Thank You Danny Ainge

[return2glory]

When I first heard about Ainge becoming our GM a few years back, I knew that we would be returning to our glory days. And now when have RETURN 2 GLORY after 22 years of not winning a title.

Thank you Danny Ainge for your hard work, dedication, determination, and passion to make this team a championship team.

#17 Baby.

[Kefa461]

Yes.....thank you Mr Ainge.....honor has been brought back to the C's........

[Barry Lird]

Yes, tremendous job by Ainge of putting this squad together (major hat tip to ownership too).

That tool Stephen A. Smith still doesn't get it about Ainge. He was still trashing him yesterday saying he did nothing in his first 4 years here. Like we were gonna go from Walker, Battie, EWill to KG, Ray, and Posey, et al in one season.

He doesn't get that Ainge had to take a blow torch to that and acquire pieces that somebody wanted, and that it would take longer than 5 minutes to get it done.

Major props to Ainge. Red always said that Danny was lucky. Well, he is, and talented too. Thanks, Danny.

[TommyPoints]

This season has been incredible. I'm looking forward to seeing what Danny can manage this offseason. Hopefully we can try and even strengthen the bench more.

[GuyClinch]

Yes props to Ainge.

He has long gotten credit for his ability to draft prospects. But he can do something else that's far more important (that I didn't think he had it in him). He can select good current NBA players that balance out a roster and complement it. Thus he can build a team. Isiah Thomas could select decent prospects bad had no handle on this more important aspect of GMing.

Pete

[BillessuR6]

Props to Danny! I always believed in his plan! He really executed it to perfection!

[bceltic55]

For all the Danny haters, this ones for you.

[DJToLarry]

Thanks Danny! Hardest worker in the NBA.

Anyone got any articles with quotes from Danny after the win? I have not seen any. Never saw him interviewed either.

[MaxwellSmart]

Ainge is a true Celtic, unlike Pitino or Chris (a-hole) Wallace...I can't wait to see what he can do now, from a position of power--and let's get him a Bigger Executive of the Year Trophy--that thing they gave him was embarrassing!!

[Fencer reregistered]

Danny isn't as happy right now as we'd wish for him.

A. He misses being a player.
B. He's really busy with the upcoming draft.

At least, that's what I suspect.

But I have to say, he's done a GREAT job. I can't think of anybody who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath except the other GMs whose teams have won recent championships, plus the guys in Utah. And I'd put him at least in the middle of that pack.

[PPAW4Life]

I think Ainge deserves tremendous amounts of credit for his ability to not only draft well but to adapt to conditions out of his control.

He made some mistakes in trades and FA and some minor ones in drafting but overall he was able to not stay too attached to his guys to be able to pull off some of the deals that HE HAD to make.

Trading away Jefferson was clearly hard on him but he did it anyways because it was best for the organization from a "right now" perspective.

Ainge also wasn't afraid to correct his own mistakes - trading away Walker/trading back for him; trading away Banks/drafting a better version of Banks (Rondo); trading for Raef/trading him away; trading for Wally/trading him away, etc.

For the amazing turnaround to have happened it took the "Perfect Storm" and you have to give Ainge credit for getting the entire organization ready and prepared for the event if it happened.

To say this happened in one year would be terribly inaccurate because it took a lot of losing, a ton of faith, and it took mistakes....you don't do something this incredible without experiencing the opposite end of the spectrum.

It really is a testament to the entire management staff of the C's organization to be able to stick with it and pull the trigger when it had to be done.

I love the fact that there were questions and "flaws" on the individual level for guys like:

Ainge - was his plan really going to work; was he really a good executive

Doc - never got out of the 1st round; was he as bad as a coach as 90% of the casual fans thought

PP - would he ever learn to be a true leader; had he matured as a player

KG - could he ever be selfish enough to take over games and carry a team; would his intensity tire him out in the end; could he win it all on the grandest of stages

Allen - would his ankles hold up; would he be able to play defense and make other plays instead of just score and shoot

young guys - would they be able to play solid and not be a glaring weakness to the team; would their inexperience hurt them in the playoffs

role players- would they be productive enough with 3 superstars on the same team getting the bulk of the minutes and touches

even the owners - would they be willing to spend the money to get solid vets and solidify the bench

Almost every aspect of the team had some questions or worries but they all answered the task and ultimately produced one of the greatest sports seasons in the history of all of sports.

[enzino]

Ainge's vision:
1) get additional worth from each single move (draft, trade, FA, valuable contract)
2) waite for the right time to play his cards
TY DA