Danny Ainge's job performance since the 2007 off season

[BballTim]

The only way to judge whether a decision was a good one or a bad one is in hindsight. Sorry people, it's the nature of judging things. judging things before they happen is great but it's arbitrary until such a decision stands the test of time.

Regardless of whether decision looked to be the best option at the time or the best decision at the time, you can't be certain of those pre-judgments until they have been tested. Whether Danny chose first or thirtieth doesn't matter. What matters is did he make the best choice and that can only be determined in hindsight. Whether Danny signed the right guy or made the right decision about what his team needs were is can only be determined in hindsight.

It's the nature of the beast.

I think he made good decisions. I think he also made very poor decisions. Some of those poor decisions were decisions that at the time they were made I agreed with. That doesn't change the fact that they were bad decisions.

Exactly. Ainge is never going to be confused with Daryl Morey or Sam Presti. He's an average GM with an average track record. Some hits. Some very glaring misses, including some decisions I agreed with at the time, like Wallace, for example.

  Yes, they're both so much better than him that they'll build title winning teams much quicker than the 5 years it took Ainge. Everyone knows that the average GM can turn a team with a core of PP, Antoine and Vin Baker into nba champions in a short amount of time.

[Casperian]

but it was impossible to have a neutral discussion on this topic. Every pessimistic opinion was dismissed with loads of youtube-videos of how great Sheed was in 2002 and "Ball don´t lie"-posts.

Really?

I remember debating it with several posters about the pros/cons of it all.

Well, I´d like to see those threads, they certainly only made a small percentage compared to all the hoopla-threads about winning 73 games and what not.

Anyway, it´s moot to discuss this now. The fact is, only because most people approved of the deal doesn´t validate it.
Danny gets paid to make a decision, he made it, and I think we can all agree that it was a mistake to give Sheed a contract of this size. However, looking at his entire body of work, he brought us a championship, and did a solid job overall, in my opinion.

My problem is more the strategy itself, not so much it´s execution.
 
Former All-Stars over steady role-players almost never works, not even in less athletically demanding and intensity-driven (and maybe worse paid) sports as basketball.
I don´t like that we don´t go for more players in their prime. A 20-year-old and a 36-year-old don´t equal two 28-year-olds.
I don´t like that we go for headcases like Marbury or Wallace, or for everyone who is buddy-buddy with KG.

For a team that lives and dies by it´s team offense and defense, we sure had a lot of divas with star pedigree on this team over the last 3 years.

[thirstyboots18]

If we lose in the first round, Nick, I will agree with you that Danny is a failure and will commiserate with you all summer.  I will, however, not take failure for granted and will be watching the rest of the playoffs.  What, in your consideration, would change your opinion to success?  Finals appearance, Championship?  Or would your opinion stay the same regardless of position?

Regarding Danny's performance in helping this team win games, it's not going to change unless Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace suddenly start making major contributions in helping this team win games. The core that is really winning the games thus far this post season has been the starters and Glen Davis and Tony Allen. All seven of those guys were here when the 2007-08 season started. Who has he added since that season started that has had a major impact in this team winning important games other than Sam Cassell and PJ Brown?

Well, the "despised" Rasheed Wallace seems to be doing his part, and just the fact that Danny didn't panic and make "moves"...sometimes doing nothing and standing pat when everyone is calling for trades is the hardest and the wisest "move".

[Birdbrain]

but it was impossible to have a neutral discussion on this topic. Every pessimistic opinion was dismissed with loads of youtube-videos of how great Sheed was in 2002 and "Ball don´t lie"-posts.

Really?

I remember debating it with several posters about the pros/cons of it all.

Well, I´d like to see those threads, they certainly only made a small percentage compared to all the hoopla-threads about winning 73 games and what not.

Anyway, it´s moot to discuss this now. The fact is, only because most people approved of the deal doesn´t validate it.
Danny gets paid to make a decision, he made it, and I think we can all agree that it was a mistake to give Sheed a contract of this size. However, looking at his entire body of work, he brought us a championship, and did a solid job overall, in my opinion.

My problem is more the strategy itself, not so much it´s execution.
 
Former All-Stars over steady role-players almost never works, not even in less athletically demanding and intensity-driven (and maybe worse paid) sports as basketball.
I don´t like that we don´t go for more players in their prime. A 20-year-old and a 36-year-old don´t equal two 28-year-olds.
I don´t like that we go for headcases like Marbury or Wallace, or for everyone who is buddy-buddy with KG.

For a team that lives and dies by it´s team offense and defense, we sure had a lot of divas with star pedigree on this team over the last 3 years.

good call all the way around.

[Jon]

If we lose in the first round, Nick, I will agree with you that Danny is a failure and will commiserate with you all summer.  I will, however, not take failure for granted and will be watching the rest of the playoffs.  What, in your consideration, would change your opinion to success?  Finals appearance, Championship?  Or would your opinion stay the same regardless of position?

Regarding Danny's performance in helping this team win games, it's not going to change unless Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace suddenly start making major contributions in helping this team win games. The core that is really winning the games thus far this post season has been the starters and Glen Davis and Tony Allen. All seven of those guys were here when the 2007-08 season started. Who has he added since that season started that has had a major impact in this team winning important games other than Sam Cassell and PJ Brown?

Well, the "despised" Rasheed Wallace seems to be doing his part, and just the fact that Danny didn't panic and make "moves"...sometimes doing nothing and standing pat when everyone is calling for trades is the hardest and the wisest "move".

And that's the thing.  All pro seasons are so long that fans and some GMs get caught up in things.  As much as it pains some purists to probably say it, Rasheed was ultimately right: the regular season doesn't matter much. 

I'll also give Danny credit in terms of maturation.  I'm not sure he has the poise and self-control 5 years ago to hold back and not make a deal. 

[K.J.]

False - they had the full MLE available and could have signed him for more money. I can't believe that DA couldn't find an extra million or two in the 2008/9 season for Posey.

I know that the foregoing is a dated post.

Anyway, Ainge prefers to use segments of the MLE to sign our second round draft picks, since he could contract them for three seasons instead of two, and gain full Bird as opposed to early Bird rights over these players.  In addition, I have always thought that Ainge did not offer Posey the MLE in 2008.  Instead, Ainge offered Posey the maximum amount under the non-Bird exception.

[Roy Hobbs]

False - they had the full MLE available and could have signed him for more money. I can't believe that DA couldn't find an extra million or two in the 2008/9 season for Posey.

I know that the foregoing is a dated post.

Anyway, Ainge prefers to use segments of the MLE to sign our second round draft picks, since he could contract them for three seasons instead of two, and gain full Bird as opposed to early Bird rights over these players.  In addition, I have always thought that Ainge did not offer Posey the MLE in 2008.  Instead, Ainge offered Posey the maximum amount under the non-Bird exception.

I think it was confirmed that Danny offered Posey the MLE for three years.