Author Topic: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?  (Read 18059 times)

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Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #15 on: July 07, 2008, 01:04:04 PM »

Offline BadNewsBarnes

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Last year everyone was ready to fire this dude, and now everyone wants to call him the Best GM in the NBA. He had one good season. He has to repeat it again.

I agree with NextCeltic34 on this.  In order for him to be considered one of the best GM's in the NBA or sports he needs to be able to sustain the success we saw this season.  In Boston success is measured by championships.  Hopefully he gives us several more.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #16 on: July 07, 2008, 01:14:40 PM »

Offline BballTim

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Ainge was lucky that two 30+ stars on bad teams came available at the perfect time for the Celtics (when they had a top draft pick, a young stud in Jefferson and two short term large money contracts)  Ainge did a good job gathering those pieces, but had luck in terms of the other teams. 

  Did you really think it was so surprising that KG was on the market? He had like 1 year left on his contract and Minny was going nowhere.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #17 on: July 07, 2008, 01:18:48 PM »

Offline wdleehi

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Ainge was lucky that two 30+ stars on bad teams came available at the perfect time for the Celtics (when they had a top draft pick, a young stud in Jefferson and two short term large money contracts)  Ainge did a good job gathering those pieces, but had luck in terms of the other teams. 

  Did you really think it was so surprising that KG was on the market? He had like 1 year left on his contract and Minny was going nowhere.

Not surprising, but lucky.


The T-Wolves could have pulled the plug the year before or year after. 

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #18 on: July 07, 2008, 01:19:43 PM »

Offline Roy Hobbs

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I'm going to agree with the majority: Danny was the best GM last season.  Other than that, it's hard to say.

I like Danny, and have supported him since he was hired.  However, playing Devil's advocate, would we be having this conversation if Danny's original proposal for KG had been accepted (Big Al + #5 + contracts + other assorted pieces?)  If it had been, we wouldn't have been able to land Ray, and possibly wouldn't have been able to get a third star in here.  If that happens, we're just another good but not great team.

Danny definitely accumulated some good assets, and he planned last season's off-season in advance (it was no coincidence that he obtained Theo's contract as a chip.)  However, let's see what happens from here before placing him above other GMs who have won multiple championships and have their teams in contention annually.

All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks. - Rick Pitino

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Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #19 on: July 07, 2008, 01:24:35 PM »

Offline Brickowski

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IMHO the Best GM in sports is Scott Pioli.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #20 on: July 07, 2008, 01:35:13 PM »

Offline BballTim

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Ainge was lucky that two 30+ stars on bad teams came available at the perfect time for the Celtics (when they had a top draft pick, a young stud in Jefferson and two short term large money contracts)  Ainge did a good job gathering those pieces, but had luck in terms of the other teams. 

  Did you really think it was so surprising that KG was on the market? He had like 1 year left on his contract and Minny was going nowhere.

Not surprising, but lucky.


The T-Wolves could have pulled the plug the year before or year after. 

  If they'd have pulled the plug a year later we'd have still gotten him.

  The fact was we had the best package of tradeable players and contracts, and not by accident. By your definition every trade made in the history of the league was lucky.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #21 on: July 07, 2008, 01:37:20 PM »

Offline wdleehi

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Ainge was lucky that two 30+ stars on bad teams came available at the perfect time for the Celtics (when they had a top draft pick, a young stud in Jefferson and two short term large money contracts)  Ainge did a good job gathering those pieces, but had luck in terms of the other teams. 

  Did you really think it was so surprising that KG was on the market? He had like 1 year left on his contract and Minny was going nowhere.

Not surprising, but lucky.


The T-Wolves could have pulled the plug the year before or year after. 

  If they'd have pulled the plug a year later we'd have still gotten him.

  The fact was we had the best package of tradeable players and contracts, and not by accident. By your definition every trade made in the history of the league was lucky.


I said a combination. 

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #22 on: July 07, 2008, 01:40:42 PM »

Offline TripleOT

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hey I made my user name DannyAinge  about a two years ago. I knew he was going to do well. This guy has made so many good trades. On draft day he doesn't just take the pick that is given to him, he stretches the value of each and every pick.

remember when they traded essentially, ricky davis for wally sczerbiak everyone doubted him but me. he had to lump those small contracts into large expiring contracts to eventually trade for better players.

jiri welch for rajon rondo. I loved that trade. Ainge got a first round draft pick from cleveland and then traded down a couple of spots to get Rondo.

all of you guys second guessed this guy. You didn't realize he is not your typical GM. He could of easily signed FA to large contracts that ate up our cap space but he didn't.

He got the award this year for best GM. In my mind he was doing this great of a job all the time, but C's fans have to understand he built this team by himself.

also don't say he got lucky with KG. All along he was saying he had to "aquire chips" to trade for a veteran player. Lucky I think not. He is friends with Mchale and knew he had what it took to get KG.

as far as I'm concerned he is in the best top 5 GM's in the league since he took over.

"In Danny I Trust" 

One usually doesn't see this many inaccuracies in a single post.  Congratulations. 

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #23 on: July 07, 2008, 01:42:52 PM »

Offline sk7326

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Joe Dumars is the best in the game.  Six straight conference finals is the measure of GM's achievement.  Danny put together a team that won a title.  That is commendable, but that is not the measure of a great GM.  That is the measure of great players, great coaching, great playing, and a good deal of luck. 

Billy Beane has opined on this topic before.  That is, all of his "methods" and GM'ing hoo haa can get you a perennial contender.  A GM creates a consistent program that can self sustain, and can be a contender for years.  (note Oakland's financial constraints makes their success more cyclical)  Once you get to the playoffs, that is just about winning games, and a GM cannot do that.  That is the team itself.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #24 on: July 07, 2008, 02:08:58 PM »

Offline Bozo

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I have been very, very impressed with DA.  As a GM, I would say he is the best poker player I have seen.  He knows his chips, and he knows when to walk away, and when to strike the deal. He also maintains a sense of what he is looking for, without getting so specific that he locks himself out of considering options that become available.  He makes calculated risk decisions.  While he is very unpredictable in terms of what maneuver, and when, his goal is very consistent. And I really, really, do like what he has done with this team.  Lucky?? That is not luck.  The lucky part was the hiring of DA.  Kind of like Lebron, labeling him as great, is only a matter of time.     

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #25 on: July 07, 2008, 02:11:57 PM »

Offline paintitgreen

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hey I made my user name DannyAinge  about a two years ago. I knew he was going to do well. This guy has made so many good trades. On draft day he doesn't just take the pick that is given to him, he stretches the value of each and every pick.

remember when they traded essentially, ricky davis for wally sczerbiak everyone doubted him but me. he had to lump those small contracts into large expiring contracts to eventually trade for better players.

jiri welch for rajon rondo. I loved that trade. Ainge got a first round draft pick from cleveland and then traded down a couple of spots to get Rondo.

all of you guys second guessed this guy. You didn't realize he is not your typical GM. He could of easily signed FA to large contracts that ate up our cap space but he didn't.

He got the award this year for best GM. In my mind he was doing this great of a job all the time, but C's fans have to understand he built this team by himself.

also don't say he got lucky with KG. All along he was saying he had to "aquire chips" to trade for a veteran player. Lucky I think not. He is friends with Mchale and knew he had what it took to get KG.

as far as I'm concerned he is in the best top 5 GM's in the league since he took over.

"In Danny I Trust" 

One usually doesn't see this many inaccuracies in a single post.  Congratulations. 

TP.

Ainge had a great year and has traditionally drafted well. He's done a very good job. But last year was his first great year. A lot of guys have had one great year and followed it up with bad decisions. I don't think he's the best GM in the NBA right now (and definitely not in all professional sports), but if he continues building the right team around our three stars for the next few years, I'd probably start to consider him the best in the NBA. If he does that AND manages to rebuild on the fly a few years down the road, then I would maybe consider him one of the best in sports.

I agree Buford has done great, as has Dumars and Kupchak, and I'd put Colangelo up there (although I'm not sure Jermaine was a great idea, but maybe a very worthwhile trade). I like Pritchard, too, he's done a great job rebuilding that team quickly, but it seems that some people are crediting him as a guy doing a lot with a little. That's just wrong. The guy has carte blanche to spend Paul Allen's money. He's doing it wisely, but it's the same as anybody in New York or LA - Allen has all the money in the world. Ainge is in a similar situation. Yes, he made a great trade last year and filled in the team with some intelligent free agent acquisitions. But without ownership willing to spend the money, you can't make those moves, something that has hamstrung other GMs. I'm not sold on Presti in Seattle at all but obviously, he was in a tough spot last year with the OKC mess, and the results of his decisions are yet to be seen. Ainge is in the Top 10, at least, though, and probably Top 5. Being #1 last year helps. Let's hope he follows it up.
Go Celtics.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #26 on: July 07, 2008, 02:16:42 PM »

Offline juice104

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Danny is a great gm but I have to go with Portland's Kevin Pritchard. He has assembled a team that is going to be a force to be reckoned with for the next eight to ten years. He took over a team with bloated contracts and bad attitudes and turned them into a young team that is already competing for a playoff sport in the deep west. He also hired the perfect coach to develop young talent. What he does every year at the draft is amazing also he doesn't pay overpay for free agents witch most gm's out there do.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #27 on: July 07, 2008, 02:53:50 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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I think most if not all can agree that Danny isn't even the second best professional sports general manager in this town nevermind in all of sports. I think Theo and Belichick are well ahead of Danny in regards to their place in the list of best general managers in sports.

Now if the best GM in the NBA were handled like the Top 25 teams lists in college basketball and football, then I think Danny is indeed the best GM in the NBA since draft night 2007 and will remain so until someone is doing a better job. The trades for Allen and Garnett, the signings in the offseason of Posey and House and the trade line patience and then signings of Brown and Cassel were magnificent and were the reason for his award.

He has a championship to show for those efforts and had what most draftniks appear to believe was an above average to very, very good draft. If he can continue having success with his moves to the tune of a repeat championship, he deserves to still be considered the best GM in basketball. Further successes thereafter could suddenly create a legacy namimg his as one of the best ever. B

But we are still years and years away from that, if it does happen.

I would give a shout out to the Utah front office as being one of the best front offices in basketball for the last 20 years or so. 

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #28 on: July 07, 2008, 03:00:40 PM »

Offline SShoreFan 2.0

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I love Danny and his approach, I always have.......but let's see a few years of consistency before we anoint him.  I am confident Danny would agree as well.

Nick, I agree with your assessment of Utah they've been a rock of consistency, but they've never won the banner, which I think should be a requirement.  I hate to tip the hat to the ownership of the Lakers, but they are the team that's held it together all these years.
I love my kids, call me a sap - it's true.

Re: Is Danny Ainge the best GM in the NBA (or sports for that matter)?
« Reply #29 on: July 07, 2008, 03:03:37 PM »

Offline KJ33

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Danny is a great gm but I have to go with Portland's Kevin Pritchard. He has assembled a team that is going to be a force to be reckoned with for the next eight to ten years. He took over a team with bloated contracts and bad attitudes and turned them into a young team that is already competing for a playoff sport in the deep west. He also hired the perfect coach to develop young talent. What he does every year at the draft is amazing also he doesn't pay overpay for free agents witch most gm's out there do.

FYI, most of your assessment of Pritchard comes from your speculation about what will happen.  In talking about Danny, we are analyzing what has happened.  Whatever one's personal opinion about Danny, you can't take away the championship, them are facts.  What you say about Pritchard and how he has Portland on track may indeed lead to ultimate success, but it is premature to hand him the mantle of best GM in the NBA until and unless his promising moves yield more tangible success.