Serious question about Danny's thought process...

[Dchuck]

Is there ever a player Danny would hands-down draft with a #1 pick?

Would he ever value an actual player over assets?

If Anthony Davis were in the draft, would Danny pick him?  Or would he trade it for picks/players etc?

[gouki88]

It probably depends on what was out there. Danny seems to always be looking at potential moves.

If OKC had called up and offered Durant for #1 in 2012 (Davis), I'm sure DA would've said yes.

I don't think Danny undervalues top picks, I just think he likes to take risks more than other GM's.

[green_bballers13]

I think it all depends on where the team is- if they stink, pick the Best Player Available and start him 40 minutes. If the team is good (ie making ECF), a 19 year old isn't likely to play that much (look at Jaylen's #s last year).

Anthony Davis and Markelle Fultz have nothing in common. One led his team to a national championship in his first year, and the other won 9 games.

With all of the measurements and analytics, its amazing how people don't care about winning.

[Dchuck]

I think it all depends on where the team is if they stink, pick the Best Player Available and start him 40 minutes. If the team is good (ie making ECF), a 19 year old isn't likely to play that much (look at Jaylen's #s last year).

Anthony Davis and Markelle Fultz have nothing in common. One led his team to a national championship in his first year, and the other won 9 games.

With all of the measurements and analytics, its amazing how people don't care about winning.

Thats fair.  However, this statement leads me to believe he determines need over talent.  Right, wrong or indifferent.  Its just an excercise into the unpredictable mind of Ainge.

[celticinorlando]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

[Dchuck]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

Hahaha!  Seriously!  The truth is, he doesn't/hasn't drafted well.  I really don't think he is that great of a talent evaluator.  Great trader, yes.  Great deal maker, yes. 

[hwangjini_1]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

really? how about brown, did ainge hatch him from an egg or draft him? smart? rozier? yabusele? zizic? and on and on. nope, no hatching, just drafting. 

[hwangjini_1]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

Hahaha!  Seriously!  The truth is, he doesn't/hasn't drafted well.  I really don't think he is that great of a talent evaluator.  Great trader, yes.  Great deal maker, yes.

actually, around the nba and through discussions here, the consensus is that ainge is a good drafter of talent.

oh, if you wish to debate that, you cant use 20/20 hindsight ("ainge missed player X and Y!") without doing the identical process on other GM draft histories as well.

[Boris Badenov]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

really? how about brown, did ainge hatch him from an egg or draft him? smart? rozier? yabusele? zizic? and on and on. nope, no hatching, just drafting. 

Yeah, that is just a short-sighted statement at odds with the facts.

In the last five years we've made ten first round draft picks, all of which will hit the roster and have a shot to make the team. For those counting at home, that's twice as many as you would get normally.

Now, where on earth did we get those extra picks? Is it possible that Danny's strategy of valuing picks has actually led to us drafting MORE than the normal number?

And in fact, we have seven first round picks over the next three years, three of which are likely to be in the high lottery or top 5. Maybe we will trade some, but if we do, it's going to be for a big-time star.

[Dchuck]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

Hahaha!  Seriously!  The truth is, he doesn't/hasn't drafted well.  I really don't think he is that great of a talent evaluator.  Great trader, yes.  Great deal maker, yes.

actually, around the nba and through discussions here, the consensus is that ainge is a good drafter of talent.

oh, if you wish to debate that, you cant use 20/20 hindsight ("ainge missed player X and Y!") without doing the identical process on other GM draft histories as well.

Can't use 20/20 hindsight?  Then how do you determine whether it was a good draft pick or not.  Of course other GM's passed over the same players Danny passed over.  But what does that mean, he's as bad a drafter as them?  There will always be players teams/GMs miss. 

Just off the top of my head....San Antonio, OKC, GSW, Chicago, Milwaukee, are all better talent evaluators and drafters.  Ainge is ok in that department.  He excels at making deals.

[PickNRoll]

This is a loaded question, but the answer is absolutely yes.  Danny will always select the best player.  Danny's big board probably looks something like this:

1. Jackson
2. Fox
3. Smith, Jr.
4. Ball
5. Fultz

Since that is the case, OF COURSE YOU TRADE THE PICK.  You can still get the best player in the draft AND get a free draft pick.

[Tr1boy]

Is there ever a player Danny would hands-down draft with a #1 pick?

Would he ever value an actual player over assets?

If Anthony Davis were in the draft, would Danny pick him?  Or would he trade it for picks/players etc?

yes and yes

Danny would trade the #1 for Anthony Davis

Yes Danny would draft Anthony Davis, Towns or Durant at #1 and not trade the pick.

[tstorey_97]

Ainge's "process" is about opportunity. He does not have a championship roster. Red taught him how to build one and he did. He will try and do it again.

Draft picks, young players and complimentary players are ponies, they mean nothing to Ainge who wants to be tied 2-2 with Golden State next June. All of our favorite guys are on the line this summer...all of them. This is how Ainge's thought process varies from ours. He's about results, not emotions.

You like Jaylen Brown? He's a pony...who might be a horse, but, "might" doesn't get Ainge to GSW in June does it? 

Ainge might see two of our current players as "horses".

Bradley and Horford are proven playoff veterans who match up well with their positions on opposing playoff teams. An opposing coach has to "work" to negate Horford and Bradley. Neither are super stars, but, they are potentially part of Ainge's roster.

How about the other 12/13 Celtics? How about the next 10 draft picks over the next three years?

They are all available to be swapped for horses. Feel bad? The Cavaliers turned this roster into a wet spot and everybody knows it including...

Any potential "horse" who might be thinking of coming here.

The Garnett deal illustrated Ainge's thought process.

Dominant two way big (defense first)...Garnett
Dominant Scoring winger (defense second)...Allen
Dominant balanced winger...Pierce

Ok? Rondo played great, but for Ainge, he was a "thrown in." You could have swapped in half a dozen other point guards to compliment the big three.
Perkins (defense first).

You like Thomas? Ainge likes him too, unless there is a deal that gets Ainge to June.

Ainge has a shot at George, Hayward whom are both horses. He does not have a shot at a dominant big.

Just as he did with Kevin Garnett, Ainge must assemble a roster that will attract Paul George.
The opportunity to get a player of Paul George's caliber is too rare for Ainge to treat it lightly.

Be advised, Ainge will get the rights to and trade Edelman, Gronkowski and Butler to the Colts if he can get Paul George. Getting a transcendent player is more important than giving Andrew Luck more targets, their defense s*&s anyway.

[CelticGuardian]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

really? how about brown, did ainge hatch him from an egg or draft him? smart? rozier? yabusele? zizic? and on and on. nope, no hatching, just drafting. 

Brown had a meh rookie season, there's still hope for him.

Rozier, stopped a trade with the Magic... because idk he can rebound for a guard?(stupid skill btw)

Smart, billed as a defensive stopper who got scored on with ease in the playoffs... yay!! more of this please!!

All the other guys have as much questions marks as Markelle Fultz, probably more

[BitterJim]

Danny just wants picks. He doesn't pick with them or use them. Just trades for more picks

Hahaha!  Seriously!  The truth is, he doesn't/hasn't drafted well.  I really don't think he is that great of a talent evaluator.  Great trader, yes.  Great deal maker, yes.

actually, around the nba and through discussions here, the consensus is that ainge is a good drafter of talent.

oh, if you wish to debate that, you cant use 20/20 hindsight ("ainge missed player X and Y!") without doing the identical process on other GM draft histories as well.

Can't use 20/20 hindsight?  Then how do you determine whether it was a good draft pick or not.  Of course other GM's passed over the same players Danny passed over.  But what does that mean, he's as bad a drafter as them?  There will always be players teams/GMs miss. 

Just off the top of my head....San Antonio, OKC, GSW, Chicago, Milwaukee, are all better talent evaluators and drafters.  Ainge is ok in that department.  He excels at making deals.

No, he said "you cant use 20/20 hindsight [...] without doing the identical process on other GM draft histories as well".  Go through the histories for the Spurs, Thunder, Warriors, Bulls, and Bucks.  You'll find that their draft histories aren't actually perfect, just as Ainge's isn't.  But if you just want to compare their draft hits to all of our picks, then using "20/20 hindsight" is useless.

Not to mention that "he's not as good as these 5" and "he doesn't draft well" are light years apart