Danny Ainge Has A Type — Does Darryn Peterson Fit It?

When we think of a type, we’re usually thinking of the type of person we’d like to date. For many of us, it’s finding literally anyone who treats us nicely, is okay with a little heft in the middle, and can put up with an unhealthy obsession with Jazz basketball (sobs softly).

But this is a basketball article! And when we’re talking about types, we’re talking about NBA players. More specifically, we’re talking about Danny Ainge’s type. Let’s take a look at some of the most well-known players Ainge picked, traded for, or didn’t trade, and see if there’s a trend.

Advertisement

Pierce was drafted in 1998, obviously before Ainge arrived as the General Manager in 2003. Pierce was on some disastrous Rick Pitino teams before Ainge arrived. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Ainge in his time with the Jazz, it’s that he holds onto winning talent. Or, at the very least, won’t trade that talent unless he receives the right value for a player. There were multiple times that Ainge could have traded Pierce, but he made sure to keep him and then made him the cornerstone when he traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Pierce was a clutch scoring wing with size who was a cornerstone of everything the Celtics did on their way to a title run. He was also a solid defender who helped contribute to elite Celtic defenses.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett

The name of the game here is talent, and that’s what Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen brought to the Celtics. Allen is considered one of the greatest shooters of all time, but was an athlete who guarded his yard. Kevin Garnett was an elite defensive center who won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008. Garnett was also a talented offensive player who could score in a variety of ways on the offensive end.

Advertisement

With Pierce, Allen, and Garnett, we’re starting to see a trend. Talent is the name of the game, and Ainge will clearly side with talent. And not just one-sided talent, but two-way talent. If you’re an elite offensive player, you’d better be able to defend. If you’re a defense-first prospect, you have to be capable of scoring in the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/danny-ainge-type-does-darryn-045838435.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-06-29 04:58:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.