At the end of the 2007-2008 season, Boston Celtics fans rejoiced as their team defeated the hated Los Angeles Lakers and brought home their 17th NBA title, as well as first in over 20 years. General Manager Danny Ainge was given much credit for the victorious season, not only by fans, but also by the owners of the Celtics, who promoted him to President of Basketball Operations last October.
Ainge had made two key trades before the season that sent Boston Ray Allen and Glen “Big Baby” Davis from the Seattle SuperSonics, and Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves. After sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in 2006 with just 24 wins, the Celtics won an NBA-best 66 the next season. With his two trades, Ainge had put the coal into the furnace that burned the biggest comeback in NBA history over a two-year span.
Garnett and Allen, however, did not come cheap. To acquire Garnett, the Celtics gave up 7 players, including Al Jefferson. Jefferson can play both Forward and Center, and has already become one of the better players in the NBA, while being 9 years younger than KG. Boston also gave cash considerations and two first round picks in the upcoming 2009 NBA Draft, all for only Garnett.
Allen and Davis were traded for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Boston’s 2007 first round pick, Jeff Green. Green is one of the few bright spots on the Oklahoma City Thunder, and made the All-Rookie First Team in 2008.
Jefferson and Green, two of the key players traded away, could have helped make a good future for a rebuilding team. They currently have a combined age of 46, while Allen and Garnett have a combined age of 66. While the moves Ainge made led to instant success for the Celts, trading away half your team and exchanging youth for aging veterans is not how you run a franchise.
There is no way a 2007-2008 banner would be hanging from the rafters in the Garden had it not been for those trades. But in a few years, the Celtics will probably be a washed out team in no better position to contend than they were in the 2006-2007 season. Dynasties are built with patience, and had they not made those moves, they would almost certainly be a huge force to be reckoned with in the NBA in the near future.
After this year’s off-season began, there were soon trade rumors involving Boston. It was rumored that they would trade Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo for injury risk Amar’e Stoudemire. Though this rumor was never confirmed to be legitimate, Ainge has since attempted to deal the two fan favorites.
It was recently revealed that the Celtics have tried to trade away Rondo and Allen to the Detroit Pistons. In return, the Pistons would give Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney Stuckey. The trade was declined by Detroit at once.
Thank God.
This trade proposal was fueled by greed. The C’s do not want to pay Ray Allen’s 2009 salary only to see him go to another team in the off-season. Allen makes about $18.5 million in 2009, while the trio from the Pistons combined make about $22 million. Ainge traded for a veteran player, and is now trying to deal him away two years later before his contract goes up.
Allen was a big part to the Celtics winning the championship a year ago, though at 33 years old and in the last year of his contract, trading him away might not be a horrible thing. But why is Rajon Rondo involved?
One of the few good things Ainge has done for the Celtics was trading for Rondo after he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns. He is developing into a very good all-around player, and is already well known as a Celtics star. He is the future of this team, and should not be packaged in any trade.
Ainge does not make much sense in trying to make this deal. He remodeled a team to win a championship in 2007. Now, he is trying to take apart some of its key pieces, and add in half of the Detroit Pistons to once again change it. It seems he is trying to use the reverse of the phrase, “out with the old, in with the new.” And it needs to stop.
The Celtics may have won a championship because of Ainge’s moves, but if they want to win one again anytime in the near future, they need to stop trading the team away. The best move they can make right now is not to trade Ray Allen. It is not to package him in a trade with Rondo, either.
The best move the Celtics can make right now is to fire Danny Ainge.
I could not agree more with your proposed firing of Ainge. His changing for the sake of change philosophy has become a tired act, from a true fan’s perspective. It reminds me of the “Pitino Era” when we traded Chauncey Billups away, after less than a week as a Celtic. If I recall, Pitino said Billups could not play. Looking back on his Hall Of Fame cereer, I think it is safe to say, he was off the mark slightly! I enjoyed your article. Very well written
I totally agree with most of what you are saying, but to fire Danny Ainge when he is like all other head honchos in other sports when it comes to $$$ and contracts, is a bit much. Rondo and Allen, together with Garnett and Pierce next season will win again, and then Ray will be gone and they will have to start all over again. Pierce and Garnett are not young. Rondo is not a max contract player just yet because he does not score, so lets see where that goes. Don’t sell Danny short, he knows his team and he knows the players that the fans love. Great article Carmine, keep up the good work.
Very interesting……very.
I’m glad we got KG, Big Baby, and Allen, but I was very sad to see Jefferson, West, and ESPECIALLY Szczerbiak go (don’t ask why, I’ve always had a soft spot for Wally). And I agree with you. It was great we won last year…we wouldn’t have if we didn’t have the “Boston Three Party,” but when it comes to the future, we don’t have many young guys with potential. Our best players are getting old. Just like the Braves and Frank Wren (me relating everything to my Bravos…what a surprise). Wren is making stupid trades, and it’s obviously not working for Atlanta. Wren and Ainge need to be fired, in my opinion. Great article, Carmine. I couldn’t agree more
You can not compare this Negro to The Generalissimo Glen Sather. They both do the same thing, in that they trade away bright young talent and overpay for worn talent. The difference between them? Ainge pays for talent that can win championships. Glen Sather pays 7 mil a year for a 21 point player.
Sean, I don’t appreciate the name you went by. I am well aware that Glen Sather is a glutenous waste of air, and a worse GM than Ainge.
You my friend have no idea how hard it is to win a championship. All of the above has minimal value, the value of winning far exceeds your arguement. Green making the rookie team dosen’t mean shit. Big Al was worth KG. Going out and exploring options is what a good GM does. You are a typical blogger looking for hits rather than making valid points. What is next? Ted Williams sucked? Tom Brady wasn’t worth the draft pick? Bobby Orr was over-rated? Larry Legend was only good becuase he was white? Good luck. Win now, win when you can at all costs and don’t worry about “potential” if winning championships is possible now. Wally was gone at the end of the season anyway, and Al and Green would likely have taken longer to become what they are were they now on horrible teams earning major minutes. The above is horseshit.
I’m not “looking for hits”, pal, I’m telling you what I think the Celtics should do. You’re trying to make it sound like I’m just taking a random topic and throwing it out there. There’s a difference between sharing an opinion on a shitty GM and saying something completely untrue like the four bullshit article examples you gave. Did I say “I hate Ainge because he got us KG”? No. I said that he’s constantly trading away youth for age, or trying to. Who gives a shit if it won us a championship? We’ll probably have another goddamn 22 year drought now because he’s gonna put this team in the shitter if we don’t fire him now. It’s both what he’s done and what he’s going to do if he stays in charge that I’m worried about. He doesn’t know shit and should be replaced, like your brain.