Now, let's go back a moment, shall we, and consider what might have been going on in the mind of Danny Ainge last spring when he dealt Kendrick Perkins to the OKC Thunder in exchange for Jeff Green. Green, of course, was pitched as "the most talented guy in the trade." No doubt, Green has more overall basketball skills than Perkins, or at least better overall basketball skills than the big fella. Was that all there was to it? Danny just cashing in on an opportunity to improve talent and save himself from having to overpay KP?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
I like to view every move the Celtics make, especially every big move, with an eye on the scoreboard.
Best I can tell, the count is still 17-16. In the wink of an eye, the 2008 Celtics went from a comfortable lead of 17-14 over the Lakers to the narrowest of leads two years later. Kevin McHale's best effort to add some breathing room to the score by giving us Kevin Garnett, while successful for a single season, was on the verge of being overshadowed by the L's catching up and possibly surpassing the Celtics' banner collection.
Enter Danny Ainge.
If Kendrick Perkins is known for one thing, what is it?
He's a killer.
As in Andrew Bynum.
Bynum may be able to back his way into the hoop and All-Stardom with the rest of the league's centers. But his limited game doesn't work too well with the one formerly known as the Beast.
Danny Ainge knew this.
He also knew the aforementioned score.
Danny Ainge isn't just the Celtics' GM. Danny Ainge is the current owner of the Celtics legacy. You don't think he was going to let that legacy be defined as the El Jeffe who allowed the L's to overtake us, now do you? You put the Beast at center and team him with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and all of a sudden the L's streak of championships appears kaput.
Sometimes you have to go to the grassy knoll to understand the totality of Danny's chess moves.
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