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Danny Ainge drafted for toughness in 2004 - but instability intervened

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 Celtics Head-Honcho, Danny Ainge had the 15th, 24th and 25th picks in the 2004 NBA draft - and initially appeared to have done quite well. 


He took C/PF Al Jefferson at #15, and that worked out fairly well. Jefferson had the foot-work and inside moves to make a statement in the NBA - and eventually became the major trade piece that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston.

In the latter portion of the first round, Danny went with toughness, taking Delonte West and Tony Allen. West showed promise but mental instability intervened, and the point guard moved around the NBA and (then-called) D-League - finally ending up as a homeless man on the streets.

Tony had a decent career as a Celtic but became disenchanted with his role behind Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett - finally deciding to move on to Memphis in free agency - where he became known as the "Grindfather" for his dedicated defensive ability.

Now recently, "The Grindfather" was sentenced to community service and supervision for his part in an NBA benefits scam. The judge in the matter had this to say (per Justin Quinn):

The judge also mentioned that Allen seemed to be floundering in his post-playing career life, saying “You seem not quite to have found your footing after your basketball career has ended.”You may need to think about having a new goal – something you can work towards every day.”

It's all about the way things end. I liked the way Tony and Delonte played in Boston, but greed and mental instablity prevailed. I wish happy endings for both. 


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