Stevens is Already better than Ainge

[Celtics2021]

Gotta wonder how much of these moves were initiated and had the groundwork laid by Ainge. Sure some trades are announced at the draft when everyone's season is over because teams try not to take the attention away from the Finals, but those trades could have been worked on and negotiated for months, meaning Ainge could have had a lot to do with them, especially the Kemba-Horford trade. That had Ainge's fingers all over it.

So before raising Brad to the rafters as a GM, let's first understand these early moves could we'll have been Ainge's deals Brad just closed and that if they weren't, let's see the results on the court before judging these moves as a success. Remember, Ainge's moves in 2007 where panned by a lot of the fanbase and local media. Bob Ryan famously called out the construction of the team and what he thought was a horrendous bench. Then the Celtics won the title. Ainge's Brooklyn trade was also harshly criticized by some but landed them Brown, Tatum and Langford, as well as some busts, but overall, it was a magnificent coup.

So patience is needed before lauding Stevens. Let's see what all his moves(some of which he probably had a lot of help from Ainge with) before deciding how great these moves really are.

I don’t think the Richardson deal was at all initiated by Ainge, and it’s unlikely the Kings deal really would have been under much discussion either before they drafted another PG on Thursday.

[#1P4P]

Ainge was one of the best GM’s in the NBA.

He turned around a moribund franchise that had been in turmoil for the previous 15 years. He made this team so good on that Doc Rivers won a Championship and made the Finals on 2 occasions. By the end of his tenure, he was labeled “disloyal” and “difficult trading partner” because of his shrewd moves and had to remove himself from the position to change that.

The core of this team is going to contend for Championships, when it is, remember that the majority of it was acquired during his tenure.

[td450]

At his best, Ainge was relentlessly doing opportunistic micro-moves to add value. Sometimes he would get us talents we didn't need, and cash them in several moves later, but always increasing value. He stopped doing that after the Kyrie deal.

Stevens seems to be restarting that strategy. We now have at least two more guards than we can play. It will be interesting to watch whether Stevens can navigate the next few weeks and keep it going.

[Wretch]

Ainge was one of the best GM’s in the NBA.

He turned around a moribund franchise that had been in turmoil for the previous 15 years. He made this team so good on that Doc Rivers won a Championship and made the Finals on 2 occasions. By the end of his tenure, he was labeled “disloyal” and “difficult trading partner” because of his shrewd moves and had to remove himself from the position to change that.

The core of this team is going to contend for Championships, when it is, remember that the majority of it was acquired during his tenure.

I agree completely with this.  My one criticism of Ainge is that his focus on asset acquisition didn't always take roster building/chemistry into account.  I think BS since, as a coach, has a better feel for that aspect of the job.

[TDurden]

Ainge was one of the best GM’s in the NBA.

He turned around a moribund franchise that had been in turmoil for the previous 15 years. He made this team so good on that Doc Rivers won a Championship and made the Finals on 2 occasions. By the end of his tenure, he was labeled “disloyal” and “difficult trading partner” because of his shrewd moves and had to remove himself from the position to change that.

The core of this team is going to contend for Championships, when it is, remember that the majority of it was acquired during his tenure.

I agree completely with this.  My one criticism of Ainge is that his focus on asset acquisition didn't always take roster building/chemistry into account.  I think BS since, as a coach, has a better feel for that aspect of the job.

Ainge was one of the best GM's in the league for like 2 years and then got bored and became the guy in your fantasy league who hasn't really kept up with the sport for the last 5 years. 

It's nice to see Brad undoing some of Ainge's mistakes. 

[Roy H.]

Ainge was one of the best GM’s in the NBA.

He turned around a moribund franchise that had been in turmoil for the previous 15 years. He made this team so good on that Doc Rivers won a Championship and made the Finals on 2 occasions. By the end of his tenure, he was labeled “disloyal” and “difficult trading partner” because of his shrewd moves and had to remove himself from the position to change that.

The core of this team is going to contend for Championships, when it is, remember that the majority of it was acquired during his tenure.

I agree completely with this.  My one criticism of Ainge is that his focus on asset acquisition didn't always take roster building/chemistry into account.  I think BS since, as a coach, has a better feel for that aspect of the job.

Ainge was one of the best GM's in the league for like 2 years and then got bored and became the guy in your fantasy league who hasn't really kept up with the sport for the last 5 years. 

It's nice to see Brad undoing some of Ainge's mistakes.

Which two year period was that?

[Bobshot]

Danny had to go over the cap to win a championship. After that, the owners tolerated it for another year or two, and injuries got in the way of another title.
Then the owners said stay under the cap, and Ainge went the long range draft route. That never worked out except for Tatum, Smart and Brown--all high draft picks.  It did not get another championship. Now, the big markets in NY and LA are just stockpiling stars and somehow fitting them under the cap that Ainge was unable to do because of bad signs and injuries. Oddly enough, injuries deprived the star-studded Lakers and the Nets of a title last season, but the Lakers are still star building with triple double Westbrook.

Maybe the new coach can make some sense of this. With Austin Ainge still there and the FO intact, I wouldn't expect  things to change much with Stevens.... This isn't a championship contender, though the Celtics have a young and healthy star core--to their advantage. It's a question of building the right team of role players around them.

[Big333223]

I can't take anything in this thread seriously. Proclaiming Brad better than Ainge before a single game has been played or even before the offseason is over is a joke.

[footey]

Ainge had a great career here.  The turning point  IMO, sadly, was the night Gordon Hayward broke his leg.  I thought that team was built to compete with the Warriors, I really believe that. 

Some of Ainge's best moves:

Ray Allen trade (hated it at the time)
KG trade (hated it at the time)
Kyrie trade (we can debate the long term impact, but it was a great trade at the time)
Create cap space to sign GH
Sign Horford
Trade down and draft Tatum plus get Kings pick
Trade Jeff Green that created the Memphis pick
Draft Terry Rozier
Draft Jaylen Brown
Draft Marcus Smart
Draft Pritchard
Trading for Isaiah Thomas
Brooklyn trade!!!

Biggest mistakes IMO:

Draft Yabu (in fairness, this draft from 16 on was very weak)
Draft James Young at 17 (some decent talent taken that year after that pick)
Trade rights to Desmond Bane (should have just kept Kanter)
Signing Kemba as FA (I supported this at the time, but it was too reactionary in retrospect, and costly)
Failing to trade Kyrie when it was clear (to us) that he wasn't coming back; trade deadline 2019 I suppose.
Failing to recognize until too late that Anthony Davis was not going to come to Boston (i.e., the moment he signed with Klutch!)
Failing to consolidate 2018/19 roster; too many mouths to feed.

I may have missed a few, but to me the plusses far outweigh the negatives.  It was a great run by Danny.  A lot of creativeness, and unafraid to take risks.  Lady luck just wasn't on his side in the end (KG injury, Hayward injury).

[Who]

The feeling here reminds me of the saying:

All progress is change but not all change is progress.

I feel like we are rushing to praise change instead of seeing if progress has been made / or even discussing why these changes should lead to progress.

[Roy H.]

The feeling here reminds me of the saying:

All progress is change but not all change is progress.

I feel like we are rushing to praise change instead of seeing if progress has been made / or even discussing why these changes should lead to progress.

Agreed.  For instance, Fournier + Brown for Richardson isn’t necessarily a win for us.

[terra haute]

Danny got impatient. That Kyrie messed him up. Not only did he sign a knucklehead, that signing cost him his ultimate goal….Anthony Davis.

He also probably should have drafted Giannis. He did travel out to scout him.

Probably? Don't think there is any question on that one

[slamtheking]

 I'm talking old man Ainge. Danny was stealing money from the celtics owners ever since the heart attack.

 Brad is trying hard to beef up this roster, with limited assets. If Brad had been the GM the last three years this team would be in much Better shape.

 I'm thrilled with what I'm seeing so far. I have confidence the celtics are moving in the right direction for the first time in a Long time.

 Well done Brad. Keep going.

Tree Rollins and his finger have less hate for Danny than you do. 

Brad's got a long way to go to top what Danny has accomplished.

[KG Living Legend]

 I'm talking old man Ainge. Danny was stealing money from the celtics owners ever since the heart attack.

 Brad is trying hard to beef up this roster, with limited assets. If Brad had been the GM the last three years this team would be in much Better shape.

 I'm thrilled with what I'm seeing so far. I have confidence the celtics are moving in the right direction for the first time in a Long time.

 Well done Brad. Keep going.

Tree Rollins and his finger have less hate for Danny than you do. 

Brad's got a long way to go to top what Danny has accomplished.

 Danny didn't accomplish much. The Brooklyn trade was legendary.  He got KG over the Lakers because of the Celtics connection. 

 Credit for the Tatum over Fultz move too. But if you want me to get into his weakness for loving undersized guards and Bigs, it gets real ugly real quick.

[GreenlyGreeny]

 I'm talking old man Ainge. Danny was stealing money from the celtics owners ever since the heart attack.

 Brad is trying hard to beef up this roster, with limited assets. If Brad had been the GM the last three years this team would be in much Better shape.

 I'm thrilled with what I'm seeing so far. I have confidence the celtics are moving in the right direction for the first time in a Long time.

 Well done Brad. Keep going.

Tree Rollins and his finger have less hate for Danny than you do. 

Brad's got a long way to go to top what Danny has accomplished.

Yeah, one championship in nearly twenty years is going to be hard to top.