Can Danny?

Ian Thomsen's article on possible future candidate for GM makes you realize how lackluster GM's get recycled throughout the league. Check out some of the spin he puts out there about some terrible former GM's.

Jim Paxson: Now a consultant to his younger brother (GM John) in Chicago, Paxson isn't afraid to make bold moves. He laid the groundwork for Cleveland's current success, and he's far better prepared for his next opportunity than when the Cavaliers rushed him into the GM chair in 1999.

Isn't afraid to make bold moves? Like a first round pick for Jiri Welsch? Or overpaying Eric Snow? Drafting Desagana Diop, Luke Jackson, and Chris Mihm? Paxson made one good move (Tony Battie for Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejao, and Steven Hunter). Other than that, the only groundwork he really laid for the Cavaliers was to build a terrible team that was in the position to win the lottery and get Lebron James. Blaming a lack of preparation for his failure seems laughable.

Chris Wallace: The 2001-02 Celtics won 49 games -- the high in the post-Bird era -- during Wallace's brief tenure in charge. A true insider and intelligence gatherer.

No mention of Vin Baker? Joe Johnson? Jerome Moiso? The Celtics won 49 games with the team that he inherited, not the one that he built.

Wally Walker: The former Sonics president and minority owner will move up this list when he announces he is interested in returning to the league. He was ahead of his time in Seattle while building a young, fiscally disciplined roster.

This is the man who helped drive up prices for big men by signing Jim Mcilvane to a giant contract in the 90's. He paid Shawn Kemp a ton of money and then dealt him for Vin Baker. In the end, his majority owner tied the purse strings since the team was for sale and Wally had to build with the limited money he had to work with. Saying he was ahead of his time is like saying Elgin Baylor has been a visionary for all of these years. Perhaps he could do more with an owner who was willing to spend a little more but he's shown the ability to take a championship contending team and turn them into a mediocre 40 win squad.

Dave Babcock: Known as the least conservative of the Babcock brothers, the Bucks' director of player personnel has the knowledge, experience and presence to run his own team.

OK, maybe Babcock might be solid but hiring the least conservative of the Babcock brothers has to give an owner pause. Rob Babcock ran the Toronto Raptors into the ground, getting nothing for Vince Carter, drafting poorly, and being terrible in general. Pete Babcock took over a solid Atlanta Hawks team and in one deal (Steve Smith for J.R. Rider) set in motion the ruin of the franchise. He didn't help himself any by giving away draft picks left and right. He dealt a lottery pick for Lorenzen Wright, then turned around and gave up Lo Wright, Brevin Knight, and #3 pick in 2001 for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. One can only imagine what an even less conservative Babcock might do.

I can only hope that when we get rid of Ainge that we don't make a bad decision and re-hire a guy who's already proven that he can't cut it as an NBA General Manager.