Danny Ainge is still intently following the Celtics, despite living 2,400 miles away from Boston. The franchise legend and longtime GM was back in town Wednesday to introduce former teammate Kevin McHale for a ceremony at The Tradition at the TD Garden, so naturally, he was asked about his thoughts on the slumping C’s.
In short, Ainge is worried about the team’s slew of injuries, not Jayson Tatum.
“Jayson has had his ups and downs but we know what a great player he is. And I'm not worried,” Ainge told Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “People say, ‘Oh, Jayson’s struggling,’ but that's the least of every worry, at least in my mind, about the Boston Celtics. He is going to figure it out. And the question is can the rest of the guys step up and play their roles and take some of the burden off of him?”
The Celtics’ bench has failed to consistently produce all season, and the constant unavailability of key players isn’t helping matters. Most notably, Jaylen Brown has missed 13 games with a hamstring injury, including both losses this week to the Lakers and Clippers.
But that doesn’t excuse Tatum’s regression. He’s shooting worse from the field and dishing out fewer assists than last season. The 23-year-old All-Star will get his numbers, but he doesn’t seem to be helping his teammates. An anonymous coach said recently Tatum doesn't care about winning.
Tatum dismissed that criticism, saying he and Brown are two of the "hungriest players in the league."
Ainge stepped down suddenly as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations in May, one day after their series loss to the Nets. Brad Stevens has taken his place upstairs.
“I think Brad’s done a great job,” Ainge said. “I think that getting Dennis Schroder in here this summer was huge. And Josh Richardson is really playing well for the team right now, especially lately after a little bit of a slow start, but he’s playing really well.”
Ainge didn’t dismiss the idea of pursuing other front office opportunities, but noted it would have to be the “right situation.”
While Stevens has trimmed around the edges, this is still Ainge’s roster. It isn’t surprising he would defend one of his prized first round picks, regardless of where he resides.