if we keep winning games ainge is probably going to package our picks for rivers

[cman88]

given ainge's track record with picks in the late teens, early 20s range...I say we keep the picks. like i said. right now we have the 17th and 22nd pick in the draft.

this is where Ainge excels...Rondo, perkins, tony allen, delonte west, avery bradley, jajuan johnson(?)

if ainge doesnt see much of a talent difference moving up a couple spots and giving up a pick. its better to stick with what you have and get possibly 2 good players

[greg683x]

i see this is going to be a weekly topic started on here until the draft.

[birdwatcher]

You really think that our 2 picks would net us a lottery pick? Doubtful. Lots of draftniks are saying that his stock is going to rise when he works out for teams and does some pre draft camps. Some saying he could crack the top 5.

[EDWARDO]

Ainge tried to convince Suns management to trade up for Kobe. Too bad for them, though he ended up taking Nash instead.

Point being, if you think a guy has a chance to be a star, you go get him, regardless of position. You win with superstars, not with 12 good players. Can argue whether you think he will be a star, but if hou think so, you go get him.

[Galeto]

If the Celtics have two picks in the twenties or even one in the late teens and one in the twenties and Austin goes in the top 15, this idea is moot.  Two bottom 1/3 picks don't have THAT much value.  If a team picking 13th wanted to add the 25th pick or so, they could always buy one.

I think what might work against Austin is that his style of game doesn't make him a favorite of coaches and GMs.  The people who preach about "playing the right way" might have some gripes about Austin's hero-shot tendency and overdribbling.  Austin's floor game improved by leaps and bounds from his first five games in college but it's still a work in progress.

[EDWARDO]

If the Celtics have two picks in the twenties or even one in the late teens and one in the twenties and Austin goes in the top 15, this idea is moot.  Two bottom 1/3 picks don't have THAT much value.  If a team picking 13th wanted to add the 25th pick or so, they could always buy one.

Not in this draft. Great depth. From a value point of view, the perfect draft to trade down in. Consensus seems to be that picks 7-25 have a ton of good players without much to differentiate them. If Ainge thinks a guy at 13 might be a star, might find a taker for 2 picks. Doubt anyone selling a pick in the top 25 this year.

[CFAN38]

Well I hate to do this.. but im flip floping.

Having only been able to watch small portions of the celtics last few games i've seen enough to feel that Avery is the real deal. I have been an avery fan since the end of last season but never though he would be playing this good this quickly. At 21 he still has room to gain weight/strength and add 3pt range. If in the next couple of season he gets up to a strong 190lbs and becomes a 30% 3pt shooter then we has our starting SG for the next 10 years.

As much as I think Rivers is going to be a great pro. I no longer feel like moving up to get him is the right move for the Celtics (killing me to flip-flop).

I now agree with previous posters that both picks and JJJ need to be packaged for an earlier pick so that danny can get a big man. My first choice is the Cs swing a 3 team trade and used the picks and JJJ (i would even be willing to trade pierce without the picks) for P Milsap. The second choice would be to hope J Sullinger falls and trade 2 picks and JJJ for him. Tyler Zeller would then be my fall back plan.