Gresh & Zo: Would You Rather Have Chiarelli Or Ainge's Job This Offseason?
BOSTON (CBS)- The Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics have very busy offseasons ahead of them.
While the Bruins are still considered contenders going into next season, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli has only $1.6 million to spend before the team reaches the cap ceiling.
The Celtics, on the other hand, finished a measly 25-57 in the first year of their rebuild. While the immediate future is grim, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has some cap flexibility and seven guaranteed first round picks in the next four years to work with.
The two different situations prompted Andy Gresh and Hardy to ask the question on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Gresh and Zolak show: Would you rather have Chiarelli or Ainge's job this offseason?
Gresh was quick to say he'd rather have Ainge's job because the Bruins cap situation is a problem and fans expect a Cup contender.
"Peter Chiarelli has to find a way - by hook, or by crook. Somehow, someway- to keep his team competitive at a very high level," said Gresh. "It's a harder job, no doubt."
Hardy agreed that Chiarelli's job is tougher, sighting the difference in expectations between the respective fan bases.
"The expectation level is so much lower for the Celtics right now than it is for the Bruins. The Bruins were a year removed, going into this last postseason, from Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. And let's face it, not a lot of people thought they would have a second-round exit. It was looking like to many Bruins fans, at least another trip to the Conference Finals. So the expectation level, it's very high."
Gresh notes that his stance stems from the fact that during his years as a radio host, Celtics fans have rarely attacked Ainge.
"How many times have we ever gotten a phone call to this radio station or anywhere in the city where someone has said, 'Aw, here's where Ainge is blowing it', or 'Here's what he did or didn't do.'" Ainge has made a ton of mistakes. I just think Celtics fans are incredibly patient."
Listen below for the full discussion:
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