if Danny is making the pick, you'd rather he trade it.

[GreenWarrior]

Danny overall has a pretty decent drafting history, and i'm being generous when I say that. I personally view draft success by how many guys stick around in the league for yrs. and he's done pretty good at doing that.

but he's never drafted a stud, in fact he's passed over such players. this is where I tend to believe Ainge has issues when it comes to drafting. he falls in love with these guys that are usually under-sized for their position or they're scrappy, all heart n' hustle players... or they're some mix of that. and the ones that weren't a mix of that really were highly disappointing - jeff green.

I hope he trades the pick because last time we were this high that's who we ended up with.... but luckily we traded him.   

[A Future of Stevens]

Whats your definition of stud? Regardless of where people fall on rondo on this board, the guy was a phenomenal talent to pick up at 21.

[walker834]

Rondo doesn't count?  He's never really been at the top  of the draft.  He's targetted the right guys in spots and has stayed back on others.  I agree he has missed a few. Jimmy Butler and Whiteside ar e a couple that come to mind.  Paul George he wasn't in position to draft.  Same with Durant.  He tried to get up and get Okafor who was the right player to target because of his possible availability.  How realistic that was is something else.

I still trust Ainge.  Not as much as I trusted Red but I still trust him. Red had a knack for getting himself in position to draft those guys.  Ainge has too if you look at it.  I think we are in the right spot.

If he trades it i'll be a bit confused honestly.  The media is hyping this stuff.

I'm usually all over these drafts and Ainge says and does the right things more times than not.  I usually agree with what he says.  He wasn't buying the hype on the wiggins draft.  He was smart to stay back there. He tried to maybe move up talked to cleveland about wiggins or parker.  Looked at Embiid but did the right thing. Same with Bradley when Paul George was the slider that draft.  He was right on Bradley and found him and I was right there too. Fab was a gamble.  It was a late pick. There really was no one there. 

He did totally miss Jimmy Butler and Whiteside.  He drafted marshon brooks traded him for Jajuan johnson.  He took bradley over whiteside when they were both overlooked prospects.

Nailed Perk and Tony Allen.  Gomes, West, Al J were all decent picks that landed us KG in some way. Baby was a nice roleplayer so was Powe. He's made the right decisions for the most part. He drafted Jeff Green and traded him for Ray. Wiffed on Banks in his first draft came back and nailed Rondo.

Drafted Sully and made a move for KO because he liked him. Decent players for where he was.  I rathered Adams that  KO draft but whatever. Different kinds of players.  They arent porzingis or any of these other big time prospects though.

[alldaboston]

but he's never drafted a stud, in fact he's passed over such players. this is where I tend to believe Ainge has issues when it comes to drafting. he falls in love with these guys that are usually under-sized for their position or they're scrappy, all heart n' hustle players... or they're some mix of that. and the ones that weren't a mix of that really were highly disappointing - jeff green.

TP. Perfectly stated. Why can't we draft talent? Why does it always have to be these scrappy guys? Talent wins out in this league, not heart and hustle.

[Chris22]

but he's never drafted a stud, in fact he's passed over such players. this is where I tend to believe Ainge has issues when it comes to drafting. he falls in love with these guys that are usually under-sized for their position or they're scrappy, all heart n' hustle players... or they're some mix of that. and the ones that weren't a mix of that really were highly disappointing - jeff green.

TP. Perfectly stated. Why can't we draft talent? Why does it always have to be these scrappy guys? Talent wins out in this league, not heart and hustle.

That is why I would pick Brown or Dunn.

[walker834]

The one area I'm not completely sold on Ainge is he isn't as devout a loyalist as Red.  He let Tony Allen go.  He has this mentality that Red hung onto guys too long because of that fear of what happened with Bird.   He's still loyal though.  Red would be completely loyal and also make smart moves to get in position to draft guys and not listen to hype and draft a guy like Bird anyways.

Ainge traded Pierce and KG as they were at the end vs just letting the process play itself out. We may have been in position to draft a guy like Porzingis or Okafor last year or even Towns if he was like Red. Instead we are in position to get Bender or Hield or make a trade. He plays both ends of the spectrum where we can make a trade or draft and sells himself short sometimes. He's not as good as Red was.  The NBA is different. He's better than a lot of other GM's though.

I feel like Ainge sells himself short just a bit more than red did.  Different generations.  Younger gm's are even worse that way and not loyal at all.  Hype up guys to be cutesy and who are media darlings.

Ainge is not as much a basketball purist as Red was because he was traded himself and what happened with Bird hurt him. He's still really good though.

The thing is with Bird is the game was much more physical back then, players didn't take care of their bodies like they do now.  Bird broke down because of that.   Len Bias and Reggie Lewis died because of irresponsible drug use and drugs that were lethal or a heart condition possibly caused by that too.  Players either take care of themselves now or are on really regimented steroid diets directed by doctors lol(see lebron).  Sure there are still idiots in the nba and lazy gm's and players but it's different.  It's science lol.

[Celtics4ever]

Quote
Danny overall has a pretty decent drafting history, and i'm being generous when I say that.

Agree.  I trust him more on trades than the draft.   

I still trust Ainge.  Not as much as I trusted Red but I still trust him. Red had a knack for getting himself in position to draft those guys.  Ainge has too if you look at it.  I think we are in the right spot.

I trust Ainge, too but the draft is his weakest area.   That does not mean I do not think he is deficient in this area.   But their are GMs who are better at drafting, few can beat DA in a trade.

[Eja117]

Danny tends to hit singles in the draft. Sometimes he gets a single or maybe even a double (Powe, Big Baby) at a place where most GMs strike out swinging or ground out, but the draft is about hitting home runs if you want to be a very good team.

I'd give him a triple on Al Jefferson.  But usually there is a better player available than the one he picks and sometimes it is predictable. Giannis. DeAndre Jordan.

Sometimes it's even worse than that. Sometimes he strikes out looking or hits into a triple play (Fab Mello, Jr Giddens) when a home run or a double is available (DeAndre Jordan, Pekovic, Omer Asik, Goran Dragic).

Sometimes he hits a single at a position we don't need help at (Rozier) when there is a double available at a position of need (Portis).

I don't want Ainge anywhere near this pick.

He is far far better at trading.

[hpantazo]

Danny tends to hit singles in the draft. Sometimes he gets a single or maybe even a double (Powe, Big Baby) at a place where most GMs strike out swinging or ground out, but the draft is about hitting home runs if you want to be a very good team.

I'd give him a triple on Al Jefferson.  But usually there is a better player available than the one he picks and sometimes it is predictable. Giannis. DeAndre Jordan.

Sometimes it's even worse than that. Sometimes he strikes out looking or hits into a triple play (Fab Mello, Jr Giddens) when a home run or a double is available (DeAndre Jordan, Pekovic, Omer Asik).

Sometimes he hits a single at a position we don't need help at (Rozier) when there is a double available at a position of need (Portis).

I don't want Ainge anywhere near this pick.

He is far far better at trading.

Rondo was a home run. I agree though that Ainge historically doesnt take chances, goes for the scrappy underdog type players, often has deep interest in european players but never had the guts to take one, costing him Giannis and possibly Saric and Porzingis, and overall he drafts good players but often misses out on the studs, BUT, the majority of GMs miss out on the studs, and many of them don't end up with good or even mediocre players.

I think Ainge's worst drafts by far were during the seasons we went deep into the playoffs, and I wonder if that factored in by cutting his prep time and/or overall distracting him. I can't blame him for that if so.

[loco_91]

Drafting is just hard, and all indications are that Danny is above average. Rondo was a great pick. Smart was a great pick. Olynyk was a great pick, even though Giannis would have been even better. Sully was a great pick, much as we bash him now.

[alldaboston]

but he's never drafted a stud, in fact he's passed over such players. this is where I tend to believe Ainge has issues when it comes to drafting. he falls in love with these guys that are usually under-sized for their position or they're scrappy, all heart n' hustle players... or they're some mix of that. and the ones that weren't a mix of that really were highly disappointing - jeff green.

TP. Perfectly stated. Why can't we draft talent? Why does it always have to be these scrappy guys? Talent wins out in this league, not heart and hustle.

That is why I would pick Brown or Dunn.

Even then, a guy like Murray is a very very talented player. I'm leaning towards Murray with this pick. He probably has more pure talent than either brown or dunn

[celticmania]

He's usually picked in the 20s and teens. That is hit or miss range. Those players are expected to be backups for like 7 years then go play overseas. Every year there is a player in that range that become a steal but its hard to find. Its not uncommon for players drafted in the 20s to actually never turn out. People on this board expect everyone choosen in the first round to be all-stars. He technically picked Rondo in that range. He deserves props for that. Also Avery Bradley who is all-nba defense. Jared Sullinger who is a starter. He's no better or worse than any gm at drafting in that range. Maybe besides the spurs who always find international studs

[celticmania]

Danny is Human just like us. Some of us want Murray. Others want Hield. Others Bender or Dunn or whoever. One of them is going to be the best out of that bunch in the NBA. Everyone besides the people who advocated choosing that specific player is going to be wrong about who we should've picked. Doesn't mean they didn't have reasons to believe that player would eventually become the better NBA player. Same goes for Danny. He's going to pick the player he thinks is going to be the best. There's absolutely no guarantee that he is right but that doesn't mean he made a bad pick at the time. Cut him some slack. That's why I'm staying off the board after the draft because all the topics are gonna be about how he made the wrong pick and how terrible he is and how he is the worst drafter.

[Ilikesports17]

Jeff Green was picked to be traded was he not?

[hpantazo]

Jeff Green was picked to be traded was he not?

Yes. I don't count the Jeff Green selection for that reason. He was basically Seattle's choice.