Post by DERRENMATTS on Sept 11, 2005 3:08:40 GMT -5
Ainge came aboard in 2003 and he inherited a very talentless team with a lot of question marks. He knew he had to roll up his sleeves, get to work, and baiscally press the reset button. None of the pieces fit his puzzle, and consequently, he's gotten rid of every one of them, aside from Blount and Pierce (though, I don't think keeping Blount was his choice, and it remains to be seen if Pierce stays in Boston).
Being on the team only a month and a half before his very first draft, he had little time to bring in players for workouts and he hadn't been scouting much. I've been getting the feeling that the 2003 draft was a hit or miss for Ainge.
I think that Ainge is a believer in the adage that you build a team around a solid PG and Big man. Wing players are easier to come by, but you start with the foundation at the PG spot and a big man. He was being sold on Banks by a number of people close to him, and I think he selected Banks without really scouting Marcus with his own eyes. He probably saw the athleticism and the excitement, and he probably heard that Banks had a lot of potential to be a star PG. But I think if Ainge had the time to scout the PG's available in the draft, he would have taken Ridnour instead of Banks. But taking Banks was like taking a homerun swing. Banks' potential is much bigger than Ridnour's, and being that Ainge was taking over a franchise in shambles, he wanted to get the player with the most potential. But so far its looking like Ainge made the wrong decision (possibly one of the few he's made). While Banks is constantly involved in trade rumors, Luke Ridnour is securely cemented as the Sonics' PG of the future, leading their high powered offense.
With his second pick of that draft, he went after Kendrick Perkins. This was another homerun cut for Ainge. He was looking for a big man who had the most long term potential. It didn't matter if the big man was going to be a project because the franchise was in no shape to win immediately. So he searched far and wide with the limited time he had before the draft and concluded that Perkins was the best option for him. In hindsight, there were good players he could have taken instead of Perkins (Josh Howard was taken 2 spots after Perkins. Even Kyle Korver was available and so far he's made more of his career than Perkins has). But Ainge was probably looking to secure a big man for the future and Perkins was the best option he could gamble on. Getting a big man prospect was more important than getting a wing player, but imagine where we'd be if Josh Howard was a Celtic.
To this day, neither Banks, nor Perkins, have been able to gain job security. Rivers says he's going to get Perkins more playing time this season, but that remains to be seen. And he's had many run ins with Banks.
Incidentally, in an interview a month ago, Ainge was asked what he learned from previous drafts that changed the ways he drafts now, and he said that he doesn't draft based on needs (and he proved that by drafting both Delonte and Tony in the first round, even though we were already set at the wing spots because Pierce and Ricky were in place). I feel that Ainge's comment was refering to his first draft, where it appears that he was specifically looking to grab a PG and a big man.
Would our team be different if he had drafted Ridnour and Josh Howard instead of Banks and Perkins? Ridnour and Howard are both starters for their teams, putting up very respectable numbers, and looking like very good players in the near future, while Banks and Perkins haven't been able to average more than 14 minutes per game.
Being on the team only a month and a half before his very first draft, he had little time to bring in players for workouts and he hadn't been scouting much. I've been getting the feeling that the 2003 draft was a hit or miss for Ainge.
I think that Ainge is a believer in the adage that you build a team around a solid PG and Big man. Wing players are easier to come by, but you start with the foundation at the PG spot and a big man. He was being sold on Banks by a number of people close to him, and I think he selected Banks without really scouting Marcus with his own eyes. He probably saw the athleticism and the excitement, and he probably heard that Banks had a lot of potential to be a star PG. But I think if Ainge had the time to scout the PG's available in the draft, he would have taken Ridnour instead of Banks. But taking Banks was like taking a homerun swing. Banks' potential is much bigger than Ridnour's, and being that Ainge was taking over a franchise in shambles, he wanted to get the player with the most potential. But so far its looking like Ainge made the wrong decision (possibly one of the few he's made). While Banks is constantly involved in trade rumors, Luke Ridnour is securely cemented as the Sonics' PG of the future, leading their high powered offense.
With his second pick of that draft, he went after Kendrick Perkins. This was another homerun cut for Ainge. He was looking for a big man who had the most long term potential. It didn't matter if the big man was going to be a project because the franchise was in no shape to win immediately. So he searched far and wide with the limited time he had before the draft and concluded that Perkins was the best option for him. In hindsight, there were good players he could have taken instead of Perkins (Josh Howard was taken 2 spots after Perkins. Even Kyle Korver was available and so far he's made more of his career than Perkins has). But Ainge was probably looking to secure a big man for the future and Perkins was the best option he could gamble on. Getting a big man prospect was more important than getting a wing player, but imagine where we'd be if Josh Howard was a Celtic.
To this day, neither Banks, nor Perkins, have been able to gain job security. Rivers says he's going to get Perkins more playing time this season, but that remains to be seen. And he's had many run ins with Banks.
Incidentally, in an interview a month ago, Ainge was asked what he learned from previous drafts that changed the ways he drafts now, and he said that he doesn't draft based on needs (and he proved that by drafting both Delonte and Tony in the first round, even though we were already set at the wing spots because Pierce and Ricky were in place). I feel that Ainge's comment was refering to his first draft, where it appears that he was specifically looking to grab a PG and a big man.
Would our team be different if he had drafted Ridnour and Josh Howard instead of Banks and Perkins? Ridnour and Howard are both starters for their teams, putting up very respectable numbers, and looking like very good players in the near future, while Banks and Perkins haven't been able to average more than 14 minutes per game.
