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Time for Celtics’ brass to feel some heat

By Hector Longo - Staff Writer | Feb 12, 2019

Are Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens in trouble?

The Boston Celtics general manager and coach share the bullseye this morning. Their team, chock full of giant contracts and even more grandiose egos, has not budged from the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference with a pedestrian 35-21 mark heading into Tuesday night’s Kyrie-free grudge match at Philadelphia.

If the record isn’t enough to question the C’s of 2019, this eye-test-failing crew is on a defensive roll of late, having back-to-back 129-point outbursts by a pair of visiting foes from LA whose next stop is not the playoffs but the NBA lottery.

Danny, it’s a great thing you locked down that defensive stopper, Marcus Smart, for $13 million-plus per year over the next four.

Imagine what the Clippers, who were down 28 early, might have done to you on Saturday night without Marcus and his trademark “D.”

Let’s start with Ainge, the team’s GM since 2003, who has managed exactly as many titles as your Boston Bruins have over the same time – one.

Of course, the Bruins been through four GMs over the same span of time, clearly unsatisfied with the singleton.

Ainge, who has a blank check at his disposal at all times thanks to owner Wyc Grousbeck, remains entrenched as the guy.

His big three of grumpy Kyrie, bashful Gordon Hayward and sleepy Al Horford aren’t exactly pointing this team to the promised land.

Stand tall when it counts? Forget it from this trio.

Will their contracts ultimately doom Ainge? I’m no capologist, but I’d love to see the Celtics try to finesse Irving and his looming $32 million a year deal with Al’s $30 million for 2020 and Hayward’s $32 million per to still wedge Anthony Davis in there after a potential offseason deal from New Orleans.

Stevens deserves his share of the blame here, too. What has this guy ever won?

He reached an Eastern Finals and lost to a Lebron-led band of scrubs and washouts.

Look at King James now. He’s in the lottery with the Lakers.

Stevens has lost this crew what with Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown cat-fighting, Kyrie threatening to leave and Jayson Tatum growing more enamored with himself with each and every shot he takes.

I know I’m reaching here but perhaps their fandom may have overrated this Celtics’ bunch when branding it a shoo-in for the Eastern Conference title.

And in the end, both the coach and the GM should be held accountable for it, especially if things continue to be this ugly.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS

In this era where coaches are scrutinized and so much is placed solely on playing time and wins, in that order, when you see coaches and administrators go out of their way to instill life lessons on their student athletes it instills an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

Big props today go out to Merrimack High girls basketball coach Courtney Cheetham, who leaped at the offer from Bedford High Athletic Director Corey Parker to participate in a a special celebration of National Girls and Women in Sport Day, which was February 6.

The girls hoop teams from Merrimack and Bedford, at all three levels, united to honor the day.

“When Corey, and Coach Gibbs reached out to me, I couldn’t have been more excited to participate,” said Cheetham. “Having grown up in Bedford, and having taught there, I was particularly enthused about the opportunity to bring two communities that I’m connected to, together. As a female athlete, coach and teacher, I have always viewed sports as a means of teaching sportsmanship, while also instilling self-worth, and teamwork.

“Events like these are essential in this process, and a natural segue for the focus on the bigger picture beyond the court lines.”

Awesome stuff, from all involved.

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