Danny talks draft preference.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Yes Danny,  IT and AB will be gone by that pt

Tbh I think it's mainly about bluffing.  Making the other teams want.  Inflate value of number 3

Either way I like to hear this.  It's the perfect thing to say.  He inflates Bender's value, he inflates the value of the #3 pick and you have to imagine that the Lakers and Philly both have guys scouring the media for quotes like this.

[Celtics4ever]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

[aingeforthree]

I think DA feels pressure from fans and ownership to quicken the process which isn't always the best possible situation.

This media age we live in is anything but rational.  It's people with voices that sometimes aren't qualified to do what they do.

He might feel it, but he doesn't make his moves based off of it.  Seems like a patient man and he obviously knows what he's doing.

He's a darn good GM.  He's very smart as well.  Always seems to be 2 steps ahead.

[footey]

Danny clearly reads these boards and wants to reassure fans lol.

Seriously though whilst there is probably some truth in what he says this makes tactical sense. Phoenix at #4 will want Bender or Brown. Makes sense to build up the pick and say you aren't afraid to select anyone.

A project can be the BPA. BPA does not "guy most likely to give us quality minutes next season."

[footey]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

[ahonui06]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

True highest pick during Ainge's tenure was in 2007 when Celtics had 5th pick, drafted Jeff Green and traded him for Ray Allen on draft night. Marcus Smart at 6 was next highest. He's never had a Top 3 pick.

[alldaboston]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

Though, we should remember that he was higher on Winslow than he was on Porzingis during last year's draft.

[ahonui06]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

Though, we should remember that he was higher on Winslow than he was on Porzingis during last year's draft.

Thank goodness MJ loved Kaminsky and rejected that crazy 4 1st round pick trade offers.

[TheBig3]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

Though, we should remember that he was higher on Winslow than he was on Porzingis during last year's draft.

Not saying you're wrong, but do we really know if he was higher? Maybe he made that same offer to knicks for their pick and was turned down, when Porzingis was drafted he went to his next target?

[aingeforthree]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

Though, we should remember that he was higher on Winslow than he was on Porzingis during last year's draft.

Not saying you're wrong, but do we really know if he was higher? Maybe he made that same offer to knicks for their pick and was turned down, when Porzingis was drafted he went to his next target?

He is wrong.  And he doesn't know.  He's talking out of his posterior on this one

[Big333223]

It's the perfect statement. I think what he said is unassailable and gives a perfect explanation for why he'd pick Bender, but will also make any other pick look like he gave Bender a good look and decided there was a better option. It's perfect.

[PaulP34]

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4723162/danny-ainge-i-have-to-protect-us-from-doing-something-irrational

Remember when we heard him say something about taking BPA? Some of us felt that meant that Bender wouldn't be as likely to be picked. Well in today's article he says:

Ainge stressed that, if Boston elects to utilize the No. 3 pick, it must target the player that the team believes has the potential to help the franchise deep into the future, not just in the immediate aftermath of the draft.

"I can’t talk about any players specifically, but a player that is going to take time to develop or a player that may not come over to the NBA for a year or two, if we really believe that player’s the best player, we have to take him," Ainge said. "We cannot let a player slip by us just because it doesn’t fulfill our immediate satisfaction, or the objective for the fans to see something more exciting. We have to pick the best player, under any circumstance.

Now it sounds like Danny is clarifying. Bender would be the pick if he was seen as having potential to become the BPA (even if it would set us back short term)

If Danny picks Bender he's an idiot. You have super talent your letting slip by if you draft that kid. I hope to god he does not make that mistake. Murray or Heild. Not Bender no. That will screw up this teams success big time. A failure if he picks that kid.

[RockinRyA]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

Though, we should remember that he was higher on Winslow than he was on Porzingis during last year's draft.

Not saying you're wrong, but do we really know if he was higher? Maybe he made that same offer to knicks for their pick and was turned down, when Porzingis was drafted he went to his next target?

He is wrong.  And he doesn't know.  He's talking out of his posterior on this one

Yeah I agree. Its all speculations, there was one source (from an opposing team) that said Ainge wanted Winslow at 4 but there were other sources that said he was trading up from  1 till our pick and that they werent the same players. Alldaboston seems to believe the first source as gospel while I believe that Ainge only went after Winslow when he started falling. If Porzingis didnt withdraw from the previous year's draft we wouldve gotten him instead of James Young.

[hpantazo]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

Though, we should remember that he was higher on Winslow than he was on Porzingis during last year's draft.

Not saying you're wrong, but do we really know if he was higher? Maybe he made that same offer to knicks for their pick and was turned down, when Porzingis was drafted he went to his next target?

He is wrong.  And he doesn't know.  He's talking out of his posterior on this one

Yeah I agree. Its all speculations, there was one source (from an opposing team) that said Ainge wanted Winslow at 4 but there were other sources that said he was trading up from  1 till our pick and that they werent the same players. Alldaboston seems to believe the first source as gospel while I believe that Ainge only went after Winslow when he started falling. If Porzingis didnt withdraw from the previous year's draft we wouldve gotten him instead of James Young.

True , and that will hurt for a long time. I fully believe that Ainge has monitored Bender for years and will take him at 3 if he doesnt trade the pick.

[saltlover]

Ainge has draft 2 of 28 players that played in Europe in his tenure.   You can bet he hopes Simmons or Ingram drops.

Known fact that Ainge was extremely high on Porzingis two years ago. Recent reports are that he is high on Bender.  I think it depends on the right player in the right situation.  The fact is that we have not had a lot of high picks.

Though, we should remember that he was higher on Winslow than he was on Porzingis during last year's draft.

Not saying you're wrong, but do we really know if he was higher? Maybe he made that same offer to knicks for their pick and was turned down, when Porzingis was drafted he went to his next target?

He is wrong.  And he doesn't know.  He's talking out of his posterior on this one

Yeah I agree. Its all speculations, there was one source (from an opposing team) that said Ainge wanted Winslow at 4 but there were other sources that said he was trading up from  1 till our pick and that they werent the same players. Alldaboston seems to believe the first source as gospel while I believe that Ainge only went after Winslow when he started falling. If Porzingis didnt withdraw from the previous year's draft we wouldve gotten him instead of James Young.

If Porzingis didn't withdraw, I think it more likely that we would have wound up with Nurkic, but both would be better than James Young.