Ainge has drafted brilliantly. It's like people don't realize how hard it is to nail draft picks even to the all-star level.
And the Kyrie trade wasn't Ainge spending his bullets or anything. He understood that Isiah Thomas was washed, even if we didn't. He didn't give up a single thing of value in that trade except for the Nets pick, and he had plenty of other picks to work with. Say what you want about how Kyrie didn't work out on the Celtics, Kyrie definitely was NOT washed and is and was an immeasurably greater player than Thomas.
The problem Ainge faces is that just drafting "well" is not enough. With very few exceptions in NBA history (the early 2000s Pistons?) championship teams need an all-time great player, a high level Hall of Fame type player. The stars have not aligned to make that kind of player accessible to the Celtics. Ainge needed to go all in with his resources to snag guys like AD or Kawhi Leonard when they became available, even if it involved significant risk. One issue Ainge seems to have is being unwilling to take risks, he waits for sure things. That and not appreciating frontcourt size.
And the Kyrie trade wasn't Ainge spending his bullets or anything. He understood that Isiah Thomas was washed, even if we didn't. He didn't give up a single thing of value in that trade except for the Nets pick, and he had plenty of other picks to work with. Say what you want about how Kyrie didn't work out on the Celtics, Kyrie definitely was NOT washed and is and was an immeasurably greater player than Thomas.
The problem Ainge faces is that just drafting "well" is not enough. With very few exceptions in NBA history (the early 2000s Pistons?) championship teams need an all-time great player, a high level Hall of Fame type player. The stars have not aligned to make that kind of player accessible to the Celtics. Ainge needed to go all in with his resources to snag guys like AD or Kawhi Leonard when they became available, even if it involved significant risk. One issue Ainge seems to have is being unwilling to take risks, he waits for sure things. That and not appreciating frontcourt size.
