Danny 'WaRChEsT' Ainge was playing Chess while much of RealGM was playing Checkers.

[robbie84]

Looks like the War chest turned out pretty good.

2014: Drafts Marcus Smart with #6 pick.
2016:Drafts Jaylen Brown with #3 pick.
2017:Drafts Jayson Tatum with #3 pick after trading down and finessing the 76ers and Lakers who took Fultz/Ball. GG.
2018:Drafts Robert Williams with #27 pick.
2019: Draft Grant Williams with #22 pick.
2020: Drafts Payton Pritchard with #26 pick.

*Re-signs Marcus Smart for 4 year $78 million contract. Majority of RealGM screamed this was stupid. (This actually completed under Brad Stevens as Ainge stepped down as GM before deal was done).
-Smart makes multiple All Defensive teams and becomes DPOY.

*Re-signs Jaylen Brown 4 year $107 million extension. Again, majority of RealGM screamed this was stupid.
-Brown makes 2020 All Star team.
-Averages 23.5 points, 6 rebounds,3.5 assists on 47%fg and 36% 3ptfg %.

*Re-signs Tatum for $163 million Max extension for 5 years ($32 million a year). No arguments here from RealGM.
*All Star, All NBA first team.

*Re-signs Robert Williams for 4 year, $48 million contract ($12 million per year) Copped plenty of crap for this too. -also completed by Brad Stevens.
-All NBA defense 2nd team, leader in NBA FG% and 3rd in blocked shots. (0.1 blocks away from taking title from Gobert).

So of this Celtics finals team, he drafted:
Smart (DPOY, multiple All defensive teams)
Brown (All Star, 2nd option on Finals team/contender)
Tatum (All Star, multiple All NBA teams including First team.)
Rob Williams (All NBA defensive 2nd team)
Grant Williams (22nd pick, huge bench contributor)
Pritchard (26th pick, huge bench contributor)

He signed Brad Stevens as coach.
He also originally signed Horford and Theis too, after letting them walk for salary cap reasons.

They haven't won a championship, but they've made the Eastern Conference finals 4 times and the Finals once now- while all these guys except for Smart, are 25 or under. The beauty is because he kept these guys, the core is super young. Tatum-24, Brown-25, Rob Williams-24 and Smart-28, Grant Williams-23.

Anyway, the title is just a cheeky jab to those that said Ainge wasted or mocked the WaRCheST and squandered a golden opportunity. The amount of hot takes about him being a terrible drafter are hilarious. Look at those picks above! I just want Ainge to get the respect he deserves for the one who literally built this team from the ground up. The guy literally gave his heart and soul (had health scares and heart attacks during his time as GM). When he gave Jaylen Brown a max extension, RealGM collectively said it was a bad contract. They really did.

If they do manage to beat the Warriors, it's an amazing feat to draft all those guys and create a championship team in today's NBA- similarly to the Warriors on a lesser scale.
Thankyou, Danny Ainge.

[GeorgeMarcus]

His draft history overall is pretty "meh" but his dedication toward the existing core seems to be paying off. Credit to Stevens for bringing back Horford, hiring Udoka, trading for White, etc. It's those kind of roster-complementing moves that elevate teams from pretender to contender

[GSP]

Watch on YouTube

our players, coaches, Fo........get more irrational hate than any other fanbase here bar none

[Feed Your Head]

Personally, I prefer the bumping of the old threads, better sense of vindication.

[KodiakBear]

Yeah he deserves a ring if boston wins it

[Dr Aki]

OP just setting himself up for some humble pie in a week

[KodiakBear]

Lebron beat Ainge a few times. Go Lebron!

[hugepatsfan]

I always felt the whole "war chest" thing was over exaggerated. They had a lot of picks. They didn't have a lot of good picks. The idea that he failed by not turning a bunch of post-lottery picks into stars is silly because that's not how trades work. The only picks that were ever going to be a factor in star player trades were the Smart/Tatum/Brown picks. And considering timeline and all of that, I think he's long been vindicated that players like Paul George or Jimmy Butler weren't the ones to go for.

My criticisms of Ainge was that he never valued role players enough. That's where he held onto his "war chest" too long on. Most of their picks were in the 20s and even the best drafting teams don't hit at a high rate there over the long haul. This isn't the NFL where there's good value late. Most players taken out of the lottery, heck even in the late lottery, just don't hack it in the NBA. He was always so reluctant to ever trade those low value picks to add role players to good teams and I never got that.

My other criticism is that those back to back #14 picks he got were wasted with Langford/Nesmith. Again, those are too late to trade for stars. But you really gotta hit at least one of them. BUT, to be fair, he managed to hit two homerun picks in the 20s with Rob and Grant Williams though and that really covered for the misses there. But totally whiffing on those picks was a tough miss.

I think the Kyrie move was one he had to go for. Didn't work, but I don't fault him. Hard to place any blame on the Hayward flop signing just due to the injury. I know Kemba flamed out, but he was actually phenomenal for them until he hurt his knee halfway through that first year. I don't blame Ainge for that signing either. I don't hold those against him really.

[Edug27]

Let’s not forget that both Tatum and Brown were drafted using the Nets picks.

[Godaddycurse]

I would thank Stevens for hiring Udoka and for getting rid of Kemba/bringing back Horford. That core you listed was .500 last year

[Buckeye-NBAFan]

In hindsight, Ainge made a huge mistake dumping Horford for Walker. Luckily, Stevens fixed Ainge's mistake, or Boston wouldn't be in the finals right now.

[Johnny Bball]

They wouldn't be in the final if Ainge was still GM and they wouldn't have got off his mistakes in walker and Fournier as quick. and they might have got here sooner if they got rid of him sooner.

[TheLand13]

Thanks Brooklyn.

[scottyno]

In hindsight, Ainge made a huge mistake dumping Horford for Walker. Luckily, Stevens fixed Ainge's mistake, or Boston wouldn't be in the finals right now.

Except he didn't do that. Horford wanted to leave and the sixers gave him a ridiculous offer that no one saw coming. The only team that dumped Horford was the Sixers a year later.

[robbie84]

OP just setting himself up for some humble pie in a week

I stated we hadn't won anything yet. Only people needing humble pie are the Ainge mockers. I haven't said anything except Ainge deserves credit/respect for his good work instead of RealGM sh$%*ng on him forever.

[dockingsched]

Best move was getting rid of Thomas to avoid having to pay him a long term deal when it was obvious it would cripple the franchise even if everyone thought he “deserved” it. Kyrie didn’t work out but all that matters is he avoided catastrophe if he would’ve signed IT. Less steadfast GMs would’ve given in to the pressure and given IT the huge deal.

[robbie84]

They wouldn't be in the final if Ainge was still GM and they wouldn't have got off his mistakes in walker and Fournier as quick. and they might have got here sooner if they got rid of him sooner.

Walker was an ironman before he joined the C's, as you've been reminded of before. Fournier was a punt to see if he'd help get us over the hump. What were thr long term repercussions of trading a 2nd rounder for an expiring Fournier?
Hell they almost made the finals with an injured Kemba and injured Hayward.
Ainges luck with injuries was simply awful.

[Dr Aki]

OP just setting himself up for some humble pie in a week

I stated we hadn't won anything yet. Only people needing humble pie are the Ainge mockers. I haven't said anything except Ainge deserves credit/respect for his good work instead of RealGM sh$%*ng on him forever.

Yep better take your victory lap now before you can't anymore

[celticfan42487]

Eh, Ainge was always great.

He got one ring, and he would have had at least another if he didn't constantly have previously injury free all-stars either fall to injury in their primes: IT, Kemba, Hayward. Or mental issues in Irving (at least he was always injury prone so that wasn't new).

What other team has had 4 20 something all-stars without injury issues fall off the cliff due to injuries in about 6 years?

Injuries is what stopped Ainge from a second ring. Hell one might even argue KG's injury in 2009 did the same thing but at least he was in his 30s so those things happen and are within the realm of normal probability events.

[HoopsterJones]

Wild concept to me to gloat about someone else’s accomplishments to tell off a bunch on strangers on the internet about it.

But have at it. Celtics are having a great season.