Presti and Ainge and the Allen Trade

[Sabino]

>>>I agree with your assessment.
   
  I am also wondering if Ray Allen doesn't end up as the piece that holds this whole thing together.  We all know that Paul Pierce is not a strong leader, he's always been a very good complimentary player a la Scottie Pippen. Garnett will provide energy and intensity but he may not be tempered properly to fill the role.
   
  I think Ray Allen will offer quiet and steady leadership, the catclyst to bring the team together and pull the best out of Pierce and Garnett.

<<< -- Asterix
 
I'm guessing you're meaning you agreed with Mark's assessment.
 
My reasoning for thinking the original Allen draft day trade was a pure appeasement move was because I didn't think the combo of Pierce and Allen got them anywhere near shouting distance of a championship, and if not, what was the point.  Oh yeah, to appease Pierce.
 
Undoubtedly Allen would have made the team better in the short term.  That's a given.  I just don't think as the major move it did more than get us to the first round, second at best, and at 32, he would steadily decline, notwithstanding all the noises we've heard about players being so effective into their late 30s.  The history of the league (and mankind) suggest declining athletic abilities.
 
I regarded it as a short term gain for a long term loss.  Good enough to appease Pierce (and possibly get to the second round), not good enough to truly contend; and in the end, anything short of moving in that direction is somehow counterproductive.
 
Hey, who knew his acquisition would be a catalyst for snagging KG (Ainge hoped, but did not know).
 
Mark's right in that we still had the Theo chip, and sundry youngins to part with, so who knows who we might have snagged.  See, there were few guys I'd have wanted to give up Al for.  Don't know that I'd have done it for Jermaine Oneal.  Seemed at the time that the whole KG scenario was moot.  Seemed like Marion was a no go too.  The talk then turned to guys like Oneal and AK47.  Nice additions, but I think I'd maybe just as soon have kept Al.  And then, keeping Al, Ainge still had the major age dichotomy on the team.  Sort of one foot in the water; one out.
 
He had to pick a path.  Continue with youth (which probably meant biting the bullet and trading Paul), or truly committing to Paul and surrounding him with vets.
 
Anyway, had Ainge not followed up the Allen trade with anything short of bringing in another premier player, Allen's window would not have made the deal worth it.  Sure, great guy, good leader, good clubhouse guy, but in the end, we'd have squandered the #5 pick and Delonte for a couple of years of first or second round playoffs (imo).
 
It's all moot now anyway.  On draft night, I honestly didn't think Danny could pull off the subsequent moves he did.  Well, bravo to Danny.  He did it.  He picked a path and went all in, and now we have a legit maybe 3 year window.


       
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