Celtics Close to Acquiring KG?

<div class="quote_poster">Iron Shiek Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Regardless of how this season transpires Danny Ainge has shown me that when your back is against the wall as a GM you need to come out swinging as opposed to standing pat and trying to justify your methods for team building. At the very least he has brought excitement back to basketball in New England -- something no GM has done since the glory days of the 1980's.</div>

Agree, its sickening to see so many GMs standing pat because they fear that a failed move will cost them their job. They'd much rather stay around with a mediocre team for 5 years than take some risks and make a good team. Sacramento for example, their Owners/GM are always looking to make big moves and they were a great team up until recently.

Golden State has turned things around too with Mullin making risky moves like trading for Baron Davis, whom everyone thought was a cancerous, giant contract, Grant Hill-esque injury plagued, chucker or trading a third of his roster for Stephen Jackson, who everyone was ridiculing and no GMs would even want to touch. Now he traded "the face of the franchise" in Richardson so that he can finally get his hands on a young big man with great potential, something GS hasn't seen since Webber's rookie year (not including Biedrins). He fired Montgomery and brought back Don Nelson very late in last year's offseason and now hes squeezing Barnes and Pietrus out of getting any half decent contracts. This is all the same guy who started off as one of the worst GMs in the league by giving ridiculous contracts to Dunleavy, Murphy, Foyle, and Fisher.

Of course theres a downside to aggressive GMing that is what scares off most of the front office guys. Isiah Thomas is a good example. He trades for every washed up superstar on the market completely disregarding how they would fit on his team, and its led him to mediocrity. Signed the biggest available coach at the time in Larry Brown. He does have a good eye for talent in the draft though, I'll give him that, but the financial part of the job is as important or more important than acquiring talent. Had he just gone the traditional route of rebuilding; letting his big contracts expire, stocking up on lotto picks, etc. we may be looking at an up and coming, talented team in NY. But instead he went out and got guys like Francis, Curry, Randolph, traded away all his valuable assets to get them, and their team chemistry has been horrible.

Ainge is making the right moves so far this offseason but it wouldn't surprise me if he becomes content with this roster and doesn't make any more moves. He and McHale just bought themselves a few more years before they'll be up for being canned again, in which case they'll make another big move and sit around making excuses while their teams wallow in mediocrity.

 

<div class="quote_poster">johnny33 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with Run BJM.. Though it's also the good GM's who can stockpile tradeable assets (large expiring contracts, young talent) and flexibility that will be able to make these risky moves. See Boston, Chicago for examples.

The bad ones? For example:

Knicks - large contracts that don't expire for a few more years in Marbury, QRich, Jerome James, etc.. and no young players outside of David Lee that really draw much interest.

Pacers - see Knicks above, except the names are Murphy, Dunleavy, Tinsley, O'Neal. They really don't have many young talented players either.

Lakers - only a few coveted young players, and a bunch of mediocre talent outside of Kobe and Odom. Kwame's expiring contract may draw interest, but they're far too reluctant to give up Bynum.</div>

Agree, but the GMs need to know the right time to move that young talent for a great piece. Ainge had been waiting on his "young talent" to produce for a few years now and they just weren't winning. Pierce was growing frustrated, the fans and media were growing frustrated, Ainge got lucky that right when his job was on the line KG was there but if there was no pressure on him I doubt he would have made the trade.

Same thing for Chicago IMO. They do have tons of young talent but they have a gaping hole where they need a post presence. But their GM has a huge hard on for Deng, Gordon, T. Thomas, etc. They could have easily had KG if they wanted him this offseason I believe but Paxson is too faithful to his own players. I see them being a team that makes the second round of the playoffs, maybe even conference finals a few times but ultimately I dont' see thme doing anything of relevance with that team. They had a few opportunities to draft a guy who can score on the low block; Aldridge, Hawes, etc. They could have traded for KG or even Zach Randolph. They won't be sniffing another lotto pick again for many years and I doubt any more 20/10 guys become available in the forseeable future either. They'll have the same perimeter oriented, flawed team for quite some time becuase they went with Thomas and Noah over Aldridge and Hawes even though they already have Ben Wallace on a MAX contract. Ridiculous IMO.

Of course Paxson will get nothing but love from the media for getting guys like Deng, Gordon, Wallace, Nocioni, etc. A crazy NBA fan like me knows what they could have been and how much they effed up what could have been a dynasty.

Another team that is turning their franchise around is Portland. Signing Nate McMillan was key for them IMO, I love that move. They got a bit of luck with Oden but they also played the last few draft nights very aggressively and robbed some teams. Trading Telfair for Boston's pick last year- highway robbery, they held Foye hostage and traded him for Roy AND got extra cash considerations. Trading Thomas for Aldridge AND a future second round pick. Getting guys like Jack, McRoberts, Fernandez, Rodriguez, Taurean Green, Koponen. Moving Randolph for Frye. All great moves for a franchise on the upswing and getting McMillan to develop this team is also a great move.