Fire Ainge: Thanks Danny, but it's time to go

[OldCeltics]

the 2016 draft is a fireable offense
the 2019 draft is a fireable offense

combined with the decision to trade away a lottery pick in a loaded 2018 draft for a malcontent Kyrie rental and you see where we've landed. If not for idiot owners/G.M.s for the Nets and Sixers we'd be basement dwellers. Can you even imagine how bad we'd be had we not had those Nets picks? Or McHale gifting his buddy MVP candidate KG?

but hey, we made the ECF in a terrible Eastern Conference so...all is forgiven

100%

The image of Danny as a competent GM is false. He was gifted KG by McHale. He let free agent after free agent leave for nothing, Hayward, Horford, Irving. He loves guards, can never have enough guards, while ignoring biggest need which is big men. Bad signings.

Ainge doesn't know how to build a team.

Drafting the likes of Tatum, Brown, Smart, Williams, Langford proves your wrong. What are they, all under 25 ? Yet that team alone beats up half the teams in the league. LOL

Now what happens when they actually develop together ? Do the math.

He’s one of, if not the smartest GM’s in the business. Always has built a winner. Your just ticked his young team isn’t doing well in an injury riddled Covid year (still .500 and have played the most crunch time games in the nba, 22).

You’re the same guy who wanted Fultz over Tatum. The same guy who told us Jaylen Brown won’t be able to shoot because he shot so poorly as a frosh at Cal. Gary Washburn, is that you ?

Brown was always my favorite player on Celtics, always knew he could shoot

Literally anyone could have drafted high level players with two #3 picks. Most GMs could do that. Outside of that Ainge drafted so much garbage.

He let free agent go for nothing. He got horrible free agents this year, and in past years. He's not gotten one good big man. He just drafts and signs undersized guards.

Celtics are badly badly mismanaged. Ainge is not competent. I wouldn't trust him to run a lemonade stand.

[bbd24]

100%

The image of Danny as a competent GM is false. He was gifted KG by McHale. He let free agent after free agent leave for nothing, Hayward, Horford, Irving. He loves guards, can never have enough guards, while ignoring biggest need which is big men. Bad signings.

Ainge doesn't know how to build a team.

Drafting the likes of Tatum, Brown, Smart, Williams, Langford proves your wrong. What are they, all under 25 ? Yet that team alone beats up half the teams in the league. LOL

Now what happens when they actually develop together ? Do the math.

He’s one of, if not the smartest GM’s in the business. Always has built a winner. Your just ticked his young team isn’t doing well in an injury riddled Covid year (still .500 and have played the most crunch time games in the nba, 22).

You’re the same guy who wanted Fultz over Tatum. The same guy who told us Jaylen Brown won’t be able to shoot because he shot so poorly as a frosh at Cal. Gary Washburn, is that you ?

Brown was always my favorite player on Celtics, always knew he could shoot. You must be talking about someone else.

Literally anyone could have drafted high level players with two #3 picks and a #1 pick. Most GMs could do that. Outside of that he's drafted so much garbage.

He let free agent go for nothing. He got horrible free agents this year, and in past years. He's not gotten one good big man. He just drafts and signs undersized guards.

Celtics are badly badly mismanaged. Ainge is not competent. I wouldn't trust him to run a lemonade stand.

You’re so full of it. He’s been an incredible drafter, especially considering the average position he’s drafting at. Guys like Pritchard, Rob Williams, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Delonte West, and etc. prove it time and time again. Should I go on ? Oh, and when he’s actually had a legit top pick ? He struck gold EVERY single time. You don’t give Ainge a top 5 pick. He doesn’t blow it like most of the GM’s in this league. He drafts the like of Tatum and Brown, and gets an extra pick to boot !! Or trades for Ray Allen !!

Try again.

[scottyno]

100%

The image of Danny as a competent GM is false. He was gifted KG by McHale. He let free agent after free agent leave for nothing, Hayward, Horford, Irving. He loves guards, can never have enough guards, while ignoring biggest need which is big men. Bad signings.

Ainge doesn't know how to build a team.

Drafting the likes of Tatum, Brown, Smart, Williams, Langford proves your wrong. What are they, all under 25 ? Yet that team alone beats up half the teams in the league. LOL

Now what happens when they actually develop together ? Do the math.

He’s one of, if not the smartest GM’s in the business. Always has built a winner. Your just ticked his young team isn’t doing well in an injury riddled Covid year (still .500 and have played the most crunch time games in the nba, 22).

You’re the same guy who wanted Fultz over Tatum. The same guy who told us Jaylen Brown won’t be able to shoot because he shot so poorly as a frosh at Cal. Gary Washburn, is that you ?

Brown was always my favorite player on Celtics, always knew he could shoot

Literally anyone could have drafted high level players with two #3 picks. Most GMs could do that. Outside of that Ainge drafted so much garbage.

He let free agent go for nothing. He got horrible free agents this year, and in past years. He's not gotten one good big man. He just drafts and signs undersized guards.

Celtics are badly badly mismanaged. Ainge is not competent. I wouldn't trust him to run a lemonade stand.

The chalk picks for the cs those 2 years were taking Fultz instead of Tatum and taking any of Bender Dunn and Hield instead of Brown, so apparently anyone can't just have #3 picks and get stars

[OldCeltics]

Drafting the likes of Tatum, Brown, Smart, Williams, Langford proves your wrong. What are they, all under 25 ? Yet that team alone beats up half the teams in the league. LOL

Now what happens when they actually develop together ? Do the math.

He’s one of, if not the smartest GM’s in the business. Always has built a winner. Your just ticked his young team isn’t doing well in an injury riddled Covid year (still .500 and have played the most crunch time games in the nba, 22).

You’re the same guy who wanted Fultz over Tatum. The same guy who told us Jaylen Brown won’t be able to shoot because he shot so poorly as a frosh at Cal. Gary Washburn, is that you ?

Brown was always my favorite player on Celtics, always knew he could shoot. You must be talking about someone else.

Literally anyone could have drafted high level players with two #3 picks and a #1 pick. Most GMs could do that. Outside of that he's drafted so much garbage.

He let free agent go for nothing. He got horrible free agents this year, and in past years. He's not gotten one good big man. He just drafts and signs undersized guards.

Celtics are badly badly mismanaged. Ainge is not competent. I wouldn't trust him to run a lemonade stand.

You’re so full of it. He’s been an incredible drafter, especially considering the average position he’s drafting at. Guys like Pritchard, Rob Williams, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Delonte West, and etc. prove it time and time again. Should I go on ? Oh, and when he’s actually had a legit top pick ? He struck gold EVERY single time. You don’t give Ainge a top 5 pick. He doesn’t blow it like most of the GM’s in this league. He drafts the like of Tatum and Brown, and gets an extra pick to boot !! Or trades for Ray Allen !!

Try again.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/3/2/22308624/danny-ainge-boston-celtics

The more you read the more you develop your brain.

Any GM given #3 pick and #1 pick could pick an all-star or 2. In reality Ainge has missed more picks than he has nailed. You just listed 6 guys including Pritchard, Al, Perk. Over 13 years they've had 40 picks. So that is 6/40? Also 90% of his drafts, or free agent signings were undersized guards. Ainge was a guard himself, so its an ego thing.

The more you know.

[ParticleMan]

Ainge is widely regarded as a significantly above average drafter. This comes from an analysis of re-drafts, where Ainge's picks generally end up moving up in re-drafts done 3-5 years later. It's not so easy to pick all-stars even in the top 3 -- how'd Markelle Fultz work out? And especially not when it's widely considered a 2-man draft with a strong drop-off afterwards like JB's draft. Quoting numbers without comparing to how other GMs do is meaningless -- no team's GM hits on 100% of their picks. No single GM consistently always ends up with the best player at every slot in every draft. Holding Ainge to that standard is utterly ridiculous and unrealistic. Ainge hasn't been ideal, and I would definitely not claim he's the best drafter, but he's clearly top-10 and arguably top-5.

[BK_2020]

I wouldn't mind Ainge leaving to make room for Masai Ujiri but what is this about Ainge always picking guards? In the last ten years, the only 6'3 and under guys he drafted in the First Round are Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Payton Pritchard. His draft picks have focused on wings (Nesmith, Langford, Tatum, Jaylen, Young, Hunter) and bigs (Yabu, Timelord, Fab, Zizic, Sullinger, Olynik, Grant).

[bbd24]

Brown was always my favorite player on Celtics, always knew he could shoot. You must be talking about someone else.

Literally anyone could have drafted high level players with two #3 picks and a #1 pick. Most GMs could do that. Outside of that he's drafted so much garbage.

He let free agent go for nothing. He got horrible free agents this year, and in past years. He's not gotten one good big man. He just drafts and signs undersized guards.

Celtics are badly badly mismanaged. Ainge is not competent. I wouldn't trust him to run a lemonade stand.

You’re so full of it. He’s been an incredible drafter, especially considering the average position he’s drafting at. Guys like Pritchard, Rob Williams, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Delonte West, and etc. prove it time and time again. Should I go on ? Oh, and when he’s actually had a legit top pick ? He struck gold EVERY single time. You don’t give Ainge a top 5 pick. He doesn’t blow it like most of the GM’s in this league. He drafts the like of Tatum and Brown, and gets an extra pick to boot !! Or trades for Ray Allen !!

Try again.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/3/2/22308624/danny-ainge-boston-celtics

The more you read the more you develop your brain.

Any GM given #3 pick and #1 pick could pick an all-star or 2. In reality Ainge has missed more picks than he has nailed. You just listed 6 guys including Pritchard, Al, Perk. Over 13 years they've had 40 picks. So that is 6/40? Also 90% of his drafts, or free agent signings were undersized guards. Ainge was a guard himself, so its an ego thing.

The more you know.

Ego thing ? Or does he draft best available ? 6/40 gets you fired in any sport, btw.

Do you think someone would last 18 years as a GM by doing poorly ? In today’s sports world ?

The more you know.

[bbd24]

I wouldn't mind Ainge leaving to make room for Masai Ujiri but what is this about Ainge always picking guards? In the last ten years, the only 6'3 and under guys he drafted in the First Round are Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Payton Pritchard. His draft picks have focused on wings (Nesmith, Langford, Tatum, Jaylen, Young, Hunter) and bigs (Yabu, Timelord, Fab, Zizic, Sullinger, Olynik, Grant).

I think it’s more of a result based on your average draft position. You’re not picking in the top 10 a lot during Ainge’s 18 year tenure. The main reason is he builds championship type teams, so you’re always in the 20’s. Since good nba big men are so scarce, that leaves guards and small forwards as the best available when it’s your turn to pick.

[DarkAzcura]

My greatest nitpick is people overanalyzing the draft. Not drafting super well is almost never a fireable offense unless you consistently miss on top 5 picks. The draft is a complete and utter crapshoot after pick 10. The data backs that up, and if anyone is interested, I can always re-post some articles about that.

Things like cap management, missed trade opportunities, not assessing whether a player is staying or not..those are real, tangible things to talk about wrt Ainge or any GM.

[bbd24]

Why get rid of Ainge when he’s just started the rebuild ? Especially in a COVID riddled year. Doesn’t make sense.

Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rob Williams, & Payton Pritchard haven’t even reached puberty yet. Those youngsters beat 3/4’s the teams in this league already. What happens when they actually develop their games & get nba comfortable?

He’s got a vet in Kemba, and found a solid piece out of nowhere in Daniel Theis. Now, he’s got room to add yet another piece to the rotation.

You don’t fire a guy with his track record, and especially when he’s put you in a contender spot in the East with your current situation. What’s the rush ? The team is real young. See it through.

[crimsonandblue]

Why get rid of Ainge when he’s just started the rebuild ? Especially in a COVID riddled year. Doesn’t make sense.

Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rob Williams, & Payton Pritchard haven’t even reached puberty yet. Those youngsters beat 3/4’s the teams in this league already. What happens when they actually develop their games & get nba comfortable?

He’s got a vet in Kemba, and found a solid piece out of nowhere in Daniel Theis. Now, he’s got room to add yet another piece to the rotation.

You don’t fire a guy with his track record, and especially when he’s put you in a contender spot in the East with your current situation. What’s the rush ? The team is real young. See it through.

See it through? I watched this team go from the consensus second best team with the brightest future 2016-2018 to an underwhelming, underachieving roster with no path to winning a championship with the current roster.

[BK_2020]

Boston was never the consensus second best team in 2016-2018.

[crimsonandblue]

Boston was never the consensus second best team in 2016-2018.

Meant the consensus team with the second brightest future behind GSW, friendo

[scottyno]

Why get rid of Ainge when he’s just started the rebuild ? Especially in a COVID riddled year. Doesn’t make sense.

Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rob Williams, & Payton Pritchard haven’t even reached puberty yet. Those youngsters beat 3/4’s the teams in this league already. What happens when they actually develop their games & get nba comfortable?

He’s got a vet in Kemba, and found a solid piece out of nowhere in Daniel Theis. Now, he’s got room to add yet another piece to the rotation.

You don’t fire a guy with his track record, and especially when he’s put you in a contender spot in the East with your current situation. What’s the rush ? The team is real young. See it through.

See it through? I watched this team go from the consensus second best team with the brightest future 2016-2018 to an underwhelming, underachieving roster with no path to winning a championship with the current roster.

They have 2 of the best young wings in the NBA locked in long term who haven't even hit their prime yet, they still have one of the brightest futures in the nba. They're also one of if not the youngest roster in the league.

[flintsky21]

How bad of a GM can you be to have at 3 or 4 D-League caliber players in the rotation playing 15-18 minutes per game and not find a way to upgrade even at least one of them?

[LewisnotMiller]

Literally anyone could have drafted high level players with two #3 picks. Most GMs could do that. Outside of that Ainge drafted so much garbage.

Are you suggesting trading Fultz down to Tatum and getting an extra pick was the simple, consensus move, and anyone would have done it?

Do you think Brown was the consensus #3 in his draft?

Neither of those things appear true to me.

[BigTrade92]

Ainge needs to go because he’s been here 18 years and has morphed into a content has-been.

Trying to use what he did well over a decade ago as proof of his “greatness” is completely irrelevant in 2021.

Instead name me all of his success since the Irving disaster? You can’t, because he hasn’t done jack sh*t since then....

To keep this past-his-prime GM at the helm for his 19th, 20th season and beyond is just giving this team a slow death.

It’s time for new blood at the top in Boston. To continue this status quo with Ainge is just more of the same and that clearly isn’t getting us anywhere.

[KGtabake]

I don't blame him at all for the Kemba signing.
I was very happy with this acquisition.
I would have done the same if i were him.

I do blame him for the TT signing. I was against it since day 1. I would prefer to keep kanter 10/10 times. Same type of player but better and cheaper.

Teague is done. Never had been special either way. Easily replaceable.

Forget this season. The off-season will be crucial. We have the Js and Smart. Everybody else should not be untouchable. Even the youngsters if they don't suit our plan going forward.
Big decisions need to be taken. No sentiments.

[Fencer reregistered]

Ainge needs to go because he’s been here 18 years and has morphed into a content has-been.

Trying to use what he did well over a decade ago as proof of his “greatness” is completely irrelevant in 2021.

Instead name me all of his success since the Irving disaster? You can’t, because he hasn’t done jack sh*t since then....

To keep this past-his-prime GM at the helm for his 19th, 20th season and beyond is just giving this team a slow death.

It’s time for new blood at the top in Boston. To continue this status quo with Ainge is just more of the same and that clearly isn’t getting us anywhere.

Drafted Time Lord.
Signed Theis.
Drafted Pritchard.
Won the second largest number of playoff series of any team in the league.

Or something like that.

[darrendaye]

I don't blame him at all for the Kemba signing.
I was very happy with this acquisition.
I would have done the same if i were him.

I do blame him for the TT signing. I was against it since day 1. I would prefer to keep kanter 10/10 times. Same type of player but better and cheaper.

Teague is done. Never had been special either way. Easily replaceable.

Forget this season. The off-season will be crucial. We have the Js and Smart. Everybody else should not be untouchable. Even the youngsters if they don't suit our plan going forward.
Big decisions need to be taken. No sentiments.

(Preface this by stating I'm not calling for him to be fired.)

I DO blame him for the Kemba signing. This isn't Monday morning quarterbacking. Disliked the signing at the time. They were coming off a season where there was locker-room griping about roles in the offense and they acquire another high touch player hoping his leadership characteristics and friendly nature would be enough to quell the tension? It will be hard to convince me that this wasn't the final straw that ultimately led to Hayward leaving. Also, Kemba was thought by talking heads to be a guy who could give you 90% of what Irving did at a lesser cost. Turned out it was a higher cost.

What they are trying to do now is what I wanted them to do instead. Use the unexpected cap space to sign a very good role player to surround with Hayward, Tatum, and Brown. Also factoring in how much easier it is to find smaller guards later in the draft, if you are so determined to have them on your roster.

Agreed that key decisions need to be made by next off-season. But I'm more focused on holding him accountable to moving parts to position themselves to have a shot at drafting another star level player in the next 2-3 years. Doesn't have to be top 5 picks, but, in or near lottery level even for the small chance at the surprise star in that range (Adebayo, Mitchell). While leaving open the flexibility to be in position to sign a free agent in the 2022 class.