one has to marvel over danny's skill

[CroCorvus]

I've said repeatedly, there's no other person I'd want running this team.  He's the best GM in the business.  Anyone who has ever said "fire ainge" doesn't understand what Ainge has accomplished since taking over this team.

Apsolutely agree on this. Even if we don't get KD I am very satisfied how things are rolling out to be.

[nickagneta]

You are right rollie, Ainge has massive skills as a GM and is one of the top 2-3 best GMs in the business. Whether you think Ainge is a bad draft, good drafter or average(I think he is ever so slightly above average given the positions he drafts in), no one can claim he doesn't have skill in delivering quality free agents and making tremendous trades.

His free agency acquisitions since 2007 have been great considering the cap space he has had. He filled out the championship squad with James Posey, Eddie House and PJ Brown. Later Rasheed Wallace was added for just the MLE and helped bring the 2010 team to within a horrible 4th quarter of another title. His marginal signings, like those late in the year that have been for the rest of the year for a player but with non-guaranteed years after that have helped him to use that non-guaranteed money in trades very well. Amir Johnson was an excellent signing last year and this year he signed Horford and was one of just 6 teams to get a sit down with Durant, a former MVP and probably the 3rd best player in the league. It wouldn't surprise me if they landed Durant.

Unfortunately rollie, Ainge's distractors will soon see this thread and arrive to bash him. We will here about how he wasted valuable space on a 30 year old declining player, how he never makes trades that people make up as being available and he will get trashed for his drafting. Its unfortunate that they will come but make a Danny Ainge appreciation thread, and they will come

[CroCorvus]

If we get Durant, Danny will easily be the second best GM in the NBA behind only RC Buford. If we win 3 or 4 championships in the next 5 years, he will be able to overtake Buford.

Have to disagree on this. I think that this whole thing around the Spurs being glorified as the untouchables is little bit overrated. Yeah Pop is hell of a coach, one of the best in history of the game, yeah RJ is great at his job of GM-ing and stuff, but if you go back to that '97 draft and say they go second and select somebody else instead of Duncan, there would be no championships in that city, I guarantee you. Timmy is the heart and soul of that ball club. As I said, all praise to Pop, RJ, Tony, Manu and others, but if you left out Duncan they are still average in this league. Part of that reasoning is last season playoffs and the team with Kawhi and LMC at the helm. They were humiliated against very good OKC team. LMC is not near what Duncan was, so I predict the Spurs era is over... Back to my point, RJ has done nothing special last two to three years to be considered best GM in the league. Of course he picked Kawhi, and before Tony and Manu, but so did Sam Presti of Oklahoma, and look at them ever since, a bunch of chaotic moves regarding coaches and players... The thing that DA has managed to do when he was practically backs against the wall, is amazing and in such a short period of time. In three years he got us to 48 wins, one win from third best team in the EC, got us bunch of very good players (who are good locker room guys and great citizens), a bunch of great young mens with great potential, a boatload of cap room and he still didn't have to use his main assets and that is BKN picks in 17 and 18. So I'm asking you guys who the hell in the league is better then he is at doing this stuff? He ressurected this franchise and he, along with owners and Brad, is leading us back to the promissed land. Now go out there and bring us the Durantula!!!

[Boris Badenov]

Quote
I've said repeatedly, there's no other person I'd want running this team.  He's the best GM in the business.  Anyone who has ever said "fire ainge" doesn't understand what Ainge has accomplished since taking over this team

I like Ainge too.   But I do not think he is the best drafter, though.   He pushes hard on trades and shows a foresight that can see things in the big picture.  I still think he is one of the best.

He is not the best drafter in the league. But how many guys are plucking stars from where he has drafted from? The only team that does it somewhat consistently is the Spurs. Maybe the Pacers?

Has anyone on the blog took a stab at objectively analyzing draft performance of NBA GMs? Someone should...(finger on nose)

I did one a while back.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=65996.msg1502960#msg1502960

Long story short: Danny has consistently outperformed his draft position.

(And while we're at it, I pointed out a while back that the "Danny doesn't like Euros" theory didn't hold water, because he'd never really had a draft slot where good Euro options were available. We have our answer now.)

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=73940.msg1750079#msg1750079

[knuckleballer]

Quote
I've said repeatedly, there's no other person I'd want running this team.  He's the best GM in the business.  Anyone who has ever said "fire ainge" doesn't understand what Ainge has accomplished since taking over this team

I like Ainge too.   But I do not think he is the best drafter, though.   He pushes hard on trades and shows a foresight that can see things in the big picture.  I still think he is one of the best.

He is not the best drafter in the league. But how many guys are plucking stars from where he has drafted from? The only team that does it somewhat consistently is the Spurs. Maybe the Pacers?

Has anyone on the blog took a stab at objectively analyzing draft performance of NBA GMs? Someone should...(finger on nose)

I did one a while back.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=65996.msg1502960#msg1502960

Long story short: Danny has consistently outperformed his draft position.

(And while we're at it, I pointed out a while back that the "Danny doesn't like Euros" theory didn't hold water, because he'd never really had a draft slot where good Euro options were available. We have our answer now.)

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=73940.msg1750079#msg1750079

I think you are going about the right way in analyzing his drafting skills.  He's been very good at drafting.  So many people here point out the one or two players from the 30 to 40 players taken after his pick that have turned into good players and complained about how Danny missed them.  It's an impossible standard.

[Boris Badenov]

Quote
I've said repeatedly, there's no other person I'd want running this team.  He's the best GM in the business.  Anyone who has ever said "fire ainge" doesn't understand what Ainge has accomplished since taking over this team

I like Ainge too.   But I do not think he is the best drafter, though.   He pushes hard on trades and shows a foresight that can see things in the big picture.  I still think he is one of the best.

He is not the best drafter in the league. But how many guys are plucking stars from where he has drafted from? The only team that does it somewhat consistently is the Spurs. Maybe the Pacers?

Has anyone on the blog took a stab at objectively analyzing draft performance of NBA GMs? Someone should...(finger on nose)

I did one a while back.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=65996.msg1502960#msg1502960

Long story short: Danny has consistently outperformed his draft position.

(And while we're at it, I pointed out a while back that the "Danny doesn't like Euros" theory didn't hold water, because he'd never really had a draft slot where good Euro options were available. We have our answer now.)

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=73940.msg1750079#msg1750079

I think you are going about the right way in analyzing his drafting skills.  He's been very good at drafting.  So many people here point out the one or two players from the 30 to 40 players taken after his pick that have turned into good players and complained about how Danny missed them.  It's an impossible standard.

Yeah that's been my point all along.

Thanks and TP.

[greece66]

Quote
I've said repeatedly, there's no other person I'd want running this team.  He's the best GM in the business.  Anyone who has ever said "fire ainge" doesn't understand what Ainge has accomplished since taking over this team

I like Ainge too.   But I do not think he is the best drafter, though.   He pushes hard on trades and shows a foresight that can see things in the big picture.  I still think he is one of the best.

He is not the best drafter in the league. But how many guys are plucking stars from where he has drafted from? The only team that does it somewhat consistently is the Spurs. Maybe the Pacers?

Has anyone on the blog took a stab at objectively analyzing draft performance of NBA GMs? Someone should...(finger on nose)

I did one a while back.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=65996.msg1502960#msg1502960

Long story short: Danny has consistently outperformed his draft position.

(And while we're at it, I pointed out a while back that the "Danny doesn't like Euros" theory didn't hold water, because he'd never really had a draft slot where good Euro options were available. We have our answer now.)

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=73940.msg1750079#msg1750079

Good stuff.

I found very interesting the post on Danny and the Euros- I now feel I have misjudged. At any rate, in the 2016 draft it looks like most teams paid more attention to Euros and intl prospects; I hope the trend continues.

Btw, I just realized I've been confusing Guillermo and Juan Hernangomez while looking at the 2015 and 2016 drafts   

[vjcsmoke]

Even if we sign KD, our bench doesn't look that good if we can't keep Amir and JJ.
Bench of Smart, KO and rookies doesn't cut it for me as a contender.

I believe once we sign Durant and Horford, we'll be able to retain Amir and JJ by going over the cap if we want to because they are our own free agents.  Someone with cap knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong.

[Jvalin]

Even if we sign KD, our bench doesn't look that good if we can't keep Amir and JJ.
Bench of Smart, KO and rookies doesn't cut it for me as a contender.

I believe once we sign Durant and Horford, we'll be able to retain Amir and JJ by going over the cap if we want to because they are our own free agents.  Someone with cap knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong.

We have to release Amir and JJ in order to create enough cap space to offer KD the max.

[kozlodoev]

Even if we sign KD, our bench doesn't look that good if we can't keep Amir and JJ.
Bench of Smart, KO and rookies doesn't cut it for me as a contender.

I believe once we sign Durant and Horford, we'll be able to retain Amir and JJ by going over the cap if we want to because they are our own free agents.  Someone with cap knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong.

We have to release Amir and JJ in order to create enough cap space to offer KD the max.

Correct. If we're signing Durant, Amir and JJ will be UFAs. Same for Sullinger and Zeller, since we'll have to rescind their QOs.

[kozlodoev]

Anyone who doubts Ainge's ability as GM has either forgotten or hasn't paid attention to the years we spent stuck in the rut getting by on fumes and Paul Pierce's talent.

[Celtic_Pride777]

Jesus, don't you guys believes in jinxes?!  This is like celebrating a marriage before your girlfriend has even accepted your proposal

We'll know by tomorrow, maybe even tonight, where Durant will go. Until then, let's temper our expectations and put off celebrating until we know for sure whether he comes here or not

[Ogaju]

Jesus, don't you guys believes in jinxes?!  This is like celebrating a marriage before your girlfriend has even accepted your proposal

We'll know by tomorrow, maybe even tonight, where Durant will go. Until then, let's temper our expectations and put off celebrating until we know for sure whether he comes here or not

We have already won. If KD does not come he will hear from Gisele. Trust me, he does not want to hear from Gisele.

[Emmette Bryant]

Here's an analysis of Danny's MO that was done 8 months ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/bostonceltics/comments/3ps6y0/danny_ainge_aims_for_the_stars_and_dont_let/?sort=new

[Rosco917]

gotta be one of the fastest re-builds in history
about 18 months since the lowest point just after the rondo trade
inches away from a completely new contender
deserves a hellava lot of credt

AGREE^^