Danny Ainge suck connection?
- Thread starter actusreus
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enchilada_style
Well-Known Member
Not sure where we were going to go with that thread title.
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Avery
Well-Known Member
Ainge isn't making us take poor shots or play inefficient team defense. He's inherited a team that lives and dies by the three - it's why we either blow teams out or lose to inferior teams. That feast or famine will get you in the playoffs, but in a seven game series prone to matchups, it will continue to be our Achilles heel.
If players don't want to worry about Ainge trading them, perhaps they should look inward at their own contribution.
If players don't want to worry about Ainge trading them, perhaps they should look inward at their own contribution.
And it certainly could be the case.
Correct. But that ain’t Ainge’s fault, though it would nonetheless be his job to clean up.
No but we can blame it on Ainge because it’s easier that way. We can say he ruined the feel-goods. It’s like when someone with a substance use disorder says “I was doing so good until _____,” where _____ is typically where someone intervenes on some kind of self-destructive behavior or otherwise gets in their way or establishes boundaries.
Peter Effin' Parker
Well-Known Member
I think it would be naïve to say that having a new boss with a reputation for big splashes wouldn't have an effect on the mental day to day.
LoPo
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't that mean that guys would step up their game and be more focused if they truly loved being here?
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vegas
Well-Known Member
I was thinking of looking up the correlation of the hiring and the slide. I don't think it's for the specific reason the OP mentioned, but it's not unreasonable to explore the thought. There was a point where at times we began to care less about defense, rebounding and who knows what else. A small drop is pretty substantial in the world of professional sports especially on a team level. Is it Ainge? I have no clue how a fan would be able to make the connection at this point. Has anybody even talked about him specifically after month 1 of his reign?
vegas
Well-Known Member
Not necessarily. Humans are emotional creatures. Culture and general good vibes (in most cases) are significant forces. I say this as a person who is forever bashing my head on the proverbial brick wall by trying to be efficient with humans.
In general I would say that if bringing a "tough" GM shook the team's confidence and culture this badly, it reveals how fragile those were to begin with. That said, Ainge's reputation is more complicated than just his dealings and management style. We know Donovan in particular has made social justice a priority and has found himself in conflict with a portion of the Utah community, including local politicians, as a result. The Jazz owner declaring themselves as being an "anti-racist" organization and then bringing in a guy with Ainge's track record on the subject could have very well left Donovan to further question his commitment to lead and be a face of this franchise. Donovan has generally still been producing, at least on offense, but he does feel far less engaged. I do think that ultimately Donovan is only player on this team that has the combination of talent and charisma to be the team leader, and if has decided he doesn't necessarily want that job that would certainly be felt throughout the lockeroom. Just speculation of course, but I do wonder about it.
vegas
Well-Known Member
Not necessarily mutually exclusive.
//r00t 4 Jazz
Well-Known Member
I'm gonna go with yes. Purely based on I have never liked Ainge and that was before Hayward and how he did Isiah dirty with him playing hurt and through his sisters death to help the team. His bad karma followed him to the Jazz. Even if I'm not even sure what influence and role he even has other than going to Governor meetings when Ryan Smith can't.
I mean clearly this is based on the same scientific facts as most things around here when the team is losing.
Step 1: What is the one thing/person I have always not liked
Step 2: Find what I didn't like about the most recent game
Step 3: Use that one thing to fit my own bias or narrative and blame it aforementioned thing/person in step 1.
Step 4: Profit by selling stolen underpants
I mean clearly this is based on the same scientific facts as most things around here when the team is losing.
Step 1: What is the one thing/person I have always not liked
Step 2: Find what I didn't like about the most recent game
Step 3: Use that one thing to fit my own bias or narrative and blame it aforementioned thing/person in step 1.
Step 4: Profit by selling stolen underpants
David Hume
Well-Known Member
Cause-effect relations are not discernable a priori by the operation of reason alone; such matters are discovered by experience. Hence, I endorse your quest to empirically investigate the issue.
SteakNEggs
Well-Known Member
In those 10 losses how many times were we at full strength?
I'm not happy with this garbage team right now but we have been pretty discombobulated health wise for most of these losses.
I'm not happy with this garbage team right now but we have been pretty discombobulated health wise for most of these losses.
Mongoose
Well-Known Member
I feel like at least a few people seemed to know or had strong suspicions
gomretat
Well-Known Member
My son and I were discussing it a few days ago and I think there is something to this. Easy to think that no one is safe with Ainge - players or coaches. I did hear some national sport talk guys talking about the hiring right after we hired Ainge and they were saying the timing made no sense. I am not a fan of the hire - at all - so maybe I am tainted. And I think this goes a lot deeper then hiring a tough GM. Danny has done some guys real poorly and has showed he in not into loyalty. That is a pretty big culture shock for the Jazz.