Sci-fi Basketball Decision - Danny or Doc?

[Alleyoopster]

(It's summer time, so feel free to let your sci-fi imagination run wild.)
 
Through the magic of a newly developed, DNA-enhancing medication they've found a way to reverse the aging process.  This medicine can make older people look, feel and act younger than their true age. (They actually fed elderly, near-death dogs pounds of it and turned them back into fetuses.)

The first two human guinea pigs to test this new 'miracle' drug are Danny and Doc. After a month of taking this, not yet illegal drug, they are now the age-equivalent of their former 26 year-old selves and they both want to play for the Boston Celtics.     

You now have the opportunity to pick one of these players for the final roster spot. Which player would you choose? Doc or Danny and why?
 
My choice would be Doc because I know he's not going to whine after every foul called against him.  We also have Luke and Avery who can fill Danny's shoes. Doc is also better suited to back up Rondo and give us better defense. 
 

[Alleyoopster]

Probably should have just skipped the sci-fi scenerio and said who would have fit better at age 26 on the current squad.

Reviewing the stats for both players below.  It's pretty much what one would have expected.  Doc has better numbers for assists.  While Danny's shooting % is higher in all 3 categories. 

Who would fit in better with this squad...it's hard to say.  Avery could play the same defense as Doc, but not have the playmaking ability (assists).  Danny would be the best shooter of the current group of guards.

Looking at the stats at age 26
Doc  1987-1988

444-1020   .453 Fg %
3pt 9-23   .273
Career 3pt % .328

FT 319-421  .758
Assist 747  9.34
Steals 140  1.75
Total Points 1134  14.2
Blocks 41 .51 pg
Rebounds 366  4.6

Danny Ainge age 26
1985-1986
Fg % .504    353-701
3pt  .356    26-73
FT 123-136   .904
Steals 94    1.1
Blocks 7
Assists 405  5.1
Turnovers    129
Total rebounds 235   2.9

[Redz]

Love Danny and all, but Doc as a back up point guard on a veteran squad would be pretty tough to pass on.

[BballTim]

  Pretty interesting that you chose age 26, which was Doc's best statistical year (and only all-star appearance) and right before Danny's stats started to take off. Is Doc (14/5/9) better than Danny (11/3/5)? Maybe, but jump ahead a year and their numbers are more even, Doc's 14/4/7 to Danny's 15/3/6. Or jump ahead 3 years and you're comparing Doc (15/3/4) to Danny (18/4/6).

[Redz]

  Pretty interesting that you chose age 26, which was Doc's best statistical year (and only all-star appearance) and right before Danny's stats started to take off. Is Doc (14/5/9) better than Danny (11/3/5)? Maybe, but jump ahead a year and their numbers are more even, Doc's 14/4/7 to Danny's 15/3/6. Or jump ahead 3 years and you're comparing Doc (15/3/4) to Danny (18/4/6).

It's pretty safe to assume Danny's #'s would have been better at that age if he was on a worse team, or hadn't spent a couple of years playing baseball.

[oldmanspeaks]

It depends upon the role. Danny Ainge had incredible strengths as a player and also significant weaknesses. Danny was one of the best deep shots in the history of the game when open. Just standing around shooting, he could easily give Bird a run for his money. He also was very fast down the court. He was also meaner than a stepped on rattlesnake with his picks. For that reason he was most hated guy in the league even with his choirboy looks. He has a distinction. I actually saw a guy STOP DRIBBLING a basketball, just to punch Ainge out. Most of Ainge's damage was off camera but it was he setting those picks on the baseline for Bird. Ainge almost never drove the middle in the half court offense. I always thought the reason was there was a zillion guys who wanted to send him to the hospital if not the morgue.
However his weaknesses were also obvious. He couldn't create his own shot if his life depended upon it and was easy to guard if you didn't get picked off. His defense was alright but despite his height, people could still shoot over him. His ability to take someone off the dribble was non-existant compared to other starting guards.
Doc was more of an above average all around guard. He wouldn't have won many shooting contests. However he really didn't have another major weakness that I can recall.

[BballTim]

It depends upon the role. Danny Ainge had incredible strengths as a player and also significant weaknesses. Danny was one of the best deep shots in the history of the game when open. Just standing around shooting, he could easily give Bird a run for his money. He also was very fast down the court. He was also meaner than a stepped on rattlesnake with his picks. For that reason he was most hated guy in the league even with his choirboy looks. He has a distinction. I actually saw a guy STOP DRIBBLING a basketball, just to punch Ainge out. Most of Ainge's damage was off camera but it was he setting those picks on the baseline for Bird. Ainge almost never drove the middle in the half court offense. I always thought the reason was there was a zillion guys who wanted to send him to the hospital if not the morgue.
However his weaknesses were also obvious. He couldn't create his own shot if his life depended upon it and was easy to guard if you didn't get picked off. His defense was alright but despite his height, people could still shoot over him. His ability to take someone off the dribble was non-existant compared to other starting guards.
Doc was more of an above average all around guard. He wouldn't have won many shooting contests. However he really didn't have another major weakness that I can recall.

  A lot of those weaknesses had to do with his role on the team (5th option on offense). He didn't seem to have much trouble creating his own shot or taking players off the dribble in Sacramento after we traded him there.

[oldmanspeaks]

TP, I didn't see him much after he was traded. The Celtics half court offense with McHale and Parish might have hurt him more than I realized. In college he could just shoot over the smaller players so the issue didn't come up much. (I was amazed at his shooting skill when he was in college).

[Roy H.]

I'd take Danny.  We need shooting more than we do another backup PG, especially since Rondo will play 40 minutes per game.

I mean, what's the one missing skill that Danny and Doc have repeatedly cited this off-season?  Shooting, especially from deep.  Also, of course, Danny wasn't a slouch running the point, either.

[BballTim]

I'd take Danny.  We need shooting more than we do another backup PG, especially since Rondo will play 40 minutes per game.

I mean, what's the one missing skill that Danny and Doc have repeatedly cited this off-season?  Shooting, especially from deep.  Also, of course, Danny wasn't a slouch running the point, either.

  Danny was capable of playing point guard. The Celts played more 2 combo guards than a point guard and a shooting guard, especially with Larry out there.