What If Danny Really Was the Best GM in the World?

[GreenlyGreeny]

Here’s the series of events following the Nets trade that would have occurred if Danny really was the best GM in the world:

2013 13th overall: Giannis Antetokounmpo instead of Kelly Olynyk

2014 6th overall: Marcus Smart
2014 17th overall: Nikola Jokic instead of James Young

2015 12th overall: Packaged all of our picks this year to move up from 16th to take Devin Booker

2016 3rd overall: Jaylen Brown (rollover remaining picks into 2018 or 2019, or move up to get Sabonis at 10th)

2017 3rd overall: Jayson Tatum

2018 2nd overall: Move Booker, the Cleveland pick at 8th (never would have traded for Kyrie), our first, our 2020 Memphis pick, and whatever picks we had accumulated (or made and not listed) in order to draft Luka Doncic at two

2019: No picks due to the Doncic mega trade, which would have been disparaged by many on here (with Kings fans claiming they fleeced Danny) until they actually saw Doncic ball

2020 30th overall: Payton Pritchard (or move up to get him at 26)

Our roster, assuming Horford and/or Hayward remained as our marquee free agents, but they stuck around so they can keep winning titles:

Doncic/Pritchard
Brown/Smart
Tatum/Hayward
Antetokounmpo/Hayward
Jokic/Horford

Titles in 2019, 2020 and many more to come this decade. Maybe titles in 2017 and 2018 although it would have been tough to beat GSW, so we may have been runner-ups (who stopped LeBron in ECF) until dethroning them in 2019.

Oh, what could have been...

[Donoghus]

The benefit of hindsight is a beautiful thing.

[nickagneta]

A similar type post could be made for every GM in the league. Thing is, Danny gets way more right than wrong and that is why he is one of the best and longest tenured GMs in the NBA.

[GreenlyGreeny]

The benefit of hindsight is a beautiful thing.

From what I recall, there were plenty of people on here who wanted Giannis instead of Kelly. A couple who talked up Jokic before anybody heard of him. Some who advocated for trading up to get Booker. And many, many who advocated for trying to move up to try to get Doncic.

There’s a reason why Rondo has twice as many titles as GM Ainge (the word grossly overrated comes to mind).

[GreenlyGreeny]

A similar type post could be made for every GM in the league. Thing is, Danny gets way more right than wrong and that is why he is one of the best and longest tenured GMs in the NBA.

He’s the longest tenured GM without a title in almost 13 years now...how many more years must we accept not being champions?

[Donoghus]

The benefit of hindsight is a beautiful thing.

From what I recall, there were plenty of people on here who wanted Giannis instead of Kelly. A couple who talked up Jokic before anybody heard of him. Some who advocated for trading up to get Booker. And many, many who advocated for trying to move up to try to get Doncic.

There’s a reason why Rondo has twice as many titles as GM Ainge (the word grossly overrated comes to mind).

There's also a reason why Ainge is still employed as the GM of the Celtics while the rest of us are fanboys & girls getting to scream & yell on an internet messageboard.

[GreenlyGreeny]

The benefit of hindsight is a beautiful thing.

From what I recall, there were plenty of people on here who wanted Giannis instead of Kelly. A couple who talked up Jokic before anybody heard of him. Some who advocated for trading up to get Booker. And many, many who advocated for trying to move up to try to get Doncic.

There’s a reason why Rondo has twice as many titles as GM Ainge (the word grossly overrated comes to mind).

There's also a reason why Ainge is still employed as the GM of the Celtics while the rest of us are fanboys & girls getting to scream & yell on an internet messageboard.

The latter is partly, if not primarily, responsible for the former still being the case. That’s the whole point here...

If he had not drafted Pritchard, I’d be calling for him to be forced into retirement or fired. I’m willing to give it this year and maybe next. If we don’t hoist the title in 2021 or 2022, though, he’s gotta retire and we gotta move on...

[Ogaju]

The benefit of hindsight is a beautiful thing.

From what I recall, there were plenty of people on here who wanted Giannis instead of Kelly. A couple who talked up Jokic before anybody heard of him. Some who advocated for trading up to get Booker. And many, many who advocated for trying to move up to try to get Doncic.

There’s a reason why Rondo has twice as many titles as GM Ainge (the word grossly overrated comes to mind).

your hypothetical is unreasonable, but as to the Giannis deal he really screwed the pooch on that one. He actually flew to Europe to personally scout the freak. The video was posted of the freak and the usual suspects here that profess to know more than everyone else said Giannis was doing all of that against inferior competition.

[footey]

While the premise is ridiculous, I do think it is fair question Ainge's decision to build a smaller team. It works against other smaller teams like the Raptors, but we really struggle vs longer lineups, even against bottom feeders like the Pistons. Scal was pointing this out in last night's broadcast.

[Roy H.]

Cool.  Now do Red Auerbach.

[Moranis]

Ainge is a very good GM, but he has struggled to pick a path since he made the KG/PP trade with the Nets.  He hasn't quite figured out what he wants to do.  Does he want to go all in on a youth movement, or does he want to try to win now.  He has tried to do both and that has really hampered both paths.  The Irving trade is a perfect example of this.  Trading for Irving wasn't the problem, it was trading for Irving and then not following up to add to Irving.  Like not taking the chance on Leonard is a perfect example of this.  Once he traded for Irving, he needed to follow it up and make the championship winning move.  I liken this to the Ray Allen trade.  Acquiring Irving was like acquiring Ray Allen.  That trade was a fine trade, but had he not then pulled the trigger on Garnett, Boston never would have won the title and would have essentially wasted a high draft pick to get the team somewhat close, but not close enough.  That is what he did when he acquired Irving and that is what has led to this being a nice fun team, but not one that is going to win the title as currently constructed.  I absolutely believe Boston would have at least made the Finals if not won the title had he acquired Leonard for essentially Brown.  Conversely, I absolutely believe Boston would be more likely to win a title right now had he not made the Irving trade at all because it would have had that additional top 10 pick and frankly may still have other valuable players on the team.  This indecision to fully commit has been the biggest issue I've had with Ainge the last 7 or 8 years.

[Tr1boy]

Here’s the series of events following the Nets trade that would have occurred if Danny really was the best GM in the world:

2013 13th overall: Giannis Antetokounmpo instead of Kelly Olynyk

2014 6th overall: Marcus Smart
2014 17th overall: Nikola Jokic instead of James Young

2015 12th overall: Packaged all of our picks this year to move up from 16th to take Devin Booker

2016 3rd overall: Jaylen Brown (rollover remaining picks into 2018 or 2019, or move up to get Sabonis at 10th)

2017 3rd overall: Jayson Tatum

2018 2nd overall: Move Booker, the Cleveland pick at 8th (never would have traded for Kyrie), our first, our 2020 Memphis pick, and whatever picks we had accumulated (or made and not listed) in order to draft Luka Doncic at two

2019: No picks due to the Doncic mega trade, which would have been disparaged by many on here (with Kings fans claiming they fleeced Danny) until they actually saw Doncic ball

2020 30th overall: Payton Pritchard (or move up to get him at 26)

Our roster, assuming Horford and/or Hayward remained as our marquee free agents, but they stuck around so they can keep winning titles:

Doncic/Pritchard
Brown/Smart
Tatum/Hayward
Antetokounmpo/Hayward
Jokic/Horford

Titles in 2019, 2020 and many more to come this decade. Maybe titles in 2017 and 2018 although it would have been tough to beat GSW, so we may have been runner-ups (who stopped LeBron in ECF) until dethroning them in 2019.

Oh, what could have been...

How would Danny be able to fit them all under the cap??

[Donoghus]

There's so much butterfly effect that's not being taken into account here.

[Roy H.]

Ainge is a very good GM, but he has struggled to pick a path since he made the KG/PP trade with the Nets.  He hasn't quite figured out what he wants to do.  Does he want to go all in on a youth movement, or does he want to try to win now.  He has tried to do both and that has really hampered both paths.  The Irving trade is a perfect example of this.  Trading for Irving wasn't the problem, it was trading for Irving and then not following up to add to Irving.  Like not taking the chance on Leonard is a perfect example of this.  Once he traded for Irving, he needed to follow it up and make the championship winning move.  I liken this to the Ray Allen trade.  Acquiring Irving was like acquiring Ray Allen.  That trade was a fine trade, but had he not then pulled the trigger on Garnett, Boston never would have won the title and would have essentially wasted a high draft pick to get the team somewhat close, but not close enough.  That is what he did when he acquired Irving and that is what has led to this being a nice fun team, but not one that is going to win the title as currently constructed.  I absolutely believe Boston would have at least made the Finals if not won the title had he acquired Leonard for essentially Brown.  Conversely, I absolutely believe Boston would be more likely to win a title right now had he not made the Irving trade at all because it would have had that additional top 10 pick and frankly may still have other valuable players on the team.  This indecision to fully commit has been the biggest issue I've had with Ainge the last 7 or 8 years.

I’m not sure this is fair.  Danny had a plan:  have a core of Kyrie / Hayward / Horford, and then use our young players and draft picks to add the final piece. 

Wasn’t Danny’s plan pretty clear?  He wanted Anthony Davis.  The Hayward injury and Kyrie flaking out ruined that, but it was pretty reasonable to expect a team of:

Horford
Davis
Hayward
Brown
Kyrie

That was the direction he picked.  It just didn’t work out. 

[RMO]

And if he didn't make the trade for Kyrie we wouldn't know how that ended and would be blaming Ainge for not making that trade.