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

[walker834]

Jeff Green was picked to be traded was he not?

I think he was  yeah and we probably didn't deliberate over it that much.  The celtics did like him though.  It was OKC's/Seattle's choice though.

Ainge traded back for him because the celtics liked him too.  It wouldn't be surprising if the celtics had taken him anyways.  Green was a good looking prospect at the time.

[walker834]

jeff Green is another good example of why people judging these guys from college doesn't mean much

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dw6pcM4Y0I

Who would think that looking at that jeff green is as lackadasical as he is.  Look at that fire and emotion.  Amazing.

If anything jeff green seemed as anything other than what he is coming out.  A scrappy underrated guy who could do a lot of different things.   He fits as a guy Ainge would draft.  I was a fan of his coming into the league too and actually liked trading for him.

[dreamgreen]

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.

I'll agree with this while saying this time should be different. The #3 pick should bring us a very good player. One that could end up being the best player on the team in the future. We haven't had a pick this good in many years. This player should be better than Smart and hopefully by a lot. Danny needs to take whoever he thinks the BPA is no matter what.

[GreenWarrior]

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.

would you put Rondo at the level of a Pierce or Kawhi Leonard? because I don't. I loved Rondo while he was here and I'd argue with anyone that he was the best PG in the league when he was the starter. but I don't think that puts him on their level. easily one of Ainges' best picks though.

and in retrospect knowing what we know now... (taking nothing away from Rondo) I do wonder how good he would've been if he didn't play with 3 future hall of famers.

[Ilikesports17]

Jeff Green was picked to be traded was he not?

I think he was  yeah and we probably didn't deliberate over it that much.  The celtics did like him though.  It was OKC's/Seattle's choice though.

Ainge traded back for him because the celtics liked him too.  It wouldn't be surprising if the celtics had taken him anyways.  Green was a good looking prospect at the time.

yeah,  I bet they would have picked Green, but how are we criticizing Ainge for that pick? He made it with the intention to trade it and after Green there were exactly 2 all stars in that draft.

One was Joakim Noah who and the other was Gasol who was picked 48th.

If Ainge had picked Green it would have been a fine pick, but he didnt so it makes even less sense to criticize!

I get that Ainge has struggled when picking high ceiling guys.

Jajuan Johnson Giddens Young and most famously Fab Melo were all supposed to be high ceiling project types. However, its hard to draft studs late. Everyone points to Jimmy Butler, Deandre Jordan, and Draymond Green, but those are rare players!

Ainge has been in the top 10 twice and come away with Smart and Ray Allen which made KG possible. The sample size is too small, but I definitely trust Ainge here.

[Ilikesports17]

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.

would you put Rondo at the level of a Pierce or Kawhi Leonard? because I don't. I loved Rondo while he was here and I'd argue with anyone that he was the best PG in the league when he was the starter. but I don't think that puts him on their level. easily one of Ainges' best picks though.

and in retrospect knowing what we know now... (taking nothing away from Rondo) I do wonder how good he would've been if he didn't play with 3 future hall of famers.

If a dude is the best player at his position in the league, than he is a stud. Especially if you got him at pick 21.

[GreenWarrior]

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 would make that trade every day if I could. anyone wanting that team to play another season together really isn't thinking clearly. unless i'm misunderstanding you and you're saying you think that team would've been in the lottery. if so then maybe you're right.

because if Pierce & KG had to carry this team another yr. they wouldn't have survived. we weren't going to be able to put a team around them good enough to get to the playoffs. the team needed to be blown up. in fact I think if ainge could do it over he would've traded Rondo and Green like he should have.

[GreenWarrior]

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.

would you put Rondo at the level of a Pierce or Kawhi Leonard? because I don't. I loved Rondo while he was here and I'd argue with anyone that he was the best PG in the league when he was the starter. but I don't think that puts him on their level. easily one of Ainges' best picks though.

and in retrospect knowing what we know now... (taking nothing away from Rondo) I do wonder how good he would've been if he didn't play with 3 future hall of famers.

If a dude is the best player at his position in the league, than he is a stud. Especially if you got him at pick 21.

ok fine, i'll give you rondo. but like I said, in retrospect his success at the time may have had more to do with the players around him. but like you said for his position it was certainly a value pick.

[vgulab]

I think best way to judge a prospect is by seeing with your eyes. So my point is that all the hype in the media young players are getting is really bad and because of media some players get increased value. So many mock draft, so many experts and it's like dominos, often leading to bad draft choices.

I don't know for sure and if someone knows better correct me, but 20-30 years a go there were less draft mistakes by GM's. Now we see second round picks get to the all star game. D.Green, I.Thomas, P.Millsap...

 These days young players like Simmons got big sponsor contracts before they are in the NBA. 5 years from now i don't think Simmons is going to be the best player of this draft. Somewhere in this draft there is all star or all stars and GM's need to find them. But if you all just judge on what the media writes and says you are gonna be wrong about someone. I would appreciate an opinion
of someone who have seen college games personally.

[dannyboy35]

He's not perfect but no GM is. Stevens goes oh well. We lose Danny Ainge then it's time to start worrying.

[jambr380]

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.

I'll agree with this while saying this time should be different. The #3 pick should bring us a very good player. One that could end up being the best player on the team in the future. We haven't had a pick this good in many years. This player should be better than Smart and hopefully by a lot. Danny needs to take whoever he thinks the BPA is no matter what.

Scrappy guys? Like Bradley and Smart who were great picks for their draft position (especially Bradley). I suppose Rozier fits this description, too, but even he looks promising. Ainge's worst draft picks have been guys who are the totally opposite of scrappy - Giddens, Melo, Johnson, Young (so far). And then guys like Crowder and Amir weren't drafted - they were traded for or signed as free agents.

Ainge may like scrappy players, but the picks of those players have hardly been the problem.

[GreenWarrior]

he's not perfect and every gm has misses. but when you have a propensity for passing over elite talent for scrappy undersized players it kind of seems like he's playing it safe instead of swinging for homeruns.

we need a homerun.

[Eja117]

I'm not so sure he should swing for the fences. Who is the swing for the fences pick this time? Is it Bender? Is it Jamal Murray?  Heild is probably the single, but he's that scrappy guy who's like ....well maybe he's a double but he can gut out a triple and slide in there? 

When you look at last year...I'm not happy with the Rozier pick yet but who was the homerun? Justin Anderson?  To me Portis was a mistake because Portis was at a position of need and Rozier was absolutely not.

In 2014 the team picking late that really went swinging for the fences was the Raptors with the Bruno Cabacalo pick. Big swing and a miss. But out of the next 4 picks there was really only one single which was Rodney Hood. And they already had Terrence Ross.

In 2013 the high upside homerun picks were Giannis and Dennis Shroeder. Those would have been gutsy picks. We kinda needed a big more at that time. Schroeder in particular might have been frustrating with Rondo on board at the time.

[CoachBo]

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.

would you put Rondo at the level of a Pierce or Kawhi Leonard? because I don't. I loved Rondo while he was here and I'd argue with anyone that he was the best PG in the league when he was the starter. but I don't think that puts him on their level. easily one of Ainges' best picks though.

and in retrospect knowing what we know now... (taking nothing away from Rondo) I do wonder how good he would've been if he didn't play with 3 future hall of famers.

If a dude is the best player at his position in the league, than he is a stud. Especially if you got him at pick 21.

It is quite a supposition to say Rondo was EVER the best at his position in the league, with Nash wrapping up a great career, Tony Parker, etc.

[loco_91]

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.

would you put Rondo at the level of a Pierce or Kawhi Leonard? because I don't. I loved Rondo while he was here and I'd argue with anyone that he was the best PG in the league when he was the starter. but I don't think that puts him on their level. easily one of Ainges' best picks though.

and in retrospect knowing what we know now... (taking nothing away from Rondo) I do wonder how good he would've been if he didn't play with 3 future hall of famers.

If a dude is the best player at his position in the league, than he is a stud. Especially if you got him at pick 21.

It is quite a supposition to say Rondo was EVER the best at his position in the league, with Nash wrapping up a great career, Tony Parker, etc.

and CP3 was obviously always way better than Rondo. But it doesn't matter exactly whether he was the best or the third best, obviously he was an awesome pick and 20 teams before Ainge passed on him.