Danny is NOT a top 5 GM!!! He tried to trade 4 first round picks for Justice Winslow for God's sake!
You might have noticed Winslow during Miami's recent resurgence... Wearing street clothes... Because Miami got exponentially better once he went down with an injury.
Oh really? Name me 5 GM's better. Winslow was a big time prospect and I wanted him too.
Those 4 picks were garbage anyway that ended up being players like Rozier and RJ Hunter.
He got lucky that they turned down the trade, so he's got luck on his side too!
He is DEFINITELY lucky.
Via Zach Lowe~
"Boston put Charlotte on the other end of a quantity-for-quality pitch," writes Lowe. "The Celtics offered four first-round picks for the chance to move up from No. 16 to No. 9: that 16th pick, No. 15 (acquired in a prearranged contingency deal with the Hawks), one unprotected future Brooklyn pick, and a future first-rounder from either the Grizzlies or Timberwolves, per sources familiar with the talks."
Source http://www.celticsblog.com/2015/7/28/9058789/bostons-draft-day-offer-to-hornets-revealed
As for 5 GM's who are better... You were right it was a lot closer than I thought. I went back and forth between Presti and Ainge for the 5th spot but landed on Presti for 2 reasons: His drafting is impeccable. It literally blows Ainge's drafting out of the water. The counterpoint being that Ainge hires good coaches and Presti has struggled mightily with that. I just couldn't get past the thought that if you draft Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, Steven Adams, and Reggie Jackson, unload Jeff Green on an unsuspecting Danny Ainge, unload a secretly 38 year old Serge Ibaka for Oladipo, Sabonis, and a pick, and trade Cameron Payne for Taj Gibson and Mitch McGary you're a top 5 GM for that decade.
Final GM top 5:
1. R.C. Buford San Antonio Spurs
2. Bob Meyers G.S Warriors
3. David Griffin/Lebron James Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Daryl Morey Houston Rockets
5. Sam Presti Oklahoma City Thunder
Who knows how good Winslow could've been on our team... I think coaches account for at least 25% of unleashing said potential in a player. Just look at Jaylen Brown, and he's already surpassed my expectations. Statistically, his numbers don't jump out at you. But he clearly oozes potential, and if there is any coach out there, that can help unlock it, Stevens can.
And also I'm not that impressed with Presti...
Durant was a no-brainer. Traded Harden for literally nothing... Late first round picks, and Jeremy Lamb was really horrible, and probably set the team back like forever... I mean if you think about it... A lot of the picks he chose were pretty much easy to make.. At the time Westbrook was considered a reach, but then again
Kept Coach Scott Brooks who just isn't a good coach, let Westbrook and Durant iso heavily, without creating great offensive schemes that benefited Ibaka, Westbrook and Durant.
Not choosing to pick up Chandler, just because he was injured, was a bad idea considering a healthy Chandler next to Durant and Westbrook would've been a perfect veteran to put next to those players.
Never won a title considering he had 3 MVP players, and a potential DPOY. Trading Payne for McDermott/Gibson doesn't really make any sense... But I could see why he made it, just doesn't really make any huge inconsequential difference unless Gibson suddenly learns how to space the floor, and McBuckets can... Get buckets...
Ainge is in my top 3 GM right next to Buford, and Meyers.
Presti has always failed in free agency, and been unable to keep Durant and Westbrook satisfied. There were so many roster overhauls and changes that just NEVER made complete obligatory sense.
I respect your opinion and information, and I do agree that Ainge has always been flawed at drafting. But drafting is usually a crapshoot, and it really does depend on what happens.