Skip to main content

How would Red Auerbach rate Danny Ainge's performance?

Image
By

Things are so vastly different in the NBA today than they were in 1956. Making comparisons between General Managers in that era and those in the modern League is difficult, but here we go.

Red is listed as both Coach and Executive in 1956. He was basically the Front Office. The 2020 list goes well over 100 names. There were only eight teams in the League in the mid-50's. There are 30 now.

Simplicity reigned in the 50's. Auerbach made virtually all of the decisions, from determining substitutions during games to scouting potential draft picks and negotiating player contracts. Players generally hung around on the same team for their entire careers. But today, Danny Ainge has employees to handle most of the tasks, and the game of "Musical Players" has become an epidemic.

So, who has had it tougher, Red or Danny? Red worked his butt off, but the daily process was not complicated. Auerbach was in charge, and the Celtics organization was as close to a dictatorship as existed in Boston Not so today. It has become a players' League. No question about it - Ainge has it tougher than Auerbach. Red would not agree with that (I don't believe), but I do.

I simply don't understand the criticisms surrounding Danny Ainge's management of the Boston Celtics. Hell, he was mentored by Auerbach, and two heart attacks later,  his troops always seem to be in serious contention. Boston fans may want another dynasty, but that is unrealistic in today's NBA. 

So the crusty old Red Auerbach's only criticism of Danny may be his trading away of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett before their skills faded away, even though that deal brought the Jay Team, referred to as "Franchise Pillars" by NBA TV's Tom Penn, to TD Garden. I really like where the Celtics stand for the upcoming season - and beyond. If this was 1956, Red may frown on what Danny has accomplished. But in 2020, he would beam on his protege's success with the team that Auerbach resurrected from the doldrums.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Elm Street Nightmare

By
 A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.)  Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube   Elm Street  surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He  resided on Elm Street  in Townsend, Massachusetts  2.) He  kidnapped a woman  at gunpoint on  Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the t...
23 comments
Read more

A sorrowful farewell to Kitty's Restaurant (North Reading, MA) as a family tradition

By
  Time to say "Goodbye" to Kitty's Restaurant - my   family's destination and tradition for six generations and more than 80 years. My memories of Kitty's go back to the early-1950's . I would accompany my dad and grandfather on fishing trips to the Ipswich River in North Reading, Massachusetts - followed by a visit to the restaurant on Main Street. In later years, my wife, Linda, and I would eat there with our two kids, Marc and Lisa - and years later - with our two grand daughters - and still later - with our great grandson, Carson. Author and family at Kitty's approx. 10 years ago Kitty's never disappointed. The drinks were big and well-made . The food was terrific - as were the portions. The service was exceptional and we became well-acquainted with the waiters and waitresses. It all worked so very well for many decades. My grand daughter, Courtney , was particularly fond of the restaurant. She was born with cystic fibrosis , and during her fr...
15 comments
Read more

Wemby versus Kareem as rookies

By
 We already know that the Spurs Victor Wembanyama is going to be an NBA phenomenon, but will he surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by the end of his career. It is highly likely.  I did a "per-36-minutes" comparison between the two stars, mainly because Kareem logged 43.1 MPG in his rookie campaign - while Wemby has been held to only 29.4 MPG. Kareem: 24.1 PPG - 12.1 RPG - 3.4 APG - .518 FG - .653 FT Wemby:  25.9 PPG - 12.9 RPG - 4.5 APG - .463 FG - .796 FT No blocks, steals or 3-pointers were looked at since they were not tracked in Jabbar's first year in the NBA. It should also be noted that Kareem was 22 years old at the time, while Victor started at age 20. Two factors favoring Wembanyama ultimately surpassing Jabbar on any "Best-of-All-Time" charts are his point guard skills , shared by so many European players.  and the fact he is being mentored by Gregg Popovich. His potential seems astounding. But the question remains. Can he garner six Titles and six MVP ...
1 comment
Read more