Danny Ainge is an incredible GM

[sam_I_am]

Ainge deserves criticism for bad picks, lost opportunities, failed trades, failure to win more titles with Big 3 etc.

However, his ability to fix a horrific salary cap situation when he first arrived and turn that into the Big 3 in a mere 5 years was astonishing. When Big 3 collapsed and Doc bailed on us, he responded with Brad Stevens and Nets trade. He then stole IT and Boston became a free agent destination for first time ever. Tatum trade was a coup. He then had a team with 3 stars, 3 young lottery talents, and more lottery picks in the pipeline. Despite bad luck with Hayward and Kyrie injuries team comes within a game of finals.

Then this past season the team imploded and our stars started jumping ship 1 week before draft.

If he turns that shocking downturn around by signing Kemba Walker.....wow.....just wow. Say what you want about individual draft picks and complain about the results. But this guy is always positioned for a home run. Antoine Walker was right. He is a dangerous snake....always ready to strike and it looks like he is doing it again.

Will it lead to the pinnacle of success we all crave - banner 18? Who knows and that is how we must ultimately judge him. However to have a GM that positions the organization to overcome blindsiding adversity with such dexterity is truly special. With all the vultures on ESPN like Stephen Smith and Jay Williams lining up to kick Ainge when he’s down it’s going to be awesome come July 1 when Ainge’s plan becomes fully apparent to see them eat crow.

[SuperDeluxe]

Yes, all that is true but... Fire Ainge!

[The Corey's]

Let's give him to the end of the week before we get crazy people.

Also, fire ainge.

[Bleeding Green]

He's all I want in a GM. Always building the roster so that when opportunity arises he can take advantage. He acquired Tyler Zeller and a first round pick (for nothing) because the Cavs needed to clear a couple mil for LeBron. And then used that first round pick to get IT. Turned nothing into IT, then turned that into Kyrie. Kyrie didn't work out, but hey, you gave up almost nothing for him. Signed Horford and Hayward, nothing has come of that because of freak injury. If Hayward doesn't ruin his ankle 5 minutes into his contract, this team is so different right now.

He turned Avery Bradley into Marcus Morris. Saved money, AB instantly turned into one of the worst players in the NBA, and while I loathe everything about Morris, he's certainly better than AB.

Quibble with some draft picks (go look around the NBA, every team drafts like **** over a 15+ year span), but you can't quibble with the way he builds a roster to be flexible or almost any of his trades (what's the last trade he definitively lost?)

The last 3-4 years we've gone into each offseason with a possibility of either reboot or retool or go for it and he's been able to ride the line and sort of do all three and he's acquired future draft capital every year. Maybe some would prefer he go more 'ALL-IN', but I'd rather have a competitive team for 10-15 years with 1 championship in there, than go all in like the Rockets and come up just shy 3 years in a row and have a long drought ahead. Or go look at the Raptors, they wen't all-in on Kawhi and were obviously rewarded, but what if he just leaves? They're ****. The margins are razor-thin when you go all-in and construct a team with a potential 1-year window like that. Sometimes it pays off, usually it doesn't. Maybe Kawhi stays, but that's a big risk. Maybe he never recovers from injury. Toronto took a chance and it worked. Celtics take that chance and Kawhi probably breaks his leg in the preseason. Celtics don't have the luxury of just sucking ass like the Lakers, but it not mattering because, "lmao we're the lakers and every good young player wants to live in LA."

That said, fire the bum, he missed out on Giannis, Dragan Bender, and Sekou Doumbouya.

[OldCeltics]

We highly overrate Ainge. Average drafter, was gifted KG by McHale. Other than that he's gathered and hoarded asses, till he lost a bunch of them.

However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

[sam_I_am]

We highly over rate Ainge. However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

I think we underrate him because we once had a GM go 40 years - 1951 to 1990 - where the team never went more than 5 years without winning a title! Probably would have been 50 years were it not for death of Len Bias.

Nobody can ever live up to Auerbach’s legacy. Bill Belechek would have to keep Pats run going another 20 years to even come close.

[hickfromfrenchlick]

Ainge deserves criticism for bad picks, lost opportunities, failed trades, failure to win more titles with Big 3 etc.

However, his ability to fix a horrific salary cap situation when he first arrived and turn that into the Big 3 in a mere 5 years was astonishing. When Big 3 collapsed and Doc bailed on us, he responded with Brad Stevens and Nets trade. He then stole IT and Boston became a free agent destination for first time ever. Tatum trade was a coup. He then had a team with 3 stars, 3 young lottery talents, and more lottery picks in the pipeline. Despite bad luck with Hayward and Kyrie injuries team comes within a game of finals.

Then this past season the team imploded and our stars started jumping ship 1 week before draft.

If he turns that shocking downturn around by signing Kemba Walker.....wow.....just wow. Say what you want about individual draft picks and complain about the results. But this guy is always positioned for a home run. Antoine Walker was right. He is a dangerous snake....always ready to strike and it looks like he is doing it again.

Will it lead to the pinnacle of success we all crave - banner 18? Who knows and that is how we must ultimately judge him. However to have a GM that positions the organization to overcome blindsiding adversity with such dexterity is truly special. With all the vultures on ESPN like Stephen Smith and Jay Williams lining up to kick Ainge when he’s down it’s going to be awesome come July 1 when Ainge’s plan becomes fully apparent to see them eat crow.

Watch on YouTube

[timpiker]

Trust in Danny

[ParticleMan]

Ainge. The worst GM, except for all the other ones.

(apologies to winston)

[brackdan70]

I came here to say fire Ainge but some of you have a similar sense of humor.

Dude is a solid GM though but I worry about his health. Hopefully with Kyrie gone the blood pressure goes down a bit, and no more heart attacks.

[SLCceltic]

We highly overrate Ainge. Average drafter, was gifted KG by McHale. Other than that he's gathered and hoarded asses, till he lost a bunch of them.

However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

Which assets did Ainge lose ??

[sam_I_am]

We highly overrate Ainge. Average drafter, was gifted KG by McHale. Other than that he's gathered and hoarded asses, till he lost a bunch of them.

However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

Gifted by McHale .... even though Al Jefferson alone was worth more than entire package NO got for a much younger in his prime Anthony Davis.

[Dannyboy36]

We highly overrate Ainge. Average drafter, was gifted KG by McHale. Other than that he's gathered and hoarded asses, till he lost a bunch of them.

However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

Everyone keeps saying this but it was the best trade package available back for Minnesota. At the time, Al Jefferson looked like something much more.

[MyBoyBlu]

I mean this team is losing Kyrie/Al/Morris/Baynes/Rozier and gaining Kemba and a 4.7 MLE player. In no way shape or form is this team better than last year nor a contender this year and very likely next year.

[Kalela]

I hope you are right. So far this off season it is not looking good. If he manages to sign/trade for a starting level big to replace Horford then I will praise him like you lot.

[captain green]

I think he is incredible, I hate some of his tendencies. But no one else maybe epestien I'd rather have, Jerry west is damn good to and Riley but to close to the lakers for me to not eventually bitch about it. I do think he goes to the end of Stevens contact and considers stepping down though.

[chakdaddy]

We highly overrate Ainge. Average drafter, was gifted KG by McHale. Other than that he's gathered and hoarded asses, till he lost a bunch of them.

However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

Gifted by McHale .... even though Al Jefferson alone was worth more than entire package NO got for a much younger in his prime Anthony Davis.

This

[chakdaddy]

We highly overrate Ainge. Average drafter, was gifted KG by McHale. Other than that he's gathered and hoarded asses, till he lost a bunch of them.

However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

Everyone keeps saying this but it was the best trade package available back for Minnesota. At the time, Al Jefferson looked like something much more.

Meanwhile Gasol for Gasol turned out better for Memphis but was patent collusion at the time. (Couldn't even send Cardinal's contract? Crittenton over Farmar? Marc was a couple months removed from being a late 2nd round pick. They literally took the Lakers 3 most expendable assets without getting salary relief.)

[return2glory]

I mean this team is losing Kyrie/Al/Morris/Baynes/Rozier and gaining Kemba and a 4.7 MLE player. In no way shape or form is this team better than last year nor a contender this year and very likely next year.

Kemba isn’t official. So let’s not go and jinx that.

Also if Kemba comes to play for Boston, it won’t be the last acquisition before the season starts. Let’s wait and see what happens.

My feeling is this team for 2019-2020 will be better than last years team.

[OFWGKTA]

We highly over rate Ainge. However, I'd prefer him over anyone else.

I think we underrate him because we once had a GM go 40 years - 1951 to 1990 - where the team never went more than 5 years without winning a title! Probably would have been 50 years were it not for death of Len Bias.

Nobody can ever live up to Auerbach’s legacy. Bill Belechek would have to keep Pats run going another 20 years to even come close.

Ehh I think the what Belichick has done in the salary cap era of the NFL puts him ahead.