Fresh off a championship, I would have forgiven Ainge had he just dialed this draft in. But he continued to display great research, acumen and risk-taking. That last quality is often over-looked, but I think that is what distinguishes Ainge from most other GM's--he is unafraid to take risks.
Why do I think this was a great draft for us? First, bear in mind that we are picking last in each round. That being said,
1. He drafted a 4 year college player in Giddens, a player who is very athletic, decent shooter, great defender, who can step right in to spell Ray Allen at the 2. He makes Tony Allen expendable, and will take some of the sting out of losing Posey, should he sign elsewhere. He will get great exposure to playing for a champion, and I expect this kid will see some minutes. Doc rewards players, even rookies, if they play hard defense. By the way, he averaged nearly 17 points and 9 rebounds last season for a major Divsion 1 school. Has great hops. And is super competitive. Yes, he has warts, but that is a prerequisite for him dropping to 30. While all the other teams seem obsessed with getting their PG or big guy in the first rouond, this resulted in alot of skilled twos and swingmen dropping to later picks. IMO this draft is even deeper than last year's, which was deep.
2. Walker pickup for cash was a steal. First, it shows that ownership is committted to winning again. Walker's knee obviously scared others away from him. Not Danny, having made a similar gamble two seasons ago with Powe, which paid off huge for us. Walker is a perfect back-up for Pierce.
3. I have no opinion of number 60. Was pretty obvious he was going with a Euro on that one.
If PJ does not come back, I see Danny making a play for Swift, offering TA (in sign and trade) and either Baby or Powe. Pretty sure that one of Baby or Powe will be gone by the beginning of next season, as they have very high trade value, but they are very similar in size and pretty similar in function.
I really love this draft by Danny. Feel he is trying to do everything to compete next year, and at the same time is building for the future.
It all starts with defense and athleticism, which is how we soundly beat the Lakers.
Topic: I love Danny's picks! (Read 1322 times)