Three you know each one has grown talent which guy had to change your game the most coming to Boston. It it was a Ray Allen.

I think so is you don't -- eight is has always been a score first if he kept the ball in the hands a lot. And he's he's coming to a team that had. Where he has probably you know the third option in scoring although we've won a lot of things for -- at times and then we have a point guard with the ball is is going to point guards and the law also so probably you probably have before. Amount of matches on our team not necessarily shots that the ball and -- the mouth most -- but the number one guy. Does that bother him I don't think it bothered me at all I think -- has you know at times he tries to. Like any great player you try to do things to contribute when things aren't going well. With some of the other matchup -- and so he gets caught up the sometimes try to do too much but it's only in trying to win my opinion like a lot of great players. I think we've played excellently if you watch film used scheme where people -- just dribble the ball up court. What all -- we're ready -- to dribble the ball court. And people just run to -- like that the plastic name dispute with Gabrielle shot. Pat opens up opportunities for -- could be put to seven by far his best year offensively I think that that. Want one big result that because of the guys playing I don't think there isn't much it -- shot as it is perk is it -- don't want the opportunities around the basket because the real as -- on the weak side.

DA we had a discussion at the beginning of the show probably unfair question as you've given your job but. The discussion was the expectations for this team coming into the season. And that we all greet at the beginning of the season we were not involved with the team that our expectation was it would make the players who might go deep in the playoffs. And that there would be silver linings even if you watch -- Detroit needs. Now that the season is almost over what are your expectations for this team.

The same that they were it would -- started which was what with to win a championship. I think those circles -- always our expectations -- goals and it doesn't mean that if that doesn't happen that it it will be. You know a disappointing season in you know but. You know my job is to make sure we just keep -- better. And I think Martinez hit better stock has done a great job this team and he -- depending on hopefully we have success we want that. I've been involved with teams that Pavel won the championship and and the -- with -- very expectation to win -- championship that. You know didn't feel like people that he but he gallery did anything wrong the other we've prepared to a -- team that got a break here apparently winning is very very fragile. When you get to you know the final fourteen finally teams in the league. I can come down to one shot one free throw one possession it's very proud to be an -- series so you know look at the fourth championship one with itself -- we probably didn't deserve the win. And daddies hit the 85 series we probably with a better team than the Lakers and then just two examples of in the wind is always. You get -- a little bit good fortune to -- at all.

And we were talking about that very subject when when we were discussing the subject of packages. Talked about you and that the game changes so dramatically. When you go into the into the post season and I think you're right this team has improved -- you can see it during the course of the entire season. What do you see when you know you've played in the east that the games you know they become far more physical. I almost get the the feeling the officials let a little bit more gold is a little bit more clutching and grabbing him. Etc. what do you see that your team asked to do in the post season that maybe they haven't faced to this point in.

what -- make the adjustments he'll play in the same team for all the seventh straight games. I think that itself as an adjustment in hand. But right now our guys have responded to every regular season challenge -- It's from going in LA and -- compact that night the Texas road trip that game that Detroit I mean this -- seemed like. The little tough stretch just went through. I think every every challenge that -- been faced with our team has really responded in the and a good -- exception of one or two times going yours so. I know little guys will be ready I note that the coaches have prepared and know their intensity level will be it's high if not higher than the team we're playing -- and so comes down to you know making the right decisions at the right time to make.

One more question normal course when you're talking about the seven game series and the different it's almost becomes like a chess match from game to game. And what do you -- call in looking at some of those great series that you played in. In at one game you sit there going man which is exploiting this weakness on this other team we're just you know parent -- apart and then seeing something totally different. In the next game because you played some games in which one game was totally different in game two we blow a team not give when he double in the Lakers and then suddenly you face a totally different team in the second game how does that play into what those those. The real chess match that goes on and play announcers.

What you know that happens a lot of times in the regular season to even when you played team we play Cleveland in the first game has scored 85 before they were able to -- this rebounding you know that you make the adjustments in the second game applying them. It's completely different thing. And you'd see a lot of the regular season where you played the -- on Friday night in the play in the you know and they. And it's two completely what you went by -- in the mix the two days later the other -- I'd -- back I mean it's just it's -- that. Help playoff basketball is in its not just chest matches and hope that. Everybody likes to talk about chess match you would like to talk about it adjustments that are being in the course -- the playoffs. It's really come down the players executing it comes down to I don't think it comes down the coaching genius I think become of the players' hearts. And player's ability. And players are going to make shots some -- some nights they're not. The players that lose typically -- more angry. And a lot more frustrated them and more turbines in the -- about it it's hard to knock it could came off two -- in -- Obstacles -- for those reasons surprise. And it interpretation so I think that that has more to do with it communities then in the chess match -- that the adjustments people make good adjustments made throughout the course of the season of course with each game sometimes they don't always work. So it comes down to just give the job done it and he you know PG making his shot and -- making his shot and in regard take care of the ball. You know and they executed to be a -- game plan.

I think works that were just talking about a lot of hours notice Dan admitted wanna hospital while I did you were talking and actually.

Are you as our board were talking about Jose Canseco.

We are yeah are now we hung up on us. I sit. You know what and you know what you stayed with a as the entire interview and it would probably three or four opportunities the thing they like went into the spirit of the moment with but the anything about getting it coming up --

I don't but what you guys I. You can't hang up I mean --