Danny Ainge - one of the best GMs in Sports
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:40 pm
Danny Ainge's plan of success had Karl Malone convinced back in 03 that Ainge would really be successful. It was just to keep accumulating assets, keep making moves to improve the team, get more unique assets... and ultimately there will be an opportunity, where a team with young assets and cap space can really capitalize. And that opportunity is there every summer (like Iverson, Shaq). Just so happens that last summer, we really benefited. The perfect players.
To many, primarily non-Celtics fans, this idea about Ainge's plan/strategy/hard work sounds crazy. Those are the people who think Ainge just got lucky. That he was part of some old-boy's network with McHale, but nothing more. They don't realize that young unstoppable Al Jefferson was the best offer (along with cap space) for KG. That the Suns and Lakers did not offer any package nearly as good.
They aren't aware that Danny has consistently drafted so well with what he has had to work with that he is arguably one of the best drafters in the NBA since Red Auerbach...
The amazing collection of good players he's drafted, like Delonte West, Tony Allen (who played like Wade without a jump shot his rookie year that Baron Davis marveled at how good he was), Leon Powe and Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins at low draft picks. Not considering Gerald Green (who he took because the guy slipped) and Banks (his first draft, attitude problem), or the picks he traded/missed (to Portland and Seattle).
All the players he's drafted have drawn attention from teams at some point. They were all assets, all used to get something better.
Danny Ainge was apparently the only guy outside of the San Antonio Spurs organization that went after Rajon Rondo (the most underrated PG in the league) in the draft.
They don't understand that Ainge had to accumulate these assets, use them, keep making moves, keeping building towards something, trying things out... They didn't understand the problems the Celtics faced internally, whether it was with Ricky Davis or what not.
but this article puts it best
http://thelivefeed.net/index.php/2008/0 ... incarnate/
To many, primarily non-Celtics fans, this idea about Ainge's plan/strategy/hard work sounds crazy. Those are the people who think Ainge just got lucky. That he was part of some old-boy's network with McHale, but nothing more. They don't realize that young unstoppable Al Jefferson was the best offer (along with cap space) for KG. That the Suns and Lakers did not offer any package nearly as good.
They aren't aware that Danny has consistently drafted so well with what he has had to work with that he is arguably one of the best drafters in the NBA since Red Auerbach...
The amazing collection of good players he's drafted, like Delonte West, Tony Allen (who played like Wade without a jump shot his rookie year that Baron Davis marveled at how good he was), Leon Powe and Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins at low draft picks. Not considering Gerald Green (who he took because the guy slipped) and Banks (his first draft, attitude problem), or the picks he traded/missed (to Portland and Seattle).
All the players he's drafted have drawn attention from teams at some point. They were all assets, all used to get something better.
Danny Ainge was apparently the only guy outside of the San Antonio Spurs organization that went after Rajon Rondo (the most underrated PG in the league) in the draft.
They don't understand that Ainge had to accumulate these assets, use them, keep making moves, keeping building towards something, trying things out... They didn't understand the problems the Celtics faced internally, whether it was with Ricky Davis or what not.
but this article puts it best
http://thelivefeed.net/index.php/2008/0 ... incarnate/