I'm 100% / 200% convinced of two things:
1. This draft can set us up for a legitimate 10 year run assuming relative health for Tatum and Brown
2. I'm not sure Ainge will draft the players we need - basically big men.
My argument:
1. I realize there is a lot of small ball being played and understand it's value. We can do that in spades with the current roster. OK, great.
2. At the end of the day, push comes to shove, it gets nasty in the paint come playoff time - always has, always will. Most championship teams have some sort of alpha dog big man plus other reasonably good additional bigs (for when it is needed)
My Draft:
17th: Jalen Smith (check out his Tankathon break down)
26th: Vernon Carey
Comment: G to tankathon.com and watch Vernon Carey's High School mix tape. He's leaner, thinner and much more athletic. I'd draft him, have him drop 20-25 pounds, get back down to 245/250 max.
30th pick: Udoka Azubuike (Again check out his Tankathon profile)
* 6' 11", 275 lb, bouncy big man with a good motor and a 7' 7" wingspan - a willing defender. Let him hammer Embiid for 15 minutes a night.
Robert Williams / Baynes, resigned / Azubuike
Theis / Jalen Smith / Vernon Carey
Tatum / Hayward / Grant Williams (I'd have him slim down too)
Brown / Langford / Javonte Green
Kemba / Smart / Wanamaker
This team could go massively big and could clearly still play small ball as well as anyone in the league.
It's so easy to do - Ainge will never do it. He'll draft three undersized guards, wings or Power Forwards, with marginal athleticism and short arms who can't shoot - but - play really hard...
We can argue which big men to draft but just, for the love of God, can we get some, so we can be the bullies, positions 1 through 5? They don't have to be world beaters - they just have to be solid and with a good mix of complimentary skills alongside Time Lord.
Let Smart, Langford, Brown, Tatum, Grant Willliams, Timelord, Jalen Smith, Carey, Azubuike grow together. By the time Jalen's 26 - a few years out, this team could be ridiculous.... But, Ainge will probably screw Tatum and Brown by refusing to draft big men. I'd love him to, for once, prove me wrong in this draft.