SB Nation's Mike Prada (he of Bullets Forever and SB Nation DC fame) took on the task of ranking all 30 NBA General Managers, all the way from Larry Bird (the worst) to Pat Riley (the best ... obviously). So where did the Celtics' Danny Ainge rank? No. 8, right behind R.C. Buford of the Spurs.
↵↵Ainge provides a lesson for all of us when wondering about the madness of GMs like David Kahn who seemingly are always rebuilding. When he arrived in Boston, Ainge saw a marginal team and was determined to tear it down, even if it took a while for fans to ultimately see the fruits of his labor. He kept stockpiling draft picks, building up their value by playing them and biding his time until the right opportunity came along. Eventually, it came, and it led to a title.
↵It's true that trading for superstars like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen requires being a bit lucky. However, you also have to put yourself in a position to make it happen, and Ainge did exactly that with his draft picks and his general philosophy. It takes a lot of guts and skill to perform a franchise facelift, but Ainge made it happen. That alone has to propel him way up this list.
↵Oh, and Ainge also nailed the Rajon Rondo pick and continues to find good young players that can contribute for cheap. That's not luck -- that's skill.
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