Monday, January 07, 2008

RED AUERBACH AWARD FOR EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

This goes to the GM, head coach, owner, front office person, or any other guy/gal who doesn’t actually play, but makes a major impact on a team. Here are the nominees:

Scott Piloi - VP of Player Personnel, New England Patriots
Theo Epstein - GM, Boston Red Sox
Danny Ainge - Executive Director of Basketball Operations, Boston Celtics
Bill Belichick - Head Coach, New England Patriots
Josh McDaniels - Offensive Coordinator, New England Patriots
Terry Francona - Manager, Boston Red Sox
Doc Rivers - Head Coach, Boston Celtics

And the winner is…

Danny Ainge!



Ainge has been much maligned in this town, but in one off-season, the people have forgotten things like trading Antoine Walker (then reacquiring him), skipping over Ben Wallace in the draft, and hiring Rick Pitino as head coach. Pioli and Epstein have both assembled amazing teams, but their task this year was to take a good team and make it great. Ainge, on the other hand, took a horrible team and made it great. The trades orchestrated for Garnett and Allen have thus far paid off as the Celtics have returned to relevancy, will probably return to the playoffs, and may just return to their old stomping grounds: the NBA Championship.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:13 PM

    The Red Sox won a world title. The only exec of the year in basketball should be for Kevin Mchale.

    Ainge made this team a mess and you are giving him credit for a friendship that only happened because old man dead Red wanted Ainge to sit on the bench while Larry and Parish won us titles.
    FACT is the Bulls and Lakers had better offers for Garnett and Ainge got him because Mchale was friends with him. PERIOD.

    Kevin Mchale deserved exec of the year NOT Ainge. The Celtics would still be a bad team if it wasn't for Mchale wanting to get rid of Garnett because Allen has been iffy at best this season.

    I love when people start watching a team because they start winning and think the are a real fan.

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  2. Well McHale isn't eligible for the Award, he's not a New England executive.

    This Award was given to the Executive of the YEAR, not to the best Executive in Boston sports for the past 4 or 5 years.

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