The easy atta-boy one could have given Danny Ainge after the Celtics' 117-112 win over the Clippers Tuesday night would have been for getting Kemba Walker.
Walker was undoubtedly the difference-maker on a night where Jayson Tatum (14 points) and Jaylen Brown (18) didn't reach 20 points. This was the good Kemba, the one that the Celtics simply hasn't seen enough of until recently.
But, let's face it, the jury is still out on Walker and his knee. Ainge isn't out of the woods when it comes to banking on Kemba as Option No. 3, quite yet.
There is, however, two other pieces of the Celtics' winning puzzle against the 24-13 Clippers that the general manager should be praised for -- Robert Williams and Payton Pritchard.
Now, these guys aren't going to be the ultimate difference-makers, but they are going to make a difference. They sure did Tuesday night.
Williams scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 22 minutes, while Pritchard added 14 points in 23 minutes. Simply put, the Celtics wouldn't have won without them.
So why are we bringing up Ainge? He is, after all, the guy whose mistakes have largely led this team to an uncomfortable lot in life. Because there was a skill to identifying Williams and Pritchard and players who could actually help to this degree.
Williams was the 27th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He is, however, trending toward having a more productive career than his Texas collegiate rival, Orlando center Mo Bamba, the No. 6 overall pick. Point is, getting a player as useful as Williams has become isn't easy with the fourth-to-last pick in the first round.
The same goes for the discovery of Pritchard, the No. 26 overall selection in last year's Draft. Only nine rookies taken before the Oregon guard has played more minutes than Pritchard, with the point guard many wanted Ainge to take R.J. Hampton -- who went two spots in front of Pritchard -- not providing nearly the impact of the Celtics' rookie.
The easy retort for both of the examples is how Ainge has handled the higher picks, the one that typically matter the most. Romeo Langford can't get on the court due to injuries, and Aaron Nesmith certainly hasn't earned the spot in Brad Stevens' rotation many had hoped for at this point in the season.
There is also the eye-rolling that comes with how Ainge dealt with the offseason, leaving the Celtics as team desperately needing production out of these two.
If we've learned nothing else from the Patriots it's that while you certainly need those late-round finds in order to have a chance, missing out on top tier talent will catch up to you (especially if you don't have the greatest quarterback of all-time).
But Williams and Pritchard are two players who present the kind of upside this roster is desperately looking for these days. Grant Williams. Semi Ojeleye. Carsen Edwards. Tremont Williams. Javonte Green. None of them will be as important as Time Lord and 8-Mile.
That was the case against the Clippers. And that's going to be the reality while the Celtics and Ainge try to figure out their laundry list of issues.