If No One Bites Danny got some 'splainin to do

[TheReaLPuba]

No one's already bitten yet.

Did we not try to trade 7 picks for freaking Frank Kaminsky/Justin Winslow?

Rejected.

I mean Winslow is a nice player who could be an All-Star repacement player one day but he's not a superstar.

Kaminsky probably would have been a better fit here but he's just a good player.

We have valuable picks of course we do but that just means we have to WAIT....

...the frustrating part of this whole process is we are basically slowing ourselves down by being too competitve instead of stinking it up for a bit and getting a true top pick to go ALONG with our other picks and then grow from there.

I think this team is close. We just need one star player and then maybe other stars will look this way....

[Future Celtics Owner]

There are probably only one or two GMs that have as secure of a job as Danny Ainge. Will Danny makes trades and use second round picks as sweeteners in them? Sure, because most second round picks are worthless.

As for the first round picks, the Brooklyn picks are gold, extremely valuable assets. He could draft potential superstars with them or trade them in a package for a superstar.

But to think that if any of those trades are not completed by draft day when Ainge has to make use of this years picks or he has failed is hasty and shortsighted. Building a contender is a long term endeavor. Years like 2007-08 just don't happen in the NBA. That was a combination of the perfect storm coming together: smart drafting, excellent, player development, disgruntled stars becoming available, Danny making the trades and Doc creating an atmosphere where all those transactions could come together and excel immediately. This rebuild will not happen that way.

So have patience and trust in Ainge's plan. It will come together. Just give it time.

2004- we drafted big al, tony, and delonte....they were all part of the storm in which we got ray ray and kg. So Ainge built our 2007-2008 team through the draft and we never would have got kg had we made the playoffs in 04' because we would not have al jefferson.

Now we have BKN picks but counting on all the picks to be top picks(besides this year) is just as much a gamble as the lottery.

DA got rid of Walker because he was not winning us a chip and was padding our wins......its seems like he is going on the complete opposite direction these days. And the fact that we made the playoffs last year and picked Terry instead of Myles Turner is a horrible move by Ainge.

If we could have drafted Turner with our own pick then this team would have a great balance and we could be in a much more flexible position.

[GreenFaith1819]

All I'm saying is that I understand the angst from the naysayers - with regards to Danny and the job he's done.

But all I ask is that these same naysayers be PATIENT just a bit longer.

Many of these posters on here now I don't even recognize, when comparing to the ones I saw on here back in 2007 and 2008 when I was just a Lurker.

No one on here back THEN had ANY idea that Danny was going to be swinging Al Jefferson and Jeff Greene into KG and Ray Ray. We ended up with "just" the 5th pick back then and there was SO MUCH disappointment.

We ALL realized, then, that Kevin Durant would be out of our hands - and to this day I am GLAD.

Us getting the 1st pick THEN and grabbing either Oden (ugh) or Durant would NOT have netted us Banner 17. BUT those moves that DANNY AINGE made DID net us KG and Ray Ray.

No, there is NOT another KG or Ray in the NBA at the moment. BUT there are some players out there that can help us - as long as some dominoes fall. These "Dominoes" could be teams blowing it up, needing picks, whatever.

We MUST be ready for the unexpected, whatever that could be. Looking back to Summer of 2007 we are in a LOT better spot this time around than then. No, we do NOT have a Paul Pierce on our squad. But we have arguably an overall better team NOW than Pre-KG and Ray Ray.

Add to THAT these picks and our current roster makeup and contracts.

Just let Danny do his job

[Ilikesports17]

All I'm saying is that I understand the angst from the naysayers - with regards to Danny and the job he's done.

But all I ask is that these same naysayers be PATIENT just a bit longer.

Many of these posters on here now I don't even recognize, when comparing to the ones I saw on here back in 2007 and 2008 when I was just a Lurker.

No one on here back THEN had ANY idea that Danny was going to be swinging Al Jefferson and Jeff Greene into KG and Ray Ray. We ended up with "just" the 5th pick back then and there was SO MUCH disappointment.

We ALL realized, then, that Kevin Durant would be out of our hands - and to this day I am GLAD.

Us getting the 1st pick THEN and grabbing either Oden (ugh) or Durant would NOT have netted us Banner 17. BUT those moves that DANNY AINGE made DID net us KG and Ray Ray.

No, there is NOT another KG or Ray in the NBA at the moment. BUT there are some players out there that can help us - as long as some dominoes fall. These "Dominoes" could be teams blowing it up, needing picks, whatever.

We MUST be ready for the unexpected, whatever that could be. Looking back to Summer of 2007 we are in a LOT better spot this time around than then. No, we do NOT have a Paul Pierce on our squad. But we have arguably an overall better team NOW than Pre-KG and Ray Ray.

Add to THAT these picks and our current roster makeup and contracts.

Just let Danny do his job

I like the message and gist of this post. I trust Danny here.

However, a Rondo-Durant-Paul Pierce-Big Al-Perk-TA core would have been pretty crazy

[BudweiserCeltic]

All I'm saying is that I understand the angst from the naysayers - with regards to Danny and the job he's done.

But all I ask is that these same naysayers be PATIENT just a bit longer.

Many of these posters on here now I don't even recognize, when comparing to the ones I saw on here back in 2007 and 2008 when I was just a Lurker.

No one on here back THEN had ANY idea that Danny was going to be swinging Al Jefferson and Jeff Greene into KG and Ray Ray. We ended up with "just" the 5th pick back then and there was SO MUCH disappointment.

We ALL realized, then, that Kevin Durant would be out of our hands - and to this day I am GLAD.

Us getting the 1st pick THEN and grabbing either Oden (ugh) or Durant would NOT have netted us Banner 17. BUT those moves that DANNY AINGE made DID net us KG and Ray Ray.

No, there is NOT another KG or Ray in the NBA at the moment. BUT there are some players out there that can help us - as long as some dominoes fall. These "Dominoes" could be teams blowing it up, needing picks, whatever.

We MUST be ready for the unexpected, whatever that could be. Looking back to Summer of 2007 we are in a LOT better spot this time around than then. No, we do NOT have a Paul Pierce on our squad. But we have arguably an overall better team NOW than Pre-KG and Ray Ray.

Add to THAT these picks and our current roster makeup and contracts.

Just let Danny do his job

I like the message and gist of this post. I trust Danny here.

However, a Rondo-Durant-Paul Pierce-Big Al-Perk-TA core would have been pretty crazy

We draft Durant, I think there would've been good chances Pierce doesn't stick with us. I think he was pressuring the front-office to make a move or trade him or such during that time. So something to keep in mind.

Another thing to keep in mind though, that keeping Durant might've still allowed us to get Kevin Garnett. Garnett didn't want a part of the Celtics until Ray Allen was on board... but maybe, just maybe Kevin Durant might've been seen as much of a prospect as to tempt Garnett? I don't know.

But some food for thought as the pieces used to get Garnett would still be in our possession even with Durant on board.

[PhoSita]

If we are sitting here  in a couple years still lacking any clear cut top talent, I'd say that would be a good time to bring Danny Ainge to task for putting so many of his eggs in the trade basket.

He's got some time to make chicken salad out of the pile of assets he's collected though. Can't judge him yet. And some good luck will he needed.

[BitterJim]

Sure, GMs knowing that you have to trade someone/something always means that you have to trade it for pennies on the dollar, that's why the Wolves got shafted in the Love trade

In a vacuum, a team could low ball Danny in trades involving our picks.  But come draft night, if they really want to take a guy with Danny's pick, they'll offer him just as much as they will the team's just in front of and just behind us.  And if a couple of teams want the pick, the teams will give more than fair value in a trade.

I get that we can't use all the picks, but the issue is really overstated, especially since most of the mid-to-late 2nds will probably never play a single NBA minute (and will be picks like Colton Iverson and Marcus Thornton who will play overseas next year, and probably for their entire careers)

The Love trade was kinda unique because the Cavs were under just as much pressure to trade for love as the wolves were under pressure to trade love.

There's similar pressure on GMs to trade up in a draft (ex: Danny last year, Bulls in 2014), and I wouldn't call it that unique, the interest from the Warriors made it a bit of a bidding war (and the Wolves did a great job of playing them against each other)

Actually, the Bulls in 2014 are a good parallel to us this year: everyone knew that they had to consolidate picks to keep a Max salary slot open, but that didn't make them settle for pennies on the dollar

I felt like Chicago overpaid, and I disagree on Cleveland. I think Lebron demanded that they get Love and I think Minny knew it and thats why Minnesota got a great deal.

I dont entirely disagree with the premise of what you are saying. I just think that was a unique situation.

Also Id argue that Gary Harris(19) and Jusuf Nurkic(16) and a second for Doug McDermott is an overpay.

Denver did better with the picks (I really wish Nurkic had dropped to us), but trading two picks outside the lottery for #11 is a good deal

[Chris22]

Danny Ainge is a genius.

[nickagneta]

There are probably only one or two GMs that have as secure of a job as Danny Ainge. Will Danny makes trades and use second round picks as sweeteners in them? Sure, because most second round picks are worthless.

As for the first round picks, the Brooklyn picks are gold, extremely valuable assets. He could draft potential superstars with them or trade them in a package for a superstar.

But to think that if any of those trades are not completed by draft day when Ainge has to make use of this years picks or he has failed is hasty and shortsighted. Building a contender is a long term endeavor. Years like 2007-08 just don't happen in the NBA. That was a combination of the perfect storm coming together: smart drafting, excellent, player development, disgruntled stars becoming available, Danny making the trades and Doc creating an atmosphere where all those transactions could come together and excel immediately. This rebuild will not happen that way.

So have patience and trust in Ainge's plan. It will come together. Just give it time.

2004- we drafted big al, tony, and delonte....they were all part of the storm in which we got ray ray and kg. So Ainge built our 2007-2008 team through the draft and we never would have got kg had we made the playoffs in 04' because we would not have al jefferson.

Now we have BKN picks but counting on all the picks to be top picks(besides this year) is just as much a gamble as the lottery.

DA got rid of Walker because he was not winning us a chip and was padding our wins......its seems like he is going on the complete opposite direction these days. And the fact that we made the playoffs last year and picked Terry instead of Myles Turner is a horrible move by Ainge.

If we could have drafted Turner with our own pick then this team would have a great balance and we could be in a much more flexible position.

You have a strange way of looking at things. It's almost as if you think every year we didn't make the playoffs we were tanking and when we were making the playoffs we should have been tanking. All the players that got sent out in the KG trade were late draft picks, not picks gotten through trading. Heck even the Minnesota pick we sent back to Minny was a pick we picked up in a trade.

We did tank for the pick that went out for Ray Allen but it was a failed tank. We didn't end up with Durant or Oden or even Horford. Our pick was going to be Yi Jianlian.

That 2007-08 was not built over years of being bad. All players traded for Ray and KG were mid level prospects at best except Jefferson. Heck the best asset sent out was Big Al and he was valuable not because he was a high pick but because Doc developed him into a good prospect. We never tanked to get Al Jefferson

[nickagneta]

All I'm saying is that I understand the angst from the naysayers - with regards to Danny and the job he's done.

But all I ask is that these same naysayers be PATIENT just a bit longer.

Many of these posters on here now I don't even recognize, when comparing to the ones I saw on here back in 2007 and 2008 when I was just a Lurker.

No one on here back THEN had ANY idea that Danny was going to be swinging Al Jefferson and Jeff Greene into KG and Ray Ray. We ended up with "just" the 5th pick back then and there was SO MUCH disappointment.

We ALL realized, then, that Kevin Durant would be out of our hands - and to this day I am GLAD.

Us getting the 1st pick THEN and grabbing either Oden (ugh) or Durant would NOT have netted us Banner 17. BUT those moves that DANNY AINGE made DID net us KG and Ray Ray.

No, there is NOT another KG or Ray in the NBA at the moment. BUT there are some players out there that can help us - as long as some dominoes fall. These "Dominoes" could be teams blowing it up, needing picks, whatever.

We MUST be ready for the unexpected, whatever that could be. Looking back to Summer of 2007 we are in a LOT better spot this time around than then. No, we do NOT have a Paul Pierce on our squad. But we have arguably an overall better team NOW than Pre-KG and Ray Ray.

Add to THAT these picks and our current roster makeup and contracts.

Just let Danny do his job

I like the message and gist of this post. I trust Danny here.

However, a Rondo-Durant-Paul Pierce-Big Al-Perk-TA core would have been pretty crazy

We draft Durant, I think there would've been good chances Pierce doesn't stick with us. I think he was pressuring the front-office to make a move or trade him or such during that time. So something to keep in mind.

Another thing to keep in mind though, that keeping Durant might've still allowed us to get Kevin Garnett. Garnett didn't want a part of the Celtics until Ray Allen was on board... but maybe, just maybe Kevin Durant might've been seen as much of a prospect as to tempt Garnett? I don't know.

But some food for thought as the pieces used to get Garnett would still be in our possession even with Durant on board.

Why are we even talking about drafting Durant? We lost that lottery and had the 5th pick. Durant stood exactly zero chance of ever ending up in Boston after the Ping pong balls didn't go our way.

[spikelovetheCelts]

Building a contender is a combination of making good decisions and getting lucky. We just has to keep doing the first thing and hopefully the second thing comes our way.

Well said. TP

Golden State best player were 7th and 9th picks. You don't need the number one pick to win a championship. Bogut is one but he was traded in an even trade. Danny has done awesome. Smart is going to be fine. We have AB, Crowder and Thomas on cap friendly contracts. We really have only 3 picks that have to be on our roster next year. Lee, Johnson and Jerebko are not need. All our Second round picks could be draft and stash. We are fine. How many GM are better than Danny maybe 3. We have a top 5 GM and Top 5 owner. And A coach in a few years may be the Best when Pop retires. I am about it all. TP to me.

[Cman]

No. He doesn't. He's taken by a calculated gamble. He can't foresee the future but he can put the Celtics in position to pounce if needed/possible.

[GreenFaith1819]

Something else to consider -

Many of us over the last few years have called Sam Presti a GENIUS, and he IS, IMO.

But even with ALL of those shrewd moves he's made...all of the good fortune he's had come his way with Westbrook and Durant - right NOW they are perhaps only the 3rd BEST team out west.

And have NOT won a Banner. And TBH their window may be closing already.

They are not, IMO - beating Spurs or GSW in a series.

There is SO MUCH that has to fall your way to get a Banner....injuries, trades, FA, grooming talent.

Danny has been rather successful at this for a while now....he hasn't been perfect, and yes I hated some of his moves in regards to trades (for sentimental reasons) - but he's a top GM.

We are approaching the time where our picks/choices will start to bear some fruit. I believe good things are going to happen with this team in the near future. We have a LOT of options available to us.

[BudweiserCeltic]

All I'm saying is that I understand the angst from the naysayers - with regards to Danny and the job he's done.

But all I ask is that these same naysayers be PATIENT just a bit longer.

Many of these posters on here now I don't even recognize, when comparing to the ones I saw on here back in 2007 and 2008 when I was just a Lurker.

No one on here back THEN had ANY idea that Danny was going to be swinging Al Jefferson and Jeff Greene into KG and Ray Ray. We ended up with "just" the 5th pick back then and there was SO MUCH disappointment.

We ALL realized, then, that Kevin Durant would be out of our hands - and to this day I am GLAD.

Us getting the 1st pick THEN and grabbing either Oden (ugh) or Durant would NOT have netted us Banner 17. BUT those moves that DANNY AINGE made DID net us KG and Ray Ray.

No, there is NOT another KG or Ray in the NBA at the moment. BUT there are some players out there that can help us - as long as some dominoes fall. These "Dominoes" could be teams blowing it up, needing picks, whatever.

We MUST be ready for the unexpected, whatever that could be. Looking back to Summer of 2007 we are in a LOT better spot this time around than then. No, we do NOT have a Paul Pierce on our squad. But we have arguably an overall better team NOW than Pre-KG and Ray Ray.

Add to THAT these picks and our current roster makeup and contracts.

Just let Danny do his job

I like the message and gist of this post. I trust Danny here.

However, a Rondo-Durant-Paul Pierce-Big Al-Perk-TA core would have been pretty crazy

We draft Durant, I think there would've been good chances Pierce doesn't stick with us. I think he was pressuring the front-office to make a move or trade him or such during that time. So something to keep in mind.

Another thing to keep in mind though, that keeping Durant might've still allowed us to get Kevin Garnett. Garnett didn't want a part of the Celtics until Ray Allen was on board... but maybe, just maybe Kevin Durant might've been seen as much of a prospect as to tempt Garnett? I don't know.

But some food for thought as the pieces used to get Garnett would still be in our possession even with Durant on board.

Why are we even talking about drafting Durant? We lost that lottery and had the 5th pick. Durant stood exactly zero chance of ever ending up in Boston after the Ping pong balls didn't go our way.

Well, if you cared to read the posts prior we were comparing and contrasting the bad fortune or good fortune, depending on how you want to look at it, of missing out on the top pick of that draft, and hypothetical started being discussed from there. No need to bunch up your underwear over it.

[LarBrd33]

No one's already bitten yet.

Did we not try to trade 7 picks for freaking Frank Kaminsky/Justin Winslow?

Rejected.

I mean Winslow is a nice player who could be an All-Star repacement player one day but he's not a superstar.

Kaminsky probably would have been a better fit here but he's just a good player.

We have valuable picks of course we do but that just means we have to WAIT....

...the frustrating part of this whole process is we are basically slowing ourselves down by being too competitve instead of stinking it up for a bit and getting a true top pick to go ALONG with our other picks and then grow from there.

I think this team is close. We just need one star player and then maybe other stars will look this way....

We have a lot riding on this Brooklyn pick.   Most of our picks are mid-to-late 1sts... they really don't have as much value as people think.   

Our future kind of hinges on this Brooklyn pick... and the scary thing is that within a month, a little run by Brooklyn could have that pick sitting outside the top 10.   

Ainge is a terrific GM, though.  It's hard to look at what he's done and not be impressed.   Free agency could still be a factor for us.  I wouldn't fire him simply for not pulling off a miracle trade.