Here's why I love Danny Ainge. The guy has guts.
Back in December of 2003 the Celtics were suddenly "clicking". They had rattled off an improbable 5 game win streak to take the team to 12-12. It was their longest win streak in a while ...
And then suddenly: December 15, 2003: Ainge traded forwards Eric Williams and Kedrick Brown and center Tony Battie to the Cleveland Cavaliers for guard Ricky Davis, centers Chris Mihm and Michael Stewart and a second-round draft pick.
Fans (the little of us who actually followed that crap team) were shocked. You traded a key roleplayer like Eric Williams and a key big man like Tony Battie to take back talented, but nuts, RIcky Davis!?!
That's guts, baby. That's a guy who is willing to take a chance. Ainge didn't care about our petty win steak. He knew that team wasn't a contender, so he pulled the trigger on a deal which had the potential to bring us some real talent. Whether it worked out or not didn't matter... it was a chance he felt worth taking and there was no better time to trade his guys than while their stock was hot in the midst of a win streak.
Ask anyone with sense and they will tell you this 2012 team, even at full strength, will be destroyed by the Heat or Bulls. Just bad luck. Jeff Green got hurt, David West teased us and Krstik is overseas. We have no starting center. Anyone with perspective can see this team is playoff fodder for a real contender. Say what you want about Danny Ainge, but he's a guy with perspective and long-term vision.
A petty 3 game win streak isn't going to do anything to sway his opinion of this team. If anything, it HELPS him blow it up. Nobody wants to trade for a washed up Pierce... but a Paul Pierce who just proved he could lead a team to a three game win streak almost by himself?... THAT has value. THAT's the kind of play that can convince a team like Indiana to give up a prospect like Paul George AND a 1st rounder for Pierce.
KG showing life?... that's the kind of play that could convince a contending team to trade a late 1st rounder for him (not that any of them exist with expiring contracts to match)...
Ainge has proven to me to be the kind of guy who will sell high and buy low... even if the guy he buys low doesn't pan out. I'm bracing myself for a shakeup.