Did trade for rights to draft Rondo at 21 too.

Still so disorienting to google Rondo and see

Height: 6'1
Wingspan: 7'0

Ainge doesn't have a great track record in regards to drafting but to be fair, he has blown it up twice and done a real good job reloading both times. Not too many GMs can say that. How many GMs have missed just as much on draft picks as Ainge has? People are praising the 76ers. How many playoff series have they won in the last 15 years? 1? lol . They've been a dumpster fire for years, it's about time things are looking up for them.

most GMs aren't given a shot to rebuild before they're fired.

as you can see, the GM for the 6ers hinkie couldn't last the entire rebuild.

Ainge has only missed the playoffs 3 times. That's pretty damn good with 2 separate rebuilds. He never really deserved to get canned

Did Hinkie even get 1 appearance?

https://twitter.com/juliephayer/stat...19398000730112

I hope he owns the cupcake name. Who doesn't like cupcakes? They're great.

Hinkie definitely didn't. His goal was to total gut and the team was okay/suck before he came on board at 34 wins.

Most GMs don't last very long especially ones flipping squads.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/1...ss-rest-season

Hush, 'moto.

I mean, lol Ainge for some recent stuff and his mediocre to bad draft record, but the BKN deal alone (even if he lucked into it) makes him a high tier GM just solely looking at GM impact on team futures.

Going forward we'll see. I think the #1 pick deal this year was a pretty big mistake

Oh snap, 'moto shat.

The dude orchestrated a championship, and really prob an EV of close to 2 ships, with his top 30 all time player wanting out no less, out of thin air. Dude is a legend.

DANNY

Phil Jackson is making excessive demands. Let him shop around, find out that no one will come close to what he wants, then wait to see if Phil comes down a bit.

If you think it is lol to call Ainge a Top 5 GM, then you should be able to name 8 who are better. Unless there is a ridiculous drop off, then you should be able to name enough GMs to make it clear Ainge isn't even a borderline case who is in the conversation for fifth best.

I think it would be ****ing hard to come up with a good top 7-8 GMs. I used to think Olshey was up there but the ET contract alone threw that out the window. Seems like all of them except maybe Buford screw up at some point.

Ainge gotta be top 5. Only other contenders currently in the league(I don't have them ordered)

Masai
Riley
Myers
Buford
Morey
Lindsay
Presti
Connolly

Some of y'all might lol Presti, but I give a lot of the blame for the dumb stuff on an ownership too cheap to go into the tax on a perennial contender. Maybe Olshay should still be on here too. The rest of the current league doesn't deserve consideration this high. Hinkie would too. I'm sure Griffin would for a lot of people but he's gone too and I think he's overrated.

You forgot Marks (at a minimum, that's first blush).

Meh Marks. Only reason he'd get considering is if you're grading on a Nets curve of not being Billy King.

-He made 2 solid win/win salary dump trades.
-Made a good pick in Levert
-Made a bunch of mediocre signings. Lin and Booker were fine. Lol Scola and Foye when you had zero talent on the team around them.
-Tried to make some other mediocre to terrible RFA signings.
-Had the sense to trade Thad Young away from his team with no future and got the same haul that the Kings got for Belinelli.

I liked the contracts for Tyler Johnson and Allan Crabbe that were matched.

Crabbe turned out to maybe be a poor gamble, but it was an appropriate gamble for their position. He's playing his hand well. It's just a ****ty hand.

The DAR trade was fantastic for that reason.

Its still not really clear jackson is really trying to move staps. He is famous for misdirecting/working the media. I do think he is listening but not going out there trying to move him.

re: Kristaps: If Phil asked for 4 things where I think Kristaps is only worth 1.5 of them, I'd tell him to take a hike. I would not trade #3 and Jaylen, or #3 and Jae, or #3 and next year's Brooklyn pick (this would be the most egregious). I would probably trade #3 and AB/Smart since they'll get expensive next year and are duplicative. It is NOT a no brainer to trade 3 of these things together as some of you are suggesting. Those are ****ing dynamite assets. Kristaps is good, but he hasn't shown "mega package" good yet.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown/crowder for Staps is the biggest no brainer trade on the planet. Phil would of wanted more then that I'm sure. He was reported to want a high draft pick and 2 starters for him. Tatum is not a considered a prospect with superstar potential. He wasnt even in the top tier of prospects in this draft. Jaylen Brown wouldnt have been a top 10 pick in this draft. He was considered a reach at 3 last season even its not like he showed anything special.

Staps was a 4 pick who has WAY exceeded expectations already. Hes a 21 YO 7'3 rim protector who can shoot the ball. He hasnt shown hes already worth the "mega package" yet but you wouldnt get him in a trade once you know for a fact hes worth the mega package.

Of course you can question if hes going to be injured alot etc. The fact that hes been playing for the knicks should out weight those concerns. Give him a good coach and better organization and the sky is the limit. You just cant find 7'3 guys who can shoot/rim protect they dont come around.

Also not grabbing Butler for the 3 pick is a super nitty move. I mean i get it Lebron James and the warriors but being your 2nd in the east already with a pickup of Butler and one good free agent move your suddenly a threat to get to the title. Injuries and weird things happen sometimes. When your that close and you dont even have to go all in to go for it its a nitty move. Still sitting on the lakers 2-5 or kings first rounder pick+the nets pick.

Another thing is you keep stockpiling the Smarts,Browns,and Tatums chances are they never become as good as a Staps or Butler. Its just not there expected outcome. Then you finally get a chance at a possible star in Ball or Fultz and u move down to stockpile more players in that Tatum/Smart/Brown tier that doesnt make much sense. Maybe Ainge knows something is coming in free agency that we dont so it does make sense. Time will tell that but it seems super nitty at face value when your team is 2nd in the conference to just sit back and stockpile tier 2 prospects who many of which you'll be letting walk when they hit free agency anyways.

And that's why I would have hung up and I don't blame Danny for hanging up.

At this point it's pretty LOLPhil to not trade Staps given some of the reported offers.

Staps Is a super duper star. LOL all of you

nobody is perfect obviously but aldridge didnt exactly pan out the way they hoped especially for the money they gave him. can't put that on buford or pop tho, he could be a sure hof'er if it wasnt for his lack of IQ and mental toughness/ heart. if he cant buyin to that franchise and pop cant get through to him who can?