Also seen at Celtics 17.

I used to hate—no, DESPISE—Danny Ainge. After his deal that sent the then-admirable Antonie Walker packing, only then to sign Brian Scalabrine, it was clear to me that this guy was just not a fit for the Celtics.

Then came the 2006-07 season, a year where the Celtics not only had shameful results but left a humiliating mark on both their legendary name and Boston's fans.

And just when I thought both Ainge and coach Doc Rivers were "outta here," a meeting was arranged between Celtics star Paul Pierce and Ainge himself.

Pierce told Ainge that "he wanted to be a Celtic for life," but if the C's didn't find veteran help for him that offseason, he'd prefer leaving Beantown and heading to a contender.

Little did he know that Mr. Ainge expected a Pierce response like that, and was working on bringing that "contender team" to Boston. So, not only did Pierce get veteran help, but two superstars ready to take a big burden off of Pierce's shoulders.

In the glorious end, Paul Pierce, the Celtics, and the city of Boston won an NBA championship—an honor they'd already experienced many times over, but not for over 20 years.

And so I'm convinced. Danny Ainge is a genius. The Ray Allen trade, which was seen as a terrible, awful move, was proven brilliant by Ainge after Allen was covered in champagne at around midnight, June 17, 2008.

He gave the T-Wolves half of the Celtics' roster in exchange for Kevin Garnett, but, once again, the swap proved to be what was necessary for both Boston and Minnesota.

Then, he added player after player on to the Celtic gang just days after the Garnett trade, not stopping until the roster was perfectly complete.

The C's signed Eddie House and Scot Pollard shortly after the Garnett trade was finalized. Late August, he signed coveted free agent James Posey to a one-year deal.

The moves were seen as complements to the blockbuster deals which ended up being the splashes of the summer, but little did we know these were the deals that would give Boston a title.

After the jump, I'll talk about the specifics and go into detail about the 2007-08 Executive of the Year.

 

The NBA Draft
Although it may not be what comes to mind when you think of him, Ainge has a knack for drafting sleepers. Kendrick Perkins was the 27th name called in the 2003 Draft, and was headed for Memphis.
But, Danny Ainge stepped in and traded for Perkins, who is now one of the game's best defenders and still has a strong-but-unpolished offensive game.
If he can work on a short jump shot, look for Perkins to be averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with three blocks per game.

Perkins has unbelievable strength, as well. He did an excellent job on Dwight Howard, holding him to just 16.4 points in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, whereas he averaged 20-plus points in the first round and conference finals.
He only averaged less in the NBA Finals, where Howard faced a deep Los Angeles Lakers team that included Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

In the 2004 NBA Draft, Ainge brought Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, and Justin Reed to Boston. With exception to Reed, they all have had their share of success in the league.
Al Jefferson is a future All-Star and racked up 23.1 points and 11 rebounds per game last year. Many claimed he was robbed of a spot on last year's All-Star roster.

Tony Allen put up numbers of about 15 points per game during a span in which he replaced an injured Paul Pierce in the 2006-07 season.
Allen was seen as a "rising star" during Pierce's absence, but, due to a number of injuries, was never the same after that season. Here's the initial injury...(stupid, foolish dunk):

Delonte West has been a valued member of the Cleveland Cavaliers for close to two years now. With the recent addition of Shaq, the Cavs are once again favorites to win the championship...and the offseason is not yet done.
There have been whispers of the Cavs being interested in both Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza. If they manage to reel one of them in, the already feared Cavs team would become downright scary. Delonte West may then be the first of four to win a championship.

In the 2005 NBA Draft, Ainge got Ryan Gomes with the 50th pick. Gomes turned out to be a very solid NBA player, and he is currently part of the Minnesota Timberwolves organization through the Garnett deal.
Despite his size, Gomes is an effective power forward, as he has a competent jump shot ranging from 15-20 feet. He can also play down low and give his team some solid production under the boards.

The draft prior to their 24-win season, Ainge made a deal to receive guard Rajon Rondo from the Phoenix Suns, who selected the little guy 21st overall.
Although we weren't aware of it at the time, this kid was going to be something special. I'm guessing Ainge knew a little something-something about that.

Rondo went on to become a promising player in his first year, averaging 6.4 points, 1.6 steals, 3.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game. It was during his second year when he was finally acknowledged and respected by the NBA's members.
He averaged 10.6 points, 1.7 steals, 5.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds, as well as serving as one of the leaders on the Celtics' 2007-08 championship team. This year, Rondo almost averaged a triple-double in the playoffs, falling a mere .2 assists and .3 rebounds short.

The next year, Ainge snagged forward Glen Davis with the 32nd pick, which they got in exchange along with Ray Allen in the SuperSonics deal on draft night.
Davis was a fan-favorite his entering year in the Association, a highlight being 20 points against the Pistons on Jan. 5, 2008. He scored 16 of those points in the fourth quarter. Plus, who could forget this gem, which occurred in his most recent season with the Celtics?:


Perhaps one of my most favorite Ainge transactions is the deal he made to acquire Bill Walker from the Washington Wizards on draft night. Walker was chosen late in the second round, and most certainly was a sleeper as he was projected to be a lottery pick if not for his ACL surgery.

 

Walker didn't get much playing time his first year as a Celtic, but there's no questioning his potential as a future player. He has an exceedingly athletic ability, and is willing to work hard in order to show the world what he's got.

The Celtics also have a history of experimenting with their young guns when their second year rolls along.

And they won't change that history with Walker, either. He's expected to be used as Pierce's backup if they don't sign a free agent willing to play behind Pierce, which seems to be the case as they're currently focusing on a big man.

And so we then come to the Danny's most recent pick, Lester Hudson.

Here's what Memphian friend of mine (Leroy Watson) in his most recent article:

Hudson showed great proficiency as a baller at an early age. By the time he was 11 or 12 years old, he was playing with men much older...and more than holding his own.

He was skinny, but had fantastic handles and hops—meaning he could dribble and jump, for the uninitiated, and his instincts on the court were uncanny. He could find ways to score that were virtually unimaginable.

That's where the nickname "the Molester" came from; he would take your dignity away on the court so completely, it was if he were committing some savage crime.

(I once had the chance to play against Lester. I'm not going to lie to you; I begged off!)

There was one little problem:

Young Mr. Hudson wasn't particularly fond of going to school.

And, really, who at that age is eager to go to class? Especially a playground legend who uses a basketball as an extension of his own body?

He never graduated from junior high school.

Watson implies that the only reason he wasn't invited to attend a higher level of Division I school was because of his grades, which I'm sure you know by now were atrocious.

Watson tells us that Hudson recorded the game's (NCAA Basketball) first-ever quadruple double, scoring 25 points, ripping down 12 rebounds, dishing out 10 assists, and stealing the ball on 10 different occasions, playing 31 minutes in a blowout against Central Baptist.

 

Free Agents/Trades/Etc.

Ainge is the guru of free agency. Two years ago, as I mentioned, he plucked House, Posey, and Pollard out of the free agent market. House and Posey later became a big part of the Celtics' road to the Finals.

Pollard would've been just the big man we were looking for (1-2 points, 2-3 rebounds, 1 block, 5-7 minutes) if he did not suffer a season-ending injury.

The Pose-man and House were the bombers from behind the arc you'll see in highlights featuring the fourth quarter in the famous Game Four of the 2008 NBA Finals.

They were two of the league's most efficient shooters, and two of the most reliable as well (averaging a .387 three-point field goal percentage combined).

He's also mastered the art of signing guys mid-season. So far, he's brought in Sam Cassell, PJ Brown, Stephon Marbury, and Mikki Moore in the last two years the Celtics were in contention for a ring.

Stephon Marbury literally won the Celtics Game Five of the Eastern Conference semis against the Orlando Magic, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter in the 92-88 victory.

Sam Cassell was also an excellent pickup. In one of his first games with the C's, he knocked down the game-winning bucket against the San Antonio Spurs on the road.

Garnett wouldn't come to the Boston Celtics during their abysmal 24-58 showing in 2006-07. "Yeah well, how 'bout if we add sharpshooting Ray Allen to our team, hotshot?" says Danny Ainge. I guess it worked. Ainge somehow was patient enough with Garnett to guide him to Boston baby-step by baby-step.

Just recently, Rasheed Wallace identified the San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic as his desired employers.

Well, due to Garnett and Ainge's nonstop, probably annoying phone calls, Sheed folded and listed the Celtics as another possible team.

The Celtics were the first one to offer him a contract. We're waiting on his response.

Go figure.

Plus, on top of all that, Ainge can put up one heck of a smokescreen. Remember when it was rumored that he was going to ship Rajon Rondo out of town? He almost made me pee my pants.

So yeah, I'd say Danny Ainge is a genius. How about you?