Ainge

[ferbo]

Yesterday there was a column posted in News which downplayed Ainge's deals over the summer because they represented "Plan B", him having to achieve Plan A.

In any kind of management, Plan B is a reality. Neither life nor business offers an unlimited supply of Plan A. SOMETIME the best thing to do then is to do nothing. But most of the time, the decision maker has to look for Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, etc., cetc.

So I think that article off the mark.

Another thing: A frequent comment is that Ainge has suddenly changed directions and moved away from a "developing young players" model. Maybe so, maybe not. Remember this is a guy whom Kevin McHale said is a "bad Mormon" who would cheat in a father-sone softball game. He was accumulating talent. He talked about devloping the young players. The only rumblings of the future came from others who were observing that Ainge was going to have difficulty signing all the young talent to their next contract. There has been an underlying premise developing that he would have to decide who to keep and trade the others.

Well, that is whaat he did.

Were his deals "good" deals? We'll have to wait to see.

In addition to the big deals, he has signed some folks:

House replaces, say, Allen Ray.

Pollard replaces Kandyman.

Posey replaces Gomes, which is a significant upgrade.

So those losses are replaced.

Pruitt will replace the gun-carrier.

Davis is like having the equivalent of one of those first-round draft choices now--not a totally far-fetched idea given that those choies don't look to be high ones.

Personally I think he has replaced all his losses through trading, getting the two Hal of Famers to start and the other guys off the bench.

And he clearly has changed some dynamic, by making the Cs appeaar to be a place which FAs are eager to check out.

That's how I see it.

[FLCeltsFan]

If you go back to Danny's statements when he first took over, he said that he had a 3-5 year plan where he would gather all the chips he could through the draft and trades and then use them to bring in an All Star. That is exactly what he did. He gathered young talented players through the draft and draft picks through trades and turned them into more young talent and then turned all that young talent into 2 All Stars. I'd say he was following plan A all along. If you read my article on LOY's Place
celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2007/08/auerbachian.html
Red's legendary moves weren't always the first ones he went for either. He drafted a center instead of Cousy and ended up with him anyway. He wanted Ralph Sampson and ended up with Parish and McHale. Sometimes it takes a bit of luck along with being smart and diligent. Danny and Red used both.

[cfoo]

I also think this was Ainge's plan all along. He has been talking with Mchale off and on over the years and been planning this. Had we landed Oden he might have had to rethink things but I really think this was his plan. Once he got the pick he didnt hesiate to move chips for Allen and then Garnett. This was his plan A. He didn't plan on winning the lottery. He was just trying to get up in the draft to get a pick he could use as an asset and he did along with wally and delonte to get Allen. He tried to get AI and couple years back as well, and Philly wouldn't deal with him. Same with Artest. He just wasn't in position yet at that point to make these deals.

[esco33]

Before the summer, Ainge had always been so underrated around the league according to fans and as well as the press. Now after the KG trade people are giving him props and touting him a good GM. He has always had a plan, and has stuck to it just as Fl has said. He came in with a purpose, carried out his plan, and now the Celts are ready to roll. He had talked about that "one last move" for a couple years now. The KG trade was that move. Some minor tweaking and adjustments need to happen but THIS is the team that he is going with to hang a few more banners up in the rafters. And that's he was hired to do.

In my book, he gets an A grade. He had a plan, stuck to it, and fully executed it.

[mev17]

Well put, esco! Those who criticized him IMO were short-sighted and did not realize how badly we needed to rebuild. There are two ways to go with a "youth movement": keep all of them and hope they develop into a contending team, or package them in trades for more established players, and Ainge took advantage of two good opportunities and did just that this summer. IMO a job very well done!

[Roadrunner]

If this were the WSOP, Danny went for broke, and won.